144 Responses to “The Planet Misses President Obama”
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The People’s View
- Follow me at my new venture: Reclaim the Fight
- Ignore the bait: Why itās the right strategy for Democrats to focus SCOTUS fight on health care
- BIG: Judge halts Trump administration attempt to shortcut the census
- Trump doesn't want peaceful transition of power. Legally, it doesnāt matter.
- Fauci goes off on Rand Paul
- Rule 44: Why Obamacare is not lost even in a deadlocked Supreme Court, but only if Biden wins
- Time to suit up. This is war.
- BREAKING: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed
- Bothsidesism comes to fact-checking: CNN's āfact-checkā calling Biden ad 'misleading' proves the opposite
- Pardon me: How Donald Trump's stooges conspired with Julian Assange to exonerate Russia and undermine US Intlligence
Smartypants
- Durham to Right Wingers: "Blame Hillary"
- That Time When Refusing to Negotiate With Hostage-Takers Worked
- The Other Christian Nationalists: Leonard Leo and Opus Dei
- Hawley Demonstrates That He's an Ignorant Liar
- DeSantis Board Votes to Counter-Sue Disney Over Something...Anything
- Hunter Biden's Laptop Is a Total Nothingburger
- What DeSantis Couldn't Say in Response to Disney's Lawsuit
- Disney Skewers DeSantis With His Own Words
- Populism Without Civil Rights Is Fascism
- Glenn Greenwald gets triggered by smart competent women like Rep. Stacey Plaskett
Steve Benen
- Christie enters race, blasts Trump as 'lonely, self-consumed...mirror hog'
- Writer who left day job and traveled the country details experience in 'America the Beautiful?'
- Army Secretary: 'Woke military' criticisms are undermining our recruiting
- Everyone in the golf world caught off guard by merger, says writer
- The impact of big tech rolling back misinformation measures
- Steve Rattner breaks down what's driving America's sour mood
- Joe: Gov. Newsom is calling out 'abhorrent' moves by DeSantis
- Richard Haass: PGA/LIV Golf merger a question of 'when' and not 'if'
- Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, testifies before grand jury
- 'Kimberly Akimbo' star says show has taught her the preciousness of life
The Obama Diary 
i MISS HIM TOO!
i knew i would miss him…what i did not realize was how much he was a part of my daily life…we feel so connected to the first family…so included…even when they threw rough stuff at us…we knew that there was someone there who cared and had our back…i feel that we are wandering in the wilderness…to expect the SEN DEMS to stand up…perhaps that was too much to expect…although i do remember how the President and Harry Reid held the Sen Dems together during the debt ceiling fight as well as the Government Shut down…and of course Pelosi was always able to deliver…
i think more and more of Pres Obama’s statement…
We ARE the Change we want to see…
Oh so true. Something is missing every morning.
We sure do. Such a deep well of sadness for all of us. Ashamed of what this country is becoming.
Every minute, every second, of every day. š¦ š¦
I got a letter written to one of my senators this morning. I asked for him to start impeachment proceedings. Among other things.
IF THIS IS TRUE, HE NEEDS TO BE IMPEACHED AND REMOVED FROM OFFICE. PERIOD!! He is delusional and surrounds himself with people that feed his delusions!
http://mediamatters.org/video/2017/01/26/alex-jones-says-infowars-has-been-invited-trump-s-white-house-press-briefings/215136
It is our time to follow through on what he taught us and many are stepping up and using his example in the fight to protect and to perfect our union. Remember, this is a relay race. President Obama has run his leg of the race. He gave us a big lead then passed the baton. It is now our turn and we must run hard and strong never looking behind, eyes and focus ever forward.
šš¼ PBO knows how he is only one, but we are Many, there is greater power in numbers. Yes, We Will.
By the way, I hope that President Pena doesn’t come here. He is in the catbird seat, though. You want to see spin? What would happen if the good president of Mexico just said that his country will refrain from trade with the US. It is the US that would suffer greatly. Fuck you, Conman! We need him impeached. I think that should be the rallying cry now. Every day brings more and more damage. We don’t have time for parsing….
Pena is in a lose-lose situation. There is no choice he can make that won’t invite ire.
The only choice he has to make is to do right by his country.
Exactly
Randi Rhodes said Mexico could pull out of NAFTA and the USA would lose over $1 Billion a day. Remember when the Red states started messing with the people who picked their fruit? They aint seen nothing yet.
