Two years ago today (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Today:
1:0: Jay Carney briefs the press
3:05: President Obama departs the White House
4:30: Arrives in Hartford, Conn.
5:45: Delivers remarks on common-sense measures to reduce gun violence
6:45: Departs Hartford
8:15: Arrives at the White House
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ThinkProgress: Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy (D) tore into the National Rifle Association during an appearance on CNN’s State Of The Union on Sunday. The NRA this week introduced its legislative response to the massacre in Malloy’s home state. Its plan focuses on arming school staff.
Malloy specifically called out NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre for his absolute opposition to commonsense gun regulations, including the new gun law just enacted by Connecticut. After watching a clip of LaPierre mocking Connecticut’s new law, Malloy shot back, “Wayne reminds me of the clowns at the circus. They get the most attention”…..
More here
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AP: Talks between two influential senators have emerged as the most promising route for a bipartisan breakthrough on expanding federal background checks for gun buyers, a pivotal part of President Barack Obama’s plan for combating gun violence.
One possibility being discussed by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., would involve expanding background checks to gun show sales and firearms transactions online, Senate aides said.
More here
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The Hill: President Obama, Vice President Biden and first lady Michelle Obama will hold events this week designed to build momentum for a Senate gun control package as lawmakers return to Washington from the Easter recess.
The White House said that in addition to a previously announced trip by Obama on Monday to Connecticut, the first lady will travel to Chicago on Wednesday to rally for gun control measures.
… Carney also announced that Biden will appear on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday for a roundtable discussion on gun safety.
More here
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NYT: The days ahead could be decisive ones for the main pieces of President Obama’s second-term agenda: long-range deficit reduction, gun safety and changes to immigration law.
…. Members of both parties say Mr. Obama faces a conundrum with his legislative approach to a deeply polarized Congress. In the past, when he has stayed aloof from legislative action, Republicans and others have accused him of a lack of leadership; when he has gotten involved, they have complained that they could not support any bill so closely identified with Mr. Obama without risking the contempt of conservative voters.
More here
As Greg Sargent said about that second paragraph: “This is another way in which the whole “Obama must lead Republicans out of their intransigence” line of punditry is just a crock.”
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Steve Benen: The White House has not yet released President Obama’s new budget plan, but it’s on the on-deck circle and we have a reasonably good idea of what’s in it. As we talked about last week, the administration hopes to resolve the parties’ fiscal fight by trading entitlement “reforms” for new revenue — Democrats would accept cuts to social-insurance programs, including chained CPI for Social Security, and Republicans would accept closed tax loopholes and fewer deductions.
Republicans, who reject the idea of compromise, hate the plan. Democrats, who see no reason to cut Social Security, hate it, too. So what is the White House up to?
More here
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The People’s View: Yes, yes, this will be another post on Chained CPI. But a little more dry. This is about the math. Previously, we have discussed why Chained CPI isn’t actually a cut in benefits, what different it makes in the calculations of the cost of living adjustments, and why in the context of broader reforms and progressive social investments, it’s worth doing. But what we haven’t talked about in very explicit terms is what the minor reductions in COLA will end up adding up to. The scaremongerers are very interested in exploiting this. They are very interested in scaring people with numbers about how much they will lose.
More here
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A personal tribute to Margaret Thatcher:
Well, you’re not meant to speak ill of the dead, so I’ll say nothing ……
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Charles Pierce has something to say, though:
I am going to leave the encomiums to the late Margaret Thatcher to the people who loved her best, of whom I am decidedly not one. What I remember best about her is that she pretty much invented the modern concept of the distracting Wanking Little War ….. and that she once held this view about Nelson Mandela:
The Conservative prime minister had dismissed the ANC as “a typical terrorist organisation” and refused to back sanctions against the apartheid government, pursuing instead a policy of “constructive engagement”. South Africa was then seen as a vital ally in stemming communist expansion.
More here
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Random old pic:
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MooOOOOoooorning!
The Obama Diary 
Good morning TODer’s! I hope everyone has a good and productive week.
Yay!
wtg swbluega – hello chips – but you keep me up late while you are thinking about the rise and shine
15 minutes?”
Until what?
An hour ago Chips said she would R&S in 15 minutes.
oh, i see….well….
what’s an extra hour between friends 🙂
Right. Mornin’ 99ts…
Hello Mighty one – do hope the recovery is going well. What’s happening with the daughter’s latest venture?
Not much news, downsizing, liquidating a bit, planning some travel late in the year, maybe a trip ‘home’ for Christmas! Mom would like that, for sure!! Thanks for asking…. I guess I am getting the hang of this ‘resting’ concept.. I gather it means ‘taking it easier’… who would have thought a person would need to “learn” a trick like this? I must have been blessed with true strength and health all my life to have missed this facet of the human experience! Lucky me! 😉
CCT, Japa, don’t you know? She does it to me every time! I would love to see her timepiece! {Now I can go and feed my face, after waiting in incremental time – ‘Okay wait 2 more minutes’. ‘Fine, she can’t be much longer. Give it till the 1/4 hour’ – when I’m expecting CC I like to give myself 1/4 hour intervals before giving up.}
& BTW ‘CCT’ now = Chips Chica Time – totally different from how the rest of the village sees/tells time.
