Excuse you? EXCUSE YOU!!!! Damn right you’d better run away fast. We kicked ass in our last match. I’d better see you running faster than Speedy Gonzalez.
Ms Chips, I respectfully ask that you do not stir trouble when standing under my umbrella. 🙄 🙄 FACT = I cannot run as fast as you, and stones, biting words and other weapons do not have eyes. These villagers you are bent on stirring up have sharp stings and really rapid reflexes. You and I may share the twin genes, on occasion, but I really can’t understand why you go looking for trouble so often. I swear *I* got all the peace-loving genes. 🙄 🙄 🙄 + /imagine an angelic smilie, or two/
Critics have “completely distorted” his record, the former Nebraska senator said in his first interview as President Barack Obama’s designated choice to be secretary of defense. While he has been “hanging out there in no-man’s land unable to respond to charges, falsehoods and distortions,” Hagel said, a negative assessment of his record by critics and opponents “took on a life of its own.” But the fact is that there is “not one shred of evidence that I’m anti-Israeli, not one (Senate) vote that matters that hurt Israel.” “I didn’t sign on to certain resolutions and letters because they were counter-productive and didn’t solve a problem,” Hagel said.
Critics have hammered Hagel for not joining most of his Senate colleagues in signing on to a number of policy pronouncements that sometimes were sought by AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the influential pro-Israel lobbying organization in Washington. “How does that further the peace process in the Middle East?” Hagel asked. “What’s in Israel’s interest is to help Israel and the Palestinians find some peaceful way to live together.” As for allegations that he has been soft toward Iran’s apparent efforts to develop a nuclear weapons capacity, Hagel pointed to his support for strong international sanctions, including those currently in place.
The question is: Is Chuck Hagel being nominated to be Secretary of Defense of the Israel or the United States? I couldn’t care less what Hagel’s opinion of Israel is, because as far as I’m concerned, the foreign policy comes from President Obama, who was re-elected with strong majorities. It would be great to hear what Israel has done to protect the United States from threat, and to give something back in the relationship. In the meantime, President Obama gets to choose his own team and his own agenda. And I don’t think that making Israel and Netanyahu’s puppets in the US Congress is high up on his list of priorities.
I’ve been trying to get some balance in life and actually do the job I’m being paid to do… Not working remarkably well, but it was my resolution – and I have to make it at least to the inauguration… 😉
Today shows why it was so important for PBO to be re-elected. This is legacy building and long-term viewing at it’s best.
Appointing (nominating) well-qualified, sane, intelligent individuals to posts like CIA, Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State further cements PBO’s legacy and further ensures that these agencies will be led and staffed by excellent public servants, unlike Dubya’s parade of idiots and ne’er do wells.
Well said, Junkessa, when you think of the warmongering buffoons and assorted idiots that the “other fellow” would have nominated it makes your skin crawl. And that doesn’t even touch on the hair raising SCOTUS nominees that he would have put forward.
I am with you PJ! President Obama is focused on giving the American people a government they can be proud of. I think the two Republicans he appointed in 2008, Robert Gates and Ray LaHood, demonstrated that they are beyond ignorant partisanship. I am sure Chuck Hagel will pursue his duties as SoD for the good of the country and not just for the gratification of neocons or other right wing or left wing ideologues.
When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old,
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand,
For God and for valour he rode through the land.
No charger have I, and no sword by my side,
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride,
Though back into storyland giants have fled,
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.
Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed
‘Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed;
And let me set free with the sword of my youth,
From the castle of darkness, the power of the truth.
I’m thrilled that they endorsed him on the same day that he was nominated. Americans should be asking themselves what it means to say “we support the troops”, if they allow actual war heroes like Chuck Hagel and John Kerry be disrespected and maligned by the Republican Party. It’s really sickening.
Bobfr, again thanks for your sharp and focused observations. I appreciate your very constant focus on what we have to do to continue to support our president and the people of this nation.
I personally feel that Sen. Baldwin needed to use her time, not in front of the tv camera this morning, but in her private conversation with Mr. Hagel as she will have face time with Nominee Hagel. I felt that her spoken words this morning just continues to muddy the waters on this issue.
I am grateful for the women being in the Senate, but Sen. Baldwin needs to maybe learn that in some cases, some words need to be formed in a more measured manner and in an appropriate venue. I just did not appreciate the manner in which she chose to communicate her concerns at this time. There is a place and time for everything, this was not the time.HZ
In watching the President talking about the nomination of Hagel I was struck with the importance of placing people in high positions who understand how their decisions impact the lives of regular people. President Obama talked about Hagel fighting in Viet Nam. Hagel knows what war is all about. Part of the problem with Bush and Chaney was that they had no idea what war is–just “bring it on”. Both the President and Mrs. Obama have put a spotlight on military families and the effects of war on actual people. Although the President hasn’t been in war, his empathy for those who have far exceeds that of former presidents. I had the idea that those that vote to go to war should have some skin in the game. If they don’t have a son or daughter to send, maybe there would be a nephew or granddaughter–make it real. I think of Romney with 5 sons, none who served–what a poor example. I know–I have some simplistic thinking going on here, but there it is.
Nothing simplistic about your sentiments at all. The president said that Hagel knows that “war is not an abstraction.” For that outlook alone, Hagel should be our next Secretary of Defense. The Republicans do not give one whit about actual military personnel, and they have no hesitation about starting wars and fighting them with other people’s children
Well said auni! It’s really a shame that many of the politicians and media people who are quick to advocate going to war have never served in the military.
Wanna bet that President Obama’s numbers are below 50% because some liberals think President Obama shouldn’t have made compromises at all, and/or are following the conventional wisdom that he should have gone over the cliff ? I’m happy though that the republicans’ numbers are in the toilet.
(For my part, I’ve always been skeptical that going over the cliff was a better strategy. There were real urgencies: unemployment benefits, energy tax credits to name a few. And I think if all the tax cuts had expired, after a few days or weeks of the MSM saying “both sides are to blame”, a great number of americans would have indeed blamed both sides and President Obama’s advantage would have vanished. Let’s be very careful with the conventional wisdom in DC…)
How exactly does the “no compromise” side on the left differ from the “no compromise” side on the right, when the same poor and seniors and middle class workers get harmed by their staunch pursuits to “win”? The media and their extreme cohorts are so dangerous to the people of this country.
I agree with you anniebella about all these polls. I also would like to ask the left if they would be happy if the unemployed people would no longer receive unemployment benefits if the President refused to compromise. I am tired of privileged people acting as if they know better than President Obama when it comes to looking out for the interests of people who have no lobbyists in the halls of Congress. I am glad the President took the deal. This means that a friend of our with three kids will still receive unemployment benefits while she is still out there looking for a job.
Oh, PJ, hurray! I confess to becoming impatient, as it seems so long ago… Maybe mine (ours/VC) will come tomorrow! 🙂 I’m sure they are bee-you-ta-AFULL!
Jay Carney had finished the press briefing and was walking off the podium when Mark Knoller began spewing nonsense about how Pres. Obama had racked up huge spending, had authorized multiple spending bills and then he began spewing nonsense about the debt ceiling. Carney turned around walked back to the podium (his expression was “Motherfucker what did you just say about Pres. Obama?”) he looked Knoller dead in the eye and began responding to Knoller’s nonsense. He pretty much told Knoller that it was a lie regarding what he said about Pres. Obama and spending. He told Knoller that it’s disingenuous for him to ascribe spending bills that were passed in the Bush Admin to Pres. Obama. He told Knoller that everyone knows who turned a surplus into a deficit so let’s not pretend that Pres. Obama is at fault.
Knoller kept trying to interrupt him and Carney cut him off and gave a rundown of spending bills, how Bush turned a huge surplus into a deficit, how the debt ceiling doesn’t mean Pres. Obama spent recklessly but it means congress spent the money and should now pay its bills. Knoller muttered something and Carney told Knoller point blank that Pres. Obama will not negotiate with a congress that threatens to abdicate its obligations.
Then Carney did the equivalent of “Good Day Sir” and walked away.
Damn. I love it. Thank you, Jay Carney. There’s nothing that says he or the President or anybody else
has to take abusive bullshit talk from anybody in the WhiteHousePress Corps. Bravo! Encore!
Truly we owe it to the peoples to push back again and again and again in the White House PressCorps gatherings.
Yes, Sara, we do owe it to the people and to ourselves to refute the bs. I don’t know who people like Mark Knoller think they’re dealing with. They cover the president for years and simply don’t know him. It’s as if they deliberately close their eyes and mind to the truth. The result is they look like complete horses’ asses.
They are puppets for the right wing machinery, and they can’t jump ship even though they can see that the ship is sinking. They are passengers on the Titanic, still sipping whiskey in their tuxedos, even after the last of the lifeboats are being lowered.
Thanks Sara. You hit the nail on the head. Jackiegrumbacher, you are so on point as well. “They cover the president for years and simply don’t know him.” So true, and you are so correct, they “deliberately close their eyes and mind to the truth.” Yes, and they surely do when it comes to President Barack Obama. But we will stay on their behinds. Not this second term will we let up. We will ride these arses!!!HZ
Bravo, Mr. Carney. I don’t really have much insight into the Knoller-ass chap, but I know from the amount of attention his idiocy earns here on TOD, he must be a truly witless wonder. I, for one, am very tired of seeing him quoted and re-tweeted here daily, and have to ask if he doesn’t get more attention than he deserves? Maybe this upbraiding from Press Secretary Carney will shut him up for a while, but let us not keep giving him back his muttering voice. ?
Not one of these right wingers, media, pundits, twitter-experts, etc., can ever actually list what they think makes up the current deficit. I asked one of them point blank on twitter a few months ago to tell me what bills President Obama had passed that he thought made up the deficit total. He couldn’t. I sent him charts showing that the bulk of the deficit came from Bush’s spending, and that debt incurred during President Obama’s time included extraordinary measures to recover the economy from Bush’s recession, and that the Stimulus had already been paid off through deficit reduction efforts. He just stopped tweeting after a while. They talk in generalities, but when confronted with specific questions or called to supply specifics to back up their arguments, they go running. Cowards and liars.
I love Jay and I totally think that he must and should be given more respect from these nuts. I can hold my tongue at some points, but I made an effort to call the WH and tell them how I felt about the treatment of the WHPC.
I also wrote to the WH about the same issue. I know that our POTUS and those representing the president at the podium in the press room will not take this crap during this second term. The WH team is tired of this disrespect to Jay and to the President. They are not coming out swinging, and they are going to be strong on this. Enough is enough. I truly believe that when we see it and hear it coming from the WHPC, those of us who have the desire to call these people out should do so. Call them out.HZ
I hope my gay, lesbian, and transgendered brothers and sisters don’t get corralled into picking sides, if anyone remembers it was President Obama that ended DADT. And in a couple of months the Supreme Court will in my humble opinion end DOMA, all of these life changing events are happening under President Obama and it’s not a coincident.
Andrew Sullivan is a big supporter of Hagel, and Barney Frank is now supporting his nomination. The gay question will be off the table in a day or so, except for the Log Cabin Republicans.
Any self-respecting LGBT person would never side with the Log Cabin Republicans, who belong to a party that just put up Santorum and Bachmann as presidential candidates. Hagel has apologized for what he said, and he will implement the policies that President Obama sets forward. The Republican Party is still prosecuting DOMA, at taxpayers expense, and the Log Cabin idiots have said nothing all this time. They are despicable and self-hating.
aloha chips and tod ohana
great day for the president and the nation! just saw this additional news–the supremes denying rwnjs their day in court:
‘ The Supreme Court refused to step into the emotionally charged debate over embryonic stem cell research Monday, declining to hear a case that sought to stop government funding on ethical grounds.
