President Obama meets with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in the Oval Office, Jan. 23 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Today:
10:45: The President and Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
1:45: VP Biden participates in a live Google+ Hangout about gun violence
2:30: President Obama will announce the nomination of Mary Jo White to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission
4:35: The President meets with Secretary of State Clinton
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Business Insider: Initial jobless claims have crushed expectations. They have fallen to lowest level since January 2008, falling to 330K. This is well below expectations of 355K ….
Amazing news – more later
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I haven’t had a chance yet to read much on the Inaugural speech, but I liked this column:
Harold Meyerson: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek,” candidate Barack Obama said in 2008 … in the aftermath of Obama’s 2012 reelection and his second inaugural address, his 2008 remarks seem less a statement of self-absorption than one of prophecy. There is an Obama majority in American politics, symbolized by Monday’s throng on the Mall, whose existence is both the consequence of profound changes to our nation’s composition and values and the cause of changes yet to come.
…. His speech reclaimed U.S. history from the misrepresentations of both constitutional originalists and libertarian fantasists….
…. The Obama Majority – its existence and mobilization – is what enabled the president to deliver so ideological an address …. secure in the knowledge that the nation’s minorities had joined with other liberal constituencies to form a new governing coalition, he voiced their demands to ensure equality and to preserve and expand the government’s efforts to meet the nation’s challenges. As he left the stage, he stopped and turned to marvel at the crowd, at the new American majority they represented. They were the ones he, and we, were waiting for.
Full article here
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Morning everyone. Another teeny (miserable) Rise and Shine, but I’m hoping to finally – 😕 – keep my promise to catch up some time today, just trying to finish off some work. So, chat away, and I’ll see ya in a bit.
psst…..psst…..ooooh O’s….it’s up and at ’em. It’s time to Rise ad Shine on another great getting up day out on the TOD stoop. It’s so c-c-c-old on my part of he porch, I’m taking my coffee inside and bundle up. Y’all speak up, I’ll be listening through the window.
I tip-toed in quietly so as to not awake vcprez this morning. GM all
It was you with your foot in the door! It figures!
As a matter of fact, I was just talking to you over the fence, when I noticed Chips had beckoned us on over. It’s OK, you didn’t see her. This time I positioned myself to block everyone’s view. btw, did you time travel, or are you still making your way back home?
Sitting at the desk in the hotel room with my suitcase on the floor beside me still not quite packed. Can’t bring myself to decide how many layers of clothing I should wear as per your (not) packing advice, since heat bothers me off and on. 😉 😉 My flight leaves at 12:35am so I’ll be leaving here at 10:30am, which means I’m headed to the showers soon.
Congrats on being first cookemom
Morning cookemom! First you are! Cold here too but sunny; got my coffee, am at my desk. Hubby is in with client and since I cannot do billing right now, I can play on TOD!
Congrats cookemom. You are were very quiet. You just can’t please some people 😀
GM, TODobots! It’s almost going home time. 😉
Safe travels, VC!!!
I hope and pray Senator Reid will do the right thing concerning the filibuster reform.
Hello world
Well, hello, PI! Another partner in crime – I almost feel like I’m back in the swing of things. Almost.
Top 10! Morning Chips.
Morning, Jackie4O! Long time since we’ve crossed paths; have a great day!
HELLO TOD. Top of the Morning from Brooklyn .
G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers,everyone and congratulations cookemom on #1!
Chips, please post this whenever you get a break. 🙂
Jobless claims at 5 year low. Stock market at 5 year high. Housing on the steady as she goes, and all is good. I blame Obama
Indeedy…I blame him too!
😉
I blame Obama, too!
Mornin’ (as my two-year-old great grandson said to me, one mornin’) !
love that!
Me, too! He also calls the moon “Moonball” (he’s fascinated by the moon) and one morning he looked outside and said “Bye Bye Moonball,” and I asked his mommy what he was saying, and she said he knows it’s mornin’ when the moon has gone bye bye. He’s unique, methinks, but – then again – I’m his great grandmother! Ha!
We had a postal worker. Every morning I would get the mail for company I worked for and I’d say Good Morning and he always said “mornin’ it is.
🙂 (Here I go again with more great grandson talk! When he was visiting me, he loved our mail handler. He wouldn’t say Mornin’ to him, but he’d wave and say “Bye Bye Mailman!” every day, and would be pretty upset if he didn’t get his chance! And, out at department stores, when he leaves, he turns and says “Bye Bye Everybody!” Okay, other than to mention I just learned he has a respiratory infection and just had to get antibiotics and will ask for a few good thoughts for his speedy recovery, that’s my toddler story for today!)
