113 Responses to “Early Bird Chat: Presidential Selfie”
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The People’s View
- Follow me at my new venture: Reclaim the Fight
- Ignore the bait: Why itās 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 doesnāt 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 āfact-checkā 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 
Good Morning NW and TOD.
Wasn’t he in Japan recently?
Here is an official state visit from 2014.
Thanks nsa person. 5 years already? jeez.
PRICELESS………………………………………
FANCY MEETING YOU HERE!..A FAMILIAR FACE………………………………
Paging Bob.
Russia has freed jailed Ukrainian servicewoman Nadiya Savchenko, who became a symbol of resistance against Moscow.
Savchenko arrived back in Kiev on Wednesday as part of a prisoner swap with two alleged Russian soldiers.
She was sentenced to 22 years in jail for killing two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine, charges she denied.
The two Russians – Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov – are being flown from Kiev to Moscow.
Savchenko was captured in 2014, as pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine battled government forces.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36378173
This is wonderful news and what a glorious day for Nadiya’s family! Thanks, AMK.
This is excellent news!! Good for Nadiya – what a relief it must be for her. š Thanks for sharing amk. Bob will be very pleased to hear. this.
Wonderfulllllll….
The controversial right-wing Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman has agreed to bring his Yisrael Beitenu party into the country’s governing coalition.
The deal, which shores up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s one-seat majority in parliament, will see Mr Lieberman appointed defence minister.
Mr Lieberman pledged his commitment to “responsible, reasonable policy”.
The deal led Moshe Yaalon, a member of Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party, to quit as defence minister in protest on Friday.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36377323
Great, another rabblerouser is just we want.
it seems that the right wing in israel is entrenched now – so no compromise with palestinian authority for sure. bodes ill for what happens next
When the right wing wins in any country, the world loses. This does not bode well for Palestine’s future.
Nerdy, thank you for all your hard work in keeping us up to date on the President’s trip to Vietnam and now Japan. We all also appreciate your waking up so early to open up the shop. Hope Chips and her mom are okay.
JG x 100%
and Wednesday Greetings to everyone in da village!
I was encouraged to hear PBO’s answer to the concern among his young Vietnamese audience members about the prospect of a Trump presidency. When he said, “It’s going to be okay–I promise you,” I knew he would expend every ounce of the endless energy he has to ensure that Trump is defeated in November. We can do no less. If you live in a “swing” state, there are Hillary organizers in place now. You can contact your local Democratic Party to get the organizer’s name.
Good morning and Thank you NW!!!
Progress is always slow and forever being challenged by the forces of darkness and hate ….
Take care everyone … bbl ….
Has tom taken a look at his own backyard lately?
Good Morning, Everyone š
Republicans–always looking out for the rich guys with deep pockets.
They never stop trying to give money to their mates to the detriment of American workers. One day people will stop voting against their own best interest.
furst part – yes
sekind part – never gonna happen
ON MY FB….GOP -GREED OVER PEOPLE!
gm TOD – many thanks for the morning thread NW – thoughts and hugs to Ms Chips.
<3. A selfish from any and every angle, with PBO, works for me!! I love how there is room for everyone, no one vying to be the 'only one'' or closest to him – I drink my tea with a smile on my Heart! ā¤
*selfies (hours later, this time wearing glasses)š
Morning everyone….Have a great day!
May 25, 2016 8:30 AM
The Most Important Legacy of Barack and Michelle Obama
By Nancy LeTourneau
Barack and Michelle Obama entered the White House not only with an awareness about what was coming, but also an understanding that they would face this kind of onslaught as the first African Americans to live there. There have been times that Iāve tried to imagine the weight they willingly took on their shoulders to avoid those kinds of entanglements – knowing what the slightest human imperfection would trigger.
