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Today
9:55 AM: The President hosts an Easter Prayer Breakfast, State Dining Room
30
Mar
16
63 Responses to “Early Bird Chat”
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The People’s View
- Follow me at my new venture: Reclaim the Fight Spandan Chakrabarti
- Ignore the bait: Why it’s the right strategy for Democrats to focus SCOTUS fight on health care Spandan Chakrabarti
- BIG: Judge halts Trump administration attempt to shortcut the census Spandan Chakrabarti
- Trump doesn't want peaceful transition of power. Legally, it doesn’t matter. Spandan Chakrabarti
- Fauci goes off on Rand Paul Spandan Chakrabarti
Smartypants
- In a World That Seems to Have Gone Crazy, Dana Milbank Provides a Dose of Sanity
- Democrats Don't Have to Chose Between "Defund the Police" and Being "Tough on Crime"
- Does McConnell Actually Care About Winning Back a Senate Majority?
- On the Supreme Court, Ingraham Says the Quiet Part Out Loud
- How the GOP Became the Party of Selfishness
Steve Benen
- 'An embodiment of a great part of the American story'
- 'They acted so carelessly': Why Mich. parents charged with involuntary manslaughter
- The true story of how one woman was radicalized
- Can both the Dems and Republicans get their houses in order?
- Mary McCartney cooks vegan specialties with friends and family
The Obama Diary 
Good Morning , Chips and early TODers.
Good morning Jackie! Hope you’re feeling better?
GM Chips & Danny Stix.
Moooooooorning Roberta!
I’m feeling better, Chips. Still not able to leap tall buildings, or even leave the house, but I’m not wheezing anymore and the fever’s gone. I’m really looking forward to walking outside sometime in the near future.
Ah, great news Jackie, you’re on the road to recovery – but what a miserable time of it you’ve had. Hugs!
great news Jackie….
i sent you an email this morning…. 🙂
GM *& Congrats on 1st Jackie. How are you feeling? Is your Bronchitis finally giving way with the meds? Sure hope you are feeling better, nice to see back on TOD>
I am doing better, Roberta, especially in the mornings. Thanks for asking.
Hope you will continue to recover, JackieG and not have any setbacks!
Gooood Mooorrning where is everyone? still abed? LOL.
Good morning Ms. Chips, Danny and TOD family, I hope all is well with everyone this lovely Wednesday morning. Congrats Jackie, on being first this morning.
The greatest start of the day is when you wake-up in the morning and have all your faculties and mobility. If you don’t think so, try not waking up.
To all, I hope that your countenance brings cheerfulness, happiness, and joy to all those you encounter today. ❤ ❤ ❤
Thank God that President Obama is still the President of The United States of America. ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆
Confession: Much as I despise him, I really wouldn’t call what Trump’s guy did to that reporter ‘assault’. He was a rough oaf, but ‘assault’? I just think this is going to play in to Trump’s hands.
I think it probably relates to the legal definition of the word. Not sure it is a winner for Trump – but it certainly is a loser for the lass – doubt she will quickly get another job in the media (unlike the old white men who seem to roll from one cosy job to the next.
Good evening 99ts!! I’m struggling to have sympathy for anyone who worked for Breitbart, but definitely can’t see how she’s going to work again after this – which is grim. Granted, people who would sympathize with the Trump campaign over this were probably going to vote for him any way, but I just think it’ll add to the ‘they’re all out to get him’ paranoia they have when they look at that tape.
“I’m struggling to have sympathy for anyone who worked for Breitbart” – that about covers the whole issue. There also seems to be a side issue that she has complained about something similar before – but – it was a police decision to charge – not her decision.
It just seems to be a never ending reality that anyone – other than white males – are not allowed to be victims. I have not had to cope with what Black Americans have to handle every day of their lives but I do see the women’s side of most issues – and I also wish Madeleine Albright had not apologised for her more recent words on women supporting women. (just to mention something different)
The reaction to the story has been as hideous as I feared, endless jokes about violence against women. I think I need to stay off the internet for a week.
I have stayed well away from the story. If it is Trump vs. Hillary for the election – Trump’s words will be used against him big time. Good that he puts it all in tweets – for all to see.
The amount of anger, filth and bigotry on many sites is astonishing and it will only get worse as the election gets closer. For the sake of your blood pressure and overall health, it’s best to stay with safe sites that are carefully monitored. If that’s means being sheltered from reality, so be it. I know how ugly reality can be right now and I don’t need to wallow in it.
