We count too, us late flying birdies! Hey, you lot woke me up at 5:00 this morning when Rise and Shine launched, and believe me, I really need that beauty sleep! 😉
You mean to tell me that dope David Gregory remain silent while Rev. General Powell preach the truth about that racists Republican Party. Thank you Chipsticks.
Dowd is another piece of crap I can’t stand, it seem to me these Progressives Liberals who don’t think this President have done all they want him to do, cook this whole mess up about not hiring women.
Meanwhile, Dowd masks and bolsters the Republicans’ unfounded accusations. If Dowd thinks the intelligence community was too cautious in its initial assessment, or too opaque in its early releases to the public, why doesn’t she say so? Instead of faulting the authors of the talking points – you know, older white guys like former CIA director David Petraeus and NSA Director James Clapper – she fingers the spokeswoman. Just like John McCain & Lindsey Graham, Dowd blames the messenger. And just like McCain and Graham, Dowd relies on phony assertions to do so. Indeed, Dowd cannot criticize McCain and Graham because she’s fishing in the same cesspool of half-truths and innuendo favored by the Old White Boys’ Resentment Club. Not surprisingly, Dowd catches the same variety of sexist, racist carp the GOP anglers so commonly nab bare-handed.
I am lucky because I can’t even get a mental picture of this woman. She can’t be as ugly as what I know of her from the comments here or she would never get on TV… or is she on TV? Yuk!
Ugh. I can’t read that. But if McCain wants to form a commission, it’s because he has nowhere else to sit in the Senate behind a microphone. Didn’t he time-out on his committee assignments there? Go home, McCain. Begone, Manchin.
Exactly. Multiply what VPJoe has gotten done in such a short time by the number of weeks House Republicans want to sit back in their districts, and think what we could get done in this country about so many real issues – affecting all of us. SMDH.
This is just a big stall tactic… let’s stall until PBO is out of office! What a joke he would be in charge of some commission,,, self-aggrandizing again.
How is it that Colin Powell is a Republican. I think he is actually just a conservative Democrat. He seems to be on the right side of things, needing better education, needing to help the poor. But I guess it’s good to have him as a self-labeled Repub so that maybe some will follow his lead in being more moderate and REASONABLE!!
He was Republican enough to lie about WMDs before the UN. I forgive him for that, but if he says he’s a Republican, I have no reason to not believe him. He voted for Shrub twice — that’s pretty darn Republican to me.
Of course, in his case…he IS thinking for himself and he doesn’t like what he sees. His party left HIM, he didn’t leave his party. There is no room for moderate, thoughtful Republicans anymore. He is expressing his angst with the direction his lifelong party has taken, and if they keep this up, I have no doubt that he will be forced to become a Democrat. Happening more and more.
They need to let this Republican party die. Start a new Conservative party that stands for real conservative ideas, and abandons the extremes, racists and deranged, uneducated, hateful loons.
My inner voice is telling me it means republicans raise their children to be self-sufficient and liberals don’t. I sure would love to see some numbers on that. I’m surrounded by liberal-minded young adults who possess an impressive work ethic and work full time, while simultaneously working on advanced degrees, maintaining their homes and family obligations. They are socially active, culturally savvy and politically plugged-in. I do not fear the future for knowing them.
I think a great many AA. before the 1960’s, when Gen. Powell was growing up, were still Republicans. This is the time when the Democratic party was dominated by Southern Democrats, better known as the Dixiecrats. Gen. Powell should know by now that the Party of Eisenhower is now dominated by former Dixiecrats. He should know that it’s beyond saving.
I think he meant, as with religion, some grow up in households and adopt the religious and political affiliations of their parents. When General Powell was growing up in New York the Republican party was respectable and until Richard Nixon was in many ways the party of civil rights. His loyal support of PBO and his criticism of the GOP indicates he thinks for himself. Anyway, I think that was his point.
You’re correct, and I also think he feels some loyalty to the Republican party for some of the milestones he reached in his career. Nevermind that he was just a token, like most minorities in that party, but I think as a soldier, he thinks he owes them for the support they gave him. I understand it in a way, but if it were me, and they USED me like they did him with that WMD report when they wanted to start the Iraq war, I would have left that party in a heartbeat. That would have been the last straw for me. You don’t throw people you respect under the bus like that and abandon them.
That’s why I like to think this is Powell’s subtle way of getting back at them–publicly endorsing Pres. Obama TWICE, and mentioning it every time he gets a chance.
Exactly. How do you grow up to be a lifelong Republican. It is a word that supposedly has core beliefs attached to it. If those don’t exist, how can you still be a Republican?
The Republican party was not always this bad! Some of the major champions for equality were Republicans. Some of the most ugly racists who were opposed to equality were Democrats. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act would never have been enacted without Republican support. The vast majority of Southern Democrats in Congress opposed them. Please give Gen. Powell some slack!
My parent voted Democratic and followed Democratic candidates all my life….that does not make me a “born” and “raised” Democrat however many people believe or are taught to think that way. When I turned 18yrs old and had to pick a party I chose the party that most represented my values and that I was also familiar with. If my parents voted Republican and followed Republican candidates, I could not see myself being a Republican. I was a student, I was poor, I believed in helping others, I believed in being self sufficient, standing on my own two feet, and being responsible which are also Democratic values.
He needs a new word for how he was raised (like maybe “Responsible”) – sounds like he was raised to be reasonable, looking to serve the whole community of the country, and ensuring that govt is as clean, responsible, and accountable as possible. Maybe GOP used to be that way in the past, but that is NOT the GOP today!
But if Powell meant he was raised to be responsible, or even reasonable, but instead chose to say he was “raised a republican” what I hear from that comment is Democrats are not raised to be responsible or reasonable. Anyway, I thought it was a very telling comment and it hit a nerve with me.
A lot of people belong to a political party because their parents were Democrats or Republicans. And their parents before them and their parents before them, etc. Its like a family tradition or heirloom. This is why I would love for Dems to put out a campaign saying, “this ain’t your father’s Republican’s party”. VP Joe did it once at a rally. Wish the whole party had started saying it.
OT, but, I have spent part of the morning going down the memory lane of some of PBO’s accomplishments, the many promises that he has kept, and the many, seemingly disparate lives that he has touched. He is such a decent man who means what he says. This is so rare in politics that we must be a bit more forgiving of those who are so cynical and those who appear to be so negative about him. I think part of it is self-defense; some people fear that they will get their hearts broken; that they will look like naive chumps if they show that they believe I what they see in PBO, that they have faith in him. I think about how many say after meeting him, that he is so real; that talking with him is like talking to a neighbor or a family member; that what you see about him is really what you get. Of course, I am not talking about the professional for profit haters, or the never to be re-constructed racists, but for most other doubters, but about the regular reasonable citizen who may still have doubts. Sites like this one and the conversations that we all have with friends, co-workers and family members are helping to get the word out about PBO and his admin., but the willful ignorance is still rather daunting at times. Some of my 12 th grade A-A students, as recently as two weeks ago saiid that they thought PBO was a Muslim. I set them straight, but I was appalled by their ignorance. I know this sounds a bit disjointed, but I just needed to try to write out what I was feeling.
You write a lot better than I do. I frequently have so much to say here, but can’t express myself very well, so I just stick to short sentences. There are so many amazing writers like LL and Bobfr, utaustinliberal, etc who perfectly express my own thoughts that I sometimes forget I should try to express my own voice as well. We all learn from each other that way and can reach out to the many different people that cross our paths. I believe that is how we the people helped this AMAZING president win re-election.
Thanks, Betsy. I often write in short, simple sentences as well, mostly in reaction to what others have said. Being in the “amen corner” has value as well. It encourages the posters and lets the lurkers know that many are in agreement with the ideas expressed. Affirmation= encouragement=action.
Not disjointed at all, Ceb. You made yourself perfectly clear, and I think that what you say is probably a little bit true. Over the years we have been lead to believe that govt can’t work for the people…that we should be cynical and not expect too much….which is exactly what the RW has ALWAYS wanted. PBO set all that bs on its head. The RW is terrified of him because they know that if he succeeds in redefining the govt’s role to average Americans, with strong, common sense solutions to problems that they have either exacerbated or kicked down the road and left to get worse because they didn’t want to do the hard work of actually governing, FOR THE PEOPLE, then he will have exposed the Republican party, and defined the Republicans, for what they really are. They have managed to keep Americans sufficiently “snowed” for decades. This President is exposing “the men behind the curtain” more and more. They realize that with 4 more years…they will be fully exposed as the corporate, racist, xenophobic, money grubbing ideologues that they really are. THIS ALONE, to my way of thinking, will become part of PBO’s lasting legacy as well as all the other important and significant accomplishments of his 8 years in office. He always said that this was bigger than him…I see this as part of that statement of changing the way people look at their govt. After this has been exposed, unless they change their path, the power they seek will elude them all for decades to come…while each successive year they are out of office, will allow Dems to put forth common sense solutions based on equality and fairness, that will redeem govt in the eyes of Americans….THIS is what they fear the most.
In the meantime…you need to use your stature as an educator to spread the truth about the role of govt in society and get those students to engage in their democracy so that it works FOR them, not against them. Ever again. Muslim? Really? That’s sad. Being a Muslim isn’t sad, that’s fine…but in reference to PBO? Good grief.
Stepped away from the computer for a short time after my last comment. I just saw your response; thanks for your commentary. As for educating my students about engaging in democracy, I do this quite a bit. We weave politics into almost every thing we are reading (I teach language Arts) and they were fully engaged (and many were old enough to vote) during the last election cycle. We watched and discussed the debates and two of their upcoming projects relate to the Inauguration and the upcoming State of the Union address.
It would have been even more historic if the country had elected, and then re-elected a Muslim man – especially when most of the country has been taught to fear Muslims, and to think all Muslims are terrorists, ignoring the fact that many peace-loving Muslims live in their own country and are as horrified by the violence perpetrated here by people from many different races and religions. It’s great and historic that an African-American man was elected and re-elected, and if the country had elected and re-elected a Muslim, then we’d be even further along than we are because it would mean that even more people had been disabused of their prejudice towards a religion they scarcely understand.
The real prize with President Obama is, as you said, that a good person was elected and re-elected – that’s almost more surprising than the fact that he’s African American since individuals do not play a role in choosing their race, whatever it is. But, we do choose who we will be, what kind of character we will have, what level of integrity we will possess and the standard to which we will hold ourselves. We’re lucky to have someone like President Obama, who makes us believe in the virtue and ideal of public office, in the reward for choosing right over wrong and maintaining a higher standard. That’s the type of person who is a model for all people, all religions, all walks of life. And that really is a valuable lesson to impart to your students.
Give me a break! The baseball hall of fame is already filled with crooks liars, cheats and racists. So spare these sanctimonious sports writers who now all of a sudden want to act like that the smells emanating from their rotted bile smell like fresh cut flowers.
That and more. One of the most unpleasant people you’ve never met. Nobody — and I mean NOBODY liked him because he was such a mean and worthless human being.
The sports writers who are tasked with selecting members of the Hall of Fame make their decisions without input from anyone else. They’ve chosen — for whatever reasons — to not admit Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemons, all suspected/confirmed “juicers.” All four of these guys were phenomenal players but then so was Pete Rose, excluded for gambling.
Gen. Colin Powell was great on MTP this morning. He spoke hard truths to the GOP and he let them know that if they are going to have a future, they need to drop the whole birther movement and take up immigration reform, climate change, and education. He advised them to stop alienating minorities because the demographics of the country is changing rapidly and they are being left behind. On the birther movement, he advised the senior republicans to stop tolerating that kind of discussion in the party and said the party needs to take a look at itself.
He talked about John Sununu calling Pres. Obama “lazy” after the first debate and said that African-Americans knew exactly what Sununu meant because he didn’t say Pres. Obama was tired or he didn’t do well, he called the President of the United States “lazy.” He said the GOP looks down on minorities and it is very obvious to minorities that the GOP only pretends to care for them when they need votes during an election year.
If the GOP was wise, they would heed his advice but knowing them, they’re just going to chuck it all away. Heh….more progress for the Democrats.
True UT. If they were wise they would listen to Gen. Powell. But they won’t. John McCain is already on some commission seeking hoopla for mass violence (see DF up thread). They’ll go off in their own tangents like McCain and never hear the truth.
Good west coast morning to Chips and everyone. I slept through all of this goodness this morning. Gen. Powell was spot on. I will definitely watch MTP when it airs again.
I’m predicting that the gang on “Morose Joe” tomorrow will not be happy that Gen. Colin Powell laid bare the disease of racism that permeates the Republican Party.
General Powell spoke the truth that needed to be said about his party. It will be very difficult to refute anything he said. No one on the rwnj MTP panel tried. His comments were big.
Maybe those who want to distance themselves from the crazies will break free and follow Colin Powell’s lead. The handful of sane Republicans left will need to reform their party and separate from those who have taken the party hostage. The Republican Party is too far gone to repair.
“The Republican Party is too far gone to repair.” That’s exactly the way I feel, Theo! Bless his heart, Gen. Powell is still talking as if it’s possible to rescue the party. The way the GOP is treating Chuck Hagel, who is even more conservative than Gen. Powell, is evidence of the extremism of the current Republican party.
Didn’t the Republicans say they’d rather have Donald Trump or Rush Limbaugh (can’t remember which reprehensible blowhard it was) over Colin Powell last time Colin Powell made his feelings known?
I appreciate any truths Colin Powell was able to expose on MTP, but anyone who could be a “lifelong Republican”, be so divested in that political mindset, and whose false testimony was the final nail in the decision to go to war in Iraq, with all that resulting cost in lives and treasure, is no hero in my book.
And that’s the dichotomy of Gen. Powell, and how do we separate the man from his actions. Today’s Gen. Powell is so very different from the Gen. Powell that went before the United Nations and lead us down a path to a war based on lies.
Do you believe he knew his UN presentation was false? I have mixed feelings about that horrible episode. Hillary, John Kerry, and Joe Biden appeared to believe it also. In the long run it is one of the many reasons PBO is President.
