Hey, Happy Birthday to two of my fave Pete Souza pics – President Obama with Senior Advisor David Axelrod following an event at the Costa Mesa Town Hall at OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., March 18, 2009
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The Week Ahead:
Today: At 11:40 President Obama will announce his intent to nominate Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary. In the afternoon, he will deliver remarks at the Women’s History Month Reception in the East Room (4:40). The First Lady will also attend
Tuesday: In the morning, the President will meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny of Ireland in the Oval Office, and subsequently he will attend the traditional St Patrick’s Day lunch at the U.S. Capitol. During the day, the president will also greet First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Northern Ireland at the White House.
In the evening, the President and first lady will host a reception to celebrate their fifth St Patrick’s Day at the White House.
Later in the evening, the President will depart for Israel.
Wednesday: The President will have separate meetings with Israeli President Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. He will also hold a joint press conference with Netanyahu.
Thursday: The President will meet with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and will tour a youth development center with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad. Later in the day, the President will deliver a speech to the Israeli people at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. He will also hold a joint press conference with Abbas.
Friday: The President with meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan and later will hold a joint press conference with Abdullah.
Saturday: The President will return to Washington, DC.
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Independent (UK): Two senior Iraqi politicians told Western intelligence that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction on the eve of the 2003 invasion – but their warnings were ignored …
Vital intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq 10 years ago was based on “fabrication” and “wishful thinking”, the BBC Panorama documentary claims. While information from highly placed Iraqis was dismissed as unimportant if it indicated that Hussein did not have WMD, tip offs from low-ranking Iraqis were eagerly lapped up if they reinforced what George W Bush and Tony Blair wanted to hear, it is claimed.
More here
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Paul Krugman: Ten years ago, America invaded Iraq; somehow, our political class decided that we should respond to a terrorist attack by making war on a regime that, however vile, had nothing to do with that attack.
Some voices warned that we were making a terrible mistake — that the case for war was weak and possibly fraudulent, and that far from yielding the promised easy victory, the venture was all too likely to end in costly grief. And those warnings were, of course, right.
There were, it turned out, no weapons of mass destruction; it was obvious in retrospect that the Bush administration deliberately misled the nation into war. And the war — having cost thousands of American lives and scores of thousands of Iraqi lives, having imposed financial costs vastly higher than the war’s boosters predicted — left America weaker, not stronger, and ended up creating an Iraqi regime that is closer to Tehran than it is to Washington.
So did our political elite and our news media learn from this experience? It sure doesn’t look like it…..
More here
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Washington Post: President Obama will formally nominate assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas E. Perez as the next labor secretary on Monday, White House officials said, marking the first Latino selection to Obama’s second-term Cabinet.
Perez, 51, a first-generation Dominican American, is a former Montgomery County Council member who has overseen the civil rights division in the Justice Department since 2009. If confirmed, he would replace Hilda Solis, who resigned in January.
More here
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Steve Benen: Last week, President Obama sat down with George Stephanopoulos, and when the discussion turned to the national debt, the president shared a simple fact: “We don’t have an immediate crisis.”
For reasons unclear, the comment was not well received by Republicans and many in the media, with some suggesting a bipartisan debt-reduction agreement may be dependent, at least in part, on Obama saying the opposite.
But then a funny thing happened. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan unveiled his budget plan, and it also conceded there is no immediate debt crisis. Yesterday, House Speaker John Boehner made the same concession to Martha Raddatz…..
More here
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Greg Sargent: GOP officials, unwilling to concede anything in new revenues to reach a compromise that would replace the sequester, have taken to claiming that the sequester is a “victory” for them, since they wanted spending cuts all along. But is being the party of austerity-only-and-forever really a sustainable long term position?
A Republican pollster is now warning his fellow Republicans that it isn’t…..
More here
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They’re eating each other alive, part 975:
Business Insider: Republican strategist Karl Rove took a big swipe back at former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Sunday, a day after Palin mocked him during a rousing speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
…. “I appreciate her encouragement that I ought to go home to Texas and run for office,” Rove said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“I would be enthused if I ran for office to have her support ….. if I did run for office and win, I would serve out my term and I wouldn’t leave office midterm.”
More here
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This sight always makes me queasy, to be honest 😕
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MoooOOOOooorning!
* You know all those emails I promised to reply to ages ago? Just starting now 😳
* Again, a gazillion thanks to all our new TOD posters …. legends, all of them! Will be emailing them too, mainly in an effort to bully them in to carrying on posting.
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The Obama Diary 
Hello Miss Chips
Woohoo – 3 times a first (don’t mention that is over at least 2 years!)
Oh wow – you do find the most amazing pictures of the President – so please to see you back this day – well it’s almost tomorrow in my world – but what the heck.
Congrats 99!
Woot Woot: new meaning to Top of the Mornin’, eh, 99ts!? 🙂
Sure is, good fun – hello mighty one – enjoy your day
Congrats, 99 🙂
Morning/evening 99ts, congrats on your first!
Thank you df & Chips – what fun to be at the top of the page – but much more joy to have Chips back – now I can mention ManU again – I was too skeered without some protection from the boss
Congrats on 1st 99.
Hope you are having a fine day, Chips, and are basking in the joy of the exceptional community you have created and the special efforts of amk, LP, UT and LL. You earned it, friend!!
#FORWARD
Congrats 99!!
Your volunteers were fantastic Chips…so happy you are back. Hope everything is getting better for you. We love and respect all you do for us.
PS. Can’t wait for the Israel Trip. Hope it is covered more that C-PAC was.
GM TODville
GM Chips and TOD!
Mooooooorning Allison!
Welcome back Chiparoo! 😀
UT, another of our legends! Email to you half written – meanwhile, THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!
