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All Times Eastern
10:15AM: President Obama meets with the Dalai Lama
12:30PM: Daily Briefing with Press Secretary Josh Earnest
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First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey speak at the White House Summit on the United State of Women
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President Barack Obama speaks on the Orlando shooting at the Treasury Department while Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper look on. President Obama rebuked Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States
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President Barack Obama speaks during the White House Summit on the United State Of Women
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The Obama Diary 
Good Morning Nerdy & Tod – stay safe everyone – and enjoy the trip to DC
Good Morning, Everyone 🙂
Josh Marshall @joshtpm
Contrast between Obama and Trump, really the best the country has versus the worst. Hard to imagine a more extreme contrast.
💞💕
Morning everyone:)
Special good morning to Chipster and her mom….hope that all is coming along and you are fine….kisses for Danny!
Hi, df – and I second the special good morning to Chips and her mom!
GM TOD, I so enjoyed FLOTUS ad Oprah talk yesterday. Matter of fact alot of the event State of the Women was worth watching. And alittle politics, seeing POTUS take down of Trump was worth it too.
Great new piece by Nancy this morning…good read
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2016/06/re-imagining-dream.html
How Did I Get an Abortion in Texas? I Didn’t.
By VALERIE PETERSON
JUNE 15, 2016
Austin, Tex. — ANY day now, the Supreme Court is going to decide whether women everywhere have full access to the right to an abortion, or just those who live in the right ZIP code — and whether any other woman in Texas, where I live, will have to go through what I did last fall.
The abortion restrictions that the court is currently considering, which were passed in 2013 under the pretext of protecting women’s health and safety, are really nothing more than unnecessary obstacles. In my life, they made a devastating situation much worse.
Nearly six months after my abortion I still carry the scars of the experience — not of the procedure itself, which was a blessing I will never regret, but of how hard it was to get the care I needed in the state where I live.
I’m already a mother of two. And after years of being told I couldn’t have any more children, I was shocked when my doctor told me last summer that I was pregnant. I wanted another child, and I immediately began prenatal care.
Because of high blood pressure, mine was considered a high-risk pregnancy and I had to have ultrasound scans every two weeks. At my 12-week scan, I was told that there was a possible anomaly in the baby’s brain, but more testing was needed. For the next several weeks, I went in for additional tests. I barely slept.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
The sonogram clearly showed my son’s brain hadn’t developed into two halves, and there was a hole between the brain and the spinal cord. My doctor confirmed the diagnosis: Alobar holoprosencephaly. My doctor gave me two options: I could try to carry the pregnancy to term, which would most likely end in either miscarriage or the delivery of a stillborn baby. At best, the doctors said the baby might live a couple of minutes. Or I could terminate the pregnancy.
I was devastated by the diagnosis and these two terrible options. I knew immediately, though. Once I saw the pictures of his brain, I knew that continuing to carry this pregnancy would have traumatic emotional and physical consequences. And not just for me but also for my two children, who were excited about having another sibling.
…………………………………..
Through a friend, I was connected to a clinic in Florida that caters to women who are terminating for medical reasons, and I spoke to the doctor and nurse there. The doctor explained that Florida didn’t have a 24-hour waiting period, and they could get me in the next day.
I booked the first plane ticket I found. I got a hotel room and rental car. I flew to Florida on Friday, and my procedure was over by Saturday afternoon. Including the cost of the procedure, I had to spend close to $5,000.
I remember thinking: What happens to women in my situation who don’t have the ability to do what I just did? My heart aches for those women.
It is a form of discrimination. Most definitely
It’s early, but a MUST READ.
http://www.stonekettle.com/2016/06/the-return-of-tail-gunner-joe.html
Nerdy, these are great photos and I appreciate all the work it takes to bring all of this goodness here. Every single day, President Obama and his administration are demonstrating to the world and the American people what good, honest governance is and how problems can be addressed with intelligence, common sense and the ability to ground decision making in solid facts. His is an ‘inclusive’ concept of governing–one that embraces the challenges of a diverse population and an interdependent global economy. The Republicans are showing the world what it means to look backward and base your decisions on greed, cowardice, bigotry and a cartoonish understanding of US power. One leads to a better, stronger America. The other leads to death, wars and economic ruin.
