11:40: President Obama Speaks on Common Sense Measures to Protect Children From Gun Violence
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The Obama Diary 
Good Morning! It’s a bright, bright, sunshiny day.
And I thought you all had mobile phones before I started posting and was lurking (Hate That Word, determined to change it to listening) to get to first. 😉
Hello again TODobots, Ms Chips and all Chipadees! I would guess you are all ready for the Good Friday break or getting to the point of readiness?
Made it!…I think.
….not! Greetings one and all, anyways.
Good morning VC. Hadn’t gotten far on last thread. It’s in 9 o’clock hour here; just twittered a couple twits and was going to post here, and wa la! 😀
I’m getting ‘concerned’ about you being awake for every post – when DO you sleep? 😉 😉
I slept through Rise ‘n Shine. I always do. 😉
ME TOO WY. ME TOO! 🙂
We’re are not in the elite EDT time and have responsibilities when we first get up, right? Just kidding EDT.
Well I’m not. As a retired “tar”I don’t start me coffee before 0800 cst!
It is now Daylight time, or am I wrong about your state? Never heard of a “tar”. My cats and dogs come first. And it depends on what shift hubby is working when I get here to TODville. I’m just lucky to have a cool iPad.
It doesn’t make a diff. I’m one time zone ahead of you if you are on mountain and two if you’re on pacific. “Tar” is an old nautical term given to sailors way back in the day.
In those days there were no barbers so sailors used to braid their hair with ‘pitch/tar’ used aboard ship for repairs. Thus they extended their collars in the back to keep the uniforms clean from the braids. The collars stayed but everything else is gone.
This ends today’s lesson. 😀
Thanks teach. 🙂
You know, I’m nostalgic for the good ole days when we had the excitement of seeing who would be the lucky one tp land on First.
West & East coast Morning to you GGail. 😆 😆 I have to admit that I too am nostalgic for the ‘good ole days’ and the ‘excitement’ of the uncertainty of who will get there.
Back at cha vc. 🙂 yea it was exciting to see who got there and extremely exciting for the person who landed there First. (sigh)
made me change my ways, even though I had the very best teacher on how to crash the gate.
😆 😆
Thanks Carol for understanding
I thought of that as well. It caused me to stop hovering, though I must admit, it is a rush when you nail the top spot. However, the rush feels so much better when it’s purely accidental. It’s as if when you’re asked to leave a message, Chips is somehow personally waiting at the gate to let you in first. Your heart rate goes up, you try to find the right letters on the keyboard, you start perspiring, then you just wait to see if it took. If it did, you do the happy dance with a sigh. If somehow, someone snuck in before you, then you go ‘all dang it’.
Sometimes I think we need to get a life. Including myself.
I have one japa, this is a guilty pleasure 🙂
you are so right. I had to stop and think, what am I doing, sitting here waiting for a pixel change on the screen? When I found myself literally timing bathroom duties to coincide with twitter and TOD notifications, I knew I had to check myself into ‘First’ rehab.
It’s all
Obama’sChips’ fault! At one point, before I matured 🙄 , I was timing meals AND nature calls and the very moment I couldn’t hold out any more, no matter how brief my departure, THEN Chips Chica would swoop in. Grrrrr! Of course, with the help, counseling, and support of Pamela and Theo and the encouragement of a few others, I was able to pull myself together, pass on the baton and act like an adult. 😉 😉 Yep, hindsight is something! And fortunately, life goes on and norms change. 😆 😆 😆🙂
I see the new mature me makes you happy. 😉 😉
Indeed! although – I’ve been there, sitting at the blank post and thinking whether I should chase that first spot or leave it to someone else… It’s tough – especially if you’re competitive! 🙂
Thinking about it!!!???!! 😯 /despairing/ Oh, Theo.
(Sounding a bit like my mother now, who didn’t participate in sports/games because she hates losing. In her own words, mark you!)
