@bryonhoulgrave: Lucy Wilhelm, 11 months, of Peosta, is too young to vote, but showing support for the President in Dubuque
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1:25: President Obama & Michelle Obama deliver remarks at Alliant Energy Amphitheater, Dubuque, Iowa
C-Span * KCRG * CNN * CBS 1 * CBS 2 *
CBS streaming has started
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President Obama greets faculty members in Cascade High School, Iowa, August 15
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Next:
6:35: President Obama & Michelle Obama deliver remarks at Village of East Davenport in Davenport, Iowa
The Obama Diary 
Super excited
Congrats, Proud. You’re first!
Thanks
Congrats Proud!
That little cutie is holding onto that shirt — got a piece of him in my fists, uh-huh!
Congrats Proud! This is getting to be quite a habit of yours. 🙂
Is that a Rolling Stone bag? I NEED that bag!!!
I found it on Amazon…but it is out of stock and no known availability date. Boo Hoo.
http://www.amazon.com/Rolling-Stone-Magazine-tote-bag/dp/B002L9L2ZU/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t/192-3604001-8957431
okay, oh well…
Twitter hashtag for the day: #PaulRyanIsSoStupid
He does know. He’s decided to go with lying now; learned from his running mate that bold-faced lying works – at least with the fact-challenged Republican base.
He is not stupid, he is a liar.
Hahahahahaha…..Tally, that first tweet is so bloody genius!
Joey is on CNN live stream.
http://edition.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=4
This is what an actual bus tour looks like.
Hi Everyone! Just poked my head in to share this. Soledad has been on fire the last couple of days!
——————————————————————————–
Pawlenty suggests that Soledad O’Brien doesn’t understand English [video included with article]
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/15/pawlenty-suggests-that-soledad-obrien-doesnt-understand-english/
Romney surrogates going up against CNN host Soledad O’Brien clearly haven’t learned their lesson.
A day after former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu angrily told O’Brien to “put an Obama bumper sticker on your forehead,” former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney’s national campaign co-chair, suggested that the CNN host didn’t understand English.
During an interview on Wednesday, O’Brien told Pawlenty that one of the presumptive Republican presidential candidate’s ads falsely claimed that President Barack Obama had cut $716 billion from Medicare — but the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) had determined that it was actually reduction in spending, not benefits.
“Isn’t that just patently untrue in that ad?” she asked the former Minnesota governor. “No, that’s not correct, Soledad,” Pawlenty replied. “It is absolutely beyond factual dispute that [Obama] has cut $716 billion out of the money that was projected to be spent on Medicare over the next 10 years.”
“But, sir, it’s not a cut in Medicare, right?” O’Brien observed. “Let me just read from the CBO. It’s a ‘permanent reduction in the annual updates to Medicaid’s payment rates.’ It’s a cut in the spending — future spending. And it’s cut that actually goes to insurers, right? I mean, it’s not cuts to individuals.”
“No matter how you say this, it’s a cut to Medicare,” Pawlenty insisted. “You can’t even with a straight face, look your viewers in the eye and tell [them] that it’s not a cut to Medicare.”
“Well, I can’t look viewers in the eye from where I am,” O’Brien pointed out. “I’m saying the way the CBO puts it. … That is a savings.”
“Do you know what that is in English?” Pawlenty quipped.
“I speak English incredibly well, sir, as you know,” O’Brien shot back. “So, tell me what it is in English.”…[keep reading in the article]
Good work by soledad.
“Well, I can’t look viewers in the eye from where I am,” 🙂
Thugs have decided to go 100% racist this cycle.
LHM!!!
His surrogates have lost their collective minds. Can you believe that crap? “Do you know what this is in English?” That is about as racist as you can get but yet they all cry foul cause VP Joe said the word “chains”. Unfrigginbelievable!!!
“Do you know what that is in English?” Pawlenty quipped.
Jeez, he’s as arrogant and patronizing as Romney. They try to pat her on the head and say “There, there, little girl” and can’t bear it when she stands up to them. Actually, when ANYONE stands up to them but they reserve their special scorn for women. I really don’t like these guys.
They do crumble like cheap suits, don’t they? They are absolutely incredulous when they are expected to actually answer for what they say and be accountable. Oh wait, it’s just those lazy poor people (read: anyone making under $250,000/year) who have to be accountable.
At what point does the background noise that represents most of Americans’ political education just sound like weak, childish whining? At what point does this entire spectacle make R&R and their surrogates look like they are not up to the job of running the free world?
