On This Day: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet Edith Childs, from Greenwood, S.C., in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, during a holiday party, Dec. 4, 2009. Childs coined the campaign slogan “fired up, ready to go.” (Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
****
The President has no public events scheduled for today
As sheriff’s investigators threaded past the battered cars, cast-off tires and rusted farm equipment cluttering Brent Nicholson’s front yard, there was no hint of the sinister stockpile hidden behind his windowless front door.
Inside, the guns were everywhere: rifles and shotguns piled in the living room, halls and bedrooms; handguns littering tables and countertops. Outside, when they rolled up the door on the pre-fab metal garage, more arms spilled out at their feet.
“This has completely changed our definition of an ass-load of guns,” said Chesterfield County Sheriff Jay Brooks. Six weeks after the discovery, officers are still cataloging the weapons, many of which have proved stolen, and the final tally is expected to be close to 5,000. “I don’t know if there’s ever been (a seizure) this big anywhere before,” Brooks says.
The question of how one man amassed such a stockpile of guns arises just as there is renewed American soul-searching over the widespread availability of firearms in the wake of a series of mass shootings.
Even in a country where more people own more guns than anywhere else in the world, Nicholson’s cache is extraordinary. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives doesn’t rank gun seizures by size, but a spokesman says Nicholson’s hoard probably is among the largest ever.
Tracking Nicholson’s guns is a challenge because many states, including South Carolina, don’t regulate private gun purchases, which are unrestricted and require no background check. So person-to-person sales, including gun show transactions that don’t involve licensed dealers, are largely untraceable.
There also is no national gun registration mandate – only some state laws. So, unlike, say, cars, which can be tracked through registrations, guns often have no traceable ownership trail beyond their last sale by a licensed dealer.
He stole the majority of these guns from so-called law-abiding responsible gun owners who probably just went out and bought more guns. Some old codger said he should be able to keep the guns that were not stolen….most of were. Then some other old codger said he was a “good” man and never sold many of the guns….BECAUSE THEY WERE STOLEN! At least he wasn’t that stupid to try to sell guns he stole from his neighbors. These people are as backwards as the people that they vote for and who run these stupid towns.
Absolutely agree with you, DF. The GOP owes too much to the NRA to change this. They voted down closing the terror gap in gun sales, so we have to vote them out. Voter suppression and gerrymandering probably have to go to accomplish this.
You know what, Df. If a person’s fear of life is so crippling that they have to stockpile 5000 guns, they need to be in an asylum getting serious mental health treatment. And where do people get the funds for this many guns? You could probably buy a house in a decent neighborhood and pay for the whole thing outright with what was spend on these guns?
The entire article was interesting and illuminating. We are drowning in guns, the quote fascinated me because the amount of guns even perplexed the sheriff.
Yes, df these states that have NO regulation of guns, people in these states are poor as hell and can make lots of money selling guns to people in states that will sell them to gang bangers in cities that have strict regulation like Chicago, New York and California. I think Chicago ties a lot of murder weapons to out-of-state guns.
Morning. I’m reposting this link from last night because it sheds light on why frequent shootings are actually a boon to gun manufacturers and why they’re actually pleased when they occur. Also explains why we will never get action from representatives beholden to the gun industry. The manufacture of guns thrives on increasing the death toll and when you let that sink in, you want to either scream or vomit.
Australia Enjoys Another Peaceful Day Under Oppressive Gun Control Regime
“…the peaceful two decades that have followed are “probably” because the Australian government decided to strip us of our God-given right to own projectile weaponry capable of shooting down helicopters.”
Due to the nation’s controversial and oppressive gun restrictions, no one has died as a result of a mass-shooting on Australian soil today, for the 7158th day in a row.
For anyone math challenged…that’s almost 20 years of peace and harmony with no gun violence. 99ts…make room:)
Thanks, AMK. I’m thrilled that baby will have parents, but you would have been good at it, too. Doesn’t the idea of a baby around the house appeal to you?
Ha! You will be putty in the hands of any grandchild. My husband transforms himself into an adoring idiot whenever our granddaughter is around. From the day she was born, she made him her slave.
