Photo: Pete Souza
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Six months ago today, we made history. And we’re not done yet. twitter.com/BarackObama/st…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 6, 2013
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Line of the day?
Charles Pierce: Just as Darrell Issa and his merry men are ready to engage in another round of Outrage Kabuki on the subject of Benghazi, BENGHAZI!, BENGHAZI!!, some of the air is going out of the balloon already, and the high-pitched whistling seems to have reached a frequency that can be heard at the dog’s breakfast known as Fox And Friends.
And when you’ve lost a human tack-hammer like Brian Kilmeade, it’s going to be tough to sell anyone smarter, which is, you know, like, everybody.
More here
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Jonathan Bernstein: If you’re not inside the conservative information feedback loop, you might not be aware that within that loop the Benghazi “scandal” is still going at 100 percent strength. Months after the actual incident, which was back in September. Even though no one has ever made clear exactly what terrible secret was the subject of the supposed cover-up; even though a succession of “revelations” have all turned out to be nonsense (here’s one from just last week). Doesn’t matter; discredited accusations are just forgotten and new ones are substituted.
More here
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New post || Open thread – competing claims in Syria | The People’s View: thepeoplesview.net/2013/05/open-t…
— Liberal Librarian (@Lib_Librarian) May 6, 2013
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Dan Rather: “All of these things we’ve said about what the president could do, should do, might have, could have, but the central thing to keep in mind is his opponents — you talk about taking them out to dinner, making nice with them — these people, politically, want to cut his heart out and throw his liver to the dogs.”
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Heritage vs. Heritage: Major immigration report released today directly contradicts its 2006 study thkpr.gs/107cMgE
— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) May 6, 2013
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UPDATE: Author of Heritage’s 2006 study on immigration reform blasts Heritage’s 2013 study as brutally dishonest thkpr.gs/107cMgE
— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) May 6, 2013
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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on The View today:
Full episode here
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Washington Post: The push for stricter gun laws may return to the forefront of the congressional agenda in the coming weeks as at least two Republican senators who voted against a bipartisan proposal to expand the national gun background check system have approached Democrats about possibly restarting debate on the issue, according to senior Senate aides familiar with the talks
The issue of gun-control looked to be all-but abandoned after a resounding defeat in the Senate last month, but a new eagerness to engage on the issue comes after senators of both parties who voted against the background check proposal faced backlash in their home states from gun-control groups.
More here
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No graveyard wants Boston suspect. Maybe they should call the NRA. They’ve got a lot of connections in that industry.
— John (@linnyitssn) May 6, 2013
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CNN: The group founded by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly raised one million dollars since the defeat of a measure in the Senate expanding background checks two and a half weeks ago….
Americans for Responsible Solutions made the background checks issue a priority and has vowed to grade members of Congress on their votes.
More here
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Tomorrow, the House will vote on the More Work, Less Pay Act. See what this GOP bill could mean for you: twitter.com/NancyPelosi/st…
— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) May 6, 2013
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This week:
Tuesday: The President will welcome President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea to the White House
Wednesday: The President will attend meetings at the White House
Thursday: The President will travel to Austin, Texas for events on the economy. He will return to the White House in the evening
Friday: The President will have meetings at the White House
Saturday: The President and the Vice President will honor the 2013 National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) TOP COPS award winners at the White House
The Obama Diary 
Good evening TODer’s. I hope everyone’s week is starting on a high note and that it stays that way throughout the week.
Catching up on all the news over the past week. TOD blog tyrants and contributors are more reliable than MSM and don’t give me the heartburn I’d get from listening to the newstainers. 🙂
I second that, swbg!! 🙂
It’s Duuuuuuuudette!! How are you doing, still recovering or close-ish to maximum strength again??
Thrusters on full — sorta kinda. Work wore me out as expected. But hey, “Baby, I’m Back! 🙂
And mighty fine to have you back too!
