A year ago today: President Obama greets the family of Make-A-Wish child Francisco “Paqui” Lopez Pena, outside the Oval Office, Aug. 6, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Today:
EDT
10:10 AM The President departs the White House
MST
11:40: Arrives Phoenix, Arizona
12:10: Tours Erickson Construction
1:05: Delivers remarks at Desert Vista High School, Phoenix (4:05 EDT, White House Live)
2:10: Departs Phoenix
PDT
3:25: Arrives Los Angeles
4:30: Tapes an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”
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BREAKING: U.S. trade deficit falls to $34.2 billion in June, lowest since late 2009, as exports hit record. -MM
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 6, 2013
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If you missed it earlier, the much smaller than expected trade deficit is going to boost Q2 GDP by 0.2-0.6% or so, pushing GDP over 2.0%.
— Dan Greenhaus (@DanBTIG) August 6, 2013
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Bloomberg: Americans With Best Credit in Decades Drive U.S. Economy
Americans have made progress putting their finances in order and are ready to borrow again – giving the world’s largest economy another driver of spending and growth.
Household net worth soared to a record high in the first quarter, Federal Reserve data show, and the financial-obligations ratio relating consumer debt to income matched the lowest in 33 years. Consumer loans are rising, and the American Bankers Association reports the share of delinquencies on bank cards is the smallest since 1990.
“Household finances are in the best shape in decades,” said Joseph Carson, director of global economic research at AllianceBernstein … “We now have a creditworthy borrower. It’s a powerful ingredient” ….
More here
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Marketwatch: Home-price growth near seven-year high
Annual home-price growth in June was close to the fastest pace in seven years, as inventories of existing and new homes remained low, according to data released Tuesday.
Home prices, including distressed sales, rose 1.9% in June, and were up 11.88% from a year earlier … In May, prices were up 11.93% from the prior year, the fastest annual growth since February 2006.
Excluding short sales and other distressed properties, prices rose 1.8% in June, and were up 10.97% from the year-earlier period, reaching the fastest annual pace since February 2006.
More here
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USA Today: President Obama heads west Tuesday, to talk housing in Phoenix and the economy on a late-night talk show in Hollywood.
Obama starts in Phoenix, where he tours a home construction company and delivers a speech on housing policy.
…. After Phoenix, Obama travels to the Los Angeles area for an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where he hopes to talk about the economy in between jokes.
The president will spend the night in Los Angeles.
More here
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Steve Benen: PolitiFact finds its pants on fire
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) appeared on Fox News on Sunday, and when the discussion turned to a possible self-imposed budget crisis, the Virginia Republican said lawmakers should be “focused on trying to deal with the ultimate problem, which is this growing deficit.”
What Cantor said was the opposite of the truth – he said the nation has a “growing deficit,” when in reality, we have a shrinking deficit. We can have a discussion about whether the House Majority Leader was deliberately trying to deceive the public – Republicans have an incentive to convince the public that U.S. finances are in worse shape than they really are – or whether Cantor simply doesn’t know the basics of current events. But I’m afraid it’s either one or the other.
Unless, that is, you’re PolitiFact…..
More here
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#VotingRightsMatter. That’s why I’m joining @TheDemocrats in fighting to protect our rights. Will you join me? http://t.co/rrUWIq3COH
— Donna NoShock (@NoShock) August 6, 2013
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From The Last Word:
From Mississippi to the Ivy League: Two students reflect on their unique journeys – video here
Sister Simone schools ‘Catholic school boy’ Paul Ryan – video here
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A question of moderation… or extremism. pic.twitter.com/cWu6ZgoGHT
— amk4obama (@amk4obama) August 6, 2013
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Former baseball players in the Negro League, from left to right, Pedro Sierra, Minnie Minoso, and Ron Teasley, talk outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington following their meeting with President Obama.
USA Today: Obama praises Negro League veterans
While Major League Baseball grapples with performance enhancing drugs, President Obama and some special guests spent Monday evening talking about the old days in the Negro League.
Obama thanked Negro League veterans for helping pave the way for African-Americans in professional sports, as well as other walks of life.
….. The Negro League delegation also included a woman owner, Minnie Forbes of the old Detroit Stars.