Absolutely right Jackie, it can be so utterly draining reading all the bile – you know you shouldn’t look, but….
GM Chips.
I’m on exactly the same page as you.
Can’t stand the MSM “outrage” and (endless?) tweets over something so trivial, inconsequential because it happened to one of their own precious “journalists.”
There’s are far more real injustices happening to people who aren’t just whining, and yet are ignored by MSM.
Especially since MSM has been insufferable after Robin Toner awards on Monday night.
(“Corey” vs. reporter was lead story on @cbsradionews this morning):
Morning TOD and especially Chips. Haven’t said hey to you in a while. As the saying goes, you lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. I don’t feel one bit sorry for this woman. BTW, your Danny makes me laugh. 🙂
#trumpista
😆 Sad!
I understand how you feel, Chips. I despise Trump and his out of control bully manager and I detest Breitbart & Co. But I’m of the mind that no one lays a hand on me in aggression. Is it assault or battery? I guess the courts have deemed it is. So I hope she wins the case.
A man who has to trivialize women all the time by reducing them to their looks and bodies is at heart deeply afraid of them. Trump can’t cope with women of brains and strong character, which is why he will do everything in his power to reduce Hillary to her appearance. He is in for a very big shock at the strength of will, intellect and emotional depth he will encounter when he goes after her. His little boy taunts are going to fail miserably.
Agreed, jackieg. You don’t have to be a psychiatrist to determine that Trump is deeply insecure. He is constantly overcompensating in a astonishingly childish way, each and every day. I can’t imagine how bitter his life must be.
I am surprised Trump’s motto isn’t Make America Great Again Like Me.
http://www.newssday.com/opinion/oped/michelle-obama-doesn-t-show-the-bruises-after-seven-years-1,11626853
Hi bella – I couldn’t get your link to work – this is not the same website – but it seems to be from the same source
http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/though-battered-for-seven-years-michelle-obama-doesnt-show-the-bruises-1291229
Thank you 99ts. I don’t know what I did wrong. 🙂
No worries – A lesser person than FLOTUS would not have carried on regardless, she is such a delight & I’m so pleased you enjoy all you can find about who she is and what she does. We shall be reading all the good things for years to come.
I made some mistake in trying to post this article here, sorry! Courtland Milloy writes, I recently attended a White House event that featured the Broadway hit “Hamilton”. But it was the host for the occasion who was the most impressive, first lady Michelle Obama still standing tall, chin up despite nearly eight years of enduring the kind of crudities that the wives of some of the current presidential candidates are starting to get a taste of.
Bella, people have always underestimated Michelle Obama just as they have her husband. They have never understood the kind of toughness and courage it takes to grow up in the south side of Chicago, work hard against all stereotypes, get scholarships to the best schools, graduate with a prestigious law degree and make your way up the ladder, all the while battling racism at every turn. She is a brilliant woman with an indomitable spirit and no matter how many have tried to demean her with their ugliness, she’s stood tall, risen above it all and accomplished wonders as a First Lady.
G’morning Chips & TOD! Congrats Jackie on #1 🙂 Happy Wednesday to everyone! 🙂
Moooooooooooorning Hopefruit!!!! 🙂
GM TOD – I was so busy reading Bob’s link to Stonekettle I missed the rise&shine
Too good a link to leave back there
“Throughout history, the societies we admire, the ones we seek to emulate, the ones our founders modeled the United States on, those societies advance by education, by science and technology, by increased standards of living, by increased public health, by innovation, and most especially through a sense of shared purpose and shared destiny. ”
….
“Taxes are the price you pay for the service of civilization.”
One of his best rants
http://www.stonekettle.com/2016/03/free-stuff.html
French President Francois Hollande has dropped plans to change the constitution to strip militants convicted of terror attacks of their French nationality.
“A compromise appears out of reach,” Mr Hollande said after the two houses of parliament failed to agree the reforms.
The proposal followed November’s Paris attacks which killed 130 people.
But it ran into huge opposition and led to Justice Minister Christiane Taubira resigning in February.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35924701
Myanmar swears in first elected civilian president in 50 years
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35923083
Good Morning, Everyone 🙂
❤
And if there was a GOP President – the media wouldn’t talk about the “amazing streak for the job market” It would be the brilliance of the administration.