Itās not that Republicans havenāt tried. Weāve seen attempts to blow up everything from a gun-running sting gone bad, mistreated veterans, the botched rollout of HealthCare.gov, the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange, Secret Service debauchery, the IRS targeting, Hillary Clintonās email server and Benghazi. That doesnāt even count all the times weāve been subjected to complaints about teleprompters, the Presidentās golf game, family vacations, and the color of the suit the President wore for a press conference (to name just a few). But other than in the minds of the conspiracy-obsessed, nothing stuck.
As we approach the 2016 election and the end of this Presidentās second term, weāll continue to see attempts to summarize his legacy of accomplishments. This one should be at the top of any list. That is partly because an attempt to de-legitimize him via scandal has failed. It is also why he will be positioned to be an asset to Hillary Clinton. But in ways that are probably not yet imagined, Barack and Michelle Obama have paved the way for countless young African Americans to be proud, and aspire to follow in their footsteps.
raygun’s fake teflon coating was provided the corrupt 3rd rate 4th estate.
This couple’s genuine teflon coating was due to lack of any scandal.
Nailed it, AMK. The US media has also conspired with Republicans to exploit every imagined scandal against the President. They are wired, i.e. paid, to promote GOP propaganda.
And their overriding love which has held them together and been a beacon of light for many.
G’morning Nerdy, Chips & TOD!!! Congrats JER on #1! Happy Wednesday, everyone š
Huh.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/real-time/In-Philly-Ken-Starr-makes-surprising-comments-about-Bill-Clinton.html
Actually, I read this: http://juanitajean.com/ken-starr-fall-guy/ first….which led me to the surprising comments he made about Bill Clinton….really something:) Karma?
President Obama Holds a Press Conference
Start time 9:30 AM EDT
Also watch here: President Obama in Ise Shima, Japan -http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml AND http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml
And here: http://abcnews.go.com/Live?stream=1
GM TODville.
Lots of pics of PBO in Vietnam in this photo essay.
Repost from yesterday, contrasting PBO’s arrival in Ho Chi Minh City to America’s exit from Saigon 41 years ago:
What a contrast. This is moving me to tears.
Me too. I have a cousin who was one of the last to leave on that last flight out. Healing breaches around the world is PBO’s legacy. Too bad the GOP couldn’t see the value of cooperation. The loss is theirs but many American people and many arounbd the world are oh so grateful for what has been done.
Tom Junod, in Esquire ā āThe modern, extremist right was pretty much invented in opposition to her (and her husband). Now itās up to her (alone) to stop it”
………………………………………………..
ā¦ Of course, she sounded paranoid back when she first said itāparticipants in apocalyptic battles always sound paranoid when they first say theyāre participants in apocalyptic battles. They sound especially paranoid when they answer a question in apocalyptic terms when the question was really about, well, blowjobs. This was a long time ago. This was back in 1998. Bill Clinton was the president of the United States of America. Hillary Clinton was the First Lady. Heād offended people by being a resourceful rascal. Sheād offended people by saying something about cookies. Theyād both offended people by trying and failing to bring about universal health care and by trying (and sort of failing) to allow gays to serve openly in the military. Theyād been under investigation for years for something theyād supposedly done in Arkansas when, really, everyone knew the investigation was about sexāand secrets. Heād been accused of rape in the nascent right-wing press; sheād been accused of murder; and now they were finally caught. He had a secret, indeedāheād had sex with a young woman in the White House and heād testified, under oath, that he hadnāt. He had sinned all right; he had sinned against her, his wife, so that now even she couldnāt defend him. But she did. And she defended him by inveighing against themāagainst the āvast right-wing conspiracy.ā
She sounded a little crazy. She sounded guilty of, at the very least, bad faith. Except that what she was saying turned out to be trueāthere really was an obscurely wealthy man, Richard Mellon Scaife, bankrolling the attacks against her and her husband; there really was a right-wing media spawned by structural changes overtaking the news business, and it had found, in the Clintons, the template for every story that was to follow. Her only error was a matter of language. She used the word vast to describe what she faced. It wasnāt vast, yetā