The decision leaves in place President Obama’s 2009 executive order expanding research on stem cells taken from human embryos, which many scientists say has the potential to produce breakthroughs in treatment of numerous conditions, particularly spinal cord injuries, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. ‘
I am forever astounded at these people who would protect life in a petrie dish, but have no problem with guns in schools and the suffering of the living from so many diseases. Forever astounded.
Yes, RWNJs would not want us to find treatment breakthroughs for spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and the like. That would be socialist muslim kenyan, I guess.
“Chuck Hagel served our nation with honor in Vietnam and I congratulate him on this nomination. I have serious concerns about positions Senator Hagel has taken on a range of critical national security issues in recent years, which we will fully consider in the course of his confirmation process before the Senate Armed Services Committee.”
Me:
“I’ve serious concerns about McCain’s sanity since 2008. The years have passed, my concerns have not disappeared.”
Would you happen to recall if McCain ever got a senior committee assignment? For instance, is he on the Senate Armed Services Committee? I recall he was begging for one of them.
To tell you the truth, I don’t know. But with this senile obsessed-mavericky-POW-carrying-card man, everything is possible as he showed us in picking the Wasilla crazy for his VP.
I pray that he is involved in NO COMMITTEE WORK. Too much instability.
McCain had senior assignments on Armed Services & Foreign Affairs Committee, I think. He is now termed out for everything but the Native Affairs committee. This is why he was so eager to form a special committee to investigate Bengazi. He is basically irrelevant.
It’s certainly a curious world when a man of McCain’s twisted views, pathological hatred and questionable ethics gets to sit in
judgment on someone like Hagel. I agree with you, No Child. In my opinion, McCain isn’t fit to judge a cat contest, let alone asses a SOD.
My concern is: When will Sen. McCain get over the fact that President Obama thoroughly defeated him in 2008? If I had the opportunity to meet McCain this what I would say to him: “Senator, time to get over the 2008 defeat. Stop blaming President Obama because the majority of Americans picked him over you. You are increasingly coming across as a small man and a sore looser.”
For some reason, Robert Reich is on tv more than any other Person in the History of Politics.
Some times I agree with him, most times I do not, but I am getting sick of Him.
Isn’t their anybody else?
Jovie when I see Reich and Bernie Sanders on the tv, I mute the tv. They should make a recording and let it play instead of making an appearane. They say the same thing over and over. I am beginning to wonder about their expiration dates. 🙂
carla4obama. eye-to-eye. I said pretty much the same thing, when I looked at the picture of he and his brother in the Viet Nam. “Both good-looking then, STILL good-looking now.”
As another older woman, I agree with you, in that I think he’s better looking now than in his 20’s. That’s possibly because my husbeland has the same kind of looks, and he is still handsome. Some men age very well, others don’t. What someone earlier said, what they are inside shows when they get older, and the good ones inside become better looking.
All of us show what we are when we get older. We can’t hide it…….bitterness, hate, anger…..these all show…..but also, so do compassion, love, generosity, goodness, altruism, grace…….
My husband was thrilled to hear that he was an enlisted man in Viet Nam, as he was an enlisted man in Korea. This fact alone will mean a lot to millions of people.
Since I knew little about Chuck Hagel’s background, I went to good old Wikipedia and learned about him. They are already updated to include his nomination as SOD. He had some scathing remarks about the low quality of the Bush administration!
If not for TOD I would not have heard about Colin Powell and Robert Gates endorsing Chuck Hagel. Those are two strong endorsements.
i guess the MSM wants this to be a big cliff-hanger confirmation. Good luck with that.
I see plastered all over Iowa news sites is the Big News that Gov. Branstad bagged an 8 point buck, with a photo of his proud killing face posing along side the formerly alive deer. Unless this was his only means of acquiring food, I do not understand this activity, getting your jollies by killing an innocent living being. There are too many other options which do not involve shooting and killing.
STEVE BENEN: DENNIS KUCINICH WOULD BE AN “IN-YOUR-FACE” NOMINATION
Combatants start taking sides on Hagel nomination
By Steve Benen
—————————–
Let’s put aside, at least for now, McCain’s skills when it comes to evaluating officials for high public office (ahem), and instead consider why Hagel’s “positions on a range of critical national security issues” were fine in 2008, when McCain wanted Hagel in his own cabinet, but raise “serious concerns” now. How does McCain explain this? As best as I can tell, he doesn’t.
Similarly, Bill Kristol wanted Hagel for national office on a Republican ticket, but is now helping lead the charge against Hagel’s nomination. Why anyone would take Kristol’s perspective seriously on such matters is itself a bit of a mystery.
But what’s especially interesting is the argument from the right about instigating a larger conflict. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) blamed President Obama for starting “yet another political fight.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Ohio) believes Hagel is an “in-your-face nomination by the president.”
For the record, Dennis Kucinich would be an “in-your-face nomination.”
If President Obama takes a deep breath, the GOP start screeching that he’s starting another political fight. Why do we have to keep listening to these people?
Off ALL topics, but has anyone noticed a bruise on President Obamas right cheek? At one of the press conferences prior to Christmas it looked like his right eye was a little black and the cheek bruise was really bad. I noticed today that his eye is fine now, but he’s still got that nasty bruise on his cheek. Anyone else see it? Anyone know what may have happened? I was thinking hemy have gotten hit playing basketball or something….kind of funny.
Ok. Good. My mother and I were watching the presser over the holidays and it was really bad around the eye. Glad, the two of us arent crazy! (HA) He probably was having a physical game of basketball trying to let off some of that “fiscal cliff” steam…
The teabaggery neo-cons side of the GOP who are the most vocal would still be critical…….all the sane GOP have spoken up in support…..all the rest are just cowards.
Maybe Hagel threatens war profitmaking.
And any fight means more ratings.
I have MSNBC on now and nobody has alluded to the positive support for Chuck hagel from Colin Powell and Bob Gates.
They are more interested in showcasing Ted Cruz and Lindsay graham.
I should know better by now but still MSNBC can disappoint me.
I hope everyone gets a chance to watch this briefing. My love and admiration for Jay Carney grows every time I watch the sarcastic jackals asking stupid questions and pretending to be real journalists. Jay has the patience of Job. I don’t know how he stands them. Most of the questions are about process, feelings or some he said / she said nonsense. Boehner said (fill in the blank), what’s your response?? They are just conduits for the GOP talking points. It’s pathetic.
There are about FOUR times during the briefing today where Jay makes some pointed comments about the debt limit and the responsibility of congress to pay the bills that they have incurred. He was relentlessly on message that there will be no negotiating about the debt limit. Congress racked up the bills and it is their responsibility to ensure the bills get paid. There’s nothing to negotiate. Just make sure the bills get paid.
Every Democrat that gets near a tv camera and/or microphone should be parroting exactly what Jay said today. He was making a whole lota sense. And the American people understand what it means to be a “DEADBEAT.” It is unseemly to think that an elected official would ever be so reckless. Hopefully, the transcript of the briefing will be posted soon.
Ladyhawke, I could not agree more. I love too that Jay made it a point to say it was Congress and the previous administration that racked up these bills, NOT PBO’s administration. I think most of the press knows that, but they know that a lot of Americans don’t know it, and so they spout off on it. I am shocked at how much ignorance I run into about PBO, and one of the main things I hear over and over is how much debt he’s racked up, when in fact…most of it came before he took office. I was delighted to see Jay remind us of that today.
Only time I’ve seen such a dumb set of WH press corps was during the Monica Lewinski scandal. They aren’t getting any smarter. They were pretty dumb during the run up to Iraq war too. Jay just gets better.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney holds a briefing at the White House. Questions from the press include the new cabinet announcements made earlier in the day, the debate on the debt ceiling and the economy and the situation in the Middle East.
The fact that anyone should have to “defend” Chuck Hagel is disgusting. They allow a sellout and heretic like John McCain to run wild all over the TV, being called a “war hero”, and being treated with respect that he affords to nobody else – not even his fellow Republicans and/or citizens. Yet, when confronted with an actual hero, a real patriot who puts country before party – and this is true for both John Kerry and Chuck Hagel – there is a need to “defend” these people? The values of these people who occupy the public airwaves have gone seriously awry.
Theo, in my humble opinion, the unethical U.S media, which are more interested in hype and sensationalism than they are about reporting the TRUTH to the American people, are threatening the future of our democracy. Thank God there are other sources where people can go to learn the Truth. As much as I love Jay Carney, I just couldn’t stomach more than 20 minutes of the media jackals asking snide questions that were purely predicated on GIOP talking points.
I can’t listen to the jackals on a daily basis, and even today, I just skipped to the end and listened to Jay’s smackdown of Mark Knoller. The media is the enemy of this country adn democracy – you got that absolutely right. They mislead, blatantly lie, distort… Really terrible.
RW politicians like Portman use the tactic of accusing the adversary of doing the very thing they are doing. In this case, “picking a fight” over a nomination and issuing a challenge and talking points that are totally without merit.
Portman was proven, on several occasions, to be an absolute fool during the campaign. Several times he appeared on screen to defend Romney, only to be proven to have no clue what he was talking about, or to have any handle on the facts. He doesn’t deserve two minutes of attention, other than to point and laugh.
‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ dischargees to receive full back pay from DOD
Carlo Muñoz
01/07/13 04:54 PM ET
The payouts will be granted to gay service members dismissed from the military on or after November 2004.…
I hope you guys clicked on the link in the tweet there are 50 mind blowing photos in each one. Awe-inspiring, many wallpaper worthy material for you CPU and/or designing cards!
You want a moderate Republican like Chuck Hagel, who has served in the battlefield, to lead this fight when it comes:
“At first the military hoped there might be as many as 20,000 U.S. troops left behind after combat operations in Afghanistan officially cease at the end of 2014. But now an administration official is saying that number will not exceed 10,000 and could be even be zero.”
retweeted this. I think it says a lot that in the article : “Shortly after being nominated, Hagel said he was astounded at how his record has been distorted and asked for a fair hearing in the Senate.” No one with something to hide would ASK for a fair hearing to clear his name/record.
Man, if I had a franchise with Wendy’s I’d be pissed. I’m telling ya’ll if you decide to franchise with a company pay attention who you franchise with. Cause one member of the franchise can fuck it up for all the other franchisees. Now this person is gonna mess with someone else money. There has got to be rules when it comes to franchising on doing shit like this that may affect other members.
Classic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
“Anecdotal evidence suggests this strategy may backfire on the Omaha Wendy’s operations. This fall, Denny’s quickly distanced itself from a franchisee’s similar ploy, while Darden Restaurants saw a sharp 37 percent drop in profit after threatening to cut workers to part-time.
Heaping blame on Obamacare may be a popular tactic among the fast food industry, but it is a misleading one. According to the Urban Institute, Obamacare has a negligible impact on business costs, leaving large companies virtually unaffected while actually reducing costs for small businesses.”
From Papa John’s to this Wendy’s franchise, it’s amazing to me how many of these guys are terrible at marketing, as they claim to be experts in business.
When you lose your market, you lose your business.
Don’t forget Hobby Lobby. I shopped at that store once when I was visiting Texas. I don’t think it has locations on the west coast. It appears that all of these chains who are trying to avoid giving their employees healthcare are feeling the wrath.
Who eats Wendy’s anyway? These Corporatist really don’t pay attention to other Corporatist who tried this shit. The people that eat at these anti-Obamacare restaurants will be Michelle Bachman and the teabaggery.