Oh wait — Ryan already gave that up when he was willing to let the country default on its obligations for political gain. That 45% of Americans will vote for this clown car of jokers is astounding to me.
We have to give her some love online and via phone – whatever your preferred means of communication. She’s been stunningly awesome – a real journalist. It’s actually not so hard, since all the work’s been done for them – she didn’t come up with these calculations – she’s reading from a widely available CBO report. And that CBO wasn’t just created yesterday – it’s been out there for a while. She’s putting her lazy (or bought off) colleagues to shame.
I hope every DST stands up for their soror. If the whole sorority tweets him, it would be great!
Damn Soledad kicking ass and taking names!
Ooooh, Let’s stay together!!
http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml
Woot ! They are playing “Let’s Stay together ”
Thx Chips..I needed that!
INDIVIDUALISM VS COLLECTIVISM
The 2012 Election Will be a Contest Between Community and Greedy Self Interest
By Rmuse
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Romney and his mirror-image vice-presidential candidate are staking out a libertarian, Ayn Rand position that the wealthy’s success is individual effort that warrants more wealth from the underclasses Paul Ryan refers to as takers
.
.
It is sad, no tragic, that there are any Americans supporting Willard and Ryan’s greed and distorted sense of individualism, and it portends that America is losing its sense of community. Republicans and their presidential ticket are giving Americans a clear choice; either “we’re all in this together and we will succeed together,” or we become a nation of individuals who enrich a handful of wealthy elitists. This country prospered because the community worked together, helped each other prosper, and valued every member’s contribution no matter how small, but Romney and Ryan believe underclasses don’t count and are not contributing enough to the wealthy who bear some responsibility for destroying the American community.
—————–
http://www.politicususa.com/2012-election-contest-community-greedy-interest.html
President Barack Obama sits on a stool as he greets faculty members inside Cascade High School in Cascade, Iowa, August 15
What a great picture. My President surrounded by books! Two of my favorite things.
And actually talking with TEACHERS…..not administrators, superintendents….he’s talking with the people in the trenches, the ones who do the daily work. As a teacher, this thrills me more than I can express.
I agree completely. I am also a teacher!!!
The baby (Lucy) is just soooooo precious and so cute.
OT: Police say a security guard at the Family Research Council office in Washington, D.C., was shot Wednesday morning.
Yikes…..
Isn’t that a wingnut outfit?
SPLC has them on the Hate Group list…it is the Tony Perkins group.
My man, Joe. Just love him to pieces!
And the flip floppers will never understand what “real” is.
Right on !!!
C-Span coverage has started:
http://www.c-span.org/Campaign2012/Events/President-and-Michelle-Obama-Campaign-in-Iowa/10737433143/
Would somebody please live-blog this event. My IPad won’t allow me to view any of the outlets. Grrr.
Or, Chips would you please post the full speech when it’s available?
Hi Eve, the video should be on C-Span later so you’ll get to see it.
Rolled up full sleeves.
My kinda man. Ha.
😆
This is very touching !!!
The crowd is so pumped up!
I can see BRAZIL from my house. Or is it my bad eye contact lens. Hmmmm 🙂
You got good eyes. It’s Brazil. LOL. Trust. 😉
I’m watching the CBS feed. Underneath it has channel info:
CBS News
28,344,561 Views 18,561 In Crowd CBS News behind the scenes live news coverage
30 thousand tweets
There he comes!!
CBS live feed showed BUS coming in, people chanting, etc. I just love that Bus!
Ground Force 1’s arrival gets big round of applause! One little kid was excited, jumping up and down when he saw it. CSpan TV also covering it.
I’d jump up & down too! Pogo stick! FLOTUS!
Ground Force 1/Beast Bus 1 just arrived!
Presidential Seal ?
Yes….only left off at fundraisers.
He’s the President! And he’s not fundraising.
OK. Wow time that I get it. I thought he couldn’t put the seal while campaigning, not just fundraising. Thank you for the information. Oh and thank you Chips for your best wishes last monday.
Oh, and I’m 21 too lol…
21-year-olds of the world unite!! 😆
Go get them FLOTUS!
ORLANDO, Fla. — Twelve-term Florida Congressman Cliff Stearns has conceded a tight Republican primary to a veterinarian with scant political experience.
Stearns conceded Wednesday to Ted Yoho, who in a stunning upset won by slightly more than 800 votes – about 1 percentage point.