It is now. Nearly 30 years later, Richard Mellon Scaife has evolved into the Koch brothers, the then-fledgling right-wing media now claims the biggest and most powerful cable-news network among its ranks, and the money unleashed by the Citizens United decision has conjured a ring of super PACs organized specifically against her candidacy. The vast right-wing conspiracy is still here, and yetāand hereās the thingāso is she. The vast right-wing conspiracy has outlasted everybody but her. From the start, the attacks on her have had a tendency to resolve themselves in the most mundane termsāthe Whitewater investigation turned out to be about a husband lying about infidelity; the Benghazi investigation turned out to be about, of all things, Sidney Blumenthal. But that doesnāt mean that both sides havenāt known the stakes all along. Sheās always chosen to fight on metaphysical ground; sheās always defended herself cosmically because sheās been attacked cosmically, and so sheās lived to fight another day. But now that day is here. She helped create the modern right wing; the modern right wing helped create her; and now there is no place for them to go except at each other. The 2016 election is nothing less than the climactic event of the last three decades of American politics, andāitās an amazing and scary thing to be able to write these words without ironyāthe future of the Free World lies in the balanceā¦
Warrior.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/05/25/elizabeth-warren-just-absolutely-shredded-donald-trump-theres-a-lot-more-like-this-to-come/
Wow…ok.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2016/05/25/daily-202-trump-s-attacks-on-the-gop-s-most-prominent-latina-susana-martinez-should-alarm-republicans/57447430981b92a22da97667/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_daily202
GM DF.
As much as I think “thirsty” Marco is an empty suit, Trump is really digging his heels in on alienating the fastest growing segment of America:
Good West Coast morning NW & TOD family.
NW, thanks for carrying on during Chips’ absence. My thoughts & prayers to Chips and her mom. We miss you Chips š
Happy Hump Day š
lot to unpack in the story.
Good catch, and good morning df š
back to work ….
Morning to you, Bob:)
Just audio of the press conference.
Try these links: http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml and http://abcnews.go.com/Live
Thanks, JER. Quite the contrast from Vietnam.
May 25, 2016 10:00 AM
Trump Pivots to the General Electionā¦by Attacking Women
By Nancy LeTourneau
It has been fascinating to observe pundits who claim that Donald Trump will change his stripes during the general election in a way that appeals to a broader constituency. Iāve always thought that those assumptions were based on the idea that he was simply playing a character during the primaries – much as he did on TV. But that ignores the fact that he has been a narcissistic bully for a very long time.
Now that Trumpās competitors have dropped out of the race and he is the presumptive Republican nominee, the bullying insults to anyone who challenges him have not stopped. Last night in New Mexico, his target was Gov. Susan Martinez – who happens to be the chair of the Republican Governorās Association, the first Latina governor in the U.S. and the first female governor of New Mexico. But of course, this is what you get from Trump if you refuse to endorse him.
Hmmph.
They think they’re special.
The dogwhistles were for them too…so, that they could shill themselves to the larger community.
……………………….
What would it take to be ābeyond redemptionā?
05/24/16 11:20 AMāUPDATED 05/24/16 12:18 PM
By Steve Benen
Itās hardly a secret that todayās Republican Party faces serious demographic challenges: in a country thatās increasingly diverse and multi-cultural, the contemporary GOP is increasingly white and homogeneous.
But Republicans are not literally devoid of diversity. There are, for example, some prominent Hispanic conservatives who are nearly always aligned with GOP candidates up and down the ballot. Given that Donald Trump is the partyās presumptive presidential nominee, what are they thinking right about now? The Hill had an interesting report on this the other day.
………………..
As MSNBCās Benjy Sarlin noted the other day, in reference to the GOPās Latino wing, āIf they accept Trump, Republicans can take for granted they will accept literally anything from now on.ā
Good morning, all you early birds with your bright eyes and such!
