31
May
15
85 Responses to “Chat Away”
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The People’s View
- Follow me at my new venture: Reclaim the Fight
- Ignore the bait: Why it’s the right strategy for Democrats to focus SCOTUS fight on health care
- BIG: Judge halts Trump administration attempt to shortcut the census
- Trump doesn't want peaceful transition of power. Legally, it doesn’t matter.
- Fauci goes off on Rand Paul
- Rule 44: Why Obamacare is not lost even in a deadlocked Supreme Court, but only if Biden wins
- Time to suit up. This is war.
- BREAKING: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed
- Bothsidesism comes to fact-checking: CNN's “fact-check” calling Biden ad 'misleading' proves the opposite
- Pardon me: How Donald Trump's stooges conspired with Julian Assange to exonerate Russia and undermine US Intlligence
Smartypants
- Durham to Right Wingers: "Blame Hillary"
- That Time When Refusing to Negotiate With Hostage-Takers Worked
- The Other Christian Nationalists: Leonard Leo and Opus Dei
- Hawley Demonstrates That He's an Ignorant Liar
- DeSantis Board Votes to Counter-Sue Disney Over Something...Anything
- Hunter Biden's Laptop Is a Total Nothingburger
- What DeSantis Couldn't Say in Response to Disney's Lawsuit
- Disney Skewers DeSantis With His Own Words
- Populism Without Civil Rights Is Fascism
- Glenn Greenwald gets triggered by smart competent women like Rep. Stacey Plaskett
Steve Benen
- Joe: Sometimes grown ups are in charge in D.C. and things get done
- Are the anti-Trump Republican forces starting to implode?
- Ben Platt returns to Broadway in Tony-nominated 'Parade'
- Dick Gephardt: I am hopeful Congress will get a debt deal done
- Sen. Hawley responds to column about 'petty trolling' with 'petty trolling'
- James Comey: Trump poses a near-existential threat to the rule of law
- 'A win for all Americans': Head of National Economic Council praises debt agreement
- Head of conservative think tank makes 'bizarre and dangerous' comments about FBI
- House member looks for debt ceiling bill to 'cross the finish line' this week
- As president, DeSantis said he would 'destroy leftism' and 'woke ideology'
The Obama Diary 
❤ rest well Beau
{{{{{GGail}}}}}}
{{{Chips}}} today is a day of profound sadness for the Biden family.
Congrats Gail 🙂
Chips, the TOD community you created has, once again, shown its expansive capacity for compassion and love. TY!
No words. Just love and prayers for the Bidens.
It’s hard to understand why one good family gets so much to bear and …
Exactly VC, how much is one family meant to take?
It’s ‘not fair’, Chips Chica, and I don’t care about platitudes like ‘God never gives you more than you can bear’, or ‘Only the good die young’, or ‘God is love’, or whatever. Right now all I feel is that it’s straight up ‘not fair; it’s not right’!
I’m with ya VC, it’s just amazing how some people are hit by a string of tragedies, one after the other, when you’d feel if there was anyone up there, they’d decide they’d suffered enough. I’ll never understand it, it’s cruelty in extreme.
Ditto! Honestly, moments like these rock my faith more as I grow older. It gets harder to accept whatever rationalizations may be offered because they literally make no rational sense anymore.
Exactly how I feel VC, so much pain is caused by deaths like this, what could possibly be the purpose? I’m at a loss. I know it’s said we’re not meant to question, but I’m damn well questioning.
{{{CC}}} Me too, CC, me too.
I don’t have an answer except that I do believe from my religion that everyone’s “return date” is predestined and it bodes us all to love and appreciate one another and to not withhold that love and appreciation for we don’t know when the “return date” will appear. I am comforted by the showing of unabashed love shown between VP Joe and his son, as well as the love shown between the Obama family.
It’s something we all should work to find in our personal lives. Because once we die, we can’t hear all words of love
Bring me flowers when I am living
Don’t bring me them when I am dead
Let me enjoy them in the giving
`Randy McClave
Bring me flowers when I am living
Don’t bring me them when I am dead
Let me enjoy them in the giving
`Randy McClave
Just lovely, GGail.
I wish I had your faith, I truly do, but losses like this weaken whatever faith I have even more, I have to admit. It’s just too cruel.
I understand your thoughts Chips and I pray you are once again able to work through them. As humans, we want to keep those we love & respect around forever and that is not to be. Love, respect & appreciate them while they are among us and remember them always. {{{Love ya}}}
Love ya right back, Missus, you have a kind and loving soul.
I don’t think I can accept the idea of predestination – but maybe that’s because maturity has made me more contrary re ‘religious’ matters. My first thought re a predestined ‘return date’ would have me ask of what purpose then is setting a baby’s ‘return date’ as days after its arrival, etc. etc. Much of this life and death business makes no sense to me, Gx2!
“Bring me flowers when I’m living.”
Thanks GGail.
May the family and friends of Beau Biden find comfort somehow.
