****
****
Washington Post: President Obama’s reelection campaign will begin accepting donations sent by text messages this week, marking the first foray into a potentially lucrative new avenue of grass-roots fundraising for federal candidates.
The program, announced by campaign officials early Thursday, will allow supporters to send contributions of less than $50 by texting “GIVE” to 62262 — which corresponds with the letters in “Obama.”
Officials said the service will be available almost immediately for Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular customers, and for AT&T and other carriers “in the near future.” Possibilities include soliciting text donations in broadcast and Internet ads and during major political events, such as the upcoming Democratic Party convention in Charlotte, N.C.
“Accepting small donations by text message will help us engage even more grassroots supporters who want to play a role by donating whatever they can afford to the campaign,” campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement.
…. As an example of what to expect, the campaign said video screens at upcoming events could include a plea for cellphone funds that reads: “To contribute $10 to Obama for America, text GIVE to 62262.”
More here
****
Vice President Joe Biden with Olympic boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields during a campaign stop at Renaissance High School, Detroit, August 22
****
NYT: The Romney-Ryan proposal to reshape Medicare by giving future beneficiaries fixed amounts of money to buy health coverage is deeply unpopular in Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin, according to new polls that found that more likely voters in each state trust President Obama to handle Medicare.
…. Medicare ranks as the third-most crucial issue to likely voters in Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin — behind the economy and health care, according to new Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News polls of the three swing states. The Republican proposal to retool the program a decade from now is widely disliked.
Roughly 6 in 10 likely voters in each state want Medicare to continue providing health insurance to older Americans the way it does today; fewer than a third of those polled said Medicare should be changed in the future to a system in which the government gives the elderly fixed amounts of money to buy health insurance or Medicare insurance, as Mr. Romney has proposed. And Medicare is widely seen as a good value: about three-quarters of the likely voters in each state said the benefits of Medicare are worth the cost to taxpayers.
…. The polls’ findings on Medicare underscore the risk Mr. Romney took when he chose Mr. Ryan to be his running mate….
More here
****
Dana Milbank: When Todd Akin sneezes, Paul Ryan catches a cold … he is supposed to be delivering a message about jobs and the economy, but he’s finding he cannot escape his longtime House colleague, now a national pariah for his exotic views on rape.
…. Ryan is surely aching to talk about something other than Akin. But the outrage set off by the Republicans’ Senate nominee in Missouri has consumed the political world. It has been particularly harmful to Ryan, who has served for more than a decade with Akin, recently hailing him as “a great asset” on Ryan’s budget committee and an example of “exactly the kind of leadership America needs.”
More problematic in this situation: Ryan has the same anti-abortion position as Akin — no exceptions — and some of the nearly 40 abortion bills he has co-sponsored have provided no exemption for rape victims.
…. Does he now regret his sponsorship of legislation that made a distinction between “forcible rape” and other kinds — a position eerily similar to Akin’s “legitimate rape”?
“That bill passed, I think, by 251 votes,” Ryan replied. “It was bipartisan.” He neglected to mention that it passed after removal of the “forcible” language.
Full article here
****
****
****
Read the post here
****
Steve Benen: When Todd Akin first scoffed at the notion that rape victims can get pregnant, he defended himself by pointing to the medical judgment of someone named Dr John Willke, former president of the National Right to Life Committee, who has been pushing this argument for many years.
Indeed, just this week, Willke told the New York Times rapists don’t impregnate their victims because, “This is a traumatic thing — she’s, shall we say, she’s uptight. She is frightened, tight, and so on. And sperm, if deposited in her vagina, are less likely to be able to fertilize. The tubes are spastic.”
Biologically, this is deeply stupid and wholly rejected by physicians, but politically, it’s also become rather important – and not just because of Akin.
As Rachel noted on the show, Willke has also been a Mitt Romney ally and campaign surrogate. Josh Marshal had this item last night:
The main exponent of Todd Akin’s theory that rape victims don’t get pregnant … claims that he got a private meeting with Mitt Romney as recently as late last year.
More here
****
Vanity Fair: For all Mitt Romney’s touting of his business record, when it comes to his own money the Republican nominee is remarkably shy about disclosing numbers and investments. Nicholas Shaxson delves into the murky world of offshore finance, revealing loopholes that allow the very wealthy to skirt tax laws, and investigating just how much of Romney’s fortune (with $30 million in Bain Capital funds in the Cayman Islands alone?) looks pretty strange for a presidential candidate.
Read article here
****
PurpleShoesLA made me howl with this photo. She was driving home from a meeting yesterday, feeling “extremely elated to hear an Obama for America ad on the radio while sitting in traffic. And then a couple in the lane next to me pointed out that the SUV directly in front of me was a Romney supporter.”
Well, when I first looked at the photo I could see nothing Romney-ish. And my eyesight’s good.
“Trust me,” said PurpleShoesLA, “when I tell you that the supporter’s “bumper sticker” had the R logo on it along with the “Believe in America” slogan on it. Whoo, I haven’t laughed this hard in a very long time. If you blow up the picture you can barely make out the R Romney logo.”
So, I looked again. And there it was: a teeny weeny bumper sticker.
The driver, it seems, is indeed a Romney supporter …. but just not a very big one.
Thank you PurpleShoesLA!
****
Check out ‘Dumb Mitt Romney Quotes‘, it’s a laugh a minute – thank you BWD!
****
Some of Aunt Sis’s photos from Fort Lauderdale yesterday – you’re a star Aunt Sis, thank you!
****
The President has no scheduled public events today
****
Morning everyone 😉
The Obama Diary 
GM, TODders
Morning LaDLove, moooooooooooooorning everyone 😉
Good morning, Chips. Thank you, thank you, thank you! POTUS/FLOTUS are a great way to start the day.