The āschmoozeā theory needs to go away
05/24/16 10:47 AMāUPDATED 05/24/16 12:07 PM
By Steve Benen
CBSās Norah OāDonnell talked with Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Obama, in a much-discussed interview that aired over the weekend, and much of the Q&A focused on one familiar thesis. Here, for example, was the first question, on the subject of Judge Merrick Garlandās Supreme Court nomination.
When Jarrett explained that Senate Republicansā handling of the Garland nomination has more to do with politics than personal relationships, OāDonnell was unmoved. āBut in two terms, seven years, why hasnāt the president been able to find a Republican that he can call up and say, āHelp me out on thisā?ā the reporter asked. āDoes he have any Republican friends?ā
As Mother Jonesā Kevin Drum noted, the interview just kept going along these lines, with OāDonnell asking nine questions in a row ā literally, nine ā about whether the president is sufficiently friendly with congressional Republicans. āIsnāt politics about schmoozing?ā she asked. āAnd isnāt politics about friendship?ā
GM rikyrah.
Norah O’Donnell and 60 Minutes should be ashamed and called out for parroting and cheerleading GOP lies.
I listened to the segment (don’t have a TV) and was simply appalled.
Maineās LePage fails to defend the indefensible
05/25/16 09:21 AM
By Steve Benen
It was the sort of story that made Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) look so awful, he managed to even surprise his critics. In mid-April, the far-right governor vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have allowed pharmacists to dispense an effective anti-overdose drug without a prescription. But it was LePageās explanation that added insult to injury.
āNaloxone does not truly save lives; it merely extends them until the next overdose,ā LePage said in a written statement. As we discussed at the time, the governor, in a rather literal sense, made the case that those struggling with opioid addiction donāt have lives worth saving.
Maineās legislature soon after overrode LePageās veto, but the governor recently hosted a town-hall meeting at which he defended his position. The Bangor Daily News reported:
Thatās quite an anecdote, which the Republican governor appears to have completely made up.
I LOVE MY PRESIDENT…WILL CATCH UP TONITE..RUNNING SLIGHTLY LATE 2DAY…………….<3
The is supposed to be the home the Obamas will live in after they leave the WH. It’s beautiful and looks serene:
Click to access 57970_1_0_110820131023.pdf
Lovely home
Been trying to post, but keep getting rejected. Luckily, I thrive on rejection!
Wanted to comment that this is a lovely home – and that’s one of my favorite architectural styles!
Looking good, Meta, though I couldn’t find the poo, Desertf. š š
Caught fibbing, Trump scrambles to address veterans controversy
05/25/16 08:41 AMāUPDATED 05/25/16 08:48 AM
By Steve Benen
In a normal year, in a normal party, with a normal candidate, it would be the kind of controversy that effectively kills a presidential candidateās chances of success. In January, Donald Trump skipped a Republican debate in order to host a fundraiser for veterans. He boasted at the time that heād raised $6 million for vets ā which led to a related boast that Trump contributed $1 million out of his own pocket.
The Washington Post reported this week that Trumpās claims simply werenāt true. He did not, for example, raise $6 million. And what about the $1 million check the Republican bragged about? His campaign manager insisted this week that Trump did make the contribution.
Except, that wasnāt true, either. The Post reported last night:
The check is apparently going to a group called the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, whose chairman received a call from Trump on Monday night, the day the campaign controversy broke.
Letās put aside, for now, why the Trump campaign said heād made a donation that did not exist. Letās instead ask why it took nearly four months for the candidate to do what he claimed to have already done.
Deadbeat donald. These are the things that the dems should be repeating ad nauseum. The rethugs score on such things since every thug would be parroting the same point 24×7.
where DA PHUQ have they been?
this is ridiculous.
should have been formed the day after that horrendous SC decision.
