Star Advertiser: President Barack Obama left Washington D.C. Tuesday night and is flying to Hawaii to rejoin his family on vacation.
….. Air Force One took off at about midnight. Obama is expected to arrive in Hawaii about 10 hours later, landing at about 5:15 a.m. Hawaii time.
Family friend and adviser Valerie Jarrett, White House spokeswoman Jay Carney, and deputy chief of staff Alyssa Mastromonac were also on the flight.
[The White House did not say how long the president would stay, but earlier security arrangements indicated the island of Oahu was prepared for him to stay until Jan. 6]
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Landed!
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BooMan: For the first time in some of your lives, the House of Representatives just passed a bill that the majority of the majority party opposed. Ordinarily, such votes are not even allowed to happen …. this is the first time that Republicans have voted for tax increases since they helped Poppy Bush violate his “Read My Lips” pledge over twenty years ago…..
If you are worried that we will see cuts in entitlements two months from now, you are probably correct. We were never going to escape that entirely. But any cuts we see will be matched by further tax hikes. We have a president who is coming off a series of victories whose popularity will have never been higher, and he isn’t going to cave…..
Relax. Have a cigar. Bask in the glow.
Full post here
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Classy:
TPM: During tense fiscal cliff negotiations, House Speaker John Boehner last Friday told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “go fuck yourself,” according to a Politico report published early Wednesday. Boehner confronted Reid in the White House lobby and later bragged about it to his colleagues, according to the report.
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Sometimes you just have to smile at NY Daily News’ headlines:
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CNN: In a move that surprised many lawmakers and angered others, House Republican leaders wrapped up this session of Congress Tuesday night without voting on a package that would have provided billions of dollars in aid to victims of Superstorm Sandy.
The Senate passed the $60.4 billion measure last week, and senators from New York had called on the House to take it up promptly. But because the House failed to act and a new Congress will be sworn in Thursday, the entire legislative process will have to start over – delaying the package from disbursing money to affected states.
GOP leaders announced they would not bring up any legislation Wednesday – the last day of the session – as many expected. This prompted many angry Democrats and some Republicans – mostly from New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut – to demand that House GOP leaders bring members back and vote on the bill.
More here
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Still chuckling at Sludge’s meltdown last night:
😎
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Morning everyone!
The Obama Diary 
Good Morning 😉
Morning Libra800. Congrats on first.
Thanks !!
Morning Libra, morning everyone!!
🙂 Morning!
Way to go libra800. Hope you have a great day. Same to everyone. 😔 I’m still sleepy.
Hello all.
Is that
cantor trying not to smirk?
Good day all!!
Good morning TOD family.
Promise kept. I sooooo love my president. And Veep Joe’s loyalty to him just warms my heart.
Off to D.C. I’ll catch you folks in a week, or eleventy-nine hundred posts from now!!!!
Safe travels Magapie, see you soon – have a great time!
GM Magapie, have a good and productive time and be sure to make sure DC is running smoothly in all respects. I don’t want to encounter any glitches when I arrive there for the first time.
Good morning everyone! 🙂 A nice brisk 23° outside here…luckily I don’t have to go out today!
PBO played the Repubs like a fiddle…yet again.
Morning NYC Liberal, it’s a beautiful day!
It definitely is! Hope you have a good one!
Good morning Chips and TOD family. We survived last night and our President is off to spend time with his family. That is a big win. I am very mad about the Sandy vote. We really now know they have no heart or soul.
Morning Marilyn. The Sandy non-vote was beyond belief, just when I think these people can sink no lower …. they do.
That did truly shock me. I didn’t think they could sink any lower.
I thought Peter King’s comment was telling: “it makes it even worse being a Republican”. Even worse! Poor guy!
Well, Peter, you have an option … come on over to the caring side!
This was a deliberate finger in the eye to Democrats, PBO and everyone living in Sandy’s route who had the audacity to vote for President Obama. There is just no level of contempt to which Boehner and his crew won’t sink. The Daily News was generous in calling them DC Dolts. This group loves to inflict pain and get real pleasure in causing as much suffering as possible. This goes beyond being dolts and into the realm of pathological.
Just plain mean, low and ugly. There are no words.
The age of “The Obama” is fantastic. He and VP Biden are my kind of negotiators. Now the GOP and their puppets in the media are trying perpetuate the lie that the CBO said the fiscal cliff deal adds $4T to the debt. This is not true. The white house refutes it, the CBO refutes it, Chris Van Hollen refuted it this morning and even Christine Romans on CNN refuted it. U.S. stock futures are also up and rallying in a big way and I don’t think they would be doing that if the deal was horrible. I’m going to provide the link so that everyone has information to fight the nonsense.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/01/01/american-taxpayer-relief-act-reduces-deficits-737-billion
I really didn’t believe that lie, but it is good to have the facts.
No matter what the facts, this rumor will never die. It will take on its own reality like the idea that PBO is a big spender. Watch Repub candidates in 2014 bandy this $4 trillion around like it came out of the gospel.
