@lacasablanca: Oval Office meeting: President Obama and @sr_simone of “Nuns on the Bus” discussed #ImmigrationReform
SOOOOexcited. Leaving White House & 1 on 1 meeting with POTUS in Oval Office. He wants #cir13 NOW! Is following #Nunsonthebus
— Sr. Simone Campbell (@sr_simone) May 30, 2013
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Today:
10:20: The President delivers remarks on student loans (White House Live)
10:50: Meets with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
12:30: Press Briefing by Jay Carney
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Not defending Holder OTR meetings, but in 2006, news orgs defended their off record meetings with Bush: washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content…
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 31, 2013
Yep, how things have changed…..
Washington Post (March 2006): Off the Record, Bush Makes Media Inroads …. As he defends his Iraq policy with a public campaign of speeches and a recent news conference, President Bush also has been waging a private campaign that has included off-the-record sessions with White House reporters….
One gathering, which took place Thursday in the White House residence, was an unusual gesture by Bush, who has agreed to comparatively few lengthy exchanges with reporters during his five years in office….
Last week’s session involved reporters from several prominent broadcast and print outlets, including ABC News and The Washington Post. Under the off-the-record ground rules, the journalists were barred from reporting what was discussed. White House officials said they also hoped the meetings’ mere existence would remain under wraps….
More here
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Joe Conason (National Memo): …. The notion that Barack Obama is “Nixonian” – or that his administration’s recent troubles bear any resemblance to “Watergate” – is the biggest media lie since the phony “Whitewater scandal” crested during the Clinton presidency.
…. Only in a country afflicted with chronic historical amnesia could they issue such accusations without shame or embarrassment. Only under those circumstances could the Republicans continue their fitful fabrication of a “Democratic Watergate” without fear of being laughed off the stage….
…. But certain liberals in the media have fretted loudly over Obama’s “scandals,” too ….. is it all just trumped-up hysteria? To answer those questions, it helps to remember what Nixon and his gang actually did to America – and why they were driven out of Washington and, in many cases, sent to prison….
More here
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That dreaded Obamacare. Cutting health costs. Now this. Health Law Is Fostering Competition, U.S. Says, via @nytimes nyti.ms/136FbUK
— David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) May 31, 2013
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Steve Benen: Student loans reclaim center stage ….. President Obama will deliver remarks, flanked by college students, on a subject that too often goes overlooked: student loans. With a looming interest rate hike, the president will reportedly “call on Congress to help keep college affordable for middle-class families and students by preventing student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1.”
…. House Republicans say they’ve already passed a bill on this, which is true. They also say their bill is worthwhile and consistent with White House demands, which is not true…..
More here
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Yep, austerity works so well:
Bloomberg: Euro-area unemployment increased to a record in April after the currency bloc’s recession deepened in the first quarter, increasing pressure on its leaders and the European Central Bank to spur economic growth.
The euro-area jobless rate rose to 12.2 percent from 12.1 percent in March…. to 19.38 million in April, up 95,000 from the previous month. Youth unemployment was at 24.4 percent …. Spain had the highest rate at 26.8 percent. No April data were available for Greece, which had a 27 percent rate in February.
More here
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LOLGOP (National Memo): This May Be The Greatest Letter Any Elected Republican Has Ever Written
Given the GOP’s obsession with making health care decisions for girls and women, you may have wondered how any self-respecting physician could identify with the Republican Party.
Rep. Doug Cox (R-OK) is wondering the same thing. Responding to legislation that would deny poor women contraception that would prevent abortions, Cox, a doctor, decided that he had to speak out in a letter to the The Oklahoman:
All of the new Oklahoma laws aimed at limiting abortion and contraception are great for the Republican family that lives in a gingerbread house with a two-car garage, two planned kids and a dog. In the real world, they are less than perfect…..
More here
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What good is it to save the planet if big oil suffers slightly?
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) May 31, 2013
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NYT: G.O.P. Sizes Up Obama as Midterm Target …. plenty of Republicans are still eager to wage a midterm campaign against President Obama ….. Not everyone in the party, however, is so sure that they can expand their ranks in Congress or improve their standing among voters by personally attacking the president, whose likability ratings stand near 80 percent even if only half of Americans approve of his job performance. And they are cautioning their fellow party members to avoid building their campaigns around the same kinds of messages that have fallen flat before.