Forbes pointed out that in the old days African-American ballplayers — and African-Americans in general — couldn’t stay in certain hotels or restaurants.
“Now,” she said, “we are able to come to the White House and see the president,” himself an African-American.
Forbes also reported that the the president gave her a kiss on the cheek — “and I’m not washing my face!”
More here
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Greg Sargent: Keep An Eye On Georgia Senate Race
A new survey from the robo-firm Public Policy Polling finds that Democrat Michelle Nunn is locked in a close battle for the Georgia Senate seat with several of the main potential GOP challengers. This — combined with the fact that the GOP primary is a crowded affair — has Dems looking at this race as a potential firewall: If Dems can somehow win in Georgia (or even Kentucky), Republicans will have to sweep four Dem incumbents out of office to take the Senate.
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National Journal: Republicans Confront Lady Problems in Congress
When the House Judiciary Committee passed a late-term abortion ban in June, Republican leaders scrambled to find a female, media-savvy legislator to bring the legislation to the floor. Their biggest problem: Not a single Republican woman was represented among the committee’s 23 Republican members. They eventually settled on Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who isn’t on the Judiciary Committee.
The episode underscored a growing problem that is worrying Republicans: Women are badly underrepresented within their party in the Congress. Only eight percent of House Republicans are women, and there are only four female Republican senators. Of the long list of potential 2016 GOP presidential contenders, there’s not a single woman.
More here
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And that 1+1 = 3 MT @DavidCornDC: Studies show that watching Fox News increases your risk of holding incorrect beliefs about climate change
— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) August 6, 2013
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On this day….
President Obama visits with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan in the Blue Room of the White House, prior to Kagan’s confirmation reception in the East Room, Aug. 6, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)
Aug. 6, 2010: The President walks newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan into the Oval Office (Photo by Pete Souza)
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MooooOOOOoooorning!
The Obama Diary 
GM
Loves it!!! Good morning Chips!!! Thanks for all you do and I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacay! Thanks to UT for running the show so smoothly!!! And thanks to all the TOD peeps for keeping me educated and entertained!!!!
Moooooorning LadyTNT, thank you so much – and I echo your praise of the mighty UT!
| Live Now | President Obama departs Joint Base Andrews for Phoenix, AZ: http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml
Looking very damp – thankyou for the link – I love watching this
Thank you JER!
Good morning everyone. Congrats LadyTNT and JER on dual firsts.
workaholic wimmin.
/smh
If my boss read that he’d choke on his croissant! Moooooooorning Amk!
You have a croissant eating boss ??? I too love them.
My commiserations.
Well, he eats his staff first, then completes his breakfast with a croissant – sets him up nicely for the day.
moar butter to crois. That’ll soften him up.
Ha, I think he’s unsoftenuppable!!
I blame you.
Now that’s reporting:)
Darrell Issa to hold hearings and subpoena the puddle……
Yes, I sense the need for a through investigation: what did PBO know about the puddle & when did he know it?
Iran’s new president calls for “serious and substantive” talks with the international community about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23591371
Great round-up Chiparoo. Lots of good news and interesting pieces. Thanks!
Thank you mighty UT, it’s a heckofa job trying to keep up to your standards, Chelsea Girl!
Great tweet, AMK! I am glad Chips included it on the front page.
Good Morning Chipsticks, TODers…Everyone
Another picture of a baby mesmerized by the aura exuding from our President. Those pictures always make me smile. 😀 A good start to the day.
Thanks for another great Rise and Shine Chipsticks!
Moooooorning swbluega, love that pic too!
Cute little baby. She was from Make a Wish, I wonder how she is doing?
It would be worrying if the GOP didn’t have lady problems in congress. Hard to imagine how ANY woman can support the GOP in it’s current format where the only legislation it will pass is related to women’s reproduction and the legislation it wants to repeal contains benefits for women’s health care. NO woman should be supporting this party.
I still remember my mother telling me that voting was by secret ballot & how you voted vs. how you told your husband you voted could always be eons apart and no-one would be the wiser. My folks had a long – and mainly happy marriage – but I used to get annoyed as to how my dad dominated. I eventually understood that my Mom had her own methods of coping with reality. She did well 🙂
Awkward…
Australia rarely makes the news here in the U.S., but PoliticalWire.com picked up this video yesterday:
“Australian Liberal Party parliamentary candidate Jaymes Diaz was stumped when asked by Channel Ten News about his six point plan for addressing immigration issues.”