UT thanks for disseminating the facts. Kudos to my Rep, Chris Van Hollen. He’s been an excellent surrogate and model Democrat.
It’s one thing when the GOP and their Republican pals in the MSM try to spread lies. It’s quite another when you have people like Howard Dean pushing the same garbage when they know better, just because they happen to not like some aspect of the deal that’s totally unrelated.
There is another Twitter account (RRittenberg Report) I have been following and I’ve generally liked their tweets – however, I feel that they claim to be “liberal” but more critical of PBO in particular. They also tend to protect the GOP whenever they can by pushing false equivalency narratives. They blocked me sometime this week after I called them out on that.
We have too many anti-Obama liberals/DEMS, which helps to enable the GOP and make PBO’s job twice as hard as it otherwise would be.
UT, thanks for the link and thanks for putting the facts out there. Good to have when we push back.
Anyone tweeting this misinformation in my timeline will get unfollowed. Also, anyone retweeting FDL garbage and DK garbage will also get unfollowed. I’m not in the mood for BS this year.
Thanks for posting this info and setting the record straight. I figured that figure yesterday was really based on a faulty premise.
So…. I wonder what New Jersey’s Gov. Chris “Krispy Kreme” Christie has to say about his Rethuglican colleagues now?
The House shafted victims of Hurricane Sandy out of federal aid to continue recovery efforts. They really are cowardly, heartless bastards.
Isonprize, it’s time for this big foul-mouthed, in your face horse’s ass to start braying, or does he only say “shove it” to Democrats? If he wants to get re-elected in NJ, he’s better start hitting the airwaves with outrage at REPUBLICANS.
JackieG, Absolutely!
From what I’ve heard from a physician friend of mine, NY and NJ are far, far from “back to normal” From a medical perspective, she suggested NOT coming to NY metro area for any medical procedures. They aren’t anywhere near having capacity for elective surgeries. The Jersey shore was devastated.
Christie really needs to be HOWLING about this. Let’s see if he’ll put up or shut up.
I guess one of the big NY hospitals (I forget the name) just started functioning again just before Christmas.
Good Morning Chips and my TOD Family. HZ
Moooooooooooooorning HZ!!
Morning my special angel!!!HZ
Good morning HZ! Happy New Year.Hope you have a beautiful day.
Good morning mtmarilyn. Happy New Year to you dear one. Off to the prayer and meditation room. Doctor’s appt. later this morning.HZ
HZ, good luck with your doctor. Let us know if all is well.
JackieG, thanks so much. I will. This is the cardiologist today, and tomorrow another test from my GP. I have to put works behind my mind. knowing that I must do what I need to do. Just do it because it is the right thing to do for my body and peace of mind. Love you all.
A shout out to Fred also this New Year. HZ
HZ (((((((((((((((((((((((((Hugs)))))))))))))))))))))))) 🙂 🙂 🙂
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Thank you africantimes2))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) I will carry your hugs into my space during my doctor’s visit.HZ
Hugs and warm thoughts to you HZ!
Good morning, TOD Family! It’s a day to celebrate! Wishing PBO the vacation he should have had to begin with! Have a great day everyone!
Hey—that last photo is my long time avatar, right? I love to laugh, and I love seeing a happy President Obama laughing. I think he’s really laughing right at this very moment.
🙂 I love that Drudgie used your pic to express his despair, Dotster!
Hope everyone has a great day. I have a very busy one. I’ll be lurking.
Hello everyone – I think I will stay awake for another hour and hope to see PBO landing in Hawaii – for such a well deserved vacation. Those traveling with him are true friends, supporters and work hard with him every day of the year.
And I nearly forgot – thank you so much Chips for all the good news in the morning edition. Even more than Drudge, I did enjoy so many right wing twitters coming to earth with a thud.
I’ll confess 99ts, I dropped in for a brief lurk at a RWNJ site last night …… the meltdown was delicious!!
Very brave, Chips, and evidence of a strong stomach. I find it disgusting that Boehner brags about using foul language to Reid. What a classless, incompetent, witless nincompoop. I didn’t think this kind of thing was funny in the 6th grade coming from snotty kids. It’s pathetic from a so-called Speaker. What an irony of fate that the greatest president in the last hundred years is saddled with the worst speaker.
Had so much trouble commenting yesterday with my “repaired” computer, I was ready to hurl it. Seems to have recovered with the new
day. It probably picked up Republicanitis and had to wait for Congress to adjourn to recover.
Jackie – my thoughts on Boehner as well – he should stick to crying – name calling shows a serious lack of alternative options – no wonder no-one could negotiate with him.
Ha Jackie, I think my computer has suffered from Republicanitis lately too, I tend not to be violent but have come very close to punching it a few times 😕
Well I just checked out Eric the Red – this is his first suggestion for 2013
“The GOP should spend 2013 rebuilding an agenda based on a defense of family” – when the Democrats have a President with more family values than any and every Republican in Washington, or elsewhere – I don’t think this suggestion will get too far.
And now for the most important question of all, where is Bo? Did he get invited for the return trip? Or is he “Home Alone”, right now calling doggy friends announcing “Par-tay at my house!”?
