gm Mighty P – getting a little cold for my liking, and still in June – I’m a summer person although I could never handle the temperatures currently in Arizona!!!
Must mention our new home has a magnificent view of the rising moon – IF there are no clouds on the horizon. This was the first month we saw it full size – in all its glory. We don’t see many stars – much closer to city lights than in the past – although some of the planets shine through.
I love hearing this part of your story, 99ts, I have many photos of moonrise in Australia, and sunrise, of course; so many places I have not yet seen, but I so love your sunburnt country! ❤️
Our new home faces ESE – can’t be blocked from the view because ….. We are on top of a railway line hahaha – thems the breaks – but at night you can’t see the rail so the moon is awesome.
Morning, Nerdy and TODers. Yesterday I had to shut out all things Donald Trump and refocus my energies on positive acts–recruiting volunteer help for our Fiesta Latina and for the Democratic booth at our county fair and continuing to declutter my house. I’m finding that if you clear all the junk from your life–in rooms, closets, drawers, garage, basement–it helps you feel lighter and more energized. I’ve got another two or three drawers to tackle and then I’m done. The bonus is I can actually find things and don’t have to spend frustrating time digging around for buried items. As for Trump, that bloated bag of hot air will continue to expel sulfuric gases until the day he’s defeated. I refuse to take the bait.
Right on Jackie. I don’t want to read about the next stupid thing Trump said. I want to focus on how grateful I am to have our magnificent President and Vice President.
Good morning, Jackie! When is the Fiesta Latina? If I’m not out of town, I’ll drive up; maybe I’ll be able to entice Prettyfoot and SJTerrie to ride with me…
This. This. This. This. This! I concur on all aspects of this precise and decisive commentary! (I have watched zilch, read almost nothing, and listened to not a word. It’s all a game to them, our lives have no meaning to them. And I won’t care how low the demise is to become, it is all well-deserved.) ❤️
Listening to the radio news this morning. So, the Orlando killer liked him some Latino love. And, if the report from Univision is to be believed, he just recently found out that one of his secret life “friends ” was HIV+ I do believe that frames what happened in that club clearer now. The question of whether Latin Night was a deliberate choice-I would say yes
Thanks for the update, rikyrah. The amount of self-loathing this killer felt for himself and his hatred and anger at those who ’caused’ his problem must have been enormous. He was like a ticking bomb ready to explode. Just the person you want to give easy access to military grade attack weapons.
rikyrah, is that latino man or woman love? If this is true I don’t think what he did was all about terrorism, I think he had alot of mental issues, but we know that some want to make it all about him being a Muslim
GM Rikyrah. I just saw the guy who said he was his lover. The guy was in disguise, but stated that the shooter was upset about the HIV scare.
I didn’t know that it was Latin Night at the club that night.
Cowards with guns.
Yes, that’s why nearly all the victims were Latino.
There’s evidence that he had an interest in radicalism but I don’t think he was a member of or directed by ISIL. I think he made the 911 call as a smoke screen for his bi-sexual behavior. And ISIL took advantage of that and the GOP has of course fallen for it.
Good morning Ms. Chips, Danny and TOD family, I hope all is well with everyone this lovely Wednesday morning. Congrats 99ts, on being first this morning.
Thanks Nerdy for opening up TOD’ville this morning as well as all the other wonderful things you do for us. 🎉🙏👏👌👊
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 effervescent, sparkling, and vivacious persona is on full display today. ❤ ❤ ❤
Thank God that President Obama is still the President of The United States of America. ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆
^5 RanMan! As a kid, when the old Deacons started their prayers “Thank you, Lord for waking me up in my right mind…” my six year old self would think “as opposed to the left?” I now so thoroughly understand, and start my morning prayers same way. Hope you have a Blessed and marvelous day! Good morning!
According to the newly elected Democratic Governor of Louisiana – John Bel Edwards – elections matter for poor people without health care. Here is what happened following his own election last year:
Edwards said the state already has signed up 204,000 people for the expanded Medicaid program since enrollment started June 1, with coverage starting July 1. He, along with of state Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee and Medicaid enrollment director Ruth Kennedy, described the intensive planning that enabled the state to get so many people signed up so quickly, with the goal of enlisting 375,000.
But even bigger than that, here is what he predicts if Clinton wins the presidential election in November.
If Hillary Clinton and the Democrats win the November elections, four or five more Southern states will expand their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act next year, Louisiana’s new Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday.
“If it becomes obvious the Affordable Care Act won’t be repealed, a number of states will opt into the expansion fairly quickly,” he said.
Good West Coast morning TOD family.
Congrats 99ts on First!!
Thanks NW for being you. You have not let us down and we APPRECIATE you 💕
{{{Chipsticks & Mom}}}
Good morning friends. So glad you are safe, GGail, and glad everyone made it home safely. I’m not sure my feet have really touched the ground yet after that wonderful weekend. So thankful for each one of you. Someone asked me what was the best part of the trip, and what to me was the best part was meeting new people and making wonderful new friends. As great as seeing sights was, that was the best part. Thank you all for lifting me in ways you’ll never know.
Chips, so glad you can be with your mother at this time, hard as it is. This time will be a treasure for you, as others have said, and I also know. A year ago I was going through this with my husband, but as time has passed, it has become a treasured gem of my life. May it be so for you. Know we are surrounding you with love and encouragement.