Very inspiring song…one of my favorites. Thx for posting CarolMaeWY.
Thank you. Words aren’t easy for me.
Deepest Condolences to the Biden Family.
So beautiful.
Dear TOD…I know we are all heartbroken by the loss of our VP’s son Beau. Many of us have also been wondering how JOE has been
able to withstand all that has happened to him throughout his life. My son gave me a card a few weeks ago as I was going through
a difficult time,with this beautiful poem written on it. I think the words are so appropriate for our VP JOE so I will print it here as
a tribute to him and his beloved family.
The Oak Tree
by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr
A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree’s leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark
But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing Oak?
The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway
But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You’ll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me
Until today, I wasn’t sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I’ve found, with thanks to you
I’m stronger than I ever knew
I’m stronger than I ever knew
************************
YESS… we are!
🙂
Thanks for sharing, Hope44
Thank you. 😿
Beautiful…..
Beautiful, Hope44! Thank you for sharing this poem with us.
*This* is what the Bidens and Obamas have been modeling for the nation – *Family Values*! Actually I could say they have been demonstrating that family values and public service do not need to be mutually exclusive.
Yessss!
Beautiful presentation. God bless the Biden family. A true message to celebrate our families while we have them, because no one knows the day or hour that we will be called forward.
I went back and found some notes I wrote to a friend when I saw Beau Biden and Kamala Harris give a talk on gun reform in July 2013. I want to share them with you because the overwhelming feeling I got from him was that he was such a great human being:
###
The first thing that comes to your mind when you see Beau Biden is how much he looks like his father. I mean, really, really looks like his father, and with some of the same mannerisms. Then you listen to him speak and what comes across is just how smart, compassionate and dedicated he is when he talks about his work and his family. He talked about his Dad a lot.
He and Kamala are long-time friends and they spoke about the challenge of working on common sense gun reform. Beau talked about his experience with this issue in particular as AG for Delaware. He spoke for about 20 minutes or so and then took questions for at least another hour. He was very, very generous with his time and did his best to address questions that were very challenging. Kamala Harris is also gorgeous and crazy smart. She projects strength and courage in so many, many ways, I’m just thrilled that she is my AG. SO, these are two very distinguished rising stars in our party and we should be very proud of them. I want to encourage all of us to keep track and support them both in any way we can.
After the event I walked up to him just to thank him. I waited patiently as he was mobbed with people wanting to give him their card and introduce themselves and have a photo taken. Then Christine Pelosi walked up next to me and when Beau was free, I told her to go ahead and get in there and meet him. He was very glad to meet her and they talked for a few minutes about the work she’s doing now and some of the stuff that’s happening now with PBO and VPB on gun reform. They both talked about how much they loved PBO’s remarks on Trayvon in the WH briefing room and Beau said he thought PBO should do more of that because he’s so good at it. Then when the moment came, he turned toward me and I shook his hand and thanked him for his service and just said I want to wish him the best in this very tough fight. He was soooooo sweet and thanked me. I told him I love his father very much and he seemed very touched by that. He looked at me and said, you know, my father is really, in real life, really a very nice man, a very good man. I said, I know! That is why I love him! And your mother, too. He said, yes, my mother, too. I thanked all three of them for their service to our nation. He seemed very sincerely touched by that. He said he’s going to need a lot of help when the legislature looks at his gun reform bill again in Delaware in January and I said if I can help, I will. He smiled and thanked me and said, please stay in touch with me. Please join my Facebook page. I smiled and said, OK.
Honestly, Beau is just a very warm, honest man and one of the most sincere guys you’ll ever meet. Just a wonderful man. And again, OMG, just very, very handsome in person, incredibly fit. Anyway, I so wish you could have been there with me. It was very, very special. My admiration for them both for taking on this incredibly important issue is truly boundless.
###
I’m know that VP Joe must be inconsolable. I cannot imagine losing a son, losing such a bright star. I hope in the days to come he will find a measure of comfort from the outpouring of love and respect the world over. He and Jill are so beloved.
Damn Meta, I need tissues again, that was absolutely beautiful.
After reading it I copied it because it’s getting harder to read with tears in my eyes.
{{{Carol}}}
{{{Chips}}} 😿
XOXO
Thank you Meta for your very thoughtful tribute. This is what I want to remember about him.
Thank you, CarolMae. He was a very uncommonly gracious person that will be very hard to forget.
Yes he was. You were fortunate to meet him and we are fortunate he shared his life publicly.
Thank you, Dudette.
You are most welcome meta. Thank you for sharing that lovely tribute!
Meta, thanks for sharing your vivid memory of Beau Biden. What a huge loss!
Meta, thank you for sharing your story of meeting Beau Biden.
On my way to sing and pray for the Biden family and for those who love them.
bbl ❤
Oh and thank you Chips for providing us a place to gather together ❤
Yes..thank you very much..
Oh my gosh, the sadness in that room.
