On This Day: President Barack Obama listens during a meeting with aides on Air Force One en route to Beijing, China, Nov. 16, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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The Week Ahead:
Today: The President has no public events scheduled
Tomorrow: The First Family will attend the game between the University of Maryland and Oregon State University at College Park, Md
Monday: The President will attend meetings at the White House
Tuesday: Will deliver remarks at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council’s annual meeting
Wednesday: The President will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom; the First Lady will also attend
Thursday: The President will attend meetings at the White House
Friday: The President will host King Mohammed XI of Morocco at the White House
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Bill Scher: Another Way Obamacare Is Not Katrina
…. The failed Katrina response was the result of Bush taking an well-functioning government agency and deliberating degrading it: taking it from disaster managmement professionals, giving it to political cronies and beginning a process of reckless privatization.
With the Affordable Care Act, President Obama is not tearing down an existing agency, but trying to build up a new government program from scratch. As I’ve written before, new government programs typically suffer bumpy beginnings, but by facing up to new challenges, our government innovates and advances to better address problems the public wants solved.
In other words, Bush made government dumber. Obama, and Obamacare, is making government smarter.
Full post here
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Dean Baker: No, Obama Didn’t Lie To You About Your Health Care Plan
President Obama has been getting a lot of grief in the last few weeks over his pledge that with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in place, people would be able to keep their insurance if they like it. First, it is important to note that the ACA grand-fathered all the individual policies that were in place at the time the law was enacted. This means that the plans in effect at the time that President Obama was pushing the bill could still be offered even if they did not meet all the standards laid out in the ACA.
The plans being terminated because they don’t meet the minimal standards were all plans that insurers introduced after the passage of the ACA. Insurers introduced these plans knowing that they would not meet the standards that would come into effect in 2014. Insurers may not have informed their clients at the time they sold these plans that they would not be available after 2014 because they had designed a plan that did not comply with the ACA.
More here
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The “attack” label is ridiculous
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Ed Kilgore: Re The Collapse In Obama’s Approval Ratings
After reading Jonathan Bernstein’s essay on the massive over-reaction to the president’s sag in approval ratings—some of it based, no doubt, on media cherry-picking of whichever polls had the lowest numbers—I went back and looked at Gallup’s weekly approval rating averages over the last few weeks.
The CW is that Obama and the Democrats were riding high—on the brink, perhaps, of a history-defying 2014 sweep of Congress—when the government shutdown ended. That week Gallup had Obama’s approval ratio at a 43/51 average. The latest Gallup weekly average of Obama’s approval ratio is at 41/52, a booming one-and-a-half point deterioration since the shutdown ended.
What does it all mean? Probably that most people aren’t breathlessly following events in Washington other than to register their heat and noise. And there’s not much indication just yet that America sees itself as represented by the worried holders of existing individual health insurance policies. So yeah, once again, everyone should chill.
More here
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https://twitter.com/NerdyWonka/status/401710617251164160
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Queen Of Spain Blog: We Just Enrolled In Obamacare
Yup. The entire family just ditched my husband’s employer provided health insurance* and as of January 1, 2014 we’ll be on a plan with a different insurance company. One that, unlike Aetna, decided to go after our business and compete in the marketplace. Our old plan had deductibles, and the out-of-pocket costs were 6k for individuals and 12k per family. This new plan from Blue Shield of California? No deductibles. Lower out-of-pocket maximums. Lower copays. Lower drug costs.
All of our doctors are in-network minus one. But that’s why I got the PPO. It’s also a 90/10 which means we pay 10% of things normally not totally covered like hospital stays and MRIs and what not. Our old plan? 80/20 in network and 60/40 out of network. Keeping in mind just about EVERYTHING for me was out of network. After doing all the math, just to start, we’ll be saving $18,900 per year. That is without knowing if I will be hospitalized in 2014, or need surgery or any of those things. In 2013 I was hospitalized once in July and the bill is still sitting on my desk. I’ve been making payments.