You are blessed to have a grandchild. 🙂
Thanks – yes, I am. Have five grandchildren and he’s my first great grandson. Cannot believe how lucky and blessed I am to be around for this, since I never even knew my great grandparents. I only had one son, from whom all these good things came to me, and I thank him often!
Very happy for you.
Thanks, darlin’.
This is freaking huge news. New housing home sales are on a rise and now this? Wow. Wow. Wow. The stock market is going to be rallying hard.
Obama to nominate White to SEC, renominate Cordray to CFPB
By JENNIFER EPSTEIN | 1/24/13 8:30 AM EST
President Obama will nominate Mary Jo White to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission at a ceremony on Thursday afternoon, a White House official confirmed to POLITICO.
White, a New York-based attorney specialized in prosecuting white-collar crimes during close to a decade as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has “built a reputation as a tough and effective attorney with a proven record of bringing criminals to justice,” the White House said.
Obama will also renominate Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. After Senate Republicans blocked Cordray’s nomination in 2011, Obama installed Cordray in the job through executive action in early 2012.
The president will make the announcements at 2:30 p.m. ET in the State Dining Room of the White House.
Good choices. Hope the GOP doesn’t renew their foolish intransigence over Richard Cordray. The CFPB has been doing good work and Democrats should have the votes to counter any GOP nonsense.
Yes, the CFPB has been doing good work, which is exactly why the GOP will go back to its shenanigans. And gee whiz, White specialized in prosecuting white collar crime. That makes her a no-go right off the bat as far as the GOP is concerned. Hope there is some major good news on the filibuster front soon.
Oh No, is Mary Jo White a woman? I thought POTUS didn’t want to hire any woman. I mean isn’t that what the media and Ezra Klein’s wife said when they made up that fake controversy.
Selling out to Wall Street again, I see 😉
Chiparoo, you forgot something on the schedule!!! I take a bit of time off and I’m totally forgotten. smh
12:35am: VC’s flight lifts off from Reagan Int’l headed homeward
Ps-safe travels! 🙂
Thanks, Lisaloves! ♥ ♥ I’m more or less ready to leave with about 10 minutes or so to play before I lock down and pack my laptop. I’ll prolly be humming ‘homeward bound’ now that you’ve planted it in my head. 😉
🙂 safe flight!
Safe travels VC and many of us progressives who live in the this part of the world call it umm, National 🙂
Good morning, Chips and TODville. We need to fight for filibuster reform.
Not surprised. They always seem to have views outside the dem view.
Se? They don’t care about a functioning democracy or the President and his nominees. Only themselves. Sadly, only 10% of the country is actually informed on the majority of issues.
there is no earthly way this helps Levin or Feinstein. I don’t get it.
I thought of send each one a POLITE encouraging tweet but time is running against that. Here’s the first one. Others can continue with the other reluctant ones listed. Try for cajolery, or gently pushes, please. Don’t push too hard for your first tweet. Thanks for the list Meta.
Didn’t know you were on twitter. Glad to know. Just followed….I am AnotherSignUp1.
You mean you didn’t recognize my egghead? Tut! Tut! AuntSis. 😆
Just checked, and *I* had been following *U*. /smirking/ 😆
I am sorry. Its so hard to manage all those followers and followees LOL I just get overwhelmed with all of it. 🙂
Do these Democrats think it is right what the Republicans did through Mitch McConnell orders? The filibuster was something that was occasionally used, to the Republicans using it over 100 times for no reason other than to block President Obama’s agenda. I see that some Democrats can be a royal pain in the butt too.
Carl Levin is a staunch Democrat. He has been there a long time, knows all the ins and outs. I think he does not want an overreaction to the filibuster abuse. I wrote to his office about this issue and received this reply. He has been my senator forever and I am extremely grateful for the way he has represented my interests faithfully through the years.
“For more than 200 years, the rules and traditions of the United States Senate have protected minority rights and the system of checks and balances through the right of Senators to extended debate, which is commonly referred to as a filibuster. The filibuster can have a profound effect on how the Senate conducts floor proceedings. Currently, Senate rules require 60 votes to end debate and bring most matters to a vote. Throughout the Senate’s history, this rule has served not only to protect the minority, but also to encourage Senators in the majority and the minority to work out differences.