Maybe we should give Chipsticks some slack. ❓ After all, she did gave us an information packed rise and shine. 🙂 And you know adding “ish” to the time gives you some flexibility. 😆
😆 Thank you swbluega – the ‘ish’ was key!
If you ask me (Yeah, I know no one did 😉 ) Chips’ ‘ish’ has far too wide a scope in meaning.
😆 That’s true VC, it can mean anything from two seconds to four months. Well, in my world any way!
As my stomach has learned, painfully, while standing by the door on several occasions (when I used to do that, of course)!
Hello there, CC, old friend! Long time no
seehassle! It’s great to run into you this Monday afternoon. How are you, and how is Mother Chips?Mighty fine to bump in to yerself, VC! Feeling exceptionally chirpy today, which is highly strange for a Monday. Hope you are too!
O yes I am, thank you! I have nothing to complain about. 😀 😀
It’s Monday! Hi, you all! There’s lots to be done this week, right? Lots of Repubs to prod re gun control?
Hiya VC!
Morning, Pamela! BBL, have to go stave off a potential headache by eating. I don’t know WHY I don’t eat before signing on since it’s hard to go eat IF Rise & Shine hasn’t yet been posted when I sign on! Some people (i.e. *me*) never learn. 🙄
join my club….
What are the benefits?
there are none at all
Jeez louise, that’s no incentive! 🙄
First of all are they not the sweetest couple?? POTUS and VPOTUS I mean.
Second, Margaret Thatcher pushed the “ownership society” by which she meant the rich will eventually own everything. And she supported Pinochet, as bloody and bad a dictator as ever ruled in and ruined South America.
Logistics ? for TOD. Newtown parents are addressing the Hill today and PBO will be in Hartford later. Are they traveling together?
Good Morning Chips and my fellow TOD’ers. Today is going to be a good day because Prez.O is the President
GM all. Okay, I have to admit it. I am somewhat depressed this morning. Part of it may be that I have been fighting a really bad cold the last 4-5 days which has completely wiped me out. Part of it is that although I am quite unhappy with the Chained CPI proposal, I am also extremely upset with the vehemence coming from all sides as a result. Facts just don’t matter any more. People don’t really want to learn about things, specially those that have a lot of nuance to them. I stayed off the internets over the weekend (politically speaking) and avoided twitter. (Appears my silence on the twitter caused some to unfollow me which is fine) And I was seriously considering taking a longer leave of absence.
But I realized all that would do is give a victory of sorts to the real enemy, the GOP. So anyways, this is what I sent out this morning. Not really upbeat, and I am not sure I can be upbeat right now, but just my own little statemnt that I am not going to give in.
Ah Japa, sorry to hear you haven’t been well, look after yourself.
I know what you mean, there’s been hysteria from all sides on this, it’s just become a shouting match, and the louder everyone shouts the more entrenched their positions become and the more unwilling they are to listen to any other point of view. It’s all deeply depressing.
{{{{{japa}}}}} it’s okay to take some time for yourself (i’m told) ~ it doesn’t mean you are giving up, or letting the GOP win… that can only happen if we all quit!
Japa,
♫ Lean on me, when you’re not strong. I’ll be your friend. I’ll help you car-ry on….♫
♫ Just call on me, brother when you need a hand. We all need somebody to lean on♫ … from time to time. 😉 Hang tough. #FORWARD
Oh, Japa, I know exactly how you feel. Exhaustion and illness really sap your strength and the constant need to fight for what seems like common sense just sometimes becomes too much sometimes. I’ve had a cold dragging on for two weeks now, am exhausted from helping my MIL to move, and worried about a Latino event we’re putting on this month and am temporarily worn out from the struggles. Take the time you need. The fight will be a long one and every one of us will need a time out to sit by the side of the road and recover our strength. You are not alone.
JackieG, very good words to our wonderful japa. Listen to your family here Japa. Keep a little sweet peaceful moments in your space, if you can do so. Remember you are the strength to the day that you set forth for yourself. Take good care and rest lots.HZ
Good morning TOD. Hope that all is well with you. Have a great day.
what is this crock about don’t speak ill of the dead. I call bs and call her a horrible rw leader, who was a racist to boot.
Well…… I was being nice, Amk! But, yes, if I lived forever there wouldn’t be a more destructive leader, she was pure poison. See what you’ve done? You made me speak ill of the dead.
Let’s can the not speak ill of the dead and speak the truth about them. She never had any sympathy or compassion for those who were living. So why shouldn’t we treat her the same way ?
Well, I usually try and bite my tongue and say nothing immediately after someone dies, but it’s hard to do it with Thatcher. I think I’ve finally found something I disagree with PBO on – he described her as a “great champion of freedom and liberty” today. Just not true, she was one of Apartheid South Africa’s strongest supporters, she had no interest in anyone but white South Africans enjoying ‘freedom and liberty’. But I know, PBO has to say these things on a day like this.
plain vanilla pablum, I bet his inner self was liao. 🙂
Ha, I bet it was!! When I rule the world and people like Thatcher die, my statements will be along the lines of ‘good riddance!’. Is that bad?