{{{{{{Carolyn}}}}} you are one of my shero’s from the trip. I admired your loving strength from afar, and during our time together, it grew to hero/shero status. I laughed and am still laughing when you told us how you went up to that handsome black man and asked how do you get a taxi and he flagged one down for you!!! You go girl !
We are all unique individuals, yet a sisterhood developed rather quickly. We looked out for one another and bonded. It was an opportunity that I’m so glad I saved up for.
There are two things Donald Trump is notorious for in the business world – one is simple bullying as a business tactic, another is cheating people out of money they’re owed and then making the ‘deal’ stick by grinding the counter-parties down with the promise of endless litigation. As Times columnist Joe Nocera puts it, in the business world Trump “is notorious for refusing to pay full price to contractors and vendors after they’ve completed work for him. And he basically dares the people he has stiffed to sue him, knowing that his deep pockets and bevy of lawyers give him a big advantage over those who feel wronged by him.” Both traits or patterns of behavior are surprisingly good guides to Trump’s presidential campaign.
This just reinforces my theory the news runs 2 types of ‘articles’ these days. 1) concern trolling, and 2) wishful thinking. They are wishing Trump was a white Obama. Nevermind the fact he lacks our presidents intelligence, charm, empathy, toughness, kindness….
They are also basically sideways wishing for a white two term president. They are wishing Trump would rally the nation and set landmarks for votes and turnouts and fundraisers. They wish they got to cheer on such a night as we all did 8 years ago in Chicago.
But the GOP/Media will not be getting their wish this year! WE can see to that.
gm hopefruit
There is no such thing as a “White Obama” – right wing bigots take all that is good and try and make it their own. I feel physically ill at the thought of someone comparing PBO to Trump and thinking there are any similarities in who they are and what they do.
Over the course of the Obama presidency, we’ve watched as Republicans have thrown out many of the norms that have been established in order to keep our democracy functioning. It isn’t just things like shouting “You lie!” in a presidential address before a joint session of Congress. And it isn’t just a requirement that basically any vote (including presidential nominations) get a super majority in the Senate. It includes doing things like overtly undermining the executive branch during complex negotiations with other countries (i.e., Iran nuclear deal and Paris climate accord) and failing to give a Supreme Court nominee a hearing. Remember back during Obama’s first term when Republicans were taking the global economy hostage by threatening to not raise the debt limit? Now we’re witnessing a truly bizarre presidential candidate who is basically running on a platform of breaking all the norms.
These are the kinds of things a party does when it doesn’t care about governing. So what is it that they actually want? Perhaps Sen. Mitch McConnell articulated it best when – during Obama’s first term – he said that his ultimate goal was to ensure Obama was limited to one term. It’s basically the same rationale he and Speaker Ryan have given for supporting Donald Trump – they want to win the White House, even if it means electing a racist/sexist narcissist. In other words, it’s a power game with the interests of the American people as the pawns.
President Barack Obama will sign into law the first overhaul of toxic chemical rules in 40 years while hailing a rare moment of cooperation between Republicans and Democrats.
Lawmakers from both parties planned to join Obama on Wednesday for the ceremony, along with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, environmental advocates and industry groups that backed the legislation. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the bill, which passed with broad bipartisan support, was an outlier in a political climate in which the two parties agree on little.
“Any time you see Democrats and Republicans come together on a piece of legislation, it does reflect a measure of compromise, which means that there may be some people who will criticize it because it’s not perfect,” Earnest said.
In addition to updating rules for tens of thousands of everyday chemicals used in household cleaners, clothing and furniture, the bill also sets safety standards for dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, asbestos and styrene. The goal is to standardize on the national level what is currently a jumble of state rules governing the $800 billion-per-year industry.
AAAH..ONE OF MY FAVORITE SUBJECTS…TOXIC CHEMICALS..CORPORATIONS LIKE TO HIDE AND MOSTLY BURY THESE OFFENSES AND DELIVER THEM TO THE UNSUSPECTING..THEY DON’T CARE WHO THEY DUMP ON…THEY WANT THE INNOCENT TO LOAD UP ON PCB’S FOR BREAKFAST!..KICK IT PBO..WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE! THESE TOXIC VIOLATERS ARE DISGUSTING! SOMEBODY OUGHT TOO MAKE THEM A 2,4,5T MILKSHAKE!
By the time it is finally implemented all the way down to practical reality, it may be too late for people like me, who are so extremely sensitive to all the added chemicals, have not been able to walk down the laundry detergent aisle in a grocery store for at least 25 years. It was not this bad in other countries where I have lived for long periods of time. In this huge retirement building I now share with 250 others, the sluff-off from perfumes, detergents, after shave, dryer sheets, the foods they eat, prescription meds they take, are all taking a massive toll on my immune system. Things I had more control over when living in a single family home, now are impossible to control exposure to. In only 2 1/2 years, my system has become so overloaded with no chance to recuperate. This is why I have been working so hard at finding another place to live. For some reason, which I do not fully grasp, nothing suitable has opened up yet. Combined with a hearing disorder called Hyperacusis, living in this modern world is quite a challenge! But I remain optimistic and hopeful. Each day brings its own opportunity! End of sad story! ❤️🌹🙏🏻🌹❤️🙏🏻❤️🌹❤️
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will seek re-election to the Senate, a boost for Republicans facing a tough fight to maintain their Senate majority in November.