First?
Yes! Congrats LaDL and have a Happy Thursday.
Thank you, vcprez…and right back at ya!
😯 😆 Congrats LadL!
Good Morning/Afternoon Chips Chica & all TODobots, near or far! Happy Thursday Morning and may we, and the campaign, be blessed with more good news and tons of grassroot-y stuff today! 😉
G’morning Chips, vprez, TOD, everyone, and congratulations LaDlove on #1! 🙂
Oh hopefruit2 — thanks a bushel. This is my first time “first” and I’m so excited!
Wooooooooooooooot!! 🙂
A Good Dorning back at you Hf, & LaDL, nothing…well almost nothing… compares to the feel of being on top the TOD podium! I remember actually dancing around and grinning like an idiot my first time; luckily as I was alone at home at the time no one saw me.
LaDLove! Yay, for your First first, kinda makes you a member of the First Family, doesn’t it?! 🙂
Congratulations! The iar is pretty rarified up there!
air
Morning all! Chips please correct the typo under Clarissa’s picture: it’s Shields not Fields. Love the post.
Done! Morning taiping1.
Good Morning. Lovely read from the NYT. Romney-Ryan thought they could get away with lies about Medicare and voters wouldn’t recognize them for the lies they are. Romney’s vetting team are an atrocious mess. His vetting team, heck his whole team is 99.9% men and he wonders why he’s having problems. When you pick a guy like Ryan who is a staunch lunatic conservative whose views are extreme to say the least, and who’s served in congress for 14 years, he comes with a lot of baggage. The idea that his pick would show that Romney was serious about the budget is laughable. This is a guy who over his tenure in congress has voted to add $6.8 trillion to the debt. Who is no policy wonk by any stretch and whose bills are catastrophic to women, children, minorities etc to say the least. Todd Akin’s ideas are not “exotic” as Milbank posits, they are what the GOP firmly believes and endorses time and time again; in their 2004, 2008, and now 2012 party platform.
Well Mitt, you lay with dogs; you get up with fleas.
But Miss Ann and the family thought Ryan was THE very best choice for Mittens!
What a bunch of lightweights.
willard is far, far below the decency and intelligence of our canine friends. The saying should be: When you lay with putrid matter, you get covered in maggots…………….. I’m sure we can improve on that! But don’t connect our sweet doggies to this pile of dung. ASK SEAMUS!!!
Paul Ryan is an example of someone who’s identified some theories he likes, and has never actually had to make anything happen in real life. And he doesn’t think about the real people who will be impacted by those dangerous theories – he’s just drunk on power.
Keep in mind that in August 2008, McCain LED Obama in 7 out of the eight polls that were taken for the state of FLA. And Obama won the state by 3 pts (the current margin by which he’s leading in AUGUST).
The chatter has been that if Romney can’t do better than McCain with all groups, especially whites, he’s toast. When one compares the recent spate of polls with McCain’s in 08, Romney is seriously lagging behind even with whites. He’s also way behind where McCain was with Hispanics and Blacks.
The Obama campaign was very smart to begin laying their groundwork very early. Sometimes, it’s not about the quantity of money one raises, it’s about the quality of one’s strategy. You can’t build a campaign and a grassroots network in 70 days. The Romney camp and the media are beginning to figure that out.
“Sometimes, it’s not about the quantity of money one raises, it’s about the quality of one’s strategy.”
That is a universal truth. In fact, money thrown at a dysfunctional system just makes it more dysfunctional.
But it’s much harder to vote in FL in 2012 than it was in 2008. The economy had not yet tanked (to those not paying attention until it was a full-blown crisis). These comparisons are fine, but not apples to apples.
Nothing is as important as GOTV. We have plenty of support but getting those people to vote the way Republicans vote – that’s our challenge.
We are one Ruth Ginsburg away from total repeal of Roe v. Wade. We are one Ruth Ginsburg away from the War on Women becoming Law of the Land. We could even see SC rulings that enshrine making voting far more difficult than getting a gun permit.
And it’s far more than just the SC — it’s the Federal judges. Rove saw the federal judiciary as the lynchpin of any party’s leadership all through the Bush presidency. This has continued as Repubs have stopped PBO from filling judgeships. This is critical — this will have the most profound effect on the next 50 years of America.
How to get 50M unregistered women to register and to vote. I don’t know what it takes, given the most radical party in American history. But there it is.
I respectfully disagree. The comparisons I’m making are VERY appropriate. I’m comparing polling data which gives us a synopsis of a potential Obama victory (or loss) in the state of FL.
You are actually making my point when you say that the economy had not yet tanked in 2008. Well the economy has tanked for some years now, and PBO is still LEADING!! That tells you that it’s not the economy per se that is going to drive this year’s election, but other related issues like health care, Medicare, women’s rights, and the quality of the candidates.
Yes there have been efforts at suppressing votes, but do you honestly think the Obama camp is just going to sit back and just allow the GOP to prevent people from voting. Apart from the current measures being undertaken to ensure that this doesn’t happen, registered and likely voters can be empirically verified and counted (even if they don’t actually vote). So if the Obama camp can show that would be Obama voters were purged from lists, or denied voting because of ID hassles when they went to vote, that is grounds for a serious lawsuit if it can be shown that those suppressed votes would have given PBO a victory.
Outside your point, but I saw Justice Ginsburg at an event yesterday on C-Span and she was looking mighty spry. Very healthy-looking. Good color, etc.
I like this post. it so true. pass it on
Bishop Robme, unlike Jesus, doesn’t want to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the sick.
I really like the President Clinton ad. Now can we expect Romney to come out with a G.W. Bush or Dick Cheney ad? We will wait and see.
I think not, shrub and darth are toxic
If I’m running for any office, which team should I have on my side:
PBO. VP Biden, FLOTUS, Big Dog
OR
Willard, Ryan, Miss Ann, Dubya
Please advise!