Dotster, I don’t know, but I can’t imagine that PBO would live his buddy Bo home. And the way Bo still thinks he’s a puppy (getting all comfy in FLOTUS’ lap) methinks Bo wouldn’t stand for it. 😆 😆
Having seen Bo automatically jump on FLOTUS’ lap, I have no doubt that he’s with his family. You don’t leave that puppy home when you go on vacation!!
krauthammer was right. Obama & Co managed to create a civil war among the thugs. Ironic.
Are the wingnutz ready now to bring “2nd amendment solution” to their own party?
I miss so much here when I am working. But I think about a month ago Fred had surgery. Anyone knows how she is doing? Thinking about her and wishing her the very best this new year.
Hiya Africa, Fred was here yesterday, just found her comment:
“I am doing fairly well besides the past 2 days that were difficult. Mom is great as well. We also got more good news. A cousin of mine complained of pain around his kidneys and the doctors found a 7 inch tumor on that kidney. It was removed last week and he won’t need chemo or radio and is cancer-free. Needless to say, we’re all very happy
Thanks for all the prayers and kind words,they’ve all helped
As soon as I feel a lot stronger, I’ll log on more often.”
Wishing you all the best Fred.
GREAT news about Fred, Ms Chips, thanks for passing it on!
Thanks, Chips.
Yay for Fred.
Hey Fred, if you’re out there, wishing you all the best in the New Year.
It reduces the deficit by 640 billion if you go by last nights deal.
Because of the new tax revenue…
More-
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/275145-white-house-deal-cuts-deficits-by-737-billion
Thank you, Jovie. I sent this link through my community organizing email list. You are a cherished source of good info.
I read a comment @ Booman that calls to Boner re: Sandy are being referred to Cantor’s office. Is this true? Hahahahaha! Flood the SOBs lines! 🙂
Yes. It was reported yesterday.
Thanks UT! Also loved your tweet reporting! Saves me angst @ pundtwits & those CSPAN bogus callers.
I do love this Honey Badger Reid we’ve seen since Pres. Obama came into office in 2009.
Morning Ms Chips, morning TOD! Thanks for the great news coverage this morning; very happy about the new developments, and LOVED listening to our president’s speech with his happy VP at his side! A beautiful New Day. Hope our president has at least a couple of well-deserved vacation days with his family, besides some much-needed rest.
Good morning Chips and TODville,
As our President boards AF1 all I could think of was the song by Sade, “Smooth Operator”.
It does my heart proud to see him go meet his girls and “Coco Butter Legs”, my sons affectionally calls FLOTUS.
He needs to be with them and they with him.
If 2012 ended this beat down of these clueless fools in Congress, I cannot wait to see what 2013 has in store for us.
Hold on to your seats. Buckle up. Keep the faith. Don’t get tired, yet. Fainting is not an option.
2013 is here. We are in it to win it…..
No New Year resolution for me. It is a mind revolution.
I am thinking differently. Seeing much clearer the long game.(thanks to our chess master President). No looking at the left or right.
Staying focus and moving FORWARD….
“Fainting is not an option.”
🙂 Morning LDS!!!
Good morning, Chips. Thank you for being you!
Getting ready for the Inauguration. I wish we all could meet up or plan a Spring meet up as someone suggested last night, yesterday….oh, whatever time it is. i woke up thininking it was Monday, again. I really do need to put faces on these hearts. I will keep you posted, if I don’t faint at the Inauguration. That is the only time it is allowed, okay?
And by the way, I love that first photo—-meaningful with Abe looking out from within.
Doster, what great eyes you have. I did not notice that and mind you on the eve of the 150th Anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. This whole experience is so surreal sometimes I think I am dreaming. What did I do to deserve moments in time like this? This must be our time. I never thought I would live to experience so much joy and pain at one time. It is all so worth it!
ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE
dotster3, I picked that up too as soon as I saw the photo. It was stunning. Abe Lincoln centered in that window pane looking over his shoulder at President Barack Obama as he leaves the Oval Office after a very productive day. It is powerful imagery. Also, notice how the tree branch reaches completely across the top of the photo. The composition of the photo is remarkable. It appears to be, dare I say it, perfectly balanced.
Livefeed advertizing PBO landing at 10.15am – trying to stay awake cause that is 1.15am in my world
http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml
Thank you 99ts!
(CHART) The fiscal deal: a tale of the tape
By Steve Benen
——————————————-
Once the fiscal agreement reached by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Biden was announced, one thing became clear: both liberals and conservatives were convinced their purported allies had given away far too much, tilting the deal heavily in their rivals’ direction. Of course, logic suggests they can’t both be right.
Using Suzy Khimm’s summary of the agreement as a guide, here’s a tale of the tape.
.
.
Instead, Obama traded some revenue for more benefits, all while pocketing the largest tax hike in decades, and leaving entitlements alone.
The White House realizes many on its left flank are unsatisfied, but as far as folks in the West Wing are concerned, they won this round. In the 2011 agreement resolving the debt-ceiling crisis, Democrats felt forced to accept a deal with no new revenue. In the 2012 fiscal deal, Republicans felt forced to accept a deal with no new spending cuts.