Either he knew it was false and lied to the UN and the rest of us. Or he didn’t know it was false but stayed in the administration after he discovered they’d lied to him.
Neither scenario reflects well on him.
He knew what kind of liars and evil people he’d crawled into bed with, and he was fine to take the country down that path – he even reminded people today that he voted for George W. Bush twice – even after he knew that they had lied this country into an illegal war and had been torturing people. He really doesn’t have a great deal of credibility left, but what little he does, at least he’s putting out a call for sane Republicans to take their country back from the edge, and he’s admitted that he voted for President Obama twice.
She did, lots of Democrats did, but most/all of them probably believed the admin’s ‘weapons of mass destruction’ lies – I’d like to think if she, or any of them, was in power at the time, with access to non-neocon ‘intelligence’, the lie would never have got off the ground and the war would never have happened.
I believe Hillary said she never read the entire intelligence report. She has done a good job as SOS, but considering her ham-fisted job on health care under her husband’s administration, her Iraq vote, and her horrible 2008 campaign I would prefer someone else in 2016.
I’m still torn on Hillary 2016, Bill – which I’m sure will upset her! I genuinely admire the way she has worked with PBO, after all the campaign bitterness (mainly stoked by her husband, of course!), but I’m not sure I’ll ever truly warm to the idea of her being President, I still have my doubts too. I retain a decidedly soft spot for Martin O’Malley, but he might have better things to do in 2016! Besides, I hate even talking about the next election, there are four beautiful years before then!
Thanks for good summary on Hill/Bill! It remains to be seen how good a job she did as SOS! No one talks about the work Amb Rice has done to support Hillary’s work. All of the groundwork that Amb Rice puts in place in cooperation with State department.
So many of the people I admire greatly have done things that I seriously disagree with, Roosevelt and Lincoln to name two. I respect Colin Powell but like the rest of us he is not perfect. How do we reconcile the good things he has done and the bad? I don’t know why he still identifies with the Republican party. Maybe I just have to meet him in the moment and listen to what he is saying and appreciate it when he says things I agree with. I appreciate his support of President Obama so much. I appreciate the things he is saying now, so glad that a respect voice from inside the party is saying them. They do not negate the bad actions of taking us to war, but the bad actions do not negate the good he is doing either. That’s how I have sort of come to terms with it, anyway.
I kind of feel the same Dotster, I find it impossible to reconcile the good and honest Powell with his past – or the fact that he remains in the GOP. (I know there’s an argument that ‘decent’ GOPers should stay and fight from within to remove the madness, but surely it reaches a point where it’s time to pack up and leave, like Crist?). I’ll never forget his endorsement of PBO the first time or how he spoke up for Muslims in the military, I couldn’t but admire him, but, as you said, he also contributed to thousands of lives being lost, for no good reason at all. And that’s hard to forgive.
One thing that is so good about the Obama Diary is we can agree to disagree without attacking one another. I am sure Gen. Powell regrets what occur at the UN, and as a man who have fought in war, I’m sure the lost of lives matter to him also. But there is one person who made the decision to invade Iraq and it is George W. Bush.
I think Bush had very little to do with it to be honest, it was the neocons who pushed for it, and Powell – whether wittingly or not – helped facilitate them. There’s blood, lots of it, on all their hands, American and Iraqi.
If GWB was against the war we would not have gone to war – regardless of what Powell thought. On the other hand, Powell should be held accountable for his positions at that time and the consequences of those positions. But there is no way I’m letting GWB off the hook here.
I don’t know Hopefruit, there’s been a lot of revisionism about GWB, that he wasn’t as stupid as he was made out to be – but I honestly never believed he was the key player in that admin, I think others made the big decisions, including going to war, and he just signed off on them. That’s not to excuse him, but I don’t think he was the warmongering idealogue that his buddies were.
You may be right about his not being the key player in terms of specific Iraq-related decisions. However, the fact that he ran for POTUS knowing that he wasn’t up to a task that involved making complex decisions with huge implications for the country’s vitality and people’s lives, suggests a complete lack of personal integrity and ethics on his part. Thus he is 100% accountable for his actions or non-actions here.
Betsy, I hadn’t looked at the site in ages on my iPad until last night – sheesh, it’s seriously glitchy! On the ‘A good sport’ post, for example, a lot of the captions were muddled, ie over the wrong photos. How on earth does that happen??
I respectfully disagree! Bush was as much invested in invading Iraq as were many of his advisors! There are few things that Bush did right, such as his position on immigration, that went against the dogma of his party.This shows that he could stand up against his party. Besides, some of his father’s reputable advisors, like former Sec, of State, James Baker were against the Iraq invasion, but G.W. Bush ignored their advice.
I think GWB had debts to settle from his Dad’s administration with Sadam Hussein and used 9/11 as an excuse to go after him in Iraq. I do not think he was all that innocent. I don’t think he was hard working or hands-on. I think he purposely let the Neocons rule.
From what I have seen and read of Colin Powell he was constantly questioning and arguing with Cheney’s side and lost most battles there. He believed the reports given him. He hated having been mislead and used to sell the American people on the war then used as a scapegoat. He left demoralized, humiliated, and regretting his part in the war. I forgive those that admit to errors.
I am torn about Hillary. I see her as a hardworking person that wants to contribute to her country, but I really don’t see her as the POTUS. I hated the way she ran her campaign and was willing to use her daughter in her lie about being under fire on the runway. A little thing but very telling. I sae Hillary’s time in the Senate as her being a hard worker fulfilling all the expected duties and fitting into the expected role of a Senator. I also see her time as SOS as working hard and doing what was expected of her. The First Lady role played in the push for Health Care also showed her lack of political prowess in not involving her own side. She has developed since then but I don’t see her as a person that steps out of the box to lead in unexpected ways. Maybe PBO will be a hard act to follow for anyone. I almost see Biden as better than Hillary as a Presidential candidate.
OG, I tend to agree with you about Hilary, OG. Although I want the first female president to be a Democrat and I want it to come soon, I’ve never had warm feelings about Hilary. If Biden were younger, he would be unbeatable in 2016. But his age will be used as a stick to
beat him with and it will be tough on him. Biden would be the true heir of the Obama legacy. Hilary has time to refashion herself if she really wants the presidency, so let’s see how she does. I would vote for Duval Patrick or Martin O’Malley in a heartbeat. But at this point I just want our guy to be officially inaugurated and have a successful second term before I get too much anxiety about the next presidential election. If we can get Democrats to come out in force in off year elections, I’ll be singing hallelujahs.
Indeed, ObamaG. My thoughts are along the same lines as yours. GWB had his own motivations for allowing the Iraq War – some of which had nothing to do with the health and well-being of the country in general.
“From what I have seen and read of Colin Powell he was constantly questioning and arguing with Cheney’s side and lost most battles there. He believed the reports given him. He hated having been mislead and used to sell the American people on the war then used as a scapegoat. He left demoralized, humiliated, and regretting his part in the war. I forgive those that admit to errors. ”
Sorry, but I’m not fooled by GWB’s “Oh I’m just a stupid naive southern boy” schtick. He SELECTED Cheney as his running mate. He was the decider. And he was a “yes” man, selecting people who agreed with his positions. If you dared oppose GWB – whether in the MSM or elsewhere, you were quickly deemed unpatriotic and un-American.
I always suspected the GOP powers-that-be selected Cheney, Hopefruit, my hunch was that GWB just did what he was told. I reckoned they saw him as Reagan-lite, a folksy front-man who would just sit around the WH watching TV and choking on pretzels while they looked after ‘business’.
Cheney picked HIMSELF as VP and GWB and his handlers agreed with the decision. GWB did NOT listen to his father and brother. I do not believe Pappy and Jeb had much input on the “Decider”. GWB thought being President was going to be EXACTLY like Reagan who he admired more than his Dad. GWB wanted someone else to run the day-to-day operations and let Cheney and other make the tough decisions. In his last year when the country was stuck in TWO WARS and the Financial Industry was collapsing, GWB decided to let the next President clean up the mess and he stopped listening to Cheney.
Exactly my impression—-he went on daily bike rides, took a daily nap, went to bed at 8:30—–he was about as far away from being a “decider” as you could get. He was just a puppet.
I do not believe he thought or said he was stupid. He liked the idea of being POTUS, was very lazy, and wanted someone else to do the work. He would leave in the middle of the day during the week to ride his bike. Especially after 9/11 things were more difficult than he ever thought. He even once said that being POTUS was hard. He never had to carry his own weight in his life and was willing to let Cheney push him around while he played.
In other words he was corrupt and lacked integrity. Running for POTUS was a game to him with personal benefits that included a life of comfort and security, while allowing other unscrupulous players to pull his strings. All I have to say is thank goodness our current President does not allow craven opportunists on either side of the political spectrum to significantly interfere with his decision making when it comes to the country’s health and people’s lives.
Just thought I’d remind everyone of the forgotten Manning Memos. The story broke in The British Sunday Times about the classified notes from a secretive meeting between GWB and Tony Blair detailing plans to invade Iraq. They were planning to justify an invasion by hyping terrorism and WMD’s, which they admitted they knew didn’t exist, but they fashioned intelligence and facts around policy. The story was a hot media item in the U.S. for about ten minutes. I tried to find a link…most reports have disappeared from the internet:
As for Colin Powell, they lied to him. It was only after he made the statement at the UN that he began to suspect as much. In other words, they set him up. The question is why he remains loyal to a party that used him in such a despicable way. But then, think about where Bush placed minorities…Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice and a Latino to justify torture.
Yes, please do not forget or ever forgive the actions and words of Dick Cheney, the most diabolical person I think I have ever known to be in our political arena. The fact that he is still living scares me. And I hate Liz Cheney and the use of her as some kind of informed spokesperson to propel her father’s propaganda. Cheney was powerful and how powerful we may never know.
Yes, I feel much the same way. I’ve always admired him but when the Iraq War went down, his support of W and Rumsfeld and the rest of those lying idiots infuriated me. And then the Big Lie to top things off. I greatly appreciate his outspoken support of PBO but I can’t for the life of me understand the rest of it.
Thank you, Chips, and everyone for your support of the letter to President Obama and VP Biden. Several have asked about copying the letter, tweeting it, etc – please, do anything with it you think might be helpful. I have zero pride of authorship, require no attribution for what I post here and on twitter. It is all to serve, as a citizen, whomever I can.
gotchez. awesomesauce Bob. This is great. I said on the last thread what a great way to rethink this amendment for today’s times. I never thought of “well regulated” in these terms but it makes total sense.
Bob, in their zest and zeal to defend the 2nd Amendment the gun nuts love saying “A well regulated militia.” Well then President Obama should “Regulate” their asses real well. I say when it comes to guns you can’t have enough regulation.
Hello! Chips, I got stuck at “You’re Beautiful” and just couldn’t make it here quickly enough! Kept replaying it for my “easy like Sunday morning,” hah! That’s what I do on Sunday mornings — revisit all your vids, again & again.
I’m glad Powell is speaking out. It does take a while to recuse oneself from long lived mindset. It seems to me that he’s taking steps & making his own choices in what his future affiliations will be. I think he’s definitely reached the t-junction of his personal journey. He was burned by Dubya et. al — notice he mentioned Bush I, not son. Anyhoo, thanks for posting that vid because I surely can’t watch Gregory Uggh! 🙂
Computer extra-lightweight here, but AMK said this to Judith previously ….. Hope it makes sense to you. I’m still fumbling on what to do.
Java & JavaScript are not the same. It’s the former that is having security issues and that should be removed. JavaScript is needed for login etc. So you can enable it.
Firefox, by default, does not allow Java.
Here is a useful firefox addon I use for switching on/off java, JavaScript, flash player, animated images etc. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/quickjava/?src=userprofile
The media is making it out line it’s ok to hit the debt limit and only pay most of our bills.
This is dangerous, the while system would collapse, which is what they want, to begin with, they dint like the United States, they want the Confederate States. Always have, and just see this debt ceiling as another opportunity to destroy America. Not all, but enough to mess it up for all of us.
This is a very serious situation, I at least expect a government shut down, it’s their ideology, leverage or no leverage, thru hate the Federal Government.
I say we shut down the states whose congressmen don’t vote for the debt ceiling……then they will get off this nonsense. They won’t let that happen because they want to get paid.
Amen. These are debts already incurred — not future debts, so I don’t understand this “we’re not paying” nonsense. Hope President Obama stands firm in not negotiating with these idiots.
Jojothecat, I like your idea! No payments should be made to people who receive federal aid in all Congressional districts whose Representatives in the House vote against raising the debt ceiling. All members of Congress who vote against raising the debt ceiling should not be paid, and the funds to run their Congressional offices (that’s both the Senate and the House), as well as their medical benefits should be stopped. This would leave us enough money to run the rest of the country that elected sane people.
Chips ahoy, has Amk contacted you yet about sending the plane to pick you up for the Inauguration? He can’t make it unfortunately, but he has expressed willingness to negotiate on your behalf. What do you think? We even came up with a valid reason for your boss – FAMILY emergency.
Blumenthal problem with Hagel is what? I am amaze at men who serving their country mean working in politics. These politicians criticizing someone who put their life on the line in battle for this country, Hagel could have ran to Canada or France like Mitt, but he when and fought for this country.
Hello everyone at TOD! Trying to watch the Atlanta/ Sea-hawks game while reading this lovely blog. You know if republicans vote to regulate guns as often as they vote to regulate women’s wombs, we would be well on our way to a “well regulated militia”. Excellent tweets meta!
Regarding comments about Bob Corker on last thread. Timely that I walked out of church today with our senior pastor and his wife, both big Dems. I’ve mentioned on here before that our pastor has written Corker 2 or 3 letters in the past couple of years pointing out that he (Corker) could be the voice of moderation in the Senate during this time. Today our pastor talked about how he went to high school w/ Corker, was his pastor for 14 years (in Chattanooga), saw him start his business and how he ran it. Our pastors wife, of course, knows Corker quite well, even dated him a short time. They talked about how he is a pragmatist, never owned a gun or had any interest in the gun issue. They said he would never have had the success in his business he had if he hadn’t been a pragmatist and a moderate……that now he is simply saying and doing what he has to be get re-elected—–which, of course, we all know. Nothing new for the R’s of today, sadly. None of this is surprising. It’s just always enlightening to hear people talk about these senators by people who know them from years ago.