More here
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Mediaite: This is the documentary that went too far for PBS. The New Yorker recently published an investigative piece by Jane Mayer that chronicled how and why ITVS, which produces films for PBS’ “Independent Lens” series, ended up passing on the film to protect one of public television’s biggest donors: David Koch.
The documentary, titled Citizen Koch, is now without a distributor, but the filmmakers, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, have posted the trailer online, which takes an unflinching look at the effects of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision on America’s political process. The conclusion of the film appears to be that the Koch Brothers, with their massive financial influence and support of Republican candidates and causes, are at the heart of the problem.
More here
The trailer:
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Paul Krugman: Like many observers, I usually read reports about political goings-on with a sort of weary cynicism. Every once in a while, however, politicians do something so wrong, substantively and morally, that cynicism just won’t cut it; it’s time to get really angry instead. So it is with the ugly, destructive war against food stamps.
The food stamp program tries to provide modest but crucial aid to families in need. And the evidence is crystal clear both that the overwhelming majority of food stamp recipients really need the help, and that the program is highly successful at reducing “food insecurity,” in which families go hungry at least some of the time.
…. So what do Republicans want to do with this paragon of programs? First, shrink it; then, effectively kill it …. this is a time to get really, really angry.
Full article here
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Steve Benen: Senate Dems’ ‘nuclear option’ looms large
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has, on more than one occasion, threatened high-profile showdowns over filibuster abuses, only to back off in the end. And so, as talk of the “nuclear option” becomes more common, even reform proponents are skeptical about whether Reid will follow through on the aggressive, confrontational tactic.
We’ll know more as the summer progresses about Reid’s true intentions, but in the interim, there are two broad angles to keep in mind. The first is whether the Majority Leader actually has the votes to successfully pull off the nuclear option….
More here
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AP: Vice President Joe Biden wrapped up his visit to Rio de Janeiro with a visit to a slum on Thursday before traveling to Brasilia for a Friday meeting with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
Biden embraced and shook hands with residents of the Santa Marta hillside slum in Rio’s south zone during the 30-minute visit.
The slum is among several that are part of Rio’s slum “pacification” program to make the city safe ahead of the 2014 soccer World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Biden met in the slum with Police Major Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo, who last year received one of the U.S. government’s International Women of Courage awards for her work in setting up a “pacification unit” in Santa Marta.
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MooooOOOOoooorning – Happy Friday!
The Obama Diary 
Morning all.
Congrats on 1st africa & sending all good thoughts and vibes for your tests today
Thanks 99. I am always nervous when I go to do this.
I know the feeling – I keep telling my doctor – I’m more scared of having the tests than getting the results – sigh.
Moooooooooooooorning Africa, mooooooooooorning everyone!!
Africa, how is your husband doing?
Morning Chips. YES!! He is doing wonderfully. Thank you for asking. I am bringing this over from the last thread. I am off in about 45 minutes to get my annual echocardiogram, so everyone, if you pray for good results, or just send me some really good vibes.
Thanks.
Wonderful news Africa!!! And best of luck with that word I can’t spell – hope everything goes great!
Danke
Be Well, Be Strong, Africa.
{{{{Hugs+Love+Prayers}}}}
Sending good vibes and lots of hugs!
Hello
Hello Chipsticks ! Could I be first ??
Ha ha missed it ! Hi africa, Hi ut !
Hi LP2008
My goodness – a three way tie between africa, ut and lp2008. Congrats to all of you! G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone. Happy Friday 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
Are we sure “ratings” is their business model anymore ? I mean, just getting a healthy dose of money for spouting a certain content because you already have national coverage as a network might be far more profitable.
Yes I do think they’re being paid under the table by special interests (e.g., Koch, Bain Capital). I mentioned this plausibility in one of my posts yesterday. I would love to see MSNBC’s balance sheet or the tax returns of some of the pundiots they hire.
Great morning roundup. Good morning everyone!
Hi!
Another great read from SmartyPants – which also highlights how the “privileged left” are seriously blinded to their own shortcomings and prefer to blame PBO for everything.