“Chuck Hagel knows what the basic job of soldiering really is and, therefore, I think, he knows what the basic job of being Secretary Of Defense is. It’s to fight for people, and not for weapons systems. It’s to care for the human beings in your charge more than the fanciful bloodless academic exercises held at a distance.
‘With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.’
In a season when Lincoln’s Second Inaugural is the big finish of a box-office bonanza, Hagel has lived the peroration as well as anyone has.”
Bobfr, don’t you just love crotchety, funny, grumpy, at times wickedly sarcastic Charles S. Pierce? He tells it like it is and doesn’t care who doesn’t like it. He has a way with words like no one else!
Yes, I followed Al. I actually considered attending his journalism program, but then life happened! 😆 If I understand more of the Latin American political landscape, I would follow his current stories more often. I just don’t have the time. I’m sure he’s got some thoughts on this non-sense.
Yeah, I don’t know how people in other countries can possibly keep up with the craziness here on top of what’s happening in their own country. And Al covers politics throughout Latin and South America – very impressive. I check his blog every once in awhile but it’s all I can do to keep up with the walnuts here. 🙂
Prettyfoot, Romeo makes a very elementary yet compelling point. Frankly, I don’t think this has anything to do with Republican opposition to paying bills incurred by the government. They’ve done that willingly in the past. This is all about destroying America and then blaming the destruction on President Obama. It seems to me that the GOP is determined to punish Americans because the majority of Americans voted to elect, and then re-elect, President Obama.
you know…..when I first hear about this whole thing that’s exactly what went through my mind as well. I really liked pierce’s piece. Hagel seems to be the right guy for the time.
“I have always argued against some of the dumb things they do because I don’t think it’s in the interest of Israel. I just don’t think it’s smart for Israel,” he said……..“I’m not an Israeli senator. I’m a United States senator,”…….. he told Miller for his book “The Much Too Promised Land,” released in 2008……….. “I support Israel, but my first interest is I take an oath of office to the Constitution of the United States, not to a president, not to a party, not to Israel. If I go run for Senate in Israel, I’ll do that,” the ex-senator said. http://www.amazon.com/Much-Too-Promised-Land-Arab-Israeli/dp/0553384147
Okay. This is my last attempt at humor before Chips flips the page.
New Mexico Chili Cookoff
If you can read this whole story without laughing, then there’s no hope for you. I was crying by the end. This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in New Mexico .
Note: Please take time to read this slowly.
If you pay attention to the first two judges,
the reaction of the third judge is even better.
For those of you who have lived in New Mexico , you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza . Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield , IL .
Frank: Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge’s table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native New Mexicans) that the chili wouldn’t be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge #3.
Here are the scorecard notes from the event:
CHILI # 1 – MIKE’S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI
Judge # 1 — A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 — Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) — Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that’s the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy.
CHILI # 2 – EL RANCHO’S AFTERBURNER CHILI
Judge # 1 — Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 — Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 — Keep this out of the reach of children. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me theHeimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.
CHILI # 3 – ALFREDO’S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI
Judge # 1 — Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.
Judge # 2 — A bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 — Call the EPA. I’ve located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I’m getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.
CHILI # 4=2 0- BUBBA’S BLACK MAGIC
Judge # 1 — Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 — Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 — I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. Woman is starting to look HOT … Just like this nuclear waste I’m eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?
Judge # 2 — Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 — My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I’m burning my lips off.. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.
CHILI # 6 – VARGA’S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY
Judge # 1 — Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 — The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 — My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I’m worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can’t feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.
CHILI # 7 – SUSAN’S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI
Judge # 1 — A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 — Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 — You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn’t feel a thing. I’ve lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they’ll know what killed me. I’ve decided to stop breathing. It’s too painful. Screw it; I’m not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I’ll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.
CHILI # 8 – BIG TOM ‘S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI
Judge # 1 — The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 — This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he’s going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he’d have reacted to really hot chili?
HA! Yardarm! My husband is a Texan and he has had to calm down his cooking for his Minnesotan wife but even tonight he made ME hotdish and it was so hot I couldn’t taste it. Poor guy……
“If you want a safe job, go sell shoes. This is a tough business. But is it any tougher, us having to take a tough vote, express ourselves and having the courage to step up, than what we’re asking our young men and women to do? I don’t think so. […] Like always, the american people are far ahead of us sitting here… far ahead of us. Because we’re concerned about politics, we’re concerned about our position, we’re concerned about our next election. So we thinker, so we figure out word smiting… ”
Wow, Mr. Hagel is pretty impressive in this clip. Guts, leadership, and integrity. You can see why President Obama has chosen Senator Hagel to help him fight back against the neocons and the lobbying of the defense contractors. Chuck Hagel’s first loyalty is to the troops and to his country. He’s tough and isn’t afraid of telling it like it is. Wow.
OK, from time to time my husband (an ardent democratic and Obama supporter, I hasten to say) tunes in to FOX to see what the dark side is up to. They have just called Obama a “crazed ideologue,” Are they nuts?! The most measured, considerate and even-keeled president that I can remember in my lifetime a crazed ideologue?? Please!
He’s a “crazed Ideologue” to them only because he doesn’t allow them to guide his agenda. They’re really, really pissed that he ignores them and thinks for himself. They knew they could manipulate GWB and Romney. Fox needs to be careful about spreading another false meme about the president. Selling a continuous series of lies, propaganda, and conspiracy theories to its viewers is exactly why so many of them were “shocked” that PBO was re-elected on November 6, 2012. The viewers discovered too late that a majority of Americans didn’t agree with them about a host of things regarding the president. The RW bubble is toxic, filled with carbon monoxide and it is choking off any attempt by anyone to inject any reality into it.
You know ouapiti, for FOX news: Up is Down, North is South and Hot is Cold! The people at Fox are that shameless in the way they twist the TRUTH and manipulate the viewers! What is sad is that there are many Americans who buy into their BS!
I think all of this is much more about partisan politics. They’re pissed after the tax deal and they want to hurt the administration as much as they can.
I hope you all understand when I say something like those crazy ass white Republicans, that I’m not being racists. I don’t hate white people. I know all white people are not the same, and I even know all Republicans are not racists. But I look at the disrespect, the out and out hate they have shown this President, and I know it’s not because they disagree with all his policies.
This was a comment on a news item about a GOPer attacking Gabby Giffords because going to Connecticut was a “political event”.
“Gabby is no longer in politics, her career was ended with a bullet in the head.”
Gives a whole new meaning to Boehner’s statement
” I need this job like I need a hole in the head”
Boehner should well remember what happened to Gabby and be thankful that his political opponents are not known for taking what he says literally.
Never mind that she was in FL at the time, 99ts. She couldn’t stop herself from stirring sh*t up. I loved the comments in support of GG. That the representative would call GG’s visit to Newtown “political” shows that she was the one making the visit political. GG is no longer a politician but that didn’t stop the representative from attempting to sell fake outrage to the uninformed. Removing her posts from her Facebook page lets you know that she didn’t like the backlash she received from her stupid posts.
This guy is crazy….they want to deport Piers Morgan. Why did he have this crazy man on his show and he won’t answer questions and talks over Piers….hahahaha. You can have a conversation with crazed gun lovers.
I think in a way, jojo, having this nutcase on might work in our favor on banning assault weapons, especially if there are sane Americans watching him throw conspiracy theories around that don’t make sense. When someone begins talking about the ‘New World Order,’ you know that their elevator doesn’t go all the way up to the penthouse because it’s stuck in the basement.
The Cow is such a fucking bitch. She started out by saying that the Whitehouse didn’t stick up for Susan R. in the face of loud Repuke bullshit, and “allowed” her to take her name out of the running, she said this after highlighting the long and enduring relationship between Rice and PBO. Like: ‘ look, the president and Rice have been close friends forever and when things got tough for her, he bailed and didn’t stand up for her.’ ((PARAPHRASE)) Such a fucking asshole. CLICK, bitch. Motherf-ing CLICK.
See above comment. She’s such a fucking idiot. I decided to not waste my time. I’m watching the pilot episode of ‘Person of Interest’ on series-cravings.info
After she accused the president of not advocating enough for gay Americans, and when she felt that PBO should have been more vocal when NY was voting for gay marriage, I was finished with her, Lisa. All the president has to do to set out a firestorm from the RW is say one word on any subject. I figured that I could live without her allowing her personal biases about her sexual orientation to let her avoid facing the truth that PBO has done more for LGBTQ Americans than any president in our history. PBO chooses his battles carefully. He knew that going head to head with republicans over Amb. Rice would be pointless because they have way more time than he does to run to every network to lie about her. He stated his support for her, what else did RM want him to do? It’s not as if he doesn’t have many other duties and responsibilities he has to attend to.
Good evening. May I echo your comment? Though I left Rachel continue her self-stimulating exercise about the 4th GOP hired by a Democratic President, I know she will move to an issue that will provide common grounds. But, as many people remark here, some of those pundits at MSNBC can be so judgemental and at times childish. With friends like that, why be upset at Lieberman? He personifies them in the Senate!
Some people will never understand the way PBO does things. He’s not looking at political party when he chooses nominees, he’s looking at competency. If people would only look at the mess GWB made of the federal government because of his choosing to work only with those with Rs beside their names, they’d stop attacking the president for choosing some republicans for his cabinet. GWB f*cked up the DOJ, the Labor Dept, the EPA, the Defense Dept, the Supreme Court, the Commerce Dept. the Dept of Education, etc. with his overemphasis on filling positions with republicans.
Rachel has to remember that everyone does not agree with her on certain issues. Everytime someone says something anti-gay, she uses her show to denograte the person.
Alex Jones is the KING of conspiracy theorists. He may have some good points from time to time ( for example, the “suicide” of the DC Madam a few years ago was pretty suspect IMO) , but most of his rants are pure paranoìa. Fema camps, Manchurian candidates, and on and on…
No need for all of that. I can see one for hunting and/or one for protection but when a person possesses an arsenal of machine guns and ak47’s or whatever they are I am gonna give you the side eye because I am thnking is this person going to massacre a bunch of squirrels? I think NOT!
Exactly! Totally agree. Why the hell do people have to own this amount of guns. It’s pure craziness. He also stated that he thought 9/11 was an inside job by the govt. therefore this is why people should be able to own any kind of firearms. Makes me wonder if he isn’t a part of a militia group.
Clearly he’s on some sort of medication? That he forgot to take? It’s the only explanation I have to hearing shouting about suicide pills, Hitler and Building 7. All in the name of the 2nd Amendment.
Agree, sounds like he isn’t taking his meds that the doctor prescribed for him. It’s too bad that they couldn’t take him away in a straight jacket straight to the looney bin locked up in a padded cell.
And Piers Morgan wants people like me to take him seriously? Why is Morgan having this person on TV? I don’t watch Morgan….but just reading what are being said here. Morgan is against our Nation’s obsession with guns. I get that I share his concern. But what is the rationale of this guy……gun-nut appearing on CNN?
hopefruit..I’m not a big fan of Piers but I truly think that Sandyhook upset him personally and he wants to talk about the subject and not let it go away, which I commend him for. His govt. had something similar happen in England and both parties there came together and changed gun laws there. They have a very low rate of gun deaths because of that now.
I really hope you’re right Joy, because I’m having difficulty with Piers especially after he harbored trigger-happy George Zimmerman and family and gave them a platform on his show to justify their killing of an innocent child.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but he didn’t seem to have a problem with gun laws or guns ending up in the wrong hands then…
I am a little confused myself as to why he had him on his show. But as the guy that came on after him said(forgot his name, a lawyer) that it is good that Piers is exposing this kind of craziness so that Americans can see just how totally dangerous some of these people are. I tend to agree with him. Maybe this exposure will wake up more Americans to help in the fight to legislate some kind of gun control.