Good morning Ms. Chips, Danny and TOD family, I hope all is well with everyone this lovely Thursday morning. Congrats Donna, on being first this morning.
Nerdy, thanks so much for helping Ms. Chips and for the sacrifices you’re making for us TOD’ers. š«šššā¤
To all, I hope you’re able to turn any negative situation into a positive, problems into opportunities, and challenges into great ideas today. ā¤ ā¤ ā¤
I am thankful to God that I live to witness one of the greatest President of The United States of America in President Barack Hussein Obama āš āš āš
Congratulations to Donna. Couldn’t agree more. Mostly lurking as we couch-surf our way up the East Coast after the march in DC.
I hope you had a wonderful Birthday yesterday!!!
Happy Belated Birthday Judith!
These days you wake up and it’s like oh for crying out loud we can’t get one moment of respite because that jackass is working 24/7 to burn the world.
Or just waking up and knowing that your President isn’t overcompensating for having a small schlong.
I think what she is asking is if the many protests that are happening are becoming the rallying cry to grow a strong base of people who are pushing back against Trump & the GOP.
The TeaP grew out of the frustration of many in the GOP.
At least, that’s my take on what she tweeted. š
The TP grew because a black man was in the WH…where were these folks during the Bush administration…you do not hear much from the TP anymore because they have become the GOP…lesson for us to learn …to not allow the unicorn crew to take over the DEM Party….
“to not allow the unicorn crew to take over the DEM Party”
I like that PF š
THIS!
I think three or four members of Trumps inner circle are also registered to vote in more than one state. The fucking balls on these people, always with the illegal shit.
Hahahahaha, that man cannot catch a break with his lying.
Good morning, TOD family. It is another hard day. Thank you NerdyWonka for this post and all your energy time and spirit in keeping TOD zooming along the superhighway. You are the very best and I love and bless you every day and every night. Seeing this post lights things up and reminds me of how much blessing and strength we have within us thanks to POTUS’s time in office. I LOVE what you wrote CEB:
“Remember, this is a relay race. President Obama has run his leg of the race. He gave us a big lead then passed the baton.” I am taking it to heart. I woke up as I went to sleep, stunned and disgusted by the cowardly, naive, ridiculous incompetence of Dem leaders, who are choosing an insane path —- CHOOSING OUR BATTLES? We are in a war, Dem Leaders — do you ever hear generals and commanders in the field radio back that they are not going to proceed because they are choosing their battles? The battles are choosing us. The preposterous and INFINTELY disproven notion that we can go easy on this so that we can GO Hard on that later, is just insane in this situation. There IS a time for that position, there are many times in life where that makes sense, but it presumes many things that do not apply here. There is no benefit to going easy or going along now. NONE! They do not care. They only see it as weakness, which it IS, in this case!!! Even the one person who voted no on everything caved, and voted for Ben Carson. It doesn’t MATTER if we win the vote, fools, we go on record in opposition and in recognition of where we are. Wait, I am preaching to the choir here. I need to write this to Warren and Feinstein and all the cowardly betraying trembling leaves who are letting us down. I will remind them that this makes them USELESS to us and we will be looking for actual courageous leaders who will stand up, as Rep. John Lewis and all those who boycotted the ceremonies last week. That’s how it’s done. And I am going to keep a list of good things so that I do not forget to notice and take heart from the good brave bold creative actions which are flourishing from this muck and mud of tyranny, oppression, greed, and lying liars who lie (I think that was Al Franken’s book on Limbaugh way back when). The National Parks people who tweeted and regrouped when the machine went to silence them. The congressmembers who boycotted. The Congressmembers who are voting no on these sleazy incompetent mean hypocritical greedy distructive people nominated for jobs they do not know, want, or respect (they want the power the title the means to destroy but none of them wants the Job that is there to serve our nation.) The woman who stood in the face of a hate-mongering creep with a megaphone in front of an embassy of a majority Muslim nation yesterday and gave it right back to a nasty man ranting and spewing Islamophobia. The big guy who stood in front of a Nazi in a city park and shouted him down constantly as he tried to spew Nazi garbage. The people who showed up to protest yesterday after the anti-immigrant anti-refugee anti-Muslim edicts came out. I lose heart and hope and then TOD post pops up and a good news item tweets out and I notice that my amaryllis is fixing to bloom big time, this week. It missed Christmas — must have known I would need it now, not then. Take care, TOD Family. We are many and we are not going away.