hello and GM Jackie…
the PA State DEM committee meeting was very interesting..this was my first experience at attending a State Committee meeting…attended with my daughter…who is very much interested in being a part of the committee structure…
a few significant take-a-ways…
the State committee hired a Political Director and a state wide organizer…
their mission…to coordinate a 67 county strategy to not only organize for the top of the ticket but local races as well….their theme…Vote Local…to keep a DEM in the WH….win back the Senate…and promote local races in the state…it was well received by the folks in the room…in fact..there is a coordinated effort between the Hillary campaign and the PA DEM State Committee…
we were told that this process is being implemented across the country….
there was an 8 person slate that was proposed from the chair to represent PA on the DNC……the slate was evenly balanced…2 ea from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and 4 from the rest of the state..
the Bernie folks tried to promote their own slate…they challenged the chair on the proposed slate….tried to prevent a vote…however the chair was savvy…the vote was taken…and the chair’s slate was passed overwhelmingly…
despite this bump…the heads of both the Hillary and Bernie campaigns were very complimentary to each other…
it was Fascinating to watch….
Pf, I heard about the Vote Local campaign that was unveiled at the state meeting. It’s supposed to be a comprehensive effort, including lots of advertising, designed to encourage people to vote for down ticket races and not just for president. We’ll be implementing it on the local level. In the past anyone running for the state house was on his or her own, so this seems like an effort to make sure we work together to get the maximum bang for the bucks. I hope it works.
it will be up to us to make it work…but i know the delegates who were at the State committee meeting were very enthusiastic about it…..
GOD BLESS THE PRESIDENT FOR EVEN SHOWING UP AT THE CONGRESSIONAL PICNIC..OH TO BE A FLY ON THE POTATO SALAD! SPEAKING OF FLIES..OUR YARD TEAM HERE LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED..DON’T THINK THEIR MINDS ARE ON SOIL AND GRASS..LOTS OF WEEDS!
G’morning Nerdy & TOD!! Congrats 99ts on #1, and Happy Wednesday everyone. 🙂
BOOM- any questions???
Yes I have one below for you…🤔👽
I think Jackie and Linda gave excellent responses!! I concur with both. 🙂
NO QUESTIONS….
I LOVE MY PRESIDENT..IT’S A BUSY DAY!..<3
Good – now lets hope that the other late night comedians (e.g., Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, etc) will follow suit.
and colbear.
Ok- here is a question…
Sanders says he wants the DNC to have open primaries in all states?
I thought that was determined by the states not the DNC?
What is he talking about?
He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. You’re right. States determine how they want their primaries to be run and whether they will have caucuses or not. Despite his delusions of vast conspiracies, there is no controlling dictator that tells states what to do on these issues.
Thank you👈🏾
Pipe Dreams !
Demanding stuff that is not in his ability to change seems to be his daily schtick. He’s making noise. Uninformed noise to rile up his supporters.
I’m wondering if he’s just at the point now where he’s going to try to raise money to pay off his debts.
In the very young child, we call it ‘attention getting’. For the most part, it is the wise adult who ignores the demand
Yesterday, I talked to two men–registered Dems–who were railing against the horror of Donald Trump. When I told them we really had to work hard to defeat him, they looked at me as if I was crazy and said all they could do was vote. When I made a list of what each person could do in terms of voter outreach, GOTV or even manning booths at events, they looked lost and overwhelmed. I’m going to make a point of calling them if there are easy “entry steps” they can take to being active in the coming campaign. Everyone can do something if they just determine to set aside some time each week. It’s critically important to vote, but this is the year we all have to step out of our comfort zones and go for the landslide that will defeat Trump, give us the Senate, make inroads into the House and win back some state assemblies.
So heartbreaking.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/newtown-victims-mom-pens-open-letter-to-orlando-mass-shooting-families/
Crook and a liar
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/15/new-evidence-donald-trump-didn-t-pay-taxes.html
they are to charge the killer’s wife? for what?
FBI fucked up. FL govnor thug fucked up. Cong critters fucked up. nra thugs fucked up. supreme court fucked up.
and they gonna scapegoat this poor woman?
In the case where the shooter is a white person…they do not call him a terrorist…not do they hold the family accountable….
I agree with you amk, but if she had any idea he was planning something like this she should have spoken up. I have no doubt that I would, it would be hard but you have to do what is right.
prettyfoot58 I agree with you too.
She claims she asked him not to do it. Given the way murkan police react with muslims, her fear/reluctance to go the police is understandable. When everyone else in power acted like cowards when it comes to gun control, why she alone be brave?
And if she had gone to the police
1. They may have arrested her
2. Someone may have talked to him – put him on a no fly list – he could still get a gun
3. He may have killed her
4. Most likely – no-one would have believed her
His first wife says he was an abuser. Who knows what was going in their home. It’s pathetic that the ‘fbi’ went for the easiest and crassest option.
