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30
Jul
13
126 Responses to “Chat Away”
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The People’s View
- Follow me at my new venture: Reclaim the Fight Spandan Chakrabarti
- Ignore the bait: Why it’s the right strategy for Democrats to focus SCOTUS fight on health care Spandan Chakrabarti
- BIG: Judge halts Trump administration attempt to shortcut the census Spandan Chakrabarti
- Trump doesn't want peaceful transition of power. Legally, it doesn’t matter. Spandan Chakrabarti
- Fauci goes off on Rand Paul Spandan Chakrabarti
Smartypants
- The Lie Embedded in Carlson's Great Replacement Theory
- Can Democrats Work With the "New Right" on Anti-Trust Issues?
- Alito's Embrace of Junk Science Will Make Several Forms of Contraception Illegal
- Biden: "This Is No Longer Your Father's Republican Party"
- The Only Way to Fight Back Against a Radicalized Supreme Court
Steve Benen
- Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary still too close to call
- 'A significant win for the Russians': Ukraine ends fighting at Mariupol steel plant
- Why Biden chose to not name names over the Buffalo shooting
- House member pushes bill to raise legal age to buy assault rifles
- House member aims to curb price gouging at the pump
The Obama Diary 
TY PBO!
Morning, DF! Congrats on #1
Yup! Still morning:) Morning, nathkatun!
G Morning/Afternoon, UT! Both POTUS and FLOTUS look like they are having lots of fun with BO.
Hi there, Nathk! Nice to see you enjoying the’ morning air’! 😉
Hi, VC, that’s time zone for you. Now I can finally say Good afternoon to you.
Good Afternoon DF, and nath. Good to see Bo. I love our First Dog. He looks like he knows that he is our First Dog and will live up to his title with his beautiful spirit. I love how he seems to realize’ the presence’ of POB and FLOTUS when he is in their presence. It is so awesome to watch. I also noticed how he showed the same respect when he walked in and went directly to the Christmas Tree that was decorated for our military men and women. Watch it. Chills come over me when I watch that video of Bo.HZ
Good Afternoon, HZ! Bo has both spirit and character.
Look how hard they work:)
http://bobcesca.thedailybanter.com/blog-archives/2013/07/house-gop-resurrects-dead-horse-beats-it-some-more.html
desertflower, in the history of this wonderful, complicated, great big world of ours, has their ever been a group of humans that have been more UNproductive and useless as this one? I mean really — at some point, they just have to say to themselves: ya know, this isn’t really working. But, I guess that would take some modicum of intelligence and self-reflection. These guys are vampires.
For those who missed the event.
Thank you – it is next to impossible to follow these events live for me.
Thanks UT for sharing the highlights of President’s speech.
UT, you are awesome…thank you so much for the wonderful color commentary.
MSNBC resurrected Jane Hamsher to talk about the Manning verdict.
Oh my effing GOD.
Manning got what he deserve. I’m hoping Edward Snowden will too in time. “F” Jane Hamster.
That’s Forget , not the other word.
Sure, Annieb. I believe you too. 😀
For real vc.
LIVE: Awaiting the President’s departure from Chattanooga, Tennessee en route Washington, DC – http://www.wrcbtv.com/category/254193/live-video-stream
Thanks for all this goodness:)
Utaustinliberal, THANK YOU for posting your tweets. They are very informative and greatly appreciated.
I totally second that, eric. UT is a treasure!
As always, UT, brava to you for the most excellent summary. You are an amazing talent.
Bless you, UT!
Our president — taking it to the people. One of the things the GOoPers HATE the most, because when he takes it directly to us, they can’t intercept with their lies and parroted talking points.
Their coverage after the speech is VERY positive too. http://www.newschannel9.com/ Top Video Stories, top red tab at the left side.
CEO of Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce says it was very positive for POTUS to visit. Liked the manufacturing focus of the speech. He shook the President’s hand and told him welcome to Chattanooga. Says to POTUS, “Come on down.” to talk about jobs. Very positive for Chattanooga for him to visit. They are excited.
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This from a facebook friend of mine Chad:
“I JUST SHOOK PRESIDENT OBAMA’S HAND!!!! I told him that I appreciated everything he is doing and he said “Thank you so much”. My life is now complete!”
🙂 I can only imagine that feeling….good for him!
Oh lucky, lucky, lucky friend!!!
If I had that experience, Donna, my life would be complete, too. If I’d gotten a hug along with it, well…that would be perfection.
Tell me about it!
Now vote, and bring 10 people who otherwise would not vote, to the polls with you. Chad’s life will improve even more once we give PBO a Congress that is sane.