Rubio is set to announce his plans later Wednesday, according to a source with knowledge of his plans. The decision follows a month of heavy lobbying from top Republicans and soul-searching on the part of Rubio after the Orlando nightclub attack.
Rubio’s announcement marks a 180-degree turn from where he was even just a month ago, when he insisted he would give up his Senate seat at the end of this term.
Rachel Maddow makes the case that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is essentially a moneymaking racket and a giant book tour, which explains why he is not assembling a real campaign staff or raising real campaign money. Duration: 9:33
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge ruled Tuesday that federal regulators lack the authority to set rules for hydraulic fracturing, dealing another setback to the Obama administration’s efforts to tighten how fossil fuels are mined.
U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl said the Bureau of Land Management can’t set the rules because Congress has not authorized it to do so. The judge, who was nominated by Obama in 2011, wrote that the court’s role is not to decide whether hydraulic fracturing is good or bad for the environment, but to interpret whether Congress has given the Department of Interior legal authority to regulate the practice.
“It has not,” wrote Skavdahl, who last year blocked implementation of rules drafted by the agency.
The states of Colorado, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming oppose the rules involving hydraulic fracturing, which involves injecting substances including water, sand and chemicals underground to increase production from oil and gas wells.
The Bureau of Land Management and a coalition of environmental groups say the rules are necessary to protect the environment. The bureau’s rules would have required petroleum developers to disclose to regulators the ingredients in the chemical products they use to improve the results of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.
……………………………………
Wednesday Greetings, everyone (as I try to get back in sync).
Dear CC, we ❤ ❤ you and are holding you, Mama Chips and the family in our hearts and in our prayers moment by moment. Hopefully you and Mama C can feel our uplift.
While remembering our past grounds us, it is also important to have a clear-eyed vision for the future. Over the weekend, my friend Denise Oliver Velez addressed that with an important piece titled: People of color and the future of the Democratic Party, which highlights something Rev. William Barber (leader of the Moral Mondays Movement) calls “fusion politics.”
The complexion of the United States has shifted over the last few decades, and the future will demonstrate an even more varied set of racial and ethnic demographics. Little wonder why there is a rabid response of racism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration rhetoric from the Republican Party—which we might as well call “The White People Party,” since, according to Gallup “non-Hispanic whites accounted for 89% of Republican self-identifiers nationwide in 2012.”…
This shift presents a challenge, and not just to white Americans. It also highlights inter-ethnic positions and tensions. Let’s not fool ourselves: Developing fusion politics with whites and erasing friction between and among peoples of color is a challenge…
No longer is it a given that straight white males will be always be the defining force in Democratic party national or local elections. For us, fusion is our future. Failure to accept, acknowledge, embrace, and work toward that future will set us back.
These are the kinds of things a party does when it doesn’t care about governing. So what is it that they actually want? Perhaps Sen. Mitch McConnell articulated it best when – during Obama’s first term – he said that his ultimate goal was to ensure Obama was limited to one term. It’s basically the same rationale he and Speaker Ryan have given for supporting Donald Trump – they want to win the White House, even if it means electing a racist/sexist narcissist. In other words, it’s a power game with the interests of the American people as the pawns.
I am reminded of something a blogger named mistermix wrote back in 2010 during the height of the budget negotiations.
“As Tim F. posted earlier, Ezra Klein thinks that Obama’s a bad poker player. He may be right, but the analogy isn’t helpful. Poker is a win/lose game. Negotiation is a win/win game, because both parties get something when a deal is struck. Republicans aren’t playing poker or negotiating. They are playing another game, call it “You Must Lose”. They’re happy with win/lose, if they win, but they’ll tolerate lose/lose as long as Obama loses.
The only analogy that springs to mind when I look at the Republicans’ recent behavior is a bad divorce. Think of a situation where Lisa and Bob are getting a divorce, and Bob is so hell-bent on hurting Lisa that he doesn’t care about their kids or their bank account. Bob will deploy a hundred variations on the same tactic: put the Lisa in a bind where she has to choose between damaging the children and losing money. Lisa will lose money almost every time in order to save the children. …………………………..”
……………………….. snip ……………………….
As Republicans have increasingly become post-policy, the old conservative vs liberal arguments aren’t much in play this election. That is obvious in the presidential contest. But it is also true in House/Senate races – even if the candidates themselves won’t acknowledge it. Electing Republicans means supporting a party that isn’t interested in governing and is resigned to lose/lose if that is what it takes to stop Democrats from doing so.
Are Black Voters Invisible to Democrats?
High turnout among African Americans was crucial to Democratic victories in 2008 and 2012—so why are they being ignored this time around?
By Steve Phillips
JUNE 6, 2016
…………………………………
NO PLANS FOR MOBILIZING THE BLACK VOTE
What you won’t see in the announced plans on the left is any money for making sure that black voters turn out in large numbers in the first national election of the post-Obama era. While Priorities USA has said it will spend some of its $5.3 million set aside for radio ads on black radio and an undetermined amount on digital ads targeting African Americans, there are no funds specifically targeted for the proven and effective grassroots, person-to-person work required to get people out to vote. While there is at least a modest, albeit also underfunded, program to mobilize Latino and immigrant voters, the left and its donors have failed to fund anything comparable among African Americans.