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The Voting Rights Caucus gets to work
05/25/16 10:42 AM
By Steve Benen
The list of caucuses in Congress isnāt short. These officially recognized groups of lawmakers, who get together in pursuit of a common agenda, include names that are probably familiar to many Americans ā the Congressional Black Caucus, for example ā but there are plenty that are far more obscure. Before this morning, for example, Iād never heard of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus or the Congressional Explosive Ordnance Disposal Caucus, both of which evidently exist.
Up until yesterday, however, there was no Voting Rights Caucus. Yesterday, as the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth reported, Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) changed that.
Konechiwa!
Trump Empowers Extremists in Congress
by BooMan
Wed May 25th, 2016 at 10:31:59 AM EST
Every once in a while, I have to remind folks of some basic facts about Alabama Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. This is one of those times.
Of course, Sessions got his revenge by getting elected to the same Senate that had rejected him as a judge and then winning an appointment to the same Judiciary Committee that had declined to send his nomination to the floor. Keeping Alabama racism at bay is like trying to drown a cork, and Sessions soon defined himself as one of the most extreme and intemperate opponents of Latino immigration in this countryās power structure. He was also the first U.S. Senator to endorse Donald Trump, and thatās now paying dividends.
I hate to say it but all I can think of when I see Senator Sessions is Stewie from Family Guy.
COMING UP: Hillary Clinton campaigns in Orange County, CA – http://www.msnbc.com/live-online/watch/coming-up-clinton-continues-ca-campaigning-692598339813
POTUS in Vietnam Holding a TownHall
Hello TOD.
Happy Wednesday.
Hot. It rained earlier. A tad breezy. It will get Hot again.
Thanks NW, Amk & Chips for Keeping TOD a Place to get POTUS whenever he’s OverSeas.
Awesome Coverage.
Congrats to all the Gold ā winners since Tuesday, Afternoon.
Down Goes, Sonny Liston!
Why? Doesn’t he want to lead a “revolution”?
Ha ha ha!!!!
I enjoyed the town hall last night, once again President Obama displayed a breadth and depth of knowledge few can match. What caught my attention was him saying that he was going back to be a community organizer. Iām going to so miss this man.
NOW: Hillary Clinton Event in Buena Park, CA – http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml
The absolute reason as POTUS & Co starts campaigning this Fall…….borrowing Zero Terror attacks in UK, France EU or USA……hands down, Dems win!
President Obama waves as he disembarks Air Force One upon arriving at Chubu Centrair International Airport at Tokoname, Aichi prefecture.
As voters get a closer look at their options for POTUS #45, it seems their appreciation for their current POTUS has grown!
3:30 PM EDT – The First Lady Hosts the White House Turnaround Arts Talent Show
Thank you NW for these wonderful pictures of this trip. It is so important.
I want to wish everyone a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. My husband and I are leaving in 2 hours for our 6 day camping and fishing trip. We are heading to Idaho on the back side of the Teton’s. It is a very beautiful area. Where we will be there is no cell service. So I will be lurking. I know I can’t go that many days without at least checking in, I’ll find someplace close I can get service. Have a great day.
Oh my goodness – speak quietly into the Silence for MP, if you will mtmarilyn, tell them I haven’t forgotten. And enjoy the bliss (catch and release all you can’t eat!)
ā¤
Will do MP. I revive myself in the woods. I love my trees. My family only catches Trout we eat. My heart is full in anticipation.
Mtmarilyn, I hope you and your husband have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and enjoy your camping and fishing trip. I hope you can share photos when you return.
I posted many pictures on Facebook. Are you part of our email group. Send me an email and let’s become friends on Facebook. I don’t know how to post pictures on here.
Yes I am. I’ll email you.
FLOTUS is speaking now.
A present for Chipsticks, CIC of TOD:
http://journalistontherun.com/2016/05/25/irish-travel-blogs/
ā¤
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2016/05/25/president-obamas-wonderful-day-in-ho-chi-minh-city/
Oh there is FLOTUS. Hurray. Looking forward to this show.