Isn’t it ironic that, in truth, the Dems aren’t spineless…these guys are! They forget who they work for….and are terrified of being primaried from someone from the RWNJ portion of their party….so sad. I happen to think that we need moderate Republican voices for debate….these guys are their own worst enemies
I have the sense Corker would like to be a serious moderate senator but still must watch out for his base in TN and answer to McConnell to get the good committee appointments.
I think you are correct, Bill. I think since our pastor knows him so well–or who he used to be–that is why he has encouraged him to be that moderate voice. Obviously, it hasn’t worked. In one of Corker’s ads for re-election, he talked about seeing in his church bulletin a trip to Haiti and how that changed his life. Sure, right??!!! Our pastor said this morning he needed to tell him that he needed to go back…..that the trip didn’t “take.” 🙂
Sounds as though your pastor tried his best to tell Corker that changing one’s public image to gain re-election, despite his personal views, might fall on the list of “selling one’s soul.”
“Lid” I suspect, means that the press has to scram, as in ‘put a lid on it’ shut it down and leave. take no more pictures, ya ain’t gotta go home, but ya gotta git, git, GIT OUTTA HERE!! 😆 😆
It’s freezing here in Phoenix, too. I had ice on my patio this morning after the lawn sprinklers went off….I haven’t made stew in a long time. Just seemed like good comfort food for a cold day! Make some, jojo:)
Having once lived in Miami I have a serious question. Do your Cuban black beans come from a can or are they fresh? I was never certain how the Cuban restaurants did them.
I looooooove Cuban black beans, they are sooooo flavorful. There was a Cuban restaurant where you could by Cuban black beans and rice or just the black beans. I don’t know what they did with the beans and rice dish but it was not eatible so I would just by the beans which were sooooo good.
Oh! One more thing for you today, LL. I caught that Crooks/Liars had a link to your “whiny” piece today! Did you see that?? 🙂 You’re hitting the big time now:) I think I can smell your dinner from here:)
‘vieja’, LL? Back when I was in high school [not too long ago 😉 😉 ] ‘vieja’ meant ‘old’. Is that why you have to cook the ‘ropa’ for hours. /ducks and runs/
LL, the piece at TPV: One of the finest pieces ever written on the state of progressive activism (or lack theref) I have ever read. It doesn’t get more insightful than that. Thank you, always, for sharing your insight and wisdom.
And congrats on hitting a nerve with some of the whiners……
Thanks so much, 57! And yes, we had an emoprog invade the thread. The regs on there handled him quite well, and then Deaniac just deleted his comments.
I find it very strange for Colin Powell to still see himself as being aligned with the Republican party. It is like saying…yes see that group of crazies and racists, that is the group I belong to even though I do not agree with them. I wonder why he doesn’t become an independent at least? I am glad he said what he said, but I can’t imagine the Republican party will take his advice.
Like religion? Like parents of a child who committed atrocities? Like children who still love their racists parents? Or like a man who still loves his party and wants it restored.
Yes true. Hey, maybe in 40 years from now the democratic party will become a completely wacky party, but we’ll still consider ourselves tried and true Obama democrats for life! I did not realize he is 73 now. My these years are passing by much too quickly!
Yes, Colin Powell is my age. We are part of what is called the “Silent Generation” between the WWII generation and the Boomers. We were born between about 1930 and 1943…..depression era babies. A small generation in number between two large, loud generations. We really got smothered by the boomers…..sorry any Boomers out there. We have served very well, but we never had and will never have a president from our generation. But, a good number of cabinet secretaries, senators, teachers, doctors, professors…..we were a really service-oriented generation, and are still concerned with service. A lot of us went into the Peace Corps.
Carolyn, I was born only two years after your “silent generation” but I still remember many decent Republicans who served this country well at the time I was becoming of age to understand what was going on in politics. These were decent people who supported equality. I am thinking of Republicans, like Senators, Jacob Javitz, Edward Brooke, Margaret Chase, Mark Hatfield, Charles Percy, Lowell Wicker and others. As Joe Biden says, the current crop of the Republican party is totally a different animal.
David Gregory started talking about diversity problems for the president and showed a picture of all men surrounding PBO in a meeting which I believe had been the subject of a New York Times story. Cory told him it was disingenuous to show that picture. He said it was swift boating, trying to use a person’s strength as weakness.
He listed a number of women in the president’s staff. Then Andrea Mitchell started talking about how women were man, blah, blah. He gave her that What the hell look.
Cory Booker said it was disingenuous for the NYT and the media to take one picture of the Obama administration and say that it represents everyone in the Obama admin. He said that the gender breakdown in terms of hiring had been proven to be favorable to men and women. That to try and paint Pres. Obama as anti-hiring women was wrong. He said Pres. Obama put two women on the supreme court and two out of three of his deputy chief of staffs or something like that were women and it was nothing to sneeze at. He also said that the cabinet was not fully formed yet and Pres. Obama was not done making appointments/nominations and therefore shouldn’t be treated as though he is anti-women.
David Gregory then said that the only positions for women in the cabinet were those like Labor Secretary and that those and mid-cabinet levels weren’t really important. Cory Booker told him point blank to never dismiss any cabinet or mid-cabinet level as not important because as a Mayor he’s not only interested in foreign policy appointments but in domestic policy appointments because those are the cabinet level people he interacts with almost everyday. He made sure Gregory understood that he was a jackass for considering cabinet level positions given to women were unimportant. Gregory didn’t really have a good comeback and kinda shut up when Booker was speaking. It was good to see Cory Booker come out forcefully and rebuke the media concern trolling.
“David Gregory then said that the only positions for women in the cabinet were those like Labor Secretary and that those and mid-cabinet levels weren’t really important.”
NO David, they are just as important as Treasury, SoS and Defense. The Village only cares about war and their taxes so they spend a lot of their focus on the people running those departments. Other cabinet members are just as important. Imagine if the Village gave two shits about climate change or didn’t hate unions/workers? Lisa Jackson and Hilda Solis would have been household names.
Thank you for this summary,UT Austin Liberal? Colin Powell was amazing, and his message was so necessary and so timely. Corey Booker speaking out as he did was equally powerful. Thank God we have a few people who are not afraid to speak out.
Does General Powell tweet; I would like to thank him.
I didn’t read M. Dowd’s column. When I saw the title, I knew it would be putrid. What is WRONG with her? She acts like a woman scorned. Her hatred feels dangerous to me.
I love Me some Bono since the 1980s. Saw them in Concert once. Loved it.
Those were the days.
Saw MJ in 1988. Had seen Diana Ross. Billy idol. Prince, I saw him Twice. Bill Joel. Bob Marley and he died 6-8 months later. Saw James Brown in 1995 or 1996. Saw Def Lepped(sp). David Copperfield….was Not impressed with his show.
I kept shading tears when I watched that the 1st time. The 2nd time too. I am afraid to watch the 3rd time. I was so worried about my Mom then. I was at the hospital that day. She passed 16 days later.
Nena,
My sincere condolences on the loss of your Mom. It’s been 4 years and I’m sure the anniversaries are still extra difficult. Music can bring a person back to a place and time like nothing else and that is a good thing I think; to have that when we are ready.
I’m so sorry about your mom. I’ve not gotten over losing mine and it has been ten years this month. I hate saying it gets easier, ’cause that’s not quite right, but the sadness comes less often as you go on. At least until something bad happens, or you’re scared or sick.
You are so right. Thank you. I know exactly how you feel.
My condolences to you for the loss of your Mom. We only have one Mom. My father passed when I was a child. In two days, would be the anniversary. I knew enough. But it really was not as hard as my mother’s passing. It was like a broken shattered heart. I had no idea that she was dying. Afterwards, her face looked so angelic. It was like she was sleeping.
Thank you for letting me share my thoughts Luna. Thank You so much.
So sorry to hear about your mom, Nena. I know that pain…it subsides, but will never go away. I “talk” to my mom every day. I know that she watches over me. I can feel her here with me. I hope the same goodness for you.
Thanks DF, very much. I smile at her whenever I pass her picture. Then by the time I get upstairs, A tear or two rolls down my cheeks. It never fails. Just like now. Thank you. I am sorry for your pain too.
This was my all-time favorite during the ’09 concert, forus50, especially the pensive look on President Obama’s face as it was caught by the camera during the one part. Thanks for posting it again!
OK…I disabled Java Script but when I tried to post it said “You have already made that comment”…so I enabled it and did the testing thing…I am clueless about this and I can’t find AMK’s explanation…..HELP!…using IE Explorer…
I don’t know…I’m just clueless here….Is it Java or javascript that is the problem? I am totally confused and if I delete both what happens?…Java version 7 update 7
firefox, like internet explorer, is a browser that lets us ‘see’ what’s on the internet. Java Script is a programming language that helps with user interface. You usually don’t have to do anything to Java except keep it updated. I don’t know the details of the problems that you are having, but my guess is that it’s probably not with Java. You probably don’t want to delete java.
You might want to try a different browser, like firefox or chrome. On the surface, they all pretty much look the same, but there are ‘internal’ things that they do differently.
You can download ‘ firefox’ or ‘chrome’ for free. Just put either word in a ‘google’ search. and follow the directions for downloading. Firefox is associated with Mozilla. Chrome is associated with Google.
Also, the basics may also help. Shut everything down. (all the way down. – not a ‘restart’ ) Leave it off for at least 5, maybe 10, minutes. It also helps to have a smart-ass teenager around.. 😆 😆
Thanks all of you very much….not having problems just antsy b/c of the Homeland Security Warning and if I could read I would have realized it was Java…not javascript….uninstalled Java and then tested and it said I had no Java…I’m not sure what Java is used for in the first place…obviously, I can get on here….now if Amazon and my bank account work…I’m good to go……..now….if you all could just help with the mouse droppings I just found in a kitchen drawer you would be my “REAL” heros….using clorox as we speak…EWWWWWW!
Attacking pres Obama…..well, that is what the media loves best. They would rather do that than address the economic disaster that the TBGOPers are once again wishing to bring about.
When the media attacks pres Obama, they always get many far Lefties and the rightwingers to unite for a proper “Obama Trashing Media Fest”. It never fails.
you’d think they’d be bored of it by now. before the election, it had some plausible purpose, of shifting voters’ hearts and minds away from what was so demonstrably true about the president and his policies. now it’s just a bad habit. well, they still want to block pbo’s agenda, but they don’t need the public to help with that–they have the rethug reps who don’t give a fig for the public.
Nope. It has become a sport for them. They earn praises for their bat poop behavior. if the left had a unified one minded media as the right……..with their media mega echo chamber, the Timid MSM would have stopped their insanity against pres Obama. When they attack the right, they get pummeled. The Left? They enjoy dumping of Us.
UT, these so called pretend liberals are absolutely out of the f**kn minds! I think they are so angry because they wanted Mitt Romney to win. Then they would be all over the media gloating about the President loosing because he was, as they so often claim, a carbon copy Republican. I am sorry, but I thoroughly dislike the PL, their emprog followers, and their MSM media enablers. They can whine all they want, but President Obama will still be the President for the next four years. They might as well get used to that reality! Their cowardly plots to undermine and defeat him failed miserably. Their current plans to undermine him and diminish his legacy will also fail because many of us who support him are not going to taken in by their evil games. The Truth is on the side of the President. All these hypocrites attacking everything President Obama does will eventually pay for their dishonesty.
‘ In 2009 while serving as Obama’s chief of staff, Emanuel reportedly told Eric Holder to “shut the f–k up” after the attorney general suggested reinstating the assault weapons ban — which expired in 2004. Emanuel’s profanity-laced frustration with Holder was detailed in Daniel Klaidman’s book, “Kill or Capture.”
Gun-safety groups and political scientists say Emanuel has always had an interest in pushing appropriate gun restrictions. But Emanuel also knows timing is everything in politics, the experts say.
“Based on his political record it would suggest that as Obama’s chief of staff, he made a judgment that emanated more from politics than policy,” said Robert Spitzer, the author of “The Politics of Gun Control” and a professor at the State University of New York at Cortland.
In 2009, Spitzer continued, Emanuel was likely more focused on Obama’s primary goal of passing healthcare reform and calculated that there weren’t enough votes to pass gun laws.
“There’s always an element of Emanuel that has his finger” to the political winds, Spitzer said. Now though, Emanuel “has a constituency that would be supportive to gun control.” ‘
I believe that, if President Obama had even tried to pass gun control legislation in his first term, he would not have been reelected. The crazies are just that crazy and many of them are Dems, too. I would have seconded Rahm’s position at the time he said STFU. It would have been horribly mistimed. Just mho.
Infographic: President Obama’s Judicial Nominees: Historic Successes and Historic Delays
1st Latina on the Supreme Court
1st Openly gay man confirmed to a federal court
1st Women judges of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese descent
1st Supreme Court Justice confirmed with a disability
Of the 22 nominees waiting to be confirmed by the Senate:
9 are women
3 are African American
3 are Asian American
2 are Hispanic
1 is openly gay
Openly gay judges: 4 nominated; 2 confirmed
First female judges in five District courts
President Obama has almost doubled the number of Asian Americans on the bench
Jacqueline Nguyen, waiting for a floor vote since 12/1/11, would be the first ever Asian American woman to serve as a Circuit Court judge[….]
I am not concerned about Diversity in the Cabinet, I think about the multitudes of women addressed by PBO with the Lilly Ledbetter Act, insurance coverage for bith control and on and on. PBO always has what is best for women on his agenda, as if we all were sitting on his cabinet.