How is this even possible? The single most frequent question I hear as I travel across the country on my Brown Is the New White book tour is, “Why don’t Democrats and progressives understand the importance of investing in voters of color?” I can think of three reasons for this sad state of affairs: progressives can’t count, don’t care, or can’t see.
CAN PROGRESSIVES COUNT? THE MATH COULD NOT BE MORE CLEAR
Simple arithmetic shows the centrality of voters of color to any hopes for keeping Trump out of the White House and reclaiming control of the Senate. Twenty-three percent of all Democratic voters in 2012 were African American. More of Obama’s votes in 2012 came from black folks than came from white men. Nearly half of all Democratic voters are people of color (46 percent in 2012), and even more of the potential voters in 2016 will be people of color (31 percent of all eligible voters, up from 29 percent in 2012—an increase of 7.5 million people). For the past 40 years, voters of color have on average cast 79 percent of their votes for Democrats. If 28 percent of the electorate consists of voters of color, and the Democratic nominee gets 81 percent of their votes and 37 percent of the white vote, Trump loses.
…………………………..
BLACK VOTERS STILL TAKEN FOR GRANTED
If progressives can count and yet are still not making smart investments, then it’s possible that they are taking black votes for granted because they see those voters as less important than white swing voters who may be receptive to Trump. Many in the media are equally afflicted with this political myopia. A recent 4,000-word New York Times article purported to analyze the electoral dynamics in eight swing states (Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Arizona) and failed to make any mention at all of black people. This despite the fact that Obama got 5 million fewer white votes in 2012 than in 2008 and was only reelected because of the support of African Americans and other voters of color. It’s as if black folks had nothing to do with electing the first black president and are irrelevant to selecting the next president. It’s as if black people are invisible
YOU COULD STILL BUY WEED BE GONE ON THE SHELVES IN 1976….LOTS OF CANCER FROM FARMLANDS…I HAVE SEEN ALOT OF FARMERS AND SOLDIERS PASS FROM CANCER..THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT!
The Huffington Post summarized the problem nicely: “Speaker Paul Ryan wants to replace 20 million people’s health insurance with 37 pages of talking points.”
.
.
A Republican Hill staffer famously put it this way in 2014: “As far as repeal and replace goes, the problem with replace is that if you really want people to have these new benefits, it looks a hell of a lot like the Affordable Care Act…. To make something like that work, you have to move in the direction of the ACA.”
Which, of course, Republicans can’t bring themselves to do. The result is a shell of a plan, like the one Paul Ryan is rolling out today.
GM everyone. Congrats to 99ts for furst! And prayers to Chips and Chips Mom for a good day together for them.
Remember the video tweet Donna Dem posted 2 posts back of the rain flowing down the escalator at the Metro Station in DC? That wasn’t rain. That was the tears being shed by those in DC who were sad to see us TOD’ers leave their fair city after such a short visit. 🙂
The Obama Diary 
GM Tod & many thanks NW for all you do. Thoughts & hugs to Ms Chips
G’day, 99ts. My daughter and I find ourselves missing Australia greatly, of late. Enjoy your winter!
gm Mighty P – getting a little cold for my liking, and still in June – I’m a summer person although I could never handle the temperatures currently in Arizona!!!
Must mention our new home has a magnificent view of the rising moon – IF there are no clouds on the horizon. This was the first month we saw it full size – in all its glory. We don’t see many stars – much closer to city lights than in the past – although some of the planets shine through.
I love hearing this part of your story, 99ts, I have many photos of moonrise in Australia, and sunrise, of course; so many places I have not yet seen, but I so love your sunburnt country! ❤️
Our new home faces ESE – can’t be blocked from the view because ….. We are on top of a railway line hahaha – thems the breaks – but at night you can’t see the rail so the moon is awesome.
GM 99ts and congrats on 1st. Still up I see.
gm Roberta – after midnight down under – time I wasn’t here. Enjoy your day
❤
Morning, Nerdy and TODers. Yesterday I had to shut out all things Donald Trump and refocus my energies on positive acts–recruiting volunteer help for our Fiesta Latina and for the Democratic booth at our county fair and continuing to declutter my house. I’m finding that if you clear all the junk from your life–in rooms, closets, drawers, garage, basement–it helps you feel lighter and more energized. I’ve got another two or three drawers to tackle and then I’m done. The bonus is I can actually find things and don’t have to spend frustrating time digging around for buried items. As for Trump, that bloated bag of hot air will continue to expel sulfuric gases until the day he’s defeated. I refuse to take the bait.
Right on Jackie. I don’t want to read about the next stupid thing Trump said. I want to focus on how grateful I am to have our magnificent President and Vice President.
Good morning, Jackie! When is the Fiesta Latina? If I’m not out of town, I’ll drive up; maybe I’ll be able to entice Prettyfoot and SJTerrie to ride with me…
Jazz, the festival is Saturday, August 27 at Beautex Park in Lebanon, PA. It’s starts around noonish. Would totally LOVE to see all of you!!!