Hey, Japa! What’s wrong with THIS one? You go searching for another one, I’ll not be in it! Jeez.
That’s it! You explained the “rush” so well cookemom!
An exact description, Cookem – man you are good! You sure you don’t want to conspire on a prospective book deal?
Surely, but it’s still too new. I have to wait until I’m out of the ‘First” re-hab twelve step program. I’m learning how to slowly back away from the keyboard and to not pay attention to the changing pixels as they attempt to lure me with their siren songs into the depths of ‘first’ hell.
Okay, I’ll wait. Tap me when the programme is over, but don’t take too long. The taste of the book market varies rapidly it would seem.
😆 😆 😆
Yeah, I’d like to hear that explanation too!
Power ball winner owes child support. Well, I guess we know where a portion of those winnings are going. He’s not the only one who hit the jackpot. Good for his kids.
🙂
Everyone reading should take the opportunity to call, email, Tweet etc, your Reps and Senators to push for what 90% of America says is a no brainer…Universal Background Checks. Do this today…and keep doing it. For the children and ALL the victims of needless gun violence. ENOUGH!
Bringing over from near bottom of last post
Simply because the real question is where would we be if the GOP hadn’t obstructed everything?
Idiots.
http://www.salon.com/2013/03/27/cops_are_running_out_of_bullets_thank_the_nra/
Great tweet, especially love “your purity is noted”. How do Mother Jones think you fight battles, by pitting progressive hugs against Wall St/NRA/etc $$s? Good grief.
These purists only seem to have a problem with fundraising when it comes to PBO. I don’t see them going after the likes of Jane Hamsher, Greenwald, et al.
It’s almost as if they resent when PBO has any kind of perceived advantage and look for ways to tear him down instead of supporting him.
Admiral. Can you do me a favor and find out why BWD has me blocked. I can’t even retweet any of her stuff. It’s not my first rejection, I’d just like to know why.
THIS. A thousand times this.
An NFL player may or may not come “out of the closet” sooner or later. Yesterday’s news on MSNBC today! I can’t get live streaming on iPad, PC doesn’t have sound, so here I am in front of boob tube. 😯
Four days left and one vote shy of 900 for my #2 to have a chance at winning her dream job as travel correspondent and some decent $$$ to boot. Please help with your vote for the next four days by clicking on social media icons in the green “Vote For This Entry” box next to her video. Thankyouverymuuuuuch (in my best Elvis lip curl)
Forgot the link (it ain’t easy being Elvis) http://www.mydestination.com/users/kelauni/bbb#tab
He’s just SO, SO good. Please read
http://www.stonekettle.com/2013/03/inheritance.html
Read it and this comment captured my sentiments
“Whoa.
That’s some actually coherent rage.
That’s pretty rare.”
Thanks df. The Chief was on the money.
🙂 He was at that, yardarm…just had to share
Glad you did. He was Navy ya know.
Our President is MAD. And so am I. So are we as we stand with him and the victims.
PBO is changing the narrative back from the media’s ‘is support waning’, ‘polls are showing a slip in support’ nonsense. Good bring it back to reality. My major smh issue is how Lapdog LaPierre’s response will be televised, looped forever as if his standing is on the same level of the elected officials. They will allow him to speak for the issue, rather than interviewing elected Repubs on the issue. He gives them cover by allowing them to be silent.
That was powerful to watch. Pres. Obama is taking the NRA and congress head on. Enough is enough. Thank goodness for him and VP Biden.
President Obama is not playing. Here is an article from Think Progress on the six Democrats choosing not to do anything on gun control. Yes, they are red state and blue dog dems but look at the graph in the article. In their own individual states, the vast majority of people support gun control.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/03/26/1771461/why-are-these-six-democratic-senators-blocking-universal-background-checks/
If these are your Senators, let them hear from you today, tomorrow and until they change their vote. The GOP House won’t do anything on gun control but don’t let it be reported that Democrats assisted these fools.