Rising and shining. Congratz 99ts!
Good morning Ms. Chips. Nice to see ya!
Thank you LDS – I just finished congratulating myself (why does that make me feel bad) – always amazed when I see that “leave a comment” at the beginning of a thread.
Hey, 99ts: You deserve it! Take a bow……you are a night owl like myself.
Day started off kind of blah….now, I am jumping for joy!
Mother Ship(our dear Chips) is safe, secure and sensational.
Prayer works!
We have been well taken care of while she was away. It just feels good to know that ALL IS WELL!
One of the nicest things about retirement – night and day lose their predefined place in life – I have reverted to my college days – up all night – sleep through lectures – or whatever is now in my days 🙂
99ts: Take another bow, you deserve that, also. I know exactly what you mean. I don’t call it “retirement.” I call it “revivement.” (Made up my own word). You see, you can do that when you are revived. Don’t even care what day it is as l long as I can come here and sip my cup of green tea. I smile and laugh a lot. So over people and their opinions…..just want the truth and facts. Simple, right?
How I long for this ‘revivement’, which is exactly the perfect re-definition! The green tea part is the days part…. Love my green jasmine (the jasmine covers that ‘fresh mown grass’ taste!) setting a schedule according to ones’ true body clock, now that is living!
Thank you, MP:
Wow! I just might change teas….so poetic.
Only thing, though, my true body clock is set to “Do Not Disturb”/”nothing to see here!” (LOL)
🙂
I’m more partial to black tea – as partaken of in polite english society and also consumed in huge quantities in outback Australia.
Another funny sideline of my one and only trip to US. Staying at a hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco – ordered tea with breakfast – and was delivered a glass of iced tea. So I rang room service again & the most delightful lady told me “You must ask for hot tea with cream – that is what the english people drink”. Never have I put cream into tea – but I did as told and found out about this weird type of milk/cream called half and half – that went with my hot tea.
I admit to a love of the Assam….. Giving up coffee for me was incredibly hard, particularly having just moved to Seattle (coffee capital of the world)!, so substituted the lovely black teas, having grown up in an Irish family of committed tea drinkers (bone china only please)… and prefer made in a proper pot, freshly boiled water and all… But over time, the old kidneys just did not get along with the black, switched to green no more kidney issues, love it! I do concede an ever-present wish to be drinking that lovely black tea, but have learned to stay away from it. I fully share your view, and confess I LOVE BillyTea, yes, yes, I know…. But it’s true! 😆
Okay. So this is what a REAL Tea Party is all about!
Those Fockers mess up everything!
I am from the South and you never, ever ask for sweet tea down there. It is a given that it will be sweet and cold.
If you ask for a cup of hot tea, they look at you as if you have loss y our ever loving mind and know immediately that you are not from there. Or they ask if you are sick, have a cold. Hot tea is considered medicine. Bet ya’ll didn’t know that, huh?
I sho do … same in reverse with us Southerners traveling North; ask for iced tea – it will not be sweet! And there is no proper way to sweeten it sufficiently after it is cold. Just ask for tea … you get hot tea!
I knew it, oh yes, I knew it!
Daisydem: You made me LOL! I still ask for iced tea and will just drink it without sugar. Most times it is that artificial mix, so they look at me as if I have lost my f*****ing mind. I never send it back because of the foam it makes, you never know if it spit. Sorry, had to tell the truth…
MP: You knew that?
Who yoe kinfolks, then?
When I do visit, I crack me up that I still get the flow( floe) as it is pronounced.
My kids, on the other hand, need me to translate for them.
My maternal grandmother, of English descent, but a confirmed tea drinker: told us as children she would prefer a cup of hot tea over cold water any day, even on a sweltering summer day.. she maintained it cooled her down! My Mama, now this is while living in Maryland as a youngster, would steep up a cup of tea with toast for us if we ever complained of tummy problems, and by golly it always worked and I felt better fast! If we were really sick, or had a lot of pain, we got tea and toast, if we could stomach it, or some sips of port or red wine, and none of us turned out to be alcoholic. So, that’s the story….
Morning LDS, mighty fine to see you too!
Thank you. You are looking good, girl. Missed you like crazy….but ALL IS WELL!
Having a cup of green tea and enjoying life right about now.
Love you!
You’re a sweetheart LDS, thank you so much – and enjoy that green tea!!!
Good morning everyone! Great job all around everyday on TOD, thanks!
Morning…and welcome back home, Chips!
Thank you DF, great to be home! Although, the house was looked after suuuuuuuuperbly! Hope all’s good, missed ya!
We can be serious when we want to, ya know! The house was looked after superbly….they all did such a great job. It takes a village:) Hope that you got a chance to relax and decompress. We missed you back!
I didn’t find a single broken item in the house, and not even one empty beer can – part of me is disappointed that you were all so good DF, but relieved at the same time!
Well, they were, and then again, they weren’t…. If you catch my drift! 😉
I mean ‘WE’, er, ‘They, er, We’, er…. Never mind, you’re back… Even part time is good!
I’m blog-stupid, but I tried to do my part: admonished this crew to clean up the wine and beer bottles and throw away the pizza boxes and other evidence of their unsanctioned revelry. Although I hear a rumor that amk will not take the lampshade off his head.
57 really did, I vouch for her integrity…..
Thanks, MP!
“I hear a rumor that amk will not take the lampshade off his head”
😆
57, thank you for keeping order, I suspected someone probably tried in my absence because the place looked waaaaaaaay too tidy on my return. You are heroic!!!
It was not for the faint of heart, let me tell ya.
Not that I was to discourage you taking much-needed respites from this demanding group. I’ll crack the whip and keep ’em line, if need be.