Mr. AJ calls it “addition by subtraction.”
What is liao?
Thanks.
Laughing (h)is ass off??
LMAO! I thought it had something to do with laughing ass off, but just couldn’t figure out what the “i” was doing there. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Oh oh oh…I jsut got it as I’m writing…Laughing IT’s ass off, “it” being PBO’s inner self. Am I right amk? 🙂
….its not it’s. 🙂
I think you’ve solved the mystery, Hopefruit!!! 😆
PBO’s InnerSelf might be female, so I think amk was being fair to say its…. rather than his/her….
And it’s a good-looking inner self, Pamela. Or am I not allowed say that? 😆
i will only agree, whether it be male, female, neither or BOTH!
its
Yup, I realized that as I was replying to Chips.
Oh! Heavens, imagine if he didn’t? Imagine if he told the Truth!
That would be a laugh, Pamela!! 😆
But he did. She was a great champion of freedom and liberty for the 1%.
IMO PBO was operating on the principle that you shouldn’t reveal your hand in poker…. in diplomacy… to the MSM….or to your opponent. He probably meant “great champion of freedom and liberty” [for the 1%], [for the white ‘upper class’], [or for the rich].
I love the man/human that President Obama is…he proves to me time and time again that he is not like me and that I can learn a whole lot from him about how to be a better human being.
I’m with amk on this. She had zero compassion and I don’t owe respect to a person who never earned it.
Please take a moment and read the Sandy Hook Promise and then take the pledge to do all YOU can to prevent this tragedy from ever happening again. http://www.sandyhookpromise.org/mission
Call to Action Monday
Please contact your Senators and local Congress Person and ask them to support common sense gun control measures.
Email them the links to the CBS 60 minute segments by the Sandy Hook Promise Group.
Also, let’s not let the Blue State Senate Republicans off the hook. Pound away at them today. Convince your family and friends to contact them as well.
Kirk of Illinois
Portman of Ohio
Rubio of Florida
Toomey of PA
Ayotte of New Hampshire
Grassley of Iowa
Heller of Nevada
Johnson of Wisconsin
All of your contact information can he found here at WIW: http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/05/contact-congress-address-phone-twitter.html
Please do it for our kids…No effort is ever a wasted effort!
Thank you Donna.
I don’t Like to ever tell anyone to Fib. However, when calling a senator…..if you tell them that you are not from their state…..they would not listen. So when asked, I would always say that I am from a CITY in their state…..and tell them that I am visiting an state……should my area code phone numbers, just in case they are visible for them to call me out. I was busted calling Tom Colburn from OK once.
To help you prod them PERIODICALLY if you are also on twitter, here are their handles
Mark Kirk – Illinois @senatorkirk
Rob Portman – Ohio @robportman
Marco Rubio – Florida @marcorubio
Pat Toomey – Pennsylvania @SenToomey
Kelly Ayotte – New Hampshire @AyotteNH / @KellyAyotte
Dan Coats – Indiana @sendancoats 89%
Chuck Grassley – Iowa @chuckgrassley 88%
Susan Collins – Maine @senatorcollins 85%
Dean Heller – Nevada @deanheller 86%
Ron Johnson Wisconsin @SenRonJohnson (has background check law)
Drat! I was editing that, when it got impatient and posted itself! 😯 My apologies, as I was tidying up the list and removing extraneous info (like the %age of people in their state supporting BGCheck)
This is 2013 and CNN is basically purging minorities and reintroducing itself as a whites only station. This is 2013?!?!?! Wow.
That is just incredible
Is Don Lemon still with CNN?
I think he is COS, funny they didn’t include him in their ad 🙄
Yes he’s still there, but has ZERO clout, obviously.
His Contract is Up this year. His hours on weekends have been reduced from what they were even last year.
Funny they didn’t even bother to throw in Susan Malveaux(sp)…..she has a 2 hour show….then they started lately pairing her with a guy…An Aussie or a Brit….I am not sure.
THIS IS CNN —> Yep, that about sums it up.
This is pathetic and an insult to the very bright, intelligent people of color who would make excellent hosts on that station. I guess Sanjay and Fareed (both very fine Indian-Americans) & occasional commentators outside of their specialty shows are representin the diverse makeup of this country…. smh
They are getting a lot of push back on twitter over this picture.
CNN just doesn’t care any more.
When one of their Head honchos was quoted to have said that Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien show was Too Ethnic…..and the guy is still there? He was Not forced out…..that said it all.
They fired Sanchez for saying stuff and this guy has power to hire and fire and now purging Black Folks? The Latina whose name starts with Z, they didn’t even pretend to include her? These people are shameless.
remember jeff zucker (who just took the reins at tea-nn) is the guy responsible for the conan o’brien/jay leno tonight show debacle, among many other big disasters in the television business. amazing how the “free market” keeps promoting people who fail everywhere they go.
