I read letters like these every single day. It was one of the best parts of the job – hearing from you. https://t.co/so1luBcszV
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 22, 2017
24
Jan
17
126 Responses to “Listening To Citizens”
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The People’s View
- Follow me at my new venture: Reclaim the Fight
- Ignore the bait: Why it’s 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 doesn’t 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 “fact-check” 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 
How I miss them all!
Congrats Ouapiti!
Good Afternoon TODVille!
Thanks!!
The lawsuits need to start pouring in quickly.
I do not think the lawsuits alone will make a difference in the long run but it is a good start. These people are so corrupt that they will remove anyone who does not see things their way and gut the laws that might have prevented this action.
As I mentioned in a previous post,
One of the most dangerous things about this new president of the US is that no one really knows who is the POTUS. There are too many players in the shadows, from his daughter and son-in-law to the russians. That makes it difficult to even guess what will come next because no one knows all the people in the shadows and which one has his ear each day, week or month.
I think I’m not alone in having a very hazy sense of how these conflicts of interest have been handled in the past. Does the Congress have to act? Or is it just that the perps feel shamed and clean up their act? Or do we have to wait for voters to get rid of them? Seriously, wtf.
Nerdy, Chips and TOD in general, so nice to have a sober place to go to, specially these days.
If it was not so ultra serious, and we all have a reason to be scared these days, one should think one was reading a comic book!!!
I presume the following will be of interest for TOD readers:
the Guardian 24/1 2017, 15.00 GMT. Under Trump administration. Opinion:
Fredrik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany: We broke the Panama Papers Story. Here’s how to investigate Donald Trump. Serious journalists.
President Obama and Family enjoy the BVI, how You deserve it! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
We were like an abused wife, ignored at best and savaged at worst; hopeless, helpless, and in despair. Then we met someone who told us that we have beauty, value, and more power than we knew. For awhile we basked in this new vision of ourselves and flourished. He was so good to us that after awhile we took him and what he gave us for granted. Then Fortune’s Wheel, as it must, began descending, some of us were caught off guard, unprepared. We had not filled our storehouses up to combat the coming bad times; we were not good stewards of the bounty that we had received. However, he did not leave us comfortless. We looked into ourselves and into the saddened eyes of others and began to remember the many things that he had taught us: we are powerful, we are enough just by being who we are, and we are not alone. His words and his example reminded us that was always about us; that it was always, “yes We can” and that for all times, “we are the ones that we have been waiting for.” We wiped our tears away, we reached out to others “to respect, include, empower and organize’ and gave birth to a new movement to finish the work we started.” We re-dedicated ourselves to the struggle, put on our marching shoes, literally and figuratively, and once more ready to do the seemingly impossible. – A parable for these times.
That is beautiful – gave me chills!
Don, did you write that? How perfectly expressed that is. May I share it?
Lovely. The lament of many powerful warrior women.
Hello TOD. I’m so grateful to you all. NW, you’re the best. I read comments even though I don’t often comment anymore. I’m still trying to sail my ship again.
Anyway, about TPP. Spandan over at TPV did an yeoman’s job explaining TPP over several weeks and months. I’m so disappointed that so many Democrats either didn’t read it or just had knee jerk reactions. Yesterday, Bernie Sanders was trending on Twitter. I guess most of you probably know this. He was bowing and scraping before Trump saying he’s so glad he ditched TPP and will work with him. Someone noted that Bernie wanted to primary President Obama, but 3 days in and he’s willing to work with Trump. This is so frustrating. One of Spandan’s takes on the objection to TPP was because it’s Africa and Asia. You almost never heard the vitriol about TTIP which is Europe.
I agree about Spandan. He did a really great job. But the unions and the professional left and those that worry about all that in Congress had a completely knee jerk reaction, saying it would be just like NAFTA, when in fact it was written to address the problems with NAFTA. But instead of mounting an information campaign, Sanders, Warren, and yes, Clinton, jumped on the fear mongering wagon and an excellent agreement, which took 6 long years of painstaking negotiation, is now history.
The nations included in TPP:
Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, US, Vietnam.
And, of course, China is stepping into the void.
I knew in my very core that President Obama would never sell out the American people. All those who supposedly supported him never really completely believed in him.
That’s it! I couldn’t understand how they supported the man, saw what he had done for us, and yet were willing to believe he would sell out everything he had said and worked for in a heartbeat for a trade deal. And of course there were the ones who really believed he was a ‘corporate whore’ and everything he said and did was only a sham.