That’s quite a choice, Hf. You see Choice #2 comes with a lot of money, and you might be able with their help to put in a long-desired car elevator in your home. You also won’t have to mix too much with the very poor outside of actual campaigning time. There’s some merit to that. Choice #1 comes with a lot of morals and truth and plans and caring for others and … and…DOING things for others. Are you allergic to real people or not?
HAHAHA! Too funny 🙂 🙂
Hmm, it’s a toughie Hopefruit – gimme a while to think about it.
I knew you would be stumped…take your time friend..it will be a while before you can come up with an answer!!
🙂
🙂
🙂
BigDog ~ Ha!
Oh, and add Jill to your first list … yes, I know it would be 5 against 4 … 5 powerhouses! You can’t go wrong!
Oh yes..How could I forget the good Dr. Jill?
Morning everyone, great quote from Clarissa about POTUS Obama and VP Biden
Morning ourmanflint, loved that quote too, it’s a beaut!
Like the quote, not a fan of boxing. It’s only purpose—-punch and hurt someone. Seems barbaric to me.
That’s not the point of boxing. Boxing isn’t about just punching and hurting someone, that would be stupid. It takes finesse, mental skill and a mind that is always three or four steps ahead. If boxing were just punching and hurting someone then Clarissa Shields would not be the first female gold medalist. It’s not just a physical sport, it’s a mental sport. You are constantly weighing your opponent’s weaknesses and strength, you are constantly thinking about how to outsmart them and out maneuver them. Heck, you could compare it to politics. To reduce a sport which has so much history to just “punching and hurting someone” does a great disservice.
Hey TOD. BIG news. Christina Saralegui who is fondly referred to as the Hispanic Oprah because of her huge clout within the Latino community and who made waves for her video supporting Pres. Obama because she had never endorsed any candidate before, will be speaking at the DNC convention. Freaking awesome!
The DNC convention will be amazing this year. We have 10 or so high profile women speaking and they include Elizabeth Warren, Eva Longoria, Lily Ledbetter, Caroline Kennedy, Sandra Fluke etc.
The message is clear. The Democratic party is a women friendly party.
Very very nice! She will certainly bring out the Latino voters for this President:) I can’t WAIT for this convention. I’m getting super stoked already.
I’m so thrilled by the terrific line up of speakers!! This is just going to be amazing. WOW!! What wonderful role models for our youth!!
That’s excellent news. I didn’t so many women have been tapped for the convention.
The ladies, if they wish & want, can fry the vulture/voucher sociopaths.
UT, this is fantastic news. It will mean that millions of Latino voters will tune it. I hope it is carried on Univision because you can be sure that the networks will block it.
AWESOME!
I would really like to know how many “women” will be speaking at the Repubs convention! I placed women in quotation as I am still amazed that women will vote for ANYONE in that party!
the biggest name for you list of high profile women speaking at the convention is michelle obama!
Good! Excellent! Thx UT!
I don’t know if it was posted yesterday……….
Mitt Romney interview with The Des Moines Register
One of the question asked:
Q. On welfare reform, can you tell us specifically how Obama ended the work requirement? The fact checkers say you’re making false claims. Iowans who consider you an honest man are asking why you would keep repeating something that isn’t true.
Good question!…it’s a refreshing change from the MSM GOP PR machine.
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/08/22/mitt-romney-interview-transcript-with-the-des-moines-register/
Hey! Pay attention! Willard has specifics ….. from the link above. Anyone else noticed how hard Willard’s been trying to show that he has something to say by NUMBERING his ‘arguments’? I’ve seen him do so more than once now and I suspect it leaves the listeners thinking he actually said something meaningful, …after all he made three or four points. /roll/ /roll/
/……
Q. On the deficit hitting $16 trillion – what specific cuts would you make to ease this?
A. There are three categories. No. 1 is eliminating certain programs – there’s Obamacare, of course, that’s about $100 billion a year. But in addition, there’s PBS, Amtrak, the National Endowment for the Arts. … I include some subsidies in the energy sector which will have to be phased out. The ethanol subsidy ended last December. Other subsidies are going to have to be pulled back.
Second category: Government programs that can be managed more cost-effectively at the state level. And so I would block grant Medicaid, and probably food stamps, housing vouchers, other programs for the poor, I’d block grant those dollars to the states and grow them at inflation. In the case of Medicaid, inflation plus 1 percent. By limiting the rate of growth, and with the management of the states, we’d save about $100 billion a year.
Third category is streamlining the federal government itself. We begin by reducing the federal head count by 10 percent through attrition and linking federal pay to the private sector. That saves about $47 billion a year.
Our plan gets us, at the end of four years, a savings of $500 billion a year and within eight to 10 years, we’re able to balance the budget.
…/
He ended the interview with this:
As you can see his campaign has been based on one attack after the other. I just don’t think in the final analysis people are going to vote for someone because he’s an attacker. They want someone who can bring us together.
Mitt Romney the uniter!
Even Republicans can stand this sociopath. Lies after lies after lies.
Most didn’t forget about the primaries.
Lying, attacking and whining…that’s all he does….
‘I just don’t think in the final analysis people are going to vote for someone because he’s an attacker. They want someone who can bring us together.’
Although he and I don’t have the same person in mind I actually agreed with this. 😉 😉
‘limiting the rate of growth’?!?!?! You mean like ACA does?!?!?! Why, magically, would states be able to do this, when there are states that would raid that money for any number of other uses, as they did with stimulus? What an effing hypocrite.
And how many people will be out of work under Mitt’s austerity?
Is Mitt FINALLY going to open his checkbook and CREATE JOBS? Will paying no taxes at all move him to open a neighborhood hardware store?