Stearns had been a national Republican favorite after spearheading criticism of the Obama administration’s energy program and its funding of Planned Parenthood.
But Yoho criticized Stearns for being in office too long and pledged that he would leave the House after eight years. He ran a television ad where actors dressed as politicians in suits ate from a trough alongside pigs and threw mud at each other.
District 3 covers the Gainesville area and other parts of north-central Florida.
Love it when FLOTUS and POTUS are together!! He is SO MUCH HAPPIER when FLOTUS is next to him!!
LOVE THEM!!
He’s beaming!
I think he’s always happy, have never seen him look unergized and ready to go. But I love the way he looks at her, tis true.
FLOTUS IS HITTING ON ALL CYLINDERS.
Looks like a big crowd greeting them in Dubuque
Thanks, I will send that to Jack Cafferty so he can see what a crowd looks like…
I am in tears listening to my first lady. Miss Ann take note. PBO is standing tall next to her.
The remarks from FLOTUS were right on point, weren’t they? Wasn’t it fun watching the President applaud her, for a change?! Love them both.
The President said he chokes up a little when he hears “The Closer” speak, and almost forgets what he wants to say. So adorable.
FLOTUS choked me up with her fighting spirit. She’s just AMAZING in every way. Thrilled to see them reunited after so long apart. XOXO
[His political goose is totally cooked, looking for Willard’s gander sauce]:
A Romney campaign aide confirms to CNN that Artur Davis will stump for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in the battleground state of Virginia.
[SNIP]
In 2010, Davis made an unsuccessful bid for governor of Alabama. In May he announced he was switching to the GOP, leaving the door open to a future political bid as a Republican.
Davis said in June that he thinks his one time political party was becoming more unwelcoming towards Southern conservative Democrats.
“I think the Obama administration has candidly gone too far to the left. You can raise all kinds of questions on whether that’s good politics or not,” Davis said on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” “Obviously the election will determine that.”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/15/former-obama-campaign-co-chair-to-stump-for-romney/
Unsuccessful bid ? He was slaughtered in the Primary only getting 34 %….
This azz is still angry because PBO didn’t come to Alabama and stump for him. The reason he is no longer a member of Congress is because he made a decision to vote against the ACA–something the constituents in his district wanted him to vote FOR. My conservadem representative also lost his seat in 2010 for the same reason. Davis can suck on a duck’s tail, with his self-serving, lying azz. One problem that the Democratic Party has is that we have too many Blue Dogs that vote against our policies. Davis is deliberately ignoring the extremism in the GOP. Furthermore, his comment about not knowing whether what PBO is doing is “good politics or not” means his azz hasn’t got a clue when it comes to knowing anything about the president’s campaign. He could have kept his non-answer answer.
Ut you do an awesome job of live blogging these events via twitter. Thank you so much for your work!
Thank you so much Donna. It’s my pleasure. 😀
Wasn’t FLOTUS wonderful. I just love to see POTUS and FLOTUS campaign together.
Seem like POTUS was a little more pump up today, his FLOTUS was back by his side.
CBS died on me…over to cspan.
My shallow observation as President Obama compliments Ryan (before he slams him)—–that blue checked shirt deserves an award! It has impressive longevity! It has been around since Iowa 2007. Whatever brand it is, those people could make a dandy advertising campaign with that shirt. “Our stuff lasts!” President Obama confirmed his priorities again on that featured radio program—–talking about new school clothes with the hosts. He said he always questions why you need a new pair of pants when you already have a pair. So—-why do you need a new shirt when you already have one? Blue checked forever!
Then again he could have more than one of the same shirt. 🙂
heheheheh 😉
It’s Gallup so take it with a grain of salt but as right leaning as they are I expected a Big Bounce for R&R
Romney Sees No Immediate Bounce From Ryan V.P. Pick
Support at 46% before naming Ryan, 47% after
by Jeffrey M. JonesPRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney’s standing in the presidential election campaign has not changed materially in the immediate days after his announcement of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate. The first four days of Gallup Daily tracking after Romney’s announcement show 47% of registered voters saying they would vote for Romney and 45% for Barack Obama if the election were held today. The four days prior showed Romney at 46% and Obama at 45%.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/156692/Romney-Sees-No-Immediate-Bounce-Ryan-Pick.aspx
Ryan comes in at the lowest rating as any VP pick since Dan Quayle in ’84.
Loved his clarification on his Medicare plan vs. the R’s plan. The Medicare gods have answered my prayers.
Podium slap ’em Pres!!!!