We have always said that CNN has become TeaNN and Fox Jr.
I don’t see the tweets the normal way here in FF. Is anyone else having the same prob in firefox?
I’ve been having the same problem with firefox.
Ok, then it’s a FF issue, not my ‘puter.
Seems to be sporadic. I am also having problems. Now some showing some not. Not on FF.
So it could be twitter that’s acting up?
Good morning all! To all those obsessed with the chained CPI nonsense, a reminder. Every year the President puts out a budget, and every year Congress ignores said budget, even when there was a dem majority in both houses of Congress and POTUS put out a very liberal budget. The chained CPI has been on the WH website for months, yet there wasn’t a peep about it. Suddenly it’s the most important thing on earth. This is nothing more than theater for the benefit of Washington insiders and Congress. The complaints about chained CPI have been coordinated. The AARP, for one, hasn’t seen a need until now to be outraged by something POTUS has had on the agenda since he and the orange guy talked about a “grand bargain” long before the election. They didn’t put this much effort into complaining about Paul Ryan proudly talking about vouchers for medicare. No one has even seen the budget yet! This will all be forgotten by the end of summer, after the repugs hold the country hostage a couple more times. This budget is probably some preemptive strike against the hostage takers. It will have nothing to do with the 2014 elections.
Debs–you got it in one. It’s coordinated to distract from the substantive stuff that must get done–gun legislation, immigration reform, tax reform and ending the Sequester. I’m angry at the AARP and at every one of these idiots who are using this non issue to fund raise. To hell with them.
Hmph! Chips says “Random Old Picture” (above). 🙄
I say “OMG – that’s POTUS and FLOTUS when they were in Iowa City on September 7, 2012 and we waited 2 hours to see them!!!!” The event was held just outside the University of Iowa building in which I work (Jessup Hall) and the background of the photo is the building next door (Maclean Hall). That was such a wonderful day for us – and for them too, the day after the Democratic National Convention. It was an inspired choice for them to come to Iowa City – we LOVE them here and it showed. I wish they would come back again someday…
Off-topic historical note: Maclean Hall was built in the early 1900’s as the Physics Building, which is why it says “Becquerel” on the building. There’s all kinds of physics-related names around the top – but it’s the math and computer science building now.
I have spent the morning tweeting to the Dirty Dozen Republicans Senators targeted by Moms Demand Action for their threatened filibuster, to the possibly helpful ones Kirk and Toomey, and then to all the ones Donna Dem lists above. That 60 Minutes special on the Sandy Hook promise parents was so timely and will help our President and Veep carry their messages of gun sanity this week.
Last week at the state legislature, we had a large rally with partner organizations to OFA like Moms Demand, Brady Campaign, and Ceasefire Oregon. Our reps told us they have been hearing from the gun nuts 90-1 more than from us, so it makes it very hard to get this legislation done. And that’s in progressive Oregon!
That’s a duplicate, sorry. Meant to post this one.
GOOD! They aren’t letting up. No matter how the MSM tries to distract with all kinds of garbage…..
Good West Coast morning Chipsticks and TOD family.
I REALLY like the “unrestrained” Jon Favreau.
He will become a Must Read addition 🙂
Mooooooooooorning GGail! I didn’t even know until today that he would be writing a column for DB, bookmarked!
Morning to you too sweetie 🙂
I’ll be looking forward to reading more of what Jon’s thinking.
Logic and truth telling falling by the wayside in favor of emoprog hair on fire fundraising. It’s a never ending cycle.
I notice there is a lot of willful ignorance, selective acknowledgement and dismissal of certain facts, and emotion-based “I must be right because I want to be right” type of thinking where the outrage on this latest budget is concerned. I’ve seen this movie too many times now and quite frankly have no qualms about questioning the agenda or motives of the people engaging in that kind of emoprogery at this point in time.
Really wierd how some twits are showing up and others aren’t.
This place is glitchland, Japa, endlessly annoying.
Oh good. Every body is in misery thanks to ff/twitter. ‘appy, ‘appy.
So, you’re happy that everyone’s miserable and not just you? Sheesh.
misery, company and all that
Ah, right!
Maryland is becoming a progressive and forward thinking haven under Gov. O’Malley. I am so freaking jealous. I need an 50 state O’Malley and MD legislators clone.
Yes, UT, MD is looking more attractive by the minute. It’s turning out to be the best state in the union. It’s also nearer our granddaughter and my elderly MIL. Who would have thought that MD would be such a stand out. It was the state that didn’t want to take sides in the Civil War and gave us the despicable Spiro Agnew. Now it’s the leading star among the 50 states.
My Thoughts on Margaret Thatcher’s passing……
I have two songs that apply…..the same thoughts when Reagan passed in 2004.