Yeah, right.
I thought the last question where Romney was asked what he thought about Obama coming back to Iowa and Romney said Obama is in trouble with the economy and attacking. No one likes an attacker and everyone wants a uniter.
Haaaa haaa haa. Romney thinks he himself is a uniter? He is not an attacker?
GM everyone! This needs to be an ANVIL around Romney/Ryan’s necks..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/22/732911/mitt-romney-to-anti-abortion-doctor-behind-akins-legitimate-rape-claim-we-agree-on-almost-everything/
MITT ROMNEY TO ANTI-ABORTION DOCTOR BEHIND AKIN’S ‘LEGITIMATE RAPE’ CLAIM: ‘WE AGREE ON ALMOST EVERYTHING’ | Even as Republicans try to distance themselves from Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) and his explosive comments about “legitimate rape,” more evidence has emerged linking Mitt Romney himself to the controversial doctor and anti-abortion activist behind Akin’s discredited claim that rape does not often result in pregnancy. Dr. John Willke, one of the founders of the anti-abortion movement and Akin’s source, told the Daily Telegraph today that he had a private meeting with Romney in Cincinnati last October. Willke said that Romney thanked him for his support and told him, “we agree on almost everything.” It was revealed earlier this week that Romney had also touted Willke’s support during his 2008 presidential campaign, even referring to him as an “important surrogate.” The Romney campaign declined to comment to the Daily Telegraph about Dr. Willke’s comments.
Rachel Maddow points out the clear political and policy connections between the Romney ticket and the extreme, absolutist anti-abortion movement, and encourages the political media to hold Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to account for their legislative deeds and political associations instead of taking them at their word as they try to distance themselves from their own record.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#48759281
I know we have family here that lives in Hawaii!!!!!
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/08/22/727921/lingle-rape-contraception/
As part of her effort to frame herself as a moderate, Hawaii’s Republican candidate for senate, former Gov. Linda Lingle, ran as far as possible from Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-MO) “legitimate rape” comments this weekend, calling his assertion that women can’t get pregnant from rape “deplorable.”
But Lingle’s own record is not dissimilar from Akin’s when it comes to helping rape victims prevent pregnancy. When she was Governor of Hawaii, Lingle vetoed a bill that would have required hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims who wanted it, citing hospitals with religious objections. She even boasts about the veto on her website.
We mustn’t let ANY OF THESE IDIOTS GET AWAY WITH TRYING TO RUN AWAY FROM THIS NOW BECAUSE IT’S INCONVENIENT FOR THEM!!!
yes yes yes!! that witch is now running for the united states senate. our candidate is maizie hirono, who is a very quiet campaigner, a very hard worker, and an extremely popular politician here.
Thanks, DF! I second what susanne says..we have Mazie Hirono and she’s a Very Good Campaigner! And, from the emails I get is very on top of all Lingle Scams! I’m going to send this link to her campaign, just in case.
Lingle, in typical republicon Lying mode, wants Hawai’i to forget about her record as gov for 8 years but, it’s not gonna happen.
Rachel Maddow talks with a Wisconsin reporter about Paul Ryan and his extremism.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#48759294
As Abortion restrictions increase across the country, women in Texas are doing desperate actions. They are going to MEXICO for help.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#48759449
I caught the tail end of this on Rachel last night. I rage when I hear this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess MItt doesn’t understand the internets very well! WE MUST NOT LET HIM RUN AWAY FROM THIS!!!!
http://web.archive.org/web/20071227112415/http:/www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Endorsement_Willke
Boston, MA – Today, Dr. John Willke, a founder of the Pro Life Movement, endorsed Governor Mitt Romney and his campaign for our nation’s highest office. Dr. Willke is a leading voice within the pro-life community and will be an important surrogate for Governor Romney’s pro-life and pro-family agenda.
snip/
Welcoming Dr. Willke’s announcement, Governor Romney said, “I am proud to have the support of a man who has meant so much to the pro-life movement in our country. He knows how important it is to have someone in Washington who will actively promote pro-life policies. Policies that include more than appointing judges who will follow the law but also opposing taxpayer funded abortion and partial birth abortion. I look forward to working with Dr. Willke and welcome him to Romney for President.”
TWEET, FB, EMAIL…..
Rep. Paul Ryan tried to distance himself from Rep. Todd Akin, by saying that “rape is rape” and that Akin’s comments were outrageous. But in 2011 ryan and Akin co-sponsored the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” that used the language “forcible rape”. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Il., and MSNBC’s Krystal Ball discuss Ryan’s position.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755884/#48757777
The Republican need for a lesson on the fairer sex
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/kathleen-parker-the-republican-need-for-a-lesson-on-the-fairer-sex/2012/08/21/56d7d004-ebbf-11e1-9ddc-340d5efb1e9c_story.html
Rev. Al had on the author who wrote the book about President Obama’s stimulus.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755884/#48758128
First Lady Michelle Obama today will attend a fundraiser for her husband’s presidential campaign at Lucas Oil Stadium, according to a campaign spokesman.
The Indianapolis event had been postponed after the July 20 shooting in a suburban Denver movie theater that killed 21 people. The first lady originally was to attend a reception at the Indiana State Museum on July 22.
Before coming to Indianapolis, Michelle Obama is scheduled to visit the Sikh temple in a Milwaukee suburb where a white supremacist killed six people earlier this month. Michelle Obama was scheduled to meet privately with families of those wounded and killed. Rajwant Singh, the chairman of the Maryland-based Sikh Council on Religion and Education, said her visit was a welcome gesture.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120823/NEWS0502/208230345/Michelle-Obama-visit-Indianapolis-today-fundraiser
Anarchists to attack Conventions, DHS and FBI are on it.
Ron Paul supporters again?
OWS?
