CBS: President Obama has instructed the Justice Department to no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act….
Attorney General Eric Holder: “After careful consideration, including a review of my recommendation, the President has concluded that … Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to legally married same-sex couples, is unconstitutional. Given that conclusion, the President has instructed the Department not to defend the statute in such cases. I fully concur with the President’s determination.”
Rachel Maddow’s opening segment on Ted Cruz and McCarthism is horrifying. It’s chilling. Jane Mayer is up next to discuss her investigative reporting on Ted Cruz.
yes indeed! all welcome, and somebody can bring cheesy puffs, too. it’s friday night, after all, and ladyhawke gave us an excellent opportunity to start a party! did i hear someone suggest music (dudette)?
young rethugs have to be crazy–there has been nothing positive to attract people to the gop for decades, so they’ve joined up out of devotion to the ideas of shrub! darth! newter! flush! the real surprise is that they can get photos making them look nearly normal.
‘ A Bronx father is trying to take the blame for shooting his 5-year-old son in the shoulder this morning, but the real culprit may be the boy’s 11-year-old brother, who investigators believe fired inadvertently while playing with the weapon. ‘
Edith Windsor is at the center of the case. (Her picture above). If you get a chance I highly recommend the movie “Thea and Edie: A very Long Engagement.” It’s lovely.
I was listening to David Cruz on local California radio on the drive home, and I caught a snippet of a soundbite he was playing that I had heard earlier in the week which is so offensive – I am sure it’s been discussed here already. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) says he wants to prevent a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, saying “Because if you give them legal status, they can work anywhere in the United States — they’re not going to necessarily work at the hardest, toughest, dirtiest jobs.” I could not believe my ears. This would create a permanent underclass that is restricted to doing hard labor, with no prospect for a better life. This – from the party of that has been screeching about “freedom”.
This is vile. And it reveals the true character of these Republicans. They don’t have any humanity.
Watched a program on the History Channel tonight, mushroom growers, fruit farmers, having trouble expanding their businesses due to lack of labor, available employees, related to immigration, workers available. Thank you Republicans, this should have been done long time ago. So much for immigrants taking jobs away……….economy suffers due to businesses can’t expand, fewer people working, not everyone will do this type of work, less money goes into economy.
i don’t really understand this point. my entire family background is farmers, and i worked in fields for years. the “not everyone will do this this type of work” line is what republicans say, and it’s odd to me when i’ve done that work, and much of my family does it to this day.
seems to me the real problem is wages staying the same while the cost of everything, especially housing and land has skyrocketed over the last few decades. this is a direct result of trickle-down economics, brought on by ronald reagan.
for generations, my family did the work that “not everyone” will do, and we all had a decent house with our own rooms, nice meals, the occasional vacation, and kids able to go to college if they wanted to. all from a small family farm. not only were we happy with our chosen professions, we were proud of it! i personally was disgusted with the super bowl ad this year with paul harvey (a radical republican) preaching some insincere crap about the pride of farming, just as republicans do with military people….they don’t give a sheet about military families! they cut their healthcare and hospitals all the time in the name of letting the mitt rmoney family never, ever having to sacrifice a damn thing for this country…just suck from it. well today, because of trickle-down/republican economics, businesses are wanting farmers to do the same or more work for more than half the price, because the REAL costs of everything have gone up substantially.
people come from poorer countries because, even america at a greatly reduced state, pays them more than what they’re used to. they’ll do the same work for peanuts since it’s still an improvement for them. by american standards that existed for generations and what made america a world superpower, migrant worker are willing to work at slave wages. this is not a sustainable way to run a country. it’s encouraging a “race to the bottom.” we will never be able to maintain our country on slave wages, while mitt rmoney and his spawn build elevators for their cars for doing NO WORK whatsoever. this is the problem…not that people don’t want to do “this type of work.”
i say we bring migrant workers into the movement and organize with them. they, and we, should all be paid more, not less! what we really need is a mass re-organization into unions, just a cesar chavez worked on, and stop the true enemy of america – the modern day republicans/john bircher billionaires. forward, as the man says!
You may have mentioned it (I’m tired), but aren’t the big corporate farms – not those individually owned, generation-to-generation – the ones who mostly hire the migrant workers and pay them nothing, under bad conditions with bad temporary housing?
i think the corporate farms do a lot of it and were the first, but then of course the small family farmers feel they then need to also, to “keep up,” hence the race to the bottom. we’ll never compete with slave wages, which in america’s history can go to zero, so this whole republican trickle-down game is a fool’s game. it doesn’t work in theory, or in practice.
i personally know of cases where even a small family farmer chose some migrant workers over the local teenage kids of their neighbors, because the local kids expected to get minimum wage, while the migrant workers would do the job for half that or less, and “off the books” too (no taxes). many of the migrant workers are willing to live literally in the fields under makeshift tents, while the local kids expect, gasp, enough cash to at least rent a cheap apartment. it didn’t used to be like this. there was enough to go around for everyone who was willing to work hard. the current way is unsustainable. i feel this is equally true in the cities and the manufacturing base too. in that case, they just offshore the slave labor in other countries. we can never compete with slave wages, nor why would we want to?!? they are aspiring to have what he’ve had traditionally!
what annoys me the most about this is how rush limbaugh and fox news and all that crap has sort of taken over the media of rural america over the last couple of decades, and brainwashed them into blaming the wrong people, and pushing the wrong “solutions,” namely trickle-down economics. it didn’t used to be this way. these areas used to be soldily democratic. this explains my intense hatred for the mainstream media. most farmers i know get along great with migrant workers and respect their work ethic. what we need to be doing is making them citizens, which president obama and democrats are doing now, and then uniting with them in solidarity and all workers of america including teachers, police, firefighters, nurses, and so on, and stop the mitt rmoney’s and his spawn, and the donald trump’s of the world, once and for all of their insatiable greed. we can do this! si se puede!