Phil Collins
Land of Confusion and I don’t care any more:
😆 SO true!!!!
al giordano speaking truth today on his facebook page (wish he’d pick somewhere else to post his writing)
“As a working writer, I find Scott Turow’s argument that society needs an elite caste of highly paid writers absolutely creepy. First, because most of the writers that reached that elite economic status throughout history dedicated themselves to protecting that economic privilege for their class and glued themselves to power and its perques in ways that made them worse writers, and second because the last twenty years have seen the single greatest explosion of a more democratized movement of writers reaching bigger and bigger readerships, many of whom are not motivated by money but by the fact that they have something worthwhile to say. What defines a true writer is not how much (or whether) he is paid but, rather, that he and she do it whether or not we are paid for it.”
was thinking of our own liberal librarian and some others here when reading the last line “What defines a true writer is not how much (or whether) he is paid but, rather, that he and she do it whether or not we are paid for it.” Of course, they probably wouldn’t object to payment and deserve a comfortable living from their talents, but giordano’s point is the same.
Wow, that certainly is “creepy” from Turow – society needs an elite caste of highly paid writers? What the hell? And who gets to elevate them to the elite caste?
I wish he would post somewhere else too. His blog used to be so good. I miss reading his posts.
wasn’t turow a one-novel wonder from 80’s?
Oh, no. Every time he has a new book out I get inundated with requests at the library.
Well, as far as payment goes, I just submitted the first chapter of my novel to Narrative Magazine. So I might get paid AND blow my Internet cover!
YEA! way to go LL!!! The best to you 🙂
Does anyone remember if there was a lefty meltdown when Reagan raised the retirement age back in the 80’s
Not that I recall. They all were praising Reagan and “the speaker” working together.
Good Morning TOD!
Phil Mickelson played 18 holes of golf at Augusta National Sunday with new member Condi Rice. He said she made a 40 foot putt with about a18 foot break on the final hole. He also said, “She’s one of my favorite people to be around. She’s so knowledgeable and interesting to talk to. I always learn so much.” Phil might be the biggest dick in “sport”. Go Tiger.
Phil is a Repub. He talked about moving out of CA because of taxes this year. After the backlass, he remains quite. I never like the man. Is any anymore upset with the media 24/7 on the clinton’s. I am because we just had an election less than 6months ago. The media will do anything but give the President the respect he deserves.
I really don’t care anymore. Let their focus be on the Clintons while the President continues to work tirelessly on behalf of the American people. While the media is busy parading the Clintons, PBO will be busy focusing on getting immigration reform done as well as a slew of other legislative proposals passed. The real shock and awe will come after the 2014 midterm. I want our lazy and pathetic media focus to be mostly centered on the Clintons or any other silly season distractions that will occupy their minds (I’m looking at you Andrea Mitchell) while we do everything we can to make sure that democrats take back the congress.
Ugh Bill, I can’t stand the man. Remember ‘FIGJAM’?
http://www.worldgolf.com/blogs/alan.katz/2006/02/06/why_players_on_the_pga_tour_call_phil_mi
What’s with Rice and this fetish for the Republican male?
Her degrees are from the University of Denver and Notre Dame. She would have had no future as a Democrat. Republican males made her rich and famous. I have a woman friend who was on a treadmill next to her in a gym once and on introducing herself Condi responded by saying,”Hello, I am Dr. Rice”.
She was accomplished in her own right – Republican males or not. She just has a ridiculous fetish for the Republican male that I cannot explain.
Republicans like to hang around Republicans.
I don’t see Rice hanging out with Republican females. I don’t even know whether she has any female Republican friends. And I don’t see the Republican men hanging out with Herman Cain (who’s also a Repub).
Rice and the Republican male seem to have an affinity for each other that you and I cannot explain!!!
I have no idea who she hangs out with on a regular basis. She worked in a Republican administration and played golf once with Phil who probably is a Republican. My friend who is a far left Democrat tried to introduce herself to Condi who completely snubbed her. I know nothing else about her private life.
Very consistent with what I’ve been saying. No way she would hang out with a Democrat, let alone a Dem female.
Well at least now you know that Rice has an inexplicable affinity for the Republican male.
I am not going to argue, but I see no proof of her having a “ridiculous fetish” because she had a round of golf with a probable Republican.
Because you’re thinking sexual fetish. That’s not what I’m thinking. I think Condi was raised in an authoritarian conservative home where dad was boss and always knew best. Thus her comfort zone is around an authoritarian male figure. She’s out of her element otherwise. She’s not comfortable in a setting that does not include an authoritarian male figure. The “snub” to the non-Repub male is not out of vanity – it’s out of anxiety.
Go Tiger. Win that 5th Green Jacket.
For kindle users, I liked this free e-book.
http://www.amazon.com/Promise-You-Wont-Tell-ebook/dp/B00AH61H86/ref=zg_bs_154606011_f_47
Here are top 100 free e-books
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-eBooks/zgbs/digital-text/154606011#4
Ooooh, good stuff! Is 77 your autobiography?
Hidee Ho O’s!!! Wassup on this great getting up day on the TOD stool!!! That last pic, with that lip thang going on? Lawdy Miss Claudy!
PS: What’s with the history revisit-ism with Thatcher? I wish her RIP, but c’mon she punished everyone who didn’t hold her view. She was brutal to labor workers, she elevated no women or brought any along with her, she was a tyrant, and inhumane to her people.