————————————————————
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/02/16301390-the-fiscal-deal-a-tale-of-the-tape?lite
I hope the people in the West Wing know that most of the ones who supported POTUS is satisfied.
You know that a miracle occurred in DC last night when the entire Republican delegation to the US House voted YES to the Senate bill and this includes the infamous T. I’m so used to screaming at these useless reps that I don’t know how to act when they do something right. Whatever hit them I hope it sticks.
Jackiegrumbacher, it is Scripture: Psalm 110:1 “I will make thine enemies thy footstool.”
They don’t know what it was that hit them and it will stick.
Good Morning, and congrats Libra!
Extra special wishes to Ms Chips and all TODobots today!
We have so much to be happy and thankful about – one fabricated disaster has been successfully put aside AND our President is on his way back home to a well-deserved rest among people with whom he can relax. For today, I am not asking for more than that.
Me, too. All Is Well…….
In Spite of Reality, Liberals Claim Obama “Caved” on the Fiscal Cliff
By Bob Cesca
—————————
As soon as the deal was announced on New Year’s Eve, the far-left kneejerked into its predictable boilerplate apoplexy: calling for the president’s head with the scripted refrains of “He betrayed the left! IEEEEEE!” even though the fiscal cliff deal is mostly composed of a 4.6 percent tax hike on the top tax bracket returning it to the Clinton-era level, along with an extension of unemployment benefits for long-term jobless Americans, and zero spending cuts. I repeat: no spending cuts. By the way, the $30 billion in unemployment benefits will result in $48.6 billion in economic growth, per Moody’s calculations. Good news and a good investment in the economy.
.
.
In the real world where there are real people coping with real problems, a deal was mandatory, as was a few concessions to the Republicans since they happen to control the House and nearly half of the Senate. If there was a whip count for everything the “Obama caved” liberals wanted, I’m happy to hear about it, but I don’t think it existed. It’s fine to try to push the president towards your personal legislative priorities, and the elimination of the chained CPI idea is probably a result of that effort, but liberal advocacy and activism shouldn’t include risking damage to the incomes and lives of the people who liberals are otherwise trying to help. That’s the same kind of sabotage and hostage-taking used by the congressional Republicans, and I don’t want any part of it.
———————————–
http://thedailybanter.com/2013/01/in-spite-of-reality-liberals-claim-obama-caved-on-the-fiscal-cliff/
We got a lot out of this deal. What we got permanently is being lost in the noise from the whiny left.
My only quibble with vesca (and many others) on this is the ‘no spending cuts’ line. The spending cuts got kicked down a very short road. We’re going to have this battle in a few months and it ain’t gonna be pretty. There is so much to defend in this deal and be very pleased with. But it’s a tad of spin to make it sound like spending cuts are out of the question. This is still a battle.
That being said, this utter b.s. that we’ve given up all leverage is making me insane. PBO, VP Biden and the Democratic leadership got Republicans to vote for a tax increase! We haven’t seen that in decades. The absurd notion that we can’t use revenue increases ever again is so much nonsense, it makes my stomach turn. We are moving the ball down the progressive field. We’ve reversed the RWNJ course. I cannot understand why incremental change doesn’t get any credit these days. Baffles me.
My husband is often my barometer for Everyman in these things. The notion that we were EVER going to get taxes raised on $250,000 and above was a pipe dream. It was always going to be a negotiated amount. Here’s where my Everyman husband makes sense: he said to me this morning that he thought it would be closer to $1,000,000. He thought $400,000/$450,000 was the rock bottom we could ever hope to get and he thought it was effing brilliant. Not just for a year, like the $250,000 number in the Senate bill. But ‘permanent’ (of course it’s never ‘permanent’, but you get the idea).
Did anyone see Bo get back on the plane to go back to Hawaii with POTUS?
Hopefully he will be seen coming off the plane
I thought from another Obama Hawaiian vacation taken last term that someone on this blog said there was some kind of quarantine involved with taking a dog to Hawaii that precluded taking Bo. I just took the blogger’s info on their word at the time. Don’t know if there is such a thing or not.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), under fire from Northeast lawmakers in his own party, is promising to pass an emergency spending bill to help pay for damage from Hurricane Sandy in the next Congress, which starts Thursday.
“The Speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month,” Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith said Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/275141-boehner-committed-to-passing-sandy-aid-in-jan
This really helps the GOP image, doesn’t it. Hay we Republicans are to busy being mad cause we had to vote for rich folks taxes to go up, we don’t have time for you people who lost everything from the hurricane Sandy. We’ll get to you when we get to you, if we do.
Morning chuckle….I’m a teacher 🙂
http://boingboing.net/2012/12/31/which-professions-have-the-mos.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boingboing%2FiBag+%28Boing+Boing%29
Glad to see the media is listed as # 3 for + psychopaths, CEO’s #1.
Did Boehner really tell Sen. Reid to go “F” himself?
yes, anniebella, he did. and bragged about it. What a classy guy 😆
Good morning, TODville. It’s 2013!!
