The new National Security Advisor 😉
****
Today:
11:30 VP Biden and other dignitaries deliver eulogies at the funeral service for Sen. Frank Lautenberg (C-Span 2)
12:10: The President welcomes the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens to the White House
1:0: Press Briefing by Jay Carney
2:15: The President will announce that Tom Donilon is departing as National Security Advisor in early July and is being succeeded by Susan Rice
****
TPM: President Barack Obama’s top national security adviser Tom Donilon is resigning and will be replaced by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, marking a significant shakeup to the White House foreign policy team.
A White House official confirmed the personnel changes Wednesday morning ahead of a planned announcement by the president later in the day.
Donilon has been a key foreign policy adviser to Obama since he first took office. But the 58-year-old had been expected to depart sometime this year, with Rice seen as the likely candidate to replace him.
More here
****
GOP blocked Warren as Director of the CFPB. She is now Sen. Warren. They blocked Amb. Rice as SoS. She is now NSA. GOP tears are delicious.
— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 5, 2013
****
photo of obama reacting to gop anger about susan rice + samantha power twitter.com/owillis/status…
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) June 5, 2013
****
TPM: A White House official says President Barack Obama will name former aide Samantha Power as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Power will replace Susan Rice, who will take over as Obama’s national security adviser. The official says Obama will announce both appointments from the White House Wednesday afternoon.
More here
****
U.S. economy adds 135,000 private-sector jobs in May: ADP on.mktw.net/138uEXL
— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) June 5, 2013
****
Gallup: U.S. Job Creation Best in Five Years gallup.com/poll/162893/jo…
— Mark J. Perry (@Mark_J_Perry) June 5, 2013
****
****
Michael Tomasky: Voter Suppression, Chris Christie Style
….. Chris Christie calls a special election for the Lautenberg Senate seat for October, even though there is already an election scheduled for November. He’s running for reelection in that one.
….. What could the reason be? Gee, do you think it could have anything to do with the fact that the Democratic Senate candidate is going to be Cory Booker, who is black, and who will draw African American voters to the polls in large numbers? So let all those black voters get their electoral ya-ya’s out in October, see, and they’ll stay home in November and not vote against him….
More here
****
Chris Christie is revered for being stern and “telling it like it is”. If the Obamas use a tone that’s a bit too brash it’s all ZOMGSOANGRY
— Tiffuh. (@Tiffuhkneexoxo) June 5, 2013
****
****
Audio of FLOTUS responding to the rude heckler. She was polite. The heckler is not a victim and the audience agreed. thedailybeast.com/videos/2013/06…
— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 5, 2013
****
From Gwendolyn in the comments:
There were 2 hecklers…a guy and this woman. I attended the fundraiser. The young man yelled out, and the woman joined. The female heckler was within the view of the First Lady. Supporters around the female heckler (including me!) were being vocal about the heckling. There was some movement in the group, and I think the First Lady was actually trying to take the sting out of the situation. Our First Lady Did Not over-react. I believe she was making sure no one became aggressive.
Thankfully, we have such a positive and effective First Lady. The dumb republicans do not understand grace!
****
POTUS has done more for #LGBT issues than any other president. But the disrespectful heckler goes after his wife, instead of Congress. Oh.
— April(@ReignOfApril) June 5, 2013
I want to get my point across at a private home fundraiser, I slip @flotus an impassioned letter signed by many on my issue. Not heckle her.
— April(@ReignOfApril) June 5, 2013
You confront the wife of the leader of the free world but then are “taken aback” when she confronts you right back. That’s privilege, folks.
— April(@ReignOfApril) June 5, 2013
Hey @getequal, are you claiming the woman who disrespected @flotus in a private home? Is she one of yours? That’s how you operate?
— April(@ReignOfApril) June 5, 2013
****
The First Lady should have been “coached”? Oh, these people just carry on revealing themselves ….
Update: The heroic Code Pink deleted this:
. @michelleobama should have been coached, long ago, on how to deal diplomatically w people who stand up to protest govt policies.
— CODEPINK (@codepink) June 5, 2013
Such a diverse crew too, so representative of America…..
****
This FLOTUS thing reminds me of why I left far-left gay shit activism behind. I GREW UP.
— GabeR (@widestance) June 5, 2013
****
Greg Sargent: The battle for gun reform in the wake of the Newtown killings ended in defeat this year. But it’s clear that it also ushered in a new moment for the gun reform movement. It launched a new effort to build a national political infrastructure to challenge the NRA — one more broad and savvy than previous ones, and one that isn’t going away. Those who are involved in this new effort conceive of this battle as a protracted and difficult one that could take many years, and seem prepared to stick it out over the long haul.