HEADLINE: Apparently its not just MSNBC that’s in trouble
// Yesterday I wrote about the challenges facing major media outlets. A lot of the talk lately has been about the bad news MSNBC got recently about their low ratings. Well, it seems as if the liberal-leaning cable network isn’t the only one in trouble. Check this out from Digby:
…but I must point out that it’s not just MSNBC. The online left has seen a steep decline in traffic since the election as well…
…Digby didn’t provide any names regarding which online left sites she’s referring to other than her own (its certainly not this one), but a look at her blogroll might give you some idea (hint: there is only one site she includes that is listed here on my “Pragmatic Progressive Blogroll.”) It would be normal to see a drop in participation on blogs after a general election. But she’s saying that what she’s seeing is much bigger than that. So whassup? Digby writes it off to a “bored or disillusioned” left reacting to an “ineffectual president.” Surprise, surprise…//
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2013/05/apparently-its-not-just-msnbc-thats-in.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FhgCrB+%28Smartypants%29
I notice DKos is pretty bland as of late. Wonder if that’s one she’s referring to?
HF, Digby, Firedog Lake and KOS all went down hill after 2009, engaging in non-stop Obama bashing and effectively pushing their audience away. Those of us who were outraged at the antics of George Bush worked very hard to elect our beloved President Obama and got quickly tired of endless whining about him on these and other similar blogs. I, for one, clicked off and never went back. Digby is fooling herself and essentially letting herself off the hook if she thinks that Democrats are disillusioned by their president. This is her way of saying it’s the readers’ fault, not hers. We are disillusioned and will not watch or click on any coverage that that provides non-stop rants about the president. We are dealing with a completely out-of-control, virtually traitorous Republican Party that is working 24/7 to undermine the economy and create hardships for the American people. We have the corrupt and insidious Koch brothers billions killing our political system and they spend their time whining at the president who is doing everything in his power to help the country. I say to hell with all of them. Let them sink in their own mire and go out and try to make it in the real world.
Very well-said Jackie! Does Digby have a Twitter handle. I would love for her to read what you posted here. She needs to know that we’re not falling for her BS, and her arrogant dismissal of the glaring fact that readers/viewers are turned off by the constant nitpicking and self-congratulatory antics of the entitled and privileged “left” who falsely think of themselves as PBO’s “base” but who do not address a fraction of the real issues concerning that base.
Bringing this over:
Let’s address THIS bs when we talk about tax reform!! http://www.alecexposed.org/w/images/2/2f/BUYING_INFLUENCE.pdf
Although ALEC claims to be a tax-exempt “charity”—a status now under legal challenge by Common Cause and
others—it has quietly raised and spent millions from some of the biggest corporations in the world over the past
decade to fly state lawmakers around the country to resorts where they are wined and dined by corporate leaders
and lobbyists, and treated to exclusive parties at professional baseball games, cigar parties, and skeet shoots, all at
ALEC corporations’ expense.
The scheme works like this: ALEC state chairs (hand-picked legislators and private-sector
members) solicit corporate money that goes into a “Scholarship Fund” that is then used
to pay for lawmakers’ trips. Records show that ALEC legislators know who’s paying their
way—some state leaders even urge lawmakers to send thank-you notes to their patrons—
but everyone else is kept in the dark.
ALEC claims to the IRS that it does not have to report the money spent on elected officials because it is just holding the funds “in trust” for lawmakers. But at the same time, it promises corporate donors that they can get a tax
write-off for their donations.
This influence-buying scheme is illegal in some states, and should be in others.
I have a general liking for both PM Carpenter and Pierce, but both have really invested a lot of time going after Holder on the AP and Rosen issues. Carpenter, particularly, is upset. I provide the link to his latest from yesterday, not so much for what he says, but for the comments. His commenters, which in general are not many, are pretty sharp people and are really sticking it to him on this issue.
http://pmcarpenter.blogs.com/p_m_carpenters_commentary/2013/05/youre-wrong-walter.html#comments
Congrats, Africa. Your healing has begun!
Good morning everyone!
Hot and steamy in NYC……not me, the weather!
I am cool as a cucumber.
Love this!
Good day all.
GM TODers 😉
Rev Sr. Simone Campbell…..Yeah.
Great Post, as usual. Thanks Ms. Chips.
Moooorning Nena, moooorning everyone!
I liked the idea I read here yesterday—–labeling each outrageous charge of wrongdoing against PBO and his administration a “bachmann”——they’re lobbing another bachmann at President Obama/ GOP/media engaging in bachmanism again. Credit goes to loony bird Michele Bachmann who spent her whole congressional career shrieking out false and preposterous accusations at President Obama, hoping one of her charges would eventually stick. Instead she ended up being a laughingstock.