Oh no, this means that little one’s parents are gone. I hope that infant gets good care and a loving home. Now that your children are grown, maybe you could adopt this one, AMK.
Whenever I see White House Christmas photos, I’m awed by how perfect everything looks. Yesterday we got a fresh tree and decorated it and then put decorations around our house interior–outside was done last week. It looks cute–we did a peppermint candy theme with a peppermint striped bow on top of the tree. But whatever magic touches the hands of the WH decorating crew, it’s lost to me and don’t get me started on Mr G, who does great with electrical connections, no matter how complex, but has zero talent at decor.
Thanks, rikyrah. Here’s what I want to see–Trump turning around and doing a full blown hatchet job on Cruz and then moving on to little Marco. Seems Jeb spent $30,000 to raise his poll numbers and couldn’t manage it. When you’re polling behind Cruella Fiorina, you need to call it a day.
Arizona may not be as conservative as might be expected. A new Morrison-Cronkite Poll shows Arizonans have different opinions on social issues like legalization of marijuana, gay marriage, abortion rights, gun restrictions, climate change and the death penalty.
For example, 74 percent of registered Arizona voters support a woman’s right to abortion services, including six in 10 Republicans.
The Morrison-Cronkite Poll also found that six in 10 registered Arizona voters believe “climate change is caused, primarily, by human activity” – a departure from the predominant Republican conservative position.
Why the latest Obamacare repeal vote was worse than the others
12/04/15 08:00 AM
By Steve Benen
It’s not exactly a secret that when congressional Republicans vote to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act – as they’ve done dozens upon dozens of times – it’s not because they intend to succeed. On the contrary, they already know these bills are doomed to fail, at least so long as President Obama is in the White House, blocking any GOP effort to take Americans’ health benefits away.
And yet, the Senate Republican majority invested months of effort in yet another “Obamacare” repeal measure, culminating in a close vote last night.
The Senate narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would repeal key pieces of the Affordable Care Act and strip federal funding of Planned Parenthood for one year.
The GOP will finally pass a bill repealing Obamacare. It will be a charade.
By Jim Newell
The meticulously plotted Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act and have that repeal vetoed by President Obama culminates this week. The House of Representatives has voted to eliminate the law dozens of times over the last few Congresses, but either Democratic control of the Senate or Democrats’ use of the filibuster has kept the repeal from going any further. So after last year’s midterm elections, in which the GOP gained control of the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to use the reconciliation process to get the repeal over the finish line. (Reconciliation is the one-off parliamentary maneuver that only requires a 51-vote majority.) After an expected marathon of votes on dumb amendments heading into Thursday, the bill should pass, paving the way for Obama to veto the dickens out of it.
Republicans are going through the Kabuki of passing a doomed bill for a number of reasons. Once it became clear that this Congress wasn’t going to use reconciliation to pass anything that could make its way into law, the GOP decided that it might as well burn the reconciliation tool on a messaging bill. The message here is to clarify to Republican voters, ahead of the presidential election, that all they need to eliminate the ghastly scourge of expanded access to medical care is a new, conservative butt in the Oval Office swivel chair. As useless messaging bills go, you could do worse. (Though, it’s worth pointing out that this bill should also send a message to the Democratic base to show up and vote if they want to save the Affordable Care Act.)
This reconciliation process has been carried out as the trial run for an actual ACA repeal after the 2016 elections, as Republican legislators have done reconnaissance on all the procedural traps that might occur for the real deal. By those standards it’s been largely successful. Though the bill will not be a total repeal, it does eliminate much of the law’s core infrastructure, its revenues and its outlays, even if it can’t weed out every last regulation under reconciliation, because some don’t directly pertain to the budget.
Wonderful jobs report!
In answer to an earlier question, I think 5% is considered full employment.
Of course, due to the skin color of POTUS, that goalpost may have been moved recently.
Just a thought. Apparently there are more guns in the hands of the American population than there are people who make up that population.
In view of that, I cannot see how limiting the sale of guns will have much of an effect on the spreading violence.
Not saying we shouldn’t try to curb gun proliferation.
I am thinking that it is probably way too late.
My idea is to mount campaigns stressing gun safety. With that we may be able to keep kids from shooting their siblings. Which, in my view, would be a good start.