The fact of the matter is the Cabinet is still diverse. Yes the Sec. of State position went to a white male. But guess what most of the people whining trashed the distinguished AA woman who was being considered for the position. May be it’s because they wanted a white woman in that position. As for Defense and Treasury, two white men are being replaced by two other white men. The Pres. has not named a replacement for Sec. of Labor so it’s idiotic to try to second guess the person he is likely to appoint. The Cabinet Secretaries of HHS and Dept. of Homeland Security, are still going to be women. The UN ambassador who is a member of the cabinet is still going to be a woman.
I am sick and tired of the hypocrites in the Media like David Gregory pretending to be concerned with diversity. Question for the media: Exactly how many women and people of Color are principal hosts of the so called prestigious Sunday Talk shows?
I see that the question has been raised as to why Colin Powell still considers himself a Republican. From a historical perspective,
that is not unusual since the majority of African-Americans were members of the Republican party after Lincoln signed the Emancipation
Declaration. This remained so right up to FDR, when the Democratic party then started to become the party that reached out and cared
more about African-Americans. Within that context, there are some Black Americans who find it difficult to step out of their family tradition,
although the Republican party no longer looks or acts in any way shape or form like the party of Lincoln. Condi Rice is another example of
this kind of political family heritage,which she has chronicled in her writings. Now I may not agree with, or see any rational reason for these
intelligent,well educated people to hold on to their political ‘roots’, especially with the off -the-deep-end behavior of the current Republican
party, but I can understand the deep link that some people feel because of their family heritage.
Having said that, I look forward to the day when someone like a Colin Powell gets to the point where the ignorance in his party overwhelms
him so much that he says, ENOUGH, and makes a change. In the meantime I do appreciate and thank him for his vocal as well as voting support
of President Obama. I am sure it has contributed to our President’s election on both occasions. Just my 2 cents.
Hope44, Agreed. I don’t understand him remaining with the Republican party but, apparently, it is what he knows. Appears to me he’s not quite really to let them loose.
But, based on his statements today, many in his party are already throwing rocks and name calling ( which is what they do when someone calls them out). Maybe, just maybe he can be the one to bring the majority to their senses. But it’s not likely. They really, really hate it when they are called racists. They double down on the crazy and start to suggest that anyone who disagrees with PBO is called racists by the lefties. I’ve seen such comments today. We can all hope that attitudes change for the better. Our country is racing to the bottom if the extremist attitudes continue.
Bobfr, I want to say thank you for being a voice of thorough reasoning. I’ve copied your letter and made it a Word doc so I could take it with me as a conversation piece and to email it and mostly to keep it so I can read it over and over…..for sanity. 🙂
You are so right, Bobfr. The Supreme Court interpretation is an activist, ideological reading that defies common sense. In 1776, the Founders needed to provide security for it’s citizens as well as preserve a way to enforce the law. There was no standing Army. Today we have the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Naval and Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, ATF, FBI, CIA and the Police.
He is truly trying to incite an assassination with his “no one can stop Obama” meme and the juxtaposition to the already extent “he’s gonna come get your guns” meme. Is there ANYTHING to be done about that fat turd????
I am going to be watching the inauguration from home on my sofa.
I do not have cable but I was wondering out of all the local channels: NBC, CBS, ABC, ….
which one has the most tolerable / least annoying commentary. I would prefer to watch with commentary so I can learn whats going on and historical facts etc but any input will be appreciated.
But Bobfr, she wants commentaries. White House and C-SPAN would not have commentaries.
I say….ABC or CBS. That would be suggestion.
Although, NBC now has Micheal Besch-something as a contributor. And Doris G. always comes to NBC….so they may do the Inauguration justice.
Say Luna, try them all initially and check out their contributors. Historians……Real Historians are who would tell Us what are going on. I prefer to watch C-SPAN for I don’t like commentaries during Historical events.
“I prefer to watch C-SPAN for I don’t like commentaries during Historical events.”
I feel the same way. Like you, I will be watching the Inauguration on C-SPAN. I just can’t stand listening to all those media pundits who are so full of themselves and seem to be focused on commenting on the most trivial events/issues. Now and then the media may have respectable historians offering valuable commentaries with insights. For the most part, however, the media relies on pundits who know very little history and are much more interested in spreading mythology and sensationalism. Obviously, since I’ve been boycotting electronic media, beginning in 2009, I wouldn’t know how to help Luna. The fact that you are a TODer, I respect your suggestion that “ABC or CBS” may be the most tolerable. I hope Luna watches them with a critical eye.
Agree PBS. The self-important Brian Williams will always insert himself in NBC’s coverage.
Recently we have watched ABC news in the evening, it is actually tolerable. Jonathan Karl their new White House correspondent gives actual news without opinion or sneers, and Martha Raddatz is very good on foreign affairs. Diane Sawyer is a bit unctuous, but her choices for news are real news. She’s been very complete on the flu outbreak and what’s going on.
On the weekends we like David Muir on ABC. Like all the channels they do quite a bit of advertising their other network programs. That irritates me.
Last year I watched ABC from the first hour to the last hours of the balls and found it very tolerable (I do not have cable either). Since I watch PBS for everything else, I’ll probably switch between the 2 to see which i prefer.
I have something to say that will probably release a firestorm but here it goes…..I personally think that Colin Powell is a good man, always has been, always will be…Who knows what went down but guessing, I would say he probably was lied to just as George Bush was lied to…that’s not excusing GB b/c ultimately the buck stops with him but he was put in the Presidential spot by the “Powers” that be in R party, spearheaded by his Father…He knew that was how he got elected and couldn’t buck them….or thought he had the support to do so…remember his administration was a redux of his Fathers….Cheney, Rumsfeld et al…..I don’t even think that GB is a bad man, just a weak man….not curious enough to find out the facts……just a “good ole boy” Figurehead for the evil powers that be that controled the White House…..I understand how CP could make the statement about being raised a Republican just as I understand how my cousin makes the statement that she was raised a Democrat and will die a Democrat as she complains about Democratic policies…but she votes D everytime so I keep my mouth shut…..It’s a lot different than it was 50 yrs ago and party loyalty is part of older people’s heritage…..Thank heavens my heritage was D, although, living in NC I have entertained the idea of registering as independent b/c of the “WEAK” D’s in this state….just look at what they have allowed to happen here….completely controlled by R’s for first time in history….
Kathryn, it is never as cut and dried as we’d like it to be and I, for one, appreciate your statement. That’s what I actually love about TOD… so many decades of opinions and experience are collected and expressed amicably. I personally LOVE the statement that “This is not your Father or Grandfather’s Republican Party,” and I will never believe some (now deceased) Republican members of my family would be a part of this hot mess of Rethugs. And, looking back, I can see how they might look with love at President Obama and say, “Thankfully, the same is true of the Democratic Party with him as its leader.”
On January 11, 2013, French forces conducted an operation in Somalia in which they attempted to rescue a French citizen being held hostage by al-Shabaab. United States forces provided limited technical support to the French forces in that operation, but took no direct part in the assault on the compound where it was believed the French citizen was being held hostage. United States combat aircraft briefly entered Somali airspace to support the rescue operation, if needed. These aircraft did not employ weapons during the operation. The U.S. forces that supported this operation left Somalia by approximately 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 11, 2013.
I directed U.S. forces to support this rescue operation in furtherance of U.S. national security interests, and pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.
I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action.
My 2 cents on Collin Powell. Respected him until he went in front of UN. But I got over that. He’s saying the right things now. But he wrote a book and was interview on Daily Show. Lost a little more respect for him. Sorry I’m late to post, but I have the flu bug. Hope it’s ok o post links to the Daily Show. It has to do with Reagan. It’s been awhile. Collin Powell
In the 15 minute interview, Powell also recounted lessons he learned from President Reagan, one of which centered on the president watching squirrels find nuts he had placed on the White House lawn. http://theobamadiary.com/2013/01/12/rise-and-shine-399/#comment-613516 http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-12-2012/exclusive—colin-powell-extended-interview-pt–2?xrs=share_copy
My shallow Golden Globes comment on dresses is—-will be glad when fishtail dresses fade out of glory—ug and awkward looking. And I cannot look at Al Roker any more without thinking poopy pants at the WH—–what in the world was he thinking in wanting to share that with the world????? Yikes! Judgment challenged.
That is the only show that I watch. I was not impressed or should I say that I was totally confused as to how the Queen of Hearts got to the Town in New England……StoryBook. It was not making sense to me. So I will be taping today show and watch it tomorrow.
Obama White House.gov
The Obama Diary 
me?
I coulda been a contendah! Congrats!
WhA??
You! Hiya Desertflower!!
Hiya back at ya! 🙂 Morning, Chipster:)
MoooOOOoooOOOooooOOOoooOOOoooooorning Desertflower!
Just me and General Powell! Good company:)
Three’s company. 🙂
We count too, us late flying birdies! Hey, you lot woke me up at 5:00 this morning when Rise and Shine launched, and believe me, I really need that beauty sleep! 😉
Too bad he did not mention Sununu and the half term governor by name.
Sununu, Trump, Fox, Conservative talk radio, I could go on and on.
And Willard himself with his statement about people knowing where he was born.
You mean to tell me that dope David Gregory remain silent while Rev. General Powell preach the truth about that racists Republican Party. Thank you Chipsticks.
Dowd is another piece of crap I can’t stand, it seem to me these Progressives Liberals who don’t think this President have done all they want him to do, cook this whole mess up about not hiring women.
H/t Balloon Juice:
http://www.nytexaminer.com/2012/11/black-girls-cant-govern-maureen-dowd/
Meanwhile, Dowd masks and bolsters the Republicans’ unfounded accusations. If Dowd thinks the intelligence community was too cautious in its initial assessment, or too opaque in its early releases to the public, why doesn’t she say so? Instead of faulting the authors of the talking points – you know, older white guys like former CIA director David Petraeus and NSA Director James Clapper – she fingers the spokeswoman. Just like John McCain & Lindsey Graham, Dowd blames the messenger. And just like McCain and Graham, Dowd relies on phony assertions to do so. Indeed, Dowd cannot criticize McCain and Graham because she’s fishing in the same cesspool of half-truths and innuendo favored by the Old White Boys’ Resentment Club. Not surprisingly, Dowd catches the same variety of sexist, racist carp the GOP anglers so commonly nab bare-handed.
“she’s fishing in the same cesspool of half-truths and innuendo favored by the Old White Boys’ Resentment Club.”
Perfect. She’s a hateful piece of crap. Thanks Desertflower.
Well done Alice…
I loathe Maureen Dowd…
But I think that’s she’s not ever worthy of a response and only does these offensive write-ups to get noticed…
She’s such a sorry, pathetic, unloved, twisted soul…
I am lucky because I can’t even get a mental picture of this woman. She can’t be as ugly as what I know of her from the comments here or she would never get on TV… or is she on TV? Yuk!
A COMMISSION?? I thought they HATED the idea of commissions! I thought that this was what VP Biden JUST DID!!
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/manchin-mccain-to-introduce-bill-to-create-mass
Ugh. I can’t read that. But if McCain wants to form a commission, it’s because he has nowhere else to sit in the Senate behind a microphone. Didn’t he time-out on his committee assignments there? Go home, McCain. Begone, Manchin.
Exactly right, Job! He’s just trying to stay relevant. He’s the biggest waste of a senate seat ever. WAY past his time!
Ghost of Too Many Irrelevant Christmases Past (although I don’t want to waste a good holiday, coming up with a bad term for McCain!).
seriously. too little too late. VPJoe’s already done the work and didn’t need a flipping “bill”
Exactly. Multiply what VPJoe has gotten done in such a short time by the number of weeks House Republicans want to sit back in their districts, and think what we could get done in this country about so many real issues – affecting all of us. SMDH.
This is just a big stall tactic… let’s stall until PBO is out of office! What a joke he would be in charge of some commission,,, self-aggrandizing again.
Shorter Shorter Cory Booker to Andrea Mitchell: “Baby Girl you need to have your wig snatched off for saying some silly shit like that.”
Gen. Colin Powell was just fantastic on MTP. Here’s a taste and if you missed the whole interview, it airs again on MSNBC at 2PM ET / 1PM CT.
How is it that Colin Powell is a Republican. I think he is actually just a conservative Democrat. He seems to be on the right side of things, needing better education, needing to help the poor. But I guess it’s good to have him as a self-labeled Repub so that maybe some will follow his lead in being more moderate and REASONABLE!!
Those may be his goals but he may disagree on how to get there.
He was Republican enough to lie about WMDs before the UN. I forgive him for that, but if he says he’s a Republican, I have no reason to not believe him. He voted for Shrub twice — that’s pretty darn Republican to me.
Chips. I’m in moderation. Help. Thank you.
Yikes, found ya and freed ya UT!! Thanks for the brilliant tweets.
“I’m a republican. That’s how I was raised.” – What does that even mean?
It means that from infancy they have been taught (indoctrinated) not to think for themselves
Of course, in his case…he IS thinking for himself and he doesn’t like what he sees. His party left HIM, he didn’t leave his party. There is no room for moderate, thoughtful Republicans anymore. He is expressing his angst with the direction his lifelong party has taken, and if they keep this up, I have no doubt that he will be forced to become a Democrat. Happening more and more.
They need to let this Republican party die. Start a new Conservative party that stands for real conservative ideas, and abandons the extremes, racists and deranged, uneducated, hateful loons.
My inner voice is telling me it means republicans raise their children to be self-sufficient and liberals don’t. I sure would love to see some numbers on that. I’m surrounded by liberal-minded young adults who possess an impressive work ethic and work full time, while simultaneously working on advanced degrees, maintaining their homes and family obligations. They are socially active, culturally savvy and politically plugged-in. I do not fear the future for knowing them.
I think a great many AA. before the 1960’s, when Gen. Powell was growing up, were still Republicans. This is the time when the Democratic party was dominated by Southern Democrats, better known as the Dixiecrats. Gen. Powell should know by now that the Party of Eisenhower is now dominated by former Dixiecrats. He should know that it’s beyond saving.
I think he meant, as with religion, some grow up in households and adopt the religious and political affiliations of their parents. When General Powell was growing up in New York the Republican party was respectable and until Richard Nixon was in many ways the party of civil rights. His loyal support of PBO and his criticism of the GOP indicates he thinks for himself. Anyway, I think that was his point.