You’ve got to feel for the cartoonists though Dotster, their work will never be as easy again.
I don’t know. Gohmert and Cruz are pretty likely targets. Part of Bachmann’s appeal to cartoonists,quite honestly, was her gender. That made her higher profile than she deserved to be.
That’s true Japa, and I think her spooky weird wild eyes made her easy peasy for the toonists too, a bit of the Palins about it. But yeah, plenty of nutjob material left, sadly.
As Pierce called her, the woman with far away eyes, mainly because her brain was usually off in some other galaxy.
I wholeheartedly agree with Jovie on defending what this administration stands for. Defend your stand, be it Leaks, Obstructionism, Jobs, Drones, etc. Stand Firm and proudly explain your arguments. AG Holder is a lawyer so is the POTUS. Communication 101. The only thing logical here is that they may claim Not to like Drama, but perhaps, deep down, they must love the DC/NY dramas?
The Pundits and Media folks are immature. Showing them where to it and pout could not be that hard of a job to do. Summer is upon Us. Allowing these TBGOPers and the Media to drive the narrative one more Summer is bull pucky to me.
Starting now: President Obama Speaks on Student Loans (10:20 EST)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
Thanks Chips 🙂
My pleeeeeeeeeeasure Hopefruit, mooooorning!!!
POTUS about to speak ~ Happy Friday all of TOD… sending good vibes out to Africa and GoBrooklyn this morning ****
Moooooooooorning Sherijr!
Good morning Ms. Chips ~ thank you for this Awesome waking up you give us each day 🙂 Have a wonderful day ~
I went out to get some Coffee and came and sat down and the Morning Event at the WH is over 😦
A tortoise is faster than Moi this Morning, I guess.
How come Oprah or Tyler Perry won’t put these types of shows (citizen Koch) on teevee? Are they afraid? The Warren Buffetts and other liberal wealthy americans need to pool their money and start their own primetime and cable news network. People are hungry for real new news, hungry for the truth.
Mark Cuban already owns HDNet, renamed now. Robert Redford Owns a Network. Tyler and Magic, I read awhile back are starting something…..But not News related. Ted Turner could be persuaded to do something. But the mostly still believe that MSM would get it right……..NOT.
And that’s just after 4 months of Presidents Obama’s second term. There’s no competition from Europe (held back by austerity policies; the EU just ordered the Netherlands a deficit < 2.8 % because, you know < 3 % isn't enough trouble).
By the end of the decade, the US will not just be the military superpower, it will dwarf any other country (as well as the EU) by GDP.
Goooood Friday moorrnnninggg to Chips and everyone in TODville! Looks like a beautiful morning in my town. I hope all is well with everyone here, especially GoBrooklyn and all others who are dealing with extra burdens.
I’ve mentioned my Republican brother before. He’s been a Repub all his life but voted for PBO twice and last night he called to talk about how crazy the Republicans are these days! No kidding, bro. He went on to talk about how completely CRAZY Bachmann, Cruz, Rubio and the rest are and how the GOP has morphed into a NUT parade. He thinks the Tea Party should go off and be a separate party and things will get better. I had to break it to him that the GOP and the TP are one and the same. Hee Haw!!!!! So, it looks like the GOP has lost a good chunk of their own, maybe for good. Yes, indeed.
Heard the same thing from a caller on some radio show I was listening to in the car yesterday. Sane Republicans can’t stand this pack of ugly losers…..the guy said that he was going to become a Dem:) Thing is, Republicans will tell you whatever they think you want to hear to get elected (as we can see…jobs! jobs! jobs!) and do nothing of the sort once they get elected…they have all sold their souls to the highest bidder and aren’t in control of their own thoughts anymore…..they care nothing about the populace, unless you can write a big fat check, they could give a crap…and that is NOT the majority of Americans…..they will get what they deserve. This is what happens when you have no moral compass…..and part of the reason they hate PBO….he shows them what they lack every. single. day….That, and he’s a black dem…and we can’t have THAT now, can we?
My brother is incensed that they are wasting precious resources and putting themselves and their craziest ideology first rather than the economy and improving what they can. He’s absolutely FURIOUS that someone like Bachmann, who’s done nothing but stand around and spout sheer insanity, will be getting a pension for ZERO service. So I think this is the kind of thing that will continue to erode their base.