Wow. You said it all! Thanks for spelling all of that out – probably didn’t make you feel any better going through it (unless it felt cathartic), but you did write a couple of times about the need to unionize all workers, so you have already figured out the first answer! I am with you 100 percent on that!!!! #UnionsForever
yes, cathartic. good word. we saw it somewhat with the unions coming together in the wisconsin uprising and others, and i think that’s the only way we’re going to be able to stop the .00001% from a complete takeover of the “american experiment” of a democratic republic. i think the obama movement, and now “organizing for action” is the tip of the spear, and we’ve been seeing some solidarity sprouting up all over the place in recent years. for many this probably seemed like simply a neat photo op, but for me, this was one of the more important days of president obama’s tenure, when he dedicated the cesar chavez memorial…chavez is a symbol of what we need to do to save the republic from complete oligarch control, and clearly president obama gets this (yes, we can?…hello?!?!): http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/10/08/honoring-memory-my-grandfather-cesar-e-chavez
that’s why republicans and “the news” are so big on “divide and conquer” strategies to try and keep us fighting amongst ourselves instead of THEM! hence my other extreme dislike for the “professional leftists” (who happen to be 99% percent white people), and who don’t get this central dynamic. they are unwittingly being used to divide and conquer president obama’s support.
glad you got some value from my ramblings, and yes, let’s do this, brothers and sisters, we’re the last line of defense for protecting the u.s. constitution. they almost won completely until barack hussein obama came along at just the right moment. si se puede…yes we can! yes, i’m fired up and getting more ready to go the more i type!
it would be an honor to march with you to the polls in the next elections! forward!! the giants of the past are counting on us to complete the mission.
Because if you give them legal status, they can work anywhere in the United States — they’re not going to necessarily work at the hardest, toughest, dirtiest jobs.” I could not believe my ears. This would create a permanent underclass that is restricted to doing hard labor, with no prospect for a better life.
Grandma Talk: I love that age when kids have the big goofy teeth, some of ’em missing. They eventually grow into the teeth, of course. Wonder what the tooth fairy brought him!
Damn right he did; and the urging of the striking down of DOMA is just one more in an already historic list of accomplishments.
Now and in the future, whenever I think of the Obama administration, I’m going to have a smile on my face because as first terms went, his legacy was W-O-W and the second term has been off with a bang!
‘ The version of the Violence Against Women Act that House Republicans unveiled Friday is not the same bill the Senate passed 78 to 22 last week. Gone are protections for LGBT victims, and a provision to help Native American women seek justice is watered down.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is “committed to ending violence against all women,” his spokeswoman Megan Whittemore said Friday. Why, then, does the House bill eliminate protections for some women who need them most? ‘
Maybe he needs to follow Bill Clinton’s lead, and give us his definition of the phrase “ALL women”. These Republicans are despicable, and the people who vote for them have a lot to answer for.
one of the most perfect examples of how stupid and ridiculous these “professional leftists” are is how president obama has handled gay rights issues. it’s obvious how he really felt based on his record, but when president, he comes up with a strategy to enact truly lasting and massive change around the issue. he’s done that.
in the meantime, these idiots were protesting him and wasting valuable time and energy starting “evolve already” campaigns when it was obvious where he was going with all this. they show no understanding or concern whatsoever of the media and political landscapes, built up over DECADES, that president obama has to deal with, not to mention the racial issues, which they NEVER acknowledge, since the professional left is about 99% white people. classic example here, especially now knowing what has happened since this:
i’m serious when i say we should not try to woo them whatsoever. i never, ever, never want to have these people on my side or working on issues with me. they will always, always whine and bring division and demoralization to any movement. we should be pushing them every day to start their 3rd party/ralph nader groups and leave democrats alone. when elizabeth warren runs in 2016 (please, dear god!) i will do all i can to keep the professional leftists out of the movement. we’re moving FORWARD, people!!!
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe gave Obama a golf putter during their meeting today. Abe’s grandfather, then also PM, played golf with Eisenhower in 1960. Abe said VP Biden then asked, who won the golf match between his father and Eisenhower. Abe replied: “It’s a national secret.” per @DavidNakamura
Section 3 of DOMA violates the fundamental constitutional guarantee of equal protection. The law denies to tens of thousands of same-sex couples who are legally married under state law an array of important federal benefits that are available to legally married opposite-sex couples. Because this discrimination cannot be justified as substantially furthering any important governmental interest, Section 3 is unconstitutional.”
And, the White House is not playing with the House Republicans on this issue and trump them with the 5th Amendment guarantee of equal protection …
“Finally, the administration addresses the argument, advanced by House Republicans through the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, that this is not an issue for the courts to decide:
BLAG makes an appeal to this Court to allow the democratic process to run its course. That approach would be very well taken in most circumstances. This is, however, the rare case in which deference to the democratic process must give way to the fundamental constitutional command of equal treatment under law. Section 3 of DOMA targets the many gay and lesbian people legally married under state law for a harsh form of discrimination that bears no relation to their ability to contribute to society. It is abundantly clear that this discrimination does not substantially advance an interest in protecting marriage, or any other important interest. The statute simply cannot be reconciled with the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. The Constitution therefore requires that Section 3 be invalidated.”
That’s what happens when you elect a Constitutional Law EXPERT (among other talents) to the Presidency of the United States.
stars a young beau bridges and gets pretty deep with examining issues around “race,” especially for 1970! directed by hal ashby, who famously directed “being there” with Peter sellers about 10 years later.
