Hey, it’s this photo’s birthday today: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dance during the 2009 Nobel Banquet in the Hall of Mirrors at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Today:
10:50: President Obama departs the White House
12:30: Arrives in Michigan
1:35: Tours Daimler Detroit Diesel plant in Redford, Michigan
2:0: Delivers remarks
2:55: Departs Michigan
4:30: Arrives at the White House
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Detroit News: As President Barack Obama visits a Daimler AG plant in Redford Township today, the company plans to announce the investment of more than $100 million at the facility “in new technology, expanded production and jobs in the United States,” a Daimler official told The Detroit News.
The investment at Detroit Diesel — a unit of the German automaker — will add an unspecified number of new jobs to the 3-million-square-foot plant as it expands beyond diesel engines.
Detroit Diesel has 2,300 employees and builds four major engines, rear axles and 12-speed transmissions.
More here
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Washington Post: The contours of a deal to avert the year-end fiscal cliff are becoming increasingly clear. But progress has been slow, and time is running out for leaders to seal an agreement and sell it to restless lawmakers who so far have been given little information.
With hope still alive for a resolution by Christmas, President Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) met Sunday at the White House, their first face-to-face meeting in nearly a month and their first one-on-one session since July 2011, when they last tried to forge a far-reaching compromise to tame the national debt.
Neither side would provide details, but White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage and Boehner spokesman Michael Steel released identical statements saying “the lines of communication remain open.”
More here
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The Atlantic: Goodbye, conciliator. Hello, Mr. Tough Love.
…. While Republicans are bemoaning the president’s intransigence in hewing fast to a position he ran and won on in 2012, they might do well to look to their own behavior in setting up this month’s epic power struggle with him – and why he feels he’s now in a strong enough position to stand firm on behalf of his agenda.
…. “The president’s idea of a negotiation is, roll over and do what I ask,” Speaker John Boehner complained earlier this month. But Obama just solidly won reelection after a very nasty race. Why would he forgo pushing hard for his agenda right out of the gate, right after it was reaffirmed by the public?
The bottom line: The odds we go over the cliff are high if the GOP doesn’t come around. Fortunately, it sounds like Republicans are starting to get the message.
More here
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More at ThinkProgress
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Greg Sargent: Leverage remains with Dems on taxes: A new Politico poll confirms it yet again: The public sides with Dems in the fiscal cliff fight. Sixty percent of likely voters — and 58 percent of independents — want taxes raised on those over $250,000. And there’s also this: Fifty eight percent say raising taxes on the rich won’t have a negative impact on the economy. Only 38 percent support the GOP position that it will. What this data confirms, yet again, is that Dems are the ones who hold the middle ground position in the talks.
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ThinkProgress: President Obama will “begin an all-out drive for comprehensive immigration reform, including seeking a path to citizenship” for 11 million undocumented immigrants, after Congress addresses the fiscal cliff, the Los Angeles Times reports. The revelation comes just as a top Hispanic Democrat, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), is calling on Obama to step-up his involvement on the issue and engage in discussions with lawmakers.
The Obama administration’s “social media blitz” will start in January and is expected “to tap the same organizations and unions that helped get a record number of Latino voters to reelect the president.” Cabinet secretaries and lawmakers from both parties are already holding initial meetings to iron out the details of the proposal….
More here
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Rolling Stone here
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MooooOOOooooOooooOOooorning everyone.
The Obama Diary 
Morning.
Congrats UTaustin
Congrats on first UT.
G’morning Chips, TOD lurkers, etc and congratulations ut on #1! 🙂
Morning Hopefruit, morning everyone!!
morning chips TOD
Good morning Chips and fellow TOD’ers. Have a GREAT day everyone!
Good morning Obama Family ~ Happy Monday. Sooo I met one of my new neighbors yesterday, apparently they moved here (to Baltimore) from Indiana just about a week before we moved in… and they made my heart sing when I noticed their picture of President Obama in their living room 🙂 ohhh I sooooo loved living in a BLUE State 🙂
‘love’ not loved.