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him…..
…
…
…
…
A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
I didn’t see it, but my only question would be – if the guy was on the set – did anybody check him for a gun and take it away from him real time? Sounds like he doesn’t need to be walking among us, much less with a gun. (Like so many others, tragically.)
Do you see who is sitting in place of Lawrence O’Donnell tonight? Ezra Klein. I will not be watching it. Alabama is leading Notre Dame 28-0, I guess the football game is not worth watching.
I went to Netflix and watched an episode of Doc Martin during Rachel’s show, then an episode of Edward the King when I heard Ezra’s voice. These people on these shows just rework and rework tne same subjects…..they need to use some creativity on shows.
I suspect that Frank was never Patrick’s first choice and probably wasn’t even on his list (I’m guessing he’s been compiling a list since Obama won re-election or before besides the Susan Rice stuff, the CW was the Kerry would be SoS after HRC). So the “push” by Frank and now his liberal allies are such that now the Guv can’t even go with his first choice which probably wasn’t Barney Frank to begin with. Now whover Patrick picks, unless it is Frank, which pale in comparison.
The aide should just shut it, but still I understand the frustration for Guv Patrick’s camp.
I thought Barney Frank wanted to return to civilian life and live the blist of domestic routine forever. Wasn’t it for that reason he resigned his House seat? What’s this new desire of going to the Senate on a temporary basis? Although I would not mind having Frank as a strong voice in the Senate, it is I believe Gov. Deval’s decision to pick up whomever he wants to secure that seat for the Democrats.
Maybe Gov. Patrick was thinking about giving a few months’ exposure on the national scene in this important role to a woman or an ethnic minority candidate. I understand LGBT candidates are also in the minority, and I’m all for that, but it really was not good that Barney Frank put the Governor in this spot. It kind of cheated Patrick out of making his own choice, which I would have liked to have seen – to give us all an even better understanding of how Gov. Patrick operates, because ya know he’s goin’ places in the future, as well! If Barney was his first choice, or is his final choice, then none of this matters, of course.
I have ZERO doubt that Gov Patrick will pick precisely who he considers his first choice. Anyone who thinks he and the President didn’t include in their calculus a ‘Barney variable’ only display the typical naivete of the politically naive 🙂
President Obama epitomizes political savvy, and then some, and add ten more steps ahead of the rest of us to that, but unless Barney Frank gave somebody an indication of what he was planning on announcing as his goal, his actions were so quirky and “stayed-too-long-at-the-party-ish,” it could have been news to even Pres. Obama and Gov. Patrick. I don’t recall the timing, and I’m hoping he at least confided in Gov. Patrick before announcing it to the media. (That would lead to more questions of his judgment.) In any event, it didn’t show well for Barney, but Gov. Patrick will do the right thing (especially since he and the President confide in each other and, as you said, would have discussed all this).
Obama White House.gov
The Obama Diary 
Me?
What again? So close but no ce-gar for me. Congrats LL on being first 2 times in a row.
Applause!
🙂
I’m convinced Fergie keeps Scholes around so he can practice his ginger sorcery and nab players for the squad.
😆 He certainly doesn’t keep him around for his tackling 😕
Well done, LL! Back-to-back wins are very sweet.
Oooooh, what Chelsea wouldn’t give for meaningful back-to-back wins. /RunningAwayVeryFast
Excuse you? EXCUSE YOU!!!! Damn right you’d better run away fast. We kicked ass in our last match. I’d better see you running faster than Speedy Gonzalez.
“We kicked ass in our last match.”
Against Three-Men-And-A-Dog-Rovers?!
Why are so jealous of my awesome Chelsea boys? Rooney wishes he could move as fast as Demba Ba. Stop being jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealous. 😀
Ms Chips, I respectfully ask that you do not stir trouble when standing under my umbrella. 🙄 🙄 FACT = I cannot run as fast as you, and stones, biting words and other weapons do not have eyes. These villagers you are bent on stirring up have sharp stings and really rapid reflexes. You and I may share the twin genes, on occasion, but I really can’t understand why you go looking for trouble so often. I swear *I* got all the peace-loving genes. 🙄 🙄 🙄 + /imagine an angelic smilie, or two/
Wait just a dog-goned minute…..
Why? What did I miss? 😉 😉
Oh, nothing really, only LL sneaking into first place every damn thread! Hee! 😆
Oh, just LL’s turn on the wheel of fortune. Well, your turn will come soon….one day…..when it comes.
I had a pretty good run early on, VC, the glow of being first lingers for a long, long time! Doesn’t really matter any more, I just like to kid LL! 😉
Congrats on yet another first, LL!
Critics have “completely distorted” his record, the former Nebraska senator said in his first interview as President Barack Obama’s designated choice to be secretary of defense. While he has been “hanging out there in no-man’s land unable to respond to charges, falsehoods and distortions,” Hagel said, a negative assessment of his record by critics and opponents “took on a life of its own.” But the fact is that there is “not one shred of evidence that I’m anti-Israeli, not one (Senate) vote that matters that hurt Israel.” “I didn’t sign on to certain resolutions and letters because they were counter-productive and didn’t solve a problem,” Hagel said.
Critics have hammered Hagel for not joining most of his Senate colleagues in signing on to a number of policy pronouncements that sometimes were sought by AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the influential pro-Israel lobbying organization in Washington. “How does that further the peace process in the Middle East?” Hagel asked. “What’s in Israel’s interest is to help Israel and the Palestinians find some peaceful way to live together.” As for allegations that he has been soft toward Iran’s apparent efforts to develop a nuclear weapons capacity, Hagel pointed to his support for strong international sanctions, including those currently in place.
More here: http://journalstar.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/article_c4f3da0a-af78-5496-b62f-a89ca28c4bac.html#.UOse0DdWBHc.twitter
The question is: Is Chuck Hagel being nominated to be Secretary of Defense of the Israel or the United States? I couldn’t care less what Hagel’s opinion of Israel is, because as far as I’m concerned, the foreign policy comes from President Obama, who was re-elected with strong majorities. It would be great to hear what Israel has done to protect the United States from threat, and to give something back in the relationship. In the meantime, President Obama gets to choose his own team and his own agenda. And I don’t think that making Israel and Netanyahu’s puppets in the US Congress is high up on his list of priorities.
Hi theo, you have been awol the past week. 2013 celebrations?
I’ve been trying to get some balance in life and actually do the job I’m being paid to do… Not working remarkably well, but it was my resolution – and I have to make it at least to the inauguration… 😉
Thanks for noticing! 🙂
Theo, as always, your comment is spot-on!
🙂
Might be 5?
Always a minute late.
The story of my life, Japa!
Today shows why it was so important for PBO to be re-elected. This is legacy building and long-term viewing at it’s best.
Appointing (nominating) well-qualified, sane, intelligent individuals to posts like CIA, Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State further cements PBO’s legacy and further ensures that these agencies will be led and staffed by excellent public servants, unlike Dubya’s parade of idiots and ne’er do wells.
So proud of my President!
Well said, Junkessa, when you think of the warmongering buffoons and assorted idiots that the “other fellow” would have nominated it makes your skin crawl. And that doesn’t even touch on the hair raising SCOTUS nominees that he would have put forward.
Yep. We would be in for a world of hurt, and in another war in no time, I’m convinced, Jackie.
DITTO HERE PJ!…:)
😀
I am with you PJ! President Obama is focused on giving the American people a government they can be proud of. I think the two Republicans he appointed in 2008, Robert Gates and Ray LaHood, demonstrated that they are beyond ignorant partisanship. I am sure Chuck Hagel will pursue his duties as SoD for the good of the country and not just for the gratification of neocons or other right wing or left wing ideologues.
Good job Carney!!!
Carney is brilliant!
When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old,
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand,
For God and for valour he rode through the land.
No charger have I, and no sword by my side,
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride,
Though back into storyland giants have fled,
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.
Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed
‘Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed;
And let me set free with the sword of my youth,
From the castle of darkness, the power of the truth.
(Jan Struther 1901-1953)
Good one, hopefruit!!
Absolutely beautiful. I must copy this.
I LOVE THIS!
Love that!
I’m thrilled that they endorsed him on the same day that he was nominated. Americans should be asking themselves what it means to say “we support the troops”, if they allow actual war heroes like Chuck Hagel and John Kerry be disrespected and maligned by the Republican Party. It’s really sickening.
These guys are all Union-made in the USA: http://www.democraticstuff.com/ObamaGear_Inauguration
Saw it live on CNN, our president spoke eloquently and beautifully, as always. Excellent choices for SecDef and CIA chief!
RT’d!
Bobfr, again thanks for your sharp and focused observations. I appreciate your very constant focus on what we have to do to continue to support our president and the people of this nation.
I personally feel that Sen. Baldwin needed to use her time, not in front of the tv camera this morning, but in her private conversation with Mr. Hagel as she will have face time with Nominee Hagel. I felt that her spoken words this morning just continues to muddy the waters on this issue.
I am grateful for the women being in the Senate, but Sen. Baldwin needs to maybe learn that in some cases, some words need to be formed in a more measured manner and in an appropriate venue. I just did not appreciate the manner in which she chose to communicate her concerns at this time. There is a place and time for everything, this was not the time.HZ
Very insightful, as always, HZ. Thank you!!!
#FORWARD
So proud (yet again) of PBO today. He is a prime example of real, true leadership.
In watching the President talking about the nomination of Hagel I was struck with the importance of placing people in high positions who understand how their decisions impact the lives of regular people. President Obama talked about Hagel fighting in Viet Nam. Hagel knows what war is all about. Part of the problem with Bush and Chaney was that they had no idea what war is–just “bring it on”. Both the President and Mrs. Obama have put a spotlight on military families and the effects of war on actual people. Although the President hasn’t been in war, his empathy for those who have far exceeds that of former presidents. I had the idea that those that vote to go to war should have some skin in the game. If they don’t have a son or daughter to send, maybe there would be a nephew or granddaughter–make it real. I think of Romney with 5 sons, none who served–what a poor example. I know–I have some simplistic thinking going on here, but there it is.
Spot on auni.
Not at all simplistic, auni, you are thinking realistically and in a humane manner. IMHO.
But, remember, Romney’s sons served by helping him become elected – even though they failed dismally at their task. (Thank heavens!) 😉
Nothing simplistic about your sentiments at all. The president said that Hagel knows that “war is not an abstraction.” For that outlook alone, Hagel should be our next Secretary of Defense. The Republicans do not give one whit about actual military personnel, and they have no hesitation about starting wars and fighting them with other people’s children
Well said auni! It’s really a shame that many of the politicians and media people who are quick to advocate going to war have never served in the military.
This President is such a good man, for I could never trust nor eat from any Republican, period! Watch your back Mr. President!
We the people have his back, while he leads us forward. 🙂
DAMN….Don’t fuck with Jay Carney. He just walked back to the podium and took down Mark Knoller.
Please clarify.
LOL @ “Took down Mark Knoller”….
Japa is hoping for some action on this quiet Monday afternoon!
Jay sure did. I was so happy. If Knoeller had been keeping good records, he would have known. Jay seem so happy in giving that answer. 🙂
More of Knoller’s deficit hawk nonsense.
Oh, I’m missing it UT. What did Knoller spew/ask?