You guys remember that poignant picture from the Olympics when the Iranian/US wrestlers had their hands wrapped around each others backs?5-0 weekend and World Cup champion. It feels good to be back. Congrats to team USA on our 3rd place finish. Iran was an amazing host!
hahaha!! the picture is funny enough (17 year old dog?!? what a good life!), but the type in the guy’s blog post my laugh out loud!
“Over the years, the dog helped raise more than $100,000 for the county human society.” Someone needs to get republicans to join the “human society” one of these days!
Actually, Jacqueline, it is very clever in that he only has in view what would essentially be 4 paragraphs in very large text 🙂 That’s a citation not a reproduction of the bulk of the text 🙂
Cried watching it again! I could recite that whole one part for like ever. I was 24 when I first watched it, and having a challenging year, so was a bit sentimental to start with, which is why I think I always remembered it. Think the brotherly love between the two men just got me, at the time. And now. Goodnight.
Ignore me, Dudette – I’m entertaining myself waitin’ for the show – I actually found the speech of Billy Dee Williams in Brian’s Song (my favorite part is @1:31):
Dudette, thank you so very much for the movie list. I understand clearly why your music repertoire is so passionate and vast.
You are a gem! You share and care…..tha’s rare.
Stay humble.
Sammy Davis Jr as Mo: Now what does that sound like to you Sandman?
Sandman: A Challenge!
Gregory Hines as Max: Now I didn’t challenge nobody
Sammy Davis Jr as Mo: OOOH yes you did. CHALLENGE!!!
I also love the look on Sammy’s face when he’s cold busted by his daughter for tap dancing at the end of this clip.
can you tell I’ve watched this movie waaay to many times? 🙂
mc lame sacrifices his sunday dinner at home with the family once again:
ABC’s “This Week” – Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.
___
NBC’s “Meet the Press” – Govs. Deval Patrick, D-Mass., and Bobby Jindal, R-La.
___
CBS’ “Face the Nation” – Govs. Martin O’Malley, D-Md., Bob McDonnell, R-Va., Jan Brewer, R-Ariz., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.; Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa.; Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Tim Kaine, D-Va,
___
CNN’s “State of the Union” – Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; Gov. Daniel Malloy, D-Conn.
___
“Fox News Sunday” – Govs. Jack Markell, D-Del., and Scott Walker, R-Wis.; Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
I wish I was zzzzzzzzing. cat, but somebody’s gotta keep the home fires burning……literally! Just got done stoking up the woodstoves here in the snowbelt of central new york where’s it’s a nippy 22 degrees at 4:00 AM. But, it’s gonna get to a high of 36 and we’ll be breakin’ out the tank tops and shades any month now.
Good morning Lynn…..must be nice being up at 4 am to watch the sun come up. Keep warm and keep that fire going. We had heavy rain on the west coast so I guess its supposed to reach you soon.
Good morning, yourself! Housemates are sleeping and I’m hanging out here with the cool kids with a lap robe and the weather channel on. Where on the west coast, cat?
aloha jojo
i was off reading vanity fair’s pre-oscar silliness. right now it’s 11:14 p.m., temp in the mid 60s, 80% chance of rain tonight. wrapped in a blanket, big old socks, and yes, i know, i’m spoiled! but we have no heater of any kind, and the walls are paper-thin, windows open to prevent mold (don’t know how that works because the damp air comes right in) so it’s chilly. not complaining–just sayin’!
I manage to stay up to see FLOTUS, it was a struggle, but I made it and I am glad I did. It is clear that Jimmy Fallon really like our President and First Lady.
Scarlett Johansson had me laughing cause she said the first time she met POTUS she was so nervous that the only thing she could think of to say to him was I love your wife, and she said POTUS said I do too. It went something like that.
That’s right Jimmy showed up in the heat of the summer in his suit, and Jimmy said it was hot and he was sweating. Jimmy asked about a Hillary/Michelle ticket for 2016, I know he meant to say a Michelle/Hillary ticket 2016. Just kidding you’ll. One I think we all can agree FLOTUS is done with politics once her husband leave office. And I can not blame her one bit. Well unless there was some way we could get Barack Obama elected President again. Well I can dream can’t I.
sweet dream, anniebella! i’ve been having similar fantasies–maybe he could head the united nations? replace roberts on the supreme court? how about senator from hawaii?! it just doesn’t seem possible that he’d drop out of public life, even though i know flotus and the kids would like a more normal life. he’s just too good to lose!
The Republicans have said that POTUS is acting like a King, well how does this sound King Barack Obama, Queen Michelle Obama. And Barack remain our leader till Princess Malia or Princess Sasha is ready to take over. I know what I just said would kill those right wing idiots. 🙂 Well so be it.
The problem is that the party is fanatical—a machine of rage, hate, and resentment. People are free to scoff and pretend it isn’t so, but I don’t think honest people can deny that we’ve never seen anything like this in the modern history of our country.
If you look at the states that are the stronghold of the GOP…it is mostly the Confederate South/although that racist sentiment has been transplanted to the GOP controlled state houses as well…This is who the GOP is/for years they have been able to fool and delude people thru trickery and deceit/now however the lunatic fringe has ripped off the cover/and America can see the GOP and all of its ugliness….for some of us..we have always seen it/never been fooled…
This is who the GOP is and no amount of repackaging will change that
“There’s a symbiosis of malevolence between the extreme parts of the GOP base and Washington lawmakers, and it is destroying the Republican Party. That’s fine with me, although I am constantly mystified as to why it’s all right with the people I’m talking about. But it’s also destroying the country and our democratic institutions and processes, which is not fine with me.”
So many times people (including me) are saying because they couldn’t defeat President Obama they are intent on destroying the country. Michael Tomasky is asying what so many see.