Can’t believe POTUS is almost back in Hawaii. He must be so excited to get back to his family. May he find the rest and pleasure he so richly deserves.
mmm not sure about this livefeed for Hawaii arrival – they are now replaying the house from yesterday (talking about the Sandy bill not happening)
they may switch over when the time gets closer to PBO landing….
would be nice – but the arrival has gone from the list – drat
drat – it’s live – no mention any longer of arrival of AF1 – so goodnight all – have a wonderful day
Says it will be live here http://www.khon2.com/content/mediacenter/livestream.aspx – doesn’t seem to have started yet
A well deserved vacation. I wish the POTUS could stay in Hawaii until Inauguration Day. He is so deserving of some time with his family.
PBO has arrived. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/category/198303/livestream
Um, URP:
Well Hell we don’t want him!!!
Yeah, the worst of the worst. Like the Dems need a backstabbing horse’s ass.
GOOD RIDDANCE TO THE “DO NOTHING” 112TH CONGRESS
==================================================
What Could Have Been: The Most Important Bills Blocked By Republicans in 2012
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/12/28/1356701/what-could-have-been-the-most-important-bills-blocked-by-republicans-in-2012/
This Congress could be least productive since 1947
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-08-14/unproductive-congress-not-passing-bills/57060096/1
112th Congress Set To Become Most Unproductive Since 1940s
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/congress-unproductive_n_2371387.html
And this:
Repub Rep Michael Grimm of NY on the House floor expressed deep disappointment on the refusal to vote on Sandy relief: “There was a betrayal. There was an error in judgment that is gonna cost I think the trust of the American people.”
Hay Rep. M. Grimm, the GOP doesn’t have the trust of American people, it’s just anther sign that the GOP don’t give a darn about the poor and middle class.
“It makes it even worse being a Republican”!
Landed!
Happy POTUS. No tie. Surfs up!!
🙂 Yes it is Meta!
He’s looking good! And HAPPY!
With a spring in his step DF!
Love that spring! But he didn’t hold the rails bouncing down the stairs, did he?
That’s been the one disappointment of the last four years DF, and I fear he will never cave on the refusing-to-hold-the-AF1-rails issue. Haven’t got around to starting that WH petition yet, but I will 🙂
At least you can tweet him! 🙂
Love to see our President SMILING again! 🙂
YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GLAD HE’S BACK IN HAWAII….BY NOW RUSTY IS RECLAIMING HIS BARSTOOL AND ANOTHER BOX OF KLEENEX!….:)
Good morning everyone at TOD.
One question: What is wrong with P.M. Carpenter? He is again bashing OBAMA’S negotiations.
cole’s bj is full of butthurt loony left today. Earned myself many FU’s. 🙂
Are you causing trouble again Amk?
riling up the loony left is my specialty.
😎
The fucking loonies don’t seem get how their ‘despair’ just 48 hours ago has become the despair of wingnutz.
Fuck’em all.
I am off to watch rizzoli & isles. Love both the gals there.
Hey amk, did you know rizzoli is a republican in real life. She claims not to be one of the crazy ones, but once I found out, it made it hard for me to continue to watch the show. And it really is a good show!
Harmon is a Born Again, anti-Choice Christian Republican. I won’t watch her shoes or those of the wife from Everybody Loves Raymond, whose name I forget.
Sorry, I don’t get it. What are people griping about? I just can’t fathom how they think things could have gone differently in our direction. This is not about theory!
The same old, same old. Obama caved, he coulda/shoulda bs.
I saw them called “the choose-your-own-adventure” crowd yesterday on twitter. I think it was Mike Grunwald. I think that fits perfectly. They insist that PBO can waive a magic wand and ignore reality. And I think they don’t realize that even if he could do that, he wants to govern for ALL of the people and that means listening to them. I am realizing that although people on the far left say they care about poor, low-income and middle class folks, they don’t really. They have no more idea of what being on UI means than the people on the far right. They have lost their way and their perspective and I’m glad our party gives them a voice but is not in their grip, like the GOP is. At least we seem to have learned that lesson back in the 80’s. And for everyone who thinks we need to get a better grip on the messaging, I think PBO has done that, starting with the election as shown in Karl Rove’s election night meltdown, and in how he was able to rightly frame this whole fiscal cliff thing.
All the PLs I know are upper middle class white folks who don’t have much in the game except their “principles” and an unending desire for their ponies.
Maybe if we all chip in to buy them a pony they will quiet down.
Meta, I am absolutely convinced that the so called leftists who are gripping about this deal wanted to see President Obama fail so that they can gloat about it. Like the right win lunies, they tried so hard to derail his re-election and failed. They thought they could use the “fiscal cliff “crisis to regain their credibility. Once again they’ve failed miserably. I wish there was a way to ignore them. Unfortunately the media keep giving them platforms and megaphones to attack the President.
On a personal level, this deal was very important to me. A dear friend of our family lost a job in September. She was was very concerned about the possible expiration of the unemployment compensation, which has been sustaining her and her two children. Frankly, this was a big deal for people who are unemployed and are out looking for jobs. I really could care less about the poutrage of so called progressives, many of whom are living very comfortable lives with high paying jobs.