ALL of t his, Nancie. a rant as spot on and as lyrical as the uplifting, cheerful posts that you usually bless us with. Continue to balance the outrage with uplifting the positive; it will help to save your health and your sanity.
Good rant Nancie! Thank you ā¤
Good one!
I am always awestruck by your posts. They are inordinately smart, deeply and humanly perceptive and come from your heart. So glad you are here. XOXO
Love it Nancie!
Right On Right On…Nancie
I love your post. Thanks, Nancy.
I am glad that you & others are keeping count.
One note of caution……Not out of weakness, #Dems do believe in Governance. I would love for all to Vote ‘No’ as #GOP did for the last 8yrs.
What I am afraid of…. is the ‘Blanche Lincoln’ treatment in AR in 2010. MoveOn.org worked heard to defeat her. But that split the #Dems in AR and today, AR has 2 GOPers as Senators. If the Goal is to wash away the South & the Midwest, then We better Make sure that GOP isn’t gaining in PA(Toomey),WI(Johnson),OH(Porter),etc.
I believe in Primarying some, but remembering that at the end; Vote Dems in, for they want to Govern & they want to try to make Life Better.
Since 1994:
GOP has controlled US House all but for 4yrs (2007-2011)
GOP has controlled US Senate all but for 18 months(May ’01-Jan ’03) & 8yrs (2007-2015)=9yrs & 6 months.
Diversity is a Great thing. To mobilize & work cohesively is often a Delicate Reality in the Democratic Party.
Thank you Nena for your thoughtful, kind and wise words on this subject. Makes sense. I need to focus on positive actions like contacting leaders ahead of votes and working FOR more than working against.
So glad that they did not feature the Deplorable One.Less than a week after that embarrassing shit show and the country and the world has moved on to resist, vilify, ridicule, and more importantly, not give him the type of recognition that he so craves. Much of he media (only because he has attacked them, but hey, we take what we can get) that helped to put him in the white house, are now turning against him. I refused to watch the ABC interview, but from the descriptions of it that I have read, David Muir did not kiss his ass and let him get away with his lies and unsubstantiated claims. The DO looked liked a petulant child who wants to be one of the cool kids and does not understand why he is not good enough. All of the fools who voted for him and the criminal ones who did not vote at all, or voted 3rd party are largely responsible for this. I hope that their rest is as troubled as ours. I hope that most of them get a clue and start doing their part toright this wrong.
Oh, Ran Man! Thank you for your post. I missed it while writing and I just looked back to see what I missed. Thank you thank you thank you. You made me cry, but it’s the good cry. Ugly and good. You are a precious gift and I want you to know how much it means to know you will be here in the family room of the TOD family. Here I go to turn challenges into great ideas and problems into opportunities, today.
Nancie, your kind words are encouraging and heart-warming. Thanks so much.
I enjoy reading your post above. I especially agree with your statement “The preposterous and INFINTELY disproven notion that we can go easy on this so that we can GO Hard on that later, is just insane in this situation.” Hear-Hear! I am really disappointed in Senate Dems voting for damn near all of Buffoon Trumps nominees. Chuck Schumer can not be trusted.
wow
I don’t know what folks- media; et al thought we’d get w/ white supremacists running our govt.. but it was never going to be decent, civilized or humane.
Amennnnnnnnnnn…
LIVE NOW: Scientists Make Announcement on Doomsday Clock Adjustment – http://abcnews.go.com/live/video/special-live-6?cid=share_twitter_widget
I hope they change it to: any moment now.
Oh, and the first lady is a birther too.
Morning Everybody š
Good Morning TOD
Today as with everyday of this man’s presidency is a day to #Resist
Put a reminder on your phone to alert you at least a couple of times each week
Action: Call 202-224-3121 to reach any and all senators and congresspeople. Make your concerns be known and tallied! Affordable Care Act repeal, the wall, climate, immigration, and the concerns go on and on. Every phone call counts and this is what our legislators rely on when they go to bat for us! Really!! Keep this number handy because we’re going to need it a LOT
posting these words Donna Dem…
Thank you meta…..