Why not publish the names of the 6 Pubs in the blue states who similarly won’t back the measure? Why aren’t they made to squirm as well? Why do they get this national cover? I just don’t get it. This is indeed a very important issue, but it is still a single issue. Can we at least have some parity on this? It’s the same old both sides argument, that just doesn’t wash. There are 44 out of 45 Pubs who are not even named, let alone asked to publicly state their case. Nope, no pressure on them, including my Senator Kirk, who gets to just wallow in his invisibility on this issue.
IMO you have been making a valid point with this. Please share the names if you know them CM (I don’t) and we could do our little bit on twitter to highlight them too. I’d certainly help with that!
What reason for not supporting gun control is Senator Kirk’s office giving you?
They very cordially explain his view on second amendment, blah, blah, blah. The return emails are form letter type responses thanking me for my interest, etc, etc. Then I get emails that have totally nothing to do with the issue. Remember, he represents a state where gun violence is a daily occurrence. We hear about PBO’s being from Chicago associated with the violence. Yet no one has heard anything about where Kirk stands on it? No, not a peep from him. Why? Because no one asks him! It’s maddening.
I believe he is able to hide behind his very vague or non-response because he has not been named, nor made to take a stand out loud to the masses. All it takes is to be named at the national level to make politicians to emerge from their coxcombs and face the spotlight.
If we wait for the MSM to call out individual politicians for the policies we desire we might have a long wait. Historically the MSM is far behind the public on most issues.
I don’t expect the MSM to call them out as they’ve spotlighted the Dems for the same thing. What I expect is that at least we Dems don’t call out our own representatives. This allows the MSM to continue their biased reporting, pointing to other Dems supporting that effort.
The MSM has no idea that I and other Democrats in NC are putting pressure on Kay Hagen. If we don’t I do not know who will. We elect officials to at least listen to our positions. We did not elect them to simply maintain their seats with political expediencies.
See my previous post to you. It’s on you now to get her re-elected, instead of someone to the right of her, or the Pub who will be backed by plenty of $$$$ and outside Pub groups. I hope you succeed. You have held her feet to the fire, I hope she’s able to stand on them in the Senate after 2014, for future important votes that NC and the country will need her for.
It is not on me to re-elect someone who will go against 90% of the people in her state because she fears the NRA which would not endorse her under any circumstances. I am interested in reasonable gun control more than someone who has no interest other than being re-elected. If she continues her current position she has demonstrated her true self.
Can you get a Dem elected in NC other than her? Would that Dem be able to openly discuss gun control and still be elected? It’s not about an NRA endorsement, she knows she won’t get that, it’s about making her so vulnerable on this one issue that she has to risk the good she can do for your state on so many other issues. It’s about just being able to lay low and not have to publicize her stand on this, before a vote is even taken. It’s about how she must know where her weakness is among all NC voters that she may have needed to take cover on this one. Has she not been vocal on other issues? Has she voted against your views on other issues? Has she managed to walk the tightrope and stay steady on her feet so far? Do you trust that she has your best interest at heart overall? If so, then give her this one and let her off the hook a bit from having to publicly expose herself under pressure. She didn’t run on this issue, nor did the Dems in NC vote her in on this issue.
Bill – Didn’t I hear yesterday that Kay Hagen came out on the good side? (Hope so.)
She did, now Bill and those who pressured her to do so, must get her re-elected in 2014. Especially if this becomes the issue when the NRA and the Pubs come after her.
We can all help, even if we don’t live in NC.
Kay Hagan came out in support of same sex marriage yesterday but still has not come out in favor of universal background checks. Unless I am forgetting something there are no pending votes on same sex marriage in the Senate as there are on gun control.
Oh, that’s right, Bill. Thank you! My sister lives in NC, so I’ll also follow up with her.
Yes, it was SSM, I guess a safer bet for her. I thought it was the gun control thing. Evidently that one is still not as safe for her in her opinion.