I truly believe that PBO pushes GOP buttons because he has a tremendous array and range of virtues AND he’s black. Try as they might, they cannot dig up any dirt on him on any front. It simply drives them crazy because PBO has all of us who are not fickle and are absolutely loyal to him because of his values, vision and leadership. They can’t touch him.
During PBO’s 1st term, it was obvious that the GOP wanted to keep economy struggling in order to win in 2012. Despite that, economy improved. Would have been faster if they had helped, but it did improve. Yet they continue not only not doing things to help the economy, but it appears they still want to impair the economic recovery. Increasing student loan rates means pulling disposable income out of the economy, income which could have been used to buy things, creating demand, increasing jobs, etc.
Only in a country afflicted with chronic historical amnesia could they issue such accusations without shame or embarrassment. Only under those circumstances could the Republicans continue their fitful fabrication of a “Democratic Watergate” without fear of being laughed off the stage
We have been saying that shite here for ages now.
Well stated, HF2.
Funny how these people insist of Knowing how pres Obama must behave, act, govern, speak, select his cabinets, relax, etc.
I wonder how this POTUS ever got up in the Morning without any of their Help? 🙄 😆 😯
Smartypants handles this crap in short order.
From too spineless to too stubborn
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2013/05/from-too-spineless-to-too-stubborn.html
Ah..was just going to post this – thanks Ladyhawke 🙂
No problem HF. Nobody breaks it down like Smartypants.
MSM’s Stockholm Syndrome
By Ed Kilgore
——————————-
We’re getting to the point where the media habit of “false equivalency” is inadequate to describe or explain the wilful blindness of so much of the paid political commentariat to the historically unusual (if not unique) extremism of the contemporary Right. So I’m happy to recommend an essay by my TDS colleague James Vega, who suggests many journalists are suffering from a version of the “Stockholm Syndrome” whereby they have become so traumatized by conservative extremism that they will lift heaven and earth to deny its existence and assign responsibility for polarization elsewhere (e.g., to Obama’s “leadership failure”).
——————————
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_05/msms_stockholm_syndrome044540.php#
OH WHAT THE FREAKING HELL??????????????????
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/after-bachmanns-exit-dem-challenger-declares-mission-accomplished
Yep, Stephanie Miller blasting over my head…..just reported that. So he was never in it for the 6th Dist? Only to take out Bachmann? Sheesh.
In such a conservative district, he could have tainted the electorate for ANY other Dem with this lame brained stunt. What a selfish idiot.
I even sent him money. I feel Robbed. I feel cheated. I feel doped.
OK, now that I have gotten it off my chest, truly, if his heart was Never in it, then, it is better that he abandons ship now.
If I were you, I’d call him up and tell him that. Bet you’re not the only one.
More details: http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2013/05/bachmann-not-running-jim-graves-pulls-out-6th-district-race
Duped. I had meant.
Doped now 😉
It was not a lot of money…..just $25, DF.
He doesn’t know it was only $25! Could you USE that money for something else now? The amount is not the point.
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has called for honest dialogue with his Chinese counterparts about cyber threats and online spying.
His remarks come amid reports Chinese hackers had accessed secret US weapons programmes and other defence technologies.
Mr Hagel said the US knew the origin of many of the incursions.
“There’s only one way to deal with these issues: that’s straight up,” he said.
US officials say the breaches are part of a broad Chinese campaign of computer espionage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22728076
AP is reporting that Nadal and Williams are moving on to the next level.
Nadal, SWilliams advance at French Open
STEVEN WINE | May 31, 2013 10:35 AM EST |
Compare other versions »
PARIS — Rafael Nadal came from behind for the second match in a row on a busy Friday at the French Open, surviving another shaky start to beat Martin Klizan 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Entering the tournament, seven-time champion Nadal had lost only 14 sets in 53 matches at the French Open. Now he has dropped the opening set in each of the first two rounds.
Last year, Nadal lost one set in the entire tournament en route to a record seventh Roland Garros title.
No. 2-seeded Roger Federer was broken in the opening game but held the rest of the way and eased into the fourth round by beating No. 30 Julien Benneteau of France, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Go Fedex. Go Serena.