“Like me, I’m sure many of you were aghast at those people who cheered John McCain when he lectured the parent of the son who was killed in the Colorado shooting. There was blood lust in that cheer, just like the blood lust in the boos back in the presidential primary season of that gay soldier. Are any conservative thinkers writing that this kind of thing makes them sick and ashamed?”
PF and 99t, this is an excellent piece by Tomasky. If only the GOP would recognize that the poison has entered their blood stream and they need serious and intense intervention to recognize the disease of hate and racism and address it.
As Michael said – while the pundits refuse to call them out – it will continue. It is at least refreshing to have someone shout it out – although he still had to add in some apologies to his so called “friends”
Praising David Frum – the Canadian who attacks health care while coming from a country with close to the best health care in the world – for an article written in 2011 – seems pointless – or perhaps that is the ONLY conservative article to be found that faces some reality.
David Frum also works for the Daily Beast. I belive Michael’s article is excellent, but I cannot see Frum being the person to lead the GOP out of their wilderness. I think it will take a politician.
And on the south, people down here seem to think if they have a bad day it is Black Peoples fault. And then they point to welfare and how their tax dollars are all going to the Blacks on Welfare.
Its true, they get all worked up because of it!
:(. 😦 😦
The Obama Diary 
Rachel Maddow’s opening segment on Ted Cruz and McCarthism is horrifying. It’s chilling. Jane Mayer is up next to discuss her investigative reporting on Ted Cruz.
really?
nope 🙂
Susanne lets drink to our devastating loss to Ladyhawke?
oh, yes! a wee dram? a g&t? icy brewski?
May I join ya? We can toast Ladyhawke!
Please do! I have some Stella Artois left over from the Super Bowl weekend. Chilling it right now……..
yes indeed! all welcome, and somebody can bring cheesy puffs, too. it’s friday night, after all, and ladyhawke gave us an excellent opportunity to start a party! did i hear someone suggest music (dudette)?
Bring it baby! Excellent choice!
I haz cheezies for one and all! Fresh from yesterday’s shopping trip! Yummers….
welcome, friend! 🙂
Me?
Cruz just LOOKS crazy to me.
young rethugs have to be crazy–there has been nothing positive to attract people to the gop for decades, so they’ve joined up out of devotion to the ideas of shrub! darth! newter! flush! the real surprise is that they can get photos making them look nearly normal.
endless, sensless…
‘ A Bronx father is trying to take the blame for shooting his 5-year-old son in the shoulder this morning, but the real culprit may be the boy’s 11-year-old brother, who investigators believe fired inadvertently while playing with the weapon. ‘
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/02/5-year-old-bronx-boy-shot-by-family-member.html
They are lucky the young boy is still alive. This could have ended very badly, instead of just badly.
it’s a reminder, that the stats on gun deaths fail to depict the true extent of gun damage. and of course the damage includes fear of gun violence.
I keep hitting the end of a thread…..sorry if this is a repeat
Edith Windsor is at the center of the case. (Her picture above). If you get a chance I highly recommend the movie “Thea and Edie: A very Long Engagement.” It’s lovely.
Way to fly into first Ladyhawke!
Delicious viewing…..
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/02/22/video-not-included-in-sequestration-were-those-mandatory-programs-social-security-medicare-medicaid-food-stamps-pell-grants/
yikes! stinky situation in california:
http://zandarvts.blogspot.com/2013/02/last-call_22.html
eh, we’ll get it back.
still, chevron. grrrr.
I was listening to David Cruz on local California radio on the drive home, and I caught a snippet of a soundbite he was playing that I had heard earlier in the week which is so offensive – I am sure it’s been discussed here already. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) says he wants to prevent a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, saying “Because if you give them legal status, they can work anywhere in the United States — they’re not going to necessarily work at the hardest, toughest, dirtiest jobs.” I could not believe my ears. This would create a permanent underclass that is restricted to doing hard labor, with no prospect for a better life. This – from the party of that has been screeching about “freedom”.
This is vile. And it reveals the true character of these Republicans. They don’t have any humanity.
http://thinkprogress.org/special/2013/02/21/1619901/indentured-servitude-gop-lawmaker-wants-to-tether-immigrants-to-the-dirtiest-jobs/
I can’t even process this despicable attitude. OMG, the RWNJs are beyond words.
Watched a program on the History Channel tonight, mushroom growers, fruit farmers, having trouble expanding their businesses due to lack of labor, available employees, related to immigration, workers available. Thank you Republicans, this should have been done long time ago. So much for immigrants taking jobs away……….economy suffers due to businesses can’t expand, fewer people working, not everyone will do this type of work, less money goes into economy.
i don’t really understand this point. my entire family background is farmers, and i worked in fields for years. the “not everyone will do this this type of work” line is what republicans say, and it’s odd to me when i’ve done that work, and much of my family does it to this day.
seems to me the real problem is wages staying the same while the cost of everything, especially housing and land has skyrocketed over the last few decades. this is a direct result of trickle-down economics, brought on by ronald reagan.
for generations, my family did the work that “not everyone” will do, and we all had a decent house with our own rooms, nice meals, the occasional vacation, and kids able to go to college if they wanted to. all from a small family farm. not only were we happy with our chosen professions, we were proud of it! i personally was disgusted with the super bowl ad this year with paul harvey (a radical republican) preaching some insincere crap about the pride of farming, just as republicans do with military people….they don’t give a sheet about military families! they cut their healthcare and hospitals all the time in the name of letting the mitt rmoney family never, ever having to sacrifice a damn thing for this country…just suck from it. well today, because of trickle-down/republican economics, businesses are wanting farmers to do the same or more work for more than half the price, because the REAL costs of everything have gone up substantially.
people come from poorer countries because, even america at a greatly reduced state, pays them more than what they’re used to. they’ll do the same work for peanuts since it’s still an improvement for them. by american standards that existed for generations and what made america a world superpower, migrant worker are willing to work at slave wages. this is not a sustainable way to run a country. it’s encouraging a “race to the bottom.” we will never be able to maintain our country on slave wages, while mitt rmoney and his spawn build elevators for their cars for doing NO WORK whatsoever. this is the problem…not that people don’t want to do “this type of work.”
i say we bring migrant workers into the movement and organize with them. they, and we, should all be paid more, not less! what we really need is a mass re-organization into unions, just a cesar chavez worked on, and stop the true enemy of america – the modern day republicans/john bircher billionaires. forward, as the man says!