The latest: I’m told that venture capitalist and major Democratic donor Kenneth Lerer is rolling out a new campaign today to target gun violence and the NRA. The campaign includes a new Web site, StopTheNRA.com, that offers videos and news articles about the gun lobby’s excesses and extremism, and gives people a place to sign up to join a lobbying campaign to push for gun reform.
More here
****
President Obama jokes with members of the Chilean delegation as President Sebastián Piñera of Chile sits at the Resolute Desk following a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, June 4 (Photo by Pete Souza)
****
Steve Benen: …. On Thursday night, Bill O’Reilly told his viewers that there may be a “smoking gun” in the IRS controversy: former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, the host said, visited the White House 157 times between 2009 and 2012. This proved … something. We learned a day later, however, the smoking gun was shooting blanks: Shulman had been cleared for a series of routine White House gatherings, but only attended 11 events over the course of four years.
So on Thursday, O’Reilly thought he had a big scoop. On Friday, it was debunked. And on Monday, O’Reilly pretended his story hadn’t been discredited, and repeated it all over again. “We still don’t know much about former IRS Chief Douglas Shulman visiting the White House 157 times,” the Fox host said. “That’s extraordinary.”
Well, something is certainly extraordinary here…..
More here
****
****
Steve Benen: About those ‘secret’ email accounts… With Scandal Mania 2013 struggling, the search is on for a new controversy. The Associated Press yesterday threw a new possibility into the mix:
Some of President Barack Obama’s political appointees are using secret government email accounts to conduct official business….
…. Top officials in government could, I suppose, make their direct email accounts readily available to the public, but the spam and crank messages make raise legitimate concerns about practicality. It’s why the Clinton and Bush administrations used the same email practices as the Obama administration, to the concern of no one.
More here
****
****
A year ago, one of the best:
President Obama and VP Biden talk with Zachary Atala, son of Dr. Anthony Atala, M.D., Director, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House, June 5, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)
****
MooooOOOOoooorning, it’s a beeeeeautiful day!
Good morning TOD
Hey, Mariele, you took the gold, congratulations.
Morning Mariele, morning everyone
Congrats to Ambassador Rice! She will make us all proud.
Morning all. ANd great news for both Rice and Powers. I am so glad this President puts quality above all else.
Good Morning Chipsticks, TODers…Everyone!
Hope everyone has a wonderful and productive day!
Morning everyone. Have a great day today. It’s on the House.
Good morning GB, I will be holding you up as you walk again today, bless you.
Thanks Layla!
Good morning gb – lovely to see you chatting on TOD – must almost be time for the walk around the corridors 🙂 take care & enjoy the day
Hey 99,
Hopefully I can do a repeat. Not sure what they have in store for me today.
GB, hope you make another step of progress today. You inspire all of us to try just a little harder.
Thanks Jackie. I hope I keep it up too.
Good morning Gobrooklyn! Sending positive thoughts your way that your health continues to improve and you stay on the road to recovery.
Your good spirits are an inspiration! Stay strong!
Thanks SW!
{{{{{GoB}}}}}
Hey Pamela, thanks!
Morning GoBrooklyn. Sending Blessings and healing thoughts your way.
Morning Dakota!
First 10? – good morning USA
Awesome I love that Susan Rice will be heading the NSA I am so happy for her, she is awesome. As for FLOTUS “Right On!” My mother always told me what happens to you is what you allow, so stand up for yourself. I stand behind her 100 percent!
Proud, I agree that anyone who doesn’t recognize how beautifully FLOTUS handled that heckler situation has willful blinders on and has never liked her anyway. I, for one, am very proud of her.
I guess just as the President is considered aloof (code: uppity) because he does not kowtow to the good ole boys, the First Lady was out of place because she was not intimidated and stood up to the hecklers. Being classy doesn’t mean that you have to take the crap that is dished out. Good for her!!!!
FLOTUS is the BEST!
Good morning TOD!
Too bad Romney kept all of his women in a binder. Our POTUS continues to show him and others like him, that qualified women are all over the place and coming straight to the White House and courts throughout the land.
One last thing on FLOTUS dealing with the privileged heckler: really, that heifer should first have cracked a high school government book to learn how it works and then checked out Michelle’s poll numbers. She has damaged herself, her organization and her cause, stupid, rude bitch.
