Obama spokesman Lewis says the former President has donated $2M from speeches this year to job-training programs for low-income young people
— Paul Brandus (and on Mastodon) (@WestWingReport) September 26, 2017
146 Responses to “Looking Out For The Least Among Us”
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Obama White House.gov
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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
- 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 
Good evening, enough of the man in the White House’s nonsense
Ta-Nehisi Coates was on Charlie Rose last Friday.
The full interview:
https://charlierose.com/videos/31063?autoplay=true
‘argues’ ? go fuck yourself charlie.
Let’s see how much the ignorant will have to say about Pres Obama’s generosity.
Bernie and Liz are awfully quiet about how President Obama earns his money now.
a man for all seasons.
May this woman be surrounded by loving community and some day find peace.
When you give all the time you dont wait until something happens or people ‘talk’ to give, you give all the time, your heart, your time, your funds, your all and then you give again
Barack Obama and Joe Biden and Michele Obama and Jill Biden … to name a few!
This thread will blow your mind:
https://www.oneamericaappeal.org/
Find waldo in this beeb’s fp.
‘beings’
#showoff
/shrug/ What can I say? 🙂
canoooks. smh.
Was that (smh) in awe? 😀 😀
When you haz a talent, you haz a talent
also. too. spot the waldo.
‘has’
Only now seeing this (when answering in the notification section I don’t usually see visuals).
Dan Rather:
“I have covered many presidents and many wars. Some of these wars were just and others not. All wars are bloody and full of pain, but some of the conflicts were mismanaged, leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths. Despite all of this, I do not know of any president who did not at his core feel the solemn burden of young Americans dying in service to country. But now we have a Commander in Chief who many feel does not understand this most basic human empathy.
President Donald Trump’s assertions – more accurately his lies – about whether or not his predecessors, particularly President Obama, called or wrote to the families of the fallen has rightly been broadly condemned for its mendacity and insincerity. It should not be surprising coming from a man who mocked a war hero, John McCain, and attacked a gold star family, the parents of slain United States Army Captain Humayun Khan.
I cannot see into President Trump’s heart. Nor can I measure his motives. But we can see that one of the most solemn roles of the office of the presidency has once again been subjected to his instinct for bombast, obfuscation, and self-congratulatory denialism.
Rather than focus on the words of the present I choose to pay homage to those who have died in America’s wars by sharing a poem by the Pulitzer prize winning poet Archibald MacLeish who saw service in World War I.
The young dead soldiers do not speak.
Nevertheless, they are heard in the still houses:
who has not heard them?
They have a silence that speaks for them at night
and when the clock counts.
They say: We were young. We have died.
Remember us.
They say: We have done what we could
but until it is finished it is not done.
They say: We have given our lives but until it is finished
no one can know what our lives gave.
They say: Our deaths are not ours: they are yours,
they will mean what you make them.
They say: Whether our lives and our deaths were for
peace and a new hope or for nothing we cannot say,
it is you who must say this.
We leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning.
We were young, they say. We have died; remember us.”
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing that.
❤️🙏🏻
Profound!
Brilliant!
Thank you for this, Pamela!
It takes a
villagedog to…From Nicole Stamp, yesterday:
“Today my timeline is full of decent men asking, “How can I help?”, in the wake of the viral #MeToo movement created by http://www.twitter.com/TaranaBurke.
I’m going to take this question as sincere, and give a few suggestions.
SHARING: Yes, you can share this on FB & Twitter; thanks for being interested in doing so. Please credit me & link back to this post (Click the timestamp at the top of the post for the direct link to this page).
** And if you end up being paid to present my work, I welcome fair contributions via PayPal. stamperoo@gmail.com 🙂 **
Here are some concrete ways men* can help:
(*I wrote this specifically for a small group of my own male friends who were explicitly asking for advice after being stunned by the ubiquity of the #metoo abuse hashtag. I wasn’t anticipating this being shared so many times. These tips can be used by people of all genders.)
1. Practice these phrases: “That’s not cool” and “That’s a shitty thing to say”. Say them to other men who are saying disrespectful things to or about women.