DETAILS 🙂 !!! Have to go back to work now, but I’m checking when I get back home! Ass meet platter?
Um, you can’t tell us something like that and then GIVE NO DETAILS!! Share, woman!
Don’t worry – ut will be here soon with a detailed summary of the event!
Check the twitter
https://twitter.com/NerdyWonka
whoops! didnt see your tweet…. great minds think alike?
Indeed. The more the merrier!
Wanna bet that President Obama’s numbers are below 50% because some liberals think President Obama shouldn’t have made compromises at all, and/or are following the conventional wisdom that he should have gone over the cliff ? I’m happy though that the republicans’ numbers are in the toilet.
(For my part, I’ve always been skeptical that going over the cliff was a better strategy. There were real urgencies: unemployment benefits, energy tax credits to name a few. And I think if all the tax cuts had expired, after a few days or weeks of the MSM saying “both sides are to blame”, a great number of americans would have indeed blamed both sides and President Obama’s advantage would have vanished. Let’s be very careful with the conventional wisdom in DC…)
How exactly does the “no compromise” side on the left differ from the “no compromise” side on the right, when the same poor and seniors and middle class workers get harmed by their staunch pursuits to “win”? The media and their extreme cohorts are so dangerous to the people of this country.
So tired of having to poll every dam thing. Ask these people are they happy their taxes didn’t go up?
I agree with you anniebella about all these polls. I also would like to ask the left if they would be happy if the unemployed people would no longer receive unemployment benefits if the President refused to compromise. I am tired of privileged people acting as if they know better than President Obama when it comes to looking out for the interests of people who have no lobbyists in the halls of Congress. I am glad the President took the deal. This means that a friend of our with three kids will still receive unemployment benefits while she is still out there looking for a job.
OMG, is this ever delicious, or what?
PBO, consummate rope-a-dope player, has succeeded in SEVERING a DEEP DIVIDE within the GOP.
My Twitter timeline is hilarious today because of the endorsements coming from the GOP including:
Bob Gates (former SecDef)
Colin Powell
Tom Ridge (original Homeland Security Secretary under GW Bush)
Judd Gregg
And I’m sure the list will continue to grow throughout the day.
Sorry, here are the original tweets to make sense:
You, know, sometimes WordPress displays the tweets I post in a white box, and other times not. Sorry for the confusing post
But OMG, is PBO the BEST rope-a-dope player evah, or what?
Yes, he is. Just like Letterman said, “it’s satisfying to watch [him] work”. President Obama is what is commonly referred to as a “mastermind”.
Totally nailed it, Theo!
Woot, my “Four More Years” magnet just arrived in the mail. 😀 It’s a great size and looks oh so lovely on my fridge! That pic is a classic.
Oh, PJ, hurray! I confess to becoming impatient, as it seems so long ago… Maybe mine (ours/VC) will come tomorrow! 🙂 I’m sure they are bee-you-ta-AFULL!
It’s really cute, Pamela — bigger than I thought. Can’t wait for you to get yours!
Knoller can’t keep up with the deficit because he’s so busy stuffing his big mouth
Jay Carney had finished the press briefing and was walking off the podium when Mark Knoller began spewing nonsense about how Pres. Obama had racked up huge spending, had authorized multiple spending bills and then he began spewing nonsense about the debt ceiling. Carney turned around walked back to the podium (his expression was “Motherfucker what did you just say about Pres. Obama?”) he looked Knoller dead in the eye and began responding to Knoller’s nonsense. He pretty much told Knoller that it was a lie regarding what he said about Pres. Obama and spending. He told Knoller that it’s disingenuous for him to ascribe spending bills that were passed in the Bush Admin to Pres. Obama. He told Knoller that everyone knows who turned a surplus into a deficit so let’s not pretend that Pres. Obama is at fault.
Knoller kept trying to interrupt him and Carney cut him off and gave a rundown of spending bills, how Bush turned a huge surplus into a deficit, how the debt ceiling doesn’t mean Pres. Obama spent recklessly but it means congress spent the money and should now pay its bills. Knoller muttered something and Carney told Knoller point blank that Pres. Obama will not negotiate with a congress that threatens to abdicate its obligations.
Then Carney did the equivalent of “Good Day Sir” and walked away.
Beautiful, thanks.
Damn. I love it. Thank you, Jay Carney. There’s nothing that says he or the President or anybody else
has to take abusive bullshit talk from anybody in the WhiteHousePress Corps. Bravo! Encore!
Truly we owe it to the peoples to push back again and again and again in the White House PressCorps gatherings.
Yes, Sara, we do owe it to the people and to ourselves to refute the bs. I don’t know who people like Mark Knoller think they’re dealing with. They cover the president for years and simply don’t know him. It’s as if they deliberately close their eyes and mind to the truth. The result is they look like complete horses’ asses.
They are puppets for the right wing machinery, and they can’t jump ship even though they can see that the ship is sinking. They are passengers on the Titanic, still sipping whiskey in their tuxedos, even after the last of the lifeboats are being lowered.
Thanks Sara. You hit the nail on the head. Jackiegrumbacher, you are so on point as well. “They cover the president for years and simply don’t know him.” So true, and you are so correct, they “deliberately close their eyes and mind to the truth.” Yes, and they surely do when it comes to President Barack Obama. But we will stay on their behinds. Not this second term will we let up. We will ride these arses!!!HZ
Thanks ut, wow! Love Carney. What an asset!! Brilliant take-down, enough of the lies already!
THANKS, UT. Was wondering about the cryptic comments above. Bravo for Jay. He’s one of my heroes.
Yes! (((Jay)))
Bravo, Mr. Carney. I don’t really have much insight into the Knoller-ass chap, but I know from the amount of attention his idiocy earns here on TOD, he must be a truly witless wonder. I, for one, am very tired of seeing him quoted and re-tweeted here daily, and have to ask if he doesn’t get more attention than he deserves? Maybe this upbraiding from Press Secretary Carney will shut him up for a while, but let us not keep giving him back his muttering voice. ?
Oh sweet honey boo boo, do anyone have that on video ut? I want to see that.
Not one of these right wingers, media, pundits, twitter-experts, etc., can ever actually list what they think makes up the current deficit. I asked one of them point blank on twitter a few months ago to tell me what bills President Obama had passed that he thought made up the deficit total. He couldn’t. I sent him charts showing that the bulk of the deficit came from Bush’s spending, and that debt incurred during President Obama’s time included extraordinary measures to recover the economy from Bush’s recession, and that the Stimulus had already been paid off through deficit reduction efforts. He just stopped tweeting after a while. They talk in generalities, but when confronted with specific questions or called to supply specifics to back up their arguments, they go running. Cowards and liars.
I love Jay and I totally think that he must and should be given more respect from these nuts. I can hold my tongue at some points, but I made an effort to call the WH and tell them how I felt about the treatment of the WHPC.
I also wrote to the WH about the same issue. I know that our POTUS and those representing the president at the podium in the press room will not take this crap during this second term. The WH team is tired of this disrespect to Jay and to the President. They are not coming out swinging, and they are going to be strong on this. Enough is enough. I truly believe that when we see it and hear it coming from the WHPC, those of us who have the desire to call these people out should do so. Call them out.HZ
More of this please! Carney is fabulous at his job, and I hope he stays on throughout the second term.
Yay, Go Jay.
ut, you are the best live blogger and tweeter.
And hf is the best deconstructor of media bs.
Thanks UT for sharing this! I am so proud of Jay Carney! Enough is enough with these imbecile and unethical reporters!
Thanks for that.
I hope my gay, lesbian, and transgendered brothers and sisters don’t get corralled into picking sides, if anyone remembers it was President Obama that ended DADT. And in a couple of months the Supreme Court will in my humble opinion end DOMA, all of these life changing events are happening under President Obama and it’s not a coincident.
Andrew Sullivan is a big supporter of Hagel, and Barney Frank is now supporting his nomination. The gay question will be off the table in a day or so, except for the Log Cabin Republicans.
I never understood the Log Cabin Republicans’ ideology, to belong to a political party that does not have your best interest in mind is so outrageous.
It’s all about the money. There are some who put dollars and the potential to acquire them ahead of everything.
Any self-respecting LGBT person would never side with the Log Cabin Republicans, who belong to a party that just put up Santorum and Bachmann as presidential candidates. Hagel has apologized for what he said, and he will implement the policies that President Obama sets forward. The Republican Party is still prosecuting DOMA, at taxpayers expense, and the Log Cabin idiots have said nothing all this time. They are despicable and self-hating.
Will there be video of this take down? I’d love to see it!
I hope so, because I want to plaster it all over my Facebook page!
Tom is a Democrat and teaches law at the University of Dayton.
Don’t think for one second that those pictures just happened to show up. President Obama does not leave any stone unturned.
aloha chips and tod ohana
great day for the president and the nation! just saw this additional news–the supremes denying rwnjs their day in court:
‘ The Supreme Court refused to step into the emotionally charged debate over embryonic stem cell research Monday, declining to hear a case that sought to stop government funding on ethical grounds.
The decision leaves in place President Obama’s 2009 executive order expanding research on stem cells taken from human embryos, which many scientists say has the potential to produce breakthroughs in treatment of numerous conditions, particularly spinal cord injuries, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. ‘
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/07/16395707-supreme-court-lets-embryonic-stem-cell-research-go-forward?lite
I am forever astounded at these people who would protect life in a petrie dish, but have no problem with guns in schools and the suffering of the living from so many diseases. Forever astounded.
It really is quite a breathtaking display of hypocrisy.
Yes, RWNJs would not want us to find treatment breakthroughs for spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and the like. That would be socialist muslim kenyan, I guess.
McCain:
“Chuck Hagel served our nation with honor in Vietnam and I congratulate him on this nomination. I have serious concerns about positions Senator Hagel has taken on a range of critical national security issues in recent years, which we will fully consider in the course of his confirmation process before the Senate Armed Services Committee.”
Me:
“I’ve serious concerns about McCain’s sanity since 2008. The years have passed, my concerns have not disappeared.”
Would you happen to recall if McCain ever got a senior committee assignment? For instance, is he on the Senate Armed Services Committee? I recall he was begging for one of them.
To tell you the truth, I don’t know. But with this senile obsessed-mavericky-POW-carrying-card man, everything is possible as he showed us in picking the Wasilla crazy for his VP.
I pray that he is involved in NO COMMITTEE WORK. Too much instability.
I agree.
McCain had senior assignments on Armed Services & Foreign Affairs Committee, I think. He is now termed out for everything but the Native Affairs committee. This is why he was so eager to form a special committee to investigate Bengazi. He is basically irrelevant.
Thanks. He’s totally irrelevant to us, I believe.
McCain……Hagel has been a long time friend of yours and has given you support through the years. I hope you “concerns”, like you, disappear soon.
It’s certainly a curious world when a man of McCain’s twisted views, pathological hatred and questionable ethics gets to sit in
judgment on someone like Hagel. I agree with you, No Child. In my opinion, McCain isn’t fit to judge a cat contest, let alone asses a SOD.
I agree also, any fool that select Sarah Palin as their VP candidate isn’t qualified to judge anybody, specially Sen. Hagel.
My concern is: When will Sen. McCain get over the fact that President Obama thoroughly defeated him in 2008? If I had the opportunity to meet McCain this what I would say to him: “Senator, time to get over the 2008 defeat. Stop blaming President Obama because the majority of Americans picked him over you. You are increasingly coming across as a small man and a sore looser.”
Yup, Forbes, who can believe that left wing rag!!
For some reason, Robert Reich is on tv more than any other Person in the History of Politics.