It’s called ‘heifer dust’!
Mooooooorning Shipmate!
Goood morning Admiral Cheesy Puffs. 🙂
😆 That’s an excellent title!!! Moooooooooorning Splendid Shipmate!
Full speed ahead.
First pic a winner! Love her. Thanks for busy rise and shine Chips.
Fantastic round-up as usual Chiparoo aka Boss Cheesy Puffs. Thanks for the front page billing. 😀
Thank yooooooou UT, so much good news, so little space!!!!
I looooooooooooove David Plouffe. He is not here for anyone’s BS.
And Irish too Meta!!!! 😎
Inorite??!!! She has a son named Declan and a 1 year old daughter named Rían, so there you go!!
I tell ya, they’ll have to move the White House to Ireland soon!
LOLz!!
Can we go with them? Just pack up TOD and we will set up camp at the Irish White House!
Ha, why not Daisy! Although, I suppose, we’d have to call it the Green House??
Hey my son’s name is Declan too ~ don’t hear that name too often 🙂
When Pres. Obama says we’re a nation of immigrants, he truly means it.
Love it! She’s going to be great.
I remember her and Susan Rice speaking at PBO’s foreign policy forums way back in the early days of the campaign. They are both absolutely terrific!!
Now, that’s a major deal, Chips. Go Irish!
The tweet from Code Pink about First Lady Michelle Obama revealed who they are. A bunch of narcissistic, bigoted, prejudiced scumbags. The picture says is all. They claim to fight for the downtrodden yet their picture looks like it came straight from the 1950s. Where are the Black, Brown, and Yellow people? Why aren’t they fighting for EVERYONE’s rights?
When you tweet this – “@MichelleObama should have been coached, long ago, on how to deal diplomatically w people who stand up to protest govt policies.” – of the first African-American First Lady of the United States, every Tom, Dick, and Harry knows exactly what you mean. You’re basically telling her to go to the back of the bus. This is 2013 not the 1950s.
Code Pink can kiss my ass.
Couldn’t resist, UT:
Hahahahahahahahahahaha. You’re the BEST!
Honest though UT, doesn’t that photo say so much?? I haven’t seen such an all-white crowd since the last Tea Party rally.
Exactly. If an organization claims to fight for the rights of everyone and picture after picture looks like they could be members of the Tea Party, it’s very suspect.
This is 2013 and when you claim to be for one and all, yet don’t have African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, AAPI, etc., well represented, I give said organization a massive side-eye.
I’ve said before Chips. I have more respect for the Tea Party because at least they get their candidates on the ballot. Code Pink is a very bad and uselesss stage show with no purpose except to periodically get their 15 minutes of fame. I mean honestly what exactly have they accomplished except to get on people’s last nerve. And they are so frightfully stupid when it comes to the issues and what it takes politically to get anything done. No just show up like a spoiled 4 year old and start screaming about wanting what you want.
Oh and people who rudely interrupt other people don’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to talking about diplomacy.
Indeed, here is a group who have faced hardship and discrimination their entire lives…. I would be embarrassed to be seen with them. Slogan or no slogan! Crimey!
Mooooooooorning Pamela! Indeed, I’m sure they’ve faced hardship all their lives!
😆 I feel so sorry for them….. 😆
Binders full of women!
You know me I sent Codepink a lovely email. 🙂
I hope they liked it.
That was a truly disgusting tweet – the only thing of merit – I have not seen a tweet agreeing with what was said
So tell us how you realllllly feel, eh?
Seems as if there is much to be joyful about, as the imbeciles keep setting themselves up for a perfect storm of failure! Have at it losers, PBO has work to do, remember? He is a man who does not make promises lightly. G’day y’all!
THIS! All of THIS! Chiparoo, you got it right; as usual.
The battle for gun reform in the wake of the Newtown killings ended in defeat this year. But it’s clear that it also ushered in a new moment for the gun reform movement. It launched a new effort to build a national political infrastructure to challenge the NRA — one more broad and savvy than previous ones, and one that isn’t going away. Those who are involved in this new effort conceive of this battle as a protracted and difficult one that could take many years, and seem prepared to stick it out over the long haul.