2. Follow some feminist writers on social media. Sometimes what they write may seem “exhausting” or “too angry”. Put aside that discomfort because that feeling is your male privilege allowing you to disengage from an important conversation that womxn don’t get to disengage from. Here are some accounts I like- but there are lots. Follow a few.
http://www.twitter.com/ijeomaoluo
http://www.twitter.com/manwhohasitall
http://www.twitter.com/FeministaJones
3. Boost female voices. When there’s an issue and you’re going to share an article about it- especially if it’s a gender issue- take a minute and try to find one written by a woman (same goes for other marginalized groups- seek articles about race written by IBPOC, seek articles about disability by writers with disabilities*, etc. “Nothing about us, without us”).
(*I originally said “disabled writers”. Thanks to a commenter for reminding me that “person-first” language is considered more respectful in certain disability communities).
4. Boost what women say at work. Listen for men dismissing women’s contributions and make a habit of listening and saying things like “Hey Zahra has a point”.
5. Be mindful of how you introduce women- particularly at work functions. Role-model extra respect into your introductions. So often you hear men being introduced with job titles and accolades, and women introduced as “the lovely” or “the beautiful”. I guarantee that no matter how good she looks, she’d rather be introduced by her job title and accomplishments.
Relevant Washington Post article: “At conferences, male doctors are introduced as “Doctor Whoever” 72% of the time; female doctors are introduced using the word “Doctor” only 49% of the time.” http://wapo.st/2kSWlba
Doing this subtly tells the listener that the women’s qualifications are lesser-than. Go out of your way to correct this by introducing women (and others from marginalized groups- racialized, disabled, young-looking, whatever) using their full job titles and accolades.
6. At work or out in the world, don’t call women cutesy names like “honey, baby, darling, kiddo, young lady, girl, or dear”. This is a subtle way of putting them down, elevating your own status over them as a man who is choosing to vote them as attractive, and reminding them and all present that they’re just cute little ladies that nobody should listen to. Make a special effort to speak to women using the kind of person-to-person respectful address you use when speaking with male colleagues. Hint: Use their name. If you slip up and call your colleague “young lady” or some other bullshit like that, it’s cool to say something about it, like “I’m sorry I called you that- it’s disrespectful.”
7. Seek enthusiastic consent in your sexual encounters. If you’re having sexy time and the other person stops reciprocating, gets quiet, seems tense or stiff, avoids making eye contact, pauses, or otherwise slows the tempo of the encounter, then you should…. STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
Reframe how you think of consent. You’re not supposed to just “go for it” until someone yells NO and that’s when you stop. That’s old-fashioned and gross. And she might not be able to explicitly say no, because she has very likely been assaulted before and she might freeze when stressed- that’s a side effect of all this “me too”.
People shouldn’t have to explicitly say no. Instead, slow down. At every step, listen with your ears (or ask with your words) for the word “yes”, and then you can escalate the encounter together. Seek explicit and enthusiastic and active consent before you proceed. Proceed together. And constantly observe the other person’s body language for the hesitations that mean “no”. If this means you have to cut down on alcohol or substances to stay present and have self-control, please do that.
8. Don’t use gendered or misogynist insults. Bitch, cunt, slut, pussy, f*g, girly, sissy, cuck, etc. Use insults that work on everyone rather than insults that specifically target the feminine as weak, lesser, and undesirable. “Asshole” is a nice multipurpose choice- we all have one.
9. If there are little boys, teen boys, and young men in your life, role-model that the feminine is not less-than. Challenge them on their dismissive ideas around what counts as “girl stuff”. Buy them a doll. Paint your nails together. Show up wearing pink. Do something that’s coded as* traditionally “feminine” in a way that embraces the feminine as a valid way of being, not in a way that mocks femininity. Buy them books and watch TV and movies that prominently feature female characters. Verbally challenge their stereotypes about what men do and how women are lesser. Seeing women as people starts in infancy.
(*Thanks to a commenter for pointing out that behaviours aren’t inherently fem/masc, but rather we code them as such).