Hear hear nath! I try my best to tune out the emoprogs and PLs as I’m also convinced they don’t really want to see this President succeed. Whining and complaining is their reason d’etre. My best friend is one of those millions looking for a job — now 10 months since being laid off (with the odd short-term contract gig here & there in the interim). That unemployment compensation is a lifeline for her. Fortunately, she’s got the benefit of a roof over her head (mine) and the small army that is my immediate family here to help. A lot of folks don’t have the same kind of support over the long term.
http://bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2013/01/further-context-on-the-fiscal-cliff-deal.html
Sullivan:
And so you see that Obama’s re-election has meant the biggest increase in revenues to the federal government since 1968. That would not have happened under Romney.
$600 billion in tax hikes, while protecting the tax cuts for the lowest brackets. In fact, according to Krugman, if the president had been able to stick to the $250,000 income threshold, it would’ve only generated an additional $200 billion in revenue — “not crucial” in Krugman’s words.
And Medicare and Social Security are untouched, except for perhaps gaining additional revenue due to the expiration of the payroll tax holiday.
Please someone explain to me how this is bad news for Democrats and liberals.
I WANT MY GLITTER SHITTING PONY RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One explanation, and it works for me, is that it’s not worth reporting.
LOL!!!!
I ain’t havin’ any Cenk bullshit this morning. 🙂
What a dope he is…..
Nothing goes in to effect on a Federal holiday…..the vote happened before midnight.
Yes, they had gone into effect, as had tax increases on everyone else. The key here is that PBO got the GOP to accept tax increases onlu on a specific portion of the population, the so called “job creators.”
If anyone thinks the GOP wouldn’t have come back in the new Congress and not have voted for tax cuts for evryone or with even a higher threshold for higher rates, they are insane. And if PBO had vetoed them or the Senate not accepted them (and soem Dems in the Senate would have) then it all would have been about how the Dems voted against tax cuts.
And for those that are upset about the payroll tax credit being gone (and it does mean a smaller pay check for me) then using Uygr’s logic, they shouldn’t complain because they were gone already. PBO didn’t give up the payroll tax holiday because as of yesterday it didn’t exist. And many of those same people complaining about that complained about it existing in the first place because it was a threat to SS solvency. By reestablishing the regualr rates, SS solvency was just extended.
THIS!
Morning all, I am so happy POTUS has returned to Hawaii for the rest of the week. He deserves a vacation more than anyone else.
Nailed it.
Huffpo headline: Fiscal Cliff Deal Passed By Congress After Republicans Cave
ROFL, gotta love it! 🙂
G’day y’all! Love PBO leaving the door behind him, fast! Lincoln waving goodbye! Also, it doesn’t make any sense at all that Bo would be left in DC while the whole family is in the islands. Bo is there, I am certain of it! No more worries okay? 😆
After getting an earful from NYers and NJers, I guess Rusty thought he’d better wake up. He’s going to meet with New York and New Jersey delegation members at 3pm.
What could he possibly say to them that would make up for not voting on the bill? I suppose there’s something, but I’m very dense, and don’t understand…. 😦
Happy Day 2 of 2013 to Everyone 🙂 finally kicking this flu outta me.. the cough seems to want to hang on, but feeling ALIVE again. I’m so glad POTUS returned home to his family~ hope he gets to relax and just hang for a while. So proud of him and VP Joe… they never fail us.
Glad you are feeling better, sherijr! That flu virus is a knockout! I had it a few years ago and was flat on my back for a week. Couldn’t move- my bones hurt just lying there. Take it easy until your full strength returns.
thanks mary ~ you’re right it has been a knockout.. my whole family had it and all were hit pretty hard. Getting well, thankfully 🙂
The danger is doing too much too soon. You’ll just keep dragging on. Also about the cough, sometimes it seems like my lungs don’t get the message that there’s nothing to cough about! Cough suppressants are the answer! Let’s that cough reflex die down.
Yep you’re right, I had a list of things to do today.. but still feeling just too punky.. am taking it slow, don’t seem to have much choice in the matter.., body not ready to cooperate 😉
Here is the absolute best explanation I’ve seen on why the media does what it does, in particular the professional left media. It’s a comment on Bob Cesca’s blog: http://bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2013/01/the-next-liberal-freak-out.html#comment-753357950
That is an excellent analysis, Tien Le.. I saved it. Thank you!
O happy day O’s!!! It’s another great getting up day again in TOD town doncha know!! I’m still dancing and have decided to dance with abandon for an hour each day, before I log on. It’s so good for the soul and has health benefits too. Today it’s a little Zydeco music from Looooeezianna, Cajun country.
Happy New Year GF,
I got the whole family to register for the 10 mile Cherry Blossom run in April. This will be a big one for me. 😯
Training starts this Saturday. I know I can; I think I can; Oh Yes We Can….. 😉
WOW, you go, girl!!