I agree, Bill. The Republican Party of his parents’ generation was a totally different party.
Until Barry Goldwater, you mean.
I was thinking of Nixon’s southern strategy.
You’re correct, and I also think he feels some loyalty to the Republican party for some of the milestones he reached in his career. Nevermind that he was just a token, like most minorities in that party, but I think as a soldier, he thinks he owes them for the support they gave him. I understand it in a way, but if it were me, and they USED me like they did him with that WMD report when they wanted to start the Iraq war, I would have left that party in a heartbeat. That would have been the last straw for me. You don’t throw people you respect under the bus like that and abandon them.
That’s why I like to think this is Powell’s subtle way of getting back at them–publicly endorsing Pres. Obama TWICE, and mentioning it every time he gets a chance.
Exactly. How do you grow up to be a lifelong Republican. It is a word that supposedly has core beliefs attached to it. If those don’t exist, how can you still be a Republican?
The Republican party was not always this bad! Some of the major champions for equality were Republicans. Some of the most ugly racists who were opposed to equality were Democrats. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act would never have been enacted without Republican support. The vast majority of Southern Democrats in Congress opposed them. Please give Gen. Powell some slack!
My parent voted Democratic and followed Democratic candidates all my life….that does not make me a “born” and “raised” Democrat however many people believe or are taught to think that way. When I turned 18yrs old and had to pick a party I chose the party that most represented my values and that I was also familiar with. If my parents voted Republican and followed Republican candidates, I could not see myself being a Republican. I was a student, I was poor, I believed in helping others, I believed in being self sufficient, standing on my own two feet, and being responsible which are also Democratic values.
He needs a new word for how he was raised (like maybe “Responsible”) – sounds like he was raised to be reasonable, looking to serve the whole community of the country, and ensuring that govt is as clean, responsible, and accountable as possible. Maybe GOP used to be that way in the past, but that is NOT the GOP today!
But if Powell meant he was raised to be responsible, or even reasonable, but instead chose to say he was “raised a republican” what I hear from that comment is Democrats are not raised to be responsible or reasonable. Anyway, I thought it was a very telling comment and it hit a nerve with me.
A lot of people belong to a political party because their parents were Democrats or Republicans. And their parents before them and their parents before them, etc. Its like a family tradition or heirloom. This is why I would love for Dems to put out a campaign saying, “this ain’t your father’s Republican’s party”. VP Joe did it once at a rally. Wish the whole party had started saying it.
Gen. Colin Powell was just fantastic on MTP. Here’s a taste and if you missed the whole interview, it airs again on MSNBC at 2PM ET / 1PM CT.
OT, but, I have spent part of the morning going down the memory lane of some of PBO’s accomplishments, the many promises that he has kept, and the many, seemingly disparate lives that he has touched. He is such a decent man who means what he says. This is so rare in politics that we must be a bit more forgiving of those who are so cynical and those who appear to be so negative about him. I think part of it is self-defense; some people fear that they will get their hearts broken; that they will look like naive chumps if they show that they believe I what they see in PBO, that they have faith in him. I think about how many say after meeting him, that he is so real; that talking with him is like talking to a neighbor or a family member; that what you see about him is really what you get. Of course, I am not talking about the professional for profit haters, or the never to be re-constructed racists, but for most other doubters, but about the regular reasonable citizen who may still have doubts. Sites like this one and the conversations that we all have with friends, co-workers and family members are helping to get the word out about PBO and his admin., but the willful ignorance is still rather daunting at times. Some of my 12 th grade A-A students, as recently as two weeks ago saiid that they thought PBO was a Muslim. I set them straight, but I was appalled by their ignorance. I know this sounds a bit disjointed, but I just needed to try to write out what I was feeling.
Not disjointed at all…
Made a lot of sense…
Thanks, Chi.
You write a lot better than I do. I frequently have so much to say here, but can’t express myself very well, so I just stick to short sentences. There are so many amazing writers like LL and Bobfr, utaustinliberal, etc who perfectly express my own thoughts that I sometimes forget I should try to express my own voice as well. We all learn from each other that way and can reach out to the many different people that cross our paths. I believe that is how we the people helped this AMAZING president win re-election.
Thanks, Betsy. I often write in short, simple sentences as well, mostly in reaction to what others have said. Being in the “amen corner” has value as well. It encourages the posters and lets the lurkers know that many are in agreement with the ideas expressed. Affirmation= encouragement=action.
Yes!
Not disjointed at all, Ceb. You made yourself perfectly clear, and I think that what you say is probably a little bit true. Over the years we have been lead to believe that govt can’t work for the people…that we should be cynical and not expect too much….which is exactly what the RW has ALWAYS wanted. PBO set all that bs on its head. The RW is terrified of him because they know that if he succeeds in redefining the govt’s role to average Americans, with strong, common sense solutions to problems that they have either exacerbated or kicked down the road and left to get worse because they didn’t want to do the hard work of actually governing, FOR THE PEOPLE, then he will have exposed the Republican party, and defined the Republicans, for what they really are. They have managed to keep Americans sufficiently “snowed” for decades. This President is exposing “the men behind the curtain” more and more. They realize that with 4 more years…they will be fully exposed as the corporate, racist, xenophobic, money grubbing ideologues that they really are. THIS ALONE, to my way of thinking, will become part of PBO’s lasting legacy as well as all the other important and significant accomplishments of his 8 years in office. He always said that this was bigger than him…I see this as part of that statement of changing the way people look at their govt. After this has been exposed, unless they change their path, the power they seek will elude them all for decades to come…while each successive year they are out of office, will allow Dems to put forth common sense solutions based on equality and fairness, that will redeem govt in the eyes of Americans….THIS is what they fear the most.
In the meantime…you need to use your stature as an educator to spread the truth about the role of govt in society and get those students to engage in their democracy so that it works FOR them, not against them. Ever again. Muslim? Really? That’s sad. Being a Muslim isn’t sad, that’s fine…but in reference to PBO? Good grief.
Stepped away from the computer for a short time after my last comment. I just saw your response; thanks for your commentary. As for educating my students about engaging in democracy, I do this quite a bit. We weave politics into almost every thing we are reading (I teach language Arts) and they were fully engaged (and many were old enough to vote) during the last election cycle. We watched and discussed the debates and two of their upcoming projects relate to the Inauguration and the upcoming State of the Union address.
Love what you said here Ceb
Thanks, Sayyida.
It would have been even more historic if the country had elected, and then re-elected a Muslim man – especially when most of the country has been taught to fear Muslims, and to think all Muslims are terrorists, ignoring the fact that many peace-loving Muslims live in their own country and are as horrified by the violence perpetrated here by people from many different races and religions. It’s great and historic that an African-American man was elected and re-elected, and if the country had elected and re-elected a Muslim, then we’d be even further along than we are because it would mean that even more people had been disabused of their prejudice towards a religion they scarcely understand.
The real prize with President Obama is, as you said, that a good person was elected and re-elected – that’s almost more surprising than the fact that he’s African American since individuals do not play a role in choosing their race, whatever it is. But, we do choose who we will be, what kind of character we will have, what level of integrity we will possess and the standard to which we will hold ourselves. We’re lucky to have someone like President Obama, who makes us believe in the virtue and ideal of public office, in the reward for choosing right over wrong and maintaining a higher standard. That’s the type of person who is a model for all people, all religions, all walks of life. And that really is a valuable lesson to impart to your students.
Give me a break! The baseball hall of fame is already filled with crooks liars, cheats and racists. So spare these sanctimonious sports writers who now all of a sudden want to act like that the smells emanating from their rotted bile smell like fresh cut flowers.
I heard Ty Cobb was a racists.
That and more. One of the most unpleasant people you’ve never met. Nobody — and I mean NOBODY liked him because he was such a mean and worthless human being.
The sports writers who are tasked with selecting members of the Hall of Fame make their decisions without input from anyone else. They’ve chosen — for whatever reasons — to not admit Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemons, all suspected/confirmed “juicers.” All four of these guys were phenomenal players but then so was Pete Rose, excluded for gambling.
Gen. Colin Powell was great on MTP this morning. He spoke hard truths to the GOP and he let them know that if they are going to have a future, they need to drop the whole birther movement and take up immigration reform, climate change, and education. He advised them to stop alienating minorities because the demographics of the country is changing rapidly and they are being left behind. On the birther movement, he advised the senior republicans to stop tolerating that kind of discussion in the party and said the party needs to take a look at itself.
He talked about John Sununu calling Pres. Obama “lazy” after the first debate and said that African-Americans knew exactly what Sununu meant because he didn’t say Pres. Obama was tired or he didn’t do well, he called the President of the United States “lazy.” He said the GOP looks down on minorities and it is very obvious to minorities that the GOP only pretends to care for them when they need votes during an election year.
If the GOP was wise, they would heed his advice but knowing them, they’re just going to chuck it all away. Heh….more progress for the Democrats.
Gen. Powell is giving the talking heads something to talk about next week. 🙂
True UT. If they were wise they would listen to Gen. Powell. But they won’t. John McCain is already on some commission seeking hoopla for mass violence (see DF up thread). They’ll go off in their own tangents like McCain and never hear the truth.
Indeed…
You do know them well…
thx Chi! Back to chores. 🙂
Poor Alice, your life is chore-jammed! 😆
baby there is no rest fer the wicked – bwa hahahaha 😉
I’m baaaacckkk!
Too bad he had to sit across the table from Gregory.
Good west coast morning to Chips and everyone. I slept through all of this goodness this morning. Gen. Powell was spot on. I will definitely watch MTP when it airs again.
I’m predicting that the gang on “Morose Joe” tomorrow will not be happy that Gen. Colin Powell laid bare the disease of racism that permeates the Republican Party.
General Powell spoke the truth that needed to be said about his party. It will be very difficult to refute anything he said. No one on the rwnj MTP panel tried. His comments were big.
Maybe those who want to distance themselves from the crazies will break free and follow Colin Powell’s lead. The handful of sane Republicans left will need to reform their party and separate from those who have taken the party hostage. The Republican Party is too far gone to repair.
“The Republican Party is too far gone to repair.” That’s exactly the way I feel, Theo! Bless his heart, Gen. Powell is still talking as if it’s possible to rescue the party. The way the GOP is treating Chuck Hagel, who is even more conservative than Gen. Powell, is evidence of the extremism of the current Republican party.
Didn’t the Republicans say they’d rather have Donald Trump or Rush Limbaugh (can’t remember which reprehensible blowhard it was) over Colin Powell last time Colin Powell made his feelings known?
I appreciate any truths Colin Powell was able to expose on MTP, but anyone who could be a “lifelong Republican”, be so divested in that political mindset, and whose false testimony was the final nail in the decision to go to war in Iraq, with all that resulting cost in lives and treasure, is no hero in my book.
And that’s the dichotomy of Gen. Powell, and how do we separate the man from his actions. Today’s Gen. Powell is so very different from the Gen. Powell that went before the United Nations and lead us down a path to a war based on lies.
Maybe the Gen. Powell of today is trying to wash away the sins of yesterday’s Gen. Powell.
Do you believe he knew his UN presentation was false? I have mixed feelings about that horrible episode. Hillary, John Kerry, and Joe Biden appeared to believe it also. In the long run it is one of the many reasons PBO is President.
Either he knew it was false and lied to the UN and the rest of us. Or he didn’t know it was false but stayed in the administration after he discovered they’d lied to him.
Neither scenario reflects well on him.
He knew what kind of liars and evil people he’d crawled into bed with, and he was fine to take the country down that path – he even reminded people today that he voted for George W. Bush twice – even after he knew that they had lied this country into an illegal war and had been torturing people. He really doesn’t have a great deal of credibility left, but what little he does, at least he’s putting out a call for sane Republicans to take their country back from the edge, and he’s admitted that he voted for President Obama twice.
I respect General Powell. There were Democrats who supported the Iraq war, like Hillary Clinton.
But they didn’t lie to the UN as part of the admin’s effort to justify an unjustifiable war.
Hillary still supported the U.S. invading Iraq, putting our men and women in harms way.
She did, lots of Democrats did, but most/all of them probably believed the admin’s ‘weapons of mass destruction’ lies – I’d like to think if she, or any of them, was in power at the time, with access to non-neocon ‘intelligence’, the lie would never have got off the ground and the war would never have happened.
I believe Hillary said she never read the entire intelligence report. She has done a good job as SOS, but considering her ham-fisted job on health care under her husband’s administration, her Iraq vote, and her horrible 2008 campaign I would prefer someone else in 2016.
I’m still torn on Hillary 2016, Bill – which I’m sure will upset her! I genuinely admire the way she has worked with PBO, after all the campaign bitterness (mainly stoked by her husband, of course!), but I’m not sure I’ll ever truly warm to the idea of her being President, I still have my doubts too. I retain a decidedly soft spot for Martin O’Malley, but he might have better things to do in 2016! Besides, I hate even talking about the next election, there are four beautiful years before then!
Thanks for good summary on Hill/Bill! It remains to be seen how good a job she did as SOS! No one talks about the work Amb Rice has done to support Hillary’s work. All of the groundwork that Amb Rice puts in place in cooperation with State department.
So many of the people I admire greatly have done things that I seriously disagree with, Roosevelt and Lincoln to name two. I respect Colin Powell but like the rest of us he is not perfect. How do we reconcile the good things he has done and the bad? I don’t know why he still identifies with the Republican party. Maybe I just have to meet him in the moment and listen to what he is saying and appreciate it when he says things I agree with. I appreciate his support of President Obama so much. I appreciate the things he is saying now, so glad that a respect voice from inside the party is saying them. They do not negate the bad actions of taking us to war, but the bad actions do not negate the good he is doing either. That’s how I have sort of come to terms with it, anyway.
I kind of feel the same Dotster, I find it impossible to reconcile the good and honest Powell with his past – or the fact that he remains in the GOP. (I know there’s an argument that ‘decent’ GOPers should stay and fight from within to remove the madness, but surely it reaches a point where it’s time to pack up and leave, like Crist?). I’ll never forget his endorsement of PBO the first time or how he spoke up for Muslims in the military, I couldn’t but admire him, but, as you said, he also contributed to thousands of lives being lost, for no good reason at all. And that’s hard to forgive.
