President Obama arrives for a meeting with House Democrats at the Capitol Visitor Center, July 31
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Visit https://t.co/BT1w7ikUXg MT @SophiaBush: Want to #dosomething awesome for your future? Get info on all the #healthcare benefits
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 31, 2013
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whathasobamacaredoneformelately
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President Obama walks to a meeting with House Democrats on Capitol Hill, July 31
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President Obama is escorted by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Assistant Democratic Party Leader Rep. James Clyburn and Vice Chairman of the Democratic Caucus Rep. Joseph Crowley at the US Capitol after concluding talks with House Democrats
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USA Today: … President Obama will appear on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday as part of a western swing next week, officials said.
…. In its announcement, the Tonight Show said Obama plans “to discuss his second term concentrating on his jobs initiatives and the economy.”
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president’s trip will also include a housing speech in the Phoenix, Ariz., area, and a talk with troops at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
More here
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Wished President @BarackObama an early happy birthday in the most delicious way possible. #darkchocolate pic.twitter.com/JfwuDS4EYB
— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) July 31, 2013
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Amazon: President Barack Obama: The Kindle Singles Interview
In this Kindle Singles Interview, President Barack Obama decried the “change in culture” that has changed our view of the American Dream. “There was not that window into the lifestyles of the rich and famous,” the President said. “Kids weren’t monitoring everyday what Kim Kardashian was wearing, or where Kanye West was going on vacation, and thinking that somehow that was the mark of success.” He addressed the jobs issue from a personal perspective, reflecting on how his own life might have been different had he not experienced success in politics. “I could picture myself being a good teacher,” the President mused.
In the interview, which took place on July 30, 2013, at an Amazon facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Obama discussed the increasing need for government programs that can actually make a difference. Sticking close to his standard message, he spoke frankly about the increasing polarization of American politics since the Great Recession and Republican Party intransigence over his agenda. On a personal note, he reflected that he and First Lady Michelle Obama are constantly reminding their daughters of the “slightly unreal environment that they’re in,” as children of privilege in a world constrained by unemployment and recession.
More here
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President Obama hosts the 2013 NCAA champion University of Connecticut Huskies Women’s basketball players in the East Room of the White House
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Steve Benen: What a governing allergy looks like
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington are getting ready for a four-week break, followed by a September in which House Republicans have only scheduled nine days of work for the entire month, and they’re leaving quite a to-do list behind. Four of the 12 appropriations bills that have to pass before the end of the fiscal year are being ignored; the farm bill is stuck; immigration reform is demanding attention; and a debt-ceiling crisis looms.
There is, in other words, real work that needs to get done, and in theory, members of Congress would be scrambling right now to get as much finished as possible.
More here
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The First Paws. pic.twitter.com/USAT8A6JJg
— The White House (@whitehouse) July 31, 2013
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The Obama Diary 
Hello
Hiya you!
I’m keeping an eye on the cloture vote tomorrow in the Senate to move the transportation bill. If enough GOPers defect to move the bill to a final vote, I’ll have an idea for an essay. If they don’t, I’ll have another idea for an essay.
Ah, okay, thanks LL – either way we win?!
Pretty much. Either Turtle continues to lose control over his caucus, or he maintains enough control but scuppers a bill to fix roads and bridges, which is as popular a cross-party bill as there is.
Congrats LL on #1! 🙂
Congratulations, LL. Next to the Obamas and the Bidens, Mrs Pelosi is a most stylish woman. NEVER looks bad!
Hi, you all! Everything seems to be in slo-mo today.
Everything’s been in slo mo the past few days. Dog days of summer and all.
Hi-ya, LL. You mean, WordP gets to be affected by the dog days of summer? Now you tell me! Had I known this previously I wouldn’t have been so frantic. 😉 I thought something was wrong with my connection. Phew!
He’s coming to PHX and I have to go back to work next week!! WTH!
Coming here Tues…don’t know where or what time
It’s nice I don’t even have to ask who is ‘he’? 😀
🙂 Right you are! You know who HE is!!