I have run into Ron Paul supporters/Ows, or Libertarians all over the blogosphere. They are all over, or were, on Daily Kos.
Button pushing, mean, rude and malevolent! I can’t stand most of them.
Yes. But I notice that OWS does not get the support from Old Orange that it once did.
A little less than a year ago they were the rage at Old Orange. I had written a diary about my misgivings about OWS and its origins and I got seriously flamed (but you know me -I maintained and defended my position).
Now if I were to write the same diary at Old Orange, it would shoot to the rec list in no time and remain there for some days!
A much more serious place than it was a year or two ago, to be sure. The vitriol is aimed at Republicans. There’s still some poison there but very little.
Indeed.
The labor-backed super PAC Workers’ Voice plans to mount a major canvassing effort and send out hundreds of thousands of mail pieces to older voters on the eve of the Republican National Convention.
The pro-Democratic outside group intends to knock on 640,000 doors across 23 states this weekend, before the GOP kicks off its national convention in Tampa, a labor strategist said. Workers’ Voice announced a partnership with MoveOn.org for its voter contact activities this fall.
In a related messaging push, Workers’ Voice is sending a “convention viewer’s guide” to 240,000 tying Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to outsourcing, “tax cuts for the wealthy” and “ending Medicare.” Splashed across the bottom of the mailer is the message: “Romney/Ryan: Wrong for America.”
http://www.politico.com//blogs/burns-haberman/2012/08/labor-super-pac-canvassing-sending-mail-to-seniors-132885.html
Take a look at the mailings.
Good morning TODers! This link to a Vanity Fair article was posted by someone yesterday. It is an absolute MUST READ to understand just how ruthless Romney is in his dealings with people. It takes some time to slog through it but is very revealing of his character. Anyone who thinks he wouldn’t throw half the country under the bus needs to take a good look at his past dealings. Cannot believe that anyone who wants to be president would have spent so much of his life and time avoiding his tax obligations and betting against this country.
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/08/investigating-mitt-romney-offshore-accounts
Thank you FoxfireTX, just added it to the post.
Agreed. And this is the kind of article that can persuade some independants that Romney should never been elected POTUS. This article should go viral.
I did.
More surprising decency from the AP—–re Obama’s outreach to key demographics
http://www.nwherald.com/2012/08/23/politics-by-demographics-obama-hunts-for-votes/azgchcs/
I don’t don’t trust the AP, they’ve got some exclusive story up on Yahoo about one of the President’s donors. Like Newsweek, they go too far in their quest, to try to appear balanced.
Michael Steele does NOT like Willard.
Saw this yesterday on tv and thought: invasion of the body snatchers, because this Michael Steele was more truthful and had more personality. Shocking!
He’s “unshackled” from the GOP hierarchy. The first side-effects: 1) loosens your tongue, and 2) you recognize the truth!
‘abortion flap’??? FLAP? steele might be disgusted with willard, but he’s still a rethug, and his use of this flippant language is offensive. we’re talking about women and girls who are raped, and then will be forced by the government to spend 9 months with the rapists seed growing inside their bodies. this is not a political event, it is a crime, a tragedy, and an outrage.
Notice that Michael Steele’s complaint is about the timing, not the injustice of the GOP stance on abortion. They don’t care about people, just winning.
Ryan’s out there lying to people too! So shocked!
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-23/ryan-plan-for-health-care-doesn-t-give-constituents-what-he-gets.html
Republican vice presidential candidate Ryan’s plan to revamp the health-care program for the elderly wouldn’t have the safeguards against rising costs included in the coverage that lawmakers and other federal workers receive.
Those differences, which help explain the savings claimed in Ryan’s budget, are sparking complaints that Republicans want to impose a plan on the elderly that’s inferior to their own. Ryan, a Wisconsin lawmaker, is chairman of the House Budget Committee.
“Their proposal would give seniors on Medicare a much worse deal than members of Congress have,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee.
MITT AND PAUL aka “LIARS ARE US”
Steve Benen has been doing a splendid job of chronicling “Mitt’s Mendacity”. I would not be surprised if we started to see a companion post entitled “Paul’s Mendacity”. It’s only been two weeks and there is tons a material to debunk. Mitt and Paul are like two peas in a pod. What a team?
Obama camp to start accepting donations via TEXT, starting today.
Campaign supporters can text “GIVE” to 62262 to donate up to $50 to the campaign. The program will allow messages like ‘To contribute $10 to Obama for America, text GIVE to 62262’ to appear in web videos and other campaign literature.
This is very innovative and like many others, I will probably take advantage of this convenient method when I’m away from my computer. Cue the Romney campaign stealing this idea in 3…2…1…
The Robney camp will have donations all the way up to 1 billion dollars.
LOL! A billion dollar verizon phone bill. As Jodi Kantor would say, Hmmmm….
Romney’s Medicare Ticking Time Bomb…..
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/mitts-medicare-time-bomb.php?ref=fpa
LOVE THIS!!
I love the content but I wish it had a strong female voiceover. Someone speaking in almost a scared to death manner.
I totally agree with you. A female voiceover would be terrific! The words go by so fast (for slower readers).
Good concept, poor execution. To be effective this ad needs to eliminate 80% of the words.
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/paul-ryans-abortion-record-a-guide.php?ref=fpb
The Romney/Ryan ticket has made clear that it’s Romney’s position on restricting abortion — which includes exemptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother — that will dictate administration policy. But Ryan’s long voting history in lockstep with the House GOP’s pro-life caucus, including a perfect 100 percent lifetime score from the National Right to Life Committee, is getting a new run in the spotlight since Akin shone a light on the party’s less popular positions. It doesn’t help that the RNC decided to enshrine Ryan’s more conservative approach in its official platform this year.
Here a few of the major bills he’s voted on that are drawing particular attention.