Chad is an exceptional young man who voted in his first General Election last November. He worked his tail off through OFA last year and today was rewarded with front row seats to the Presidents event. He starts college in a couple of weeks at the Univ of Georgia. His generation gives me hope for states like TN.
dd40, that’s exactly how I got my first chance to be in the same air space as Barack Obama, then the Senator running for President. If you really dedicate your time and effort to OFA, it pays off BIG TIME 🙂
Exactly!!!!!!
Said she, who spoke to him on the phone. Sigh. 🙂
What an inspiring young man!
SWEET!!
Just reading that I get thrills :). I WILL meet him one day.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 😉
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/christie-paul-should-cut-kentuckys-pork-barrel-spending
This food fight (pardon the pun) between these two is popcorn-worthy.
certainly is:)…In my case, cheezy puff worthy…I don’t eat popcorn
What a bunch of moo-rons.
New Fangled Texas Hold ‘Em (closer)
Despicable.
This is yet another reason why the GOP dislike President Obama – he didn’t go into politics to grift for himself and his family – imagine if PBO did this – the GOP outrage would be another “scandal” – yet the GOP do it every day of the week with barely a mention.
Great quote df. This sentiment is what leads many poor whites to vote against their economic interests and spout talking points written by and for the 1%, with no sense of irony. Many of these lost, brainwashed souls are also the first to call America a “Christian nation”, while worshipping at the altar of greed, selfishness and money.
I totally agree with you. Sad, isn’t it? Sad to me because they will never reach their true potential and I often think that their narrow, myopic thought insulates them from responsibility and action.
Well said, Ericfive!
Hey friends, The appt. I had was to get a much needed massage. I knew my gal was a PO supporter. I mentioned right when I got there about missing his Chattanooga visit. She asked if there was a live feed. I told her Channel 9. She found it on her iPhone and we listened to it!!!!!!!!!! We said 1000x better than music. 🙂
Great experience. I wish the day would come when Tennessee would do a magical turnaround and vote for a good Democrat for president. That would be a great day.
Harmony and a massage, too!! I loved Channel 9 coverage before, during and after the speech. They did say they would be talking to GOP at some point. I would love it if all TV coverage was as positive and factual as theirs.
POTUS is willing to work with the Republicans, he just want to see their ideas which would put the middle class back to work, those who are trying to make it to the middle class, where are the Republicans plans? Speaker Boehner where are the jobs jobs jobs you promise you would focus on if you became speaker?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/07/29/what-affordable-care-act-really-means-job-growth?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=073013-text1&utm_campaign=healthcare
Today, the White House released a new analysis of the relationship between the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and job growth on Tumblr in the form of an animated GIF.
Recent news stories have cited anecdotes that restaurants are cutting employees’ hours and refraining from hiring workers due to the ACA. In reality, however, restaurants have had the fastest job growth of any industry in the retail and food services sector since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. The GIF also shows that restaurants have had even faster job growth than what would have been predicted from their growth in sales. Furthermore, workers in the restaurant industry have seen their average weekly hours increase since the ACA was signed, contrary to the notion that there has been a widespread shift to part-time hours.
During the four years since the recession ended in June 2009, 87% of the increase in employment has been due to a rise in the number of workers in full-time jobs. And looking at the period since ACA was signed in March 2010, more than 90% of the rise in employment has been due to workers in full-time jobs. Moreover, the length of the average workweek for private sector production and nonsupervisory employees has returned to its level at the start of the Great Recession.
Didn’t PBO say in the NYT interview that he would make his decision on ‘environmental grounds’?
Fingers and toes crossed that this crud heap of toxic mess is stopped.
Agree df, I agree.
“THE DUMBEST IDEA I’VE EVER HEARD OF.”
Shutdown scheme pits GOP against itself
By Steve Benen
—————————————
I put together this image to offer a lay of the land, because when it comes to the government-shutdown threat, GOP fissures are coming to the fore in a way we haven’t seen in a while. While Republican divisions are not uncommon, it’s rare when conservative GOP senators, asked about a prominent idea from other conservative GOP senators, say, it’s “the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard of.”
Indeed, even today, the divisions are becoming more pronounced. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) — not exactly a New England moderate from the Rockefeller wing — told MSNBC the plan from his far-right colleagues is “silly” and not at all “courageous.” Around the same time, the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol, relying on a strained metaphor, argued that conservatives must “stop the train. Stop it dead in its tracks before more damage is done. If this means disrupting the quiet car that so many in the Republican establishment enjoy riding in, so be it.”
No, you’re not the only one who found it amusing to see Bill Kristol — Bill Kristol! — complaining about the “Republican establishment.”
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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/07/30/19778704-shutdown-scheme-pits-gop-against-itself
Ladyhawke,
Did you see this video that Desertflower posted yesterday?
Tom Cole (R-OK) hits the nail on the head; MSM should be informing the public what sane Republicans have to say, not the self-promoting whiners (Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, etc.):
Thanks, I had not seen this video. I just hope that more and more reasonable Republicans will join Tom Cole in pointing out the obvious. The only adult in the room continues to make his critics look petty and small.