The Obama Diary 
1st!
🙂
Congratulations, Don!
I wouldn’t be surprised if the jobs number fall below 5%.
Morning, Don! Morning everyone! Is today the day for jobs numbers? If it goes under 5%…..what constitutes “full employment” anyway?
105%?
G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone, and congrats Sir Don on #1! Happy Friday everyone. 🙂
Goooooooood morning Hopefruit!!!
What in the wide world!! What??? ONE PERSON??
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-guns-stockpile-insight-idUSKBN0TM2LU20151204#KdDMrJMoWIdu8BmU.97
Man’s hoard of nearly 5,000 guns shows ease of amassing arms in U.S.
As sheriff’s investigators threaded past the battered cars, cast-off tires and rusted farm equipment cluttering Brent Nicholson’s front yard, there was no hint of the sinister stockpile hidden behind his windowless front door.
Inside, the guns were everywhere: rifles and shotguns piled in the living room, halls and bedrooms; handguns littering tables and countertops. Outside, when they rolled up the door on the pre-fab metal garage, more arms spilled out at their feet.
“This has completely changed our definition of an ass-load of guns,” said Chesterfield County Sheriff Jay Brooks. Six weeks after the discovery, officers are still cataloging the weapons, many of which have proved stolen, and the final tally is expected to be close to 5,000. “I don’t know if there’s ever been (a seizure) this big anywhere before,” Brooks says.
The question of how one man amassed such a stockpile of guns arises just as there is renewed American soul-searching over the widespread availability of firearms in the wake of a series of mass shootings.
Even in a country where more people own more guns than anywhere else in the world, Nicholson’s cache is extraordinary. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives doesn’t rank gun seizures by size, but a spokesman says Nicholson’s hoard probably is among the largest ever.
America. Wake Up!!!!! This is a PROBLEM!!!
And this:
Tracking Nicholson’s guns is a challenge because many states, including South Carolina, don’t regulate private gun purchases, which are unrestricted and require no background check. So person-to-person sales, including gun show transactions that don’t involve licensed dealers, are largely untraceable.
There also is no national gun registration mandate – only some state laws. So, unlike, say, cars, which can be tracked through registrations, guns often have no traceable ownership trail beyond their last sale by a licensed dealer.
We need to FIX THIS!
He stole the majority of these guns from so-called law-abiding responsible gun owners who probably just went out and bought more guns. Some old codger said he should be able to keep the guns that were not stolen….most of were. Then some other old codger said he was a “good” man and never sold many of the guns….BECAUSE THEY WERE STOLEN! At least he wasn’t that stupid to try to sell guns he stole from his neighbors. These people are as backwards as the people that they vote for and who run these stupid towns.
Absolutely agree with you, DF. The GOP owes too much to the NRA to change this. They voted down closing the terror gap in gun sales, so we have to vote them out. Voter suppression and gerrymandering probably have to go to accomplish this.
You know what, Df. If a person’s fear of life is so crippling that they have to stockpile 5000 guns, they need to be in an asylum getting serious mental health treatment. And where do people get the funds for this many guns? You could probably buy a house in a decent neighborhood and pay for the whole thing outright with what was spend on these guns?
“This has completely changed our definition of an ass-load of guns,”
Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you the quote of the year.
Seriously:) That’s really why I posted that entire thing…just to post that quote:)
The entire article was interesting and illuminating. We are drowning in guns, the quote fascinated me because the amount of guns even perplexed the sheriff.
Yes…the Iron Pipeline was disturbing. As if we needed MORE disturbing stuff to process…..we all suffer from some forms of PTSD, I’m telling you!
Yes, df these states that have NO regulation of guns, people in these states are poor as hell and can make lots of money selling guns to people in states that will sell them to gang bangers in cities that have strict regulation like Chicago, New York and California. I think Chicago ties a lot of murder weapons to out-of-state guns.