Some times I agree with him, most times I do not, but I am getting sick of Him.
Isn’t their anybody else?
He is on a great deal, but I am not certain if he beats Miss Lindsey and McCain.
Bill,
You took the words away from me!
Jovie when I see Reich and Bernie Sanders on the tv, I mute the tv. They should make a recording and let it play instead of making an appearane. They say the same thing over and over. I am beginning to wonder about their expiration dates. 🙂
Useful idiots from the loony left. Useful for the rw that is.
Jovie, I am sick of Robert Reich too! He is one of those born again progressives who think they are so pure than the rest of us.
This comment has nothing to do with politics…but Chuck Hagel is a mighty handsome man. He has aged with grace.
I believe men and women of honor age with grace. Nasty people do not.
Well we can see John McCain have not age with grace, he has become a nasty old racists right wing senile bastard.
Bitter too.
Noooooo! Kissing a mules a$$ might be that. He’s just a bonified anal orifice.
His face is reflecting his inner nastiness.
so true. for evidence, just look at cheney.
And compare with our current VP Joe.
Well, Carla, I absolutely agree with you. Speaking as an “older woman” I would say he’s aged wonderfully. Better looking now than his Vietnam photo.
carla4obama. eye-to-eye. I said pretty much the same thing, when I looked at the picture of he and his brother in the Viet Nam. “Both good-looking then, STILL good-looking now.”
As another older woman, I agree with you, in that I think he’s better looking now than in his 20’s. That’s possibly because my husbeland has the same kind of looks, and he is still handsome. Some men age very well, others don’t. What someone earlier said, what they are inside shows when they get older, and the good ones inside become better looking.
All of us show what we are when we get older. We can’t hide it…….bitterness, hate, anger…..these all show…..but also, so do compassion, love, generosity, goodness, altruism, grace…….
My husband was thrilled to hear that he was an enlisted man in Viet Nam, as he was an enlisted man in Korea. This fact alone will mean a lot to millions of people.
Since I knew little about Chuck Hagel’s background, I went to good old Wikipedia and learned about him. They are already updated to include his nomination as SOD. He had some scathing remarks about the low quality of the Bush administration!
Rarely read Sullivan, but he quickly dispatches of Kristol in this comment …
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2013/01/why.html
That’s just in the Milky Way.
Jovie141,
Is that where Senator John McCain can be found?
If not for TOD I would not have heard about Colin Powell and Robert Gates endorsing Chuck Hagel. Those are two strong endorsements.
i guess the MSM wants this to be a big cliff-hanger confirmation. Good luck with that.
I see plastered all over Iowa news sites is the Big News that Gov. Branstad bagged an 8 point buck, with a photo of his proud killing face posing along side the formerly alive deer. Unless this was his only means of acquiring food, I do not understand this activity, getting your jollies by killing an innocent living being. There are too many other options which do not involve shooting and killing.
http://globegazette.com/news/local/branstad-bags-eight-point-buck/article_fa7f78f0-58f3-11e2-84c6-001a4bcf887a.html
Time for afternoon humor.
I’m reaching out because a friend of mine needs some help !!!!
His wife told him to go out and get some of those pills that would help
him get an erection.
When he came back, he tossed her some diet pills.
Anyway, he’s looking for a place to live.
Can you help him ????
ROFL….omg….I just spit Mt. Dew all over my laptop screen. Thanks a lot yardarm….
Sorry!
That’s okay…I needed a good laugh!
😆
STEVE BENEN: DENNIS KUCINICH WOULD BE AN “IN-YOUR-FACE” NOMINATION
Combatants start taking sides on Hagel nomination
By Steve Benen
—————————–
Let’s put aside, at least for now, McCain’s skills when it comes to evaluating officials for high public office (ahem), and instead consider why Hagel’s “positions on a range of critical national security issues” were fine in 2008, when McCain wanted Hagel in his own cabinet, but raise “serious concerns” now. How does McCain explain this? As best as I can tell, he doesn’t.
Similarly, Bill Kristol wanted Hagel for national office on a Republican ticket, but is now helping lead the charge against Hagel’s nomination. Why anyone would take Kristol’s perspective seriously on such matters is itself a bit of a mystery.
But what’s especially interesting is the argument from the right about instigating a larger conflict. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) blamed President Obama for starting “yet another political fight.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Ohio) believes Hagel is an “in-your-face nomination by the president.”
For the record, Dennis Kucinich would be an “in-your-face nomination.”
———————————-
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/07/16398335-combatants-start-taking-sides-on-hagel-nomination
If President Obama takes a deep breath, the GOP start screeching that he’s starting another political fight. Why do we have to keep listening to these people?
i was wondering about the comment brennan made about his son returning to college, he ‘hopes’–maybe this is what the joke was referring to:
‘ The 19-year-old son of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) was arrested at a North Carolina airport over the weekend.
CNN reported Monday that William Paul has been charged with underage drinking and disorderly conduct. ‘
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/275829-sen-rand-pauls-teenage-son-arrested#ixzz2HKW8J2xH
Off ALL topics, but has anyone noticed a bruise on President Obamas right cheek? At one of the press conferences prior to Christmas it looked like his right eye was a little black and the cheek bruise was really bad. I noticed today that his eye is fine now, but he’s still got that nasty bruise on his cheek. Anyone else see it? Anyone know what may have happened? I was thinking hemy have gotten hit playing basketball or something….kind of funny.
I don’t see anything Robin??
PBO would never choke on a pretzel and fall off his sofa as a certain predecessor did.
I saw the bruise when he had his first news conference after he returned from Hawaii for the fiscal cliff.
Yes, I have noticed it. Photo: http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Barack+Obama+Obama+Nominates+Hagel+Defense+bZZ2BKmWxWZx.jpg
Fight Club?
NOW I SEE IT JER….
I FEEL BAD…I HOPE HE’S ALRIGHT…:(
Ok. Good. My mother and I were watching the presser over the holidays and it was really bad around the eye. Glad, the two of us arent crazy! (HA) He probably was having a physical game of basketball trying to let off some of that “fiscal cliff” steam…
POTUS is just fine. No need to worry.
Yes Robin. I noticed that too. Thought it was dirt on the screen at first.
Now, I have been Home all Day watching MSNBC, and they have been skewering Hagel.
Literally, all Day!
If a Republican had picked him, they’d be singing his praises. Every, last, hypocritical one of them.
The teabaggery neo-cons side of the GOP who are the most vocal would still be critical…….all the sane GOP have spoken up in support…..all the rest are just cowards.
Maybe Hagel threatens war profitmaking.
And any fight means more ratings.
I have MSNBC on now and nobody has alluded to the positive support for Chuck hagel from Colin Powell and Bob Gates.
They are more interested in showcasing Ted Cruz and Lindsay graham.
I should know better by now but still MSNBC can disappoint me.
MSNBC needs an issue to fill airtime. Hagel will be a shoe in. PBO does not lose battles, especially against this pathetic crew.
Update: Rev Al cited Colin Powell’s endorsement.
The Press Briefing:
I hope everyone gets a chance to watch this briefing. My love and admiration for Jay Carney grows every time I watch the sarcastic jackals asking stupid questions and pretending to be real journalists. Jay has the patience of Job. I don’t know how he stands them. Most of the questions are about process, feelings or some he said / she said nonsense. Boehner said (fill in the blank), what’s your response?? They are just conduits for the GOP talking points. It’s pathetic.
There are about FOUR times during the briefing today where Jay makes some pointed comments about the debt limit and the responsibility of congress to pay the bills that they have incurred. He was relentlessly on message that there will be no negotiating about the debt limit. Congress racked up the bills and it is their responsibility to ensure the bills get paid. There’s nothing to negotiate. Just make sure the bills get paid.
Every Democrat that gets near a tv camera and/or microphone should be parroting exactly what Jay said today. He was making a whole lota sense. And the American people understand what it means to be a “DEADBEAT.” It is unseemly to think that an elected official would ever be so reckless. Hopefully, the transcript of the briefing will be posted soon.
Ladyhawke, I could not agree more. I love too that Jay made it a point to say it was Congress and the previous administration that racked up these bills, NOT PBO’s administration. I think most of the press knows that, but they know that a lot of Americans don’t know it, and so they spout off on it. I am shocked at how much ignorance I run into about PBO, and one of the main things I hear over and over is how much debt he’s racked up, when in fact…most of it came before he took office. I was delighted to see Jay remind us of that today.
Only time I’ve seen such a dumb set of WH press corps was during the Monica Lewinski scandal. They aren’t getting any smarter. They were pretty dumb during the run up to Iraq war too. Jay just gets better.
PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY
Daily White House Briefing
——————————————————
Washington, DC
Monday, January 7, 2013
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney holds a briefing at the White House. Questions from the press include the new cabinet announcements made earlier in the day, the debate on the debt ceiling and the economy and the situation in the Middle East.
———————————————————-
http://www.c-span.org/Events/Daily-White-House-Briefing/10737437029/
Valerie Jarett op Ed defending Hagel-
http://m.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/01/07/hagel-secretary-defense
The fact that anyone should have to “defend” Chuck Hagel is disgusting. They allow a sellout and heretic like John McCain to run wild all over the TV, being called a “war hero”, and being treated with respect that he affords to nobody else – not even his fellow Republicans and/or citizens. Yet, when confronted with an actual hero, a real patriot who puts country before party – and this is true for both John Kerry and Chuck Hagel – there is a need to “defend” these people? The values of these people who occupy the public airwaves have gone seriously awry.
Theo, in my humble opinion, the unethical U.S media, which are more interested in hype and sensationalism than they are about reporting the TRUTH to the American people, are threatening the future of our democracy. Thank God there are other sources where people can go to learn the Truth. As much as I love Jay Carney, I just couldn’t stomach more than 20 minutes of the media jackals asking snide questions that were purely predicated on GIOP talking points.
I can’t listen to the jackals on a daily basis, and even today, I just skipped to the end and listened to Jay’s smackdown of Mark Knoller. The media is the enemy of this country adn democracy – you got that absolutely right. They mislead, blatantly lie, distort… Really terrible.
RW politicians like Portman use the tactic of accusing the adversary of doing the very thing they are doing. In this case, “picking a fight” over a nomination and issuing a challenge and talking points that are totally without merit.
But, but, but “both sides…………” ! 😦
Portman was proven, on several occasions, to be an absolute fool during the campaign. Several times he appeared on screen to defend Romney, only to be proven to have no clue what he was talking about, or to have any handle on the facts. He doesn’t deserve two minutes of attention, other than to point and laugh.
Has anyone seen the 2012 version of the Corrigan Brothers “There’s No One As Irish As Barack O’Bama” song? Pretty cool.
‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ dischargees to receive full back pay from DOD
Carlo Muñoz
01/07/13 04:54 PM ET
The payouts will be granted to gay service members dismissed from the military on or after November 2004.…
Well, that’s excellent. Wonder if that was an arbitrary date or of some meaning.
PBO got elected to the US Senate in Nov 2004. I don’t know if that’s the connection, but perhaps I might be on to something!
Alright Fashionistas, ya’ll better get on it before they are sold out.
FLOTUS DNC Convention Tracey Reese dress is now on sale!
damn wrong link!
that’s for the new Jason Statham movie (I love Jason Statham)
heres the link about FLOTUS dress
http://www.essence.com/2013/01/07/first-lady-style-get-look
I was wondering what two naked people had to do with some fashion story… especially one about the First Lady! 🙂
What is this PORN?! 🙂 🙂 : )
I forgot to change the link..lol.