BUT: look after yourself.
Sqeeeeeee!!! 😀 😀 😀
😆 That woke ya up!!!
Indeed! 🙂
Also, I’ve been scouring the interwebs looking for video of Nora Dunn (SNL) doing her therapist character who always said “Look at yourself!” 😀 😀 😀
Roger that, swbleuga, and congrats on 1st!!!
I truly cannot wait to one day meet them.
Good evening SW and congrats. Don’t know how I would get along these days without TOD to keep me busy. Thanks a million Chips!
Hellooooooooooo Almablanca!
Good evening Alma! Thanks. 🙂
Skeptical Cat was skeptical that you’d get the post up before you dozed off on your keyboard. 😉
Huh, Skeptical Cat was the one who delayed me!
HA!
Ah, the Internetz: Where every few months there’s a new cat meme.
Now that’s hilarious.
Good evening Chips, TOD!
Hellooooooooooooooooooooo LP!
Hey Chips……I meant to ask you, I saw that you embedded a CBS video yesterday. Do they have new functions available…Or did you use some of your WP wizardry….I’m jealous! LOL
Oi, you’re the embedding king!! I really don’t know if they changed their settings, but the code I used that never worked before suddenly did work – you could have knocked me over with a feather. On my laptop now, code is on my desktop, but will send it to you tomorrow – although it’s probably what you used to embed your videos??
Sounds like a plan….I have noticed WP has been doing upgrades over the last few weeks. The notifications function is a lot cleaner and I have seen many updates on the reader of late as well.
Ah, didn’t think of WP updates – which I should check, but never do! Will check them out tomorrow, thanks LP.
Here is one I played around w/ which was kind of cool…but still needs some kinks worked out. Take a gander when you have some time. http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/preview-our-future-design/
My most favorite picture! Checking in from Mile High City! Trying to figure out this ecletic mix! So far I’m intrigued, but my heart was taken by Metro DC a long time ago! LOL! 🙂
Let me continue to scroll down & catch up w/ everyone for a little bit! Grand XOXOX’s from me to my magnificent TOD family!
Happy Birthday 57andfemale and LDS! May all your dreams come true!
Wha…? Lemme at him! I’ll show him what happens to folks who rough up My President! I will drop his ass where he stands!! Elbowing My President. Aww HELL naw! It’s clobberin’ time!
LOL,slow your roll Dudette……story has some nice anecdotes…shows what a class act PBO is.
Oh! Well then…
😉
Good evening everyone.
Very good of Dan Rather to speak Truth to those who listen and hear. Shocking, to think such hatred toward PBO exists. He deserves so much more.
evening guys. Just had to share this story.
Damn, these girls (now women I guess) were missing since 2003/2004 respectively and they were just found alive today!!!
“Cleveland police: Missing teens Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus found alive, appear to be OK”
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/Cleveland-police-dispatch-Missing-teens-Amanda-Berry-and-Gina-DeJesus-found-alive
That is just incredible, I wonder what on earth the story is behind this.
it really is Chips. It great the girls (now women) were found alive, but sad ’cause I read that at least one of the girls mom died like a year after the girl was reported missing.
DAMN!
Oh no, died only a year before her daughter was found? Too much. It’s just an extraordinary story.
LIVE STREAM: Amanda Berry, Gina De Jesus Found
LIVE STREAM: Amanda Berry, Gina De Jesus Found – http://www.newsnet5.com/subindex/news/news_livestream1
and now a 3rd girl that was missing has been found there too. Unbelievable.
Have they made any arrests Dotster?
One report said 1 arrest & a media briefing Tuesday morning. If, as it appears this is like the other young lass who was found with 2 children – after many years – I can but wonder how people who would take young women in this fashion can exist in any world.
To me, this is terrorism far worse than anything that generates war as retribution. Millions of women are blackmailed by fear in today’s world. It is evil.
I believe the homeowner where they were found—a 52 yr. old bus driver and musician. There were young children found there also.
