President Obama talks with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, in the doorway of the Oval Office at the conclusion of a signing ceremony for S.535, Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015, April 30, 2015 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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115 Responses to “Chat Away”
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Smartypants
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Steve Benen
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The Obama Diary 
Totally disgusting ….
Thanks, Bob!
You’re most welcome, Alycee.
Bob! Congrats on First 😄
Lest we forget…
Moving the ball down the field …
Awesome
Yes! TY Gail
Missed posting this on Tuesday ….
If you check President Ghani’s twitter account you’ll see some very interesting statements that he made regarding the relationship between Afghanistan and India.
Thanks for posting this, Doc.
Congrats on your Golden ⭐
TY Nena 🙂
Way to go, Bobfr!
I read that recount on the state of those being held in jail without charge in Baltimore on the previous thread and I shook my head. It’s so hard for me to accept that the description is a reflection of happenings in a 2015 America! I’ve been mostly silent on the events in Baltimore because the entire situation is so repetitious and seemingly hopeless. Truth is, I’ve been feeling like a sponge since after Mike Brown and have no confidence in U.S. finding the path out of all this any time soon. A somewhat pessimistic view, but hoping and being disappointed over and over does that to one.
Easy to understand the pessimism, VC. I’ve been there so many times during the past 67 years. But, we may just have the tools we need to engage everyone with the facts, with the need for #TruthAndReconciliation, and I’m going to spend the remainder of whatever time I have using those tools and expanding access to them. Otherwise ……
Wishing you all the inner strength and outer fortitude needed to persistent towards real solutions.
Very kind of you, VC. TY
YVW, Bfr…. It’s a wish I’m also extending to ALL Americans.
‘ …fortitude needed to PERSIST…’
Agree with your wish, VC.
And Bob, I’ll walk side by side with you all the way!
Crazy! The Chicago Bulls have a 44 point lead in Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the third quarter. !! I can’t remember when I’ve seen this kind of lopsided playoff game. The Bulls have lost the last 2 games so it’s definitely a surprise that they are even winning lol.
Really worth the time to read ….
“If what is happening in Baltimore happened in a foreign country, here is how Western media would cover it:
International leaders expressed concern over the rising tide of racism and state violence in America, especially concerning the treatment of ethnic minorities in the country and the corruption in state security forces around the country when handling cases of police brutality. The latest crisis is taking place in Baltimore, Maryland, a once-bustling city on the country’s Eastern Seaboard, where an unarmed man named Freddie Gray died from a severed spine while in police custody.
Black Americans, a minority ethnic group, are killed by state security forces at a rate higher than the white majority population. Young, black American males are 21 times more likely to be shot by police than white American males.
The United Kingdom expressed concern over the troubling turn of events in America in the last several months. The country’s foreign ministry released a statement: “We call on the American regime to rein in the state security agents who have been brutalizing members of America’s ethnic minority groups. The equal application of the rule of law, as well as the respect for human rights of all citizens, black or white, is essential for a healthy democracy.” Britain has always maintained a keen interest in America, a former colony.
Palestine has offered continued assistance to American pro-democracy activists, sending anti-tear-gas kits to those protesting police brutality in various American cities. ……..”
I was thinking the same thing. Our “exceptionalism” on display.
Yes, forus, and it’s been on display for ~ 400 years ….
shouldn’t wapo practice what it preaches?
I’m just surprised that they allowed Karen Attiah to publish it, amk.
Here’s her Twitter link ……
Yes! That means that some day I can visit it! But sad for the Hawai’ians. I hoped there would be two.
It means lots of jobs for my side of town……Hooray!
On NFL Sports, this happened.
They just keep poking ….
At the very least, this is a major public relations fail for the city of Baltimore.
In reading the article, apparently the problem with non-payment of water bills grew by around 40 percent since 2013, after the city f’ed up their new billing program, sending inflated bills in 2012, not to mention their slow economic recovery over several years. Also:
” … In 2012, a review by The Baltimore Sun found that some big businesses, government offices and nonprofits had run up more than $10 million in unpaid water bills. Today, just 369 of the past-due accounts are commercial properties, but they make up $15 million of the missing revenue, city officials said … ”
So, in the middle of a crisis for the city, why not postpone residential shut-offs, and collect the first $15 million from commercial properties to get a little cash in the coffers – and then go after the residents. Don’t some of the utility companies have a “good neighbor” fund where other residents can donate to cover expenses of those in need, or am I dreaming? Of course, this is all more like a freakin’ nightmare.
Yup. It’s either deliberate stupidity or deliberate provocation.
It’s stupid, deliberate provocation …..
Or both, sad to say. All of a sudden, THIS week, they need the water bills paid? Granted, this may have been a formerly planned occurrence – because sometimes utility companies wait until Spring to shut things off – but stupid and dumb, anyway, at this point.