If the judge from my Social Security Disability case rules in my favor, that means I’ll be eligible for Medicare as well. IF that happens, that will mean we may not have much out of pocket at all. This makes me shake and cry. We are one of those families who have been buried in medical debt since I got sick. We’re one of those families the President talks about…the ones who are so close to losing everything because Mom got sick. We’ve re-financed our mortgage using the HARP/HAMP plans with JP Morgan Chase. It wasn’t easy or pretty, but we managed to save some money per month to keep our home. Now we are utilizing Obamacare. And yeah, go ahead and call it Obamacare, because without the President we wouldn’t have this opportunity.
More here
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Washington Post: How many Democrats voted for the ‘Keep Your Health Plan Act?’
The House voted Friday to approve a measure allowing Americans to keep current health-care plans, even if they don’t meet requirements established by the new Affordable Care Act. Passage of the “Keep Your Health Plan Act” was never in doubt — the only question was how many Democrats might defect and support the legislation. The Democratic defectors were: Rep. Ron Barber (Ariz.) Rep. John Barrow (Ga.) Rep. Ami Bera (Calif.) Rep. Tim Bishop (N.Y.) Rep. Bruce Braley (Iowa) Rep. Julia Brownley (Calif.) Rep. Cheri Bustos (Ill.) Rep. Jim Costa (Calif.) Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.) Rep. Suzan DelBene (Wash.) Rep. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.)
Rep. William Enyart (Ill.) Rep. Elizabeth Esty (Conn.) Rep. Bill Foster (Ill.) Rep. Pete Gallego (Texas) Rep. John Garamendi (Calif.) Rep. Joe Garcia (Fla.) Rep. Ron Kind (Wis.) Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (N.H.) Rep. Dave Loebsack (Iowa) Rep. Dan Maffei (N.Y.) Rep. Sean Maloney (N.Y.) Rep. Jim Matheson (Utah) Rep. Mike McIntyre (N.C.) Rep. Jerry McNerney (Calif.) Rep. Patrick Murphy (Fla.) Rep. Rick Nolan (Minn.) Rep. Bill Owens (N.Y.) Rep. Scott Peters (Calif.) Rep. Gary Peters (Mich.) Rep. Colin Peterson (Minn.) Rep. Nick Rahall (W. Va.) Rep. Raul Ruiz (Calif.) Rep. Bill Schneider (Ill.) Rep. Kurt Schrader (Ore.) Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (N.H.) Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) Rep. Filemon Vela (Texas) Rep. Tim Walz (Minn.).
More here
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Michele Richinick: Obamacare To Save Family $18,900
In a country discouraged by last month’s health care rollout and corresponding widespread problems, Erin Kotecki Vest and her family are rejoicing. Obamacare will save them almost $19,000 each year. “When the president says no family should lose their home because someone got sick, no family should go bankrupt because somebody got sick, that is us. That is absolutely us,” she told msnbc.
In 2010 doctors diagnosed Kotecki Vest with Lupus, an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks healthy tissue. Three days every other week she undergoes intravenous therapy, which lasts three to five hours each visit. And that, she said, is when “everything is going well.”
Additionally, she takes Rituxin, which is also administered to her intravenously every four months in two different six-hour sessions. Doctors have prescribed her Prednisone for the past three years. Complications from her diagnosis caused her to suffer from a stroke, lose her gall bladder and the majority of her colon, and undergo a hysterectomy.
More here
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Steve Benen: Right Still Pushing ‘Don’t Enroll’ Crusade
Of all the things conservatives have done to sabotage and derail the Affordable Care Act – and good lord, is this a long list – nothing seems quite as offensive as the right’s campaign to encourage those without coverage to stay uninsured, on purpose, to advance an ideological cause.
Regular readers may recall that we covered this quite a bit over the summer. Conservatives launched organized efforts to convince the uninsured to voluntarily “refuse to enroll” – because if fewer people participate in the system, costs would soar, and in theory the system could become unsustainable. Struggling families will of course be completely screwed in this scenario, but for the right, that’s a small price to pay – and a sacrifice they’re willing to see others make.