Oh my effing God. Fire Schumer NOW:
Insurrection does not come from people who benefit from the status quo. There has been no previous actions by these senators, no matter who was president, that was courageous or even that effective. We cannot depend on the long-serving democrats to mount a defense; this will need to come from some of the new House members, possibly, and outside forces.
This! I think it better to come from outside forces than political or non-political insiders. Many insiders will surrender to trump and the republicans unless they have a compelling reason not to. At the moment, many do not.
I thank the Maryland Senators Cardin and Van Hollan for voting against the CIA pick.
For 28 years of my teaching career I worked in the same school and I remember the turmoil and uncertainty when we got a new principal. There were some who hurried to curry favor, others who led an insurgence, and even more who just sheltered in place hoping that they could go unnoticed. In every case, no matter how messy it was in the beginning, the principal learned the limits of his power and influence (and it was always a “he”) and who were the teachers that he really needed on his side to get things done and make him look good, and the staff learned that there were ways to have their voices heard and to push their agendas. In the later years in this school, the only constant was the staff. Principals lasted no more than two years before they were removed for various reasons, but the staff was still there doing what we could in the best interest of the students. The worst year was the one before I retired. The combination of a no-nothing, cowardly new principal who came from a state that operated very differently from ours, an invasion from a State Board army who had the worst ideas about how to educate students and measure their achievements, and a young, inexperienced staff of asst. vice principals, almost made me walkout. But I owed more to myself and to the students that I was fighting for so I stayed and fought on until the end. We have all lived through difficult times at work or in our family lives, but most of us come out stronger, winning more than we lose. We can do so in these new uncertain times in our country.
Thanks for the message of hope and encouragement. We cannot afford to give in to despair.
42 million children, seniors, disabled, poor to get death sentence from Trump and GOP.
I am not giving up but I am honestly depressed knowing how hard President Obama worked for the American people and now this.
This is why I was a walking zombie for two months politically. I was as hopeless as I could possibly be. PBO’s farewell speech and the March on Saturday has helped me tremendously but everyday we are going to have to endure his turning back the clock on policies that PBO fought hard for over the last 8 years.
I think my anger is most directed toward those that felt Hillary was no better. She wouldn’t have been my first choice but Lord knows we wouldn’t be seeing what we are seeing today had she won.
THIS!!!!!!!
Agreed!
Totally agree!
Thanks so much for speaking the Truth.
Hello Jackie, indeed, it is beginning to look like 8 years of wasted efforts. All progress is being destroyed in a matter of days. But honestly no need to be depressed. This is what needs to happen for people to truly realise who their true friend is and some simply will not see past President Obama’s colour. The only problem is that the innocent will suffer with the guilty here but unfortunately that is the story of mankind.
See it for what it is, prepare for the worst and get back in the fight.
It takes my breath away, each day a new travesty. I am back to feeling like a zombie again. I don’t know what to do. Some days I run the gamut of anger, fear, depression, fighting tears to stubborn resistance and refusal to accept all this and fight back. It’s exhausting and crazy. I don’t know how we survive this entire nightmare in one piece. I know we are stronger together but each day is a huge test of will.
I hear you meta. Exactly how I feel. I keep telling myself it will not be forever but even if it for 4 years, it will be 4 years of hell.
It is hard for me to discern what is going to set me off. Yesterday, and I suspect for many days to come, it was that photo of those men determining women’s reproductive rights. This issue, for me, as been so hard fought. It was the reason I flew to Washington in the 1980’s to march. But I decided I will print a bunch and tape them all over my house to remind me every day what we are fighting for. It is just so DAMN depressing to see all of this progress being destroyed. But for many decades now, that is what the GOP has become–the party of destruction. And it is only going to get worse. If this is what he is doing in the opening week, I shudder to think what will happen when he learns the ins and outs of government, and learns how to destroy even more–because he will. He is determined to destroy our government as we know it.
Hello TOD.
Fuck’em, I’m sick and tired of people saying that we need to understand these dumb fuckers. If you voted for a motherfucker that told you he was going put his foot in your ass, and he goes and put his foot in your ass. You deserve to have a foot put in your ass. FUCK YOU!
I’m with you Don. They wanted this idiot and they will get what they deserve. I have no time or energy for the people that voted for him, the people that voted for Stein or the people that still push Bernie. You OWN this! My energy will be spent on all of those who did not want this, and I will have none to spare.
I agree Don. But there is an old saying “the sun shines on the good as well as the bad”. If Trump’s policies were just going to affect these idiots, well, that would be one thing. But he’s about to hurt millions who didn’t vote for him.