Still REALLY glad to see you back. And I’m REALLY proud of you for trusting people who love you, love the blog and love each other to keep the fire aflame.
Heh, you’re talking about fav hat there.
Good morning everyone. Ms. Chips, I love that top picture, also.
Quote for today: ” I truly respect as man who LOL.”
By: LDS(Me)
“By: LDS(Me)”
😆 That’s my quote of the week, LDS
Okay. Keep LOL!
We do it in NY all the time(crazy and not so crazy)…..drives the so-called “sane people” out of their seats on the buses and trains.
Gets me a seat every time. And it makes me feel good all day. Decided long ago, I will live MY life to the fullest….only get one chance here.
Morning Ms. chips, I hope you have a great day.
Thank you Betsy, have a great day yourself!
Goooooooood moooorrrnnniinnnnggggg, Chipsticks!! It’s so great to see you back here!! We’ve missed you terribly. Hope all is well, my deah!! XOXO
Metaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Blissful to see ya, missed you too! But I’m still stunned that Amk didn’t post a single joke on the front page – I never, ever thought he had that kind of self-discipline!
Inorite?
Actually, I had some irish jokes in the last spd post. fywp ate all the drafts and I had redo the post multiple posts. I was this close to giving up blogging, I tell ya.
Even gos couldn’t unbend a dog’s tail. 🙂
“I was this close to giving up blogging, I tell ya.”
😆 😆 Maybe WP just didn’t like your joke and gobbled it up?!
Interesting, in a stupid sort of way…
http://thehill.com/polls/288641-hill-poll-voters-prefer-gop-budget-ideas-but-dislike-republican-party-
Good West Coast morning Chipsticks. So good to see you this morning!!!
G’Day Chips, TOD, lurkers and everyone, and congrats 99ts on #1 🙂
Welcome back Chips 🙂 GM TOD
Thank you Kiwi, happy Monday!
Welcome back, Chips. GM TOD’ers.
My monday is done. 🙂
😆 Morning/evening legend!
Morning tyrant. Hope you had a blast. Where is my beer?
I will be restarting tweets with the #GOPSpeak tag today. I will post them at various times during the day. Feel free to use the same tag andf create your own or provide suggestions if you don’t twit.
stolen shamelessly from a bj FP’er.
This tweet has generated my first major pushback from RWNJs. Interesting, really. Kind of enjoy giving it back to them.
Ugh, the spam filter is acting up again on the blog, just found some good people stuck in the spam folder – found and freed.
Yup, I saw all of the posts from that irish priest, Stephen Neill, in the spam folder. Thought to myself ‘ May God help him’. 🙂
😆
…..and did She?…..
😆 😆 I will quickly step in here and point out that Stephen was stuck in pending, NOT spam – there is a MONSTER difference!!!!
sez you.
Indeed, a monster difference…. Did I ever tell you about the time I was stuck in Pending?! Well, you see, not so very long ago, in a land not so very far away….. 😆
I still remember howling with laughter when I saw ‘MightyPamela’ marooned in pending!!! You poor thing! Hellooooooooooooooo you!
HooRoo Chipsticks! I knew I would go into pending, and having never been there before (IMHO), I knew it would give you a rib busting howl, given the subject matter, but how could I resist? WHY would I resist? I never felt sorry for myself, did not know for sure it would work… But what worked is I got a laugh out of you, and a few others, all the while I was enjoying the heck out of my ‘investiture’! There was some consideration to add to the title, the word Truly, but you were on respite, and I didn’t want to push my luck (what with amk monitoring the blog… Never know what he might choose to do….;) ) so, MP I will humbly remain, for now anyway…..
Good Morning all, from Vancouver. Getting the rest of my business tax prep done; see accountant tomorrow (thought it was supposed to be Mar. 29th!!) Sympathy, anyone? Ok, I’ll get busy and see how long I last before coming here again.
Welcome back, Chips.
Yes, barb, sympathy and {{{CanadaBarb}}}!
I just wanted to weight in on the History channel depicting this President as Satan.
Not funny.
Why?
Because, the Evangelical movement is a radical Christian movement, sort of like the knights of Templar.
Let’s just leave it at that.
Not a very nice thing to do.
Doesn’t Rupert Murdoch own History channel?
Disney & Hearst.
Jovie: You are right, it is not nice at all. But they have disrespected President Obama from day one and look how “he and we ”
have prevalied. They are sealing their own fate and eating each other alive taking the radicals with them.
So, I share with you one of my Devotionals for today.
Mark 15:3 “He answered nothing.”
When you can stand in the “Power of Stillness”, while they say and do their very worst, you know that there is a place they will never be able to attain. We have a President who knows where his inner strength comes from and can tap into it whenever and wherever he may be. He will be immediately protected from a feeble tolerance of others, narrow- minded ness, harsh vindictiveness, and everything else that they will try to damage him with personally. Whatever they try to spin, “It shall not prosper.”
Mornin’ O’s and all you TOD’s!! It’s a great getting up day again!
Monday, Monday, so good to me,
Monday Mornin’, it was all I hoped it would be – Mamas and Papas
Good morning TOD family and our dear Ms Chips!!!!!!!!!!! It is so wonderful to have you back. The village you have built here has rallied around you and the most wonderful people filled in. They did such a great job. I am in awe of the talent.
Such a wonderful way to started a Monday, the picture of a laughing PBO and such a great roundup. I can’t believe 43% believe the Irag war was worth it. What did we get out of it? Can anyone give me any good thing that came out of the Iraq war.
Today is my son’s 40th birthday. It is so hard to believe I am old enough to have a 40 year old. I believe we are as young as we feel.
Have a great day everyone.