Still, I love Jason Statham (can’t stand JLo) so the movie looks good.
a little off topic but wanted to share hope you guys enjoy….
I love tigers. they’re so gorgeous
Awesome.
What a gorgeous photograph!
I hope you guys clicked on the link in the tweet there are 50 mind blowing photos in each one. Awe-inspiring, many wallpaper worthy material for you CPU and/or designing cards!
So um yeah, wrong link upthread…lol.
Alright Fashionistas, ya’ll better get on it before they are sold out.
FLOTUS DNC Convention Tracey Reese dress is now on sale!
http://www.essence.com/2013/01/07/first-lady-style-get-look
You want a moderate Republican like Chuck Hagel, who has served in the battlefield, to lead this fight when it comes:
“At first the military hoped there might be as many as 20,000 U.S. troops left behind after combat operations in Afghanistan officially cease at the end of 2014. But now an administration official is saying that number will not exceed 10,000 and could be even be zero.”
http://news.yahoo.com/afghanistan-us-troop-exit-may-rapid-134110899–abc-news-politics.html
One more chuckle….
MY LIVING WILL
Last night, my friend and I were sitting in the living room
and I said to her,
“I never want to live in a vegetative state,
dependent on some machine and fluids from
a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.”
She got up, unplugged the Computer,
and threw out my wine.
She’s such a bitch……
🙂
LOL. Men are so stupid.
http://www.aquariusmoon.info/publicdomain/courtyard/community/inauguration-2013-general-stuff/
The Inauguration Forum is open, no need to register for now, just go ahead and post!
You can either click on the above link or go to http://www.aquariusmoon.info and click on the picture there for a direct link to the Forum.
http://twitter.com/camanpour/statuses/288427469718052864
retweeted this. I think it says a lot that in the article : “Shortly after being nominated, Hagel said he was astounded at how his record has been distorted and asked for a fair hearing in the Senate.” No one with something to hide would ASK for a fair hearing to clear his name/record.
Man, if I had a franchise with Wendy’s I’d be pissed. I’m telling ya’ll if you decide to franchise with a company pay attention who you franchise with. Cause one member of the franchise can fuck it up for all the other franchisees. Now this person is gonna mess with someone else money. There has got to be rules when it comes to franchising on doing shit like this that may affect other members.
Wendy’s Franchise Cuts Employee Hours To Part-Time To Avoid Obamacare
Classic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
“Anecdotal evidence suggests this strategy may backfire on the Omaha Wendy’s operations. This fall, Denny’s quickly distanced itself from a franchisee’s similar ploy, while Darden Restaurants saw a sharp 37 percent drop in profit after threatening to cut workers to part-time.
Heaping blame on Obamacare may be a popular tactic among the fast food industry, but it is a misleading one. According to the Urban Institute, Obamacare has a negligible impact on business costs, leaving large companies virtually unaffected while actually reducing costs for small businesses.”
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/01/07/1409841/wendys-obamacare/?mobile=nc
From Papa John’s to this Wendy’s franchise, it’s amazing to me how many of these guys are terrible at marketing, as they claim to be experts in business.
When you lose your market, you lose your business.
Don’t forget Hobby Lobby. I shopped at that store once when I was visiting Texas. I don’t think it has locations on the west coast. It appears that all of these chains who are trying to avoid giving their employees healthcare are feeling the wrath.
Who eats Wendy’s anyway? These Corporatist really don’t pay attention to other Corporatist who tried this shit. The people that eat at these anti-Obamacare restaurants will be Michelle Bachman and the teabaggery.
Pierce on Hagel ….
“Chuck Hagel knows what the basic job of soldiering really is and, therefore, I think, he knows what the basic job of being Secretary Of Defense is. It’s to fight for people, and not for weapons systems. It’s to care for the human beings in your charge more than the fanciful bloodless academic exercises held at a distance.
‘With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.’
In a season when Lincoln’s Second Inaugural is the big finish of a box-office bonanza, Hagel has lived the peroration as well as anyone has.”
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/chuck-hagel-defense-secretary-nomination-010713?src=soc_twtr
Bobfr, don’t you just love crotchety, funny, grumpy, at times wickedly sarcastic Charles S. Pierce? He tells it like it is and doesn’t care who doesn’t like it. He has a way with words like no one else!
Absolutely. His style is similar to another guy I like who I wish would come back to the USA – Al Giordano.
Yes, I followed Al. I actually considered attending his journalism program, but then life happened! 😆 If I understand more of the Latin American political landscape, I would follow his current stories more often. I just don’t have the time. I’m sure he’s got some thoughts on this non-sense.
Yeah, I don’t know how people in other countries can possibly keep up with the craziness here on top of what’s happening in their own country. And Al covers politics throughout Latin and South America – very impressive. I check his blog every once in awhile but it’s all I can do to keep up with the walnuts here. 🙂
So true!!
Intriguing…
I hope VP Biden is involved!
Prettyfoot, Romeo makes a very elementary yet compelling point. Frankly, I don’t think this has anything to do with Republican opposition to paying bills incurred by the government. They’ve done that willingly in the past. This is all about destroying America and then blaming the destruction on President Obama. It seems to me that the GOP is determined to punish Americans because the majority of Americans voted to elect, and then re-elect, President Obama.
you know…..when I first hear about this whole thing that’s exactly what went through my mind as well. I really liked pierce’s piece. Hagel seems to be the right guy for the time.
“I have always argued against some of the dumb things they do because I don’t think it’s in the interest of Israel. I just don’t think it’s smart for Israel,” he said……..“I’m not an Israeli senator. I’m a United States senator,”…….. he told Miller for his book “The Much Too Promised Land,” released in 2008……….. “I support Israel, but my first interest is I take an oath of office to the Constitution of the United States, not to a president, not to a party, not to Israel. If I go run for Senate in Israel, I’ll do that,” the ex-senator said. http://www.amazon.com/Much-Too-Promised-Land-Arab-Israeli/dp/0553384147
Hope that doozy answers your rhetorical question Fourus50 to quote Bob4r #trustbarack
Wow. I love that. Good find!
forus50, I think that is a great question. What is the answer.
Okay. This is my last attempt at humor before Chips flips the page.
New Mexico Chili Cookoff
If you can read this whole story without laughing, then there’s no hope for you. I was crying by the end. This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in New Mexico .
Note: Please take time to read this slowly.
If you pay attention to the first two judges,
the reaction of the third judge is even better.
For those of you who have lived in New Mexico , you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza . Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield , IL .
Frank: Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge’s table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native New Mexicans) that the chili wouldn’t be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge #3.
Here are the scorecard notes from the event:
CHILI # 1 – MIKE’S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI
Judge # 1 — A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 — Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) — Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that’s the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy.
CHILI # 2 – EL RANCHO’S AFTERBURNER CHILI
Judge # 1 — Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 — Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 — Keep this out of the reach of children. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me theHeimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.
CHILI # 3 – ALFREDO’S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI
Judge # 1 — Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.
Judge # 2 — A bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 — Call the EPA. I’ve located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I’m getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.
CHILI # 4=2 0- BUBBA’S BLACK MAGIC
Judge # 1 — Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 — Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 — I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. Woman is starting to look HOT … Just like this nuclear waste I’m eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?
CHILI # 5 – LISA’S LEGAL LIP REMOVER
Judge # 1 — Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 — Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 — My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I’m burning my lips off.. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.
CHILI # 6 – VARGA’S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY
Judge # 1 — Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 — The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 — My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I’m worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can’t feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.
CHILI # 7 – SUSAN’S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI
Judge # 1 — A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 — Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 — You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn’t feel a thing. I’ve lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they’ll know what killed me. I’ve decided to stop breathing. It’s too painful. Screw it; I’m not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I’ll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.
CHILI # 8 – BIG TOM ‘S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI
Judge # 1 — The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 — This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he’s going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he’d have reacted to really hot chili?
Judge # 3 — No report.
HA! Yardarm! My husband is a Texan and he has had to calm down his cooking for his Minnesotan wife but even tonight he made ME hotdish and it was so hot I couldn’t taste it. Poor guy……
Suck it up. Peppers are good for your complexion, ha! 😀
Tears rolling down my face …. 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Me too Lootenant. Me too. 😆 😆
Guess that judge # 3 would be DOA in my house. Just the hawt, hawt smell alone would kill him as he crosses the threshold.
My favorite quote from Chuck Hagel, ” This isn’t easy, (he was talking to his fellow senators about Iraq), if you want easy, go sell shoes”! \\
The truth hasn’t set some people free yet. Only on their death beds I’m afraid.
“If you want a safe job, go sell shoes. This is a tough business. But is it any tougher, us having to take a tough vote, express ourselves and having the courage to step up, than what we’re asking our young men and women to do? I don’t think so. […] Like always, the american people are far ahead of us sitting here… far ahead of us. Because we’re concerned about politics, we’re concerned about our position, we’re concerned about our next election. So we thinker, so we figure out word smiting… ”
Wow, Mr. Hagel is pretty impressive in this clip. Guts, leadership, and integrity. You can see why President Obama has chosen Senator Hagel to help him fight back against the neocons and the lobbying of the defense contractors. Chuck Hagel’s first loyalty is to the troops and to his country. He’s tough and isn’t afraid of telling it like it is. Wow.
OK, from time to time my husband (an ardent democratic and Obama supporter, I hasten to say) tunes in to FOX to see what the dark side is up to. They have just called Obama a “crazed ideologue,” Are they nuts?! The most measured, considerate and even-keeled president that I can remember in my lifetime a crazed ideologue?? Please!
He’s a “crazed Ideologue” to them only because he doesn’t allow them to guide his agenda. They’re really, really pissed that he ignores them and thinks for himself. They knew they could manipulate GWB and Romney. Fox needs to be careful about spreading another false meme about the president. Selling a continuous series of lies, propaganda, and conspiracy theories to its viewers is exactly why so many of them were “shocked” that PBO was re-elected on November 6, 2012. The viewers discovered too late that a majority of Americans didn’t agree with them about a host of things regarding the president. The RW bubble is toxic, filled with carbon monoxide and it is choking off any attempt by anyone to inject any reality into it.
Negative on the carbon monoxide. It’s a more pleasant smell to them. Methane gas from a lot of sheep.
Typical rw projection. Falsely accuse your opponent of you really are.
You know ouapiti, for FOX news: Up is Down, North is South and Hot is Cold! The people at Fox are that shameless in the way they twist the TRUTH and manipulate the viewers! What is sad is that there are many Americans who buy into their BS!
More amazing things about Chuck Hagel
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/12/chuck-hagel-at-the-va/266545/
Senator Cornyn already says he is voicing Brenan, because he wants answers on Benghazi.
Jeeze!
Cornyn is another one of those crazy ass Republicans.
I think all of this is much more about partisan politics. They’re pissed after the tax deal and they want to hurt the administration as much as they can.
These crazy ass white Republicans can’t stand this President.
I hope you all understand when I say something like those crazy ass white Republicans, that I’m not being racists. I don’t hate white people. I know all white people are not the same, and I even know all Republicans are not racists. But I look at the disrespect, the out and out hate they have shown this President, and I know it’s not because they disagree with all his policies.
This was a comment on a news item about a GOPer attacking Gabby Giffords because going to Connecticut was a “political event”.
“Gabby is no longer in politics, her career was ended with a bullet in the head.”
Gives a whole new meaning to Boehner’s statement
” I need this job like I need a hole in the head”
Boehner should well remember what happened to Gabby and be thankful that his political opponents are not known for taking what he says literally.