They just cannot bring themselves to admit that PBO runs an amazing administration that has done so much – despite the massive attempt from congress to bring the country down.
Co-sign
All Hail….I think I’m ready to come out of hibernation, maybe!
It’s Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiipmaaaaaaaaaaate, welcome home!!! 🙂
Always nice to see a sailor 🙂
Oh hell. I mean, all hail 😘
Morning Sailor💕
guyz, yer all mispronouncing hail.
Hale?
Morning amk 😊
Not only in America are there RWNJs. Thought by replacing Abbott we had gone a couple of steps forward – but it seems not. Our latest attempt at a PM (we seem to turn them over as easily as Italy in recent times) thinks he will solve the Federal Budget by telling the states to raise their own taxes. My head hurts at the thought. Since Federation, the taxing authority has been the Feds. All people are taxed under the same rules – which seems to me to be a great idea – and then we have someone thinking we should copy another bad idea from the US.
15 or so years ago a RW government introduced a consumer tax (GST it is called). They promised this would replace lots of state taxes – it did get rid of some – and now they want to introduce a new state tax. The economics is bad, the outcome will be bad & the wealthy will work out a way to avoid paying it. If I was 30 years younger I would seriously think about campaigning for me.
Good West Coast morning Chipsticks & TOD family.
MooooOOOOoooOOoooOOooOOooooorning GGail!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL Morning my dearest Chips 💋
me, when our useless cricket team plays…. any matches.
Huh, try being a Man United fan.
Chips! The boys are riding high and would frown at you right ’bout now. I hope Martial & others aren’t lurking 😳
#notthesame
Great morning in Washington DC again. Yes we are all glad that Barack H. Obama and Family are still in the “People’s House” and that his sanity is still in place. He was never perfect; but he has provided us a bird’s eye vision of an educated, dedicated, focused young man working for the good of all citizens (Here and around the world). Been here since 1941; remember Presidents from Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Eisenhower, Others that shall remain nameless; then President Lyndon Johnson and his efforts to bring the Kennedy plans to fruition. All the more, we recall dear Jimmy Carter who was nearly pushed off of Pennsylvania Ave.on to the Clinton’s. Bushes, and finally God restored our faith in Him by giving us his ‘young genius’ with the praying Mother-in-law and visionary wife Michelle !! How thankful we Seniors are for living to see these years of economic restoration and folks who reach out to those (young and old, rich and poor) that would never otherwise see the inside of the ‘White House’. My heart is grateful the Family has survived this mean-spirited, obstructionist, ‘do-nothing but get as rich as they can, while creating chaos along the way with their lies, while doing damage to the American psyche. Yes, they are called congress; but we know who they really represent and pray that the voting citizenry will wake up by November. Oh well that is too much to hope for; so we will just continue to thank people like you – that put the truth out here daily and keep us aware that there are great people like you around, in America. Praying for your continued good health and my own survival to see Ms. Clinton have the opportunity to show that strong women can bring peace on a very broad scale. Thank you, thank you, thank you !!
Morning, Yvonne. As a fellow senior, I share your historical perspective and your hopes for the sanity of the American people next November.
Trump and his rivals back away from RNC’s loyalty pledge
03/30/16 08:00 AM—UPDATED 03/30/16 08:24 AM
By Steve Benen
There was a point last summer when Donald Trump flirted with the possibility of running an independent presidential campaign, prompting widespread consternation in Republican circles. But by early September, Trump announced that he’d signed the RNC’s “loyalty pledge,” committing him to the party’s nominating process – and its nominee.
As we’ve discussed before, however, the New York Republican left himself some wiggle room. Trump said, repeatedly, that he would honor the agreement so long as Republicans treated him “fairly.” He never specified exactly what “fairly” meant – apparently, he knows it when he sees it – but the candidate’s rhetoric suggested he always saw a way out of his promise.
All of which led up to last night, when things changed.
When pushed again by moderator Anderson Cooper about whether he’d respect the so-called “Loyalty Pledge” … Trump was more direct:
“No, I don’t anymore. No. We’ll see who it is. And he was essentially saying the same thing.”
In this case, “he” referred to Trump’s principal rival, Sen. Ted Cruz, who also suggested he no longer feels bound by the party’s pledge.
New post
http://theobamadiary.com/2016/03/30/the-president-hosts-an-easter-prayer-breakfast/