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/08/05/candidate_cant_name_a_single_point_of_his_six-point_plan.html
Immigration is a worse word in Australia than the US. The six point plan – probably isn’t worth remembering – the 2 point plan seems to be – 1. hide them on a south sea island, 2. hope they disappear.
Yup. For a nation with piddly population of 30 mil, aussies sure are paranoid about immigrants, fucking forgetting where they came from.
Well, they were selected by the finest judges of England ….
The ones who survived the ordeal certainly exemplified “survival of the fittest” – took awhile – but most “european” australians are very proud of their heritage. I have some wonderful documents from the 1800s where some of our ancestors tried to hide their genealogy.
Bit late to respond – but the population is a piddling 23 million – ever since it got to 20 million – the media seems to have added an extra 10 – who would know why. We have a base population of RWNJs – very similar to some other countries.
As for the upcoming election – a choice between a rock and a hard place.
It’s odd how countries settled by immigrants (US and Australia) are both anti-immigrant AND anti-indigenous people.
I don’t understand how people live their lives thinking they’re better than other people.
Sorry to hear about your election choices.
Love it when the babies laugh spontaneously when they see the kenyan muslin.
Morning TODers 😉
48 yrs ago, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law.
Robert and his gang could not wait, but to drive a dagger into the Voting Rights Act…….weeks before the 48 yrs anniversary. Shame.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/175618/voting-rights-act-peril-48th-anniversary#axzz2bCYGnOkN
g’nite everyone – enjoy your day
Good morning wonderful people of TOD!!! Chips thanks for a great R&S and welcome back. To UT you continue to be an inspiration to all of us old folks here.
I am finishing cleaning my house for my company from Japan. We had 3 girls live with us while they were attending the University of MT back in the early 2000-2003. One is coming back for a visit. She is helping rebuild after the earthquake working for a company out of Switzerland. I am anxious to hear all about what is going on.
Have a great day everyone.
Thanks for updating us on the return of your Japanese friend.
So much has happened since she’s been here.
What a treat for her to attend the University of MT. So many people in the USA haven’t had that opportunity. Such a beautiful state, and Missoula is a wonderful city.
Let us know how it goes (it’ll be like a pajama party, staying up all night catching up).
Awwww! 🙂 I’m w/ Ms. Forbes:
Forbes also reported that the the president gave her a kiss on the cheek — “and I’m not washing my face!”
So Ms. Forbes if we run into you a year from now and your face looks dirty and terrible, we will understand why. 🙂
She’ll be that lady with a huge grin on her face and a big smudge on her cheek! 🙂
🙂
And not ask any questions. Because we wouldn’t want to kill the mood. Ha! 🙂
Good morning and good news day everyone.
It is too hot to say anything else.
#WhydoIliveinFla.
What a lovely post, Chips!
Mornin’.
Not sure why this landed here, but good morning to you, too, CEB!
#NotReadyForPrimeTime
Good Morning beautiful Chips and all of my TOD family. Lovely bright and warm day out here. I hope that this day will bring joy, lots of loving deeds, much laugher, great food intake, and beautiful smiles when we see our wonderful President in AZ. Be joyful in your day, TOD family. And guess who President Obama is coming out to see? A few lovely ones in beautiful Cali.. Dare I mention names. No, of course not. That is private business.
We just might meet up for a little gathering after the Jay Leno taping. Just a lovely day all around.
Lots of hugs to ((((((( Layla)))))) ((((((((Gobrooklyn)))))))), and to ((((( Laura Bush and GW)))). We will still be examples of love, and forgivenesss. We are gentle spirits.
Be happy in your steps, confident in your speech, and loving with your thoughts. The world surely can use all of these. (((((Loving Hugs))))))))HZ
Good morning HZ! I’m here in your lovely Pasadena at work and it’s so good to be able to say Good Morning to you!
pssst, don’t tell everyone that you & I will be meeting the President in Burbank – shhhhhhh 🙂
WOT??????
meta – hush! 😆
I know nothing…….OMG……
😉
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???????