I posted that especially for YOU, Amk and me too 😉
bt is gonna see ‘red’. 🙂
On mine, see “red” 😯
I better beg for mercy ❓
The whole “Obama is coming to take your guns” paranoid lie has resulted, over the past 4+ years in several deaths, including those of law enforcement people, direct attempts on the lives of the President and others, and indirectly in the deaths of children and literally hundreds of innocent people. Of course RW radio played a role in that for years, but now there are two main guilty parties.
Good Morning everyone!!!
Hmm? AP is reporting that in May……Consumer Index is at the 6th year high. Up to 80% Plus.
Measure of US consumer confidence at six-year high
CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER | May 31, 2013 11:12 AM EST |
WASHINGTON — A measure of U.S. consumer confidence jumped to its highest level in almost six years in May, lifted by rising home prices and record stock market gains. Greater confidence could help revive spending in coming months.
The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index rose to 84.5 in May, up from 76.4 in April and the highest since July 2007.
Hi TOD,
I haven’t posted here in ages because I lost faith for a bit that our love of our President and our country made much of a diiference in the way economic changes were trending. That hasn’t improved—the sequester is hurting more and more of us.
What has changed is that the shrinking number of media outlets that are truthful and decent has been shrinking more dramatically than even the most worried of us could have envisioned.
Whey they chased Ed to weekends, I asked “Are they trying to kill their ratings?”
And now we know. MSNBC doesn’t want an audience.
How can this be true? Simple. What all the media sees is a train coming that they cannot stop.
That train is the ACA.
No matter what they do and or say, Nothing, Nothing can match 30,000,000 people finally getting their medical needs met.
That 30 million people will know that President Obama and the Democratic Party fought hard to get them what they needed so much.
Those 30 million folks and their grateful friends and family will register and vote for us. The current crap is all about 2014.
The current agenda is to discredit PBO, make us trust him less.
That Will Not Work.
G-d bless POTUS his family and his administration
Very well said.
Vicki the media will never succeed in getting me to trust President Barack Obama any less. I believe in that man and his vision and I support him 100% because when he speaks I know it is coming from his heart and he has the best interest of the people at the center of everything he does.
Amen, Vicki. You’ve come back to commenting with a roar. 1000000% agree with you.
Thank you, Nena, jackie, Mellesia and Japa. Good to be back.
HF2 the Truth Shall set them Free. Vicki above said it too.
Fifa racism measures could see teams expelled or relegated
First or minor offences will result in either a warning, fine or order for a match to be played behind closed doors.
Serious or repeat offences can now be punished by a points deduction, expulsion or relegation.
Jeffrey Webb, head of Fifa’s anti-racism task force, said the decision was “a defining moment”.
He added: “Our football family is fully aware that what is reported in the media is actually less than 1% of the incidents that happen around the world.
“We’ve got to take action so that when we look to the next 20 or 50 years this will be the defining time that we took action against racism and discrimination.”
Fifa, world football’s governing body, passed the anti-racism resolution with a 99% majority at its congress in Mauritius.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22728162
Wait, what, FIFA did something useful?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/31/us-usa-court-guns-idUSBRE94U0SH20130531
A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a gun reporting rule that the Obama administration adopted in 2011 to try to detect bulk sales of semi-automatic rifles to Mexican drug gangs.
A unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the administration acted within its authority to adopt the rule, which affects firearms sellers in states bordering Mexico.
The Gun Control Act of 1968 “unambiguously authorizes” the rule, and it is unrealistic to argue, as gun retailers and manufacturers did, that the rule is too burdensome, Judge Karen Henderson wrote for the panel of three judges.
The rule requires stores in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas to notify federal law enforcement when someone buys two or more of a specific type of firearm within five business days.
The photo of the President and Sister Simone just makes me happy, happy, happy. Such an animated conversation and I love her pink sandals. She really is incredible.
I feel the same way! And her tweet after the meeting looked like it came from a teenage girl! Ha.
I LOVED THAT TWEET!
Kinda reminded me of the nuns who used to “fall all over” JFK!
GM Chips, TOD….
hopefruit2, I’m not telling President Obama anything either. Are people like Blackthorne stupid or what? A dam idiot can see what the Republicans are doing, and it ain’t as easy as she want to make it sound.. So I guess I just answer my question, Blackthorne is stupid.