Never mind that she was in FL at the time, 99ts. She couldn’t stop herself from stirring sh*t up. I loved the comments in support of GG. That the representative would call GG’s visit to Newtown “political” shows that she was the one making the visit political. GG is no longer a politician but that didn’t stop the representative from attempting to sell fake outrage to the uninformed. Removing her posts from her Facebook page lets you know that she didn’t like the backlash she received from her stupid posts.
Ok guys, there’s a seriously crazy man on Piers Morgan. I mean downright scary.
This guy is crazy….they want to deport Piers Morgan. Why did he have this crazy man on his show and he won’t answer questions and talks over Piers….hahahaha. You can have a conversation with crazed gun lovers.
I think in a way, jojo, having this nutcase on might work in our favor on banning assault weapons, especially if there are sane Americans watching him throw conspiracy theories around that don’t make sense. When someone begins talking about the ‘New World Order,’ you know that their elevator doesn’t go all the way up to the penthouse because it’s stuck in the basement.
That crossed my mind too, majiir.
The Cow is such a fucking bitch. She started out by saying that the Whitehouse didn’t stick up for Susan R. in the face of loud Repuke bullshit, and “allowed” her to take her name out of the running, she said this after highlighting the long and enduring relationship between Rice and PBO. Like: ‘ look, the president and Rice have been close friends forever and when things got tough for her, he bailed and didn’t stand up for her.’ ((PARAPHRASE)) Such a fucking asshole. CLICK, bitch. Motherf-ing CLICK.
What is Rachel Maddow ranting about tonight?
See above comment. She’s such a fucking idiot. I decided to not waste my time. I’m watching the pilot episode of ‘Person of Interest’ on series-cravings.info
After she accused the president of not advocating enough for gay Americans, and when she felt that PBO should have been more vocal when NY was voting for gay marriage, I was finished with her, Lisa. All the president has to do to set out a firestorm from the RW is say one word on any subject. I figured that I could live without her allowing her personal biases about her sexual orientation to let her avoid facing the truth that PBO has done more for LGBTQ Americans than any president in our history. PBO chooses his battles carefully. He knew that going head to head with republicans over Amb. Rice would be pointless because they have way more time than he does to run to every network to lie about her. He stated his support for her, what else did RM want him to do? It’s not as if he doesn’t have many other duties and responsibilities he has to attend to.
set off a firestorm
There are times when I can not stand her. I think I will check out the NCAA Championship football game.
Anniebella,
Good evening. May I echo your comment? Though I left Rachel continue her self-stimulating exercise about the 4th GOP hired by a Democratic President, I know she will move to an issue that will provide common grounds. But, as many people remark here, some of those pundits at MSNBC can be so judgemental and at times childish. With friends like that, why be upset at Lieberman? He personifies them in the Senate!
Some people will never understand the way PBO does things. He’s not looking at political party when he chooses nominees, he’s looking at competency. If people would only look at the mess GWB made of the federal government because of his choosing to work only with those with Rs beside their names, they’d stop attacking the president for choosing some republicans for his cabinet. GWB f*cked up the DOJ, the Labor Dept, the EPA, the Defense Dept, the Supreme Court, the Commerce Dept. the Dept of Education, etc. with his overemphasis on filling positions with republicans.
Majir,
You got that right!
Presumably and predictably, She is mad about the Gay comment, and MSNBC just plays that until Madcow jumps over the Moon.
Rachel has to remember that everyone does not agree with her on certain issues. Everytime someone says something anti-gay, she uses her show to denograte the person.
Fortunately, PBO is not listening to these far left whiners this time. Thank God that Rachel is talking to the moon.
Just saw a guy losing his cool in a major way on piers morgan about 3 minutes ago. It’s about him thinking that he is losing his gun rights.
He is insane. Twitter is noticing.
https://twitter.com/ahjalidavis/status/288468513327288320
His name Alex Jones. Never heard of him!
This nutbag????????????
http://www.infowars.com/ We have more mental health issues in this country than I ever thought possible. That, in itself, is fucking terrifying!
ooo just clicked on his website – yah. nuts.
He was totally aggressive. He was working himself into a snit.
Alex Jones is the KING of conspiracy theorists. He may have some good points from time to time ( for example, the “suicide” of the DC Madam a few years ago was pretty suspect IMO) , but most of his rants are pure paranoìa. Fema camps, Manchurian candidates, and on and on…
Just wow!
He has over 50 guns in his house. This kind of nutter scares the crap out of me. 😦
No need for all of that. I can see one for hunting and/or one for protection but when a person possesses an arsenal of machine guns and ak47’s or whatever they are I am gonna give you the side eye because I am thnking is this person going to massacre a bunch of squirrels? I think NOT!
Exactly! Totally agree. Why the hell do people have to own this amount of guns. It’s pure craziness. He also stated that he thought 9/11 was an inside job by the govt. therefore this is why people should be able to own any kind of firearms. Makes me wonder if he isn’t a part of a militia group.
And forgot to say, hopefully the in charge people will be keeping a very close eye on this idiots behaviour.
Is there a FULL MOON tonight? I hope Lawrence O’Donnell is not acting crazy or I’ll have to watch HGTV.
MSNBC has sucked all Day long. That’s what I get for watching them and staying Home sick all day!
No, jojo, no full moon. New Moon is Friday 1/11/13, 2:44pmEST. 21degrees46minutes Capricorn.
Dear Lord,
The last thing I needed was the genius and opiniatred Ezra Klein!
OMG!!!!!!
Anyone watching Piers Morgan, he has a gun toting total nutcase on his show. Unfriggggen believable!
Clearly he’s on some sort of medication? That he forgot to take? It’s the only explanation I have to hearing shouting about suicide pills, Hitler and Building 7. All in the name of the 2nd Amendment.
Agree, sounds like he isn’t taking his meds that the doctor prescribed for him. It’s too bad that they couldn’t take him away in a straight jacket straight to the looney bin locked up in a padded cell.
And Piers Morgan wants people like me to take him seriously? Why is Morgan having this person on TV? I don’t watch Morgan….but just reading what are being said here. Morgan is against our Nation’s obsession with guns. I get that I share his concern. But what is the rationale of this guy……gun-nut appearing on CNN?
Piers wants ratings and he’s desperate. I don’t buy it. It’s all theatrics (gun nut prop and all).
hopefruit..I’m not a big fan of Piers but I truly think that Sandyhook upset him personally and he wants to talk about the subject and not let it go away, which I commend him for. His govt. had something similar happen in England and both parties there came together and changed gun laws there. They have a very low rate of gun deaths because of that now.
I really hope you’re right Joy, because I’m having difficulty with Piers especially after he harbored trigger-happy George Zimmerman and family and gave them a platform on his show to justify their killing of an innocent child.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but he didn’t seem to have a problem with gun laws or guns ending up in the wrong hands then…
I am a little confused myself as to why he had him on his show. But as the guy that came on after him said(forgot his name, a lawyer) that it is good that Piers is exposing this kind of craziness so that Americans can see just how totally dangerous some of these people are. I tend to agree with him. Maybe this exposure will wake up more Americans to help in the fight to legislate some kind of gun control.
Amk, this is for you:
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him…..
…
…
…
…
A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Well, I liked it. If we can’t joke about Gandhi, who can we joke about? 🙂
Yeah, I didn’t mean it was ONLY for Amk! Glad you enjoyed it!
🙂
I like that!
Maybe a freak like this, losing it on that network, will twig some sense into the other gun freaks who are watching?
I didn’t see it, but my only question would be – if the guy was on the set – did anybody check him for a gun and take it away from him real time? Sounds like he doesn’t need to be walking among us, much less with a gun. (Like so many others, tragically.)
Rachel is in a snide mood this evening I see. Now she’s going on about the inaugural ticket glitch.
Rachel’s show was horrible tonight. I fastforwarded thru most of it.
Oh! Well I won’t be watching lawrence’s show he has Mr klein filling in for him. Boy oh boy.
Have they no idea what a turnoff some of those guest hosts are, especially Ezra Klein?
Precisely!
Thanks Bobfr.
Accept for the doofus….
Do you see who is sitting in place of Lawrence O’Donnell tonight? Ezra Klein. I will not be watching it. Alabama is leading Notre Dame 28-0, I guess the football game is not worth watching.
ROLL TIDE!!
I went to Netflix and watched an episode of Doc Martin during Rachel’s show, then an episode of Edward the King when I heard Ezra’s voice. These people on these shows just rework and rework tne same subjects…..they need to use some creativity on shows.
love doc martin! and thanks everybody for alerting me to avoid rachel and lawrence tonight. maybe i’ll read a book.
Yes they roll all over Notre Dame. What a sorry game for those who were looking for a close good exciting game.
We’ve known since Jan 2009 – now you’re either brain dead or paid to pretend your brain dead (US #NEWSTAINERS, etc) to not realize it as fact certain.
#FORWARD
See, now this is what I was talking about the other day.
Patrick Aide Says Frank Not Best Choice For Senate Appointment, Frank Disagrees
I suspect that Frank was never Patrick’s first choice and probably wasn’t even on his list (I’m guessing he’s been compiling a list since Obama won re-election or before besides the Susan Rice stuff, the CW was the Kerry would be SoS after HRC). So the “push” by Frank and now his liberal allies are such that now the Guv can’t even go with his first choice which probably wasn’t Barney Frank to begin with. Now whover Patrick picks, unless it is Frank, which pale in comparison.
The aide should just shut it, but still I understand the frustration for Guv Patrick’s camp.
lamh36,
I thought Barney Frank wanted to return to civilian life and live the blist of domestic routine forever. Wasn’t it for that reason he resigned his House seat? What’s this new desire of going to the Senate on a temporary basis? Although I would not mind having Frank as a strong voice in the Senate, it is I believe Gov. Deval’s decision to pick up whomever he wants to secure that seat for the Democrats.
Oh well!
Maybe Gov. Patrick was thinking about giving a few months’ exposure on the national scene in this important role to a woman or an ethnic minority candidate. I understand LGBT candidates are also in the minority, and I’m all for that, but it really was not good that Barney Frank put the Governor in this spot. It kind of cheated Patrick out of making his own choice, which I would have liked to have seen – to give us all an even better understanding of how Gov. Patrick operates, because ya know he’s goin’ places in the future, as well! If Barney was his first choice, or is his final choice, then none of this matters, of course.
And if it is Viki Kennedy, Then everybody will forget who barney Frank is.
I have ZERO doubt that Gov Patrick will pick precisely who he considers his first choice. Anyone who thinks he and the President didn’t include in their calculus a ‘Barney variable’ only display the typical naivete of the politically naive 🙂
President Obama epitomizes political savvy, and then some, and add ten more steps ahead of the rest of us to that, but unless Barney Frank gave somebody an indication of what he was planning on announcing as his goal, his actions were so quirky and “stayed-too-long-at-the-party-ish,” it could have been news to even Pres. Obama and Gov. Patrick. I don’t recall the timing, and I’m hoping he at least confided in Gov. Patrick before announcing it to the media. (That would lead to more questions of his judgment.) In any event, it didn’t show well for Barney, but Gov. Patrick will do the right thing (especially since he and the President confide in each other and, as you said, would have discussed all this).
But but but according to Glen Greenwald and Chris Hayes Al Qaeda are innocent civilians and…
Our Beloved President is soooooo precise and logical!
Then do it!
Be still my beating heart……Chuck Hagel and Richard Wolfeeeeeee on my screen.
I guess it’s time to bring out those naughty mats again. Yardarm?
Lol….maybe. Lol…..
Um, it’s August! 😕
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/01/07/2012-an-image-or-two-august/