Well said Chips.
One thing that is so good about the Obama Diary is we can agree to disagree without attacking one another. I am sure Gen. Powell regrets what occur at the UN, and as a man who have fought in war, I’m sure the lost of lives matter to him also. But there is one person who made the decision to invade Iraq and it is George W. Bush.
I think Bush had very little to do with it to be honest, it was the neocons who pushed for it, and Powell – whether wittingly or not – helped facilitate them. There’s blood, lots of it, on all their hands, American and Iraqi.
If GWB was against the war we would not have gone to war – regardless of what Powell thought. On the other hand, Powell should be held accountable for his positions at that time and the consequences of those positions. But there is no way I’m letting GWB off the hook here.
I don’t know Hopefruit, there’s been a lot of revisionism about GWB, that he wasn’t as stupid as he was made out to be – but I honestly never believed he was the key player in that admin, I think others made the big decisions, including going to war, and he just signed off on them. That’s not to excuse him, but I don’t think he was the warmongering idealogue that his buddies were.
You may be right about his not being the key player in terms of specific Iraq-related decisions. However, the fact that he ran for POTUS knowing that he wasn’t up to a task that involved making complex decisions with huge implications for the country’s vitality and people’s lives, suggests a complete lack of personal integrity and ethics on his part. Thus he is 100% accountable for his actions or non-actions here.
Tis.
Damn IPAD! I meant to write THIS^^^^^
Betsy, I hadn’t looked at the site in ages on my iPad until last night – sheesh, it’s seriously glitchy! On the ‘A good sport’ post, for example, a lot of the captions were muddled, ie over the wrong photos. How on earth does that happen??
You re asking a person who can barely type a response without a mistake. I have no clue 🙂
😆 We are sisters Betsy, definitely!!!
I respectfully disagree! Bush was as much invested in invading Iraq as were many of his advisors! There are few things that Bush did right, such as his position on immigration, that went against the dogma of his party.This shows that he could stand up against his party. Besides, some of his father’s reputable advisors, like former Sec, of State, James Baker were against the Iraq invasion, but G.W. Bush ignored their advice.
I think GWB had debts to settle from his Dad’s administration with Sadam Hussein and used 9/11 as an excuse to go after him in Iraq. I do not think he was all that innocent. I don’t think he was hard working or hands-on. I think he purposely let the Neocons rule.
From what I have seen and read of Colin Powell he was constantly questioning and arguing with Cheney’s side and lost most battles there. He believed the reports given him. He hated having been mislead and used to sell the American people on the war then used as a scapegoat. He left demoralized, humiliated, and regretting his part in the war. I forgive those that admit to errors.
I am torn about Hillary. I see her as a hardworking person that wants to contribute to her country, but I really don’t see her as the POTUS. I hated the way she ran her campaign and was willing to use her daughter in her lie about being under fire on the runway. A little thing but very telling. I sae Hillary’s time in the Senate as her being a hard worker fulfilling all the expected duties and fitting into the expected role of a Senator. I also see her time as SOS as working hard and doing what was expected of her. The First Lady role played in the push for Health Care also showed her lack of political prowess in not involving her own side. She has developed since then but I don’t see her as a person that steps out of the box to lead in unexpected ways. Maybe PBO will be a hard act to follow for anyone. I almost see Biden as better than Hillary as a Presidential candidate.
OG, I tend to agree with you about Hilary, OG. Although I want the first female president to be a Democrat and I want it to come soon, I’ve never had warm feelings about Hilary. If Biden were younger, he would be unbeatable in 2016. But his age will be used as a stick to
beat him with and it will be tough on him. Biden would be the true heir of the Obama legacy. Hilary has time to refashion herself if she really wants the presidency, so let’s see how she does. I would vote for Duval Patrick or Martin O’Malley in a heartbeat. But at this point I just want our guy to be officially inaugurated and have a successful second term before I get too much anxiety about the next presidential election. If we can get Democrats to come out in force in off year elections, I’ll be singing hallelujahs.
Indeed, ObamaG. My thoughts are along the same lines as yours. GWB had his own motivations for allowing the Iraq War – some of which had nothing to do with the health and well-being of the country in general.
“From what I have seen and read of Colin Powell he was constantly questioning and arguing with Cheney’s side and lost most battles there. He believed the reports given him. He hated having been mislead and used to sell the American people on the war then used as a scapegoat. He left demoralized, humiliated, and regretting his part in the war. I forgive those that admit to errors. ”
I agree with this statement 100000000%
George W. only made the decision after Dick Cheney told him it was OK.
Sorry, but I’m not fooled by GWB’s “Oh I’m just a stupid naive southern boy” schtick. He SELECTED Cheney as his running mate. He was the decider. And he was a “yes” man, selecting people who agreed with his positions. If you dared oppose GWB – whether in the MSM or elsewhere, you were quickly deemed unpatriotic and un-American.
“He SELECTED Cheney.”
I always suspected the GOP powers-that-be selected Cheney, Hopefruit, my hunch was that GWB just did what he was told. I reckoned they saw him as Reagan-lite, a folksy front-man who would just sit around the WH watching TV and choking on pretzels while they looked after ‘business’.
I read while he was Governor of Texas he flew to California to be “interviewed” by George Shultz, and Shultz said he is our man.
Ah, really Bill? Gee, thank you Mr Shultz.
Cheney picked HIMSELF as VP and GWB and his handlers agreed with the decision. GWB did NOT listen to his father and brother. I do not believe Pappy and Jeb had much input on the “Decider”. GWB thought being President was going to be EXACTLY like Reagan who he admired more than his Dad. GWB wanted someone else to run the day-to-day operations and let Cheney and other make the tough decisions. In his last year when the country was stuck in TWO WARS and the Financial Industry was collapsing, GWB decided to let the next President clean up the mess and he stopped listening to Cheney.
Exactly my impression—-he went on daily bike rides, took a daily nap, went to bed at 8:30—–he was about as far away from being a “decider” as you could get. He was just a puppet.
“daily bike rides, took a daily nap, went to bed at 8:30”
That sounds very similar to Honest Toddler’s schedule…
I do not believe he thought or said he was stupid. He liked the idea of being POTUS, was very lazy, and wanted someone else to do the work. He would leave in the middle of the day during the week to ride his bike. Especially after 9/11 things were more difficult than he ever thought. He even once said that being POTUS was hard. He never had to carry his own weight in his life and was willing to let Cheney push him around while he played.
“He liked the idea of being POTUS, was very lazy”
In other words he was corrupt and lacked integrity. Running for POTUS was a game to him with personal benefits that included a life of comfort and security, while allowing other unscrupulous players to pull his strings. All I have to say is thank goodness our current President does not allow craven opportunists on either side of the political spectrum to significantly interfere with his decision making when it comes to the country’s health and people’s lives.
Just thought I’d remind everyone of the forgotten Manning Memos. The story broke in The British Sunday Times about the classified notes from a secretive meeting between GWB and Tony Blair detailing plans to invade Iraq. They were planning to justify an invasion by hyping terrorism and WMD’s, which they admitted they knew didn’t exist, but they fashioned intelligence and facts around policy. The story was a hot media item in the U.S. for about ten minutes. I tried to find a link…most reports have disappeared from the internet:
http://downingstreetmemo.com/memos.html
As for Colin Powell, they lied to him. It was only after he made the statement at the UN that he began to suspect as much. In other words, they set him up. The question is why he remains loyal to a party that used him in such a despicable way. But then, think about where Bush placed minorities…Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice and a Latino to justify torture.
Agree with you Bill.
Yes, please do not forget or ever forgive the actions and words of Dick Cheney, the most diabolical person I think I have ever known to be in our political arena. The fact that he is still living scares me. And I hate Liz Cheney and the use of her as some kind of informed spokesperson to propel her father’s propaganda. Cheney was powerful and how powerful we may never know.
I think this is very simplistic!
Yes, I feel much the same way. I’ve always admired him but when the Iraq War went down, his support of W and Rumsfeld and the rest of those lying idiots infuriated me. And then the Big Lie to top things off. I greatly appreciate his outspoken support of PBO but I can’t for the life of me understand the rest of it.
powerful.
Thank you, Chips, and everyone for your support of the letter to President Obama and VP Biden. Several have asked about copying the letter, tweeting it, etc – please, do anything with it you think might be helpful. I have zero pride of authorship, require no attribution for what I post here and on twitter. It is all to serve, as a citizen, whomever I can.
Yes We Can
gotchez. awesomesauce Bob. This is great. I said on the last thread what a great way to rethink this amendment for today’s times. I never thought of “well regulated” in these terms but it makes total sense.
Bob, in their zest and zeal to defend the 2nd Amendment the gun nuts love saying “A well regulated militia.” Well then President Obama should “Regulate” their asses real well. I say when it comes to guns you can’t have enough regulation.
Lootenant your letter gave me the “Chris Matthews”. Spot on matey! 😀
excellent Meta
Superb, meta!! Thank you!!!
Um, no. Thank you!!
Excellent tweets, meta!
Bravo, Citizen Bobfr!
Hello! Chips, I got stuck at “You’re Beautiful” and just couldn’t make it here quickly enough! Kept replaying it for my “easy like Sunday morning,” hah! That’s what I do on Sunday mornings — revisit all your vids, again & again.
I’m glad Powell is speaking out. It does take a while to recuse oneself from long lived mindset. It seems to me that he’s taking steps & making his own choices in what his future affiliations will be. I think he’s definitely reached the t-junction of his personal journey. He was burned by Dubya et. al — notice he mentioned Bush I, not son. Anyhoo, thanks for posting that vid because I surely can’t watch Gregory Uggh! 🙂
Now back to the 2012 monthly vids ! 🙂
Totally off topic but could a computer guru weigh in, please. “Java script” same as the java I’m supposed to disable? What exactly is Java anyway?
Computer extra-lightweight here, but AMK said this to Judith previously ….. Hope it makes sense to you. I’m still fumbling on what to do.
Java & JavaScript are not the same. It’s the former that is having security issues and that should be removed. JavaScript is needed for login etc. So you can enable it.
Firefox, by default, does not allow Java.
Here is a useful firefox addon I use for switching on/off java, JavaScript, flash player, animated images etc.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/quickjava/?src=userprofile
Thanks. I noticed that Java was not enabled on Firefox. I use Chrome at work and have it on the home computer and I’ve disabled it on Chrome.
I turned off Java script on my tablet and was having all kinds of problems on my tablet so I’ll enable that.
Still don’t know what ‘Java’ is supposed to do.
Thanks, vcprezofan2. This was extremely helpful.
ok chore time. blah. catch yez all later!
Say on, say on, say on, General Powell!!!!
The media is making it out line it’s ok to hit the debt limit and only pay most of our bills.
This is dangerous, the while system would collapse, which is what they want, to begin with, they dint like the United States, they want the Confederate States. Always have, and just see this debt ceiling as another opportunity to destroy America. Not all, but enough to mess it up for all of us.
This is a very serious situation, I at least expect a government shut down, it’s their ideology, leverage or no leverage, thru hate the Federal Government.
Jovie will veterans get paid if the gov’t shuts down? I know that current fed employees won’t get paid.
Make sure Congress don’t get paid. They shouldn’t anyway, they haven’t done a dam thing to earn it.
I say we shut down the states whose congressmen don’t vote for the debt ceiling……then they will get off this nonsense. They won’t let that happen because they want to get paid.
Great idea.
Amen. These are debts already incurred — not future debts, so I don’t understand this “we’re not paying” nonsense. Hope President Obama stands firm in not negotiating with these idiots.
Jojothecat, I like your idea! No payments should be made to people who receive federal aid in all Congressional districts whose Representatives in the House vote against raising the debt ceiling. All members of Congress who vote against raising the debt ceiling should not be paid, and the funds to run their Congressional offices (that’s both the Senate and the House), as well as their medical benefits should be stopped. This would leave us enough money to run the rest of the country that elected sane people.
Chipsticks! Thank you for making this possible to go far & wide!!!
Helloooooooo GGail, all I did was copy and paste! 🙂 It’s great, though, the more who see it the better!
Chips ahoy, has Amk contacted you yet about sending the plane to pick you up for the Inauguration? He can’t make it unfortunately, but he has expressed willingness to negotiate on your behalf. What do you think? We even came up with a valid reason for your boss – FAMILY emergency.
😆 I’ll forward your message to the boss VC! And if that doesn’t work, I’ll set Amk on him!!
It feels so GOOD TO HAVE A STRATEGY in place, doesn’t it? I’m feeling quite optimistic that boss man will see reason.
Senator Blumenthal says he is not comfortable with Hagel.
Well, I am not comfortable with any Senator in the US Congress…
😆
Jovie, there is one of the major problems with these senators, from both sides….they think this is all about their comfort.
Right On, J.
Blumenthal problem with Hagel is what? I am amaze at men who serving their country mean working in politics. These politicians criticizing someone who put their life on the line in battle for this country, Hagel could have ran to Canada or France like Mitt, but he when and fought for this country.
Hello everyone at TOD! Trying to watch the Atlanta/ Sea-hawks game while reading this lovely blog. You know if republicans vote to regulate guns as often as they vote to regulate women’s wombs, we would be well on our way to a “well regulated militia”. Excellent tweets meta!
“if republicans vote to regulate guns as often as they vote to regulate women’s wombs, we would be well on our way to a “well regulated militia””
Sooooooooooo true! Hiya Dona.
That’s all they seem to care about.
https://twitter.com/TheObamaDiary/status/290534254033661952
Isn’t that lovely! What a thrill for them.
That’s nice.
That’s too sweet. They can tell their children about this.
What an honor to be stand-ins for POTUS & FLOTUS!