How on earth were they missing for so long, this is surreal.
At the risk of running to judgement, the toilet bowl scum that did this doesn’t deserve a trial. His punishment can’t be noted here but it should be painful and prolonged.
It’s getting better folks. Just saw on cable a gun that was made by a 3-D printer that actually works. It wasn’t metal either.
Here’s a link:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/3d-printed-gun-fired_n_3222669.html
shut. the. front. door. smdh…..
Technology will either save humanity or doom it. Pretty much a fifty fifty chance.
I wonder LL. We’re on the edge of a ‘flat earth’, looking over the edge while folks in the rear, that could change our situation, are busy. Busy picking fly shit out of pepper while wearing boxing gloves.
You do have a way with words yardarm
Sorry to offend. It’s the only way I know to do things w/o bloviating a bunch. 🙂
No offense at all – I love your way with words – apologies if you thought otherwise
In the final analysis, it’s still we, the humans, who will have the final say whether to use technology to “save humanity or doom it.”
True, nath. I had a moment of pessimism.
Oh, LL, I understand and share fully your “moment of pessimism.” If you and TOD members are in charge, then I am certain that technology will be used to make our lives better. If, on the other hand, technology falls in the hands of forces like the NRA and Islamic fundamentalists, then humanity is truly doomed.
There’s a bill being proposed that would ban these guns. What are the chances that it will pass?
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On Sunday, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., endorsed a bill, entitled the Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act, that would bring the 1988 law up to date by banning 3-D-printed guns that “have no metal and could therefore slip through a metal detector.” Under the law, it would be a crime to build such a weapon.
“We’re facing a situation where anyone — a felon, a terrorist — can open a gun factory in their garage, and the weapons they make will be undetectable,” Schumer said at a conference. “It’s stomach churning.” Schumer said his bill would not restrict the use of 3-D printers for other purposes.
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http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/first-3-d-printed-gun-fired-its-digital-blueprints-make-6C9790795
I suppose gun manufacturers would support this ban. If people can produce their own weapons, that takes money out of their pockets; right?
There is a law on the books now that makes guns illegal that cannot be detected by metal detector. Reagan signed it into law years ago. It’s now up to the rwnj’s to repeal it…..Another distraction from everything we need to do.
This particular one has just enough metal to comply with the 1988 law.
“The Liberator,” as the weapon is provocatively titled, is a 16-piece firearm made almost entirely of ABS plastic, with a metal firing pin and an embedded metal shank meant to provide enough metal mass to comply with the 1988 U.S. Undetectable Firearms Act.”
I also have a cap like this. God Bless You My Brother!……..(water works). 😦
Bless you both and all our brave veterans! You deserve better from this country!
Can’t give up on it 9t9. The only thing I know that might be a better shot is North of MN.
North of MN? Why, might that be Canada, Mr. Yardarm? You are always welcome here.
Thank you. I’ve had my eye on Calgary or Banff for a long time. Love that Lake Louise area too.
Lake Louise is beautiful. There are many lovely places in BC as well. Alberta is too redneck for my liking.
I can understand that. I was only there once for The Stampede in the early ’70 and the people were nice. Time does bring about changes though.
guess I’m a little “pro BC”
Well said, Dudette! Before we embark on another foreign war, with no rationale or clear mission for being involved, we need to look into the eyes of all veterans.
Oh yardarm … bless you. Thank you. God Bless You. Tears.
I wear mine everyday too.
Thanks, Yardarm for always keeping it real! There is an African saying (I forget from which ethnic group) that says: “if you want to know what real suffering and hardships entails, you must ask someone who has experienced it.” I suppose this is similar to the Native American saying about “walking in some one else moccasins” if you truly want to know them.
Yesssss!
This is immeasurably sad – that it is expected they should do this. I once had a boss who liked to “pay late” – so I told him in with no room for doubt – that I walked the day I was not paid on time. I was never paid late – some of my colleagues had a different experience.