Yes, rain falls on the just and unjust alike. And now we all will get wet because these fuckers didn’t think to bring their umbrellas.
tell it Don. Sometimes folks have to feel it to believe it.
CO-SIGN
And they did it because the gop message for many years has been those ‘others’ don’t deserve it and they are willing to give up the benefits they need because that means that black, latino-all the ‘others’ won’t get it either. They have continued to work at splitting us on racial lines so many don’t see that their needs and interests are far more aligned with those ‘others’ than they are with the white people running the GOP.
This a million times!
👏🏼 Well said even if I couldn’t say it quite like that.
oh Don, you are so eloquent. lolololol
Somebody is lying and I don’t put anything past people who voted for the ultimate liar. What did these people have BEFORE OCare? I suspect nothing. Many had NO insurance and went without for years and when they started using Ocare for these illnesses the insurance companies hiked their prices. Wonder what these so-called business people would do under the same conditions. They don’t blame the GOP congress who would not lift a finger to make it work better yet blames PBO. Many of these people probably could not get any insurance due to pre-existing conditions. Those who got insurance through their employer dropped them and told them to use Ocare but don’t place the blame on the employer. The lady who “married” so she could get off Ocare? She made $9 an hour and needed expensive surgery and aftercare. She’s now facing $20K medical bill, I thought the max out-of-pocket was $6500 on most of the Exchange plans? Can someone with Ocare knowledge figure this out? I don’t get it.
Yep, some of them didn’t have shit in the way of health insurance before O-Care and if they did have health insurance it was a bullshit plan. And then they get O-Care which pretty much solved all their needs, and then these stupid fuckers go and vote away the best thing they ever had.
This is what I don’t understand. Also, 53% of white women who voted did so for Trump. I don’t understand. Are they one issue voters so-called “pro-life”. Did they not care how Trump has denigrated women; been accused of rape and assault? I can’t wrap my brain around any of this.
I guess this makes it easier to disseminate their “alternative facts”.
Now that I know the date, I can plan another evening at the Met.
I feel for her.
I wish her the best, though.
I feel for her too. I hope she gets the help she needs. To lose a parent at such an early age she has so much potential to do good in the world.
Seriously hilarious:
KellyAnne, it won’t change the fact that Russia help elect your lying boss.
Putin still own Trump.
She does look like a younger version of that GOV witch from AZ. I think KAC has turned to drinking to deal with all the lies.
I’m having a freak show. Where can I order this outfit by the dozens?
WWC rejected that….voted for a white Russian-Communist-Lover.
Russia hasn’t been a Communist country in decades. They are insane RW oligarchs.
Joy Reid’s tweet in response to LGF’s Charles Johnson who is essentially live-tweeting this insanity.
http://littlegreenfootballs.co…..ents/#ctop
I’m convinced that this guy goes home every night and gets high just to deal with the shit he’s waist deep in.
I know the racists bigots don’t believe it, and those that voted for Trump is racists too. All of them.
All those so call decent christians who voted for Trump, must have no problem with a liar, a racists,
This is how history has been re-written in the past, with a little bit of well placed lies and a bogus story, all of a sudden the masses wonder if what they are seeing is true. Soon they will find a way to get different cultures fighting each other. Their usual MO, divide and conquer. The movement must protect against this cos its coming…
Oh lawd! if you missed it Rep. Maxine Waters just snatched her first wig on the Katy Tur show.
OOOOooooo, where, where……..
She was on the Katy Tur show on MSNBC about an hour ago.
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/maxine-waters-on-trump-s-outrageous-lying-on-voter-fraud-861741635818
Well, T-rump did send “condolences.”
Trump is bringing more Breitbart people into the WH
That is the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen in all my 60 years. I think we need a new date to inaugurate presidents now because he ruined it..
ALSO, no communication with Congress is allowed.
It’s illegal for federal workers to participate in partisan political activities, but I dream of the day when there is a MASS WALKOUT of federal employees, all across the land, due to working conditions – although strikes aren’t allowed. Of course, like when the air traffic controllers bolted on him and Reagan fired them in 1981, T-rump would just fire “everybody.” Somewhere around one percent of our total CIVILIAN workforce is employed by the federal government, I think I read, but the only figure I could find was for 2009 – when there were 2.8 million (of 236 million) counted (not including the military). T-rump would gladly throw any of them on the streets, and say the unemployment figures were made up by the Democrats.
was applauding your dream, then I remembered that these scumbags would then fill the posts with their supporters (the Deplorables) who have demonstrated that they hate their government enough to elect that creature … the homegrown demagogue
Hello TODers.