Morning. I’m reposting this link from last night because it sheds light on why frequent shootings are actually a boon to gun manufacturers and why they’re actually pleased when they occur. Also explains why we will never get action from representatives beholden to the gun industry. The manufacture of guns thrives on increasing the death toll and when you let that sink in, you want to either scream or vomit.
https://theintercept.com/2015/12/03/mass-shooting-wall-st/
I bookmarked this. I just have a hard time processing anymore of it all at once. Scary shit. Really scary. I choose vomit.
http://www.betootaadvocate.com/uncategorized/australia-enjoys-another-peaceful-day-under-oppressive-gun-control-regime/
Australia Enjoys Another Peaceful Day Under Oppressive Gun Control Regime
“…the peaceful two decades that have followed are “probably” because the Australian government decided to strip us of our God-given right to own projectile weaponry capable of shooting down helicopters.”
Due to the nation’s controversial and oppressive gun restrictions, no one has died as a result of a mass-shooting on Australian soil today, for the 7158th day in a row.
For anyone math challenged…that’s almost 20 years of peace and harmony with no gun violence. 99ts…make room:)
friggin kenyan muslin usurper of a commie dictaytor.
murkans were so happy just 8 years back with over 8% lazy peeps.
Now, THIS is good messaging:
Good Morning, Everyone 🙂
It’s Friday…yeah
spot the barrel and the convict.
Laser dog. Cutie pies:)
AMK, how do you resist those doleful expressions?
by not killing them? friggin’ pigs.
no, no, the parents have been rescued too.
Thanks, AMK. I’m thrilled that baby will have parents, but you would have been good at it, too. Doesn’t the idea of a baby around the house appeal to you?
I look forward to the day when I will finally be the grumpy gramps.
Ha! You will be putty in the hands of any grandchild. My husband transforms himself into an adoring idiot whenever our granddaughter is around. From the day she was born, she made him her slave.
The Indian Army team rescues a newborn baby from the first floor of a flooded building in Chennai.
Wow – what a picture. Hope your area dries up soon, AMK!
I argee with the Daily News headline. The News says he’s a terrorists, but so are these guys, I agree 1000%.
Good West Coast morning Chipsticks & TOD family.
YAY it’s Friday 👯👯
Oh no, this means that little one’s parents are gone. I hope that infant gets good care and a loving home. Now that your children are grown, maybe you could adopt this one, AMK.
Good Morning TOD. Have a great day. Congrats on 1st Place Don.
Whenever I see White House Christmas photos, I’m awed by how perfect everything looks. Yesterday we got a fresh tree and decorated it and then put decorations around our house interior–outside was done last week. It looks cute–we did a peppermint candy theme with a peppermint striped bow on top of the tree. But whatever magic touches the hands of the WH decorating crew, it’s lost to me and don’t get me started on Mr G, who does great with electrical connections, no matter how complex, but has zero talent at decor.
Latest New Hampshire Polling from PPP
1. Donald Trump: 27% (was 28% in a PPP poll six weeks ago)
2. Ted Cruz: 13% (8% last month)
3. Marco Rubio: 11% (12% last month)
4. Chris Christie: 10% (3% last month)
5. Ben Carson: 9% (11% last month)
6. John Kasich: 8% (10% last month)
7. Carly Fiorina: 6% (7% last month)
8. Jeb Bush: 5% (9% last month)
Thanks, rikyrah. Here’s what I want to see–Trump turning around and doing a full blown hatchet job on Cruz and then moving on to little Marco. Seems Jeb spent $30,000 to raise his poll numbers and couldn’t manage it. When you’re polling behind Cruella Fiorina, you need to call it a day.
Well what do you know:) Pigs might be flying:)
http://www.kpho.com/story/30664364/arizona-less-conservative-voters-split-on-most-social-issues?autostart=true
Arizona may not be as conservative as might be expected. A new Morrison-Cronkite Poll shows Arizonans have different opinions on social issues like legalization of marijuana, gay marriage, abortion rights, gun restrictions, climate change and the death penalty.
For example, 74 percent of registered Arizona voters support a woman’s right to abortion services, including six in 10 Republicans.
The Morrison-Cronkite Poll also found that six in 10 registered Arizona voters believe “climate change is caused, primarily, by human activity” – a departure from the predominant Republican conservative position.
Arizona has historically been a solid red state.
a paradox, isn’t it? voting for critters who are exactly 180 degrees opposite of your beliefs.