Good morning TODville. Special note to Chips and amk. Did receive the confirmation on the donation. Thank you.
Great! Thanks Japa, morning.
*cough cough* I came in first this morning. Where’s my prize blog tyrant? 3…2…1…or else.
You’re welcome japa. Pity the blog tyrant didn’t get her cut.
Thanks to your curse, my Zambia trip got cancelled in the last minute.
They probably saw your Rooney comments – they’re big United fans in Zambia, you know.
Only use the filibuster rarely
By Norm Ornstein
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All of this is why, even though the rule itself is not fundamentally at fault, a rules reform is important—not to end the filibuster, but to return it to its historic role and legacy, a rare instrument reflecting intense feelings by a minority on an issue of historic significance. That means putting the onus for continuing debate on the minority, not as it is now, on the majority to end debate. It means having consequences, painful ones, for those thwarting the majority will. And it means streamlining the rules so that there is only one filibuster allowed on any bill, not the multiple opportunities now, and there are expedited procedures to reduce obstructionist delays, including those after cloture has been invoked. Ideally it would include even more reforms to enable presidents to confirm their executive nominees without capricious holds. Also ideally, it would be done with bipartisan support, as it was in 1975, by giving the minority a guaranteed opportunity to offer timely and relevant amendments to bills, something now often denied.
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http://www.aei.org/article/politics-and-public-opinion/executive/only-use-the-filibuster-rarely/
Norm Ornstein is one of the few rational Republicans around.
[Madiba]:
Former South African President Nelson Mandela is said to be “doing well” after spending a second night in the Pretoria hospital where he was admitted on Saturday.
Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Mr Mandela, 94, would undergo further tests for an undisclosed condition.
On Sunday Mr Mandela was visited by President Jacob Zuma, who said he was looking well after a restful night.
News of the hospital stay has prompted much concern in South Africa.
But Mr Maharaj said Mr Mandela was “comfortable” and there was “no cause for alarm”.
More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20662446
Thank you, xtine.
You’re welcome, Meta. Sending out all good thoughts for Madiba! His wife, Graca, has married 2 insperational men in her one lifetime — Madiba & Samora Machel. IMO, Madiba is way up there, a beautiful soul, an icon.
Great news. Been thinking about him.
The cartoon with the elephant “looking to save face” made me howl with laughter. Imagine the progress we’d have over the next decade if we had continued pragmatic Democratic control of both chambers and the white house.
Yep. And I’m still imagining “what if” Al Gore had gotten the presidency in ’00! One of these days, I’ll get over that. Mornin’!
Good morning, TODville! We have another chance to see our POTUS advocate for our agenda today. YAY!
Cannot wait for that. Mornin’, meta!
Good morning, JO’B!! I think we have sunshine today after a string of gloomy and very wet days. Yippee!!
Unfortunately, “we” in Central Illinois cannot make that claim, yet, but I hope you enjoy the sunshine! Stay happy!
Morning! Now off to work………………………
Link to Rolling Stone Mag’s “The Obama Campaign’s Real Heroes”:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-obama-campaigns-real-heroes-20121126
Thanks Xtine, there’s a peculiar glitch in the link in the post – it’s there, you just can’t see it!
Now I see it! Thanks, Chips! Thought my eyes & mouse were deceiving me! 🙂
Ah Xtine, your eyes are fine, I just tried to fix it! Completely odd, just couldn’t get it to show up as a normal link. Spooky!
Phew, I don’t need to borrow someone’s magnifying glasses! The kind that make your eyes Gollum-like! 🙂
The Rolling Stone article reinforces the saying “it takes a village “to achieve change. it is interesting reading about the behind the scene tech guys who helped make PBO reelection possible. My favorite appearance by Ms Cutter was on msnbc when she stated that Romney either lied to the American people about when he left Bain or falsified federal filling which is a felony. She stated the 2 options, Romney = Liar or Felon (you decide).