Someone would have believe her, remember this Mateen guy was investigated by the FBI, they close the case cause they had no proof of anything, but if his wife would have step forward 50 people might be alive.
Sorry, you can’t pin this on her. She is not the enabler.
I’m conflicted about this. She drove him to buy ammunition. She drove him to the club. She knew what he was planning. Technically, that makes her an accomplice. But she says she tried to talk him out of it. Now, who knows what would have happened had she left him and gone to the police. Would she have found safe harbor? Would the police have been able to prove he had intent to harm and make the charges stick? Is there any proof of that anywhere besides the wife? Who knows. But I don’t think they’ll charge her unless they can prove she was an active participant in the plotting and planning. That interrogation is going on now.
If she knew, then she should have spoken. Plenty reasons why she might be scared, but she should have spoken. Lives might have been saved.
Yes, I know that’s what I would have done. But then, I can’t imagine choosing to live with a hateful gun nut, EVER.
Meta, I am with you. Conflicted. Arresting her could cause others to be less cooperative or more depending on how they look at it. She should have reported it, but knowing he had been checked so many times might have been a factor in her thinking. I see both sides so just do not know or than he needed to be reported.
I heard on the radio that Trump is going to meet with the NRA to get them to agree to not selling the assault rifles to flight banned terrorists. That scares me! If Trump is able to get something done the public wants done that the Democrats cannot do it could be a whole new ballgame. Scary!
Honestly, I can’t imagine Trump having any sway with the NRA. They are intransigent on this issue and Trump doesn’t have any special powers to change any of that. He’s trying to seem reasonable when we all know he’s anything but.
NONE of Dylann Roof’s family were implicated as accomplices….NONE of the man’s family who shot up the Planned Parenthood office were implicated as accomplices….do you see a pattern here??…In fact neither of these cases were called an act of terror…another pattern!
She is an accessory or conspirator if she accompanied him when he bought ammunition and cased sites. When I was a medical director for a federal women’s prison a large percentage of women there were in on conspiracy charges for what their husbands had done (mostly drug trade but one with a husband who imported German antique guns from the war).
And you wonder why murka has the highest incarceration rates.
I could not read this….
but the headlines are on par…
I mean the bully was literally phoning it in and these media assholes wetted themselves for scoring his ‘interviews’.
And then they came for the media – and no-one was left to care.
Exactly. These cowards can’t hide their racism and want to protect it at gun point.
say it louddddd…
Oh, Pf. Propane Jane saw that nail and hit it right on the head. She cuts through all crap and gets to the nub of things. I love her.
so do i!!!!
BS is taking his cue from the Teabaggers: Minority rules.
Obama meets Dalai Lama. The chinese, as usual, crap in their pants.
GM, TOD! This time tomorrow, I will have picked up PrettyFoot at my local train station, and we will be on our way to DC. CAN’T WAIT! Here’s a morning chuckle for you:
🙂 Funny…and I just wanted to tell you to have a FABULOUS time with the family:) Spoke to GGail last night and told her that I want to be there with all of you:) Big hugs and love to all….we need a WEST COAST MEETUP for everyone….wouldn’t that be fun?! Have fun…we expect pics!! If you see POTUS, FLOTUS or the dogs….give them a kiss/hug for all of us!
Good morning, good people.
The whitehouse.gov We the People petition to Ban the AR-15 from Civilian Ownershipi s at 156,691 signatures:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/ban-ar-15-civilian-ownership
Thanks, Meta. I signed the petition. It now has over 171,000 signatures.
like daughter, like mom?
How cute is that!! I always get a kick when dogs stretch their legs entirely out behind them:) Little cuties.
cutiespigs.meanie
This is where I tell you that the current interpretation of the Second Amendment—the one held onto by Carson, and Donald Trump, and practically the entire Republican Party—is a hoax. Outside of the GOP, this is widely understood. But what we fail to comprehend, as we bury more of our dead in the name of freedom, is that it is a triple-decker hoax: A lie wrapped in a fabrication, lacquered over with a falsehood. That we chose to wrap it around our necks as a symbol of our own liberty is our own fault and shame.
EXCELLENT MUST READ PIECE!!
President Obama’s statements on Orlando and the despicable creature named Trump ….
And Repukes still endorse him.
JOB, well in all honesty he won’t have far to go.
Pretty sure he’s close to it now!
We question why mentally ill people can get guns in the USA. What happened to questioning why mentally unstable people can be candidates to lead our Country as President of the United States of America? I fear the idea that it could happen. Do we need an added requirement that the candidate pass a nonpartial sanity test?