Regarding comments about Bob Corker on last thread. Timely that I walked out of church today with our senior pastor and his wife, both big Dems. I’ve mentioned on here before that our pastor has written Corker 2 or 3 letters in the past couple of years pointing out that he (Corker) could be the voice of moderation in the Senate during this time. Today our pastor talked about how he went to high school w/ Corker, was his pastor for 14 years (in Chattanooga), saw him start his business and how he ran it. Our pastors wife, of course, knows Corker quite well, even dated him a short time. They talked about how he is a pragmatist, never owned a gun or had any interest in the gun issue. They said he would never have had the success in his business he had if he hadn’t been a pragmatist and a moderate……that now he is simply saying and doing what he has to be get re-elected—–which, of course, we all know. Nothing new for the R’s of today, sadly. None of this is surprising. It’s just always enlightening to hear people talk about these senators by people who know them from years ago.
Isn’t it ironic that, in truth, the Dems aren’t spineless…these guys are! They forget who they work for….and are terrified of being primaried from someone from the RWNJ portion of their party….so sad. I happen to think that we need moderate Republican voices for debate….these guys are their own worst enemies
I totally agree about our need for moderate Republican voices. They are indeed their own worst enemies.
I have the sense Corker would like to be a serious moderate senator but still must watch out for his base in TN and answer to McConnell to get the good committee appointments.
I think you are correct, Bill. I think since our pastor knows him so well–or who he used to be–that is why he has encouraged him to be that moderate voice. Obviously, it hasn’t worked. In one of Corker’s ads for re-election, he talked about seeing in his church bulletin a trip to Haiti and how that changed his life. Sure, right??!!! Our pastor said this morning he needed to tell him that he needed to go back…..that the trip didn’t “take.” 🙂
Sounds as though your pastor tried his best to tell Corker that changing one’s public image to gain re-election, despite his personal views, might fall on the list of “selling one’s soul.”
Yes. Fell on “deaf ears” though! 😦
‘…Our pastor said this morning he needed to tell him that he needed to go back…..that the trip didn’t “take…”
Truer words and all that good stuff tnmtngirl…
Chips, how DO you do all of this? Amazing!
Helloooooooo vitaminlover! Ha, I just neglect my job most of the time! 🙂
Well sometimes something’s gotta give. Lol.
Doing his fatherly duty…
What does FDOTUS and lid mean here????
FDOTUS = first daughter of the united states.
“Lid” I suspect, means that the press has to scram, as in ‘put a lid on it’ shut it down and leave. take no more pictures, ya ain’t gotta go home, but ya gotta git, git, GIT OUTTA HERE!! 😆 😆
will check in later:) Chores….and beef stew making :)…..
yum…..good idea…..beef stew on a cooooollllld SoCal day.
It’s freezing here in Phoenix, too. I had ice on my patio this morning after the lawn sprinklers went off….I haven’t made stew in a long time. Just seemed like good comfort food for a cold day! Make some, jojo:)
Called my Mom and she’s making stewed Chicken and dumplings.
Morning peeps.
Just poking in for a minute to share my menu for tonight:
Cuban ropa vieja cooked for 8 hours in a slow cooker
White rice and Cuban black beans
Having once lived in Miami I have a serious question. Do your Cuban black beans come from a can or are they fresh? I was never certain how the Cuban restaurants did them.
I looooooove Cuban black beans, they are sooooo flavorful. There was a Cuban restaurant where you could by Cuban black beans and rice or just the black beans. I don’t know what they did with the beans and rice dish but it was not eatible so I would just by the beans which were sooooo good.
Fresh, of course. Only way to make them.
Delish!
Oh! One more thing for you today, LL. I caught that Crooks/Liars had a link to your “whiny” piece today! Did you see that?? 🙂 You’re hitting the big time now:) I think I can smell your dinner from here:)
I did not!!!! Were they “whining” as well? 😆
Ok, just saw the link. Wow. didn’t expect my little essay to get picked up.
🙂 Surprise!!
‘vieja’, LL? Back when I was in high school [not too long ago 😉 😉 ] ‘vieja’ meant ‘old’. Is that why you have to cook the ‘ropa’ for hours. /ducks and runs/
Well, yeah. LOL. I just hope mine comes out as well as my mom’s.
Sure it will. I’d bet you haven’t forgotten the ‘down home’ fresh herbs and spices. Enjoy once it’s all ready!
LL, the piece at TPV: One of the finest pieces ever written on the state of progressive activism (or lack theref) I have ever read. It doesn’t get more insightful than that. Thank you, always, for sharing your insight and wisdom.
And congrats on hitting a nerve with some of the whiners……
Thanks so much, 57! And yes, we had an emoprog invade the thread. The regs on there handled him quite well, and then Deaniac just deleted his comments.
I find it very strange for Colin Powell to still see himself as being aligned with the Republican party. It is like saying…yes see that group of crazies and racists, that is the group I belong to even though I do not agree with them. I wonder why he doesn’t become an independent at least? I am glad he said what he said, but I can’t imagine the Republican party will take his advice.
same for chuck hagel. are they just nostalgic about ike?
Like religion? Like parents of a child who committed atrocities? Like children who still love their racists parents? Or like a man who still loves his party and wants it restored.
At 73, letting go is harder to do?
Etc, etc, etc.
Yes true. Hey, maybe in 40 years from now the democratic party will become a completely wacky party, but we’ll still consider ourselves tried and true Obama democrats for life! I did not realize he is 73 now. My these years are passing by much too quickly!
He served in ‘Nam. I heard him say that in 1963, he was deployed outside of USA. That was 50 yrs ago.
Yes, Colin Powell is my age. We are part of what is called the “Silent Generation” between the WWII generation and the Boomers. We were born between about 1930 and 1943…..depression era babies. A small generation in number between two large, loud generations. We really got smothered by the boomers…..sorry any Boomers out there. We have served very well, but we never had and will never have a president from our generation. But, a good number of cabinet secretaries, senators, teachers, doctors, professors…..we were a really service-oriented generation, and are still concerned with service. A lot of us went into the Peace Corps.
Carolyn, I was born only two years after your “silent generation” but I still remember many decent Republicans who served this country well at the time I was becoming of age to understand what was going on in politics. These were decent people who supported equality. I am thinking of Republicans, like Senators, Jacob Javitz, Edward Brooke, Margaret Chase, Mark Hatfield, Charles Percy, Lowell Wicker and others. As Joe Biden says, the current crop of the Republican party is totally a different animal.
Anyone see Cory booker answer the diversity question today? Trying to find out what he said.
David Gregory started talking about diversity problems for the president and showed a picture of all men surrounding PBO in a meeting which I believe had been the subject of a New York Times story. Cory told him it was disingenuous to show that picture. He said it was swift boating, trying to use a person’s strength as weakness.
He listed a number of women in the president’s staff. Then Andrea Mitchell started talking about how women were man, blah, blah. He gave her that What the hell look.
LOL! oh my goodness. Andrea Mitchell can’t get away from that inside beltway thinking.
Cory Booker said it was disingenuous for the NYT and the media to take one picture of the Obama administration and say that it represents everyone in the Obama admin. He said that the gender breakdown in terms of hiring had been proven to be favorable to men and women. That to try and paint Pres. Obama as anti-hiring women was wrong. He said Pres. Obama put two women on the supreme court and two out of three of his deputy chief of staffs or something like that were women and it was nothing to sneeze at. He also said that the cabinet was not fully formed yet and Pres. Obama was not done making appointments/nominations and therefore shouldn’t be treated as though he is anti-women.
David Gregory then said that the only positions for women in the cabinet were those like Labor Secretary and that those and mid-cabinet levels weren’t really important. Cory Booker told him point blank to never dismiss any cabinet or mid-cabinet level as not important because as a Mayor he’s not only interested in foreign policy appointments but in domestic policy appointments because those are the cabinet level people he interacts with almost everyday. He made sure Gregory understood that he was a jackass for considering cabinet level positions given to women were unimportant. Gregory didn’t really have a good comeback and kinda shut up when Booker was speaking. It was good to see Cory Booker come out forcefully and rebuke the media concern trolling.
“David Gregory then said that the only positions for women in the cabinet were those like Labor Secretary and that those and mid-cabinet levels weren’t really important.”
NO David, they are just as important as Treasury, SoS and Defense. The Village only cares about war and their taxes so they spend a lot of their focus on the people running those departments. Other cabinet members are just as important. Imagine if the Village gave two shits about climate change or didn’t hate unions/workers? Lisa Jackson and Hilda Solis would have been household names.
Thank you for this summary,UT Austin Liberal? Colin Powell was amazing, and his message was so necessary and so timely. Corey Booker speaking out as he did was equally powerful. Thank God we have a few people who are not afraid to speak out.
Does General Powell tweet; I would like to thank him.
I didn’t read M. Dowd’s column. When I saw the title, I knew it would be putrid. What is WRONG with her? She acts like a woman scorned. Her hatred feels dangerous to me.
Congrats, Desertflower, on #1.
Always appreciate your informative links!
And congrats, too, to Lib_Librarian on Crooks and Liars link.
DF, here’s a tweet I though you might find amusing:
“That’s perfectly normal. RT @breakingweather: It’s currently warmer in Anchorage, Alaska (36 F) than Phoenix, AZ (32 F) #climate.”
Good Day Tods:-)
Are you all ready for the Inauguration!!!!! (hugs)
Thank you Chips>> This is one is for you:-)
I love Me some Bono since the 1980s. Saw them in Concert once. Loved it.
Those were the days.
Saw MJ in 1988. Had seen Diana Ross. Billy idol. Prince, I saw him Twice. Bill Joel. Bob Marley and he died 6-8 months later. Saw James Brown in 1995 or 1996. Saw Def Lepped(sp). David Copperfield….was Not impressed with his show.
Those were the days.
That link to the weather was NOT funny! 🙂 🙂 It’s the talk of the town here:)
DF, It’s been that cold here in Sunny Southern California.
Hi Chipsticks and Everyone! I’m so looking forward to the Inauguration. I’ve watched this at least 50 times – just love the duet – so much respect.
I kept shading tears when I watched that the 1st time. The 2nd time too. I am afraid to watch the 3rd time. I was so worried about my Mom then. I was at the hospital that day. She passed 16 days later.
Nena,
My sincere condolences on the loss of your Mom. It’s been 4 years and I’m sure the anniversaries are still extra difficult. Music can bring a person back to a place and time like nothing else and that is a good thing I think; to have that when we are ready.
Thanks. Yes indeed. It is so hard, especially now.
I’m so sorry about your mom. I’ve not gotten over losing mine and it has been ten years this month. I hate saying it gets easier, ’cause that’s not quite right, but the sadness comes less often as you go on. At least until something bad happens, or you’re scared or sick.
My sorrow mingles here with yours, Nena.
I know exactly what you mean. Mine passed on in 2004 and that has been my same experience.
You are so right. Thank you. I know exactly how you feel.
My condolences to you for the loss of your Mom. We only have one Mom. My father passed when I was a child. In two days, would be the anniversary. I knew enough. But it really was not as hard as my mother’s passing. It was like a broken shattered heart. I had no idea that she was dying. Afterwards, her face looked so angelic. It was like she was sleeping.
Thank you for letting me share my thoughts Luna. Thank You so much.
So sorry to hear about your mom, Nena. I know that pain…it subsides, but will never go away. I “talk” to my mom every day. I know that she watches over me. I can feel her here with me. I hope the same goodness for you.
Thanks DF, very much. I smile at her whenever I pass her picture. Then by the time I get upstairs, A tear or two rolls down my cheeks. It never fails. Just like now. Thank you. I am sorry for your pain too.
{{{{{{Nena}}}}}}}
Back at you {{{{{{{{DF}}}}}}}.
Love always.
This was my all-time favorite during the ’09 concert, forus50, especially the pensive look on President Obama’s face as it was caught by the camera during the one part. Thanks for posting it again!
🙂 me too jacqueline!
That was one of my FAVORITE moments of that concert. I am so glad to see that again! Thanks so much for posting it! WONDERFUL!
testing
OK…I disabled Java Script but when I tried to post it said “You have already made that comment”…so I enabled it and did the testing thing…I am clueless about this and I can’t find AMK’s explanation…..HELP!…using IE Explorer…
Any possibility of using Firefox?
I don’t know…I’m just clueless here….Is it Java or javascript that is the problem? I am totally confused and if I delete both what happens?…Java version 7 update 7
firefox, like internet explorer, is a browser that lets us ‘see’ what’s on the internet. Java Script is a programming language that helps with user interface. You usually don’t have to do anything to Java except keep it updated. I don’t know the details of the problems that you are having, but my guess is that it’s probably not with Java. You probably don’t want to delete java.
You might want to try a different browser, like firefox or chrome. On the surface, they all pretty much look the same, but there are ‘internal’ things that they do differently.
You can download ‘ firefox’ or ‘chrome’ for free. Just put either word in a ‘google’ search. and follow the directions for downloading. Firefox is associated with Mozilla. Chrome is associated with Google.
Hope this helps.
Also, the basics may also help. Shut everything down. (all the way down. – not a ‘restart’ ) Leave it off for at least 5, maybe 10, minutes. It also helps to have a smart-ass teenager around.. 😆 😆
Java script is not the problem, Kathryn, only Java. Just disable Java by following these instructions:
http://www.java.com/en/download/help/disable_browser.xml
or follow Bobfr’s advice!!! 😎
Thanks all of you very much….not having problems just antsy b/c of the Homeland Security Warning and if I could read I would have realized it was Java…not javascript….uninstalled Java and then tested and it said I had no Java…I’m not sure what Java is used for in the first place…obviously, I can get on here….now if Amazon and my bank account work…I’m good to go……..now….if you all could just help with the mouse droppings I just found in a kitchen drawer you would be my “REAL” heros….using clorox as we speak…EWWWWWW!
Attacking pres Obama…..well, that is what the media loves best. They would rather do that than address the economic disaster that the TBGOPers are once again wishing to bring about.
When the media attacks pres Obama, they always get many far Lefties and the rightwingers to unite for a proper “Obama Trashing Media Fest”. It never fails.
you’d think they’d be bored of it by now. before the election, it had some plausible purpose, of shifting voters’ hearts and minds away from what was so demonstrably true about the president and his policies. now it’s just a bad habit. well, they still want to block pbo’s agenda, but they don’t need the public to help with that–they have the rethug reps who don’t give a fig for the public.