The Emperor is Actually Crazy
by Martin Longman
January 25, 2017 3:45 PM
It wasnāt too hard to find a list of crazy things that Caligula did when he was in charge of the Roman Empire in the 1st Century. You can probably guess why I went searching for such a thing, since we now, too, have a leader who is narcissistic beyond belief and clearly insane. Trumpās latest demonstration of this is his call for a major investigation of (virtually non-existent) voter fraud which he insists happened, despite having just sent his own lawyers into court to fight recounts by arguing that āAll available evidence suggests that the 2016 general election was not tainted by fraud or mistake.ā
I was in the car running an errand and had the opportunity to hear a presser given by Republican congressional leaders Sen. John Thune of South Dakota and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state. Listening to them dance around Trumpās clear mental imbalance on this issue was a sound to behold. Sen. Thune did manage to promise ābetter message coordinationā between Congress and the White House in the future, chalking up the whole thing up to growing pains.
The reason Trump reminds me of an unhinged Roman emperor is because his political allies are always walking on eggshells, afraid to contradict him but (so far) largely unwilling to vouch for his false and delusional statements and beliefs.
Good afternoon everyone and I hear all of you. I am missing him, too. š¦
On a different matter and just because I thought we can always need some positivity in here these days I bring you something that happened today and that I also posted on my facebook wall. Different matter and all, but itĀ“s never a bad idea to read something hopeful about the future, rigth?
We had a holocaust survivor over at school today, an old lady from Prague who survived Theresienstadt as a little kid. She talks for more than an hour and the group of teenagers (about 80 9th graders and my history intensive juniors (11th grade) plus a few seniors listen quietly and respectfully the entire time. Then itĀ“s questions time. They ask a number of very thoughtful, polite, interesting questions and one boy asks how she copes with that kind of a traumatic experience and whether sometimes when she is in bed at night it all comes back and makes her cry. No, says she, it does not, but she admits there are questions that keep haunting her. And the most haunting question of all, she says, is the question “Why me? Why was it me that survived when 90% of the European Jews didnĀ“t make it. Why did I survive and how am I worthy because think of the intelligence that has been wiped out. The young child that never grew up to cure cancer, the child that was never born to become the next Bethoven or Einstein. Because consider that a third of Nobel Price Laureats before WW2 were Jews. All those people with such potential to improve humanity died or were never born while I survived and I wonder why.”
So my students go silent again, mulling it over. Two more questions are being asked and then there is one more. So this boy from senior grade raises his hand and gets up (before that everyone was sitting, it was conversational atmosphere and easy to hear everyone because of the silence despite the large crowd) and says that no he doesnĀ“t have a question but he wants to say something.
And he refers back to what she just said and states that there was no way she could have changed what happened, that she was someone who came out alive and the world is richer for it because, he tells her, “your life is as valuable as that of those that you regret did not make it because you, too, and what you tell us here makes the world a better place.”
So, people, while I am standing near the stage trying not to tear up in front of all these kids: nope, THAT is todayĀ“s teens!
Thanks so much for sharing this; the beauty of it has made me cry, but it has also made me hopeful. I taught teenagers for over 30 years and for al that it seems that they are irresponsible and unaware, the opposite is often true.
Thank you so much niliathiel for sharing this story. Although it made me cry, it gave me hope for our future.
Betsey I wish your kids could hear from survivors of the Holocaust woven into a history listen where the parents who think its a liberal trick. You’ve talked about how these young kids were all for Trump due to their very conservative republican parents.
Niliathiel, those are wonderful words of encouragement from that young man. Thanks for sharing.
Now this makes me scared. All of the top people who know what to do, those who have built open and backdoor channels for sensitive diplomacy are all resigning. OMG, what are we going to do? When (I have to put the positive out there instead of saying “If”) we get through this constitutional and democratic disaster, we need to hold trials (a la Nuremburg) and send people to jail for their crimes against the republic and the world.
This is the most terrifying. Then no one will be left except the wild-eyed conspiracy believers that Trump installs. I know it’s easy for me to say, but they should have stuck it out and forced Trump to fire them for nothing more than political vengeance. This is breathtakingly dangerous.
Tweets now are saying that they were fired.
If they were civil employees and not political appointees, they cannot be fired.
Perhaps pressured to resign as the massive purge continues. Either way, this leaves tremendous gaps in staffing in major areas of importance throughout government. Irresponsible and wrong-headed.
This is awful for then #Birther Trump & #GOP will replace them leaving The Dept in a far worse off shape.
The top level of the State Department – people who worked under Republicans and Democrats- have just resigned.