Good job Donna O. What a milestone. If you need additional training tips for your 10K try this site: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_4/index.shtml It was instrumental in getting me to my daily 5K running program.
For beginner 10K runners, don’t want any injuries: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_4/138.shtml
Dancing an hour a day is your New Year’s resolution? How Fantastic!
No I’m resolving to do it for the rest of my life, or until the last tendon snaps, or the last bone breaks. Even then, I’m gonna snap my fingers to the beat.
Good Morning TOD.
It’s January 2, 2013 and I still don’t care what the emoprogs and the professional left think about the deal made to get the lazy do-nothing 112th Congress to vote to raise taxes on those who can afford to pay a little more for the first time in 20 years.
So all those whining about this deal had zero effect on the outcome. Way to go PBO!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s how I see it, donna.
Exactly my sentiments, Donna! Even more important for me is the extension of UI. There are still millions of folks struggling because they lost their jobs.
The RWNJs are going crazy on Facebook too. I saw a Pastor (friend of a friend) say this in regards to Newtown: “I think they were false tears (no visible tears!) anyway, it was a plot, at the expense of children’s lives, to justify disarming citizens….”
“I saw a Pastor (friend of a friend)…” I have never understood the deep connection some people make between guns and God. I missed the part of the bible were Jesus wanted his followers be armed and dangerous.
I must have missed that part too, but when I read/hear stuff like that out of the mouths of clergy, Matthew 7:15 comes to mind…”Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
Morning all.
A little blog pimping before I dive into the goodies. I have a new section of my novel up at http://novelsinprogress.com/2013/01/02/my-father-the-hero/
Take a look if you can.
Good article here: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/02/obamas-not-done-yet-will-seek-new-tax-increases-on-rich-in-2013/
“The progressives who are criticizing President Obama for “giving away” too much are failing to recognize that the fiscal cliff deal is a watershed moment. After a year of hard campaigning to raise taxes on the rich, and months of strained negotiations with obstinate Republican leaders, Obama has cracked open the revenue dam Republicans have so viciously guarded.
And the President wasted no time making clear that he will continue to seek increased taxes on the wealthy in further deficit-reduction negotiations coming down the pike.”
” And the President wasted no time making clear that he will continue to seek increased taxes on the wealthy in further deficit-reduction negotiations coming down the pike.”
As usual (sigh) the whiny left is ignoring that part.
I would so love to have an intelligent (even spirited) discussion about these policy issues. There is no middle ground, anywhere. Just extremes. You can’t have an intelligent discussion with the whiny left if they are going to ignore/fail to report that the President said tax increases will be part of the negotiations from here on forward. Why oh why do they choose to belief the RW spin about how much they ‘won’ and yet wilfully choose to ignore what we won and what the President has said about future negotiations?
So much to be grateful for this morning:
POTUS in HI with his family.
Good friends unemployment insurance extended.
Medicare and medicaid doctors will be failrly paid for their work so we will be a healthier country.
Middleclass families won’t see a tax increase.
And NOTHING that the the Professional Left, firebaggers, Emoprgs and RWNJs say makes the slightest bit of difference.
President Barack Obama is a source of Good. He will continue to back down the forces of hate and ignorance.
Most of all thanks to TOD the only place I feel free to express how I really feel about my President.
I just read that this is the year we would have paid off the deficit (with Clinton’s policies) if it hadn’t for two off-budget wars and the Bush tax cuts. Amazing to think what shape we’d be in now.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-to-house-gop-pass-sandy-aid-without?ref=fpb
Andrew Sullivan is leaving the Daily Beast and will charge $19.99 a month. Good luck.
I barely read Sully when he was free. Hope he has a lot of savings.
Who could follow his manic swings?
That’s more than my monthly subscription to Vanity Fair which is 100X more interesting with better writers and better articles and photos than anything on his website. Plus I never liked that he didn’t allow public comments on an internet blog. Oh well, if it doesn’t work out he will be back sponsored by some other big name.
HP reporting was incorrect. It looks as though the fee is $19.99 a year. Much more realistic.
Yeah i had read his blog this a.m. – not HP. My Vanity Fair is $15 -$19 a year.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/christie-cuomo-condemn-houses-inaction-on-sandy-relief
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Wednesday released a joint statement in which they criticized the House of Representatives for adjourning on Tuesday night without voting on legislation to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy.
The statement:
With all that New York and New Jersey and our millions of residents and small businesses have suffered and endured, this continued inaction and indifference by the House of Representatives is inexcusable. It has now been 66 days since Hurricane Sandy hit and 27 days since President Obama put forth a responsible aid proposal that passed with a bipartisan vote in the Senate while the House has failed to even bring it to the floor. This failure to come to the aid of Americans following a severe and devastating natural disaster is unprecedented. The fact that days continue to go by while people suffer, families are out of their homes, and men and women remain jobless and struggling during these harsh winter months is a dereliction of duty. When American citizens are in need we come to their aid. That tradition was abandoned in the House last night.
Wow! Bless them. Oh my goodness, I am just so happy this statement came forth! To my friends on the East Coast, I hope something is done now to help you.