Eric Lach, referencing a report from the Alaska Dispatch, noted yesterday that the campaign is still very much underway. Indeed, it appears far-right Floridians are now lobbying Alaskans to stay uninsured on purpose.
More here
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Think Progress: Obama Will Halt Deportation And Grant Legal Status To Some Relatives Of Military Personnel
Federal immigration authorities will no longer deport non-criminal immigrant family members of former and active duty members of immigrants serving in the U.S. military, according to a new Department of Homeland Security memoreleased on Friday. Most notably, some undocumented family members of military personnel would also have a chance to adjust to permanent legal status.
The memo in part states that relatives without criminal records and who aren’t national security risks could apply for a “parole in place” status, thereby having their deportations suspended. The parole status is authorized in one-year increments and allows relatives who are legally here to adjust for permanent legal status. Others who can adjust their status include undocumented immediate relatives and employment-based immigrants who fell out of status for less than six months.
More here
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Paul Waldman: Memo To Democratic Chicken Littles: The Sky Is Not Falling
Ah, now this is what politics is supposed to be like: Ruthless Republicans, gleeful at the prospect that they might increase the net total of human suffering. Timorous Democrats, panicking at the first hint of political difficulty and rushing to assemble a circular firing squad. And the news media bringing out the “Dems In Disarray!” headlines they keep in storage for just this purpose.
The problems of the last couple weeks “could threaten Democratic priorities for years,” says Ron Brownstein. It’s just like Hurricane Katrina, says The New York Times (minus the 1,500 dead people, I guess they mean, though they don’t say so). “On the broader question of whether Obama can rebuild an effective presidency after this debacle,” says Dana Milbank, “it’s starting to look as if it may be game over.” Ruth Marcus also declares this presidency all but dead: “Can he recover? I’m sorry to say: I’m not at all confident.” Oh please. Everyone just chill out.
More here
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Arthur Delaney: Obama Pushes To Save The Holiday Season For A Million Unemployed People
The Obama administration on Friday came out strongly in support of extending long-term unemployment insurance past its current expiration date. Top economic adviser Gene Sperling said in a statement to The Huffington Post there is “no question” that Congress should extend emergency unemployment insurance for the more than 1 million workers who could be affected when benefits expire between Christmas and the New Year.
“We have always done so when unemployment is this high and would make little sense to fail to do so now when we are still facing the burdens of the worst downturn since the Great Recession,” Sperling said. “It is high bang for the buck for the economy, reduces poverty and helps workers who lost jobs due to no fault of their own get back on their feet.”
More here
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David Ignatius: The Stakes Of An Iranian Deal
Netanyahu seems to think that if sanctions have brought Iran to the table and gained concessions, then more sanctions will force Tehran to give up its nuclear program altogether. But administration officials fear that imposing more sanctions at this delicate moment (as Netanyahu is pushing Congress to do) will just blow up the negotiations.
My sense is that Israel and Saudi Arabia would love to scuttle an American rapprochement with an Iran they regard as a deadly adversary. But if Obama presses ahead, Netanyahu is bidding to replace the United States as military protector of the status quo, including the security of the Gulf Arabs.
Strategically, this de-facto Israeli alliance with the Saudis is an extraordinary opportunity for Israel. The Obama administration would counter (correctly, I think) that embracing the Saudi strategy of an ever-deepening Sunni-Shiite divide is unwise. The schism will fuel permanent sectarian war in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Better to seek a turn in relations with Iran through diplomacy that can limit its nuclear program, Obama reasons. He’s right.
More here
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On This Day:
President Obama arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport on November 16, 2009
Signing an autograph during a working lunch with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng in Shanghai, China, Nov. 16, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
Arriving at Canberra’s Fairbairn Airport for the start of his two-day visit to Australia, Nov 16, 2011
Participating in an official arrival ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra on November 16, 2011
Greeted by students as he arrives with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at Parliament House in Canberra on November 16, 2011
Prime Minister Gillard proposes a toast to President Obama during the Parliamentary Dinner at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Nov. 16, 2011 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Fiiiiiiirst!