Under Senate rules, almost every bill is subject to at least three filibusters before the Senate can vote to pass the bill. Any Senator can filibuster the motion to proceed to a bill’s consideration and then filibuster amendments to the bill, and finally, the bill itself should the Senate agree to the motion to proceed. From the 109th to the 110th Congress, the number of times the Senate voted to end a filibuster more than doubled, from 54 in the 109th Congress [2005-2006] to 112 in the 110th Congress [2007-2008]. The process of threatening a filibuster and requiring a vote to end that filibuster can and often does consume about a week of the Senate’s time.
I strongly support reforms to end this unprecedented abuse of the Senate rules, which has blocked Senate action on some important and necessary work of the nation. That is why I am working with his colleagues on a bipartisan basis to reform the rules to end such abuses. “
I guess the McCain-Levin proposal is better than nothing but I was hoping for more aggressive action to prevent the debilitating debacles we’ve witnessed over the last 4 years. We’ll have to see whether all this will make a difference with the all too important issues the Senate must address.
The Obama Majority
// “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek,” candidate Barack Obama said in 2008. At the time, his comments came in for criticism: They were narcissistic; they were tautological; they didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
But in the aftermath of Obama’s 2012 reelection and his second inaugural address, his 2008 remarks seem less a statement of self-absorption than one of prophecy. There is an Obama majority in American politics, symbolized by Monday’s throng on the Mall, whose existence is both the consequence of profound changes to our nation’s composition and values and the cause of changes yet to come. //
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-obama-forges-a-new-majority/2013/01/22/c66489a6-64a7-11e2-9e1b-07db1d2ccd5b_story.html
Ooops sorry for the duplicate – didn’t see that Chips had already posted this above!
Hi hopefruit2, I was going to add the link well. Never heard of him before but I will follow from now on.
Good morning Chips and TOD family. I hope for everyone to have a beautiful day today. Congrats Cookemom on being first this lovely Thursday morning.
My thoughts? Meeka is so Jealous of Beyonce.
That is all!
My thoughts? I agree with you.
That is all!
jovie141, are you talking about Morning Joe’s side kick? What is she saying about Beyonce? Never mind I don’t care. I like Beyonce.
Also, has Monte Teo been hanging out with McCain? They are both delusional.
First Teo was hanging out with a girlfriend who wasn’t there, wasn’t real. Now he’s hanging out with a old bitter fool who is not all there. Makes you wonder about Teo.
McPain is still “old man yelling at clouds”, jealous and bitter; glad he has THAT ONE as his president….karma is sweet.
Good Moening all. Waking up to rain here in So Cal. Hope everyone has a great day.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/01/24/1488491/how-the-republicans-plan-to-rig-the-next-presidential-race-in-six-pictures/
Short and funny article on yesterday’s hearing:
“How to deal with a mansplainer starring Hillary Clinton in gifs”
By ZERLINA | Published: JANUARY 24, 2013
http://feministing.com/2013/01/24/how-to-deal-with-a-mansplainer-starring-hillary-clinton-in-gifs/
I love this!! Having to stifle my laughter so hubby doesn’t come out of session with client to see what’s going on! (But I will share with him later). This is a keeper!
It’s great.
Good Morning, Everyone 🙂
Good morning everyone. HRC had a power day yesterday. If I had a daughter, MO and HRC would be perfect role models.
Amen to that Almablanca, MO is Michelle Obama right.
Oh yes…funny how we get caught up in using shorthand. As a writer, I am ashamed sometimes about using letters to represent almost everything, imho, ttys, tfa!
The nice thing is that there are so many good female role models these days, of all stripes and colors, styles and personalities. The two you mentioned are on top of a list of really great women that can inspire so many women with so many different interests. It’s wonderful.
That is so true. My Grandmother and my mother to name a few, top that list anyday.
TEL AVIV — A weakened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged Wednesday from Israel’s national election likely to serve a third term, after voters on Tuesday gave a surprising second place to a new centrist party founded by a television celebrity who emphasized kitchen-table issues like class size and apartment prices.