A perfect 100% score from the National Right to Life Committee is ALL I NEED TO KNOW!
Texas judges believe that this President will call in UN Troops and hand over US Sovereignty!
OMG!
How very “Oathkeeper” of them. Flaming nutjobs!
Will Americans FINALLY understand how important these elections are? It’s not just about SCOTUS, it’s about every batshit crazy RW judge that gets appointed, and the fact that McConnell is doing all he can to STOP PBO from staffing the courts, as is his right as POTUS.
Descpicable.
SInce they didn’t pay attention in science class, I guess because they didn’t think it was IMPORTANT, Mother Jones has put together a little flow chart for the knuckle draggers and assholes that don’t know when a woman can get pregnant! I guess they thought that it wouldn’t be THEIR responsibility!!
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/08/flowchart-can-i-get-pregnant
Remember the birds and the bees? The miracle of birth? Forget everything you knew. Turns out there’s a lot more to birthin’ babies than you might have learned in your godless socialist public-school health class. From this weekend’s assertion by Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) that women can’t conceive babies during a “legitimate rape” to Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) saying Monday that he didn’t know of any pregnancies caused by incest or statutory rape, conservative male lawmakers targeting reproductive rights have always held, shall we say, minority views on the biology of all things uterine.
Did you know about women’s natural stress-induced spermicides? Have you ever seen “God’s little protective shield” in a vagina? That’s because they don’t exist—but these legislators don’t know that.
If you’re of the double-X persuasion, all of this might leave you a bit flummoxed as to whether you’ll conceive. Well, don’t worry your pretty little head about it: We’ve collected the basics of reproductive biology according to conservative politicians, in a handy flowchart format. Need to determine your uterus’ destiny? Just ask these men!
https://www.motherjones.com/img_assist/popup/191916 Here it is…in an easy to understand chart, so the idiots can understand the “purdy pitures” and won’t have to read!!
Actually….after I embiggened….I see that’s it’s even better than I thought:)
I want my century back. This is effing absurd.
here here.
HAHAHA! Mark Knoller has posted ~ 15 tweets for the morning so far. Most of the tweets are about PBO’s basketball fundraiser last night, and his schedule for the day. NONE of his tweets are about the recent CBS/NYT poll. Wonder why?
Here is knoller’s most recent tweet: https://twitter.com/markknoller/status/238626657861251072
You should remind him of that poll?
Yes I plan to. I’m just giving him another hr (say until about 10:30) before reminding him.
We both know that If the polling data were bad for PBO, he would be all over the damn poll with about 20 tweets by now!
That’s a seriously great line-up for the convention, cannot wait for it.
I think we should plan a drinking game for the R convention:) What words could we use??? 🙂 Severely? Conservative? Pro life? Guns? States rights? We Built This? (standing in the venue that govt $$ helped fund? The mind REELS!!!! I’d be sloshed in the first 5 minutes!!
“I’d be sloshed in the first 5 minutes!!”
😆
This would be the scene after those 5 minutes at the TOD drinking party:
YES!! That’s what I was thinking!!!
so who was the designated recycler?
Oooh, I forgot to mention Cookemom, you’ve been nominated for that job. I hope you’re honored??
HAHAHAHAHA! I volunteer anyone whose name begins with the letter “c” 🙂 🙂
Now since Chips will be passed-out drunk, it couldn’t possibly be her!
This’ll be me after 5 minutes Hopefruit, so I definitely won’t be looking after the recycling:
In addition to your words df,
Restore
Rights
Liberty
Freedom
Business
Economy
Big government
Limited government
Fight
Amurkka
grandchildren
debt
Obama
Obama
Obama
Obama
Obama
Obama
Obama
Obama
Obama
Failed leadership and Obama……
Good start, hf:) !!!! See, doesn’t your mind just start reeling with the possibilities???
chicago
I laugh at that too—–it’s always “Chicago” when talking about the Obama campaign. Are we all ‘sposed to associate that with Al Capone, or something? Doubt they’ve ever been in the beautiful lakefront world class city——-too many Democrats!!!
You forgot socialism, Europe, Greece.
Obamacare
Country back
The CBO thinks if we don’t renew the Bush techies and stop the drastic spending cuts, then a recession is likely.
Does the Bush taxcuts really matter? It’s all I hear all morning, CBO and Bush tax cuts.
ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!
Yes!!!…..bad timing is right.
Todd Akin in Tampa with top social conservatives
Tim Wildmon and Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.
“Akin’s words, for which he apologized even though he had no need to, were right. He was entirely correct to say that pregnancies in cases of forcible rape are rare,” Fischer wrote in an AFA blog post.
Ha! They embraced the crazies years ago, they need their votes, they need to keep them as ignorant as possible…..but they want them to be quiet during election time.
Not a chance…there’s too many of them now,…..
Good Morning all. . .
How smart is this Administration?? “GIVE” to 62262 — which corresponds with the letters in “Obama.”
Love them!
Let me see how fast “Mitt” or “Ryan” or “Mitt/Ryan” will copy!
Do we know how they plan on making sure only American citizens are donating, if you dont mind me asking? Its a brilliant idea but hope they have airtight mechanisms so we dont give ammo to the other camp…..
Good morning TODville, home of the intelligent, suave and debonair people from around the world. Our combined wealth may not add up to Romney’s, but our combined enthusiasm, street smarts and wisdom will sweep him and the Republican party away come November.
A little tidbit. I have been reading a lot about the senate races and how Akin’s stupidity puts Republican’s chances of taking the Senate in jeopardy. Such articles usually revolve around the tough races in ND, Nebraska, WI, MO etc. But I almost never read about another state which currently has a Republican senator which could be a pick up for Dems this year. Thanks to the voters in my neighboring state of Indiana, the GOP is running a TPer, just like they did in Delaware and NV in 2010. And the latest polls show a dead heat between the Republican candidate and the Dem candidate. This is flying under the radar, but it might be worth TODers in IL to watch it and see if we can provide a little assistance over there.