These wonderful teachers are allowing the GOP disaster to continue – much as they care for the children – they should not work for nothing – ever – it is how the rich get rich & the rest meet poverty.
Catch-22. They are staying for the students. If they walk, what happens to the kids?
The teachers should NOT be responsible for what happens to the kids – why is the city broke – why are the teachers expected to work for free? Why can the politicians expect that the people they serve act more responsibly than the congress of the US. It is just wrong – it is blackmailing the teachers – as my boss tried to blackmail me – wrong in every possible way.
You know, 99ts, we are going through some bizarre times in our country. Republican dominated State governments would rather give tax breaks to corporations and rich people instead of funding education and paying teachers.
It gets harder & harder to recognize the US that we used to know and applaud. People working for $7 per hour is beyond belief – but teachers working for nothing is hatred of the people beyond any understanding whatsoever.
This definitely takes dedication to another level. Teaching is not a profession where a person expects to become rich. In recent years, teachers have seen their pay cut, have to pay more towards their benefits, see class sizes rising, have to go into their pockets for classroom supplies and materials, and are blamed for the bad decisions and mismanagement of the leadership in their school districts. Many have to take second jobs to make ends meet.
I’m sure they are doing it for the children. Still it’s hard to imagine that given all the sacrifices teachers have made and the low morale that has to have evolved, that anyone would be willing to work for no pay.
I accept that they are willing to work for nothing to help the children – I am astounded that they are “expected” to do this – that anyone would ask them to do this. The United States is supposedly an advanced society – yet they will not – or cannot pay their teachers.
My father started teaching in the 1930s – in the middle of nowhere, Australia. The government used to pay him based on the number of children who attended the school – the parents had to provide the schoolroom, the facilities and his “room and board”. Everyone had to be committed – parents, teacher & the government. They were all committed. Today it almost seems that only the teachers are committed – sad beyond belief.
Tomorrow the Republican legislature (in Michigan) is going to vote to take $800,000 per year out of the School Aid Fund to pave the roads. Which is the governor’s priority. It sounds like we’re a third world country. But he’s just raiding the education fund to give to his buddies.
And no doubt the legislature is well aware that the people who pave the roads will not work for nothing.
Exactly.
fabulous post chips!
Totally interesting post, Chips! Thank you.
Since we had that awesome Dan Rather quote Chips provided….here, out of pure coincidence, is a story I saw this morning.
Hmmm, so Gatsby is coming out this Friday, and I’m just wondering how many people actually read the book and how many people are just hyped by the Jay-Z soundtrack? I guess the same people who saw Moulin Rouge will love this . I’ve read the book, and I’m just wondering if people who haven’t read the book will interpret it. Anyway, who’s gonna see it?
I’ve read the book, but it has been a while. I might be remembering wrong, but the plotline isn’t complicated, but there is more going on than just a superficial plotline.
So I’m just wondering if the movie tries to stay within the confines of the book or not, cause I kinda remember that the book had some underlying meaning that may be missed with the type of movie like this that Bahz Luhrmann makes.
I watched the old Great Gatsby with Robert Redford in it recently before hearing about the new one. The Redford movie was great. It is hard to imagine the remake with Leonardo can top it. I did not read the book.
Okay, I’m of the age that thinks the young Robert Redford is Jay Gatsby. I still remember the wonderful scene in his closet where he shows Daisy all of his tailor made shirts…….I’ve read the book, and feel that movie captured the essence and spirit of the book. Jay Gatsby lives in Robert Redford.
I have a gigantic 3d printer at home . I am Making the Starship Enterprise. It should be done Tuesday morning. Then, I am going to Warp to Planet Vulcan and bring back some peaceful and logical beings with me.
🙂
Are you bringing Katy Perry with you to Planet Vulcan, Jovie, or is there another babe there waiting for you? 😆
I take Katy everywhere with me.