For Mr. Netanyahu, who entered the race an overwhelming favorite with no obvious challenger, the outcome was a humbling rebuke as his ticket lost seats in the new Parliament. Over all, his conservative team came in first, but it was the center, led by the political novice Yair Lapid, 49, that emerged newly invigorated, suggesting that at the very least Israel’s rightward tilt may be stalled.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/world/middleeast/israel-votes-in-election-likely-to-retain-netanyahu.html?_r=0
Kerry confirmation starting on c-span….with Hillary introducing Kerry
Thanks Linda, I’d almost forgotten about this. SOSH is looking as fresh as a tulip in her pink. You’d never guess she’d just been wrestling elephants in the last 24 hours.
I see McGrumples is seated next to SOSH and Sen Warren. Let’s hope he doesn’t get his Depends all tied up in a knot like he’s so apt to do.
Why don’t he just go home to Cindy. Try to make a baby or something. I’m sick and tired of looking at him. Wasn’t he supposed to be overseas. I thought I saw him Monday looking all upset and crazy. As for Boner did you guys see the coldness between him and his wife. Those two have not done the horizontal in decades.
GM, miss pat. I love you. I am slowly trying to read everything during this beautiful West Coast rainy morning, and your comments just replaced the taking in of one of my meds to fight off this pain.
((((((((( Thank you, love.)))))))))HZ
{{{{{{HZ}}}}}
Anything for you HZ. Where would we be if we couldn’t have a good laugh now and again.
Op-Ed Columnist
Obama RebootBy CHARLES M. BLOW
Published: January 23, 2013 96 Comments
President Obama’s Inaugural Address was an unapologetic, unequivocal progressive manifesto of domestic policies.
I needed that.
The president wasted no time on hollow talk about fixing a broken Washington or taking on the toxic tone in our politics.
He seemed to have come to — and grown more comfortable with and accepting of — the conclusion that many have always understood: that his very presence, his existence, his achievement is what far too many others find objectionable.
He is the embodiment of their discomfort. He is the manifestation of their fear. He represents a current and future America — more socially liberal, more ethnically diverse, more the offspring of unconventional families — than they can accept.
He is generally effective, not troubled by scandal, pragmatic and patient. He’s not perfect, but he is exceptional.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/opinion/blow-obama-reboot.html?src=recg
This is truth, every syllable of it. But I would go further: they hate him precisely because he is all those things PLUS he is exceptional. If he were all those “unconventional” things, yet still mediocre, they could accept that. But he is brilliant, they are not, and *that* is simply unacceptable.
Yup.
Amen, PJ.
Charles Blow is an amazing writer, very in depth. Love how he always gets to the essence of a truth.
This is true – we all know that when Romney said he won’t be planning to actually DO anything, but that the markets will miraculously grow more confident and jobs will miraculously start getting created, that what he actually meant is that the media would start to report on the progress made under the Obama Administration, but give the credit to Romney. The economy has been recovering for more than two years, but if you talk to people on the streets, many still think it’s a disaster with no recovery. I blame the media.
You’re right theo. Well at least Grunwald clarified himself here.
I’ve always liked John Kerry… but color me concerned when John McCain is supporting him.
yep
sherijr, but remember that President Obama supports Senator Kerry. To hell with John McCain.
I believe that McCain is thinking of Kerry’s MA senate seat, so it’s not really about Kerry as much as it’s about the possibility of Scott Brown regaining the seat.
ah.. yes I forgot all about that hopefruit.. hopefully that seat is won by a dem. I just hate to think that John Kerry as SoS will be at all swayed by the likes of McCain or any republican.
There appears to be unity among Democrats in Massachusetts in favor of Congressman Ed Markey. I am convinced that he can beat Scott Brown. It still remains to be seen if Scott Brown will run for the seat. He may opt out.
I support Ed Markey, especially in regard to climate change and energy policy.
thanks for that info hgerhard.. will check him out and support where I can too.
McCain always wanted John Kerry to be nominated as SOS. That’s why McCain attacked Dr. Rice. It’s the old boys network at it’s best. I just hope that John Kerry does not take any advice from McCain or any other Repug.
I do trust that he is obligated to listen to and follow his boss: President Obama.. plus he has always been more diplomat than warmonger like McCain. But yes it is uncomfortable when McCain is sitting up there advocating for him.
Perhaps its just me, but when the GOP is for you, that makes me look at you even more. As SOS, Kerry will represent the President and I hope he stays in line.
exactly Aunt Sis.
If he doesn’t stay in line, he’ll be replaced. It’s too important. The President sets the foreign policy, and I’m sure Kerry understands that.
McCain just wants to be on camera. He’s about nothing but himself.