Happy b’day, mtm. (mtm was one of my fav shows in my college days 🙂 )
Thanks amk. I really wanted to thank you for your great posts. All us little folks are in awe of your abilities!
Isn’t it funny how that works? Our kids can get older, but we just stay steady as she goes! Happy birth day of your son to you. He couldn’t have done it without you!
Thanks, Cookemom. I am very proud of my son.
GM Lady Chips. So happy to see you are quite Chipp :!:y this Monday Morning.
GM TODville Community. It is sure is very Nice waking up with you all today in this Fine free willing establishment.
Hooray 😉
Thank you Mr. Plouffe. There’s nothing funny or entertaining about a KKK rally being advertised and promoted by the US media in 2013.
Son coming home today from college. So, it’s pizza night.
yippeee!!! I use to so love those visits home. I really miss them now. Why I ever thought my kids would eventually end up staying at home baffles me, when leaving is what I spent their lives preparing to be able to do.
Chips, welcome back! Wonderful R&S. and amazing crew of co-blog mistresses/masters. We are truly blessed. We have so much work to do. TOD is an essential springboard for our work.
Just in. SOSH (Secty of State Hillary), has released a video a few minutes ago, in support of same sex marriage.
Could you answer me a dumb question cookemom – what title is now attached to Hilary Clinton – Secretary, Senator or former FLOTUS – or all of the above – or none of the above. We don’t use political style titles in my world – other than Prime Minister/Premier(state leader) and once out of office, the title is gone.
btw, 99, do you follow cricket ?
India thrashed aussies 3-0 to take an unbeatable lead in 4 test series. All 3 tests won in 4 days with a day to spare. I am hoping they do the same in the last test. 🙂
Good evening, Amk. That’s my old partner, so modest in victory. 🙄
Oh I don’t know in her case, cause she’s done it all. I think the most prestigious title or the highest one gets the nod. So in Hillary’s case, it may be Secty of State, then Senator, then FLOTUS. FLOTUS is last in my opinion because it came with the territory. However, once in the position, the FLOTUS makes it what it can be.
BTW, I made up SOSH, cause I liked the sound. Sorta like Nancy SMASH.
Well bless her heart, not to be sarcastic but the big dog laid the foundation a couple of weeks back for her to “come out” when he wrote that Op-ed about DADT which he signed into law. Now she’s positioned as the same sex marriage candidate. You gotta love these two.
So off topic but I need to vent. My husband hurt his back badly yesterday. I’m home from work today to make sure he stays quiet and maybe take him to the doctor if it doesn’t improve (who we have talked to). OTC anti-inflammatories didn’t help. I gave him one of my muscle relaxers and some pain meds. I hope they help, but mainly the muscle relaxer is to knock him the hell out so he doesn’t think he can bring the 30-pound bag of dog food up the stairs.
Love this man-logic: He’s really ‘fine’ because the pain is only in one place. The problem is, the pain feels like he’s being stabbed and it literally brings him to his knees. But because it’s a localized, small area he’s really ‘fine’.
Owie, he needs to be cool with this… He needs to listen to YOU! Topricin is a great ointment for strain and pulled muscle, I get it at super supplements, wonderful and helps avoid taking oral pain relief. I’m sure you know to use alternating hot and cold packs, those can help a lot as well.. Good luck. Menfolk…..
I’m a long-time user of topricin, but it didn’t help (initially). I hope I don’t have to take him to the doctor today – everything is covered in ice here in Chicago today and I do not do well walking or driving in icy conditions.
At least the muscle relaxer has conked him out.
Having had to deal with major back pain issues and with a wife who has had 3 back surgeries, he really needs to be careful. Could just be a muscle problem, but this isn’t something to take risks with. If need be, just tie him into the bed. Maybe he will think you just decided to become kinky and go along with it.
Oh yeah, tying him down would make him frisky, something neither of our backs need!
Unfortunately, I have a great deal of experience with a litany of back issues. He needs to listen to me!
Here, 57: Please tell Mr.57 the blog unanimously supports him taking it very very easy and not go trying to do permanent damage, or make things worse, which will only take longer to heal. And please tell him we are lighting candles for him:
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO Under PBO’s candle umbrella, no less, a place of honor!
Aw Pamela, that’s soooo sweet. Thank you so much.
And maybe he’ll listen to the TOD family if he won’t listen to me.
Anything is worth a try – there are some very knowledgeable people hovering around here…
Get him to the doc. Pain is usually localized, the place of the injury. If bad pain was through-out the body, then the person would probably lose consciousness. I mean, there’s only so much a body can take. The man-think is amazing, cookeman once thought he could walk off the pain from having his thumb caught under a railroad tie that fell on him. “I’ll just soak it, it’ll be OK”. sheesh….thumb had all sorts of internal, functional issues, not to mention the 3 times the size the next day.
You men truly are from another planet. That’s what I heard from hubby all day yesterday: “I’ll work through it. I’ll walk it off”.
I had a friend who sawed off a chunk of his finger. “It didn’t go down to the bone, get me some antiseptic.”
Truly from another planet. All of you guys.
Chips, thanks for the great summary. It’s so good to see you back. Hope all the harassing creeps slink back into their dark holes and leave you alone for a while. Having babysat a 6-month old (who does NOT sleep through the night) for three straight days, I feel as if I’d been flattened by a steamroller. Best baby in the world, but grandma’s muscles and back are screaming today. On the other hand, you have to put all the political ugliness out of your mind to give total focus to a baby, so it’s kind of mentally therapeutic.
G’nite all – bedtime here – Pierce is in good form today – must have heard the blog leader was back in town
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/
Good night 99ts.
Sweet sleep. See you later.
Good Morning TOD!