Think Progress is not doing both sides. They’ve done far more reporting on Republicans against gun control. far more. I do think on an issue like this it is fair to call out Democrats who have no good reason to oppose gun control. Why should we allow these Democrats to have the media say gun control died because of of bi-partisan opposition?
This one issue is too important to hold back on Dems. Too important.
With a number of Democrats opposing gun control few Republicans feel they have a reason to take the political risk of opposing gun control.
Excuse me while I bang my head on the desk. As important as this issue is, it’s still one issue. As much as we wish this was beyond politics, it isn’t. There are many, many cases where we allow those on our side to not declare their stand, or to vote for/against an issue once the necessary votes were cast in our favor. Ask Nancy Smash how many times she had to allow a member to ‘skate’ on an issue? There’s a reason she did that.
As I’ve said before, for those who feel this one issue is the only one you’re interested in, barring all others, then you are right to demand your representative do your bidding. If however, you didn’t vote the person in on this single issue, then it seems to me there is a double standard going on.
I don’t too much care what the media uses as the reason to report as they do. Nothing the Dems do will change that.. The media is not an elected entity. You take care of that by demanding better reporting from them and their sponsors.
“There are many, many cases where we allow those on our side to not declare their stand, or to vote for/against an issue once the necessary votes were cast in our favor.”
….Annnnd this isn’t one of them. If there were other votes to be had, these six Dems wouldn’t be on our radar. My argument still stands so we are just going to have to agree to disagree. No Dem in the Senate should get a pass on gun control. We don’t have votes to spare and the vast majority of their constituents says its the right thing to do.
Then make sure, as you give the Pubs a pass on this; as you succumb to their divide and conquer strategy; as you give the ‘thumbs up’ to allowing them to let the focus be on unelected LaPierre instead of them; as you are OK with letting the perfect be the enemy of the good; that you work your buns off getting those 6 Dems re-elected in the face of the $$$$ that the NRA and other outside Pub groups will throw at them in their vulnerability.
I’ve been following your argument for days, cookemom, and in my humble opinion you’ve got the issue 100% RIGHT.
Also, I’m not asking that these Democrats be voted out of office. That’s what single issue voters do. I’m asking people to contact them and move them to switch their votes. Isn’t that part of what we do on this site? Think Progress didn’t ask that we vote them out of office either. They simply pointed out that there is no logic to their opposition.
Mary Landrieu is always a problem. She stood in the way of healthcare reform as well as oil drilling in the Gulf.
I should clarify that statement. She stood in the way of oil drilling safety measures an reforms in the Gulf after the BP disaster.
What Dem could win in Louisiana? Wouldn’t they have to take the same stance to get elected or are there enough Dem voters to elect someone who wouldn’t? I doubt it, because if that were the case Jindal wouldn’t be Governor and there’d be two Dem Senators from that state.
I agree with you 100%! The alternative to Mary Landrieu in Louisiana is another David Vitter. I like you and Nena’s Idea that we should be putting pressure on Republican Senators representing blue States (Illinois, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania) that President Obama won, both in 2008 & 2012.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I’m not seeing any tweets in twitter format. Is it my PC, or are they not showing up that way for a reason?
Same here.
Whew! Thanks, I thought Firefox was upset with me.
I have the same issue. It’s probably wordpress acting up again.
Why did that show up and others didn’t?
I don’t know, trying again. Think it’s important. Computers are glitchy I guess. Turning into Hal.
GM Chips and TOD Family. We are going to help our POTUS and VPOTUS get this done on their watch, no matter what the evils of the spokesman for the NRA and others try to do to change the conversation and action on the ground.
We will stand with POB and hound the Senators who are cowards. Plain and simple.
I hurt so much when I see our president in so much pain. HZ
Amen, HZ. Good to hear your voice.
Lovely Plains once told me it sometimes takes a few refreshes for a twitter shows the way we are accustomed. Many of may be tweeting the Presidents message. I really want this pic or Art to show. Maybe sweet, sweet Chips can help. Unless Hal has gotten her, oh dear. Shut my mouth.