You may have mentioned it (I’m tired), but aren’t the big corporate farms – not those individually owned, generation-to-generation – the ones who mostly hire the migrant workers and pay them nothing, under bad conditions with bad temporary housing?
i think the corporate farms do a lot of it and were the first, but then of course the small family farmers feel they then need to also, to “keep up,” hence the race to the bottom. we’ll never compete with slave wages, which in america’s history can go to zero, so this whole republican trickle-down game is a fool’s game. it doesn’t work in theory, or in practice.
i personally know of cases where even a small family farmer chose some migrant workers over the local teenage kids of their neighbors, because the local kids expected to get minimum wage, while the migrant workers would do the job for half that or less, and “off the books” too (no taxes). many of the migrant workers are willing to live literally in the fields under makeshift tents, while the local kids expect, gasp, enough cash to at least rent a cheap apartment. it didn’t used to be like this. there was enough to go around for everyone who was willing to work hard. the current way is unsustainable. i feel this is equally true in the cities and the manufacturing base too. in that case, they just offshore the slave labor in other countries. we can never compete with slave wages, nor why would we want to?!? they are aspiring to have what he’ve had traditionally!
what annoys me the most about this is how rush limbaugh and fox news and all that crap has sort of taken over the media of rural america over the last couple of decades, and brainwashed them into blaming the wrong people, and pushing the wrong “solutions,” namely trickle-down economics. it didn’t used to be this way. these areas used to be soldily democratic. this explains my intense hatred for the mainstream media. most farmers i know get along great with migrant workers and respect their work ethic. what we need to be doing is making them citizens, which president obama and democrats are doing now, and then uniting with them in solidarity and all workers of america including teachers, police, firefighters, nurses, and so on, and stop the mitt rmoney’s and his spawn, and the donald trump’s of the world, once and for all of their insatiable greed. we can do this! si se puede!
Wow. You said it all! Thanks for spelling all of that out – probably didn’t make you feel any better going through it (unless it felt cathartic), but you did write a couple of times about the need to unionize all workers, so you have already figured out the first answer! I am with you 100 percent on that!!!! #UnionsForever
yes, cathartic. good word. we saw it somewhat with the unions coming together in the wisconsin uprising and others, and i think that’s the only way we’re going to be able to stop the .00001% from a complete takeover of the “american experiment” of a democratic republic. i think the obama movement, and now “organizing for action” is the tip of the spear, and we’ve been seeing some solidarity sprouting up all over the place in recent years. for many this probably seemed like simply a neat photo op, but for me, this was one of the more important days of president obama’s tenure, when he dedicated the cesar chavez memorial…chavez is a symbol of what we need to do to save the republic from complete oligarch control, and clearly president obama gets this (yes, we can?…hello?!?!):
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/10/08/honoring-memory-my-grandfather-cesar-e-chavez
that’s why republicans and “the news” are so big on “divide and conquer” strategies to try and keep us fighting amongst ourselves instead of THEM! hence my other extreme dislike for the “professional leftists” (who happen to be 99% percent white people), and who don’t get this central dynamic. they are unwittingly being used to divide and conquer president obama’s support.
glad you got some value from my ramblings, and yes, let’s do this, brothers and sisters, we’re the last line of defense for protecting the u.s. constitution. they almost won completely until barack hussein obama came along at just the right moment. si se puede…yes we can! yes, i’m fired up and getting more ready to go the more i type!
When you hit the streets holding one side of a banner, leading the parade, I’d love to be holding up the other side!
Fired Up!
it would be an honor to march with you to the polls in the next elections! forward!! the giants of the past are counting on us to complete the mission.
Because if you give them legal status, they can work anywhere in the United States — they’re not going to necessarily work at the hardest, toughest, dirtiest jobs.” I could not believe my ears. This would create a permanent underclass that is restricted to doing hard labor, with no prospect for a better life.
THIS IS WHO THEY ARE
http://twitter.com/TheObamaDiary/status/305145345942364160
Grandma Talk: I love that age when kids have the big goofy teeth, some of ’em missing. They eventually grow into the teeth, of course. Wonder what the tooth fairy brought him!
a baby sister!? when i was losing baby teeth, we got a shiny dime! ooh!
Good times!
Damn right he did; and the urging of the striking down of DOMA is just one more in an already historic list of accomplishments.
Now and in the future, whenever I think of the Obama administration, I’m going to have a smile on my face because as first terms went, his legacy was W-O-W and the second term has been off with a bang!