You could always take the kids on a ‘field trip’ to see him.- there’s time to compose a letter for parents to sign, rent a bus and collect payment, etc. I’m sure you’d have no problem designing a follow-up classroom activity. 😉
Actually, I won’t be with the kids that day, I have an inservice to go to…. I’m so sad 😦
Cheer up, Chips and the gang will take pictures and make a video, saving all for you to see later. 😉
TY, vc….I feel a little better:) Love to see him JUST ONCE, in person. Once. Bucket list
Df, on occasion I do think I’d like to see him in person, but on other occasions seeing him like I do here and FEELING how he interacts with people seems like I AM seeing him in person. I mean, he seems so real here in the village, but I do understand what you mean. You never know, your chance may come when you least expect it.
‘Are some republicans treating you like a lame duck already?’ – was the question I heard on the video clip. I wish someONE would call these idiots out when they are being unnecessarily rude. Then again, no, because that would then become the focus of the reporting. 🙄
vc, I heard that stupid question ask. That fool knows that these crazy ass Republicans have been treating this President like a lame duck President starting January 2009. To them he was never legit.
Annieb, I wondered BRIEFLY who was the ill-mannered, classless, conflict-fostering, ignorant roach who would ask such a question, then I forgot him.
Is there any wonder why POTUS doesn’t want to waste his time with these media jackasses?
There is ‘wonder’ on their part, none on ours! Dense, disrespectful jerks! [There! I feel cleansed.]
The expression on my President’s face in that first picture is “what do you mean daisydem could not make it to the meeting?”
My President looks so young and strong, lean and mean, these days! 🙂 🙂
52 is young.
He looks even younger…more like 42
Is the guy to his right in that picture a SS type? He looks a tad ‘drawn’.
To me looks more than a tad ‘sexi.’
🙂 🙂
😉 😉 Good thing we are all so varied…
Heh! yes indeed. 🙂
Hahahah – you too made me scroll back up to see who “tad” was – ROFL!!!!
See, I told you all that I am going to be bringing out the Wonderful Naught Mats very, very soooooooooooooooon HZ
Looooove the pictures with the UConn Huskies. Fun event.
I think most of the so call basketball know it all thought the Baylor women team would win the women championship.
I wonder if Sasha is going to continue to play basketball. Maybe one day she will be playing college basketball.And we see the ex-President and First Lady at her game.
Hmmm…if that happens there will be a tremendous SURGE in the interest in women’s basketball, nationally, internationally, in the media, etc….
Love that PBO swagger…
Oh, our President is on today. Lawdy please have mercy. Let’s get the birthday party on. Right prettyfoot? Our POTUS is showing up and
showing out. PBO has a swagger like no other president has or ever will have. PBO’s is an elegant swagger. Lord, please have mercy on the seniors in this family. Of course we are foxy seniors. POTUS would love hanging out with the TOD Seniors. Love my Mr. President.HZ
Great write-up in Hartford Courant about re. UConn team visit to WH, plus more photos!
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/hc-uconn-women-white-house-0801-20130731,0,2727837.story
Thank you Dotster!
Oh, t’was nothing. How is your vacay in the cow pasture? 🙂 I stepped in a cow pie once—–we thought we found this great secret secluded place in the Iowa countryside to have one last par-tay before heading back to college one year. And then—–whoops—–and ugh. Didn’t know cows hung out there during the day, a bovine party spot. Put a bit of a damper on my night—–but provided hilarious laughter for everyone else.
I’m sure it was all in fun, and the President was light-hearted about it, but those girls giving him rabbit ears just screams disrespect. It’s not funny and it’s not cute.
Sorry…just had to vent. Very turned off by that.
That was the same thought I had. You don’t give the President rabbit ears.
While I didn’t make any big deal about it, I agree with you too sjterrid and arkluvspbo.
Important dates to keep on your calendar:
Aug 17: my vacation starts
Aug 18: Chelsea plays its first game of the season
Yes, it’s that important.
Oh, and in spouse news, she’s down about 135 lbs from her highest weight. Today she’s wearing a size which she hasn’t worn in years. Yay!!!
🙂 Yea to the Missus for all her hard work…how exhilarated and thrilled she must be with her new and improved self. Good for her…and good for you for supporting her all along the way!