Interesting Japa, I haven’t read much about Indiana either so that’s one that’s definitely worth watching. A dead heat? Wow.
As for “TODville, home of the intelligent, suave and debonair people from around the world” – you’re not including amk in that, are you??
I am suave and debonair…. enough.
I will be calling every voter—-well almost—-in Indiana again just like I did last time. My Indy daughter and friends are on the move there too. I think it will be a squeaker again but winnable, helped by that senate race. Need a big Dem turnout again.
Talk about the toxic mix of religion and politics. tim nolan, the defender of pedophiles is going to ‘bless’ mittbot in the thugs’ convnetion.
Your founders must be spinning like a fan in their graves.
Morning, amk:) Yes…I wonder how this will play…the Catholic priest that paid off other priests to keep allowing pedophiles to abuse young boys in the church! What the fucking hell!
GM df. The rc, under ratzi, the nazi and pedo defenders like nolan, is becoming a caricature.
It’s worse than that….this is offensive on so many levels
http://abcnews.go.com/US/cardinal-dolan-quiet-20k-payments-pedophile-priests/story?id=16467662#.UDY1nMFlSPw
I’m absolutely speechless about this guy turning up at their convention, if a Catholic bishop/cardinal went to the Dem one he’d probably be excommunicated. This is unbelievable.
Did you know he had done this??
I think I read something about it before DF, but this guy has been involved in so much sordid stuff, and said so many disgusting things, it’s easy to get them all muddled. He’s just a despicable human being – and, of course, was appointed by the current Pope …. I’ll say nothing.
More here:
In 2011, Dolan thanked Bill Donohue for a press release, reproduced on the Archdiocese of New York website, in which Donahue referred to the non-profit support group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests a “phony victims’ group”.[58] In May 2012, the New York Times revealed that he had also paid some individual abusive priests upward of $20,000 to leave the priesthood rather than reporting them to the proper authorities. Dolan had previously called the accusation that he made these payments “false, preposterous, and unjust”. [59]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_M._Dolan#Sexual_abuse_scandal
I’m not a Catholic, but if I were, I’d be seriously questioning my place in that church right now….these people condone this behavior and do things like this? Hard to wrap your head around.
One of the many reasons I’m an ex-Catholic, DF – and I mean no offense to those who are still in the church.
As do my Catholic friends, but they put up with it in order to keep their children in parochial schools. At least the daughters they are raising ‘get it’. Luckily, my one friend’s neighborhood church is still about social justice, but my other friend’s church jumped on the bandwagon with the lies that Cardinal George put in a letter about PBO and were instructed to read to their parishioners.
She maintains that none of her friends in the church are buying in; but as long as you sit in the pew, send them your money, you are contributing to this cancerous stuff.
I know GoBooklyn put up a link to this article by Ta-Nehisi Coates last night entitled “Fear of a Black President” and some people were put off about reading it, but GoBrooklyn was right. We should all read it. It was a very enlightening article and even though I didn’t agree with 100% of it, there were some very valid truths. The comments were also interesting to read as they weren’t (the time I read them) the usual troll bashing but very insightful responses.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/09/fear-of-a-black-president/309064/?single_page=true
Now try and follow me.
So far, Luke Russert has had Tea bagger Guests, discussing the Tea Party, he has had a Tour of the Warehouse that Shows all the donations the Mormon Church gives to People and now he has guests on talking about Jack Kemp.
Jeeze…
Jack Kemp ? Ryan mentor for supply side trickle down economics ?
Good luck….
SERIOUSLY…put down the coffee, food….and don’t have anything in your mouth when you read this!!!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/22/national-review-women-evolved-to-prefer-superior-rich-men-like-romney/
I know you gave the warning DF but I feel physically ill now. 😯
Hate to say “I told you so…..” 🙂
Great ad! I’d love to see this one on tv. I’ll be sharing it everywhere I can today.
It’s a good one Donna!
I believe not only is Ryan tied to Todd Adkins, so is the Republican Party, they believe exactly what Adkins were saying.
That is true. The GOP convention will feature an extreme anti-abortion platform, however, Mitt claims he does not agree with said platform. Mitt is in big trouble. If he fails to fully support this platform he will alienate his party’s base/tea partiers (without which he cannot win the election). If he embraces the extreme platform he is toast with independent and female voters (without which he cannot win the election). The proverbial chickens of the GOP’s extremism may finally be coming home to roost.
On your marks, get set, and goooooood getting up morning to all my O peeps!!!!! All aboard the TOD train, woot, woot, woot, and a toot, toot, toot!!! The latest polls are positive for us and the electoral map looks very promising, almost a lock, but we still gotta GOTV.
My political take today is I think each speaker at the Dem convention should begin with, “I’d like to thank Todd Aiken….”
Ouch!!! https://twitter.com/mpoindc/status/238330937560150016
CHART OF DOOM!
/large
Excellent. Beautiful Chart of Doom! The choice is clear! RT’D. Many thanks df 🙂
My pleasure:)
Which means agt least 42% of middle class people are deluded if they think Romney would be more help.
My thoughts, exactly!
“No scheduled public events” for my Prez. Good for him. I hope he gets some well-deserved rest.
Very purdy pictures of FLOTUS — thanks auntsis!
Have a great day, TOD! 😛 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I find myself imitating Jodi Kantor more and more – Hmmmm….
Tweet that to Knoller. I dare you!
Seriously?!?!?!
Rasmussen???!!! All she has to do is keep doing what she’s doing and let the idiot keep talking…..