After this year, I would totally support such a psychiatric evaluation. We are now in mortal danger of electing an actual lunatic to the US presidency.
From article Comments, this guy nails it re:Trumpsters…
Paul Czapla ·
Researcher at Finding A Cure For The Human Condition
“The problem is that half the US population is not capable of truly rational critical thinking.They are easy prey and that is exactly how the 1% like it. Stressed out, angry, poorly educated people make poor choices like voting emotionally against their own best interests. It is part of the corporate royalty’s “Divide & Conquer” strategy to keep runing off with the nations wealth.
All it takes is some authoriarian blowhard to flatter the gullible and hold up scapegoats on whom they they can blame all their self-perpetuated problems. Griping and blaming are so much easier than facing that you’ve been had… again.
When someone says, “We’ve got to give Trump a chance!” I know reasoning with them would be like trying to play chess with a pigeon. I just calmly ask if they are aware that one of the classic tells of brainwashing is how vigororously and blindly the victims will defend their own manipulators. They are not bad people but they are ignorant.”
Like · Reply · 28 · Jun 6, 2016 3:16pm · Edited
Totally nailed it. I’ll never truly understand it, but I know we’ve got to bring ’em along somehow!
Still laughing at FLOTUS calling POTUS walk swagalicious. Hope the haters heard FLOTUS response to their racists hate. I think she told them what she think of them.
Meta, that is really compelling. I’ve run out of words to describe the level of utter contempt I feel for that despicable bigot–Donald Trump. I hope he keeps talking until he’s managed to offend every group in America so that people come out in droves to vote against him in November.
It’s so shocking ever single day. So what is the breaking point? I posted a link to a reporter’s twitter timeline describing what one of his rallies is like and it just makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Absolutely terrifying.
In progress right now:
LOL. You are so funny. But real !!
Why thank you. 🙂
Dems are on the Senate floor filibustering. They want to add an amendment on guns to the Justice Dept bill.
cspan 2
https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/press-briefing-press-secretary-josh-earnest-261
Hello TODable TODbots.
Thank you, NW for the great work.
Hello Chips. I am sending to you, ❤ ❤ ❤ and my warmest wishes to your Mom & her continued recovery.
Congrats to all the Gold ⭐ winners, starting with this Thread and several Posts back.
6-15-16
WH Presser with Josh "The Voice" Earnest, starting LIVE, shortly.
bbc fp now.
“trump to push for tighter gun control”
Not Obama. Not Hillary. Not many prominent dems. Who actually mean what they say and actually do what they say.
But this proven fraud and phony is the one to be front paged.
bbc ‘evolving’ into emmessem.
I just called both my senators offices. Had to call local office for Corker because after many times trying the DC office and getting constant busy, I gave up. Alexander’s DC office was also VERY busy–high volume of calls according to the young man. As I said to both of them, that should tell them how the people are feeling. I had my script written and asked at the very beginning that it be read back to me. Here’s my points: 1. Tired and angry at having to make these repeated calls to my R senators. 2. Do your job! Stop the hate and the obstruction. 3. You should know after 7+ years it isn’t going to work and you will not destroy this President’s stellar legacy. 4. Stop supporting the hate, the evil and the fear. 5. Do your job for your constituents and also for the nation. Three items to do your job: 1. Support the SC nominee having a hearing and a vote on the Senate floor. 2. Support the counter terrorism nominee (for finance matters) who has languished for over 400 days getting a vote. 3. Support common sense gun legislation.
Both people did a good job at getting everything down. (I spoke slowly and clearly.) Then, as much as I tried, I became very emotional, not mean/angry emotional but frustrated emotional. They were both nice and understanding and I pointed out my emotions were not directed at them personally, but that I DO want my senator to know that I, like thousands of others, have had ENOUGH. ENOUGH is ENOUGH is ENOUGH…..and I said that.
Hugs to you and thank you SO MUCH for doing that. Take a deep breath and have a cool drink, and look at the President’s photo on the front page of this post, about the 11th from the top. That’ll help calm you.
Oh yes, Jackie. ANY picture of him will “do the trick.”
For me, too! 🙂
Well done!
BRAVOOOOOOOOOO Alyceeeeeeeeee…
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2016/06/15/hate-will-not-win/
Nerdy, thank you so much for this incredible recap of yesterday’s events. I hadn’t had a chance to listen yet, so I’m grateful that you have it all in this one thread. Bless you, for all you do to keep us informed.