LOL, I’m getting replies from everyone but the person I need to play along with me on this!!
Where is HZ??!!???!!!!
LOL!!!!
HZ???? Get yourself here RIGHT NOW!!!!!
😆
She might be in Burbank for the taping for real and left me behind! HAHAHAHAHA!
Did any of you guys see the story about the three 15 year old beating up a 14 year old on school bus. I believe they said the boys were 15, anyway the bus driver watch as they beat that kid. I think he did call for help. I didn’t get all of the story as to why the three boys attack the other boy. Did anyone else hear about that.
I heard a snippet of it on the radio this morning. Apparently, the driver is 64 yrs old, and the 15 yr olds were pretty big and aggressive. He called dispatch and 9-1-1, but was afraid to get into the middle of the beating. Apparently, he looked very torn up. Someone on the radio said that since it happened in Florida, whether the driver would have been able to pull out a gun on the kids to stop it. The whole thing is disturbing…
48 years ago today LBJ signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Right wants us to forget the past and to just “get over it”. Nothing to see here everything is fine. All the while they are trying every trick in the book the stop us from voting. America must not every forget their history (as ugly as parts of it can be) in order to continue to take a stand for what is right, otherwise: “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it”.
Wow – thanks for this magnificent speech. And then to think that, more than 40 years after LBJ’s death, all this work has to be done over again ….
GD everyone. The following is not a good way to start ones day–funny for some but not for this guy.
A man calls home to his wife and says, “Honey I have been asked to go fishing at a big lake up in Canada with my boss and several of his friends. We’ll be gone for a week. This is a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I’ve been wanting, so would you please pack me enough clothes for a week and set out my rod and tackle box. We’re leaving from the office and I will swing by the house to pick my things up. Oh! And please pack my new blue silk pajamas.”
The wife thinks this sounds a little fishy but being a good wife she does exactly what her husband asked. The following weekend he comes home a little tired but otherwise looking good.
The wife welcomes him home and asks if he caught many fish. He says, “Yes! Lots of Walleye, some Blue gill, and a few Pike. But why didn’t you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to do?”
The wife replies; “I did, they were in your tackle box.”
Looks like a dogfish was the only thing caught!
Yes indeed.
Sounds like a line from “Brokeback Mountain” 😉
Hey bt. I found out one of the reasons for TOD taking a long time to load. Too many stuff in the right hand column. Time to trim ’em. How many people really look into them, seriously?
i for one…
Not me…….very seldom!
Another offering from my in-box.
One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, “My dear child, why are you crying?”
The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.
The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.
” Is this your thimble?” the Lord asked .
The seamstress replied, “No.”
The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.
“Is this your thimble?” the Lord asked.
Again, the seamstress replied, “No.”
The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble .
“Is this your thimble?” the Lord asked.
The seamstress replied, “Yes.”
The Lord was pleased with the woman’s honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.
Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her,
“Why are you crying?”
“Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!”The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney .
“Is this your husband? � The Lord asked.
“Yes,” cried the seamstress.
The Lord was furious “You lied! That is an untruth!”
The seamstress replied, “Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding???” asked the Lord.
“Yes, my Lord,” replied the seamstress, “You see, if I had said “no” to George Clooney , you would have come up with Brad Pitt .
Then if I said “no” to him, you would have come up with my husband.. Had I then said “yes,” you would have given me all three.
Lord, I’m not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT’S why I said “yes” to George Clooney.”
And so the Lord let her keep him.
The moral of this story is:
Whenever a woman lies, it’s for a good and honourable reason, and in the best interest of others. That’s our story, and we’re sticking to it.
Signed: All Us Women
LOL. Even gods gets played by wimmin.
I ain’t touchin’ that one.
yay!
😆 😆 😆
Irony alert!
PSA: Do not update to latest firefox 23.0. If you use FF 22.0, stick with it. For now.
Nervously checking what version I have ………………… pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew: 22! Thanks Amk!
From my mailbox, excerpt from Gov. DeVal Patrick. I’m in!
“…..I bet you’re a lot like me.