The POTUS is the hardest working man in the nation.
aloha chips and toddies!
i’m back in hawaii, after a wonderful time at my son’s wedding in new mexico. haven’t caught up here (and probably never will…), but want to thank chips again for the best coverage of our president–anywhere.
also, want to celebrate v-j day with all our greatest generation toddies! thanks a million for all your sacrifices.
These aren’t the same SS guys. Just as I was loving the eye candy there for his last speeches, they change them up on me. These SS guys today aren’t bad either, but the other ones, meeooww!
Dr. Jill Biden, don’t get jealous, but I think the world of your husband. I love how he is standing up for President Obama.
oh, joe did a podium slap at the end too. yes!!
I LOOOOOOOOOVE Joey B! VP Biden is the absolute BEST! And he spanked the podium! 😀
UT, I love when you write these. It feels like being there. You are really, really good at this. Thanks so much.
Thank you very much. It’s my pleasure. 🙂
Once again, UT, thank you so very much!
You’re welcome. 🙂
FOX FLUFFS UP PAUL RYAN, BUT HE IS STILL JUST A ONE TRICK PONY
How Fox Helped Roll Out GOP VP Pick Paul Ryan
By Media Matters
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Since Congressman Paul Ryan joined the GOP presidential ticket, Fox News has spent days marketing him to the public by fawning over his record, his physique, and whitewashing his record on Medicare.
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http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/08/15/how-fox-helped-roll-out-gop-vp-pick-paul-ryan/189375
They can whitewash as much as they want. They can’t erase the humming and hawing that Paul Ryan did when Brit Hume asked him about Medicare details, and he deflected to a vague attack on President Obama. He is supposedly the author of that monstrosity to destroy Medicare (with the help of ALEC, I’m sure), and he can’t even justify the thing. And he’s had plenty of time to come up with something since he got his smackdown from President Obama while seated in the front row – and again when he was booed by his own constituents after charging them to see him speak. These people should be ashamed to even be seeking the highest office int he land, when they are so clearly incompetent. Karma’s going to get them.
Could you believe that interview? I don’t know how anyone could watch that spectacle and not be horrified that this man is the VP pick. I have never seen a more inept campaign in my life. Both candidates are empty suits. It just boggles the mind.
How about the Isley Brothers? It’s your thing. Boy do I remember that song. Have they played the Boss yet?
People want their hugs and hand shakes and pictures. I loved how FLOTUS talked of the wonderful time they had in Iowa there first trip to Iowa.
they played We Take Care of Our Own first thing, and now they’re playing it again. Love the entire playlist.
I always wonder what some of those people in the rope line are talking about—–many have a lot to say—–and I wonder about some of their requests. I always see SS guys and aides turning around and handing off some item or some request. And all those hats and signs and paper that they want President Obama to sign—–wonder if they want them personally or to sell.
Awww – that last one is so sweet!
Love them! Yes, we know who our president is (and that is what the gop fears)!
okay…that last tweet UT brought tears to my eyes! How fortunate we are to have them, and how fortunate they are to have each other!
This is incredibly sweet. Just perfection.
And big, big ‘thanks’ UTAL for doing such a stellar job ‘tweetifying’ each speech. Your work is really appreciated. 😉
Thank you so much. 🙂
I’m adding my thanks, too, UT. I haven’t been able to watch many of the President or VP’s speeches lately because of work (argghh), but I feel like I haven’t missed a minute with your live-blogging and Chips’ pictures. And you make it so easy to retweet with limited time. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the compliment Theo. It’s my pleasure. 🙂
CBS Gives Romney A Pass On Wall Street Deregulation
By Media Matters
——————-
Mitt Romney’s failure to lay out specific plans received another pass in the media this morning when CBS News declined to press Romney on how he would replace Wall Street regulations he has said he will eliminate.
Romney has been adamant that he will repeal Wall Street regulations that were enacted after the financial crisis, a promise the Boston Globe reported is “helping him reap millions from Wall Street contributors.” Romney has said he would replace those regulations with a “streamlined, modern regulatory framework.”
Exactly what that regulatory framework would look like remains a mystery. A May 2 Boston Globe article noted that Romney has been “nearly silent on how – without the regulation – he would prevent Wall Street from once again engaging in the risky practices that helped cause the 2008 financial crisis.”
Romney’s silence on how he would regulate Wall Street after repealing existing regulations was not broken during his interview on CBS.
————————————-
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/08/15/coddled-candidate-cbs-gives-romney-a-pass-on-wa/189368
Walter Cronkite weeps.