Top State Dept Leadership Resigns En Masse
ByJOSH MARSHALL
Published JANUARY 26, 2017, 11:28 AM EDT
This is pretty stunning. Josh Rogin at the Post is reporting that unexpectedly yesterday, the top career leadership at the State Department all resigned. These are not Obama era appointees but career FSOs whoāve served under Presidents of both parties.
From the Post ā¦
Tillerson was actually inside the State Departmentās headquarters in Foggy Bottom on Wednesday, taking meetings and getting the lay of the land. I reported Wednesday morning that the Trump team was narrowing its search for his No. 2, and that it was looking to replace the State Departmentās long-serving undersecretary for management, Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy, who has been in that job for nine years, was actively involved in the transition and was angling to keep that job under Tillerson, three State Department officials told me.
Then suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy and three of his top officials resigned unexpectedly, four State Department officials confirmed. Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Joyce Anne Barr, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond and Ambassador Gentry O. Smith, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, followed him out the door. All are career foreign service officers who have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
āItās the single biggest simultaneous departure of institutional memory that anyone can remember, and thatās incredibly difficult to replicate,ā says Kerry Chief of Staff David Wade
The Senate Democrats and Representatives should no longer pretend that these appointments are like the ones in the past. These people are not fit to hold these positions and should VOTE NO on their confirmation. Yes they will be appointed anyway but at least they are not sanctioning crazy. Have they NOT learned anything from the Iraq war?
Yesterday, NPR had an article about the Nuclear Option the Senate employed and how now the only filibuster left is for SC picks. That all the confirmation hearings are only for political show that all choices will be confirmed. I hope I misunderstood the article.
Hello All
I wanted to stop by and give you an update of what I am seeing in our area, and what I hope is a trend throughout the country.
People who have never gotten involved in the political process are stepping up. this week we had 4 meeting of various Democratic Clubs. At each one attendance was double and in some cases triple what it had been. after each meeting the leader of the club has contacted me and said they want to have their own phone banks and become satellite OFA teams.
At each meeting I made a presentation about how OFA is defending the ACA. I asked folks to pass out a petition supporting Obamacare and also included pledge cards where they promised to call their representative, attend an event, phone bank, etc. In a room of 50 folks I am getting 40 pledge cards.
This NEVER happens.
I am also getting email from groups that are popping up and want to collaborate, Indivisible, Together We Will, WomenUnited365, the revolution, Hillary for America.
One final example, we tabled at the Women’s March in our community and ran out of pledge cards. We gathered 600+ names on petitions. Normally we don’t add you to our team mailing list just because you signed a petition, but if you fill out a pledge card you are added. Well at the Women’s March we it was so hectic I just decided to add the names on the petitions and apologize later.
I sent everyone an email letting them know where I got their name and email address, thanking them, and then asking them to join us as we visit our Congressman’s office on Monday.
Then I told them to email me if they wanted to be removed from the list. It has been 24 hours and not one person has asked to be taken off. NOT ONE.
4 folks have thanked me for reaching out to me. I have received 5 Obamacare stories, and 12 folks signed up to go to the office. We live in a town of 125,000 so these are big #s for us.
There has been a fundamental shift in attitude of the public. I’m talking about folks who have never been politically active before, folks who were too busy, too shy, too disappointed. All that has changed.
I am exhausted but encouraged.
Linda, you have so inspired me (but, you know this).
Our group had it’s second meeting last night. We had 7 new people join us! We are now looking for a larger space to hold our Feb. 7th meeting. Peet’s Coffee has now become too small. (I LOVE IT!!!!)
I am so happy for you & your Chapter and thank you for sharing your ideas and suggestions with us. It means a lot ā¤
You go girl
If you need any help, send me a note. Thinking about new groups like yours inspire me every day. It is so wonderful to see all these folks coming together to make change.
Yes!
You are a great leader. Remember to take the time to take care of yourself before you sally forth to do battle.
Ditto Linda. Thank you for always inspiring people. I almost feel like we are the underground movement moving around in the dark trying to make change, but in the light of day. š
HI Jackie
This website is an important part of the underground movement. So many article, tweets and videos from this blog end up in our team email and help us do our work.
After the Women’s March I think we will be coming out of the darkness more and more each day.
good.
I am thinking Trump decided after hearing a hint of his not coming yesterday to get out in front and make a big show of it by disinviting him.
Good; one should always stand up to bullies. He is the leader of his nation and should always stand up for them, their dignity and their sovereignty. I’ll bet all of the world’s leaders really miss the respect with which PBO treated them even when they disagreed.