We received our water bills about two weeks ago… we have until May 21st to pay them w/o a late fee. I find it very questionable that folks are suddenly received shut-off notices.. questionable in that I too see nefarious behavior by the city. Although to be fair, I do not know how shut-off notices work. Remember though, our water dept is notorious for screwing up people’s water bills, don’t forget that I received a $60,000. water bill last year.. that took weeks to straighten out.
OMG – I now remember your story about the water bill! At least one prior “inflated bills” brouhaha was reported in the piece, too.
I’ve heard it has happened a lot in the past. They are supposed to be putting in new water meters this summer, so that our water actually gets read.. currently they guesstimate, seriously, our bill. My bill is the same every month, which is inaccurate.. but it’s pointless to make an issue of it. I’m just waiting for the meters, in hopes that we’ll get honest, accurate readings finally.
Good luck with that. When I lived in Florida, the municipality installed new water meters. My first bill seemed “off,” so I called and was told “They’re new electronic meters; they can’t be wrong.” Grrr. After I moved from that house and had paid my “final” water bill, marked “final,” I subsequently got a “final final” bill for more $. When I called, I was told, “The meter was wrong. We checked.” Grrr.
I keep seeing tweets about Freddie Gray’s lethal injuries and the discussion the past few days of whether these occurred inside or outside the van. Either way it’s beyond horrific to contemplate the pain and suffering he endured every second while those monsters had them in their custody. I wish there was a video of when they first tackled him on his bike. l when I read somewhere that one of those animals was standing on Freddie Gray’s head when he was on the ground and that’s when they severed his spine and crushed his larynx. The short cell phone video I saw it looked like his leg and foot was twisted around and that there was already a very serious injury as they dragged him to their police van. So I’m a bit confused as to why we want to believe the reporter who is saying that his serious injuries were after he was inside the van. And when is their lying report going to come out?
i say…all this speculation….
Release the police report…..that will tell us what we need to know…
The video of him being dragged to the police van, moaning, not moving his legs is consistent with the injury occurring before. Most likely scenario is that he was prone when being handcuffed and an obese cop kneeled on his neck, crushing his larynx, 3 vertebrae, and tearing the spinal cord to the degree that he could not walk. Then, when thrown in the van and being thrown around since he was not restrained the spinal cord swelled with extension of swelling to upper levels and brain stem so that he had difficulty breathing and lapsed into a coma. The other inmate when interviewed stated that he was unresponsive on arriving at the police station and he heard only brief movement prior to arrival (4 seconds).
Oh so horrific. What u suggest makes sense, tragically so.
Always #ReachingHigher
I do love this picture – they are truly just ordinary people doing extraordinary things and living an extraordinary life. So proud.
In case any haters say this is a misuse of the U.S. Marine Band by the First Lady, they consider it good public relations to be out and about playing for the public, as they do in many communities where there are military bases. Similar to why they do Fleet Weeks.
Good to know. I just love that FLOTUS brings the spirit of celebration with her wherever she goes.
That’s because she takes all of us with her, and we’re a spirited group! Ha.
I kid.
jacquelineoboomer, the haters will have something to say, why? Because it’s Michelle Obama.
Regardless what she or the President do, they will fine some fault with it, but who give a “D” !!!!!!!!!!!!!
During the 2012 election Dave was a supporter of the President.
Yep. Which is why I kind of find myself (as I’m sure you do) analyzing every good thing she does, instead of being able to just sit back and enjoy it. As we’ve all done since Jan. 20, 2009.
And we know she went through proper channels before doing this.
I know she didn’t do this without POTUS okay, and I’m sure POTUS made sure he went through the right channels to make sure it was okay, so sit back and enjoy. Like I plan too. The haters will do what they always do, which is hate.
Definitely. And the U.S. Marine Band is called “the President’s own,” so bringing a few of them along would be properly scheduled and appropriate.
http://www.marineband.marines.mil/
“Today, ‘The President’s Own’ is celebrated for its role at the White House and its dynamic public performances, which total more than 500 annually.”
Most times when i feel overwhelmed by the events taking place around me, i just feel the need to go sleep/lie down
GCL, I go silent – that’s what I was trying to articulate to Bobfr up above. The spotlight that has been shining on the cop killings since August of last year AND THE RESULTING FACT that 9 out of 10 times the cops go free (sometimes even making money from their actions) has been like a vicious punch to the stomach ….. and I do not live in the States! I honestly don’t get how the families involved carry on, so with nothing to add that can ease the pain I shutdown, but not in sleep.
the incidents are very hard to take!! One can’t believe in the level of pain the victims & their families are handing. The lack of accountability just adds insult to injury
It’s the lack of accountability that finally shut me down! That you can have video evidence and still find/have a loophole for cops to squeeze through boggles my mind. Ought not the rule of law to apply to every one? How can you not have militancy when it’s clear people are being mindlessly killed by law enforcement and the justice system is not dealing objectively? Me, I’m watching and waiting for ‘justice’ to start to have meaning.
❤
BTW Chips, that Pete Souza photo + caption is one of the funniest he’s ever posted 🙂
Obama: Wanted to become an architect, then a basketball player.