Ahem.
Someone should send this to Howard… Definition of “shill” from the Urban Dictionary. It fits!
A person engaged in covert advertising. The shill attempts to spread buzz by personally endorsing the product in public forums with the pretense of sincerity, when in fact he is being paid for his services.
Who are you shilling for?
Ha VC! Zing! 🙂
And to think I had a Howard Dean shirt once—–back in the day. Cute too, blue and white baseball style. I never really got to wear it though. He screamed and was gone —–presto/changeo—-before I got a chance to strut around and show my support. On to Kerry—-didn’t invest in a Kerry shirt—–thought I might jinx him—-guess I wasn’t the key factor.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
😀 What did you do vis-a-vis shirts when PBO came on the scene?
A whole closet full—–hoodies and short sleeve t shirts and long sleeve t shirts and sweatshirts etc. etc. I felt comfortable doing this when I found out my shirt purchases really had nothing to do with election outcomes. And I was bound and determined to support Obama whole hog—-in every way possible. I was All IN—-still am.
‘I found out my shirt purchases really had nothing to do with election outcomes’
Wrong conclusion, Dotster – you just needed to buy ‘A whole closet full’. Glad you inadvertently found the shirt solution in time to make a difference in PBO’s campaigns. 😉 😉
Also this (posted earlier, but didn’t get much response).
Conservative elite Byron York said yesterday:
” it may be that the Republican Party is too divided to have a real civil war. Perhaps chaos would be a better description…”
Chaos. I like the sound of that. MSM is going to lose all credibility if they continue to tout the virtues of the self-promoting whiners as being the voice of the GOP, which will end of splintering even more.
I did hear something like this on my way home listening to NPR. Not surprising how they are fighting amongst themselves.
GOP CONTEMPTIBLE BEHAVIOR – TAKES ONE’S BREATH AWAY
The Unprecedented, Contemptible GOP Quest to Sabotage Obamacare
By Norm Ornstein
———————————-
But to do everything possible to undercut and destroy its implementation — which in this case means finding ways to deny coverage to many who lack any health insurance; to keep millions who might be able to get better and cheaper coverage in the dark about their new options; to create disruption for the health providers who are trying to implement the law, including insurers, hospitals, and physicians; to threaten the even greater disruption via a government shutdown or breach of the debt limit in order to blackmail the president into abandoning the law; and to hope to benefit politically from all the resulting turmoil — is simply unacceptable, even contemptible. One might expect this kind of behavior from a few grenade-throwing firebrands. That the effort is spearheaded by the Republican leaders of the House and Senate — even if Speaker John Boehner is motivated by fear of his caucus, and McConnell and Cornyn by fear of Kentucky and Texas Republican activists — takes one’s breath away.
————————————
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/07/the-unprecedented-contemptible-gop-quest-to-sabotage-obamacare/278098/
Great article by Norm Ornstein! Thanks Ladyhawke for sharing it.
If you haven’t read this, you MUST
http://www.amazon.com/Even-Worse-Than-Looks-Constitutional/dp/0465031331
DF! I have read the book! It’s one of the must read books that the MSM has failed to call attention too. By all objective standards, the authors, Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein, are centrist pundits/scholars.
UT, thank you for always bringing your magnificent tweets here when you cover a live event. I know that I don’t have to worry about watching the event live, because you make it seem like I was there. I’ m glad to read that you will be sharing the duties as bt with Chips.
Why would the GOP balk at a corporate tax cut?
By Steve Benen
————————————-
I’ve spent some time this afternoon collecting Republican complaints about the new Obama offer, so let’s take them one at a time.
* Republicans learned about the offer through the media: One of the first responses from Speaker Boehner’s office this morning was that the White House didn’t call them first about the idea. The White House claims they called Boehner last night, but he didn’t respond. But really, I have no idea why anyone would give a darn. What does this have to do with the economic merits.
.
.
* The offer could hurt small businesses: That was the argument from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell this morning, and I have no idea what he’s talking about. Why would lower corporate rates hurt small businesses?
* The president’s plan isn’t bipartisan: This is another gem from McConnell, and unless he’s prepared to say cutting taxes on corporations is a Democratic idea, I’m hard pressed to imagine why anyone would take this seriously.
——————————————–
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/07/30/19779272-why-would-the-gop-balk-at-a-corporate-tax-cut
If Boehner keeps refusing to take calls from the President – he will have to use thewhitehouse.com – cause the media(R,USA) only tells him things he wants to hear.
what up TOD peeps.