Missing from the list is Romney and Ryan who where un-electable and the tea party crowed who were outright scary
Sorry but I am one of those who reject the spirit of this article…
These people were paid to do a job which they did…
And if it’d turned out the other way, it would have all been President Obama’s loss…
All of it…
There are tons of pretty miffed mid and junior level campaign staffers and volunteers out there wondering what the heck…
The man they did this for was as humble and lovely in his very emotional acknowledgment and expression of gratitude to ALL of his campaign staff and volunteers…
Where is that spirit in this now drawn out elevation of certain key staff…and where is their humility in repeated insistence that President was indeed the driver of this successful campaign…
I’ve heard one or two say it in the beginning, but haven’t heard any more it subsequently…
The real heroes by the way, are the many unpaid volunteers across the country – many of whom gave up their lives for long stretches and dug deep into their own pockets to finance their very effective and mostly unconventional support of the President…
The most important hero of all of course being the man who inspired this sort of unconditional and passionate support…
I take offense at the continued attempt to diminish this win by President Obama – as has been done with his every accomplishment – by finding every peripheral player and attributing genius status to them…
There has been no other success story where the principal is consistently made to sound incidental to the story while the paid campaign operatives continue to be spotlighted…
I frankly think it’s time these savvy senior campaign staff begin to wind down the public encore tour…
I hope they can replicate their various successes with other deserving candidates…
But it is all hinged on the candidate…
A pertinent point lost in these now ubiquitous tributes…
Ms Cutter agrees with you …
Good to see…
Maybe one of them might actually write a proper article articulating this…
Twitter isn’t the medium to correct such a gross misrepresentations…
Good to see…
Maybe one of them might actually write a proper article articulating this…
Twitter isn’t the medium to correct such a widely circulated and gross misrepresentation…
I agree with you, Chi. Thousands of people around the country put their normal lives on a back burner and worked their hearts out for the president for no other gain than the joy of seeing him win a second term. No one of these will get a lucrative job because of their hard work or a spot on a talk show. Their reward came on election night with the joy of the president’s victory and the first night of peaceful sleep in months. And then there were the millions of heroes who would not take NO for an answer and stood in line through long, tedious hours and bad weather conditions to vote for their president. No one will ever know their names, but every single one of them made history that day. And everyone did it for the man they love, admire and treasure as their president–Barack H Obama.
Thanks for articulating it so much better and more succinctly Jackie…
This whole propping up of these paid campaign folks while downplaying the unique candidate – our President whose intrinsic decency, ability, discipline, focus, integrity, dignity and accomplishments all served to inspire much love, support and passion from such an unlikely and diverse coalition of Americans, (and other citizens of the world who though they couldn’t vote in our elections, did their part), does the man and this retelling of such a historic achievement, a great injustice…
It greatly diminishes…
^5! Please post your response at Rolling Stone. The true hero is President Obama, followed by “We the People” who called & knocked! I’ve voted in every election (primary & general; local, state, & national); however, I’ve only been inspired to volunteer on three national elections — Chisholm ’72, Obama ’08 & ’12.
I agree with you, the man himself – President Obama made this possible and numerous unnamed masses supported him and the campaign. However those highlighted in the article did a great job and there is nothing wrong with applauding them for it
The seemingly unending ‘applauding’ seems to done with absolutely no nod to the unique and inspiring candidate around which the campaign was built and who essentially made this possible…
The ‘applauding’ seems to be done precisely to not only deny him any credit, but to diminish the man himself…
Chi, that’s exactly the way I see it too.
I reject the article, too. This seems like one more attempt to deny President Obama credit for assembling an awesome team and being a superior candidate with a superior platform. His team credit him and the combined teamwork of staff and volunteers. Anything else seems suspect.
Thank you Chi for writing this. Like you, I’ve been disturbed by the way President Obama has been marginalized in his impressive win for re-election. First it was the likes of Chris Matthews giving all the praise to Bill Clinton. And now here comes the Rolling Stone pretty much giving all the credit to the campaign staff. While I think the team President Obama assembled did a magnificent job, I doubt that they would have had the same success with another unidentified candidate. As for people like Matthews and other who shower all their praise on Bill Clinton, the question to ask them is how come the great Bill Clinton was not able to get Hillary elected President?