Wooooooooot!!! Fantastic R&S UT, absolutely brill!
Thank you, Mrs. Actual First and not cheating “Morally First.” 😆
Morally and Actually – this is a beautiful day! Thanks again UT, a fantastic R&S, especially brilliant Obamacare news. Legend!
Congrats Chips on #1 🙂 Is Danny taking his pup-nap?
you did it again! w00t!
And I was actually first Alice, not just morally 😎
Morning you!
G’morning UT, Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone. 🙂 🙂 🙂 WOW, another excellent R & S feast – thanks UT for proper Obamacare coverage and tweets! Love those Aussie pics with the kids embracing our President!
Mooooooooorning Hopefruit, mooooooooorning everyone!
Thanks, HF.
UT brilliant post – now I gotta go read and tweet!
Thanks.
nuts. i gotta fly fly fly bbl
Morning UT!
Morning Chips!
Morning Everyone!
we have a lot of work to do on so many fronts!
Mooooooorning Linda!! Love that pic!
UT, Thank you again for another fantastic Rise and Shine. You do a wonderful job in helping to promote the successes of the ACA. I look forward to seeing the compilations of the events of the week, and love the trips down memory lane that you and Chipsticks include in the daily posts.
You, Chipsticks, all the BT’s, and the TOD Twitter Brigade do an awesome job in taking up the slack of the MSM — correcting the lies propagated by the GOP/TP that are amplified by the MSM, filling in the gaps to let us know that there is more to the story than what we are given via traditional sources, and highlighting the positive news and events. You make us aware of there is life outside the issues/scandals that are prominent in the news each day; that the President and his administration are able to multi-task and get things done, even while his adversaries suffer from ODS and can only seem to focus on one thing at a time.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Thanks, Swbluega.
Thank **you**, SW, for so effectively summarizing what the BTs do here daily!
And **thank you**, Utal for your very consistently content-filled offerings.
Thank yoooooooou swbluega, you nuggety lump of gold!!!!!
Brilliant R&S UT
Gold for Mostest, Chips.
Good Cloudy Satrurday Morning to all Gorgeous TODable TODers.
Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, that’s all right. 😉
Mooooooooorning Nena!
Thanks.
‘Morning Family!
😆 That is soooooo true Dudette, drives me nuts how those movie people look so perfect and chirpy first thing in the morning!!
Ain’t it tho’, Chips? 🙂
Good to see you! How’s our puppy?
What new delights in the Chips household furnishings dept has he christened with bite marks today? 🙂
Danny’s excellent, Dudette, his current fave thing is shoe-lace-chewing. He is surrounded by around, oh, 76 fab chew toys, but no, it’s only laces he’s interested in right now 😕
It’s amazing how they always know to go for the one thing you DON’T want them to chew! 😀
Too true! When he starts chewing my Cheesy Puffs, that’s when he’ll have to start looking for a new home!
LOL! 😀
My corgi Bryn always chewed my shoes. I wore black Rockport slip-ons, so not cheap. He never chewed anyone else’s shoes; just mine. I had to put them on tables or dressers out of his reach. If I forgot for a minute the shoe would be chewed. Everytime he chewed a pair I would buy an identical replacement pair thinking that this time I could keep them out of his reach. But the inevitable would happen – I’d forget and he’d chew. (Slow learner + stubborn = Me). I used to think he’d see the new pair and think “Damn1 I thought I already chewed those things!” My friend said it was because I was his alpha dog. I don’t know if in dog packs it is the done thing to chew the alpha’s shoes. Doesn’t sound likely.
Alec Baldwin is already suspended from MSNBC for two weeks? Wow. Yet the likes of Joe Scarborough is untouched, no matter what he says?
Why is Alec suspended?
Chuck Todd can lie his right wing ass off, but he is not suspended.