SO John Cornyn is getting primaried from the rigtht, a guy who says he is like Ted Cruz http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2013/02/john-cornyn-draws-a-2014-gop-primary-challenge-from-the-right/ And Planned Parenthood is going after MItch “turtle” McConnell
That picture of the turtle is frightening. I’m going to have nightmares tonight… 😯
Oh, is that what that is? I thought it was a burn victim! 😀
‘ The version of the Violence Against Women Act that House Republicans unveiled Friday is not the same bill the Senate passed 78 to 22 last week. Gone are protections for LGBT victims, and a provision to help Native American women seek justice is watered down.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is “committed to ending violence against all women,” his spokeswoman Megan Whittemore said Friday. Why, then, does the House bill eliminate protections for some women who need them most? ‘
includes excellent graph:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/22/violence-against-women-act-_n_2742976.html
Maybe he needs to follow Bill Clinton’s lead, and give us his definition of the phrase “ALL women”. These Republicans are despicable, and the people who vote for them have a lot to answer for.
one of the most perfect examples of how stupid and ridiculous these “professional leftists” are is how president obama has handled gay rights issues. it’s obvious how he really felt based on his record, but when president, he comes up with a strategy to enact truly lasting and massive change around the issue. he’s done that.
in the meantime, these idiots were protesting him and wasting valuable time and energy starting “evolve already” campaigns when it was obvious where he was going with all this. they show no understanding or concern whatsoever of the media and political landscapes, built up over DECADES, that president obama has to deal with, not to mention the racial issues, which they NEVER acknowledge, since the professional left is about 99% white people. classic example here, especially now knowing what has happened since this:
i’m serious when i say we should not try to woo them whatsoever. i never, ever, never want to have these people on my side or working on issues with me. they will always, always whine and bring division and demoralization to any movement. we should be pushing them every day to start their 3rd party/ralph nader groups and leave democrats alone. when elizabeth warren runs in 2016 (please, dear god!) i will do all i can to keep the professional leftists out of the movement. we’re moving FORWARD, people!!!
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe gave Obama a golf putter during their meeting today. Abe’s grandfather, then also PM, played golf with Eisenhower in 1960. Abe said VP Biden then asked, who won the golf match between his father and Eisenhower. Abe replied: “It’s a national secret.” per @DavidNakamura
I am very impressed w/ the WH press shop. They just keep pounding and pounding away, while the morons are out of town.
Re-tweeted vigorously (although you can’t really tell) 🙂
Dont click on link if you are going to watch Fallon show…AP write-up http://bigstory.ap.org/article/first-lady-jokes-about-hosting-tonight-show
must not click….no, no click….aiyeeeee!!
#EndDOMA
Replaced a previous tweet with this one so that the link to the document was included.
#FORWARD
“In summary, the administration argues:
Section 3 of DOMA violates the fundamental constitutional guarantee of equal protection. The law denies to tens of thousands of same-sex couples who are legally married under state law an array of important federal benefits that are available to legally married opposite-sex couples. Because this discrimination cannot be justified as substantially furthering any important governmental interest, Section 3 is unconstitutional.”
ibid.
#TrustBarack
And, the White House is not playing with the House Republicans on this issue and trump them with the 5th Amendment guarantee of equal protection …
“Finally, the administration addresses the argument, advanced by House Republicans through the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, that this is not an issue for the courts to decide:
BLAG makes an appeal to this Court to allow the democratic process to run its course. That approach would be very well taken in most circumstances. This is, however, the rare case in which deference to the democratic process must give way to the fundamental constitutional command of equal treatment under law. Section 3 of DOMA targets the many gay and lesbian people legally married under state law for a harsh form of discrimination that bears no relation to their ability to contribute to society. It is abundantly clear that this discrimination does not substantially advance an interest in protecting marriage, or any other important interest. The statute simply cannot be reconciled with the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. The Constitution therefore requires that Section 3 be invalidated.”
That’s what happens when you elect a Constitutional Law EXPERT (among other talents) to the Presidency of the United States.
#FORWARD
let me add “the landlord” to the mix.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065963/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
stars a young beau bridges and gets pretty deep with examining issues around “race,” especially for 1970! directed by hal ashby, who famously directed “being there” with Peter sellers about 10 years later.
Cool! I hadn’t heard of that one. Thanks 4more!
……and a young Lou Gossett Jr
Hey Dudette, How about “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” ? I now can’t remember the year it came out, but some time in the 1970s.
wow–dudette, you’ve outlined a powerful movie month!
Yep, and you’ve got 6 days to watch ’em all! 🙂
This will make it Black History YEAR!! Thanks for the great playlist, Dudette
Remeber the titans (2010) Glory (1989) Do the right thing (1989) Pride (2007) Glory Road (2006) and coming in 2 months 42 (2013)
Yes, yes, yes!!!! CANNOT WAIT TO GO SEE 42!! 😀
Dont forget Red Tails (2011) story of the Tuskegee Airman in WW2
Good point. I meant to put the original movie about this from 1995 in a tweet, but didn’t get bacl to it, so…
Can’t wait until tonight’s 20/20 is available on line; I’m missing half of it because tears won’t stop…
You guys remember that poignant picture from the Olympics when the Iranian/US wrestlers had their hands wrapped around each others backs?5-0 weekend and World Cup champion. It feels good to be back. Congrats to team USA on our 3rd place finish. Iran was an amazing host!
The people of Iran are not anything like the one’s who represent them internationally. This is a perfect example!
This is the picture I was referencing Bob4r http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188298/Olympic-wrestling-2012-Photo-shows-Iranian-American-athletes-embracing.html
Might as well threw in a few more jocks…
“throw in a few more” — looks like I need to go throw my head on a pillow somewhere. After I watch my FLOTUS, of course! 🙂
OT. Not a movie but a visual image. Put a long blonde wig on Rick Scott(Gov.-Fl) and you have Ann Coulter. ugggghhh! 🙂
LOL!!!
LOL!!!!!!!
Um this is the image i got http://mercopenmike.blogspot.com/2010/06/2009-ugliest-dog-dies.html
Eeeeek! 😀
Close but the dog has more class..:lol:
hahaha!! the picture is funny enough (17 year old dog?!? what a good life!), but the type in the guy’s blog post my laugh out loud!
“Over the years, the dog helped raise more than $100,000 for the county human society.” Someone needs to get republicans to join the “human society” one of these days!