10. Be wary of constantly or only telling little girls they’re pretty and cute or commenting on their hairstyle & clothing. I know, little girls often wear fun stuff and it’s easy to comment on. But it tells her, and the little boys nearby, that girls should be valued first and foremost for their looks.
Instead, try things like “What kind of toy is that? That looks fun, what is it? Are you reading any good books? What’s your favourite subject in school? What kind of things do you like to do? Do you have a favourite animal? May I ask your advice, should I purchase the apples or the grapes?” There are so many things to talk about.
11. When a woman is walking alone and you end up walking behind her- especially in dark or secluded areas- please slow down to increase the distance between you, or, better yet, cross the street. Literally go out of your way to help her feel that you’re not following her.
12. Teach your elders to do better. Pervy Grandpa and Racist Grandma might seem harmless at Xmas dinner but as their health declines, they will largely end up being cared for by women and POC who don’t deserve dehumanizing treatment. Call it out. You can teach old dogs* new tricks, and you should definitely try.
(*Someone below pointed out that this metaphor, equating the elderly to dogs, is disrespectful. I agree with them. I’m not deleting it because hiding mistakes is creepy. I’m sorry I spoke disrespectfully about elderly people- that’s a proverb that I’ll quit using.)
13. Don’t argue so much in conversations around types of oppression that you don’t personally experience. Keep an eye open for our culture’s gross habit of putting the onus on the oppressed persons to dredge up their pain for inspection (only for us to then dismiss it as “just one instance which they probably either caused or misinterpreted anyway”). Instead, try this- if you don’t believe something is an issue, use the Googles. Find, say, three articles *written by people in that demographic*, and read them. Look for patterns in their analyses. You’ll find that these ideas aren’t weird militant fringe notions- oppression is a widely-accepted and statistically-supported phenomenon and a lot of insightful people are talking about it. Avoid the hot takes and go to the source- the people who experience the issue firsthand.
14. If you feel uncomfortable during conversations about sexism (or racism, or ableism, or cultural appropriation, or whatever- because all these systems are related, google “kyriarchy” to learn more), the only correct response is to be quiet and listen and try to focus on the topic at hand rather than centre your own feelings. It’s hard. It’s worthwhile.
Thanks for trying to be decent men. We see you.”
This is heartening. It may be possible to turn the corner into the Aquarian Age, in my lifetime. I would be so grateful. ❤️🕉🕯🌎✨
“Oh Helllllll, No.”
https://imgix.ranker.com/user_node_img/50052/1001036071/original/1-freestyle-list-photo-u1?w=650&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&crop=faces
LO. i can;t believe my eyes.
Take 2: LOL. I can’t believe my eyes.
I know who those drawers belong to. Gotta be his, dirty, nasty, big.. streaked orange…
Hysterical!
the pig will have no more ear.
I’d whisper: “No matter what you do, Barack Obama is a a million times the better man than you. People love him the world over. Only nutballs and Nazis like you, you festering sack of pus.”
Can’t help but laugh, mostly because it makes one close to hysteria!
The very height of assholery.
This is what you say to the grieving loved ones of service members…
HI Pamela!! Your package with “Chasing Light” has shipped, and will be ARRIVING TOMORROW Wednesday 18 October 2017!!
Oh yeah, alright!! Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. ME!!
❤️🎶🌏✨😹🕯💕🎈🖖🏼👏🏽🥂🇬🇷🙏🏻
Oh, and WOOT!! 🤗
Jon Meacham on BriWi’s show …
From Joseph Weissgold: 13 hours ago
I have stared – however inconspicuous I thought I was
I have followed – however brief it seemed to me
I have approached – however unthreatening I imagined it
I have sexualized – however many signals I was picking up
I have bargained – however fair and rational I thought it was
I have guilted – however much I felt I was in the right
I have hid my intentions – however much I deceived myself
I have shirked responsibility – however I justify my actions
I have objectified, disregarded, and perpetuated stereotypes
And I certainly didn’t do all I could
We have done these things
That is how I respond when I hear #metoo
I am so much better than I was before – mostly thanks to my incredible partner – I can finally have healthy relationships with women. And yet I am far from where I need to be. Almost every day I catch myself still, and have to actively inhibit impulses that arise, voices I’d long wished forgotten. I want it gone. I dream of that day.