Not even a full week in office and….Sigh!!!
And I don’t blame President Pena. Making Mexico pay for a wall because people from all over South America come through the territory doesn’t make one bit of common sense – if you knew geography.
How dumb is our current occupant of the White House?
#Resist
Of course the President of Mexico can’t come here, Trump has not left him an out. President Pena did what was necessary for his country and for himself. Its about saving face, Pena couldn’t risk looking weak.
Exactly. And Trump announced “they agreed” to suspend the meeting. #Liar
Jesus Christ, first it was senior leadership at the State Department resigning and the now the Border Patrol chief.
OMG
There are a lot more comments…..and they are ALL frightening. Rinse Pubis he said threatened to quit but Paul Ryan begged him to stay! I guess he wants to wait and see if he loses support from his crazy followers then they can start impeaching him. GOD help save America!
Seeing folks capture previous tweets I was thinking about a fun tool for capturing websites as they used to look when Obama was President.
The wayback machine is a website where you can pull up a copy of a website from a week before, a month before, etc.
So if you go to the at https://archive.org/web/
and type in whitehouse.gov and select Jan 1st 2017 you will see the version of the web page that existed at that time. If you keep clicking you will find the climate action plan.
Here is a link to the Obama Climate Change policy
https://web.archive.org/web/20170101200601/https://www.whitehouse.gov/president-obama-climate-action-planwhitehouse.gov
This works for every website. If the site is very popular it is archived many times a day, if it is obscure maybe once a month.
Might be useful in the future
Thank you wiw. Years ago we had an IRS representative give a speech at one our training sessions. They talked about the ability to review businesses websites if they suddenly change them due to knowing a taxing agency is reviewing them. I had a company that removed parts of their online instructions to return goods at their local stores which gave them Nexus. The auditor who told them that it was there did not do a screen shot or do print out of it and they removed it…..he learned a lesson.
Rep Cummings sits on the House Oversight Committee. Include him in your tweets about government malfeasance.
Oh, Gaia knows where PBO and MO are, and is sheltering, nurturing and nourishing them both with tremendous Love. As much as we all miss them, I am so grateful they have some time, blessed privacy, and this chance to decompress, to walk the tides together, or alone, as personal privacy may need. To respect them in their private time and space is an honour and a courtesy. May God Bless them both and continue to hold them close to His Heart! ā¤š¹šš»š¹ā¤
Amen wpa/mp. What does the stars say about 2017? Is this gloom expected and when will there be light again?
Co-signing. If they never do anything in the public arena again, they have done more than enough. However, the work that they did is close to their hearts and after some time, we will probably see them back in the fight again. I hope that they are breathing each other in and doing all of the things together that they have put off, far from spying eyes and critical tongues.
In all my 77 years, I never thought I would see the carnage that is happening in my country. Every day is something new that cannot be anticipated. For several weeks a particular thought has been rolling around in my head, and I’m sure others have thought the same thing. The U.S. used to have the moral leadership of the world. The U.S. had the moral leadership of this hemisphere. NO MORE!!!!
We have ceded moral leadership to an unknown quantity. Obviously Canada and Mexico now have the moral leadership of our continent, and probably the hemisphere. I am hoping that Trudeau will be strong and stand up for what is right. I admire the President of Mexico for canceling his meeting with DT. This sends a strong message, I think, although DT will not get it.
Just read the tweet that Britain cannot cooperate with a country that authorizes torture…..that is us. I’m sure Angela Merkel won’t put up with Trump. So, we have been downgraded to a “flawed democracy” by the Economist, and DT has done more to denigrate us in one week than I could possibly have imagined.
Yes, the man is mentally ill,, but he has fooled and conned enough people to win the electoral college, and will continue to do so for a while. Ever hopeful, I believe he is sowing the seeds of his destruction, but I don’t know how long it will take. I still think we are sitting on top of a volcano soon to erupt.
Two national polls: Obamacare now more popular than Trump
01/26/17 10:42 AM
By Steve Benen
The day before Donald Trumpās presidential inauguration, Fox News released the results of a new national poll that showed the Republican with a 42% favorability rating. The same poll found āObamacareā with a 50% favorability rating.
It created an awkward political dynamic: the new president is now less popular than the health care law heās eager to destroy.