Thank you Nate and absolutely spot on with those pertinent questions re: Chris Matthews, Bill Clinton etc…
So, the President wants more High speed rail in his budget! Good, right? And the Republucabs want to do this-
This week in Transportation: Battle is joined over Amtrak privatization
By Keith Laing
Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will renew their push to privatize rail service in Amtrak’s most profitable region this week.
The hearing comes as President Obama and congressional leaders continue negotiations for a potential deficit deal that will mostly likely include numerous spending cuts.
The GOP has long argued that Amtrak’s federal funding is a waste of taxpayers’ money. To press that point, the House Transportation Committee will hold a hearing Thursday titled “Northeast Corridor Future: Options for High-Speed Rail Development and Opportunities for Private Sector Participation.”
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Everything the President says they do opposite. It’s has to stop!
Yeah, they haven’t caught on that everything Republicans want to do, we VOTE the opposite. They are the real “takers,” privatizers, and corporatists, of course.
Bill Moyers Essay: The Truth Behind Grover Norquist’s Pledge
December 7, 2012
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In an original broadcast essay, Bill says there’s more to Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge than ideology or principle — it’s also about Norquist’s efforts keep taxes low for his donor base of billionaires.
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http://billmoyers.com/segment/bill-moyers-essay-the-truth-behind-grover-norquists-pledge/
That sounds like an extreme grasp of the obvious from Bill, whom I admire. Follow the money.
| Watch Live | Awaiting President Obama’s departure for Michigan: http://www.ustream.tv/cbsnews
Thank you JER! Ugh, yucky day in DC.
Detroit now – Cloudy 41°
And it’s the ground force one to Andrews, to go aboard air force one.
Guessing they used The Beast?
More green shoots.
“Today is likely to be the busiest day in FedEx Corp.’s history with a record 19 million packages in its network.”[…]
Holiday-fueled e-commerce spending is what’s the reason behind the record-breaking day. For the whole holiday season, FedEx expects to move 280 million packages, up 13 percent from 2011.
“We have been preparing for this busy holiday shipping season for almost a year now,” said T. Michael Glenn, FedEx (NYSE: FDX) executive vice president of market development, in a prepared statement.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2012/12/10/fedex-expects-busiest-shipping-day-ever.html
*Up 13 percent from 2011″ – Nice. I could barely believe my lyin’ ears yesterday, or so I was used to thinking, when CNN’s Ali Velshi was reporting all kinds of upward trends in the various markets that predict economic growth. He was raving about it. Financial intricacies are not my thing, so I don’t have details, but:
Blame Obama! 🙂
Playing it safe, Warren declines to endorse Obama plan on ‘fiscal cliff’
Alexandra Jaffe – 12/10/12 08:54 AM ET
Newly elected Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren declined to endorse President Obama’s “fiscal cliff” proposal to Congress. …
Well, that didn’t take long. Didn’t She run a very pro Obama campaign? And now that She is Senator, what exactly?
I think the Executive branch is hated by the legislative branch and vice versa. I also think their is a power struggle. I hope Warren does not disappoint, but their is something about Capitol Hill…
The way I read it, she is declining to endorse or reject any proposal until she sees the details.
“I don’t know how to answer the question,” she told the Globe. “Let’s see what they’ve got.”
Warren offered aspects of a deal she had already outlined on the campaign trail — higher taxes on top earners, the elimination of oil and agriculture subsidies and cuts to military spending — but also said she’d support “technocratic” changes to Medicare, which she declined to explain further.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/271889-warren-doesnt-endorse-obama-plan-to-avoid-fiscal-cliff
She should trust Barack he has earned it.
As Bob would say.
We are all wary because of past events. I think this crowd of President Obama allies will stick with him. EW is not from blue-dog-Democratic territory or thinking, so it should work out okay.
I also believe she will stick with PBO Jacqueline. Everyone is expecting so much from EW, but we must remember that, while her intentions are good, she will only go to Washington as a Junior senator. I am not sure how much power she will have, even if she is on the banking committee.