I am a tall white cisgender man. I know that my very presence can invoke threat. It is not enough to be pure in intention, it is not enough to be pure in thought, it is not enough to be pure in action; I have a responsibility to disarm the threat I present in every space I enter, be it a conference room or a subway car. We have a long way to go.
This is the bar; it’s eye-level, well within reach. We…
Step 1. Embrace the fact that we have the power to cause threat and harm even without doing so deliberately.
Step 2. Take full accountability for the impact that has on others.
Step 3. Treat people like people. Full stop.
#wetoo“
“
Wow
It’s over $100k now. Way to go good people!
So true. Last time I looked, it was over $300K!
Almost $500k now. So cool!
Wow! He said he was crying last night, at how fast the donations were coming in!
Good evening TOD. Once again, it’s been a truly awful couple of days and I am emotionally exhausted. But I couple of things I want to share.
First, this twitter thread is well worth reading re DT’s comment to Sgt Johnson’s widow that he “knew what he was signing up for..”
Too tired to post the whole thing but please take a minute to read it. Bottom line is NO, he did not expect to be killed.
Second, our friend Michael Skolnick has once again helped out by boosting the scholarship fund for Sgt Johnson’s children, a two year old, a six year old and a baby expected in January. Any amount you can give to help will be appreciated by this family.
https://www.gofundme.com/sgt-la-david-johnson-scholarship
.Let’s hope the rest of the week the gasbag in the WH keeps his damn mouth shut. Love to you all, and thank you Nerdy for this place of respite from the daily poison oozing from this Administration.
Exactly!
This photo is so iconically moving. The child’s posture and face are incredibly eloquent as she watches her mother’s love for her father play out in emotions she will forever grapple with in her own life.
brings tears to my eyes…and a heaviness to my heart
mod monster at it again.
Goodnight TOD …
Trump is now calling Rep Wilson a liar.
Isn’t that funny, a Pathological Liar calling someone else a liar. America (Russia) I hope you are proud of what you elected. There is no way Hillary Clinton is as terrible as Trump.
BRAVO!!!!
Bravo too.
from the article:
Jefferson Davis, although infamous in his own right, would probably not be too happy about a diverse school promoting the education of the very individuals he fought to keep enslaved being named after him,” Janelle Jefferson told the board during the public comment portion of the meeting.
congenital liar pos.
Lies don’t have proofs but can be proven. If only there were a non-corrupt media.
where is tapper, the benghazi tool on this?
aaand tapper, the tool delivers.
and the fucking media will play along with the thugs like they did with e-mailz!!! benghazi!!!! ebola!!!
If Hillary won with Russia help the Republicans would be calling for her impeachment, Fox, Limbaugh, right wing hate radio, right wing blog, would all be calling for Hillary impeachment.
Judicial Watch is still going after Hillary. It hasn’t stopped even though she lost. It’s a sick obsession. I am just disgusted by 45 & the Republicans whose only mission is their power. To hell with the country or the American people it’s about about the party, winning and controlling us.
👏🏼❤️✨
Arriving today by 8PM
🕯😹🥂
Most of the fires in Northern California are still going but are being contained. Two new ones started up in Santa Cruz Mountains and Sausalito yesterday. But residents are returning and clean up efforts are underway. It’s going to take a long time to restore homes, communities, habitats.
The poor air quality has oddly contributed to some magnificent sunsets and the fog has returned to help cleanse and cool down. This is from last night.
Trump abruptly cancelled press coverage of his supposed Diwali event last night. I think someone told him what it was all about and decided not to have it since it involved brown people.
traitorous bastards.
the investigation must be getting close
TRUTH!
If Trump said that to that woman, he is a disgusting heartless man.