But, heh….her and Reagan……pffffft.
Good morning. Has #2 heard anything about the contest? And the other Mom who also had a daughter in it too? I apologize for not remembering her name. She didn’t post everyday to remind us. Good luck to both.
Hey, Chips and TOD family. Chips, I just had to comment on your Thatcher “comment.” Priceless and genius. Hope everyone is doing great on this Monday. So looking forward to seeing my POTUS speak later on gun violence. Our OFA Indiana chapter delivered 20K signatures to Sens Coats and Donnelly in support of gun violence legislation. Neil Heslin, who’s 6-yr-old son, Jessie, was killed at Sandy Hook joined us. He’s the parent who testified before Congress and I think he’s going to be in DC today to work on this issue. What a nice man. It was heartbreaking to hear him talk about this.
Morning Proud, great to see you! Glad you enjoyed my, um, heartfelt tribute to Thatcher. I had promised to be nice all day and say nothing, but Amk, as usual, was a bad influence, so my promise was broken.
20k signatures? That’s just fantastic, and so wonderful that Neil Heslin joined you, he’s an amazing man.
Well, technically, you said nothing. LOL! Yes, it was great to meet Neil. We have another event coming up Saturday. My “great” state of Indiana is voting to make it mandatory to have armed guards in schools. Awful, awful.
But Proud, Amk bullied me in to not being nice about Thatcher in the comments, right after I promised to be good. He’s a *terrible* influence.
The Indiana thing is beyond belief, what a depressing response to Sandy Hook.
That Amk. What are we going to do with him? Yes, my state makes me want to cry.
Amk is, I fear, beyond redemption, Proud.
I can understand why you want to cry, it’s all just shameful.
😆 Flippin’ hilarious!!!!
Martin Bashir’s take on Margaret Thatcher 😉
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/martin-bashir-on-margaret_n_3037853.html?utm_hp_ref=media#comments
Hmm? Not waiting to be Nice….. 😉
Truth, Martin!!! Thank you Nena
😉
Krystal Ball starts up this morning on that same nonsense. Her credibility with me is circling the toilet bowl right now.
Because she hangs out with S E Crapp all day.
It rubs off, I am sure.
I’m not going to blame SE cupp this time. It’s all on Ball.
Krystal Ball is another progressive/Clintonite/ fake. Sorry, but she is.
I believe you’re right.
HF, I think it is her hormone, perhaps the balance is off due to her pregnancy?
She was asking her 5 yrs old daughter Bella about marrying a girl……this child has just turned 5 just many days ago. And this was on tape and she discussed it on the show showing her child. I didn’t see it live. I saw the video on mediaite.com last week. Just pathetic.
You are kind Nena. I think she just wants attention!
She is a member of the NRA according to her wiki page.
Hmm…..a Libertarian masquerading as a liberal.
As Jodi Kantor would say, hmm…..
I would hold off on that. Wiki pages can be messed with by people.
Actually that wiki entry is more likely correct than not. I seem to now recall that she was heavily defending the right to own guns, and I’ve seen other reports apart from Wikipedia that identify her as being an NRA member.
// Krystal was born in rural King George County, Virginia, where she had her own pet goats and attended local public schools. She was raised around guns, farms and target practice and is a third generation, lifetime member of the NRA. //
http://www.krystalonline.com/about
Her upbringing actually sounds more in line with a typical Libertarian than a Liberal.
Wiki pages can be screwed around by people. I give that NRA thing a hmm for now.
As someone who ran for congress recently this is public knowledge. She can easily correct erroneous info. I’m inclined to believe that she is in fact an NRA member – based on statements she’s made on MSNBC about the gun issue and the stuff I read off her biographical webpage page (cited above).
Maybe the fashion and makeup industries should join in this convo? Surely all the money women spend in these areas is an indication that they want their appearance to be noticed and they want to be perceived positively. This is one of the problems I have with being politically correct – you can be so correct you can take all the ‘fun’ out of situations.
Treasury SEC Lew just told the EU to stop the Austerity now programs. He worded it as it’s not working and making things worse, type of deal.
Well, the EU minister just hit back saying that Austerity is not the problem for the triple dip recession they are in. 😦
–Oh, it’s not???
Perhaps this has been posted here before…..so please forgive me.
John Legend…..on what incarceration and Drugs are doing in USA.
Guns kill 10K plus……Drugs incarcerate Many and wreck their lives.
This video will leave you in tears. So powerful and heartbreaking.
I asked TOD earlier if PBO and the Newton parents would be crossing paths and nobody answered me but Now I see on TPM that the parents will be attending the speech in hartford and then coming back to DC on AF1. POTUS fighting hard for this legislation to happen.