Congrats on Mrs LL’s progress! 🙂
Countdown to your vacay….4….3…2..1..
Wow, congratulations to your wife LL, that’s just a spectacular achievement! A really amazing effort, wonderful!
I realized I hadn’t given you guys an update on her in a while. She’s chugging along splendidly.
Wonderful….. 😀
She must be feeling so happy and so proud of herself! Please do tell her how very happy we are to hear of her progress.
I shall!
Yes, LL, what vc said. 1000x
Way to GO Mrs. LL!!!!
Yes!
AMEN.
Man, this whole thing is so out of control.
meta,What ashame. I am not a fan of New York Mayor Bloomberg at all. A rich white man who see all black been alike. Black and criminals.
They knew who he was…they felt empowered by their white priviledge…
I know absolutely nothing about what happened, but from the posts here, my thought was “The NYPD rank-and-file don’t know who their chief is?”
That makes no sense at all, and your thoughts make more sense.
My father, who was the head of the financial department of the Amsterdam city police, cycled to work every day.
One day he ran a red light in frustration of the short stick cyclists got every time on the “light’s cycle”.
He was apprehended and paid the fine – he didn’t want to play out his position to forgo the monetary fix.
Needless to say – none of the officers “on the ground” recognized him. Amsterdam at that time had 3500 uniformed personel.
he had ID….they chose not to believe the ID
You’re right, that’s a spectacular error …
No disrespect toward your father, but the head of Finance is not the same as Police Chief.
Every officer would have seen a photo of his chief (if the precinct captains were doing their job).
Sounds like the NYPD needs some of the same type of federal oversight the LAPD was under after the Rodney King beating 20+ years ago.
The LAPD was under a “consent decree” that was only recently limited. (Not sure of the particulars involved in this, but the LAPD were under federal scrutiny for 20 years.)
Doesn’t that completely and unequivocally invalidate Don Lemon’s recent comments about saggy pants and hoodies? Heck I’m sure the Good Chief wasn’t in baggy pants and hoodies…he was wearing a POLICE BADGE for Pete’s sake!! Oops..he was wearing black skin too. But I’m sure Don Lemon doesn’t think the black skin issue matters….
Just checked article. Seems it was from May/2008.
Still think it’s a good example why “stop and frisk” is wrong. I mean, if even your ID as a fellow police officer doesn’t help – what hope can anyone have “who just doesn’t look the right way” ?
Thanks, CanadaBarb.
My computer and I hate going to HuffPo, thanks for taking the time to do so.
We all look alike donycha know?
Hi YA, are you back, well-rested, from your vacay, or only peeking in? Hope you had/are having a good time.
If this is true, it is funny as hell and just may be what was needed to reach the tipping point.
PBO’s snap and head roll GIF:
http://twitpic.com/d5rjn8
http://www.nationalmemo.com/corporate-tax-rates-plummet-as-profits-soar/
What if they threw a party and no one came??
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/31/russian-official-anti-lgbt-laws-will-apply-to-olympic-athletes-and-guests/
Mother Russia has great freedoms, Snowjob! Enjoy!
Did Heidi ever make it back to D.C. for the vote (ATF)? I don’t understand why she wasn’t there. Isn’t that her job—-to be there for votes? It just seems like dereliction of duty to me to hold up a vote, waiting for her to meander back to D.C. from N.D.
hi dotster. I was wondering the same thing but saw on Politico that she was home and was planning on being in DC on Wed but took ill.
Sorry to hear that, if true. Wonder why she wasn’t in D.C. in the first place. They have 5 weeks to be home starting Aug. .
Hello out there. I finally got some wifii juice up here in the North woods. I see I’ve missed about 62 or so posts which tells me you lot have been busy. I won’t be able to really catch up until Saturday. These “Cheeseheads” don’t have a clue about what’s going on in the world. Most of the cable stations are about hunting, guns, fishing and ‘faux’ news. I finally was able to finagle MSNBC. (I hope this gts out)
Hi, Yardarm. Hope you are enjoying your vacation. Glad you could join us; I had to sever relations with people from Wisconsin a few years ago due to their ignorant bigotted views; their source of all news is Fox and Drudge.