Yesterday, Public Policy Polling released the results of a new national survey ā the results of which were shared exclusively with The Rachel Maddow Show last night ā that pointed in a similar direction. Support for the Affordable Care Act, in this poll, stood at 45%, while Trumpās support was 44%.
Thatās obviously a pretty modest difference, but the broader point remains the same: Trump is working from the assumption that the ACA is a disaster the public is eager to get rid of, but when pollsters actually gauge Americansā attitudes, the reform law is more popular than the president bashing it.
All of this comes the week after the release of an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll that found the Affordable Care Act āhas never been more popularā than it is right now. A Washington Post report added:
Used to know lots (and still know a few) of “middle class white guys” in Philly – and they’d be there! #DumpTrump
No Greeters! Now we need a photo of this juxtaposed with any photo of PBO’s arrival, even at night, at any airport anywhere that shows supporters and city, state, and party leaders on hand to greet him. We know that popularity is all that the DO cares about and it warms my heart that he is not getting it.
PBO’s advance team also always had citizen greeters who were members of military families.
Where’s fatboy Mark Knoller?
Did Secretary of Exxon really come out and say that heās about to reverse the progress that the US has made with Cuba?
We Canāt Have Four Years of This
by Martin Longman
January 26, 2017 1:02 PM
Media criticism is a huge part of my job and Iāll always find things to fault in how the media covers our politics and our politicians. I do not believe, however, that the media went easy on Donald Trump during the campaign. Iāve actually never seen any politician get so savaged day after day as Trump was in the last election. Pretty much everything we know about Trumpās shortcomings came from articles written either by bigfoot reporters at our major newspapers or by longtime Trump-watching journalists in the New York area.
Trump lost the endorsement of dozens of newspapers that have endorsed Republicans in the past. In the end, in the entire country, he only won the endorsement of a single handful of metro newspapers. Even the right-wing media turned on him, including the National Review which opposed him with real fury. I could write a separate article about how Clinton was treated, but I want to stay on my topic.
Donald Trump was exposed by the media and people had access to all the information they needed to know about his fraudulent business practices, his dishonest and bullying litigiousness, his failure to honor contracts, his sordid personal life, his connections to prominent organized crime figures, his business failures, his record of racism, his foreign entanglements, and his almost unbelievable personal narcissism. Maybe the media actually helped Trump despite giving us all this information because they gave him so much attention and chased his every shocking move, but they didnāt give him a pass or fail to treat him with appropriate skepticism.
We all learned something about the standing of the media when enough of the public shrugged it all off and supported him to make him our president. I think itās clear that the media lost their credibility with much of the electorate, and we can debate how much they earned that loss of credibility. Yet, itās clear to me, at least, that they lost more than they deserved to lose.
Now, when I open up the Washington Post and an article begins with the following paragraph, I know things are messed up.
Even after more than a half a decade in office, a failing war based on falsified intelligence, a drowned New Orleans, and a global collapse of the economy, no major newspaper ran straight news articles this hostile and disrespectful about President George W. Bush. Donald Trump has been in office less than a week, and his word is already an open joke and so lacking in credibility that our major newspapers have no compunction about dismissing his utterances out of hand.
Reading the transcript of his first big presidential interview with ABC News, I was something close to paralyzed with fear. Watching it made things worse.
Thanks Rikyrah -Sharing as a Must Read!
“Whatever this is, itās not sanity. This isnāt some crazy like a fox cunning aimed at distracting us while Trump steals our lunch. Itās out-and-out racist-drunk-at-the-end-of-the-bar insanity. In fact, Cliff Clavin look reliable in comparison.”
“The media is treating this with appropriate astonishment. Theyāre really not sugarcoating it except that theyāre not willing, like me, to come out and call this man exactly what he is, which is critically, urgently, unfit for office.”
“He must go soon.”
Wow
DSM-5 criteria for narcissistic personality disorder include these features:
Having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Expecting to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it
Exaggerating your achievements and talents
Being preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate
Believing that you are superior and can only be understood by or associate with equally special people
Requiring constant admiration
Having a sense of entitlement
Expecting special favors and unquestioning compliance with your expectations
Taking advantage of others to get what you want
Having an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others
Being envious of others and believing others envy you
Behaving in an arrogant or haughty manner
UNITED WE STAND
Tamika Mallory, co-chair of the Women’s March, gave a great speech on Saturday.