They act as if he’s some clueless little kid – yet at the same time will give the clueless kids like Chris Hayes more credibility than him.
A very ‘Good Afternoon’ to you all! You will all be pleased to hear that I have just ensured there will be no more snowfalls to be accredited to the 2012 winter season. How did I do that? I finally took my car in and had the snow tires removed. It wouldn’t dare snow now (despite the erratic weather I’ve been seeing) with my all seasons radial back in place!
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/05/31/2081511/nra-att-lies/ NRA Fundraises On False Claims About U.N. Arms Trade Treaty
In an email sent out on Wednesday to its supporters, the NRA ominously warned about the coming collusion between the United Nations and President Obama in the name of “trampling our Second Amendment freedoms.” The vehicle for this complete destruction of the Constitution? The recently passed United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which opens for signature on June 3. Despite the fact that only North Korea, Syria, and Iran voted against the treaty, the right-wing in the United States has long opposed what it sees as a chance for the government to legally steal Americans’ handguns.
The NRA email went to great lengths to solidify this fear in the minds of its supporters, repeatedly referring to the ATT as the “global gun ban treaty,” or variations thereof. “We need to send a clear message to every Senator that they have only two choices: Side with us and stop the U.N. gun ban treaty … or start looking for a new job at election time,” the message tells its readers. Despite the dark tidings, the ATT actually doesn’t affect the Second Amendment, something that even Texas’ extremely conservative attorney general begrudgingly admitted.
Way past time for Senator Reid to start leading the way voters intend the Majority Party to govern.
#FORWARD FOCUSED
This is actually getting really tiresome
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/31/18656873-the-smoking-gun-fires-blanks?lite
Very late reply – but if you see it DF – guess who was taken in by this – none other than Andrew Sullivan – commenter on BJ mentioned it – and for the first time this year I checked Sullivan – just to be sure – and the fool called out the President – but when his readers called him out on it – he posted as if he had known it was bogus all along.
Finally blocked bwd from my TF. Getting tired of so called obama supporters, who latch on to the latest emp prog issue, without understanding the ground reality of 100% No’pers opposition and 100% cowardly dems.
Dare I ask what she’s saying?
Some stupid ranting & raving about climate change and arguing how Obama is powerful and powerless at the same time. Typical em0prog bs. Not good enough. Not fast enough. Not pure enough. Fuck that type of emotional & political immaturity.
Welcome to the club. Even when she’s proven over and over again to have premature chicken little syndrome, she comes right out the next instant to complain again. very tiresome
I asked BWD to provide specifics of how the EPA can act without congress – her response is that she’s going to unfollow me because I called her names. I still haven’t gotten any specifics from either BWD or Blacthornicus – seeing that they are so passionate about this issue.
Even when I’ve had the strongest disagreements with BWD (and I’ve had many such where PBO is concerned), I always continue to follow her because I value many of her tweets. But why does she get so upset when challenged to substantiate her claims about and objections to PBO and the WH?
last straw and all that. I don’t care for what she has to say anymore. Life is too short.
My Governor did an interview with Think Progress and feels that Progressive Change is possible in every state.
(He is a lot more optimistic than I am)
O’Malley noted that he believes the biggest mistake progressives often make is limiting the conversation “simply to those who think and feel as we do on a given issue.” “I think it’s really really important to grow the consensus and to realize that there is always some value that can be shared with another American, on any issue,” he observed, “Starting from those points of common belief and shared values is very, I think, important to forging the consensus that allows these issues to more forward.”
Dream 2016…O’Malley/Warren…for me anyway:)
So excited, the Ravens meet with the POTUS next Wednesday! Of course I have a jammed packed day and will have to miss everything live, but can’t wait to see the coverage. 🙂
You know one of the things I love about Sister Simone? She just exudes deep, inner joy. Few people exemplify joy…..she does, and I love that about her.
Also, carolyn, her smile is irresistible. Lights up the room.
New post.
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/05/31/chat-away-168/
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/31/2083071/obamacare-147-million-savings/
Thanks To Obamacare, Young Adults And Hospitals Saved $147 Million In 2011 Alone
well done!
Reid should just get on with it. He’s been announcing his threat for so long, yet we’ve seen nothing yet. Just do it shut up Harry.
I’ll believe it when I see it. I don’t expect to see it. He’s lied to us too many times on this issue. It’s beginning to look ridiculous.