She’ll have the power of her voice, which she brought with her, but – yes – she needs a little time to make and leave a mark. The pundits will keep looking to “bring her down,” and every other Democrat, methinks, which I am sick to death of seeing. We can’t let them bring us down, during this second term! I’m fighting for that, every day!
Beleive me they will bebe trying hard to put a negative spin on this second turn for PBO, but we won’t let it happen.
I like that “technocratic” description – could mean using blue paper instead of white paper on Medicare documents. I’m kidding, and my example’s not so technocratic, but: Hey, Teabaggers: hands off my Medicare.
Nancy Pelosi said that President Obama shares the Democratic values of the party, and she trusts he’s negotiating in good faith for the people they serve. What is so hard about showing support for the President like that? Why can’t Democrats support the leader of the party, who has proven – not just in his four years as President, but in his entire lifetime – that he cares about the people in this country, especially the struggling people? People shouldn’t excuse this comment from Elizabeth Warren. It’s one thing to be passionate about progressive ideology. Nancy Pelosi is from San Francisco – can’t get much more progressive that that! She’s able to balance her progressive ideals while supporting this heard-working president. She’s able to be practical that moving the ball forward is better than standing on the sidelines complaining and criticizing, and ending up not moving the ball forward at all – but only succeeding in eroding the confidence for the man in the Oval Office.
Fingers crossed. She may need to not look like she’s pre-endorsing, as a new Senator, until she gets into talks through her new committee assignment. Or something. I’ll give her a chance, and time to give it a vote. President Obama would realize better than anyone that It’s a tangled web in both houses of Congress, and “proceed with caution” might be a good mantra for her. She can’t look like she doesn’t have her own mind, just going in.
Excatly, Jacqueline, why should she endorse anything blindly?! Why were they asking her such a dumb question?
The President has a specific plan on the WH website, that is what they asked her about.
Everything else is trivial.
I deon’t have a problem with this. None of us actually know all the details of the “plan”. There was the original proposal but that is out there with the assumption that some changes would be made. I do know that is fully on board with tax increase for the 2% and no cuts to SS, Medicare or Medicaid.
Japa,
Now let’s be real! While I would live no cuts to any entitlements…
How in the hell is the President going to get no cuts, no tax increases on the middle class, cut our debt by 4 trillion, and raise the debt ceiling?
That’s impossible! Literally impossible with a tea bagger House.
[Dag! Were the Smith children hoping to return post-Mugabe?]:
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The manager of a ranch owned by Zimbabwe’s last white ruler says he has been ordered by President Robert Mugabe’s loyalists to quit the property to allow it to be occupied by a state institution.
Farm manager Owen Jarman said Monday he has not yet been given a date for him and 35 workers to vacate the 592-hectare (1,300-acre) Gwenoro farm in the south-western Shurugwi district.
Former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith, who yielded power to Mugabe in 1980, died in 2007 in South Africa, aged 88.
Jarman, running the farm since 1994, said it was still owned by Smith’s surviving son and daughter, who both live outside Zimbabwe.
He said new occupiers from the government’s Midlands State University had begun tilling the fields for the new farming season.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/10565543
This SEAL should be posthumously honored when he comes back-
That is so sad. The Navy SEALs are among the bravest warriors we have.
They always have been. That War is morphing into a special ops war!
They have confirmed he was on the OBL mission. They face extreme danger every day.
My admiration is unceasing, because I could never be as brave as any of them, or anyone else who’s in the military.
It’s unimaginable.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history?special=true I felt as if they were dancing to celebrate my birthday! Then last year was that most excellent fantastic eclipse! So, wonder what’s up for this years’ b’day (hint hint hint)! ? 😆 (ps: I am actually spending the day at home with my kitty today, so lots of time to par-Tay!)
VERY, VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Pamela!! Glad to hear you’ve taken some breathing time to enjoy the day. May you have a delightful birthday full of love and great treats!!