Welcome back Ms. Chips. Thank You again to all of those who were super fantastic in filling in last week.
Amk, you Rock
UT, you are Super Cool
Lovelyplains, you are Fantabulous
LL, you were Awe Inspiring
Great to see you Donna, and I agree with your assessments 100%. Even Amk’s.
We need more guest bloggers…. I am willing sell mine for 10,000 bucks.
😆 Cheap at the price!
Just replying now to a few more people who offered to get involved, my organisational skills are so, well, not-good I’ll probably have 8 people posting at the same time, and then none for six days.
Need to figure it out 😕
And you needn’t think you’re off the hook now Mister, your blogging has only just begun!
Thanks Donna! I think you’re pretty fantastic too.
Thanks donna. Glad to be of a little help. Least I can do for all the trolling that chips lets me do. 🙂
Here! Here!
Agree! Second those emotions…..
Heads Up:
11:40 President Obama will announce his intent to nominate Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
ATTENTION: To all my Maryland Peeps
Here is the First “Call To Action” from the OFA start up session yesterday:
Please write to the following people:
Delegate Joseph F. Vallario, Jr.
Chair, Judiciary Committee
Maryland House of Delegates
joseph.vallario@house.state.md.us
Delegate Peter A. Hammen
Chair, Health and Government Operations Committee
Maryland House of Delegates
peter.hammen@house.state.md.us
Tell them you support HB 294, Firearms Safety Act of 2013
Make sure to include your name, address and email address. Unsigned emails could be from out of State. They need to know you are a Maryland resident.
A few sentences are sufficient. Let them know you support the Legislation and you are from Maryland. Here are some suggestions but make it your own email!
– It’s time to stop the senseless violence and enact intelligent gun laws.
– How many more people need to die before we pass safe gun laws?
– Don’t let the NRA’s fear mongering tactics win.
– This voter stands for public safety and intelligence. I hope you will, too.
– No one needs military style weapons or high capacity magazines in their home.
– Pass HB 0294 now!
If you want to write your own Legislator you can find their email address at: mdelect.net
For the next 6 weeks we will be supporting:
Sequester
Affordable Care Act Implementation
Gun Violence Prevention
Immigration Reform
Grassroots Fundraising
Thanks Everyone and have a great O’Day!
Thanks so much donna – work is hectic this week, but otherwise will get going on this as soon as possible. 🙂
Here is what the actor playing Satan on the History Channel really looks like. I think this was intentional.
Have anyone ask the producers of this mini-series the Bible able this?
I tweeted one of them (Roma Downey) last night. Of course no response from her.
Her Silence is deafening. That means, she was deliberate. That means, she was affirming her racist, bigoted and demented views. Why on earth was Della Reese a friend of this person? Why did she even perform at her wedding? Della Reese married Roma off as the minister 6 yrs ago.
I agree that this needs to be off the air. I see all have noticed the Obama lookalike—-in a hoodie, no less—-as Satan. It was even part of NBC News lineup this a.m. It confirms these RWNJ’s view—–the devil is black and he is purposely portrayed to resemble President Obama. I don’t get how they can get away with this. It’s really ugly.
This sin belongs to them, sooner or later, they will have to own it. And it is sin. No matter what religion you may subscribe to, it is bearing false witness, and it is wrong and untrue. They ought not mess with the deep human subconscious. What is the goal, I wonder? What do they gain by presenting so dark a view, if it is for money, the price they pay will be even greater. I have not seen the program, I do not have cable, I will never watch it.
LIVE NOW: Pres. Obama nominates Thomas Perez as the new Labor Sec. Rev. Al is in the audience! and also Gov. O’Malley.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/
http://edition.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=4
http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN2/
Proud of my gov!
My President is looking sharp as usual…
Chipsticks, you are one of a kind. You’ve created a wonderful village here. TODers stepped up & did a great job in your absence. Thank you for the reply. Bunches of love to you!
Good Afternoon TOD. Gee I missed you Ms Chips, however you should know that your troops held down the fort and did a wonderful job.
https://twitter.com/AmericaCanadian/status/313683104382451712
I am totally with this. No more clintonesque triangulation and playing it safe.
So has the whiny left started on him yet ?
The people behind “The Bible” are the who’s who in the bat-shit crazy Christian fundamentalism camp, even Fred Phelps thinks these people are nuts.
Except, Tina Fey is a comic, actor and entertaining. It is an act she is doing.
Sarah Palin was Not acting. She is tired. Mean. Not Entertaining.
Don’t forget that Tina Fey is very bright, has wit and intellect., attributes that cannot be leveled on Missy Sarah.
Press Secretary Jay Carney is at the podium……
morning Obots!
At the hospital now. Missus is being prepped. I’ll see her again before surgery. the op is only 45 minutes, but she’ll be away for about 3 hours. Will keep you all posted.
Very best wishes for a superb outcome, LL. Do keep us posted.
Hoping for the best. Please keep us posted.
Best wishes to both of you. Give us the good news.
Wishing your Missus all the VERY best LL, thinking of you both.
Best wishes to wifey and you. I’m sure everything will be just fine! She’ll be so happy with the results.
LL, wishing you and Missus all the best for successful surgery and smooth recovery. 🙂
I made this just for you, LL.
So, chin up. 🙂
Warm (((((Prayers and Love))))))
Best wishes LL.
Will light a real candle for now, LL, back later on iPad with the virtual glow! Best thoughts and prayers to Mrs LL.
I left you a post early, early this morning wishing you…and especially wifey! the best of luck today. I woke up thinking of both of you. Please let us know how this goes:)
You are both in my thoughts, LL!!! Hoping for the very best outcome.