Report: Entire State Department Management Team Fired By Trump Admin
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/entire-state-department-management-team-resigns-unexpectedly
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2017/01/26/resist/
Remember when PBO was invited to the GOP retreat in 2009? It was something to behold. He took questions, answered all their talking points, warned them of this day, then took photos with them & their families. DO-DO-head cut and ran.
Thanks. Always love watching this. It was 2010 not 2009, my bad.
i was so impressed by how he could answer all their policy questions…how smooth and poised he was…..truly a Daniel walking into the lion’s den!
Yep…..
Dear Lord Help Us All.
According to an article at The Daily Beast, the DO met with the top officials of 5 major trade unions and is wooing them with plans of big building projects, etc. to make sure that he has them on his side for 2020. This is a man who has stiffed many tradespeople, the latest the plumping contractor who worked on the new DC hotel. Surely they know his record of stiffing people for millions. Why would they line themselves up to be cheated? I just do not understand how people can dismiss information that is out everywhere for anyone to see. PBO warned us about underestimating this one. We have had 5 days of shock and awe, while even more insidious things are going on behind closed doors.
Russell Simmons posted an interesting open letter to the Deplorable One on HuffandPuff that has an interesting take that warns the DO about being a “sucka” for Washington radicals; let him take the fall for Mike Pence et all to come into power.
I guess the pro-life crowd did not get the intersectional memo from the Women’s March movement. Their little pat on the back march is coming soon and they are all out trying to get enough people to if not rival the earlier march, to put up a good showing. I really do not like it when women are so focused on their one issue that they are blind to the larger ones that affect all of us.
Y’ALL!!!!!
Wow, It Gets Bigger
By Josh Marshall Published January 26, 2017, 12:45 PM EDT
Last night I noted that a top Russian spy who is the number two person in the FSB department which allegedly oversaw the US election hacking operation had been arrested and charged with treason. Was he a sacrificial lamb and olive branch to Trump? A way for Putin to claim that his spy services had perhaps gone rogue? Or was he suspected of being a source to US intelligence? People who fall from grace in Putinās Russia are often dealt with with trumped up criminal prosecutions. But treason is a special charge.
Well, now we have reports that Sergei Mikhailov is suspected of being a US asset at the heart of Russian intelligence.
The report is from The Moscow Times, a respected English language publication. But the report appears to rely on a report in Novaya Gazeta.
From the Moscow Times ā¦
A top cybersecurity specialist in Russiaās Federal Security Service (FSB) was arrested on Wednesday reportedly on suspicion of leaking information to the U.S. intelligence community ā a bombshell accusation that, if true, would mean Washington had a spy in the heart of Russiaās national defense infrastructure.
Hereās the additional detail ā¦
According to the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the FSB believes Sergei Mikhailov tipped off U.S. officials to information about Vladimir Fomenko and his server rental company āKing Servers,ā which the American cybersecurity company ThreatConnect identified last September as āan information nexusā that was used by hackers suspected of working for Russian state security in cyberattacks.
The article goes on to say that four others have been arrested in connection to the treason case against Mikhailov. It is important to note that even if these are the charges, in a country like Russia, what youāre charged with isnāt just not necessarily true. It may not even be what the state and prosecutors think is true.
But this immediately poses the question: if Mikhailov was a US asset, how was he compromised? Did the information put out by US intelligence somehow lead to his exposure? Without putting too fine a point on it, a number of close advisors to President Trump are being scrutinized for ties to Russia. Some of them participated in the intelligence briefings the President receives. Do we have a very big problem?
Trump’s Basis For Voter Fraud Paranoia? ‘Look At What Is Registering’
ByTIERNEY SNEED
Published JANUARY 26, 2017, 2:24 PM EDT
PHILADELPHIA — President Donald Trump, in remarks to a GOP retreat in Philadelphia Thursday, hinted at his administration’s plans for a major investigation into voter fraud.
“We also need to keep the ballot box safe from illegal voting,” Trump said. “Believe me, you take look at what is registering, folks — they like to say,
Oh, Trump Trump Trump… take a look at what is registering.'”
It is unclear exactly what Trump meant by “what is registering,” but his White House Press Secretary said Wednesday that the investigation will focus on “urban areas.”
“I think in terms of registration … you’ve got folks on rolls that have been deceased or have moved or are registered in two counties,” he said. “This isn’t just about the 2016 election ā this is about the integrity of our voting system.”
Ironically, at least four people close to Trump have been found to be registered to vote in more than one state.
Simply Awesome