Thank you, meta! Please, help yourself to a piece of cake! 🙂
I wish this had been updated to honor President Obama, as he so well deserves! “[one award shall be given] to the person who has done the most or best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” As PBO has achieved all of these, is he eligible for future recognition? Seems to me he should be!
Have a purrfect day Pamela!!!!!!!!
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 Let the festivities begin! Thank you Chipsticks, now I know for sure it’s my birthday, PBO said so!
Have a wonderful Birthday Pamela ~ enjoy your day 🙂
Happy Happy Happy Birthday, Pamela!
Have a gloriously joyful birthday Pamela!
Thank you so much, Dudette! Love the video! 🙂
Bust the walls outta the place! 😀
enJOY your day Pamela. I hope it heralds in a spectacular year for you!
Thank you, Susan, a spectacular year would be very welcome, indeed! 🙂
happy, happy Birthday, Pamela!
Thank you, 57! It is a good day! 🙂
pet that kitty for me, too. Nothing better than a good snuggle with a beloved pet. (just ask my three dogs who take up the entire sofa!)
Happy b’day, Pamela. Where is my beer?
Thank you for the heartfelt b’day wishes amk! Your beer is safely in the wine cooler, in the basement, with the cork still intact (one of those fancy designer beers!) Kitty and I will drink it later, and report back to you on the fine quality! 😉
Happy Birthday Pamela!!
Thank you bobfr! Nice and cool here today, eh? Let’s not mention the ‘s’ word, for now! 🙂
Happy Birthday Pamela! I hope you have a nice day at home, watching TV, writing on this diary, and reading, and of course, snuggling with your kitty 🙂
Thank you, Betsy, all of the above are in process, except the watching telly. Which I never do, it makes me tired! And a bit more snuggling with kitty will be on the board, as she is already a bit pizzed I am on iPad and not brushing her royal self!
🙂
You are smart not to watch the Telly.
Happy Birthday, Pamela. May you be Blessed with love, peace and joy!
Happy Birthday, Pamela!!
[What a tragedy![:
[….] They said that neither Saldanha nor her husband, Benedict Barboza, had talked of the hoax phone call or given any clue that she had been under any pressure or strain.
“Benedict used to call every day but neither he nor Jacintha said anything about what had happened. Everything seemed normal,” said Carmine Barboza, 69. “We got a call last night from Benedict informing us that Jacintha had died. He was crying and couldn’t speak much. We don’t know whether we’ll be able to bring her dead body back to India, but we desperately hope so.
“We spoke to Benedict again this morning, and he said he hasn’t been allowed to see her body yet because of legal formalities and she’ll not be handed over before Monday. We want to bring her dead body to India to perform her last rites.”
She said that the couple had spent last new year with the family in Udupi with their teenage children.
“Jacintha was a very caring woman,” said Barboza. “She used to call us every Sunday without fail. We just cannot believe what has happened.”
Saldanha and her husband were married in 1993 and moved to Muscat in Oman before arriving in the UK nine years ago. Relatives said that the family returned to India every couple of years. […..]
More here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/09/jacintha-saldanha-hoax-call-india
Mitt/47 again
Matches the national return and VA had native son Virgil Goode on the ballot.
C’mon, give the S.C. people their choice
Never Ever, Ever, Ever…
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In other words: bull twinkies. If you want the truth of why a trickle of GOP lawmakers is suddenly willing to blaspheme the holy scripture of their faith, it’s simple. The pledge used to be politically expedient. Now it is not.
This is not, by the way, a column in defense of the Norquist pledge. The only thing dumber than his offering such a pledge was scores of politicians signing it, an opinion that has nothing to do with the wisdom or lack thereof of raising taxes and everything to do with the fact that one ought not, as a matter of simple common sense, make hard, inflexible promises on changeable matters of national import. It is all well and good to stand on whatever one’s principles are, but as a politician — a job that, by definition, requires the ability to compromise — you don’t needlessly box yourself in. Never say never.