From what I had read today, Alec Baldwin had an altercation or sort with paparazzi and he cursed one or two out and then, one accused him of using a Gay Slur for which Mr. Baldwin profoundly denied he ever used. He now has a Blog post on HP defending himself. I seriously doubt that Alec Baldwin would come back, but only time will tell.
Robert Reich the Former Clinton Cabinet guy is even shorter. Should he ever get the job, Yellin would be taller than him.
Yes, he is indeed Dunk Shot-Challenged, but Reich was Secretary of the Treasury, not Federal Reserve Chair.
The picture is of Fed Chairs – Volcker, Greenspan and Bernanke. Ms. Yellen will soon be. 🙂
Yes. The reason I added 😉
Should he ever get the job, Yellin would be taller than him.
Robert Reich per Google is:
Height: 4′ 11″ (1.49 m)
Wasn’t Reich Sec. of Labor? Remember his skit with Conan O’Brien where they play off of the disparity in their sizes?
Yes. You’re right. It was Labor not Treasury. Thanks Judith!
Wow…..It continues to happen in 2013. This time, those who took oath to serve and to protect.
GA’s County Sheriff’s in a Black face?
http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2013-11-13/video-ga-deputy-sheriff-dressed-black-inmate#.UoeXoMSc9PI
[Sigh!] Georgia… Anyone surprised? Didn’t think so. SMH 🙄
I had something on the last post about the online racism that students are being subjected to at the Univ. of GA. I had hoped we had made more progress than this, but it seems not as much progress as we should have.
Indeed.
On 11-14-13…..Updated, the Fool was suspended, following investigations. Hmm? Not good enough.
Red-faced: County Sheriff Jim Proctor announces Wednesday that Palmer has been suspended and placed on probation for his ‘offensive’ act, but said the deputy is not a racist
Sorry, I forgot to add the link…..
http://www.gadailynews.com/news/187756-outrage-over-georgia-deputy-sheriff-chad-palmer-who-dressed-in-blackface-as-an-inmate-picking-cotton-for-halloween-party.html
If you have to proclaim yourself as “not a racist” it most likely because you just proved you are.
Morning TOD. No, not a racist—-just plays one in real life !
this brings us to this….
the difference between what they did VS what they are.. conversation….
https://twitter.com/wbruce44/status/40173360131987046
someone’s stand
Standing, clapping!
… and this!
YES!!!!!!!!
“These stories are the product of political journalists being bored writing about the rocky Obamacare rollout and Republican obstruction in Congress. They’re about writers trawling for clicks. Three years out, they’re not analyses that should be taken seriously”…
rt’d and faved both!
This greeted me in my inbox at work this morning:
I’m sure Mr. Toups has never stepped foot inside a library. I’m sure he doesn’t buy books. I’m sure he’s a near illiterate. And he’s trying to destroy a public institution to build another jail.
This is what we fight, friends. People like Mr. Toups are the opposition, and they’re virulent. And that’s why what the 39 Democrats who voted for the Upton bill yesterday were wrong. No, it won’t become law. But that’s besides the point. You can’t accommodate them. You can’t reason with them. You can’t tactically support them. They have to be beaten. They have to be buried politically. Because sure as hell they want to bury us literally.
If you wish to donate, the article is here: http://everylibrary.org/theworstelection2013/
Patronage – Done!
You rock, geek girl!
😀
The librarian had the best response:
“If this were a movie, this would be the time that a scrappy, young librarian stands up to the mob and gives an impassioned plea for the importance of learning and equal access to technology and resources that otherwise would be unavailable to the poorest people, but instead we just have Library System Director Laura Sanders who gave this awesome response to Toups’ plans:
**She noted that for Toups, the issue of the jail’s condition is a personal one. “He does have family members that are incarcerated,” she says.”
– See more at: http://www.classwarfareexists.com/louisiana-official-wants-to-close-libraries-because-theyre-teaching-mexicans-to-speak-english/#sthash.NSmK837J.dpuf
Tweetage done!