I figured he would.
next Nontroversy: PBO giving civilians rides on AF1…
Yup. Cue the RW outrage in 3…2…1…
Every emo- slacktivist on Twitter and the blogs will want PBO to give them a ride on AF1
Interview with Departing Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
Feb 20, 2013
Ray LaHood talked about his tenure as secretary of the Department of Transportation. Topics included high speed rail, his campaign against texting and driving, U.S. highway infrastructure, the Republican Party, his personal relationship with President Obama, and his future political plans.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/311227-1
Interview with Departing Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
Apr 4, 2013
Secretary Salazar talked about his tenure as secretary of the Interior. Topics included BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, drilling off the coast of Alaska, the Department of the Interior’s role in renewable energy issues, his service in the Senate and role as Colorado attorney general during the Columbine shooting, and his future political plans.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/311918-1
—
I saw LaHood last night and it is great… going to watch Salazar later. They are about 30 minutes each
I hate to see Ray LaHood go. He knew how to play hardball politics and had no qualms about doing so.
SE PENNSYLVANIA EVENT:
Now is the time.
If we want to see meaningful action to prevent gun violence, we have to act now.
Tomorrow, I’ll be with Governor Rendell and Mayor Nutter as we rally at Senator Toomey’s office. I need you there with me.
WHEN: TUESDAY, April 9, 10:30 am
WHERE: 1628 JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia
You can check out our Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/438263029589537/?ref=22
According to news reports, Senator Toomey may be the key to getting something done in Washington, D.C. We need him to stand up for Pennsylvania, and he needs to hear us.
Join us as we call on Senator Toomey to get the legislation to the floor and make sure our leaders in Washington do the right thing.
It’s time for action. Background checks work: more than two million prohibited purchases (by people who cannot legally buy guns) have been stopped by the background check system. Expanding background checks must be the centerpiece of commonsense legislation.
Stand with us and let Senator Toomey know that we need him to get this done.
Please join me,
Shira Goodman
Executive Director
CeaseFirePA.org
CeaseFirePA is a partner organization with OFA and others.
I remembered watching her in re-runs of the Mickey Mouse Club and the “Babes in Toyland” movie when I was a child. May she RIP.
How sad….I loved those hokey beach movies with Frankie Avalon…and Back to the Beach with them and PeeWee Herman is hilarious
Oh, Annette…. I liked her…
and how often does this fat ass ride on AF1 with taxpayer $$ paying the bill, and supplying the FOOD!?
Worthwhile insights on the situation in Egypt (and something no US #NEWSTAINER has even a clue):
” It is hard to overestimate the anger and the fear of the Egyptian people. You could compare it with a room full of gas. It only needs one spark in order to make it explode. That spark could well be the subsidies for bread and energy that need to be reformed. The last time Egypt tried to cut subsidies was in 1977, under Sadat; it immediately lead to the only uncontrollable riots ever. If we see the anarchy today in cities as Port Said, Suez or Malhalla, it is clear that no party will be able to control the streets if the situation explodes.
In the meantime, president Morsi and his government are making the one mistake after the other. It’s as if the Muslim Brotherhood is on a suicide mission. Not only for Egypt but also for the entire Arab world. The same day Morsi issued his decree in November 2012, the protest for political reform in Jordan halted as they feared only the Jordanian Muslim Brothers would profit from it. A few days ago the Syrian Muslim Brothers even complained that their Egyptian counterparts were ruining their reputation.
We know from history that the situation of Egypt is not exceptional. France for example did eighty years from revolution to a stable democracy. And the transition in Central-Europe took almost two decades. History teaches us that the biggest danger in times of collapse and anarchy is the rise of a new populist or a new strong man. That could be someone like the Salafist Abu Ismael or again someone of the army. That would bring the Muslim Brotherhood as well as the opposition back to square one.
But that doesn’t mean chaos is the only way. Although it is already very late, it isn’t too late to move this country forward. Egypt has everything: natural resources, a young ambitious population and the most attractive touristic combination in the world. The only thing that is needed is parties and politicians forgetting their ego and their honour and start a real dialogue about solving problems together. The last window of opportunity is closing rapidly. Dear politicians, for the sake of the people of Egypt, don’t miss this last chance. Otherwise, there will be no winners left.”
http://www.beitelhiwar.com/english/blog/1973-The-suicide-mission-of-the-Muslim-Brotherhood-An-outsiders-perspective.htm
This is terrific background information, Bob, and something that we will never get through our news media. I wonder what is being done behind the scenes here through the State Department and in allied diplomatic circles. Nobody wants and out of control Egypt.
Thank you Jackie.
You can be certain that President Obama, SOS Kerry et al., are all over the situation. Normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel are an essential element in calming the relations among key allies and is evidence of how hard #PBO has likely been pursuing efforts to get Morsi to come to his senses (Jordan, SA, Qatar, etc., are all likely doing the same).
Also, when other factions of the ‘Brotherhood’ are concerned then you know Morsi is way out on a limb.
#TrustBarack
Yep.
Senator Johnson has an impressive son, Brendan, who might run to replace him. Brendan was appointed U.S. Attornney for South Dakota by PBO.
Happy to here this. SD is a state with about 670-725K people with fewer numbers needed to get elected.
😆 😎 Great news ❗
Hear…..oops.
As proud of Obama stated on Twitter, they’re now all “evolving” after PBO….. 🙂
But the GLADD award goes to Bubba 😯 Hmm?