———————————————
http://www.nationalmemo.com/never-ever-ever-ever/
OK this is totally off topic, but we’re having a thunderstorm with hurricane-like driving rain in Rhode Island on December 10th! And there’s no climate change??? OY
[Really trying hard not to fall into fits of giggles! 🙂 ]:
Robert Mugabe, my husband: ‘he chose me’, gushes Zimbabwe’s first lady
Grace Mugabe, married to Africa’s oldest leader, says her husband is ‘supportive of women’ and a ‘fine gentleman’
[…..] Grace – dubbed “DisGrace” by her enemies – was married to an air force pilot when she became Mugabe’s secretary, then his mistress, while the president’s Ghanaian first wife, Sally, was dying from cancer. After getting divorced, she married Mugabe in 1996 in a Catholic mass hailed by local media as the “wedding of the century”. He was 73 when she gave birth to their third child.
“Every day, I make it a point to thank VaMugabe for making me the first lady of Zimbabwe,” Grace said in the speech last week. “There are a lot of beautiful women in Zimbabwe, but he chose me, a village girl, and made me his wife.
“After I got into state house, I said to God, ‘Father I did not grow up in a fancy house, but I want to make sure that I provide such facilities to children who have been orphaned’. That is when I told the president about my dream to set up a children’s home and he has been very supportive from day one.”
[…..] Grace claimed faith was still central to his life. “He has the ability to remain calm even when everything appears to be going wrong. I believe that calmness is divine because my husband is very religious.
“He prays the Catholic way and always moves with his rosary in his pocket … Even when he changes clothes he makes sure that rosary is in his pocket.
“It is something he was taught by his mother and he still practices it up to this day. His mother taught him that protection comes from God and that is the reason why he always takes principled and God-fearing positions even when everyone is on the other side.”
Grace is infamous for lavish overseas shopping trips and launched her own dairy products earlier this year. In a separate report at the weekend, she was quoted as saying that the Mugabes’ 19-year-old son, Robert Jr, had been forced to abandon his dream of playing professional basketball in America because of US sanctions.
Mre here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/10/robert-mugabe-wife-grace-zimbabwe
A disgrace, for sure. She should be ashamed to let these words leave her lips. And her husband must be terrified of what waits for him on the “other side”, for all the evil he’s wrought in his life. Both of them have some very ugly karma coming for them. This article just makes me angry.
A Greek and Italian were arguing over who had the superior culture.
The Greek says, “We have the Parthenon.”
Arching his eyebrows, the Italian replies, “We have the Coliseum.”
The Greek retorts, “We Greeks gave birth to advanced mathematics”
The Italian, nodding agreement, says, “But we built the Roman Empire.”
And so on and so on until the Greek comes up with what he thinks will end the discussion. With a flourish of finality he says, “We invented sex!”
The Italian replies, “That is true, but it was the Italians who introduced it to women.”
Ha!
The blonde on Fox & Friends said this morning that former Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) could have a problem being confirmed as Secretary of Defense because he is not a “typical Republican”.
Oh I see. So it has nothing to do with his ability to do the job at hand, his past professional record, etc. It’s the usual partisan crap and wanting to obstruct the President. Meanwhile, this GOP (along with the MSM) try to distract Democrats with this “Hillary in 2016” nonsense.
I would love for the brain trust on Fox & Friends to define “typical Republican”.
Chuck Hagel is a sensible Republicans, he is not one of those crazy ass extreme right wing nut. So I guess he isn’t a typical Republican.
Correct.
Happy Birthday Pamela! Hope you have a blast today 🙂
I see Grandma standing on stage with the girls and Michelle.
Upon reading the headline “Obama Won’t Play that Way, Fiscal Clif Edition” – I immediately thought of the “Homey don’t play that” expression from Damon Wayan’s Homey D. Clown character on “In Living Color” (early 90’s skit comedy) Am I really the only one? 😀
Nope! We were cracking up w/ that same thought too! 🙂
Standard Chartered will pay more than $300m (£187m) to settle charges it violated US sanctions on Iran, Burma, Libya and Sudan.