Stinking frustrating is what it is!
I truly enjoyed The Wiz last night. Will definitely get the soundtrack. Wish there was a way to see it again, once was not enough!
There’s a rebroadcast on Sat., Dec. 19 (8-11 p.m. ET)
I’m getting the DVD; too many commercials interrupted the flow…
I taped it and watched it later, so I was able to fast forward the commercials. It was very good.
Why the latest Obamacare repeal vote was worse than the others
12/04/15 08:00 AM
By Steve Benen
It’s not exactly a secret that when congressional Republicans vote to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act – as they’ve done dozens upon dozens of times – it’s not because they intend to succeed. On the contrary, they already know these bills are doomed to fail, at least so long as President Obama is in the White House, blocking any GOP effort to take Americans’ health benefits away.
And yet, the Senate Republican majority invested months of effort in yet another “Obamacare” repeal measure, culminating in a close vote last night.
The Senate narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would repeal key pieces of the Affordable Care Act and strip federal funding of Planned Parenthood for one year.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-the-latest-obamacare-repeal-vote-was-worse-the-others
Hi rikyrah, only post extracts from articles + the link, edited it for you.
We don’t have a choice about whether or not to play this lottery.
no, they are just corrupt to the core.
Excellent toon!
Without EVER Presenting an alternative
………………….
The Phony Obamacare Repeal
The GOP will finally pass a bill repealing Obamacare. It will be a charade.
By Jim Newell
The meticulously plotted Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act and have that repeal vetoed by President Obama culminates this week. The House of Representatives has voted to eliminate the law dozens of times over the last few Congresses, but either Democratic control of the Senate or Democrats’ use of the filibuster has kept the repeal from going any further. So after last year’s midterm elections, in which the GOP gained control of the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to use the reconciliation process to get the repeal over the finish line. (Reconciliation is the one-off parliamentary maneuver that only requires a 51-vote majority.) After an expected marathon of votes on dumb amendments heading into Thursday, the bill should pass, paving the way for Obama to veto the dickens out of it.
Republicans are going through the Kabuki of passing a doomed bill for a number of reasons. Once it became clear that this Congress wasn’t going to use reconciliation to pass anything that could make its way into law, the GOP decided that it might as well burn the reconciliation tool on a messaging bill. The message here is to clarify to Republican voters, ahead of the presidential election, that all they need to eliminate the ghastly scourge of expanded access to medical care is a new, conservative butt in the Oval Office swivel chair. As useless messaging bills go, you could do worse. (Though, it’s worth pointing out that this bill should also send a message to the Democratic base to show up and vote if they want to save the Affordable Care Act.)
This reconciliation process has been carried out as the trial run for an actual ACA repeal after the 2016 elections, as Republican legislators have done reconnaissance on all the procedural traps that might occur for the real deal. By those standards it’s been largely successful. Though the bill will not be a total repeal, it does eliminate much of the law’s core infrastructure, its revenues and its outlays, even if it can’t weed out every last regulation under reconciliation, because some don’t directly pertain to the budget.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/12/congress_to_repeal_obamacare_in_soon_to_be_vetoed_charade.html
I. am. weeping!!!!
Hysterical!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Allison, let me write that down so I do not miss it.
Good morning TOD …. various updates in the sidebar ….
#Hope4ALL
It’s time we fought rhetoric with rhetoric:
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/12/3/1456666/-NY-Daily-News-calls-Wayne-Lapierre-a-terrorist-accuses-NRA-of-sick-gun-jihad-against-America
Good Morning TOD.
Wonderful jobs report!
In answer to an earlier question, I think 5% is considered full employment.
Of course, due to the skin color of POTUS, that goalpost may have been moved recently.
Just a thought. Apparently there are more guns in the hands of the American population than there are people who make up that population.
In view of that, I cannot see how limiting the sale of guns will have much of an effect on the spreading violence.
Not saying we shouldn’t try to curb gun proliferation.
I am thinking that it is probably way too late.
My idea is to mount campaigns stressing gun safety. With that we may be able to keep kids from shooting their siblings. Which, in my view, would be a good start.
Chat away
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/12/04/chat-away-725/