Phew! Okay, I’m tapped out! Somebody else is gonna have to pick up the reigns! 🙂
Great job – thank you, thank you!
You are most welcome, kind friend! 🙂
You do everything so well – love how you put your heart and soul into it – so I’ll give you an A+ for everything!
Awww, thank you! You are too kind! [I’m blushing!]
This one gets a repeat, cuz, you know, Hopey-Changeyness Rules! 😀
I see you a Woodward and raise you a Woodward. I’m telling WH press shop is on fire. Throttle is at 9 RPM’s
Nicely done Dan. I like it. I like it a lot. More of this please….
Good for him, but Woodward will probably get him for copyright infringement!
still, so worth it! a beautiful thing like that! 🙂
Definitely! 🙂
Actually, Jacqueline, it is very clever in that he only has in view what would essentially be 4 paragraphs in very large text 🙂 That’s a citation not a reproduction of the bulk of the text 🙂
#FORWARD
Clevah, indeed!
Really? I thought it was permissible to quote from books/articles as long as you acknowledged the author?
I was kind of teasing (an anti-Woodward comment), and Bobfr agreed with you, so it’s all good!
They aren’t playing …
#ProsperNotSequester
Is it Friday yet? 😉
Somewhere! 🙂
Almost done here…. Bon Nuit, toute les mondes! 😉
I knew you had more in you! You’ll be up all night! I’m extremely sleepy, but trying to make it to Jimmy Fallon. Can’t wait!
Dudette – Excuse another entry, but are you listing TV movies like Brian’s Song (1971), with James Caan and Billy Dee Williams?
I can still hear Billy Dee, playing Gale Sayers, when he cried during the tribute for his teammate, “I love Brian Piccolo.”
Sorry – almost having a tearful moment! Great acting, and I sobbed through that part when it aired.
Yep had that in one of the tweets. Loved it! Crying just thinking about it!
Cried watching it again! I could recite that whole one part for like ever. I was 24 when I first watched it, and having a challenging year, so was a bit sentimental to start with, which is why I think I always remembered it. Think the brotherly love between the two men just got me, at the time. And now. Goodnight.
Here it is…
Ignore me, Dudette – I’m entertaining myself waitin’ for the show – I actually found the speech of Billy Dee Williams in Brian’s Song (my favorite part is @1:31):
I LOVE BRIAN’S SONG!!! Is this on DVD? Billy Dee was soo foine in this movie! 🙂
I’m not pushing Amazon, but I just checked and it’s available on DVD there. And other chunks of it are on YouTube.
Great minds and all that, I just came back here from Amazon.com after ordering it. 😆
Dontcha love The Google? Everything at our fingertips. Well, almost! 🙂
INTENSE. good call.
Dudette, you are tireless gurrll!! Here’s a few more, ‘scuse any dupes
Love it! Glad to have someone join in! Thanks PurpleShoes!
Did you already list The Great Debaters (2007)?
Yep, got it. I hadn’t been copying all the tweets from the #hashtag thread. Way too many.
Maybe I’ll come back and post some more later today.
With all the great movies you’ve listed, I should have known you wouldn’t have missed that one.:-) Thanks for sharing.
Dudette, thank you so very much for the movie list. I understand clearly why your music repertoire is so passionate and vast.
You are a gem! You share and care…..tha’s rare.
Stay humble.
That’s rare…….(sorry, up since 4:00 am)
Sweet sleep.
Thanks so much LDS! Hugs to you! {{{LDS}}}
Received that…..send a MO hug back!
😀
Thank you, Sailor. G’night.
Night Sailor! 🙂
I’ve been to the American cemetery at Normandy. Overlooking Omaha beach. A very powerful experience.
Some of my fave “old school black cinema” with Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr and Dorothy Dandrige
Great ones!!
Hey I’m just following the maestro-ess (you!) 🙂 And let us not forget:
“They call me MISTER TIBBS”, Sidney Poitier
Hello?!!! LURVED THAT!!!!
The sho nuff T-RUTH!!
FLOTUS on Jimmy Fallon live now.
Tap
I love the lead up to this clip
Sammy Davis Jr as Mo: Now what does that sound like to you Sandman?
Sandman: A Challenge!
Gregory Hines as Max: Now I didn’t challenge nobody
Sammy Davis Jr as Mo: OOOH yes you did. CHALLENGE!!!
I also love the look on Sammy’s face when he’s cold busted by his daughter for tap dancing at the end of this clip.
can you tell I’ve watched this movie waaay to many times? 🙂
Me too. I wish they’d left it on for one more second, so you could hear Sammy say “Gim’ my cane!” Cracks me up! 🙂
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Is it just the west coasters still hangin’ out tonight?
Nope. One east coast insomniac checking in, cat. Got all jazzed up with memories from all Dudette’s tweets and 4 more’s impassioned posts.
hawaii reporting in!
White Knights with the late great Gregory Hines.
Hi Night Owls! I am waiting to watch Jimmy Fallon to see FLOTUS and Scarlett Johansson…..its on now.
Enjoy!
i caught the clips, but not the show yet. here are some bits of fun 🙂 from the evolution of mom dancing!
mc lame sacrifices his sunday dinner at home with the family once again:
ABC’s “This Week” – Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.
___
NBC’s “Meet the Press” – Govs. Deval Patrick, D-Mass., and Bobby Jindal, R-La.
___
CBS’ “Face the Nation” – Govs. Martin O’Malley, D-Md., Bob McDonnell, R-Va., Jan Brewer, R-Ariz., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.; Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa.; Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Tim Kaine, D-Va,
___
CNN’s “State of the Union” – Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; Gov. Daniel Malloy, D-Conn.
___
“Fox News Sunday” – Govs. Jack Markell, D-Del., and Scott Walker, R-Wis.; Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
Hey Susanne…..it’s what 10 pm where you are? Join the late night party while the mid west and easternors are zzzzzzz.