Think that is the date of my family reunion; if it’s not, I’m coming to Lebanon! I’ll let you know…
This. This. This. This. This! I concur on all aspects of this precise and decisive commentary! (I have watched zilch, read almost nothing, and listened to not a word. It’s all a game to them, our lives have no meaning to them. And I won’t care how low the demise is to become, it is all well-deserved.) ❤️
Good morning 99, MP, JackieG, NW, TOD 🙂
Thought for the day ….
Yes We Can
———————–
Keeping you in my thoughts {{{{{Chips}}}}}
bbl ….
Good Morning, Everyone 🙂
Listening to the radio news this morning. So, the Orlando killer liked him some Latino love. And, if the report from Univision is to be believed, he just recently found out that one of his secret life “friends ” was HIV+ I do believe that frames what happened in that club clearer now. The question of whether Latin Night was a deliberate choice-I would say yes
Thanks for the update, rikyrah. The amount of self-loathing this killer felt for himself and his hatred and anger at those who ’caused’ his problem must have been enormous. He was like a ticking bomb ready to explode. Just the person you want to give easy access to military grade attack weapons.
rikyrah, is that latino man or woman love? If this is true I don’t think what he did was all about terrorism, I think he had alot of mental issues, but we know that some want to make it all about him being a Muslim
GM Rikyrah. I just saw the guy who said he was his lover. The guy was in disguise, but stated that the shooter was upset about the HIV scare.
I didn’t know that it was Latin Night at the club that night.
Cowards with guns.
Yes, that’s why nearly all the victims were Latino.
There’s evidence that he had an interest in radicalism but I don’t think he was a member of or directed by ISIL. I think he made the 911 call as a smoke screen for his bi-sexual behavior. And ISIL took advantage of that and the GOP has of course fallen for it.
ZACKLEE!!
So the guy’s statement has a lot of validity.
Good morning Ms. Chips, Danny and TOD family, I hope all is well with everyone this lovely Wednesday morning. Congrats 99ts, on being first this morning.
Thanks Nerdy for opening up TOD’ville this morning as well as all the other wonderful things you do for us. 🎉🙏👏👌👊
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 effervescent, sparkling, and vivacious persona is on full display today. ❤ ❤ ❤
Thank God that President Obama is still the President of The United States of America. ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆
Amen!
gm RanMan – tis always good to see your message. After 7 years I am still amazed that the US elected the most remarkable of men – and did it twice.
^5 RanMan! As a kid, when the old Deacons started their prayers “Thank you, Lord for waking me up in my right mind…” my six year old self would think “as opposed to the left?” I now so thoroughly understand, and start my morning prayers same way. Hope you have a Blessed and marvelous day! Good morning!
Good morning TOD folks! How Wonderful to wake up to PBO smiling and having fun. Best present today
When It Comes to Health Care for Poor Americans – Elections Matter
by Nancy LeTourneau
June 21, 2016 3:39 PM
POLITICAL ANIMAL BLOG
According to the newly elected Democratic Governor of Louisiana – John Bel Edwards – elections matter for poor people without health care. Here is what happened following his own election last year:
But even bigger than that, here is what he predicts if Clinton wins the presidential election in November.
If Hillary Clinton and the Democrats win the November elections, four or five more Southern states will expand their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act next year, Louisiana’s new Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday.
Good West Coast morning TOD family.
Congrats 99ts on First!!
Thanks NW for being you. You have not let us down and we APPRECIATE you 💕
{{{Chipsticks & Mom}}}
Thank you so much, GGail.
G’morning Nerdy & TOD! Congrats 99ts on #1, and happy Wednesday everyone 🙂
Good morning friends. So glad you are safe, GGail, and glad everyone made it home safely. I’m not sure my feet have really touched the ground yet after that wonderful weekend. So thankful for each one of you. Someone asked me what was the best part of the trip, and what to me was the best part was meeting new people and making wonderful new friends. As great as seeing sights was, that was the best part. Thank you all for lifting me in ways you’ll never know.
Chips, so glad you can be with your mother at this time, hard as it is. This time will be a treasure for you, as others have said, and I also know. A year ago I was going through this with my husband, but as time has passed, it has become a treasured gem of my life. May it be so for you. Know we are surrounding you with love and encouragement.
❤️🌹🙏🏻🌹❤️
{{{{{{Carolyn}}}}} you are one of my shero’s from the trip. I admired your loving strength from afar, and during our time together, it grew to hero/shero status. I laughed and am still laughing when you told us how you went up to that handsome black man and asked how do you get a taxi and he flagged one down for you!!! You go girl !
We are all unique individuals, yet a sisterhood developed rather quickly. We looked out for one another and bonded. It was an opportunity that I’m so glad I saved up for.
Looking forward to the next TOD Adventure 🙂
There are two things Donald Trump is notorious for in the business world – one is simple bullying as a business tactic, another is cheating people out of money they’re owed and then making the ‘deal’ stick by grinding the counter-parties down with the promise of endless litigation. As Times columnist Joe Nocera puts it, in the business world Trump “is notorious for refusing to pay full price to contractors and vendors after they’ve completed work for him. And he basically dares the people he has stiffed to sue him, knowing that his deep pockets and bevy of lawyers give him a big advantage over those who feel wronged by him.” Both traits or patterns of behavior are surprisingly good guides to Trump’s presidential campaign.