Clearly, we have to keep pushing the pro-Obamacare facts out and push back on the beltway echo-chamber;
Why? Because in the end, Obamcare is about real life and some in politics and media do not understand this or choose to ignore this due to their privileged status
Art 🙂
Art…
Culinary art 🙂
Dudette what are you trying to do here? LAWD….
🙂
🙂
🙂
Just sharing the love! 😀
Street art
Political art 🙂
Good early Afternoon, TODobots! Watcha doin’?
Natural art
Just found out I’m 95% Democrat and 87% Green Party! 🙂
http://www.isidewith.com/
I’m 96 Dem, 96 Green, and 78 Socialist.
Family! 🙂
96% Green, 95% Dem, 79% Socialist…I’m good.
My day is completely ruined: I’m 19% Libertarian and 7% Republican 😥
Congrats Chips…….!!! Greenwald sends his love!
I know Hopefruit, that’s the first horrible thought that entered my head. I’m gonna sue that site.
Hah! You are so wonderful Ms. Chipsticks; you demonstrate the power of humor in keeping one’s perspective. You totally rock.
Good!!!!!
I am 91% Green, 89% Dem and 69% Socialist
wow I’m surprised. 91% Green 88% Dem 60% Socialist 39% Libertarian and… wait for it… 7% Republican. huh.
US negotiators say they feel they are close to finalizing a nuclear agreement with Iran for the first time in a decade.
“For the first time in nearly a decade we are getting close to [reaching agreement on] the first step towards a comprehensive agreement that would stop Iran’s nuclear program from advancing, and put time on the clock to reach a negotiated agreement that addresses all of our concerns,” a senior U.S. administration official told journalists at a background briefing at the State Department Friday.
“I don’t know if we will get agreement,” in Geneva next week, the U.S. official said. “It’s quite possible we can. But there are tough issues to negotiate.” The reason the last meeting ended in Geneva at 1am last weekend was that Iran, after receiving the consensus P5+1 draft proposal only late in the evening of November 9th, “felt it needed to look at the document and come back to the negotiations.”
Under the proposed deal that six world powers and Iran will meet again to discuss next week in Geneva (November 20-22), Iran would agree in a first phase to suspend 20% enrichment, neutralize its 20% stockpile, hold steady its stockpile of 3.5% enrichment by oxidizing any more accrued, stop installing centrifuges and not operate ones already installed but not yet spinning; stop building fuel assemblies at the Arak heavy water facility, allow increased inspections and monitoring at the Natanz and Fordo enrichment facilities, for a period of six months, according to press reports and what sources familiar with the deal under discussion told Al-Monitor. US officials briefing Friday would not confirm the details of the P5+1 proposal, but did not dispute them. In exchange, Iran would receive under $10 billion in sanctions relief, including about $3 billion in hard currency assets frozen in banks abroad that would be metered out by month depending on compliance, as well as the suspension of sanctions on auto sales, petrochemicals, gold, as well as aircraft parts, the sources said.
…………..//
http://backchannel.al-monitor.com/index.php/2013/11/7030/iran-nuclear-deal-close-us-says/
oh noes!!! But PBO caved. Wait, what???
Yea, he caved to Bibi. 🙄 😀
It’s funny how Knoller don’t talk about the ugly racism this President have dealt with, the disrespect he has had to deal with because he is a black man, but all that ugly pig Mark Knoller can talk about is this President playing golf, or flying, or vacations
And how many pies PBO ate for dessert….
I forgot that hopefruit2.
But Knoller isn’t the only one of the so call reporters who does this.
Anniebella, SPOT ON. Chuck toad, George Step in awful ness, just to name a few.
Presidential Art
Dudette, you are SUCH a cool nerd!! 😆 😆 😆 😆
Thanks isonprize! 😎
LOL – that’s a creative way to get people to exercise 🙂 🙂
Hmmmm. 💡 I wonder if I could talk them into paying 1/2 fare if I could make it to 15?