Nope. It has become a sport for them. They earn praises for their bat poop behavior. if the left had a unified one minded media as the right……..with their media mega echo chamber, the Timid MSM would have stopped their insanity against pres Obama. When they attack the right, they get pummeled. The Left? They enjoy dumping of Us.
UT, these so called pretend liberals are absolutely out of the f**kn minds! I think they are so angry because they wanted Mitt Romney to win. Then they would be all over the media gloating about the President loosing because he was, as they so often claim, a carbon copy Republican. I am sorry, but I thoroughly dislike the PL, their emprog followers, and their MSM media enablers. They can whine all they want, but President Obama will still be the President for the next four years. They might as well get used to that reality! Their cowardly plots to undermine and defeat him failed miserably. Their current plans to undermine him and diminish his legacy will also fail because many of us who support him are not going to taken in by their evil games. The Truth is on the side of the President. All these hypocrites attacking everything President Obama does will eventually pay for their dishonesty.
politics of gun control:
‘ In 2009 while serving as Obama’s chief of staff, Emanuel reportedly told Eric Holder to “shut the f–k up” after the attorney general suggested reinstating the assault weapons ban — which expired in 2004. Emanuel’s profanity-laced frustration with Holder was detailed in Daniel Klaidman’s book, “Kill or Capture.”
Gun-safety groups and political scientists say Emanuel has always had an interest in pushing appropriate gun restrictions. But Emanuel also knows timing is everything in politics, the experts say.
“Based on his political record it would suggest that as Obama’s chief of staff, he made a judgment that emanated more from politics than policy,” said Robert Spitzer, the author of “The Politics of Gun Control” and a professor at the State University of New York at Cortland.
In 2009, Spitzer continued, Emanuel was likely more focused on Obama’s primary goal of passing healthcare reform and calculated that there weren’t enough votes to pass gun laws.
“There’s always an element of Emanuel that has his finger” to the political winds, Spitzer said. Now though, Emanuel “has a constituency that would be supportive to gun control.” ‘
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/news/276837-like-obama-rahm-emanuel-pivots-on-gun-control#ixzz2HtbqQ7BE
They continue to re-write history. The same Emmanuel who advised the pres to abandon ACA or scale it down?
Hmmm?
The stories were reported. It was Pelosi, Sen Al from MN and the president who were still wanting a larger ACA Package.
I believe that, if President Obama had even tried to pass gun control legislation in his first term, he would not have been reelected. The crazies are just that crazy and many of them are Dems, too. I would have seconded Rahm’s position at the time he said STFU. It would have been horribly mistimed. Just mho.
Open Letter to anyone who is complaining about Diversity in President Obama’s Cabinet:
Have you forgotten that Barack Hussein Obama is President of the United States?
h/t creolechild @ POU:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infographics/judicial-nominees
Infographic: President Obama’s Judicial Nominees: Historic Successes and Historic Delays
1st Latina on the Supreme Court
1st Openly gay man confirmed to a federal court
1st Women judges of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese descent
1st Supreme Court Justice confirmed with a disability
Of the 22 nominees waiting to be confirmed by the Senate:
9 are women
3 are African American
3 are Asian American
2 are Hispanic
1 is openly gay
Openly gay judges: 4 nominated; 2 confirmed
First female judges in five District courts
President Obama has almost doubled the number of Asian Americans on the bench
Jacqueline Nguyen, waiting for a floor vote since 12/1/11, would be the first ever Asian American woman to serve as a Circuit Court judge[….]
I am not concerned about Diversity in the Cabinet, I think about the multitudes of women addressed by PBO with the Lilly Ledbetter Act, insurance coverage for bith control and on and on. PBO always has what is best for women on his agenda, as if we all were sitting on his cabinet.
The fact of the matter is the Cabinet is still diverse. Yes the Sec. of State position went to a white male. But guess what most of the people whining trashed the distinguished AA woman who was being considered for the position. May be it’s because they wanted a white woman in that position. As for Defense and Treasury, two white men are being replaced by two other white men. The Pres. has not named a replacement for Sec. of Labor so it’s idiotic to try to second guess the person he is likely to appoint. The Cabinet Secretaries of HHS and Dept. of Homeland Security, are still going to be women. The UN ambassador who is a member of the cabinet is still going to be a woman.
I am sick and tired of the hypocrites in the Media like David Gregory pretending to be concerned with diversity. Question for the media: Exactly how many women and people of Color are principal hosts of the so called prestigious Sunday Talk shows?
Back in NOLA for Maddie Birthday party
She’s a cutie. Happy Birthday Maddie!
awwwwww….what a precious, precious child….those eyes….I know you are just in love…
what a cutie pie!
adorable!!! look at those lace socks! she is a darling, lamh, and congrats on getting yourself organized and back there in time for the party!
she is so adorable
ADORABLE!! Happy Birthday, Maddie:)
I see that the question has been raised as to why Colin Powell still considers himself a Republican. From a historical perspective,
that is not unusual since the majority of African-Americans were members of the Republican party after Lincoln signed the Emancipation
Declaration. This remained so right up to FDR, when the Democratic party then started to become the party that reached out and cared
more about African-Americans. Within that context, there are some Black Americans who find it difficult to step out of their family tradition,
although the Republican party no longer looks or acts in any way shape or form like the party of Lincoln. Condi Rice is another example of
this kind of political family heritage,which she has chronicled in her writings. Now I may not agree with, or see any rational reason for these
intelligent,well educated people to hold on to their political ‘roots’, especially with the off -the-deep-end behavior of the current Republican
party, but I can understand the deep link that some people feel because of their family heritage.
Having said that, I look forward to the day when someone like a Colin Powell gets to the point where the ignorance in his party overwhelms
him so much that he says, ENOUGH, and makes a change. In the meantime I do appreciate and thank him for his vocal as well as voting support
of President Obama. I am sure it has contributed to our President’s election on both occasions. Just my 2 cents.
Hope44, Agreed. I don’t understand him remaining with the Republican party but, apparently, it is what he knows. Appears to me he’s not quite really to let them loose.
But, based on his statements today, many in his party are already throwing rocks and name calling ( which is what they do when someone calls them out). Maybe, just maybe he can be the one to bring the majority to their senses. But it’s not likely. They really, really hate it when they are called racists. They double down on the crazy and start to suggest that anyone who disagrees with PBO is called racists by the lefties. I’ve seen such comments today. We can all hope that attitudes change for the better. Our country is racing to the bottom if the extremist attitudes continue.
Bobfr, I want to say thank you for being a voice of thorough reasoning. I’ve copied your letter and made it a Word doc so I could take it with me as a conversation piece and to email it and mostly to keep it so I can read it over and over…..for sanity. 🙂
Thank you, Gail. Very pleased you found it useful.
Sent this tweet to Piers Morgan & Rep Gabby Giffords
Will be sending to others throughout the week, but it certainly is way more effective if others spread it through whatever ways they can.
Yes We Can
Yes We Will
You are so right, Bobfr. The Supreme Court interpretation is an activist, ideological reading that defies common sense. In 1776, the Founders needed to provide security for it’s citizens as well as preserve a way to enforce the law. There was no standing Army. Today we have the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Naval and Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, ATF, FBI, CIA and the Police.
Agree entirely. I’m lurking, TOD. 😀
Me too Bobfr, you should have been invited to VPJB’s committee meeting. The best approach have heard to date.
So Now, is it safe to Conclude that the New…..Andrea Mitchell, Candy Crowley, Joe Scarborough, etc are NOW for Affirmative Action?
For their current Obsession would dictate otherwise with their distortion of pres Obama’s diversity meme?
So Fox wants Affirmative Action? Hmmmm, as HF2 would quote Jodi Kantor?
The News Media….oops….
He is truly trying to incite an assassination with his “no one can stop Obama” meme and the juxtaposition to the already extent “he’s gonna come get your guns” meme. Is there ANYTHING to be done about that fat turd????
HELP NEEDED!!!
I am going to be watching the inauguration from home on my sofa.
I do not have cable but I was wondering out of all the local channels: NBC, CBS, ABC, ….
which one has the most tolerable / least annoying commentary. I would prefer to watch with commentary so I can learn whats going on and historical facts etc but any input will be appreciated.
Perhaps White House Live will carry it and CSPAN certainly will so you may want to consider viewing it on your laptop rather than TV.
But Bobfr, she wants commentaries. White House and C-SPAN would not have commentaries.
I say….ABC or CBS. That would be suggestion.
Although, NBC now has Micheal Besch-something as a contributor. And Doris G. always comes to NBC….so they may do the Inauguration justice.
Say Luna, try them all initially and check out their contributors. Historians……Real Historians are who would tell Us what are going on. I prefer to watch C-SPAN for I don’t like commentaries during Historical events.
“I prefer to watch C-SPAN for I don’t like commentaries during Historical events.”
I feel the same way. Like you, I will be watching the Inauguration on C-SPAN. I just can’t stand listening to all those media pundits who are so full of themselves and seem to be focused on commenting on the most trivial events/issues. Now and then the media may have respectable historians offering valuable commentaries with insights. For the most part, however, the media relies on pundits who know very little history and are much more interested in spreading mythology and sensationalism. Obviously, since I’ve been boycotting electronic media, beginning in 2009, I wouldn’t know how to help Luna. The fact that you are a TODer, I respect your suggestion that “ABC or CBS” may be the most tolerable. I hope Luna watches them with a critical eye.
PBS
Yes, yes, PBS does it very well.
Agree PBS. The self-important Brian Williams will always insert himself in NBC’s coverage.
Recently we have watched ABC news in the evening, it is actually tolerable. Jonathan Karl their new White House correspondent gives actual news without opinion or sneers, and Martha Raddatz is very good on foreign affairs. Diane Sawyer is a bit unctuous, but her choices for news are real news. She’s been very complete on the flu outbreak and what’s going on.
On the weekends we like David Muir on ABC. Like all the channels they do quite a bit of advertising their other network programs. That irritates me.
Last year I watched ABC from the first hour to the last hours of the balls and found it very tolerable (I do not have cable either). Since I watch PBS for everything else, I’ll probably switch between the 2 to see which i prefer.
if you don’t have cable, I guess I would go with whatever channel will have Betchsloss and Doris Kearns Goodwin
I have something to say that will probably release a firestorm but here it goes…..I personally think that Colin Powell is a good man, always has been, always will be…Who knows what went down but guessing, I would say he probably was lied to just as George Bush was lied to…that’s not excusing GB b/c ultimately the buck stops with him but he was put in the Presidential spot by the “Powers” that be in R party, spearheaded by his Father…He knew that was how he got elected and couldn’t buck them….or thought he had the support to do so…remember his administration was a redux of his Fathers….Cheney, Rumsfeld et al…..I don’t even think that GB is a bad man, just a weak man….not curious enough to find out the facts……just a “good ole boy” Figurehead for the evil powers that be that controled the White House…..I understand how CP could make the statement about being raised a Republican just as I understand how my cousin makes the statement that she was raised a Democrat and will die a Democrat as she complains about Democratic policies…but she votes D everytime so I keep my mouth shut…..It’s a lot different than it was 50 yrs ago and party loyalty is part of older people’s heritage…..Thank heavens my heritage was D, although, living in NC I have entertained the idea of registering as independent b/c of the “WEAK” D’s in this state….just look at what they have allowed to happen here….completely controlled by R’s for first time in history….
Kathryn, it is never as cut and dried as we’d like it to be and I, for one, appreciate your statement. That’s what I actually love about TOD… so many decades of opinions and experience are collected and expressed amicably. I personally LOVE the statement that “This is not your Father or Grandfather’s Republican Party,” and I will never believe some (now deceased) Republican members of my family would be a part of this hot mess of Rethugs. And, looking back, I can see how they might look with love at President Obama and say, “Thankfully, the same is true of the Democratic Party with him as its leader.”
President Obama letter to John Boehner:
On January 11, 2013, French forces conducted an operation in Somalia in which they attempted to rescue a French citizen being held hostage by al-Shabaab. United States forces provided limited technical support to the French forces in that operation, but took no direct part in the assault on the compound where it was believed the French citizen was being held hostage. United States combat aircraft briefly entered Somali airspace to support the rescue operation, if needed. These aircraft did not employ weapons during the operation. The U.S. forces that supported this operation left Somalia by approximately 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 11, 2013.
I directed U.S. forces to support this rescue operation in furtherance of U.S. national security interests, and pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.
I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action.
My 2 cents on Collin Powell. Respected him until he went in front of UN. But I got over that. He’s saying the right things now. But he wrote a book and was interview on Daily Show. Lost a little more respect for him. Sorry I’m late to post, but I have the flu bug. Hope it’s ok o post links to the Daily Show. It has to do with Reagan. It’s been awhile. Collin Powell
In the 15 minute interview, Powell also recounted lessons he learned from President Reagan, one of which centered on the president watching squirrels find nuts he had placed on the White House lawn.
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/01/12/rise-and-shine-399/#comment-613516
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-12-2012/exclusive—colin-powell-extended-interview-pt–2?xrs=share_copy
Chiparoo, methinks it’s time for a new thread?
Claiming first now.
Thanks LL!
some “what were they thinking” dresses at Golden Globe….off topic but reminded me of…”What would Michelle wear?”
My shallow Golden Globes comment on dresses is—-will be glad when fishtail dresses fade out of glory—ug and awkward looking. And I cannot look at Al Roker any more without thinking poopy pants at the WH—–what in the world was he thinking in wanting to share that with the world????? Yikes! Judgment challenged.
Whatever FLOTUS wear she would out shine any of those celebrates.
Does anyone here watch One Upon A Time?
That is the only show that I watch. I was not impressed or should I say that I was totally confused as to how the Queen of Hearts got to the Town in New England……StoryBook. It was not making sense to me. So I will be taping today show and watch it tomorrow.
New post!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/01/13/doitforgabby/