🙂
Go for it!!!! 😀 😀
Can I go? You need someone to run the transporters while you’re on the away team.
Jovie and Dudette head for space:
😕
Sweet! 😀
Heeeyyy, you change our ship in midflight! That’s dangerous! 😀
But the first ship was waaaaay too big for just you and Jovie, Dudette, there’s not a chance you could have coped with it. So, a smaller ship for you.
If I may speak frankly, Admiral. You cut us both deepl. Jovie and I are professionals. We can handle whatever you give us. Only now we’ll be cramped in that puny thing… er, smaller rig. If something happens and the warp engines go offline, it could be a really, really long trip. I was looking forward to having room to stretch my legs! Of course, we defer to your judgment, m’am! 🙂
Hey, my name is Kathryn and some people call me Katy and my hair is dark, well, what isn’t grey, and I use to kinda, maybe look like your Katy……..sooooooo…..can I come along too?….I need a break from USA..
Yeoman Katy. Has a nice ring to it. Welcome aboard — that is if Captain Jovie has no objections. 🙂
hahahahaha…
Gooooood Luck to you ,,,,Jovie
awesome. I’ll bake some brownies for the trip….
#JustImagineIf
Yes We Can
Most comprehensive, on the ground reporting I’ve read to date…on the state of play in Syria and the surrounding region.
And Bibi does not speak for the majority of Israeli’s….stunning revelations by these former Shin-Bet chiefs.
OK, I want to say something but probably won’t express it right so I am just going to ramble and rant for a bit………perhaps it is b/c I wasn’t paying a lot of attention or tuned in to what was going on but I can’t think of a time in my life that I have been so disappointed, frustrated, disgusted, and frightened by people in the USA….yes, I know there have always been fringe groups and people filled with hate but those have become the NORMAL….there doesn’t seem to be any outcry when outrageous, despicable lies are thrown about about the President of the United States…..there doesn’t seem to be anyone decrying the sickening target practice thingy that resembles PBO and spurts blood sold at the NRA convention….NONE…..there doesn’t even seem to be anyone overly outraged that ANYONE can now make a gun and take it anywhere if you have a 3 d printer…..and people with guns are planning a march on Washington on July 4th..and people on the airwaves are spewing hate and lies….and the new president of the NRA is saying people should “fight” the government with guns…and so on and so on and so on…..and it seems no one is breaking any laws and it’s NORMAL…and that’s just today………..to be honest, I can’t sleep at night anymore….
Don’t lose too much sleep Kathryn. These nuts WANT you to be afraid of them. But I was born and raised in D.C. I also worked for the federal government my entire working life. Law enforcement and the military in the Washington D.C. area are used to dealing with large, and sometimes unruly crowds. The 10,000 people that plan to “march” on the Capitol with loaded guns, are a drop in the bucket for security in Washington. There are more than 10,000 people on the mall every weekend. If they think the police are going to let this little rag tag bunch of idiot weekend warriors disrupt a patriotic family event like the 4th of July fireworks display, they have another think coming.
They will either be turned back before they get to the bridge, or disarmed and arrested when they get over the bridge. The festivities will go on as planned.
These people are planning a “war” against the U.S. Government which makes them NO DIFFERENT than the Boston bombers or the terrorist who attacked us on 9/11. They are criminals, AND traitors.
However, they are also delusional if they think they can take on the U.S. Military with basically pop guns. I know what our military and law enforcement can do in this area. They can control crowds that number in the hundreds of thousands, even millions. I think they can handle 10,000 people, as well as any threat from these tea party gun nuts.
Seriously, I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over it.
kathryn,
I hear you and everything you say is sadly true but it might also be true that you are too tuned in and have a case of sensory and information overload. There always has been this amount hate in the world; it’s just that these people now have youtube and social media and regular media to bring it to the forefront. Some people want to desperately belong to the “angry mob” club no matter who is in power. When we think back about how our lives are most of this crap is just bluster; imagine the real day to day dangers that the American Indian experienced when Europeans invaded their world or the real world dangers in Europe through countless wars.
