Tweets Of The Day

Have been paying $84 a month to cover only my daughter. #Obamacare will make it @ $70 a month to cover her, my son AND me!

—
aj (@adjordan) October 04, 2013

Schieffer does journalism. thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/…

—
KSK(africa) (@lawalazu) October 06, 2013

According to the OPCW, the process of destroying Syria's chemical weapons began today - welcome progress that strengthens the intl ban on CW

—
Ben Rhodes (@rhodes44) October 06, 2013

@Rhon09, we have the whole list of Democratic Candidates Running Against Republican Incumbents here. Pass it on! bit.ly/15dyPoV

—
Knowledge Democrats (@KDemocrats) October 06, 2013

Looks like it might be the end of @tedcruz. Dumb is dumb, and it's becoming clearer every minute...

—
Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) October 04, 2013

Journalistic Failure

****

Dan Froomkin: Shutdown Coverage Fails Americans

holding the entire government hostage while demanding the de facto repeal of a president’s signature legislation and not even bothering to negotiate is by any reasonable standard an extreme political act. It is an attempt to make an end run around the normal legislative process. There is no historical precedent for it. The last shutdowns, in 1995 and 1996, were not the product of unilateral demands to scrap existing law; they took place during a period of give-and-take budget negotiations.

But the political media’s aversion to doing anything that might be seen as taking sides — combined with its obsession with process — led them to actively obscure the truth in their coverage of the votes. If you did not already know what this was all about, reading the news would not help you understand. What makes all this more than a journalistic failure is that the press plays a crucial role in our democracy. We count on the press to help create an informed electorate. And perhaps even more important, we rely on the press to hold the powerful accountable.

That requires calling out political leaders when they transgress or fail to meet commonly agreed-upon standards: when they are corrupt, when they deceive, when they break the rules and refuse to govern. Such exposure is the first consequence. When the transgressions are sufficiently grave, what follows should be continued scrutiny, marginalization, contempt and ridicule. In the current political climate, journalistic false equivalence leads to an insufficiently informed electorate, because the public is not getting an accurate picture of what is going on.

More here

****

Two Perfect Examples

There is no choice but for their to be a negotiation on debt limit if only to negotiate on how much to lift it.

—
Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) October 06, 2013

BOEHNER: "Call me, maybe." OBAMA: "All you're ever gonna be is mean." Our government is run by teenage pop divas. #shutdown #default

—
Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 06, 2013

****

Only way to shame dysfunction in MSM is by others in MSM calling out some of their own. If not, dysfunction continues.

—
KSK(africa) (@lawalazu) October 06, 2013

When @Froomkin writes about journalistic failure, he paints a perfect portrait of @ChuckTodd. america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/… http://t.co/XqXlmuBajA

—
Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) October 06, 2013

shorter @ron_fournier @chucktodd - Obama should act like an adult while we still shill for the temper tantums of .@gop. #TreasonousBastards

—
  (@amk4obama) October 06, 2013

game to date: GOP adopts insanely obstructionist strategy. DC pundits tell WH what concessions it should give so GOP will stop acting insane

—
Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) October 05, 2013

"Both sides to blame" pundits will use anonymous quote with ellipses as excuse to refuse to reckon with reality of GOP position.

—
Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) October 04, 2013

@ron_fournier Our press is run by people with no journalistic integrity, insight, or even intelligence. Present company not excepted.

—
Mary Foster (@marylynne1) October 06, 2013

@chucktodd I see you call yourself a 'political junkie'. How appropriate when what you write is political junk.

—
Mary Foster (@marylynne1) October 06, 2013

****

It’s Time To Vote

****

If you are in Virginia, you have until October 15th to register or re-register here

New Jersey Information here

In my part of the nation, early voting has commenced-while this year in Ohio, it’s purely local. My city is electing a Mayor and Council. This year, I am going to vote early anyway. After all, even President Obama started off as a state legislator.

If there are no elections, this is the perfect time to register if you haven’t already, or re-register if you’ve moved or changed your name. Get ready for next year here

****

On This Day

President Barack Obama shares a humorous moment with a group of doctors from around the country in the Oval Office, Oct. 5, 2009, prior to a health insurance reform event at the White House.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

****

President Barack Obama talks with Vice President Joe Biden in the doorway of the Oval Office, Oct. 6, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

****

President Barack Obama listens to Ron A. Bloom, senior advisor to the Treasury Secretary, during the Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office, Oct. 6, 2009. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is seated at right. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

****

President Barack Obama talks with Senior Advisor David Axelrod and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers following the Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office, Oct. 6, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

****

“We Are The Ones Who Did Shut The Government Down”

****

.@SpeakerBoehner demands negotiations or he'll wreck the economy. WH's only demand? That House GOPers not wreck the economy. #JustVote

—
Josh Earnest (@jearnest44) October 06, 2013

I wonder how Speaker Boehner wld have felt if Nancy Pelosi threatened to default to repeal the unpaid for Bush Tax cuts he voted for

—
Dan Pfeiffer (@pfeiffer44) October 06, 2013

The Speaker says there are "not enough votes" to pass a clean CR? If he's right, why not prove it? wapo.st/1bAEOJr #JustVote

—
Jay Carney (EOP) (@PressSec) October 06, 2013

****

****

Rise and Shine: The Week in Photos, Videos & a Word or Two

@petesouza: Pres Obama greets pedestrians along Penn Ave in DC, Oct 4

****

Monday * Tuesday * Wednesday * Thursday * Friday

****

Monday

Text of remarks here

****

President Obama signs H.R. 3210, Pay Our Military Act, which provides continuing appropriations for pay and allowances for members of the Armed Forces during any period for which interim or full-year appropriations for FY 2014 are not in effect, in the Oval Office, Monday night, Sept. 30 (Photo by Pete Souza)

****

****

Members of the Cabinet watch as President Obama makes a televised statement on a possible government shutdown, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Sept. 30 (Photo by David Lienemann)

****

****

Tuesday

Obamacare is here. #GetCovered

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 1, 2013

****

****

President Obama hugs Americans who will benefit from the Affordable Care Act after delivering remarks about the launch of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces and the first federal government shutdown in 17 years in the Rose Garden

****

****

This is the face of #Obamacare, this is what the GOP is working to destroy: pic.twitter.com/yJGAkbZFbh

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) October 1, 2013

****

****

****

Early Bird Chat

On This Day: David Lienemann, the Vice President’s photographer, captured this loving moment as Captain Mark Kelly embraces his wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, after receiving the Legion of Merit from the Vice President, Oct. 6, 2011

****

MoooOOOooorning Early Birds, Happy Sunday!