Jay “Kent” Carney:
http://www.c-span.org/flvPop.aspx?id=10737438865
Thanks Chips for these wonderful photos.
I fainted at first but was able to recover a minute later. This is what those photos do to me.
Dan Pfeiffer @pfeiffer44
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The way the far right is reacting to the Perez nom is likely to be included in the paperback version of the RNC report
Retweeted by LOLGOP
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Be Mock @bmockaveli
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RT @adamserwer: Comparing Obama’s labor sec nominee to Hugo Chavez is gonna do wonders for the GOP’s Latino outreach.
Retweeted by LOLGOP
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LOLGOP @LOLGOP
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If the GOP would just stop trying to stop minorities from voting, women from making medical choices and gays from marrying, outreach done.
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BINGO!
LOLGOP @LOLGOP
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First step of GOP minority outreach? Shit on the African-American RNC chairman who led you to a historic victory in in 2010.
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But, that victory gave us the TeaParty Congress
Indeed, indeed.
Gunnite folks. busy day ‘morrow.
Reince Priebus’s Plan Recommends Not Behaving Like Reince Priebus
BY ALEC MACGILLIS
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/112691/rnc-plan-2013-authors-own-words-odds-recommendations#
Nino and Scalia are at it again at the SCOTUS AZ Voting oral argument today.
Calgone, please take Anthony Scalia away.
THE PARTY OF NEW IDEAS
Reince Priebus & Michael Steele Unveil “New” RNC Tech Efforts
It’s The Policy, Stupid: 4 Policies That Undermine The GOP’s New Voter Outreach Strategy
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On Monday, following its loss in the 2012 presidential election, the Republican National Committee (RNC) released an autopsy report that aims to “grow the Party and improve Republican campaigns.” The so-called “Growth and Opportunity Project” spoke with “more than 2,600 people, both outside Washington and inside the Beltway” about how the party can appeal to the nation’s changing demographics of voters and start winning elections, and produced more than 200 recommendations to help Republicans connect with every-day Americans.
And while the project seeks to position the GOP as a more caring and inclusive party, a closer examination of the report reveals a big disconnect between the principles and rhetoric the RNC espouses and the policies the party continues to advance:
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http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/03/18/1732711/the-gops-growth-and-opportunity-project-debunked-in-one-table/
A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF ‘IOKIYAR’
RNC’s Priebus plots a new way forward for his party
By Steve Benen
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There was also this amazing paragraph in the report:
“We have to blow the whistle at corporate malfeasance and attack corporate welfare. We should speak out when a company liquidates itself and its executives receive bonuses but rank-and-file workers are left unemployed. We should speak out when CEOs receive tens of millions of dollars in retirement packages but middle-class workers have not had a meaningful raise in years.”
Let me get this straight: when Democrats say this, it’s socialistic class warfare, but when the RNC says the same thing, it’s fine?
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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/18/17359488-rncs-priebus-plots-a-new-way-forward-for-his-party
So in the continuing saga of History Channel and the Obama-looking Satanic character, here are 3 statements made by the History Channel and the produces in response to the Twitter uproar last night.
1. UPDATE (March 18): The History Channel says in a statement Monday:
HISTORY channel has the highest respect for President Obama. The series was produced with an international and diverse cast of respected actors. It’s unfortunate that anyone made this false connection. HISTORY’s ‘The Bible’ is meant to enlighten people on its rich stories and deep history.”
2. “The Bible” Executive Producers, Mark Burnett & Roma Downey said Monday:
“This is utter nonsense. The actor who played Satan, Mehdi Ouzaani, is a highly acclaimed Moroccan actor. He has previously played parts in several Biblical epics– including Satanic characters long before Barack Obama was elected as our President.
3. “The Bible” Executive Producer Roma Downey adds:
Both Mark and I have nothing but respect and love our President, who is a fellow Christian. False statements such as these are just designed as a foolish distraction to try and discredit the beauty of the story of The Bible.”
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/history-channels-satan-looks-a-lot-like-barack-obama
Just posted the same tweet—sorry, didn’t see yours. I’m so disgusted by this and all the continuous hate against President Obama. I can’t believe they’re getting away with this. The efforts by these extremist rt. wingers are evermore brazen.
That’s ok dotster! 🙂
Sickening—-man pleads guilty to threatening President Obama, part of a national militia group which planned to overthrow govt. and assassinate President Obama. Group includes soldiers from Fort Stewart, Ga.
http://www.nwherald.com/2013/03/18/ala-man-pleads-guilty-to-tweeting-obama-threats/as0aw96/
Until this Nation holds its own accountable, our moral and inspirational standing in the world will always remain a fraction of what it could be.
It is the least we can do for all those Iraqi children, men and women Bush and Cheney began slaughtering 10 years ago today. It is the least we can do for all our loyal troops and their families who suffered greatly for a gigantic lie and an agenda drive by MIC and Big Oil.
Yes We Can
good hawaii morning bob!
charles pierce is not letting this go, either:
‘ The biggest story in American political history that has broken in many years pretty much died of loneliness over the weekend. As near as I can tell, nobody in the elite political media picked it up, and it certainly didn’t hit any of The Sunday Showz. And these, of course, are the mightly gatekeepers of the First Amendment who, when Richard Nixon shuffled off his plague-ish coil and climbed up on his personalized spit in Hell back in 1994, went wall-to-wall with coverage of his funeral. People like Tom Wicker and — alas — the great Murray Kempton insisted that there was something worthwhile to be found in this wandering heap of vicious neuroses, that there was something of legitimate value at the bottom of this vast bag of rancid old sins. ‘
Read more: Richard Nixon Tapes – History’s Yard Waste Explored, Continued – Esquire http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/Nixon_Still_Pretty_Much_Sucks#ixzz2NvJQBnYP
Hi Chips …. my most recent comment is awaiting moderation 🙂
The Morning Plum: Being the party of austerity is not the way to win
Posted by Greg Sargent
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/03/18/the-morning-plum-being-the-party-of-austerity-is-not-the-way-to-win/
My earlier tweet talking about the GOP saying compromise means give us what we want and in return we won’t ruin the economy resulted in my first return tweets from a RWNJ. I feel so honored. Anyways, I responded to his first two, basically telling him to keep watching Fox and eventually he may hear a fact, though unlikely. He tweeted me back about how unions had ruined the auto industry. I was going to respond to that only to find he blocked me. Now I feel really honored.