So it’s hard to tune it out or turn it off but if you really can’t sleep my advice is just listen to music or read a good book or watch a good movie. Because the truth is that there is a LOT LOT MORE LOVE than hate. Right?
Co-sign, 1,000 times. Thank you for this, because we are all undergoing sensory and information overload, of different degrees, and have to ease in and out of the “knowledge space.” We’re so caught up that we sometimes feel guilty for not keeping up with everything, but we are mere mortals and have to turn our attention elsewhere, once in a while. Otherwise, the sane ones go insane. And that is definitely not good. We all need to hang in there, and find individual balance. (And when you tell me how to do that perfectly, then I’ll know, too!)
Kathryn……you expressed what you feel very well and clearly. I can understand how you feel. The world feels ugly and mean and scary. I’ve lived a long time…..more than my allotted three score and ten…..so I’ve seen a lot. I well remember all the Viet nam demonstrations, the massacre at Kent State, the kidnappings of Patty Hearst and others, the kneecappings in Italy, the kidnappings of Americans in Mexico, the epidemic of strung out young people, the searches and seizures for minor “drug” related imagined infractions…..
There were times when we thought our country was falling apart. But somehow, we seem to eventually self correct. The election of our much loved President has called all the crazies out of the woodwork. What we’re seeing now is the overt manifestation of what has been seething undercover for years.
Many people want to go back to Jim Crow; others want to go back to pre-women’s suffrage; others want to go back to days when it was legal to beat one’s wife; interestingly, however, no one wants to go back to pre penicillin days, or pre heart bypass surgery, or pre chemotherapy……it’s the crazies who are yelling loud.
However, they will eventually overplay their hand. Extremists always do. In the French Revolution the crazies overdid and Napoleon came in. We don’t want a Napoleon, that’s for sure, so it’s up to we the people to correct the ship, and support President Obama, and push our Congress people to do the right thing.
If you look at what happened during the Senate recess, at least three of the Senators who voted against background checks were royally told off by their constituents, and are probably going to change.
Rachel Maddow just used a good analogy. She said it’s like we’re on a seesaw. The NRA likes to say the fulcrum is in the center….but it’s not. 90% of the people agree with us, the 10% crazy fringe agrees with the NRA, so you can see where the fulcrum is, and as Rachel said, there’s only one way a seesaw goes when the fulcrum is at 10%.
Trust the ultimate sense of the American people, and the leadership of our president. This is as if a giant boil has had to be lanced, and the only way healing can take place is for it first to be lanced and all the infection come out. I truly believe we will soon reach the bottom and begin our climb up.
For examples, look at four people who came through and how they changed the world: Christ, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Not one of those paths was easy. Not one was popular early on, some of them never in his lifetime, but their influence was powerful and was a force for good. We will triumph over this evil.
Kathryn, you expressed yourself just fine and said what most of us feel. The hatred is reaching a fever pitch and there are no rational voices speaking out against it. I know we had Klan movements in the past and big surges in violence in other eras, but this time the divide is so deep and common sense seems to have so completely disappeared that it does seem frightening and out of control.
Kathryn, you need never question your ability to convey your thoughts and feelings – you do so quite well.
More than once in our history, significant scale, well trained and organized Armies have ‘marched on DC.’ They were all defeated.
These folk are a bunch of delusional fools.
Plotting or acting with intent to attack our Government, in any way, is a major crime. Anyone participating in such an act can plan on spending a significant part of whatever remains of their life in a Federal penitentiary. They point a weapon at any law enforcement personnel and they will spend way less time on earth than they might otherwise.
As to all the hate – we have also seen way more LOVE.