The UK-based bank has been fined $100m by the Federal Reserve while it will also pay the Department of Justice $227m, the regulators said.
The violations took place between 2001-2007 and the bank said it had changed its procedures since then.
It has already paid $340m to New York’s Department of Financial Services.
The DFS had accused it of hiding 60,000 transactions with Iran worth $250bn over nearly a decade. In total, the bank has paid about $670m over suspect payments.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20669650
Here’s a sort of tick tock on the fiscal cliff negotiations:
If Congress wants to get something passed before the Christmas holiday (Friday, December 21)
legislation has to be written by December 18.
In order for that to happen, PBO and Boehner need to reach an agreement by December 14-15, this Friday or Saturday.
President Obama was hoping to his Hawaii vacation from December 17 through January 6th, 2013.
As VP Biden said, it would take 15 min. to call the House into session and pass the Senate bill to extend MIddle Class tax cuts. The “Grand Bargain” to avert sequestration can be delayed until after the holidays by mutual agreement.
Boy Scouts of America: Merck pulls funding in protest at gay ban
Pharmaceutical giant says it will consider giving money again ‘when the organisation’s inclusion criteria has been expanded’
The drugs giant Merck has suspended its funding for the Boy Scouts of America, citing its discrimination against gay people.
The maker of top-selling drugs including asthma treatment Singulair and the HPV vaccine Gardasil joins Intel and UPS, which both pulled their funding following a campaign by lobby group Scouts for Equality.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/10/boy-scouts-america-merck-pulls-funding
Merck is a pretty conservative (small ‘c’) company – being a very old company. For them to do this says a lot!
[RIP, Arthur Chaskalson.]:
In 1994, Nelson Mandela chose Arthur Chaskalson as the first president of South Africa’s constitutional court. Chaskalson, who has died of leukaemia aged 81, had been a member of the Rivonia trial defence team that saved Mandela and his fellow anti-apartheid activists from the gallows in the mid-1960s. He made his mark in his judgments while establishing the collegial and accessible culture of the court whose first act was to abolish the death penalty. A stream of liberal judgments, unimaginable in the apartheid state, were given the court’s imprimatur, including the legalisation of same-sex marriages.
More here on his remarkable life: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/10/arthur-chaskalson
Hiddee O’s and biddee O’s on yeet another great getting up day in TODdy town. I’m knee deep in all things plumbing and I’m trying to get cabinets, stove, refrigerator and dishwasher all picked out, purchased, delivered, and installed by Xmas. It’s not looking too good for the home team, but fingers crossed that I can pull it off. So far I’m real pleased with the plumber, just hate that I had to rip out my cabinets and counter to fix a leak. Oh well, off to the cabinet store
Stream is up. President Obama makes remarks on the fiscal cliff, the economy and middle class families in Redford, MI. Watch on http://CNN.com/live
Thanks JER. Eclectablog is at the event and is live tweeting.
WATCH LIVE AND WITH SOUND: President Obama speaks at Detroit Diesel http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/WATCH-LIVE-President-Obama-speaks-at-Detroit-Diesel/-/1719418/17719196/-/sipfc7/-/index.html
Heads up everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/12/10/heads-up-president-obama-in-detroit-20-et/
hi Chips and TOD family
still recovering from surgery and battling the flu.Feel very weak but I do my best to get out of bed every day and even venture downstairs for a few minutes every morning with mom around.Dizziness is killing me. I won’t be long but I wanted to thank each and everyone and Chips for this site,for their kind words and prayers.I needed them and they are helping.
Claire
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thank you
thank you
thank you
I’ll check in again this week
have a great day
Fred 😀
Fred, so glad to hear you’re making progress, albeit slowly. Every day is a day of recovery and we are still keeping you in our thoughts!! Take good care and thanks so much for checking in. Stay strong and keep going!!
Good to hear from you, Fred. We’re all pulling for your speedy recovery and sending good thoughts and vibes! Take good care.
aloha fred! so glad you’re up and around a bit. we’re still rooting for you, so you just relax and get well.
{{{{{{{Fred}}}}}}}