03 | February | 2014 | The Obama Diary

President Obama with recipients of the 2013 Fermi Award, scientists Allen Bard and Andrew Sessler, today (@PeteSouza) pic.twitter.com/V8ADEYm8j7

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) February 4, 2014

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My guys pic.twitter.com/hQIC30Zk6B

— Chirlane McCray (@Chirlane) February 2, 2014

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We love this country or at least the parts with people like us who also #SpeakAmerican who are more likely to have a gun rack than a diploma

— Jack Kimble (@RepJackKimble) February 3, 2014

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Coca-Cola’s Multicultural Super Bowl Ad Really Angered Conservatives http://t.co/ZXOTMs6O1r What was @MSNBC apologizing for again?

— Amarlie (@marabout40) February 3, 2014

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I’m so angry that Coke used brown people in its ad that I will switch to Pepsi which has an Indian woman as its CEO…oh wait. #xenophobia

— Steve Weinstein (@steveweinstein) February 4, 2014

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Bought a can of Coke for the first time in five years (and the last time for the next five). Cheers, this awesome ad! #AmericaIsBeautiful

— BWD (@theonlyadult) February 4, 2014

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@msnbc I’m assuming you’re hiring back the staffer who tweeted that RW heads would explode over Super Bowl ads. Because RW heads exploded.

— FlowerInFaith (@FlowerInFaith) February 3, 2014

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Awww, what’s wrong, bigots? Did literate people hijack your hashtag? #SpeakAmerican pic.twitter.com/QmAjHVWwJz

— Joey the Hawk (@60th_Street) February 3, 2014

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Hey Bill O’Reilly—2012 called & it wants its questions back. #Benghazi #IRS #Obama #p2

— Eric Wolfson (@ericwolfson) February 2, 2014

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Probably the best revenge you can have against someone you hated in high school is getting elected and creating a 150k a year job for them.

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) February 3, 2014

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LOVE this @VanityFair 3pg cover! Now H’wood, match the A-list status to the #PAYCHECKS! More Latino, Asian roles too. pic.twitter.com/5i9vujpUtz

— Only4RM (@Only4RM) February 4, 2014

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Wassup now John McCain? #SuperBowlChamps pic.twitter.com/7JxYBqEFrv

— Donna NoShock (@NoShock) February 4, 2014

President Barack Obama walks with Vice President Joe Biden along the Colonnade, Feb. 3, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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Today (all times Eastern):

1:0: Press briefing by Jay Carney

2:0: President Obama meets with recipients of the 2013 Fermi Award which honors excellence in energy science and technology

2:30: Meets with Sen Harry Reid

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Paul Krugman: Delusions of Failure

The Republican response to the State of the Union was delivered by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republican representative from Washington — and it was remarkable for its lack of content. A bit of uplifting personal biography, a check list of good things her party wants to happen with no hint of how it plans to make them happen.

The closest she came to substance was when she described a constituent, “Bette in Spokane,” who supposedly faced a $700-a-month premium hike after her policy was canceled. “This law is not working,” intoned Ms. McMorris Rodgers. And right there we see a perfect illustration of just how Republicans are trying to deceive voters — and are, in the process, deceiving themselves.

…. conservative politicians aren’t just deceiving their constituents; they’re also deceiving themselves. Right now, Republican political strategy seems to be to stall on every issue, and reap the rewards from Obamacare’s inevitable collapse. Well, Obamacare isn’t collapsing — it’s recovering pretty well from a terrible start. And by the time that reality sinks in on the right, health reform will be irreversible.

Full article here

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Steve Benen: O’Reilly vs. Obama

…. Literally a few seconds into the interview, O’Reilly told the president, “I want to get some things on the record.” And so he did – over the course of 10 minutes, O’Reilly, in this order, pushed for Kathleen Sebelius’ ouster, talked up the 2012 attack in Benghazi, spent on the non-existent IRS controversy, and read a question from a viewer: “Mr. President, why do you feel it’s necessary to fundamentally transform the nation that has afforded you so much opportunity and success?”

And then the host asked for a Super Bowl prediction.

This, however, was the part that stood out most, at least for me.

More here

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People, please. Give our extreme right wing friends some credit. Boycotting Coca-Cola is the only real health care plan they’ve offered.

— Rocky Mountain Mike (@RockyMntnMike) February 3, 2014

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TPM: Coca-Cola’s Multicultural Super Bowl Ad Really Angered Conservatives

Not many people expected the Seattle Seahawks to steamroll the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Less surprising was the right-wing outrage over an ad featuring a patriotic hymn performed in multiple languages.

No, many conservatives didn’t much care for Coca-Cola’s one-minute spot, which showcased several singers performing “America The Beautiful” in languages such as English, Arabic and Spanish.

… The ad even inspired a #BoycottCoke hashtag on Twitter. Mediaite has a round-up of the outraged reactions from some rank-and-file Twitter conservatives.