And, that LOVE has been inspired by, and directed toward our President. He is a 2nd term, dark skinned, mixed race (as most of us are, if you trace lineage far enough) President of the United States of America because the majority of us LOVE and respect him. Never lose sight of that fact. Nothing #NEWSTAINERS or the Kochs and other hate-filled billionaires and their #GOP sycophants could do stopped US from electing and re-electing Barack Hussein Obama.
We are just getting started. We have major shifts in demographics, and in the attitudes of young Americans all aligning as a force of persistent citizenship that will prevail.
America endured through Civil War – it did not repair after that Civil War. That process of repair truly accelerated when President Obama was inaugurated in Jan 2009, it accelerated even more on 20 Jan 2013 – that acceleration was not without the anticipated efforts to thwart it. Those efforts will continue to fail as long as EACH OF US refuses to not persevere in being responsible citizens.
Yes We Can
Love it. Thanks. (Too tired to add more tonight!)
This is the most cogent – and probable – assessment of what Israel (and it’s primary ally) engineered with the destruction of massive amounts of Iranian rockets (and no small number of both Syrian and Iranian military/para-military personnel):
“For years, the radical Shia movement has painstakingly amassed an arsenal of Iranian-supplied weaponry. Today, Hizbollah has tens of thousands of missiles carefully stockpiled in south Lebanon and readied for use against Israel. If Hassan Nasrallah, the Hizbollah leader and a man who once basked in the adoration of the Arab world, is not prepared to launch his deadly armoury now, then when might he ever do so? He must decide whether to retaliate for the air strikes by bombarding Israel – and almost certainly starting a regional war – or sitting tight and risking the appearance of a paper tiger.
Israel clearly believes that Mr Nasrallah will choose caution. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, authorised the raids on Syria and then nonchalantly flew to China on a visit that will keep him away until Friday. This was not the behaviour of a leader who believes his country to be on the brink of war.
Israel has moved two of its five Iron Dome missile defence batteries near the border with Lebanon. But General Yair Golan, the head of Israeli Northern Command, told journalists that he did not sense any “winds of war”. He spoke while joining the annual fun run for the Golani Brigade – again, hardly the behaviour of a general who thinks he is about to fight.
Instead, Israel senses the prospect of a strategic victory over Hizbollah. Mr Nasrallah faces his dilemma at a uniquely testing moment.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10040238/Analysis-Hizbollahs-quandary-over-Israel-retaliation-in-Syria.html
It’s ALL on Nasrallah and if the dude has any sense he’ll continue to sit on his rockets though the entire Arab world will know he’s been effectively checkmated. If he makes a move, it’ll be his last (and a very, very bad day for the Iranian mullahs, as well).
#TrustBarack
From Al-Monitor:
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/airstrike-in-syria-big-hint-to-iran.html
“the world is silent”
Yep. No call from either Russia or China for UN Security Council action. And, totally remarkably, Bibi and Abbas are both in China 😉
“If we think about it, we are actually right in the middle of the dress rehearsal.”
Yep, and the mullahs better be dressed in really thick asbestos if they want to go all stupid, ever.
Wow.
Thank you BobFR, for keeping us informed.
Without you and other well-informed global citizens (thinking mini-blog tyrants here) we’d be stuck with only what the media chooses to tell us.
Hopefruit’s AP tweet about one of their reporters having an iPhone stolen really ticked me off, because I had flipped CNN at just about 7 am Pacific and they reported only on speculation about the Boston bombers (Muslim funeral, suspects’ widow).
Thank you, Arapaho. Happy to contribute what little I can given all the constraints on my time.
#FORWARD Together!!
I can’t sort it out. There’s too many checkmates happening!
OMG Chips, The Black guy who rescued the kidnapped girls (now women) in Cleveland said the following when asked by a reporter, when he knew something was up:
LIVE STREAM SOON: Amanda Berry, Gina De Jesus Found – http://www.newsnet5.com/subindex/news/news_livestream1
I just don’t know what to make of it, it’s utterly bizarre Lamh.
its so bizarre. Apparently, the girls were not “really” that far from where they were abducted either…!!!!