Sounds like RWNJ strategy is to drop their message (bombarding you with it if they enough prepared sound bites) then block you. I had one charmer recently – my first persistent one.
I find it amusing. It reminds me iof the time I emailed Dave Sirota to question a comment I heard from him on the radio. I had been very polite and just said I wanted to clarify something. The responding email was, in effect, yelling at me and calling me an intentionally misguided Obamabot and that he would not respond further and, if fact, was making sure my email address was considered spam from then on.
One of the first indications that somebody knows their argument is weak is when they block you from responding to it.
‘One of the first indications that somebody knows their argument is weak is when they block you from responding to it.’
😆 Frankly, Japa, I never think I’ll change the mind of any RWNJ that ‘engages’ but I like to think that some rational soul in their timeline might pause – you know, that Biblical quote about seeds falling on different types of soil. I never seek them out but if they end up in my timeline I generally point out their rude approach and leave it up to them. So if/when they block me I don’t feel any ‘pain’ because I hadn’t invited them in in the first place. 😉
GOP LATINO OUTREACH
Obama nominates Thomas Perez for Labor Secretary
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GOP opposition to Thomas Perez, introduced this morning as Obama’s choice for Secretary of Labor, is very likely to be considerably more intense.
.
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Why? Because the Justice Department had decided to dismiss a 2008 voter intimidation case involving the New Black Panther Party, and Senate Republicans blamed him for the decision — even though Perez wasn’t even a Justice Department employee at the time.
.
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Republican pundits, meanwhile, continue to focus on the New Black Panthers, in ways that don’t make a lot of sense, while arguing that Perez “may as well be Hugo Chavez.”
As the Republican National Committee, at least on the surface, claims to support a renewed outreach effort to Latino voters, Republican officials and their allies are already launching a vicious smear campaign against President Obama’s latest Latino nominee.
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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/18/17359952-obama-nominates-thomas-perez-for-labor-secretary
Hi Chips! I love those pics too. I am looking forward to the TOD “POTUS to Israel” coverage. Your foreign trip reporting is 2nd to none!!!
Me, too, Claire.
I am going way out on a limb here to predict that the Israel trip will be a major smash hit!
MSM/GOP/TP working overtime to play it down—-“low expectations” “just going like a tourist” “nothing gets done”
HaHaHaHaHa
I am thinking of the 100,000 Germans waving our flags and yelling USA when candidate Obama came to Berlin. “just a celebrity” HaHaHa
And I see some Obama supporters echoing these SAME MSM memes, along with citing “approval rating” polls in Israel to reinforce their memes. I push back wherever I can. I tell them that if PBO had to make decisions based on “approval rating polls” we would not have had Health Care Reform and many other advances since he became President.
Yes, hf. Same dopes said the same thing about support for PBO’s re-election in the Jewish community. I said the only problem POTUS has with Jewish voters is that there are so few of us.
Israelis will love him too.
Wait til they get an up-close look at our elegant, stupendously beautiful, charismatic leader.
Alright. i will take myself over to the naughty mat.
The Republucan Senators are ing Harry Reid with several hundred Amendments for the Cr, which is due march 27th.
The house has passed their version, so they will have to vote again.
Reid just said that he will have to work really late and into Passover to get this done.
If it does not get done by the 27th, Reid and democrats will be to blame for government shutdown, as the bill is now in the Senate.
Is this another ruse by the Republicans?
They seem to be using the archaic small government rules of congress to get what they want.
Amazingly, if you are a Federalist party, the congress favors you. 😦
Myths And Facts About Labor Nominee Tom Perez
By HANNAH GROCH-BEGLEY, SERGIO MUNOZ, & ZACHARY PLEAT
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President Obama has nominated Tom Perez as Secretary of Labor. Right-wing media used this announcement to push false attacks about Perez based on his service in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and other civil rights work and advocacy.
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http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/03/18/myths-and-facts-about-labor-nominee-tom-perez/193095
If the rwnj’s in the Senate go after him they will look like fools again. Benghazi alert!
i think it’s all about drones at this point. or, maybe white house tours?
joking of course, but forgot the little 🙂 !!
GOP CRUSADE AGAINST PEREZ BEGINS WITHIN NANOSECONDS AFTER ANNOUNCEMENT
How Three Top Republicans Are Already Blowing Up The RNC’s Minority Outreach Strategy
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Before the President even announced Perez’s nomination, Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (R-AL) released a statement attacking him for serving as President of the Board of an organization that advocates on behalf of low-income immigrants and Latinos. The words “illegal immigrant” appear three times in Sessions’ statement, which is barely more than a paragraph long.
Not long thereafter, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) raised the specter of Perez supposedly sticking up for scary black men. According to Vitter, “Thomas Perez’s record should be met with great suspicion by my colleagues for his spotty work related to the New Black Panther case,” an allegation that does far more to discredit Vitter than Perez. Two separate investigations, one of which was released just last week, concluded that DOJ acted entirely without improper motive when it dismissed this case. And even if DOJ had acted inappropriately, it is hard to see how these actions impugn Perez. The decision to drop most of the allegations against the New Black Panther defendants — the decision that many on the far right now object to — happened on May 18, 2009. Perez did not take over the Civil Rights Division until the next October.