That’s why OFA is launching its Truth Team — a dedicated group of supporters who want to push back against the lies, myths, and misunderstandings out there with cold, hard facts.
It’s easy — and it can actually be pretty fun. Above all, it’s really important. Sign up to join the OFA Truth Team today.
By signing up for Truth Team, you’ll get tip sheets, regular updates, and all the facts and figures you need to make sure your friends, family, and coworkers know the facts. OFA will never send you something that isn’t backed up by a source you can check out for yourself — you’ll always be able to feel confident about passing things along.
…..So if you care about telling the real story about Obamacare — or just making sure that the debates going on in Washington are happening over actual facts — you need to be a part of this.
Sign up to be a part of OFA’s Truth Team right now: http://my.barackobama.com/Join-the-OFA-Truth-Team….”
Thanks for your help,
Governor Deval Patrick
@DevalPatrick
[Straight jackets are way overdue!]:
Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) told constituents at a town hall meeting that though he thinks questions about President Obama’s birth certificate are mostly a “distraction,” but he is supporting legislation to investigate further because if it is true, “we can get rid of everything he’s done,” Salon reports.
.
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/08/06/lawmaker_pushes_investigation_to_invalidate_obama.html
Ge is the one that said the tax on tanning beds is racist against white people. Rep Ted YoYo !
some people really should not say out loud everything they think in their heads – really!
GGail, that’s assuming they have something IN their heads. I’m going with the theory that it’s all hot air, and whatever happens to blow out of any given orifice at any given time, is what we get to enjoy as methane gas. In other words, getting the GOTPs to shut up would actually help the environment in so many ways.
So, Yoohoo is a racist…good to know.
[Lawd, lies flow through their veins, I tell ya! Uh-huh, and we’re simpletons, eh? And she blames the clerk! Effer!]:
Wyoming U.S. Senate candidate Liz Cheney (R) “improperly received a state resident fishing license based on an application with incorrect information,” the Casper Star-Tribune reports.
“Cheney, who last month announced she will challenge Sen. Mike Enzi in the 2014 Republican primary, received her resident license just 72 days after closing on her Wilson house in May 2012. State law requires residents live in the state 365 consecutive days before they can receive a resident hunting or fishing license, which are cheaper than out-of-state licenses. Cheney’s application also lists her as a 10-year resident of Wyoming.”
Said Cheney: “The clerk must have made a mistake. I never claimed to be a 10-year resident.”
.
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/08/06/cheney_application_said_she_lived_in_wyoming_10_years.html
Their lies and other failings are always someone else’s fault. These right wingers are despicable.
Not only someone else’s fault, but always seemingly the “little people’s” fault
She is a joke in WY
Chuck Todd looks like Larry Summers…
Friggin’ one year gone already? ‘fing time.
One year to drive a mile — sounds like the Republicon Party.
My apologies to Curiosity, because unlike the republicon party, Curiosity is actually beneficial to wo/mankind.
Glad to see you back, Chips!
UT, Thank you. You have been spectacular while Chips was away. 🙂
This from my in-box was a real eye opener but not surprising. I hope this isn’t redundant. #TRAYVON
http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/Walking-While-Tan–16-yo-by-Daily-kos-130714-972.html
Wow, there are no words.
A tanning booth could become more of a hazard if you have short dark hair, eh?
Live Now – President Obama Arrives in Phoenix:
http://www.kpho.com/category/268612/president-obama-visit
http://www.abc15.com/generic/news/live-video
I didn’t see a finger. Did you?
Thanks, JER, uggh, I missed it all! Will try for the next one! 🙂
I see the Finger wagging witch at the tarmac…….She better not try that wicked behavior again.
It is raining in AZ.
The POTUS is in the Beast and they are on their way……. 😉
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/08/06/coming-up-67/
What a difference a year makes (was it only a year ago?).
Great of PBO aka Team Obama showing the Negro League players some love.
That just touched my heart.
They finally got the recognition they deserved. It’s been a long time coming, but the wait is so sweet. How can you not just tear up.
My father, uncles and their friends would be so proud to see this happen today. I stand in the gap for them and say, thank you guys.
And, Mr. President, job well done, thank you for honoring a great bunch of athletes who loved to play the game of baseball.