The latest: I’m told that venture capitalist and major Democratic donor Kenneth Lerer is rolling out a new campaign today to target gun violence and the NRA. The campaign includes a new Web site, StopTheNRA.com, that offers videos and news articles about the gun lobby’s excesses and extremism, and gives people a place to sign up to join a lobbying campaign to push for gun reform.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/05/the-morning-plum-can-gun-reform-forces-counterbalance-nra-over-long-term/
Well…remember this ?
Cass Sunstein Received Death Threats After Fox News Smear Campaign Led By Glenn Beck
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/03/21/cass-sunstein-received-death-threats-after-fox/193182
BOOYAH!
The heckler was also extremely stupid. How you going to show up demanding the First Lady get her husband to sign an unspecified executive order for something the next President could easily overturn? I can’t stand these dweebs. They don’t want a President they just like the tea party want a dictator. On top of that it’s funny how none of them have the guts to confront Congressional Republicans.
No they will just confront the black folks, make them do what they want them to do.
So true. Many years ago when my daughter just started college a young man approached her and asked her if she knew where he could dispose of extra mary jane that he purchased. He had a lot and wanted money fast. She was the only Black in the class so he decided to ask her. If the first lady was white the heckler wouldn’t have done it. Guaranteed.
FLOTUS looks lovely.
LOLGOP @LOLGOP 31m
—————————————
Marco Rubio to run for president based on his success in killing Marco Rubio’s immigration bill.
—————————————-
Good morning TOD family
I am feeling a LOT better since the last time I was on the site.Had a checkup last Tuesday and everything looks good.Belly button is still very much a mess and will take months to heal I was told.
Ventured out of the house with mom for the First time since May to buy some groceries;well mom did.I needed to get out of the house to smell some fresh and boy did it feel good but the sensation that my gut will spill out is not fun;was also told sensation is normal and that it will also take some time so being patient.
No bending down and no heavy lifting and just no picking anything heavier than 5 lbs
GoBrook happy to hear you are doing so well.Sending you plenty of prayers and good wishes and HZ I hope you are doing well and so is everyone else,I hope
Chips thank you for this site.Life saver really
On a side note I saw the First Lady getting heckled by a bully? Glad she stood up to this lady and I hope the President reminds these folks in the future that they should heckle and protest “Saint” Bill Clinton who signed all those discriminatory bills into laws and gets a pass and is given “Awards” for goddamn nothing and the GOP who hate their guts and make it known ,not Potus and Flotus.These folks are really pushing it from GetEqual,Code Pink and co and they don’t understand that after THIS Potus that Democrats will have to earn black voters votes.We’ve had to endure the disrespect and insults long enough.Hillary and Bill shouldn’t think they automatically that black voters will vote blindly for them.I will NEVER vote for the GOP but THOSE Democrats have never supported This Potus and have been silent when the so-called “liberal” media and the Gop have screwed the country and Potus when they weren’t lying about him .These Dems have been willingly MIA. Some of us have been aware of their actions and lack of it. Get EQUAL’s funder/founder/guru Paul Yandura worked in the Clinton White House for many years and is a major backer of Hillary Clinton. GetEQUAL arose after Obama beat out Clinton for the 2008 Dem nomination. Make what you want of that but I already have myself . . .
I’ll go rest now.Hope everyone has a good day.Until next time
Fred
Hi Fred – good to hear your news – do have an enjoyable and healing day.
Fred! Soooooo lovely to hear from you, and wonderful to hear you’re doing better, that is completely uplifting news! Love from us all!
As for your thoughts on GetEqual, Code Pink, etc, you are soooooo spot on.
Maybe the foolish woman thought the people were going to pat her on the back for acting like a spoil rotten big mouth child, yelling to get attention. Maybe Sturtz thought the crowd came to hear her yell at the First Lady. By the way let me thank the crowd for kick Sturtz’s behind out the door.
She’s lucky that’s all they did.
Where were Code Pink when the Republicans were callin Flotus names, like “baby mama” and other insulting names. They never come to her defense but is quick to demonize her.
Maybe because Code Pink for all of their chatter agree with Republicans when it comes to the First Lady and PBO.
GM all – David Plouffe is getting some bullshit stories being written about his ‘hit’ in Issa. Can we all get his back today and push back against the Glen Thrush, Goddard tweet cited above? I mean Issa smears Jay Carney and suddenly people are worried about Plouffe being too mean? I miss Plouffe in the White House. I never worried when he was close by PBO.
Sorry – should read ‘hit on Issa’
Today FLOTUS suppose to meet with the students from that Chicago school she visit.
Memories.
Nearly five years after delivering a campaign speech to a massive crowd at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, President Obama will return to the historic German landmark this month to deliver another speech.