Nerdy thank you!
((((((((((((Chip))))))))))))))))
Dudette, you are in my thought. ((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))
Which begs the question: why are dems voting yes for any ANY of trump’s people? None of them are qualified, all of them are dishonest. Being hired by a dishonest person. Yet we’ve had dems voting yes. I just do not get it.
This is what drives me crazy: Dems again afraid of GOP voters, although that should not apply to Warren for God’s sake. THEN MAKE A BETTER CASE WHY GOP IS EVIL AND DEMS ARE GOOD, instead of caving. We’ve been chasing that redneck vote the same way, and losing our way as effective messengers. Another reason that the Dem leadership in this Congress is wrong for the times and challenges we face.
BWWAHAHAHAHHAAAAA
President Obama is deep:
“I don’t know why I was surprised by how slowly the president talked. He seems so pensive on TV, but one on one, he is even more pensive, pulling out each word only after having examined it, like an old man putting together a jigsaw puzzle of some swirly seascape where there is blue, but then there is blue, and then there is “blue,” and … blue! It occurred to me that the letters gave him permission to legitimately slow down, an opportunity for nuance and contradiction. “
Good Trouble
Elizabeth Warren & Sherrod Brown voted for Carson. I am speechless. Politics aside, he has no qualifications. And wouldn’t it be nice if Dems rallied behind a simple slogan and idea like that. But no – we have Dems playing nice with the likes of delusional Ben Carson. God.
Like I said, Dems always seem to lack the backbone when it is most needed. Without a strong willed leader like Barack Obama nothing would have been accomplished.
Listen people I expect unspeakable things to happen in this administration and to the country. Things for years only happened in other nations, so be prepared. When elections are rigged, what happens is that the winner is unbound. I know most believe the voters put this man in office, I do not believe they did, I believe that was done electronically to look that way.
The Democrats who voted for these Republicans are going to own these votes and whatever destruction they cause. I am livid.
Saw this and could not believe it. More cause for despair. The only think I can figure out is that they know the nominees will get through in any event so why fight them. But there is such a thing as principles.
I am not holding my breath here but who knows, we might just be surprised.
I feel for him.
This guy was an avid runner & Health conscious in his younger days. He looks older than 69yo. Walks with a limp and his health has suffered over the yrs.
I wish him well.
{{{ ❤ Gov Dayton ❤ }}}
hope he gets better soon
This is the reality we are now living in. God Help Us!
At the moment “Rome” is being ruled by Nero.
Indeed it is! Sigh!!!
Trump is a liar and the ones who voted for him knows that and they don’t care.
http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/former-president-barack-obama-vacationing-in-the-bvi/article_d56dec51-994c-5e75-b528-ad35c9d5eb17.html
TORTOLA — Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived in the British Virgin Islands at 8:47 p.m. Monday at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, before being whisked away to Richard Branson’s private celebrity hot spot, Necker Island, for a vacation.
After landing on Branson’s private jet, the Obamas posed for a photo with local immigration personnel who checked them into the territory and Police Commissioner Michael Matthews.
As news spread of the Obama’s pending arrival, several people showed up to the airport and armed police blocked the area east of the airport off to traffic so that the Obamas could be swiftly transported to Trellis Bay where a boat was waiting to take them to Necker Island.
Love that they’re having a good vacation!
http://www.islands.com/take-tour-necker-island
Beautiful islands
As they should. Wish they could remain there for 2 months and leave the US stress far away from their peace of mind. Enough time for all the enablers of the current nightmare in the US to really enjoy the fruit of their labour. Yes I know there are many innocents but hey this is not really their problem at the moment. They need to really recharge.
Oh my, this one is in trouble!!
Job offers in the responses!!
did the tweet just get deleted ? I tried to retweet it but ????
he/she got no more fu*ks to give. So proud of them.
GA Meta.
Yep.
I wonder if all @Interior twitter accounts will be on lockdown like they were after DJT inauguration.
My thoughts from Saturday:
Go Gilli.
Rest of the ‘dems’ can go fuck themselves.
WORD
She spoke at the women’s march in D.C.
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2017/01/24/you-were-the-change/
Good evening TOD folks! Thank you 😊 Nerdy
A little reverse psychology for the madman. Not that it’ll get to him, but makes me feel like I’m adding to the crazy and vindictive thoughts in his head. (This has always been my wish, anyway. And I like to think that in the letter President Obama left in the desk for him, he mentioned Garland.)