More here

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Mediaite: Coca Cola Ad Featured First Gay Family in Super Bowl Ad History

Not as if you needed another reason not to have a racist freakout over a multilingual Coca Cola ad (or any ad), but here it is: while everybody was a-tweeting about speaking English, they missed the first gay family in Superb Bowl history.

About two-thirds of the way through the minute-long ad, a male couple and their daughter are seen rollerskating together, while “America the Beautiful” plays in the background. The ad aired during the second quarter of the game.

More here

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Cheerios celebrates interracial marriage. Coca Cola celebrates diversity of America. #SuperBowlXLVIII —> Conservatives worst nightmare.

— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) February 3, 2014

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Teabaggers angry about Coke commercial, eg RT @uptonm275 #CocaCola just lost all my buisness. America SPEAKS ENGLISH pic.twitter.com/WDzfWF2Xs5

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) February 3, 2014

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Looking forward to RNC banning Coca-Cola products at 2016 Convention.

— David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) February 3, 2014

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I’m pouring @CocaCola into my @Cheerios, for Freedom.

— Fresh Brew (@TheFreshBrew) February 3, 2014

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Washington Post: Not waiting for Clinton, Md. Gov. O’Malley prepares for possible presidential bid

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is moving ahead with preparations for a possible presidential bid and said in an interview that if he’s going to lay the groundwork for a national campaign, he can’t wait for Hillary Rodham Clinton to decide whether she is running.

In some of his most extensive comments to date on his aspirations, O’Malley (D) said he has been meeting with foreign- and domestic-policy experts privately to flesh out his thinking about “a better way forward for our country.” And he said that he would make a good president “for these times especially.”

More here

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Completely Beautiful Post: Listener-in-Chief by @Smartypants60 http://t.co/FPIcHroKHk pic.twitter.com/85bXk3ZVHl

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) February 3, 2014

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Steve Benen: When Team Christie ‘plays offense’

A couple of weeks ago, aides to Gov. Chris Christie (R) leaked word that they were growing tired of “playing defense” in response to growing corruption allegations dogging the Christie administration. As the scandals intensified, the governor and his allies were prepared to “play offense.”

The manifestation of this strategy took shape in earnest over the weekend, though it’s a gambit fraught with risks.

David Wildstein’s attorney on Friday suggested “evidence exists” that Christie’s claims about the bridge scandal are not true. It’s unclear what kind of proof, if any, Wildstein has, but 24 hours later, the governor’s office was concerned enough to go after Wildstein’s credibility in an attack memo.

More here

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I appreciate the continuing kindness from so many.Working up a number of leads.Will take some time & will update as soon as I can.Thank you.

— Martin Bashir (@MartinBashir) January 27, 2014

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ThinkProgress: New York City Domino’s Workers Win $1.3 Million In Settlement Over Low Wages

A Domino’s franchisee in New York City has agreed to pay $1.28 million to 61 workers who charged the company with stealing wages, the New York Times reports.

The workers, who are all delivery people, will see awards ranging from $61,300 to $400, depending on how long they worked there. The lawsuit accused the company of withholding pay by making them pay for their own uniforms, do untipped work at the low tipped minimum wage, and go without a lunch break. While New York’s minimum wage is $8 an hour, the tipped minimum wage is just $5 an hour, but if tips don’t make up the difference, employers are supposed to fill the gap.

The settlement comes after three years of litigation.

More here

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ThinkProgress: Missouri Senate Committee Votes To Jail Federal Agents Who Enforce Gun Laws

The Missouri Senate’s General Laws Committee voted 5-1 last week in favor of a bill that purports to make it a crime for federal law enforcement agents to enforce the nation’s gun laws. Under the bill’s terms, these agents could be imprisoned for up to a year and be fined up to $1,000.

Much of this unconstitutional legislation mirrors a bill Gov. Jay Nixon (D) vetoed last year. In September, Missouri’s overwhelmingly Republican senate came just one vote shy of the votes necessary to override Nixon’s veto. Like the bill Nixon vetoed last year, the new legislation contains a provision to arm public school personnel. It also would lower the minimum age to receive a concealed weapons permit from 21 to 19.

Few principles are more clearly established in American constitutional law than the prohibition on states nullifying federal laws. The Constitution provides that duly enacted federal laws “shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.”

More here

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.@WhiteHouse @PressSec @pfeiffer44 This guy Rob @RentSolar deserves a beer w/POTUS for asking such a great question! http://t.co/8RCCRomoY1

— meta (@metaquest) February 3, 2014

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On This Day:

President Obama takes a phone call in his private study off the Oval Office, Feb. 3, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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The White House blanketed in snow after a snowstorm on the morning of Feb. 3, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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First Lady Michelle Obama stands with President Obama during the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton February 3, 2011

Penn State, Pa, Feb 3, 2011

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President Obama greets members of the audience following his remarks on the Veterans Job Corps at Fire Station 5 in Arlington, Va., Feb. 3, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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MoooOOOooorning!