So here’s a list of the Pub Senators in blue states, or states that PBO won who should be harassed equally on their gun control stand. Mind you, these are just the states PBO won, there are states he didn’t win that are purple or have at least one Dem Senator elected at the state level.
Marco Rubio – Florida
Mark Kirk – Illlinois
Dan Coats – Indiana
Chuck Grassley – Iowa
Susan Collins – Maine
Dean Miller – Nevada
Kelly Ayotte – New Hampshire
Rob Portman – Ohio
Pat Toomey – Pennsylvania
Ron Johnson Wisconsin
I realize that with gerrymandering in many of these states, these Pubs feel safe enough that they don’t have to risk anything. However, the spot light and call to action should be directed at them as well. We seem to be asking 6 Dems to bear the responsibility for the outcome of gun control reform in the Senate. That’s 6% (all Dems) of our elected Senate to make the decision 100 of them were sent to do.
If you call the above names concerning gun control and especially if you are not from their states it is doubtful you will receive an enthusiastic response.
These names have not made the national spotlight as have the 6 Dems. Those 6 Dems have been named nationally over and over again. We also have Dem media and groups also calling for action toward those 6 Dems with no, absolutely not one Pub name mentioned in the call. How ’bout we use that energy, that call to action in blue states to force the Pub to make them risk their political careers as we are so apt to do to our own?
This is getting so frustrating to me. There is an election in 2014, where these 6 Dems will have to fight to be re-elected, which in turn will make the difference in which party holds the Senate. Are we really ready to make them so vulnerable on this single issue that we demand that they make themselves even more likely to have to battle someone to the right of them or a Pub?
I just don’t get it. We are willing to sacrifice 6 Dems without even pretending that the Pubs are the reason there is no gun control reform.
I have no power to make any Democrat vulnerable let alone any Republican. I simply have a difficult time respecting any politician who goes against 90% of their citizens because they fear a special interest.
How many are up for re election in 2014?
Zero! I think…
That says a lot.
do not reply to me and you know why
or on any comment I initiate please and thank you
Thanks for the list, Cookemom. These are all States that the President won both in 2008 and 2012. Senators are elected statewide so gerrymandering does not help them. Gerrymandering helps House Republicans because their districts were re-drawn in 2011 to favor them. The other point you’ve been making is also very important. All the six Democrats represent states that the President lost badly, except for North Carolina. I think there is a legitimate case to be made about Kay Hagan because her state has been trending Democratic.
You’re right about the gerrymander thingy. My point about Kay is let her take cover at least until there is something to vote on. Reid has tallied the votes, and I’m sure they’ve had the necessary conversation on this. To demand that she publicly declare her position in advance of an actual vote is making her commit unnecessarily to something that may never even come to past. What purpose does this serve? She may as well paint the target on her own back. She did not run on this issue, she was not elected on this issue, but now she is expected to put on career on the line for this one issue. If she has represented the folks who put her in office well, other than on this point, then she is doing what they put her in office to do. For those single issue voters and this is it, then fine, they are correct in their demands. However, I doubt they voted for her because of it. Leave her alone and let her do her job, which is to vote, when there’s something to vote on.
“My point about Kay is let her take cover at least until there is something to vote on.”
I agree with you. I don’t think the media and us people from blue states should be pressuring her by expecting her to vote like our senators. Nevertheless, I think her Democratic constituency — meaning people like Bill and Anniebella — have a right to put pressure on her to do the right thing on this very important issue. I say that because NC has been trending Democratic. And if 90%, according the polls, In NC support background checks then that should give her political cover. At the same time what you’ve been cautioning us about is absolutely spot-on. We cannot expect Democratic Senators from Red States, especially Red States that President Obama lost badly, to behave like Democrats in safe Democratic States. But we can put pressure on Republican Senators who represent States that President Obama won both in 2008 and 2012.