I have no problem about John Kerry, i believe the President knew what he is doing. I don’t think Kerry will listen to McCain and ignore his BOSS, President Barack Obama.
The Boss….President Barack Obama
I am hoping and praying for that as well. I just know that those people will do anything and go thru any lengths to embarrass this president – national security be damned.
McCain and Repubs were trying to pull some reverse psychology. They desperately wanted PBO to nominate Susan Rice so they could use the hearings to attack her (and by extension, President Obama) on Benghazi. She was an “easy target” — in THEIR minds — to make Obama look bad by making the hearings as difficult and extended as possible.
Methinks McCain thinks Kerry is malleable. I think they’ll all be surprised to find that Kerry knows exactly what he thinks and will work closely with the President to do what is right for the world. Something McCain and his ilk cannot and will not understand.
Looks like a baby who has not yet been indoctrinated in gop crazy!
This is so cute!
He even reads faky.. cannot stand McCain on any level.. so false.
My mind is blank….which Dem’s, beside John Edwards, that ran for Pres. in 2008 have not been in Obama administration?
Dennis Kucinich
Bill Richardson?
two other senators.. who now escape my memory, one went off the deep end… help me out folks ??
Chris Dodd and Mike Gravel
thank YOU Japa, you got it!
also Chris Dodd and Mike Gravel (AK)
I take great pride in being able to beat cookemom to anything. BTW, is there that funny looking white stuff on the ground where you are at? Haven’t seen that stuff here in Chitown’s burbs for a while.
I know. At first I thought I’d awaken in the cold tundra of Antarctica. My car sits in the drive-way going, “WTF is this stuff!?!”
Good morning everyone. Congrats Cookemom. Everyone have a great day. When does Kerry’s hearing start?
its on now.. he’s still being introduced:http://www.c-span.org/Events/Confirmation-Hearing-for-Sen-John-Kerry-as-Secretary-of-State/10737437516-1/
Thanks.
If you can’t beat ‘em, gerrymander away their electoral votes
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/01/24/if-you-cant-beat-em-gerrymander-away-their-electoral-votes/
The DOW is now within 300 points of its all time high, set in 2007. Obviously the markets can’t stand having PBO in the WH.
As Jodi Kantor would say – Hmmmm……
A WOMAN DID THIS!!!!!:
“A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico introduced a bill on Wednesday that would legally require victims of rape to carry their pregnancies to term in order to use the fetus as evidence for a sexual assault trial.
House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for “tampering with evidence.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/new-mexico-abortion-bill_n_2541894.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
That is truly sick.
holy sh*t, what goes on in the minds of repubs that they can even come up with this kind of sick thinking???
I have no idea but let that same child need affordable health insurance and they cry tyranny.
Question of the Day
Maybe someone should let her know that modern science uses DNA as court approved evidence. No need for a woman to go full term to collect it. What’s the charge for tampering with sanity/
Science, math and plain common sense are not important to Republicans.
So does that mean the rapist walks for nine months until the evidence becomes available? Under her theory, a rapist could rape and impregnate continuously and never get arrested. Each time they’d have to wait for new evidence of his most recent strike. Sounds like this one wasn’t thought through very well. The stupid outta hurt.
just read an update. the sponsor of the bill says the purpose was to scare potential rapists. ??!!!huh??? She wants to force women to have a child they may not want or may not ever love in order to scare rapists? does she realize babies are forever? as long as you or that child lives?
Oh, I get it, the human shield defense.
Not to mention that the child, once born, would have a right to privacy and couldn’t be subjected to a medical procedure without consent from the parent(s) – so what’s to stop the rapist from saying they won’t give permission for a DNA sample to be collected that might convict them? Regardless, my brain hurts from trying to make sense of this very vile proposal by Republicans. What is wrong with these people!!?
Thank goodness for THIS,as the article states:
“The bill is unlikely to pass, as Democrats have a majority in both chambers of New Mexico’s state legislature.”
This is why off-year elections are supremely important and we can’t afford to sit-out elections because we don’t like drones, or because Bradley Manning is in jail for leaking classified info.
Whew! Thank goodness. The sickness that resides in the republican party is disturbing. Their men and women are deranged and sociopathic. What kind of a human being proposes such a bill?
More Americans need to take elections seriously. Mid-term elections sometimes matter more than presidential elections because that’s when state legislatures coalesce and decide the fates of their citizens.
gobrooklyn, how crazy is that. These Republicans have gone crazy.
Because that certainly shows her reverence for the sanctity of life.