Next time you need to explain the word “delusional” to a child or anyone, here’s a fine example:
Excuse my language, but Dana Loesch is a lying “F” ing SOB
This just reinforces my theory the news runs 2 types of ‘articles’ these days. 1) concern trolling, and 2) wishful thinking. They are wishing Trump was a white Obama. Nevermind the fact he lacks our presidents intelligence, charm, empathy, toughness, kindness….
They are also basically sideways wishing for a white two term president. They are wishing Trump would rally the nation and set landmarks for votes and turnouts and fundraisers. They wish they got to cheer on such a night as we all did 8 years ago in Chicago.
But the GOP/Media will not be getting their wish this year! WE can see to that.
gm hopefruit
There is no such thing as a “White Obama” – right wing bigots take all that is good and try and make it their own. I feel physically ill at the thought of someone comparing PBO to Trump and thinking there are any similarities in who they are and what they do.
she is a birther teahadist that teann puts for eyeballs. their own ann coulter.
Ah, the first amendment, I suppose. Speech function totally devoid of brain function, pffffttt.
SOMEONE NEEDS TO CHECK ON THE GROCERY STORE SHELVES IN TULUM…LOTS OF COASTAL DISTRIBUTION POSSIBILITIES THERE.
Morning everyone…Read the entire TL for some investigative journalism being committed:) Someone should Storify….
https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold
Yes, he’s doing a great job of following Trump’s charitable giving story, refusing to let any detail go. Real journalism!!
Now here is a bill that may get to the presidents desk… He’s wanted this for years apparently…
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0Z8160?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social
🤔👀
Good Wednesday, Nerdy…TOD Family!
What Happens When One Party Doesn’t Care About Governing?
Republicans have increasingly become post-policy.
by Nancy LeTourneau
June 22, 2016 9:32 AM
Over the course of the Obama presidency, we’ve watched as Republicans have thrown out many of the norms that have been established in order to keep our democracy functioning. It isn’t just things like shouting “You lie!” in a presidential address before a joint session of Congress. And it isn’t just a requirement that basically any vote (including presidential nominations) get a super majority in the Senate. It includes doing things like overtly undermining the executive branch during complex negotiations with other countries (i.e., Iran nuclear deal and Paris climate accord) and failing to give a Supreme Court nominee a hearing. Remember back during Obama’s first term when Republicans were taking the global economy hostage by threatening to not raise the debt limit? Now we’re witnessing a truly bizarre presidential candidate who is basically running on a platform of breaking all the norms.
These are the kinds of things a party does when it doesn’t care about governing. So what is it that they actually want? Perhaps Sen. Mitch McConnell articulated it best when – during Obama’s first term – he said that his ultimate goal was to ensure Obama was limited to one term. It’s basically the same rationale he and Speaker Ryan have given for supporting Donald Trump – they want to win the White House, even if it means electing a racist/sexist narcissist. In other words, it’s a power game with the interests of the American people as the pawns.
I’m starting to wonder if Lewandowski was set up to take the fall for all the illegal racketeering Trump has been passing off as a campaign.
Hmm….may very well be the case, meta…HMMMMMM (as Jodi Kantor would say)….
I mean, this has to be the most illegal campaign ever. Big question is, will he ever be held accountable?
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-sign-toxic-chemical-rules-1st-overhaul-40-40035679
President Barack Obama will sign into law the first overhaul of toxic chemical rules in 40 years while hailing a rare moment of cooperation between Republicans and Democrats.
Lawmakers from both parties planned to join Obama on Wednesday for the ceremony, along with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, environmental advocates and industry groups that backed the legislation. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the bill, which passed with broad bipartisan support, was an outlier in a political climate in which the two parties agree on little.
“Any time you see Democrats and Republicans come together on a piece of legislation, it does reflect a measure of compromise, which means that there may be some people who will criticize it because it’s not perfect,” Earnest said.
In addition to updating rules for tens of thousands of everyday chemicals used in household cleaners, clothing and furniture, the bill also sets safety standards for dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, asbestos and styrene. The goal is to standardize on the national level what is currently a jumble of state rules governing the $800 billion-per-year industry.
AAAH..ONE OF MY FAVORITE SUBJECTS…TOXIC CHEMICALS..CORPORATIONS LIKE TO HIDE AND MOSTLY BURY THESE OFFENSES AND DELIVER THEM TO THE UNSUSPECTING..THEY DON’T CARE WHO THEY DUMP ON…THEY WANT THE INNOCENT TO LOAD UP ON PCB’S FOR BREAKFAST!..KICK IT PBO..WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE! THESE TOXIC VIOLATERS ARE DISGUSTING! SOMEBODY OUGHT TOO MAKE THEM A 2,4,5T MILKSHAKE!