Oh Nena. You know Bubba deserves that award. After all, he DID write an op-ed last month. Doesn’t that make him award-worthy? /snarkometer disabled
Yikes:
Interesting comment to that tweet ….
😀 😀 😀
On another note, has scam artist Zach decided to align with the cyberstalker? Is it time to press both Twitter and the DOJ to investigate the stalker?
Will help any way I can, Chips.
#FORWARD
Ah, thank you so much Bob, you’re a treasured friend! I’m not even going to mention the psycho here again, way too much ugliness for a happy place (!), but amazing number of Twitter DMs from women especially who’ve been targeted by him. Unite Blue needs to start doing some serious vetting.
Thanks again Bob.
Of course, Chips!!
I have little doubt you and many other fine women will ensure Zach either gets a clue or his UB scam will crumble way faster than the hamster’s did 🙂
On another, much more important note …
#FORWARD
I have read there is speculation Putin is the richest person in the world and Castro is worth a couple of billion. Communism may be the way to really big bucks.
Little doubt they are both billionaires, Bill.
BBC World had a story on the visit last night. Two GOPers were incensed over their trip.
The new meme would be……now…..Cuba, Cuba, Cuba, Cuba, Cuba………Hmm?
Whatever happened to Benghazi after Sec of DoD was confirmed?………..Hmm?
Okay, I got followed by Zach Green.
I made the mistake a couple of months ago of signing up with UB. I have since removed their website and twibbon from my profile, but there’s no way to get off their “membership”.
He followed me and I refused to play his little game – and challenged him on the ‘Blue’ and ‘interlocking Ds’ and he quickly unfollowed 🙂 By now, he’s probably also blocked me 😀 😀 😀
I think I’ll just block his ass. Much simpler.
Roger that!! 🙂
They’re just not helping themselves with this kind of thing, lots complaining on Twitter about the same problem.
Same here. Decided to just ignore him.
There was a huge Wikileaks dump today of hundreds of thousands of Henry Kissinger’s cables. Some involving the Vatican and cover up of Pinochet’s killings of his own people
Good timing. Thatcher was an admirer of Pinochet. wasn’t she?
Ah Bill, forgot that:
Chips, you should be able to come up with a caption for this telling photo.
What’s up with the tweets not showing up in “tweet form?” Seems some do and others don’t. Is this a WP glitch? This happens with both Chrome and IE browsers.
And Firefox … likely WP …
Has any Republicans return any pay cut?
I absolutely adore her.
Me too
Is Duckworth the first member of Congress to do this?
Republicans are hypocrites. Imagine the hell that would be unleashed by them if Pres. Obama did this.
Remember Jim Bunning did the same thing on UI benefits….to watch a game… http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0302/Jim-Bunning-delays-vote-unemployed-face-first-week-without-check Heatless SOB’s
Isn’t the Louisville game starting after 9 PM ?
9:23 PM so all the little school kids can watch it.
Yes the ball game starts after 9pm tonight.
Good afternoon Chips, TOD….
Afternoon LP!
Hey Chips! All good on the homefront?
All’s good LP, thank you! Just replied to you on Twitter, look after yourself, okay?
I cant read it….#(*(#q(%q* only something about sounding like a mother!! Will be like 2 hours b4 it will show up if I am lucky!
😆 Same thing was happening me too today, I could see part of a DM, but when I clicked it, it disappeared!!
I think twitter just does it for kicks? Drives me nuts…. I dont even get blue dot notifications anymore either. Well, now I get to wait in anticipation, to see what wisdom “Mother Goose” Chips has relayed!
Jay “Clerk Kent” Carney’s WH presser Today….4-08-13
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/82483-1
Heartless Bobby Jindal, the gov of LA after a Huge Out-cry has pulled his rob from the Have-less and transfer the wealth more to the Have Mores…..has finally pulled his wicked Tax Schemes.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/bobby-jindal-pulls-tax-plan-after-outcry
Beautiful Pic….
Gorgeous. Splendid. Succulent. Magnificent.
Post Card. Lovely.
Just talked a patron out of reading Lord Byron. Overwrought Romantic crap. (And yes, I say this as a man with a BA in English. My focus in school was 20th century literature.)
You Byron-dissing tyrant! 😆
I second that … my focus in my BA in English WAS the Romantic Period! Bah humbug LL!
Agree wholeheartedly! Another English major.
I prefer Wordsworth.
When I was in grad school, I had a prof. who referred to the English Romantic poets as his “darlings.”
3 INDIAN STUDENTS INVENT ANTI-RAPE UNDERWEAR
(RNN) – Three engineering students at SRM University in Chennai have invented a set of electrified underwear to help prevent rape.
The “anti-rape underwear” is designed to shock rapists and alert a victim’s family of the sexual assault. … Read More: http://www.wfsb.com/story/21908886/3-indian-students-invent-anti-rape-underwear
Hope they get the start up funding and are able to price it so that it is affordable. Reminds me of the anti-rape condom developed in South Africa– don’t believe they were able to get funding for mass production. Wonder why…
Chat away:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/04/08/chat-away-142/