I wish I was zzzzzzzzing. cat, but somebody’s gotta keep the home fires burning……literally! Just got done stoking up the woodstoves here in the snowbelt of central new york where’s it’s a nippy 22 degrees at 4:00 AM. But, it’s gonna get to a high of 36 and we’ll be breakin’ out the tank tops and shades any month now.
Good morning Lynn…..must be nice being up at 4 am to watch the sun come up. Keep warm and keep that fire going. We had heavy rain on the west coast so I guess its supposed to reach you soon.
Good morning, yourself! Housemates are sleeping and I’m hanging out here with the cool kids with a lap robe and the weather channel on. Where on the west coast, cat?
aloha jojo
i was off reading vanity fair’s pre-oscar silliness. right now it’s 11:14 p.m., temp in the mid 60s, 80% chance of rain tonight. wrapped in a blanket, big old socks, and yes, i know, i’m spoiled! but we have no heater of any kind, and the walls are paper-thin, windows open to prevent mold (don’t know how that works because the damp air comes right in) so it’s chilly. not complaining–just sayin’!
I manage to stay up to see FLOTUS, it was a struggle, but I made it and I am glad I did. It is clear that Jimmy Fallon really like our President and First Lady.
She is so cute and funny…..love the dress too.
Yes, and those shoes too.
Scarlett Johansson had me laughing cause she said the first time she met POTUS she was so nervous that the only thing she could think of to say to him was I love your wife, and she said POTUS said I do too. It went something like that.
Good for you and glad to know another happy POTUS supporter is still up and enthused, Anniebella!
….did you get the memo…its a bbq? so funnny…..
That’s right Jimmy showed up in the heat of the summer in his suit, and Jimmy said it was hot and he was sweating. Jimmy asked about a Hillary/Michelle ticket for 2016, I know he meant to say a Michelle/Hillary ticket 2016. Just kidding you’ll. One I think we all can agree FLOTUS is done with politics once her husband leave office. And I can not blame her one bit. Well unless there was some way we could get Barack Obama elected President again. Well I can dream can’t I.
I meant to say, One thing I think we all agree upon, FLOTUS is done with politics once her husband leave office.
Yep….Good Night….see you on Rise and Shine…..
so jojo, are you up early, or up late?
sweet dream, anniebella! i’ve been having similar fantasies–maybe he could head the united nations? replace roberts on the supreme court? how about senator from hawaii?! it just doesn’t seem possible that he’d drop out of public life, even though i know flotus and the kids would like a more normal life. he’s just too good to lose!
The Republicans have said that POTUS is acting like a King, well how does this sound King Barack Obama, Queen Michelle Obama. And Barack remain our leader till Princess Malia or Princess Sasha is ready to take over. I know what I just said would kill those right wing idiots. 🙂 Well so be it.
Time for me to go back to bed.
🙂 🙂 🙂 excellent plan! after all the rwnj heads explode, the world will be a happy place indeed!
I feel s “Smack Down” is about to happen :-):-)
https://twitter.com/Kahsai/status/305265479998656512
Strike that…s/b *Constitutional ….
https://twitter.com/Kahsai/status/305271474439217153
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/23/deluded-republican-reformers.html
The problem is that the party is fanatical—a machine of rage, hate, and resentment. People are free to scoff and pretend it isn’t so, but I don’t think honest people can deny that we’ve never seen anything like this in the modern history of our country.
*****************************************************
If you look at the states that are the stronghold of the GOP…it is mostly the Confederate South/although that racist sentiment has been transplanted to the GOP controlled state houses as well…This is who the GOP is/for years they have been able to fool and delude people thru trickery and deceit/now however the lunatic fringe has ripped off the cover/and America can see the GOP and all of its ugliness….for some of us..we have always seen it/never been fooled…
This is who the GOP is and no amount of repackaging will change that
To Follow on from your first quote
“There’s a symbiosis of malevolence between the extreme parts of the GOP base and Washington lawmakers, and it is destroying the Republican Party. That’s fine with me, although I am constantly mystified as to why it’s all right with the people I’m talking about. But it’s also destroying the country and our democratic institutions and processes, which is not fine with me.”
So many times people (including me) are saying because they couldn’t defeat President Obama they are intent on destroying the country. Michael Tomasky is asying what so many see.
Wow – someone is saying it all – LOUD and CLEAR
“Like me, I’m sure many of you were aghast at those people who cheered John McCain when he lectured the parent of the son who was killed in the Colorado shooting. There was blood lust in that cheer, just like the blood lust in the boos back in the presidential primary season of that gay soldier. Are any conservative thinkers writing that this kind of thing makes them sick and ashamed?”
PF and 99t, this is an excellent piece by Tomasky. If only the GOP would recognize that the poison has entered their blood stream and they need serious and intense intervention to recognize the disease of hate and racism and address it.
GM Jackie & Prettyfoot
As Michael said – while the pundits refuse to call them out – it will continue. It is at least refreshing to have someone shout it out – although he still had to add in some apologies to his so called “friends”
Praising David Frum – the Canadian who attacks health care while coming from a country with close to the best health care in the world – for an article written in 2011 – seems pointless – or perhaps that is the ONLY conservative article to be found that faces some reality.
David Frum also works for the Daily Beast. I belive Michael’s article is excellent, but I cannot see Frum being the person to lead the GOP out of their wilderness. I think it will take a politician.
And on the south, people down here seem to think if they have a bad day it is Black Peoples fault. And then they point to welfare and how their tax dollars are all going to the Blacks on Welfare.
Its true, they get all worked up because of it!
:(. 😦 😦
Moooooorning!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/02/23/rise-and-shine-438/