By the time it is finally implemented all the way down to practical reality, it may be too late for people like me, who are so extremely sensitive to all the added chemicals, have not been able to walk down the laundry detergent aisle in a grocery store for at least 25 years. It was not this bad in other countries where I have lived for long periods of time. In this huge retirement building I now share with 250 others, the sluff-off from perfumes, detergents, after shave, dryer sheets, the foods they eat, prescription meds they take, are all taking a massive toll on my immune system. Things I had more control over when living in a single family home, now are impossible to control exposure to. In only 2 1/2 years, my system has become so overloaded with no chance to recuperate. This is why I have been working so hard at finding another place to live. For some reason, which I do not fully grasp, nothing suitable has opened up yet. Combined with a hearing disorder called Hyperacusis, living in this modern world is quite a challenge! But I remain optimistic and hopeful. Each day brings its own opportunity! End of sad story! ❤️🌹🙏🏻🌹❤️🙏🏻❤️🌹❤️
{{MP}}, i’m so sorry that it’s been so hard for you. I hope you can find something more suitable.
Rotten apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Part 216
TOXIC SEWAGE!
Good morning, TOD! Doing a read-by; office hours, then appointments… Wanted to leave this uplifting article; will read you later!
Holding Chips, MommaChips, and my TOD family in my heart and prayers. Have a Blessed day!
wonderful! Just had to chip in on her kickstarter page.
LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL…I LOVE THIS PRESIDENT..GET YOUR OWN!
And he knows exactly what the rethugs are doing, and they know he knows.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will seek re-election to the Senate, a boost for Republicans facing a tough fight to maintain their Senate majority in November.
Rubio is set to announce his plans later Wednesday, according to a source with knowledge of his plans. The decision follows a month of heavy lobbying from top Republicans and soul-searching on the part of Rubio after the Orlando nightclub attack.
Rubio’s announcement marks a 180-degree turn from where he was even just a month ago, when he insisted he would give up his Senate seat at the end of this term.
From TeaNN
deadbeat donnie beat the crap out of him in his own backyard just a coupla months and teann is already projecting as a ‘winner’? sheesh.
The Rachel Maddow Show 6/21/16
Trump campaign a cover for moneymaking scheme
Rachel Maddow makes the case that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is essentially a moneymaking racket and a giant book tour, which explains why he is not assembling a real campaign staff or raising real campaign money. Duration: 9:33
http://on.msnbc.com/28Mnwvl
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge ruled Tuesday that federal regulators lack the authority to set rules for hydraulic fracturing, dealing another setback to the Obama administration’s efforts to tighten how fossil fuels are mined.
U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl said the Bureau of Land Management can’t set the rules because Congress has not authorized it to do so. The judge, who was nominated by Obama in 2011, wrote that the court’s role is not to decide whether hydraulic fracturing is good or bad for the environment, but to interpret whether Congress has given the Department of Interior legal authority to regulate the practice.
“It has not,” wrote Skavdahl, who last year blocked implementation of rules drafted by the agency.
The states of Colorado, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming oppose the rules involving hydraulic fracturing, which involves injecting substances including water, sand and chemicals underground to increase production from oil and gas wells.
The Bureau of Land Management and a coalition of environmental groups say the rules are necessary to protect the environment. The bureau’s rules would have required petroleum developers to disclose to regulators the ingredients in the chemical products they use to improve the results of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.
……………………………………
http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/be3c8fca3a73438fba4c24e43b060455/judge-us-agency-lacks-authority-set-rules-fracking
Wednesday Greetings, everyone (as I try to get back in sync).
Dear CC, we ❤ ❤ you and are holding you, Mama Chips and the family in our hearts and in our prayers moment by moment. Hopefully you and Mama C can feel our uplift.
The Future is All About Fusion Politics
As Republicans cement themselves as the “White People Party,” Democrats need to make room for everyone else.
by Nancy LeTourneau
June 20, 2016 10:08 AM
While remembering our past grounds us, it is also important to have a clear-eyed vision for the future. Over the weekend, my friend Denise Oliver Velez addressed that with an important piece titled: People of color and the future of the Democratic Party, which highlights something Rev. William Barber (leader of the Moral Mondays Movement) calls “fusion politics.”
// ………………………………
These are the kinds of things a party does when it doesn’t care about governing. So what is it that they actually want? Perhaps Sen. Mitch McConnell articulated it best when – during Obama’s first term – he said that his ultimate goal was to ensure Obama was limited to one term. It’s basically the same rationale he and Speaker Ryan have given for supporting Donald Trump – they want to win the White House, even if it means electing a racist/sexist narcissist. In other words, it’s a power game with the interests of the American people as the pawns.
I am reminded of something a blogger named mistermix wrote back in 2010 during the height of the budget negotiations.
“As Tim F. posted earlier, Ezra Klein thinks that Obama’s a bad poker player. He may be right, but the analogy isn’t helpful. Poker is a win/lose game. Negotiation is a win/win game, because both parties get something when a deal is struck. Republicans aren’t playing poker or negotiating. They are playing another game, call it “You Must Lose”. They’re happy with win/lose, if they win, but they’ll tolerate lose/lose as long as Obama loses.
The only analogy that springs to mind when I look at the Republicans’ recent behavior is a bad divorce. Think of a situation where Lisa and Bob are getting a divorce, and Bob is so hell-bent on hurting Lisa that he doesn’t care about their kids or their bank account. Bob will deploy a hundred variations on the same tactic: put the Lisa in a bind where she has to choose between damaging the children and losing money. Lisa will lose money almost every time in order to save the children. …………………………..”
……………………….. snip ……………………….