I hope while he’s there he can convince Merkel that her austerity push has been an abysmal failure. Time to spur growth.
They’re so sweet.
One of the best speeches EVAH.
LOL. PBO’s folks are having a grand old nostalgia party over there. Lol.
OMG. There are no words.
He’s utterly revolting, Japa.
Tell white priveledge Knoller, that the kids know they should have respect for the First Lady by not interrupting her when she is addressing them.
Don’t worry, Mark. The children have manners.
Thank you Bill, that is exactly what I wanted to say.
This is the new scandal they are trying to produce. I new they would go after Flotus next, after they run out of material against the President. Did Knoller tweet about the emails that were doctored by the Republican opposition to discredit the President and demand that the “journalist” be fired? Now he is going after the First Lady such an easy target.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but let’s not take everything so serious.Knoller is a jackass we know, but I guess he was trying to be funny. Because one thing you can be sure of, the kids FLOTUS is meeting are far better people than that yelling loud mouth protester. Those kids know what the word respect mean, and they know how to behave. They won’t be yelling at FLOTUS.
Come on ,this isn’t any new scandal.
Mark, shove a donut in your mouth and shut up. FLOTUS is not an elected official and should be given the same respect as other first ladies. The dems in the DCCC and DSCC need to speak out in defense of FLOTUS, they expect her to fundraise for them then they should demand that she be treated with respect.
Actually I kind of got a chuckle out of that.
There are a few words – but I can’t type them here. Knoller sure thinks he has nothing to lose – why else would he attack FLOTUS in this manner. The media is trying every trick to make the President lose his temper. He won’t and they will lose – again.
Maybe Mark Knoller (aka Count von Count) can find something to count. You know, like the number of blades of grass on the White House lawn. It is astonishing to think that this man is getting paid to post such swill. smdh
This is 2013 and these racist scumbags think their crap doesn’t live on? Morons.
I thought it had disappeared – but don’t understand twitter enough to be sure – thanks for that UT – they replaced it with an equally stupid comment telling FLOTUS what she should have said!
They got played and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch.
I love it! Old man McCain is already complaining about Susan Rice and there is nothing he can do about it. Congrats to Ambassador Rice and soon to be Ambassador Power.
Ha! ha!, I love it, Old Man McCain yelling at cloud to go away. Lol!, that made my day.
All the air just got sucked out of my lungs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
😆 Feeling a little faint, DF?
A little? A little!!!! I need a mat AND a shower!
humma humma ding dong! gorgeous Irish lad!
I think we TODers need to book a direct flight to Ireland STAT.
🙂 An excellent idea Meta!!
Morning everyone!! What a nice way to wake up this morning! Great R/S 🙂 Nice to read the first hand accounts of FLOTUS fundraiser….and hear the audio….nothing strange there to me. These “hacktovists” are hurting themselves and their reputations more and more each day. If they want something meaningful done to change their plight, they have to do it the right way, through congress…not heckle the First Lady who came as an invited guest speaker. Seems to me, they were looking for a short cut…even now the First Lady will tell PBO what that was all about….I even read a comment on DU last night to the same effect….Michelle has an “in” with the President and can get the word to him and make this happen! So privileged… regular rules don’t apply to THEM, those are for all those “other people”…..and they bash the President because he’s not doing things to their liking FAST ENOUGH, yet they think that FLOTUS should take their message to him. Wish she could have said, “FU, do the hard work and talk to your congressperson”….I hate the entitled BS from anyone, don’t care who it is. Makes my blood boil…and there’s a whole lot of that going on lately.
Did they think they were going to school the black woman about oppression and discrimination? Give me a break.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/06/05/2101831/thanks-to-obamacare-major-insurers-have-to-give-back-36-million-to-california-small-businesses/
I LOVE OBAMACARE!! Lots of small business’ love Obamacare, too!
Not good.
http://www.kpho.com/story/22509577/building-collapse-in-philadelphia-traps-several-people
New post!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/06/05/coming-up-61/
Rubio threatens to vote against immigration bill
Meghashyam Mali
06/05/13 08:12 AM ET
Rubio said he would not back the bill unless changes are made to “strengthen the border security parts.”…
Uh huh, uh huh…
Rubio planned this from the beginning: a win-win in his lizard brain. Run ads saying you are instrumental in immigration reform and then put conditions on it that make it impossible for you to actually institute immigration reform. Republicans at work.