When I heard the sad news of Beau Biden last night I came here to be with old friends. Knew there would be comfort here. My short-term memory is going so I had forgotten Beau had brain cancer. I was so shocked and saddened. 💔 The Bidens have a deep faith in the Catholic Church and I respect that.
Many of you at TOD have suffered and are suffering with your own tragedies and tribulations. I’m sorry I’m not here in real time to give comfort but I think of you a lot.
May everyone find comfort in your own way. We all share empathy in the good and bad; Its the bond we have at TOD.
Thanks Carol for your kind and comforting words. I enjoy your “gifts of nature” tweets – they are very calming to the soul. 🙂
Thank you hopefruit.
Love you Carol. Thank you!
Luv you too Dudette.
Good to see you, Carol – even under such sad circumstances.
Thank you Theo. Good to be here live sharing.
I have no doubt that many in the beltway and media DON’T understand how much we, ordinary people love, respect and treasure VP Biden and his family;
Reason for our gratitude to the Bidens: there is never any doubt in hearts of some of us that VP is always on the side of ordinary people and he serves with deep integrity
Amen
How did he get the nickname Beau?
You will need many hankies. . .
I can’t add anything more than what all of you have already voiced so poignantly. I do know that this TOD family is something amazing:) May the Biden’s feel the arms of a grateful nation wrapped around them. Hold them up, if need be, but hold them tightly in a warm embrace. I hope that we all can emulate the goodness that Beau Biden lived every day.
“I hope that we all can emulate the goodness that Beau Biden lived every day.”
Perfect, df. TY
Excellent choice, sailor. Thank you.
BEAUTIFUL CHOICE INDEED!…………………………
From what I’ve seen, I consider it a low probability that Gov O’Malley has the strength of character to accept Allan’s wise and kind advice. If Lis Smith wants him to have any chance of winning she should have him read and heed the advice.
In stark contrast, I know that Beau Biden would never have required Allan, or anyone, providing him such advice. We lost a fine person and leader, yesterday. We lost a future, great President, as well.
^5.
Bob, you are so right, O’Malley hasn’t shown the strength of character to be President nor has he’s shown the ability to understand why President Obama was elected twice by huge margins. O’Malley is fast becoming a has-been that never was.
but i agree with Alan Brauer that Martin O’Malley has not burned his bridges to the Obamacrats:
*********
No Democratic candidate can beat Hillary Clinton without the Obamacrats. You need them more than they need you. You can’t pretend Obama never happened and get the Obamacrat vote.
Nothing you’ve said or done up through today has destroyed your chance at the Democratic nomination and the White House. But you have chosen so far not to climb upon the shoulders of your predecessor. The candidate who seizes the mantle of this administration will win the nomination. And so far, quite frankly, Hillary Clinton has bested you in this regard. Obamacrats are still deeply suspicious of her, but as long as she continues to embrace the current administration and her role in it, they’ll get less and less resistant to her. Obamacrats are also smart enough to know that there’s no Republican alive today who would be a better president than Hillary Clinton.
******************
but…We meaning all the DEMs must understand that this is just not about an election…this is about the future of our country and the world…Just as one of the Indian newspapers proclaimed that the world breathed a sigh of relief when the President was re-elected…i can only think that the world is once again choked up wondering if America will continue to move forward…
“i can only think that the world is once again choked up wondering if America will continue to move forward…”
No ? about it, pf58!!
Now I understand why Joe Biden has been silent on running for president, his son needed him. He said Edward Kennedy suggested he run for Senate after his wife died — he didn’t want to, but Kennedy persuaded him. The Vice President should not retire into obscurity, he has a message of hope and a life of leadership that others need. I was taught that service to others is also a service to yourself.
Thank you sailor and Don.
Don – “O’Malley is fast becoming a has-been that never was.” YUP!! I have no interest in him, but, for the sake of a robust primary and because Allan labored diligently to give him good advice, I decided to urge the fella (and his flack) to catch a clue.
Let me make this even simpler, if the constitution allowed for the President to run for a third term, and if President Obama ran he would win going away easily. So why these Democrats run away from his record is beyond my comprehension.
Bob, this is an outstanding summation of the way Obamacrats (that I know…i.e. TODobots – *wink-wink*) feel! I absolutely love the tone and I love the ideas and examples shared! Allan B. clearly put a lot of serious thought into this, and IMO O’Malley and his communication director would be fools not to read this in its entirety and to reflect seriously on the advice given.
Anyone here who has not yet read this, really should. The author doesn’t disparage HRC, or anyone for that matter; he ‘simply’ and seriously makes some really cogent points, highlighting what we have now re potential candidates and what we would like to have. To date it’s the best analysis I’ve read about our current candidate scenario and what we need.
Could not agree with you more, VC! TY
TY, Bfr. I’m moving so slowly today that it would have taken me a longer while to get over to State for updates.
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/05/31/beau-biden-the-finest-man-any-of-us-have-ever-known/