President Obama went there: he used the word “dishonest” while talking about the GOP lie on Medicare.
Heads exploding in the Beltway in 3…2…1..
President Obama is taunting Romney, and is playing the media a bit I think…
Axelrod actually used the word “lie” yesterday in a tweet.
The beltway doesn’t seem to get too upset when Romney specifically says that PBO is lying, even though Romney has yet to specify a lie.
Hmmmmmm
Oooooooooooh………
Methinks Mitt didn’t disclose all his Swiss loot. No more Mr. Amnesty!
The Obama 2012 team is like lightning. They’re amazing!
I come Home from OFA office(making calls with about ten others), then I put on tv.
Steve Kornacki said the Obama Team is walking back Bidens comments and the Robney Team is going with it.
Huh?
What is going on?
VP Biden isn’t walking back any of it and that’s all that matters, Jovie. Turn off the TeeeVee 😉
VP Biden did not walk back anything. He said he’s always known for saying what is on his mind and he’s not going change. Turn off the TV or watch something else Jovie. 😀
Steve Kornacki should stop spreading false crap.
Bobfr, utaustinliberal, Amen… Amen…Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t see that anywhere.
ANN ROMNEY SAYS THERE’S GOING TO BE NO MORE TAX RELEASES GIVEN.
Other than tax returns, ‘there’s nothing we’re hiding’
By Steve Benen
——————————————
And why will the Romneys refuse all additional calls for disclosure, even from Republicans? According to Ann Romney, it’s because Democrats might use the materials to make Mitt Romney look bad.
I continue to marvel at this deeply odd argument. As Dahlia Lithwick and Raymond Vasvari recently explained, “[Romney] isn’t actually claiming that his opponents will lie. He’s claiming he’s entitled to hide the truth because it could be used against him…. These are tax returns. Factual documents. No different than, say, a birth certificate. But the GOP’s argument that inconvenient facts can be withheld from public scrutiny simply because they can be used for mean purposes is a radical idea in a democracy.”
And yet, this radical idea is now the Romneys’ only talking point on the issue.
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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/15/13297336-other-than-tax-returns-theres-nothing-were-hiding?lite
How would she know if they’re hiding anything? Didn’t she try and claim yesterday that their money’s been managed in a blind trust since 2002, and they have no idea what’s in their tax returns, but they know without a doubt that there’s stuff in there that Democrats will make something out of? Now, she wants to insist that there’s nothing to hide – which is it? Is it blind or not?
Maybe someone should play the tape of her husband, Mitt, declaring that blind trusts are a ruse.
Didn’t she also say she hadn’t seen them? So yeah, how would she know?
Then it’s going to be up to the American people if they believe Ann and Mitt Romney. Do you people believe they are hiding something concerning their tax returns? Yes I do. And they are acting like a couple of arrogant uppity snobs. Can Mitt Romney be trusted? What is he hiding in those tax returns?
Before the Ryan pick, we had Robney on the Ropes.
Now, it’s a mudslinging gambit, everyday, all insults.
I don’t know. I think we are playing the GOP game, they invented mudslinging.
So…, What is going on?
PBO isn’t going to take a knife to a gunfight. They started it, he’s gonna finish it.
Right on cookemom.
sometimes you just have to take a minute and whip that ass.
New post everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/08/15/dubuque/
Okay, TODers, after much resistance, I’m finally thinking of getting a twitter account. I already have a tumblr blog, where I curate and write posts to support PBO mainly (http://con-tem-plate.tumblr.com/ – come and stop by :-)), and I use my FB account to promote information about PBO). I am also very active with OFA, hosting phone banks, calling through predictive dialer every evening and fundraising (this is a new addition!). But I’ve been resisting twitter because I think I’ve become “too wired,” if you know what I mean 😉 Sometimes I find it hard to stay focused on the job that pays my bills :). But I do think that, at least up until the elections, I need to get on twitter as well. Use all avenues!
So… question to all you wonderful and experienced twitter users, any tips/tricks? I’ll check out the “TOD on Twitter” link as well and add my account once I figure out what handle to use 🙂
And to Chips… I’ve said this several times, but it bears repeating. You’ve created a wonderful community of PBO supporters and I will always be thankful for that. I’ve been with you since day 1. I may not post that often, but do know that I come here every day, several times 🙂 And, when things seem bleak, this space always lifts my spirits. So thanks also to all the TODers!!
Taking this over to the new post!