How old is Kerry?……hmmmmmm….maybe another run?
Nah…don’t think so. He will turn 70 at the end of this year.
Biden is 69 also and I think Hillary is 65 so will be 69 by 2016.
Naw, the sun has set on that idea. Too many waiting in the wings for a long time out. We have a pretty deep bench. Kerry will be a great coach and mentor to them though.
Kerry, Obama, Biden (if he doesn’t run) and Big Dog – our four statesmen to help usher in the younger presidential hopefuls in the DEM party for 2016 and beyond.
Dec. 11, 1943….almost exactly 1 yr younger than Joe Biden….Hillary…l947…….Joe Biden Nov. 20, l942…..I am not bringing up age or anything but being a 1943 woman, just thinking about 4 yrs. from now….
Late 60’s, early 70’s I think.
Good Morning TOD. Cookemom come on out and play in the cold. We got snow overnight and I don’t even care. We had a sunny weekend for all the celebration in DC.
Are you kidding? You go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you later. Right now I’m hunkered down for the remaining days of this cold snap. I’ve been spoiled with all this climate changed warmer than normal winters. My blood has to thicken up all over again. It’s funny because not that long ago, these temperatures would have been considered normal and the only difference is we’d already be knee deep in the powder. I don’t mind the snow, and I don’t really mind the cold. It’s when we get them together that shiver me timbers.
Good morning all and especially you cookemom. I know about them shivering timbers and it ain’t nothing nice…:lol:
Well it could be, but just not in the cold.
My, my. Two finger snaps and a twist, eh?
yep the snow was a surprise.. supposed to snow tomorrow too… I like this little sprinkling, very nice after the deep snow of ND!
#1 and the grandkids are freezing their behinds off up there. She describes Chicago’s 10 degree weather as balmy.
yep theres pretty much no cold like ND cold.. especially northwest- and they’ve had a heck of a cold winter this year.. my mom and sister are still there, trying to sell my sister’s house to move back to CA. The good news is – your daughter and grandkids will adapt 😉 the bad news is that while we were there we spent far too much time indoors, because it was just too cold to go outside.
Well, by next Tuesday we are supposed to be in the 50s and back to the low 20s 2 days later. Love Chicago.
My kinda town!
Dudette, that Political Where’s Waldo thingy of yours (well, WaPo’s) is a terrible thing! LOL! Very inspiring for avid procrastinators! 🙂
The DC weather was perfect for the entire inauguration weekend and then temperatures just plunged afterwards. Now there’s even snow on the ground.
I’m beginning to think Mother Nature is a secret O’bot.
I’m still here shivering in DC for a few more hours, and I absolutely agree. I have been ice cold for two days now, and looking forward to rainy Los Angeles tonight. But, what a wonderful few days in DC! Lots of good memories to cherish.
Theo, pleasure meeting you this weekend. Please give my best to your Mama, I really enjoyed chatting with her.
It was a pleasure meeting you too, Alycee – you are a force of nature! 🙂 Will give your regards to my mom, who left with VC this morning. Hope to meet you, and other TODers, again soon!
John Kerry did not deserve that outburst. Not him. He will be the one attempting to refocus our resources from the Middle east, to Asia.
Last week, even before President Obama reminded us in his inaugural address of the importance of railroads to the American economy, two events marked a significant step forward in U.S. high-speed rail.
First, on Wednesday, the California High Speed Rail Authority announced that by the end of the week the state would receive final sealed bids for the first leg of the Golden State’s high-speed rail project. On the following day, Amtrak and the California High-Speed Rail Authority jointly issued a “Request For Information” seeking to purchase high-speed rail locomotives and passenger cars currently being manufactured and in commercial service that are capable of operating safely at speeds up to 220 mph.
http://fastlane.dot.gov/2013/01/high-speed-rail-crosses-key-milestones.html#.UQFbpoF5mc1
I just read on a RWNJ site that OFA is becoming PBO’s civilian army. It made me think of this quote by a popular public figure, ‘DOH’
effing Corker trying to undermine POTUS with Kerry.. what a stupid ignorant comment about Pres Obama having been under Kerry’s ‘tutiledge’ (sp) effer.
Well I will always thank Kerry for 2004, at the Democratic National Convention where the nation got to meet Barack Obama with that Keynote speech.
yes! He did us a favor for sure.