I just gave ten bucks on my I phone to OFA.
Just text “GIVE” to 62262
Whooot!!
If just 1M of PBO’s Twitter followers followedr Jovie’s lead, that would be 10Million$$ raised just thru this cellphone method!!!
McCaskill opens up 48-38 lead on Akin per Rasmussen.
I don’t believe that poll….it’s Rasmussen.
Is it a way to put more pressure on Akin?…
He was leading 11 points before his comment, the guy didn’t change…he was a religious nutjob before his comment and he is one now.
I wonder if there was other polls than this one.
I believe it’s going to be a close race but at least now she has a chance to win, it wasn’t the case before.
They’re putting pressure on him but I also think his numbers will go down eventually, if they haven’t already. It’s too late for them now, even if he drops out. Akin is the toxic gift that keeps giving…kinda like Sarah Palin. We now have hard evidence that the Romney 2012 campaign in 2012 met with the same Dr. that Akins used to make his “legitimate rape” claims. The chickens are coming home to roost because the GOP conceived, gave birth to and nurtured those same damn chickens.
Five Reasons Paul Ryan Is Already a Worse VP Choice Than Sarah Palin
http://www.nationalmemo.com/five-reasons-paul-ryan-is-already-a-worse-vp-choice-than-sarah-palin/
Is the widow’s peak in there? I can’t look! Ha!
hey, eddie is a very popular munster!
Hmmmmm….
He’s going to deny it
Nice try…there’s PROOF!
It never stopped him before lol…
Sorry, there is HARD evidence. Lies can only take you so far!
For the drinking game during the convention….I think I have the winner.
”The most divisive president in history”
Ha, yeah ChristiMTL! If we had a dollar for every time we hear it, we could outspend the Kochs.
Good Morning Chips! Beautiful day in the neighborhood!!!
Moooooooooooooooooooooorning Dakota, hope you’re doing GREAT!!!
Ha! Chips…I hear it every day!
More good news for Pres. Obama.
You lie!
🙂
And, as a Catholic, may I add that the 34% know absolutely nothing about Catholic social teaching. Zero.
And as a Roman Catholic…..Amen.
Just a thought. All my life, the sisters and fathers that taught me in school were all great people. All Catholic, Deacons, Brothers, Priests, Bishops, Monsignors, Cardinals, Popes or what ever….like all humans are Not perfect. Most were and are good people. But the ones 3-5% who were monsters, evil, were and are still. Just telling my experiences.
Come on, that’s crazy.
August 23, 2012
Study Finds Romney Ad Swayed Independent Voters
A Vanderbilt University/YouGov Ad Rating Project study finds a Romney campaign ad accusing President Obama of underhanded tactics is the first to change undecided voters’ views.
“The ad — which assails Obama for a super PAC commercial that suggested Romney’s Bain Capital business dealings contributed to a woman’s death from cancer because she lost her health insurance — moved ‘pure independent’ voters not aligned with either party 6 percentage points toward Romney.”
That’s pretty good that Romney can distance himself from his SuperPacs and not the President…..thanks corporate media…..I still don’t believe this study
I wonder what these so called independents think of the Romney lies about the work requirement for welfare, the ”didn’t built that” etc…all his ads are lies….directly from the campaign.
So these “pure independents” will base their vote for president on feeling sorry for Mitt b/c an Obama superpac was mean to him? I’m not buying it. This ad was mentioned by a reporter during PBO’s latest presser, so seems like latest effort by MSM to portray PBO’s campaign as being “dirty and mean-spirited”, just like Mitt has been saying all along (while conveniently giving Mitt a pass on his constant lying and distorting of PBO’s record). Mitt/MSM want this ad to be effective so they create the meme that it is successful (even though Mitt is still trailing in the polls). Similar to when the MSM told us how ineffective PBO’s Bain ads were.
MIAMI — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Isaac is moving westward across the Atlantic on a track that could possibly take it toward Florida, where the Republican National Convention will be held next week.
The National Hurricane Center said Isaac had top sustained winds near 40 mph (64 kph) at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday night and was expected to strengthen. It was 435 miles (700 kilometers) east of Guadeloupe and heading west near 17 mph (28 kph).
Storm warnings were issued Tuesday across several islands in the Caribbean including Martinique, Guadeloupe and St. Martin.
It’s too soon to gauge the storm’s exact path. Some computer models forecast Isaac to head toward Cuba and then Florida, while others suggest a sharp northern turn in coming days near Puerto Rico before entering the open Atlantic.
“Monday are Tuesday are definitely in jeopardy,” said meterologist Bill Karins on MSNBC Thursday. “I don’t see any way possible that Tampa’s going to be completely missed at this point.”
New post everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/08/23/joining-forces-a-year-ahead-of-target/
Okay, Ron Paul is holding a rally in Tennessee, the meme? Legalizing Hemp.
It’s the Only thing that excites young Kids.
If only the President did this, he would get so many Young Kids to Show up to Vote.
LOL!
Come on Jovie. For every young kid that he would win over, how many independants would go to Romney? America in general is not on board for the legalization of marijuana. There is no way democrats will adopt this idea in the short term.
As for Paul, he certainly is sincere about “Legalizing Hemp” . However, and forgive my cynicism, I’m sure there is a deal with the Romney campaign and this thing has been coordinated at the highest levels. The objective: deflate the youth vote for Barack Obama. I hope the Obama campaign has been preparing for this kind of scenario; they’ve known for quite some time that young people may be seduced by Paul because of his policies on drugs but also because of his anti-war stance. I hope the Obama campaign has been preparing for pushing back against Paul and the folly of libertarianism.
I am with the president on this one. I am not in support of the POTUS right now going for the support of Hemp. After the election, and our economy is chugging along, then the POTUS can challenge a real discussion. That I can see.