It’s a start, but blaming the entire House of Representatives doesn’t cut it. It’s the Republican leadership at fault and both of these guys–especially Christie– need to spell it out. They’re aiming in the general direction–at least they didn’t say Congress or Washington–but they need to start naming name and asking people to dial the phones of specific members of Congress. Boehner and his crew literally could care less about imposing pain and suffering and I’m sure Cantor actually enjoys the thought of it. So they have to start exerting extraordinary pressure. Maybe they can call in some favors from a few bazillionaires. They’re the ones the repubs seem to respond to.
Yes. I seem to remember Mr. Cantor asking for spending cuts before he’d authorize any help to victims of a tornado that went directly through his district…remember that? I notice the SOB is still running his mouth in the halls of Congress. People will never learn.
ABL and President Obama’s Proclamation Proclamation. All good stuff.
http://angryblackladychronicles.com/2013/01/01/president-obamas-proclamation-on-the-emancipation-proclamation/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AngryBlackLady+%28Angry+Black+Lady+Chronicles%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
HA!
Bobfr, you really are a gem to behold. It is an absolute pleasure to read your tweets. I am learning so much from you.
You are the best!
LDS, I am with you 100%! I really have highest admiration for the work Bobfr is doing on twitter.
http://planetpov.com/2013/01/01/the-10-worst-political-moments-of-2012/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+planetpov%2Fmfkm+%28PlanetPOV%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
Good mornin’, afternoon, TODville! This is a child of the ’60s talking, but what a lovely surrealism to see that first image, Chips, of President Obama as he leaves the White House and we are able to also see the portrait of Lincoln inside his home – as I sit here writing this with my own images of both our 16th and 44th Presidents on the wall in my home, here in Illinois! More coffee might be needed, if I am to get my brain around that, eh?
But, seriously, happy day after, folks! So glad POTUS is with FLOTUS and the girls in Hawaii!
Agree that photo is something… this one I want to print & frame – it really hits my emotions.
I’m printing it, as well. Love both Presidents.
I’m so glad the President is going to get some vacation time with his family.
Hal Sparks on Stephanie Miller this morning made a great point: we lost the $250,000 tax increase number when Democrats stayed home in 2010! He’s fantastic on pushing the point that ALL elections matter, often the mid terms being far more important than the Presidential years. If we had stopped the tea party in its tracks, imagine what could have been accomplished.
yea, Hal!
Selective memories……doncha know!
And President Obama campaigned very hard, in 2010, urging the American people not to give back the keys for governing to the Republican party because the party did not know how to govern.
http://blogs.reuters.com/nicholas-wapshott/2013/01/02/the-high-cost-of-hating-government/
For many of the Republican Party’s Tea Party insurgents, the choice is even more fundamental: whether there should be a government at all. Their unbending position, demanding an ever-diminishing role for the federal government, has levied an enormous unnecessary cost on everyone else.
Since Republicans regained control of the House in the 2010 mid-terms, when the Tea Party tide was in full force, they have attempted to freeze the size of government, coincidentally putting a brake on economic recovery. They have vetoed attempts at further economic stimulus, encouraged America’s economy to be downgraded by the ratings agencies by threatening not to extend the debt ceiling, and tried to veto any and every tax increase in the fiscal cliff talks. Their aim is to shrink government by starving it of funds. Such uncompromising absolutism has led to the dampening of business confidence and investment that would have created jobs.
It is not just the economy that has suffered from the absolute positions held by the anti-government rump in the GOP. Their insistence that the Founding Fathers intended us to be allowed to carry guns of any sort, including the rapid-fire assault weapon that killed 20 children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, last month, continues to hamper attempts to curb the nation’s murderous gun violence. Ghosts from the eighteenth century are preying on our school-children, abetted by those who believe that compromise on amending our gun laws is surrendering to the forces of big government. Such unbending absolutism costs human lives.
more…………..
And I repeat Hal Sparks from this morning on Stephanie Miller (and indeed every time he opens his mouth): the fault lies with the lazy, whiny left who didn’t vote in 2010. The reason RWNJ’s could march their ball down the field: they voted. All the time. Reliably. And let’s remember: it STILL took them 30 years to remake the Republican party in their RWNJ image. Imagine if liberals had been that committed to long term solutions and had done their job and VOTED.
I don’t care that Tina is the queen of the Pumas, she speaks the truth here:
https://twitter.com/NJedwina/status/286534703744434176
Popped into my head…. 🙂
Couldn’t be more perfect!
Cuteness alert!
LOVE it, DF.
Watched it once, smiling big, took it straight to my FB because most of my friends love, love, love cats (dogs too), came back watched it again! Thank you desertflower! Happy New Year!
I’m not much of a cat person, but LOVED this! 🙂
Gov. Christie and President Obama Express Disappointment Over Delay in Sandy Aid
Vote on a $60.4 billion aid package delayed in Congress.
http://lacey.patch.com/articles/christie-and-obama-express-disappointment-over-delay-in-sandy-aid
New post!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/01/02/chat-away-or-body-surf-whichever-you-prefer/