The Keynote speech that changed history! I felt it at the time … but it was just a speculative thought, a dream. I had no idea it would come to fruition only 4 years later. Thank God. Thank all the forces in the Universe. It was destiny.
That’s what they are truly angry about……if only Kerry had not let that young wipper snapper give that dang speech he would not be president…..
Lot’s a crazy talk at these hearings.
Good morning TOD family and Chips. I do love the article about the speech. Off to work.
https://secure.tedforcongress.com/page/share/new-amendment Good Morning everyone!
Kerry is awesome calling out “certain outside entities” that keep people from discussing facts and truth!
The Hawk soars around here in Chicago, then he rests just long enough for us to poke our heads out. Don’t ever let the hawk fool you. He’s not going nowhere. Here. let me have Lou explain it to you:
Unless they get rid of holds and secret holds on the President’s nominees and give each one and up or down vote, nothing Reid and the turtle say will matter.
I think it deals with that issue to some extent. The filibuster still exists but it must be made on the floor and not by a mystery messenger. Plus it has a time limit.
I hope so.
Gm Chips and TOD Family. Watching Sen. Kerry’s confirmation hearing. He will be fine, IMO. But little Marco Rubio is so out of his league. I do not care for his small mind of thinking on this committee which is so important to our relationship to and in the world today now and the future.
Sen. Kerry is giving him an education right now.HZ
Rubio = MORON what a little man.
He is obviously campaigning for 2016… what a joke !
A joke he is, Linda.
sherijr, sooooooooooooo agree with you “little man.” He thinks he can take up the helm after President Obama leaves. The world leaders will laugh Rubio into a sea somewhere. What a joke. HZ
He does not appear educated, articulate, or very smart.
Now, it’s Rubio 2016 moment in the sun. Hoping to get on Hannity tonight, desperate to get on Greta van Susteten tonight.
Yuck!
So happy, just talked to Donna. She was the coordinator in our little OFA.WY in Gillette. She is being honored for her work in Cheyenne. Wish I could go with, but I don’t travel well. When you age, you also start worrying about money. These Republicans scare me to death. But good to talk with a fellow Dem. She’s been working so haven’t talked with her much. She did it for the love of Pres. Obama. She visits this site occasionally I think. At least I told her about it. 🙂
Ryan and Boner pledge to balance budget in a decade.
17 trillion cut in 1 decade???
Wow? Their will be nothing left!!
I can’t wait for the people to see what they plan to cut to get to that “balanced budget” in a decade, and how much of that budget will protect their wealthy benefactors. They are not in Washington to serve the people, but their corporate masters. When the details of this so-called budget are exposed, they will reveal that they didn’t learn a thing from the budget smackdown they received from President Obama two years ago. And I can’t wait to see that.
What the GOP have not learned is that the people don’t support the GOP legislative priorities. They don’t realize that the people are not behind their destructive policies, and that it’s their disconnect that will drive the Republican party into the dustbin of history – not some evil plot by President Obama.
Chat away!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/01/24/snow-white/
My synopsis of my “early” morning as a political junkie. Maybe I’m gettin’ a little jaded.
First, I flip on the Senate committee hearing and see Teresa Heinz Kerry in the audience, and I’m remembering when she once cursed at a reporter during a previous campaign – and I can’t wait until she does the same to some international reporter, after John Kerry becomes SOS and they’re both traveling. Ha!
Second, some of these easy, pro forma questions for John Kerry – so unlike, so far, the questions of Hillary Clinton – are cracking me up. As a Catholic, I’m imagining they’re sounding to Kerry (also a Catholic) so much like the “baptismal promises” we make when we receive our confirmations: “Do you reject Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises?” I mean, there’s only one answer.
That is, until we got to Marco Rubio, whose questions sounded as though they were right outta the textbook, “Green Eggs and Ham.” Ol’ Marco says he doesn’t understand President Obama’s vision. I guess because it wasn’t covered in “Green Eggs and Ham.” Yuck.
John Kerry is very knowledgeable and will make a fine SoS but he’s not a good politician. He missed a big opportunity to defend the administration and to school Senator Rubio. His response wasn’t bad but should have been much better. And you just DON’T use the words “legitimate question” after the kind of chest-pumping, Obama bashing monologue we hear from simpletons like Rubio.
Feeling a bit guilty now to have criticized John Kerry. I’m watching the hearings and on other questions he’s doing a good job.
oh gees Ron Johnson pos… betting he didn’t learn his lesson yesterday.. oops, looks like I’m right.