Not an unreasonable request…
I think so too, Hf, and it might give some of us (types like me) the incentive to at least try, whereas the thought of trying to do 30 would just make me grin and not try at all. 😉
I like it. 🙂
See! We should let them know our poll has 100% support (you, me & Hf) in favour of this improvement. 😀
Syrian Unity – Press Statement – Jen Psaki – Department Spokesperson – Washington, DC – November 15, 2013
The United States welcomes recent decisions taken by the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s General Assembly, including the inclusion of the Kurdish National Council (KNC) under its umbrella. This merger reflects a spirit of cooperation among all of Syria’s communities and we look forward to working closely with the KNC’s representatives in the Coalition.
It has been our longstanding position that a political solution in Syria should achieve a united, democratic and pluralistic state where every Syrian citizen enjoys the same rights under the law regardless of religious or ethnic background. ………………………//
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/11/217618.htm
This saga is not going to end well …
…. because if Snowden decides to face the music and return to the US, this high flying TRAITOR …
…. will have much to lose and fear. Snowden could definitely be State’s witness #1 against GG.
There is so much goodness in this post. But my most favorite picture of all is PBO coming down the steps of Air Force One in that BAD-ASS long cashmere coat. Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!! We have the smartest, best looking president EVER!!!!
I LOVE IT WHEN I WAKE UP AND BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA IS MY PRESIDENT!!!
THIS!
Chat away!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/11/16/chat-away-285/
Wow! Love the whole outfit, but that hat…..! My dad wore hats like that, and I’ll tell you, a man who can rock a hat like that has no equal!
I’m tellin ya, carolyn! 😀
Dude, is hella-stalk-worthy! 🙂
Now, that is fine to the nine!
Lawd, have mercy……..he is wearing that hat. Broken in all the right places.
What a fine specimen of a human being in just a hat and jacket. He is covered and still got swag…..
Fine-to-the-nine!
Fine, fine, fine…lord have mercy fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Speaking about the terrible roll-out to Medicare-D, “Still, unlike today’s Republican Governors who are today denying Medicaid coverage to their constituents, Democratic governors spent tens of millions of dollars or more to assure seniors had access to the new benefits under Medicare.”
http://www.winningprogressive.org/the-gops-partisan-hypocrisy-on-obamacare?utm_source=feedly
It is highly probable that Obamacare will play a big role in 2014 election cycle.
So it would be very advisable that those Dems who are serious about winning should embrace it fully, help their constituents enroll and use it a focus on mobilization for voters (especially the voters who care about soci0-economic justice, and the previously under-insured and uninsured and their families.
The sooner Dems realize this and stop cowardice and taking sham votes the better –because these votes just confuse the message and the people who are not political junkies.
What I have found is that there are many people who have heard so many negative stories about Obamacare that they are in fact very confused.
Last evening, I went into a home to help some members of a friend’s extended family enroll in ObamaCare – much improvement of website from prior efforts and the customer service phone help was great.
What bothered me is that the family that had just watched news reports told me that they now believe that ObamaCare will be “cancelled” because even 39 Dems have just voted to “end the program”.
Of course I had to set them straight that there is no way this was going to happen as long a PBO is POTUS.
So here is my personal appeal to all TODville, please encourage others in your network to volunteer for the ObamaCare enrollment – we need all hands on deck.
Apart from the official effort through OFA and GetCovered, I have been encouraging people I know to sign for ObamaCare and where necessary, I have helped them with the actual enrollment process.
I know that some here are doing the same – officially under unofficially. But we need this effort multiplied
I wonder if there is a way we can popularize the request for others who support healthcare for all (especially those with insurance and who know how to navigate the website) to get into the actual work on the ground – helping the insured enroll.
What if we asked each one of the people in our network to help 3 to 5 people (family, friends, strangers) enroll in ObamaCare?
We could also make sure that these 3 to 5 people have all they need to vote in 2014 and double-check to see that they do indeed show up on election day?
I am thinking about a something “political involvement mentorship program” to make sure that the people show up to protect their interest – especially during the mid-term elections of 2014.
Excellent suggestions, Linda! We can all do healthcare for the holidays evangelizing.