Hope everyone had a great Tuesday
Alrigth X-MEN fans, the next X-Men First Class movie is gonna be epic!!! Not one, but 2 Xavier (young and old) but 2 Magnetos (young and old), Kitty Pryde, Wolverine (allegedly) and mutha-fruckin’ SENTINELS!!!! Can’t wait for this! This is a “commercial” for TRASK industries. This looks like a REAL commercial!!!
here’s the thing too cuz…check out the website for TRASK industries! It’s a LIVE website, like it’s a read company…lol
http://www.trask-industries.com/#/genetics
ETA: I loved old Magneto (Sir Ian), but damn if I don’t lust after young Magneto…Ooh boy I love me some Michael Fassbender, even if he do have shark teeth…lol
The new movie will have the SENTINELS??!!! Too Cool. Always wanted to see them on the big screen.
I just went to check out trask industries website! HA – that is SO stellar! 😀
Next time any of you who talk to those right wing conservatives who is always talking about what POTUS have or haven’t done, ask them to tell you what have the right wing Republicans done? Just list their accomplishment one by one, show you what they have done to create jobs.
That is if you can sit down and have a intelligent conversation with them. Most of them let their racists hate rule them that they act like they have lost all common sense.
I agree Anniebella. Even better, keep a copy of PBO’s accomplishments in your handbag or pocket and hand it to them. It is hard to talk to people like that. Truthfully, it has nothing to do with what POTUS has or has not done. I don’t have to say the real reason.
COS, believe me I know the real reason, so does alot of people..
Tweety just said that Ed Rendell should be Hillary’s Chief of Staff……
If that even gets close to being true I don’t think I can vote for her
If she gets the Democratic nomination, just remind yourself that you are voting for supreme court justices. I did not want to vote for Bill Clinton, but that is what made me vote for him. To me the justices have more power than any branch of government obviously because of the lifetime impact they have on the nation. When you think that both bushs’ appointments had a hand in gutting the VRA, the future of the court is the most important branch of government in our lives.
You’re right of course……
I just cannot stand Ed Rendell……
LOL! If Ed Rendell is going to be the Chief of Staff in 2016, then Supreme Court Justices are the least of our problems….
Funny how Tweety has already picked Hillary’s COS and she has not said that she will run. It is something very unsettling about Ed Rendell.
Indeed. It is not lost on me that he was hired by MSNBC in the months leading up to the election to try to undermine PBO and help Willard win. Once the election was over, I stopped seeing him.
The Romney thing didn’t work out, so I guess he’s still looking for a job (in someone’s cabinet). He’s a snake. Anyone who’s lived in PA, and seriously cares about the middle-class can tell you that.
Ed Rendell is nothing compared to lifetime conservatives on the supreme court. They appointed gwb and they gutted the VRA.
I will vote for a Democrat no matter who it is.
I have come to the conclusion that some time Tweety will act like he has some sense, then there are times when wonder if he have any darn sense.
I know I talk about Hillary and Bill, sometimes I am not please with Hillary supporters who want to attack POTUS, but I know deep down that this country can’t survive a Republican in the White House. We here in North Carolina and others around the country have seen the destruction these Republicans are causing.
I like the Clintons mixed bag and all but I would love to see any other Democrat in the White House not named Clinton.
No way I would pull the lever for Clinton.
Haven’t watched Tweety in months, but he’s been on the Hillary 2016 bandwagon since November 7, 2012.
So much so, half the shows I’ve watched since then could have been infomercials for her (exaggerating, but not by much).
His constant Hillary cheerleading has nauseated me; doubt if I’ll return to watching his show.
To 57andfemale,
I was away from computer all day so I just saw your ? about Christine Quinn.
Short answer is that Quinnn collaborated with Bloomberg and other City Council members to “find” (invent) a loophole in the term limits law so that Q and Bloomberg could have 3rd terms. The people of NYC had voted twice for term limits so subverting the intent of all of us for their own continued terms was an overthrow of democracy.
Bill DeBlasio led the fight against this disgrace.
I first met him on the frontlines when he rallied with me and my neighbors to prevent our firehouse closing. We won that battle! Firehouse still working. We thought at the time that Bloomberg’s intent was to turn our famous—Ghostbusters set——-firehouse into condos for rich folks.
Did 57andF have a question about Quinn? (If so, I missed it.)
Here’s a couple of tweets from former Obama adman who is now doing work for Buonon (NJ) and DeBlasio now (the second tweet is a RT).
Yes, Arapaho. 57’s ? followed your earlier posting and my reply to you. Hopefully 57 will see your newest entries.
Good news re: Susan Sarandon and Harry belafonte. Howard Dean campaigned with Bill last night (is that good? I don’t know)
At this point I am so happy that Bill is getting Press.
“…the bridges that are old enough to apply for Medicare” “Not lacking ideas, just lacking action inside Washington.”
I. Love. Our. President.
Thank you Bob for posting this.
The more he brings it to the people…the closer to complete obliteration for the GOTPs
Oh yeah!
New post!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/07/30/chattanooga/