It’s all good Barb. I even made a few bucks at the casino. 😆
Say, there, sailor!! Congrats on the extra dough.
I didn’t tell ya how much I had to put in though. Ha! A scared man can’t gamble and a jealous one can’t work mid-nights!
LOLz!!
It’s Yaaaaaaaaardarm! How are you Shipmate, are you being good on your vacation?????
Hell no! There’s no fun in that. 😆
Good to hear Shipmate, my greatest fear was that you were being good. Permission to carry on being naughty granted!!!!
Aye Admiral. I’m off to the casino. 🙂
congrats,…..on the slots?
YARD!!!.
Hiya Ms prettyfoot! 😀
Hey Sailor. Calm sea and prosperous voyage?
Yup. I’ll be in my home port Saturday. Then I can catch up.
YA, I asked you a question up above, but I found the answer as I scrolled down so just ignore it, and enjoy your remaining vacation.
Hey, Sailor Man – Good to see ya! Glad you’ve been enjoying yourself!
Hi yardarm. Thanks for checking in.
Hi all! I’m spreading the word at my gym about Obamacare and its amazing to me how much people believe the worst! My 70 year old friend was telling me today how all her doctors are scaring her to death telling her Obamacare is going to be terrible and telling her she can’t get a pap smear anymore (she has ovarian cancer in her family). This is from doctors! So she was very anxious, understandably. So I told her about how medicare covers physicals and mamograms, and pap smears, etc. She has medicare and a supplement, so I told her about the marketplace and how she might get a better deal than the supplemental insurance she has. I sent her an e-mail with Medicare.gov and Healthcare.gov, along with a great video on women’s preventative services covered by medicare. Than a young man at the gym who works 2 part time jobs with no benefits didn’t know he could get covered in the exchange, plus maybe get help with subsidies. He voted for Obama, but didn’t know. It astonishes me that doctors would scaring my friend with lies about the ACA. I remember running into situations like this when calling for the President’s campaign last year, telling young people how much help they could get with college, and that the banks weren’t in the student loan loop anymore. We can do so much important work in our communities!
I shouldn’t be, but I am surprise about doctors doing something like that. Makes me wonder what kind of doctors are they.
Yep the doctors ARE engaging in professional sabotage. It’s pathetic
Zizi, what are the doctors afraid of? Are they afraid of loosing money? I remember a doctor talking to me about that a few years ago (she’s not my doctor anymore).
‘We can do so much important work in our communities!’
Hi Sherry. This is one reason I’m a big believer in word of mouth. I loved the fact that you pointed your friend to healthcare.gov and medicare.gov, and I hope you will follow-up with her to make sure she is not overwhelmed by all the info. This site also have bits and pieces of information… http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform Yes we are moving #FORWARD.
Thanks VC. That kind of mis-information makes me crazy!!!!!!! She was actually scared about the whole thing. I’m constantly telling people what the real policies are. A lot of young people have no clue about student loans also, as I mentioned. I called my friend after the gym and told her about the websites and found a short 1 minute video from someone who works for medicare about medicare and the women’s preventative care that’s available. It was a great video. She had a chart saying all the things covered. Very easy to understand. Also, at the end of the video, they had a phone number to call medicare. Great video!
OK, Senate has invoked cloture and they are now voting on confirmation……
53 – 42 CONFIRMED!!!!
He was confirmed????!!!!! I missed this earlier, and I’m so glad to hear it. But if I were B. Todd Jones, I’d resign tomorrow just for spite. No, really, I would! And I’d tell the Republicans to put their confirmation “where the sun don’t shine.”
Senate will take up Samantha Power confirmation tomorrow morning.
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/07/31/backstage-with-president-obama/
Hey All, pleasant summer days to all; delurking when I can, how is GB haven’t seen her lately, any updates? Hope Chips is having a wonderful vacation, AMK are you there??? Happy Birthday to President Barack Obama, lots of celebrations my way as my brother is the 2nd and my sister is the 10th, party on the 11th extra bubbly for all TODers on the table…remember to attend all of the rep meetings we need them to know how folks really feel about their obstruction..FORWARD