Yep – ‘ either she’s homeless or she’s gotta a problem … no other way she’s running into a black man’s arms …. ‘ how sadly true.
I completely understand where ole dude is coming from.
Also too, being in Cleveland, I’ll just tell ya, I’m from the dirty South and I swear I felt more openly racist sentiment in Ohio than I did in Texas or Louisiana. and shoot, we have a history of those sentiments as ya’ll know.
So it would be really be a weird situation
I do, as well, and admire him for taking action, immediately. He deserves admiration and, his message deserves to be heard because it speaks to how totally unreasonable and destructive it is to judge a person by any characteristic other than how they behave.
“I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms”
HUh? UGH…
I’m glad that the women have been found, but the stereotyped racial emphasis is a bit much and you know the media is going to lap this up. Would that guy have though something wrong if the races were reversed, or if the girl was not pretty?
who cares what hte media will say. The man did good. Those girls had been there all this time, and they just spoke out and he answered rather than ignored it.
I’m not prepared to harangue the guy.
History for people of a certain age is that having a white woman you DON’T KNOW running into your arms will def have you a bit taken aback.
But I’m not gonna get into that here.
I don’t plan to inspect this dudes “countertops” ala the RWNJ, media or no media.
“who cares what hte media will say.”
I do.
While it may seem politically incorrect, the gentleman was speaking from HIS experience.
Watched the video on TPM and the reporter tried to shut him down the minute he made that comment – that comment was truth from the heart – and not what the reporter was expecting to hear – it is good that people have to face the racism that still exists in so many places (my world as well as yours).
I posted this on one of the early threads this morning, but it bears repeating. Today’s LATimes print front page, above-the-fold:
THE LONGEST WAR
Betrayed? Citizen soldiers lose jobs; U.S. government biggest offender
National Guard and Reserve soldiers too often come home to find that their employers have given away their jobs. Among the worst offenders: government agencies.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-citizen-soldiers-20130506,0,6250161.story
As I said this morning, I hate, hate, hate GWBush and his administration for the human and economic damage his (spend-and-spend, get us into two unfunded wars and completely tank the U.S. economy) policies did to this country.
Downright disgusting how this country treats its military veterans!
Bad news, if true:
Zeke Miller? **** you.
Totally agree with you. Hate posting Politico links here; they’re in the rumor-mongering business, but without the sense of humor that BuzzFeed has.
BuzzFeed isn’t much better really Arapaho415, apart maybe from Andrew Kaczynski – Ben Smith was the guy who relentlessly and mindlessly pushed the Jeremiah Wright story when he was at Politico, and he’s no better now at BuzzFeed. Lots of other RW scumbags there too.
As for Zeke Miller – I’d almost rather have Drudge posted here, to be honest.
Would VP Biden really ask people not to leak his statements to the press – I find that truly hard to believe.
Not bad news – even if true. They’re both going to happen THIS Year. And the year’s almost half-way gone. Let’s put things in better perspective going forward, and not react to every hyperbolic stunt pulled by the media. As Chips would say, **** Zeke Miller.
Arapaho415, I am sorry to say, but these Zeke Miller tweets sound more like propaganda gossip than legitimate news. I am not sure why you had to post the two tweets when they are both saying exactly the same thing, and citing the same source, Politico!
But this made me laugh.
I wonder if POTUS got the chance to see his Chicago Bulls defeat the Miami Heats tonight. How about them Bulls?
Bet he did! Bulls 3rd stringers beat the Heat! Sweet!
🙂
Last repeat of the day:
wow. the story keeps getting updated, sorry chips.
http://editors.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/shocking_horrifying_miraculous_story.php
You can listen to the 911 tape.
Chat away!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/05/06/night-owl-chat-the-blondie-edition/