Cookemon, gerryrigging does not affect statewide races, like those for senator, so it has nothing to do with making these guys feel safe. That works only on the House side. Every time I have addressed Pat Toomey on any issue, he’s responded that he can’t please everyone. He’s counting on a lot of money coming into PA from Koch et al to support his re-election. But there are some very strong Democratic candidates in this state and I’m hoping he’s very unpleasantly surprised in 2016.
DSCC GOES AFTER MITCH MCCONNELL
Washington Team
Where Congress Stands on Guns
by Lena Groeger, ProPublica
Jan. 16, 2013
————————————————–
In the aftermath of the Newtown tragedy, President Obama on Wednesday announced new national gun control measures. He has already urged members of Congress to do the same. Here is our comprehensive look at where lawmakers stand on guns, as well as political spending and voting history. Explore and share what you think Congress should do about guns in this country.
.
.
The National Rifle Association, with as many as 4 million members, is the nation’s largest organization devoted to defending gun rights and the Second Amendment. Its lobbying wing ranks lawmakers based on their support of the “right to keep and bear arms.” The group’s “A” through “F” letter grades are based on how voting records, public statements and responses to a questionnaire line up with the NRA’s own positions. Hover over each letter to see the group’s grading criteria.
————————————————–
http://projects.propublica.org/guns/
Good Riddence! Never could figure out what the big deal was about her anyway.
Not a moment too soon. whew.
Gotta go guys, it’s been a slice. I do appreciate a lively debate and I also subscribe to the ‘agree to disagree’ resolution of differences. With that said, and knowing we are all on the same side. We all want the best for everyone, regardless that we differ on how to make that happen. So see youze soon.
Don’t go.
For long, anyway
I picked the wrong thread to visit this afternoon. Maybe by tonight, we’ll be back to reasonable dialogue leading to calm thinking, no pointing out each other’s failures in how we arrive at our individual thoughts and perspectives – like the fine example Chips gives us, when she gives us this platform. We’re all adults, ain’t nobody here sitting at the children’s table. Let’s try to respect each other, even if we have slightly different points of view (which we ALL do). We are the change that we seek. End of sermon. I’m going “off the mount,” to seek a little peace in my own mind.
Do you feel our discussions were anything but polite and respectful? There was no personal attacks and only a sharing of differences. I welcomed Bill’s opinion and the opportunity to converse with him his views and mine. I happened to think gobrooklyn and I had differences, but were cordial in our explaining them. This is why we interact to share, to debate, to agree, to disagree, all knowing that at the end of the day we’re all on the same team, wanting the same thing.
If you’re referencing a post I made in request to another member here, then that was done in the best way I could, while maintaining some resemblance of underserved courtesy.
I had a similar conversation with FayPax before I went to bed (my time) – and agree with you cookemom – all was civil and polite – and we agreed that although some ideas differed – we both had the same ideas as to what should be happening in the gun control world. A discussion on how to get to the end result – and who is holding it up – is a good thing (imo).
On too many other sides there would be personal attacks flying – I foolishly got into a discussion elsewhere (cannot admit where it was) and have been attacked every which way because “we HAVE to have out guns” “2nd amendment” “the bad guys will always get guns” and I am a naive liberal obot who will get the world killed cause I don’t own a gun.
The conversations here seem like at my mother’s 1950s afternoon tea parties – in comparison! 🙂
sides = sites (sigh)
🙂
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/03/28/shame-on-us-if-weve-forgotten/
Rubio joins group threatening to filibuster gun control legislation
Jonathan Easley
03/28/13 03:02 PM ET
Sen. Rubio joins Sens. Paul, Cruz and Lee in opposing legislation leading to “any additional gun restrictions.”…
Jeesh!
Rubio continues to prove himself unfit to run for president. He’s building a long chain of infamous acts that will follow him if he tries for a bigger national office. He will be the Marley’s ghost of politics.
This will match his defund Obamacare filibuster. How’d that turn out?