In a free-wheeling interaction with kids, United States President Barack Obama on Thursday said he first wanted to be an architect and then a basketball player before becoming interested in politics.
In a 40-minute interaction with students at a library, Obama urged the girls to get into science and math in school, to push back on the idea that it is ‘more of a boy thing’.
A Jayla, 12, asked the President, “When did you want to be president?”
Obama, in reply, said he wanted to be an architect at first, then a basketball player — “I wasn’t that good” — then in college was inspired by the civil rights movement.
He said he became a lawyer and that got him thinking about how to help people.
“I’ll still be a pretty young man” after leaving the White House, Obama said, and will go back to helping people and bringing business into communities that need it.
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/wanted-to-become-an-architect-then-a-basketball-player-obama/20150501.htm
He still might get a chance to help design the Presidential Library.
Ha. Good point.
🙂
And maybe he’ll design the library with a basketball court in the center. Or wherever you’d put a basketball court, what do I know? 🙂
I don’t think so.
It was a (little) joke.
Since basketball is so important to President Obama, from when he was introduced to the game by his father, to his aspirations as a young man, and finally as a stress reliever through this presidential ride – I have no doubt that there will be something to do with basketball at the presidential library. There just has to be…
Could be! I liked how he said his first two career aspirations were to be an architect and a basketball player! Never heard the “architect” part before. He’d be successful whatever he does.
Mm I loved that interview, took awhile for the students to feel comfortable, as is their want, but once they did, they had all kinds of questions loved it 🙂 and I was impressed by the poise of the student host!
Watching RM who has the Grey family attorney preaching and laying our the history on the war on AA’s.
He also has a bunch of UTube vids on how to deal with the police too.
Here it is.
There’s nobody like FLOTUS!!
Sorry, but, yes, it’s come to this.
“I am a Black poet who will not stay silent while this nation murders Black people. I have a right to be angry”
VP Joe is a man of honor – one you want on your side. I’m glad he is on PBO’s side
I love VPBiden. He is loyal.
Now they say that paddy wagon made another stop enroute that was caught by private surveillance cameras?
After a whole week it happened? So their own ‘officers’ were lying to their own dept?
The stench is unbearable.
Yes and according to our local news… the laptop with the video footage from those cameras- of the police van at that 4th stop- magically disappeared due to “looters”. If anyone believes that justice is going to be done for Freddie Gray.. they’re dreaming, imo.
The stench is bearable
=======================
THISSSSS!
Should read UNBEARABLE
Tense …
Yes it is a Police State ….
Is she affiliated with a network or cable?
meta, I presume it’s because of one or both of these roles – “Reid is the managing editor of TheGrio.com and political columnist for The Miami Herald” – though, perhaps MSNBC is underwriting the farce ….
Oh, okay. I thought maybe MSNBC was keeping her around as an at-large reporter.
She is part of the MSNBC staff with a title.
Good.
Weird. Thanks very much, Bobfr.
Isn’t she still with MSNBC? She was just on Lawrence’s show.
Yes she is.
MSNBC and NBC
That’s ’embedded’ ‘journalism’ for ya.
YUP!
“Te Obama administration has reached out to celebrities with Baltimore ties and asked them to play a role in helping to ease tensions in the city, a White House official confirmed Thursday. The administration has contacted sports figures such as Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, who played basketball at Towson Catholic High School, and Ray Lewis, and asked them to play a role in the community, which is still on edge following the riots on Monday. Both men had a visible presence in the city on Thursday. Lewis, the former linebacker for the Ravens, and members of the team visited schools in West Baltimore. Anthony was seen with protesters marching from Penn North to City Hall….
…Two officials from the Justice Department have visited Baltimore: Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, and Ronald Davis, director of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office. The department is investigating the Gray case. The White House also sent a delegation to Gray’s funeral that included Baltimore-native Broderick Johnson, assistant to the president and Cabinet Secretary.”
Why are we not surprised? Love it.
I wish the Justice Department would also investigate the unlawful detention of those arrested and put in holding cells without charge or chance of being heard. How can a governor just decide to suspend the Constitution of the United States.
Watching FLOTUS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enjoy watching FLOTUS on the Letterman show, to hear her talking about our veterans, and education. She talked about them with such heart and care. And I think David were really touch with the President Band playing for him.
Pass my bedtime. Good night TOD.!!!!!!!!!!
good night TOD ……..
Just had to respond, hopefully ….
… before departing.
Yes.
As anyone reading my posts at TOD or Tweets know – it is ENTIRELY for us WHITE FOLK to OWN #TruthAndReconciliation.
Black Folk & Native Americans are VICTIMS of US.
Anyone, absolutely ANYONE, trying to escape that reality IS THE ENEMY of the ‘American Promise.’
now, good night …………
Just had to do this before departing for the evening ….
#TrustJoe
#TrustBarack
Yes We Can
Moooooooooorning!
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/05/01/early-bird-chat-523/