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http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/03/18/1735771/how-three-top-republicans-are-already-blowing-up-the-rncs-minority-outreach-strategy/
Bravo to Pres. Obama and his white house team on the Women’s History Month: A Panel of Remarkable Women. It’s wonderful and so amazing to have an administration that is unashamedly pro-women every step of the way. All the panels, discussions, etc. they’ve been having with regards to women has been deeply appreciated.
MSM’s sympathy is all about the perpetrators – none about the victim. (SMDH)
The RNC’s Tom Perez Problem
By BRIAN BEUTLER
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If you’re just tuning in, Perez is a Hispanic leader and as head of DOJ’s civil rights division one of the Obama administration’s most progressive officials. But in recent years he’s also been the target of racialized attacks by familiar characters in the conservative media.
For both of those reasons, he’s the sort of nominee Republicans can’t help but filibuster. Thus, on the day of its unveiling, the Growth And Opportunity Project faces a major challenge to its own raison d’être. The report notes, “If we want ethnic minority voters to support Republicans, we have to engage them and show our sincerity.”
That’s hard enough to do when the party’s simultaneously filibustering a qualified candidate to be the only Latino in Obama’s second-term cabinet. But it’ll be even harder if the conservative media lapses into another Sotomayor-like spectacle of racial panic and drags elected officials with them.
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/03/the_rncs_tom_perez_problem.php?ref=fpblg
ST. LOUIS — Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, of Missouri, is threatening to block President Barack Obama’s choice for Environmental Protection Agency administrator until plans are resolved for a long-stalled levee project in southeast Missouri.
Blunt and Democratic Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill expressed disappointment on Monday that the EPA and two other agencies missed a self-imposed March 15 deadline to establish a plan to move forward with the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway project.
Construction to close a 1,500-foot gap in the levee was halted in 2007 due to technical problems with the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.
Obama announced his choice of Gina McCarthy as EPA chief earlier this month. Blunt says he’ll use a parliamentary procedure known as a hold to block the nomination until the levee issue is resolved.
And then he’ll filibuster her anyway.
the nixon legacy:
‘ There were 22,000 more Americans who died in Vietnam after Nixon sabotaged the peace talks in order to win an election. That’s 44,000 more American parents. That’s thousands and thousands more American children. That’s god alone knows how many more men, women, and children in Southeast Asia, all of whom died, very likely unnecessarily, because of Richard Nixon’s treasonous ambitions. Millions of people visit the Vietnam Memorial in Washington every year. Everyone of them who comes to commemorate a loved one lost in the war after 1968 should say a silent prayer at the wall and then turn slowly, and, with great dignity and quiet grace, spit in the direction of the White House, just because Richard Nixon once lived there. ‘
Read more: Richard Nixon Tapes – History’s Yard Waste Explored, Continued – Esquire http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/Nixon_Still_Pretty_Much_Sucks#ixzz2NvK44biq
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022528986
Poll: The Most Popular Plan To Avert Looming Budget Cuts Is The Progressive Caucus’
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/02/27/1647221/progressive-sequester-plan-most-popular/
There are several plans floating around to replace the so-called “sequester” spending cuts scheduled to kick in on Friday. Senate Democrats and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have both released their own plans, while House Republicans have not released a new plan, but point to one passed in the last Congress.
According to a new poll commissioned by the Business Insider, the Progressive Caucus’ plan is the most popular of the three:
– Surprisingly, the plan that polled the strongest was the House Progressive Caucus plan. More than half of respondents supported it compared to sequestration and just a fifth of respondents were opposed.
– A plurality of people — 28 percent — believed the House Progressive Caucus Plan would have the least financial impact on them personally. This makes the most sense, as only 14 percent of respondents reported having income over $150,000.
The deficit busting Progressive Caucus People’s Budget
Click the link to see the proposal…..and sign the WH petition here:
http://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/please-consider-and-promote-progressive-caucus-budget-plan-we-feel-it-most-equitable/10078lWf
Judging by the reaction from the History Channel and the producers of the Bible TV series, the disgust, disapproval and anger have put both parties on the defensive. Good for everyone who tweeted, called, wrote, etc. Loud noise is what gets attention. Remember the loud tea partiers of 2009…..not huge numbers, but loud. I think of that well known old saying: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
I would not watch, knowing the agenda of the producers, but am thankful for those who did. So…..Satan is a black man in a hood! That is not even subtle. That is mean, nasty, racist and every other invective possible. Fortunately this kind of vileness did not go unchallenged for a change.
No such thing as statute of limitation on treason and war crimes …
Yes We Can
Obama’s New Labor Nominee Gave Him a Long Thank You en Español
by Jorge Rivas
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At a news conference on Monday President Obama announced he would nominate Thomas E. Perez, who heads the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department, to be the next secretary of labor.
“Thomas Perez reminds us if you’re willing to work hard you can find success in America,” Obama said at the conference held in the East Room.
Perez, 51, the son of Dominican immigrants thanked the president in Spanish and English early in his address.
“Muchisimas gracias Señor Presidente,” Perez said. He continued to speak in Spanishand told the president he was grateful for “this great honor of being nominated to serve in this position.”
Labor unions and immigrant advocates applauded Perez’s nomination.
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http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/03/obamas_new_labor_nominee_gave_him_a_long_thank_you_en_espanol.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+racewireblog+%28ColorLines%29
Heads up:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/03/18/heads-up-president-obama-speaks-at-a-womens-history-month-reception/