As Republicans have increasingly become post-policy, the old conservative vs liberal arguments aren’t much in play this election. That is obvious in the presidential contest. But it is also true in House/Senate races – even if the candidates themselves won’t acknowledge it. Electing Republicans means supporting a party that isn’t interested in governing and is resigned to lose/lose if that is what it takes to stop Democrats from doing so.
http://washingtonmonthly.com/2016/06/22/what-happens-when-one-party-doesnt-care-about-governing/
Are Black Voters Invisible to Democrats?
High turnout among African Americans was crucial to Democratic victories in 2008 and 2012—so why are they being ignored this time around?
By Steve Phillips
JUNE 6, 2016
…………………………………
NO PLANS FOR MOBILIZING THE BLACK VOTE
What you won’t see in the announced plans on the left is any money for making sure that black voters turn out in large numbers in the first national election of the post-Obama era. While Priorities USA has said it will spend some of its $5.3 million set aside for radio ads on black radio and an undetermined amount on digital ads targeting African Americans, there are no funds specifically targeted for the proven and effective grassroots, person-to-person work required to get people out to vote. While there is at least a modest, albeit also underfunded, program to mobilize Latino and immigrant voters, the left and its donors have failed to fund anything comparable among African Americans.
How is this even possible? The single most frequent question I hear as I travel across the country on my Brown Is the New White book tour is, “Why don’t Democrats and progressives understand the importance of investing in voters of color?” I can think of three reasons for this sad state of affairs: progressives can’t count, don’t care, or can’t see.
CAN PROGRESSIVES COUNT? THE MATH COULD NOT BE MORE CLEAR
Simple arithmetic shows the centrality of voters of color to any hopes for keeping Trump out of the White House and reclaiming control of the Senate. Twenty-three percent of all Democratic voters in 2012 were African American. More of Obama’s votes in 2012 came from black folks than came from white men. Nearly half of all Democratic voters are people of color (46 percent in 2012), and even more of the potential voters in 2016 will be people of color (31 percent of all eligible voters, up from 29 percent in 2012—an increase of 7.5 million people). For the past 40 years, voters of color have on average cast 79 percent of their votes for Democrats. If 28 percent of the electorate consists of voters of color, and the Democratic nominee gets 81 percent of their votes and 37 percent of the white vote, Trump loses.
…………………………..
BLACK VOTERS STILL TAKEN FOR GRANTED
If progressives can count and yet are still not making smart investments, then it’s possible that they are taking black votes for granted because they see those voters as less important than white swing voters who may be receptive to Trump. Many in the media are equally afflicted with this political myopia. A recent 4,000-word New York Times article purported to analyze the electoral dynamics in eight swing states (Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Arizona) and failed to make any mention at all of black people. This despite the fact that Obama got 5 million fewer white votes in 2012 than in 2008 and was only reelected because of the support of African Americans and other voters of color. It’s as if black folks had nothing to do with electing the first black president and are irrelevant to selecting the next president. It’s as if black people are invisible
Huh…
Whoa, what?
WHAAAAAT???
GOOD BLESS THEM ALL………………..THE REPUGNANTS ARE GOING TO FIND THEMSELVES OVERWHELMED WITH THE INFLUX OF BOOMERANGS……………………YOWZA!
GM Ladyhawke:
GM Dear. I had tears in my eyes listening to Congressman John Lewis. This is truly an amazing moment.
Thank you, LH!
{{{{{meta}}}}}
{{{{{LH}}}}
NOW…
YOU COULD STILL BUY WEED BE GONE ON THE SHELVES IN 1976….LOTS OF CANCER FROM FARMLANDS…I HAVE SEEN ALOT OF FARMERS AND SOLDIERS PASS FROM CANCER..THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT!
Anyone listen to Trump lies, I mean his so call speech.
The Republican healthcare plan isn’t actually a healthcare plan
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-republican-healthcare-plan-isnt-actually-healthcare-plan#break
The Huffington Post summarized the problem nicely: “Speaker Paul Ryan wants to replace 20 million people’s health insurance with 37 pages of talking points.”
.
.
A Republican Hill staffer famously put it this way in 2014: “As far as repeal and replace goes, the problem with replace is that if you really want people to have these new benefits, it looks a hell of a lot like the Affordable Care Act…. To make something like that work, you have to move in the direction of the ACA.”
Which, of course, Republicans can’t bring themselves to do. The result is a shell of a plan, like the one Paul Ryan is rolling out today.
THE DOMESTIC FAIRY IS CALLING..HAVE TO TRY TO REMEMBER TO TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIPS WITHOUT BOWLING SHOES..CHANGE IS SO HARD!..<3
GM everyone. Congrats to 99ts for furst! And prayers to Chips and Chips Mom for a good day together for them.
Remember the video tweet Donna Dem posted 2 posts back of the rain flowing down the escalator at the Metro Station in DC? That wasn’t rain. That was the tears being shed by those in DC who were sad to see us TOD’ers leave their fair city after such a short visit. 🙂
LOLz, you know it!!
WOW ….
WP ate my post!
Ate it AGAIN! I have to go out…if its found, please post. THX
Chat on: https://theobamadiary.com/2016/06/22/president-obama-and-derek-jeter/
John Lewis- thank you.