Who is this Becky who was actually trying to stir up shit? She did what so many people do in the media is to try to make this about people who call out the disaster in the the WH and in our culture(especially if those who criticize are Black female lawmakers) rather than the incompetent, unfeeling, lazy, hateful fool that is supposed to be CIC?
I don’t think she was trying to “stir up shit”. I think someone asked her a question and she decided to answer it honestly. In most cases and under NORMAL circumstances, I believe she would have told reporters, conversations between the CIC and the families are private. That Orange Demon was hoping for this, but I am glad she revealed what he said because “IT” is NOT NORMAL. He purposely “STIRRED UP SHIT with STEPH CURRY, the NFL, BLM, etc. He has been using WHITE people’s hate against BLACK people & PBO for too long. If the congresswoman’s revealed of what this COWARD said to Myeshia about her husband Sgt LaDavid Johnson and HIS PARENTS collaborate it, for once he can’t hide behind other people are making it up, its fake news, etc., I hope ALL vets will now see through this Bastard and protest him like they did Nixon. He will be toast!
Morning Joke went through a list of his tweets to get the conversation talking about him that always now break on Fridays so everyone is talking about him all weekend. I am sure he is NOT HAPPY with this and will try to shine another “shiny object” for the media to chase. However this will last in folks minds for a long time. I see his poll numbers taking a huge hit.
Mayhew at BJ has some thoughts up on the new compromise on CSR’s :
Morning thoughts on Alexander-Murray
https://www.balloon-juice.com/2017/10/18/morning-thoughts-on-alexander-murray/
Fucking loon.
Trump’s Criminally-Inspired Approach to Deal-Making
by Nancy LeTourneau
October 18, 2017
Lately I’ve been noticing some of the analogies people have been using to describe Trump’s deal-making as president. Right here at Political Animal, David Atkins described him as an organized crime boss.
That’s how much this fraud cares for and supports the troops. He didn’t even care enough to write a name down so he could read it as he spoke to his wife. Kneeling is a deflection. What a POS.
He said that he had a nice conversation with the woman, then he caught himself and said “the wife” still not mentioning his name or her name. The man has no soul or heart.
Lyin’ Jeff Sessions in the hot seat now
“Will allow” ?! These are grown ass men who are well within their constitutional right to peacefully protest against injustice. The condescension, the casual display of white privilege and power (real or imagined) just sickens me. Maybe it is time for a walk-out rather than a kneel-in so that these would be plantation owners learn that they do not own or control Black bodies.
Thanks CEB, I feel the same.
Thread
when is pro going to answer to this Russian/uranium collusion question..this will blow his legacy
CORRECTION..PBO…THIS MUST BE DONE 2DAY OR THEY ARE GOING TO DESTORY OBAMA’S LEGACY…IF HE WAS WARNED BY THE FBI..HE SHOULD HAVE LISTENED.
This shit show has turned the most mild people into warriors. You never know what you are capable of sometimes until all that you hold dear is threatened. New patriots are arising in this latest challenge to what we will choose to be as a people and as a nation.
The two women on MJ asked the congresswoman why she is politicizing what that demon said to Myeshia Johnson, but these same people did not say a PEEP when the GOP politicized the Benghazi investigation and when that demon had the widow at of one of the Bengjazi soldiers saying, “he’s looking down at you” in one of his speeches in Congress. These bastards have NO shame when the GOP politicizes soldiers all the fucking time with no push back. No push back when he that demon politicized Gen’l Kelly’s son’s death asking the MEDIA who he says is fake to ask the Gen’l if Obama called him……as to imply Kelly told him Obama never called HIM!
I REPEAT..WHEN DOES PBO ANSWER TO THE RUSSIAN/URANIUM PURCHASE..THEY ARE BLOWING HIM UP TODAY?
Of course he did.
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 10/17/17
Trump picks leader of failed Bush Katrina response to lead DHS
Rachel Maddow reminds viewers of the leading role Kirstjen Nielsen played in the George W. Bush administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina, making her a dubious pick by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
hmmph
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 10/17/17
House Intel Russia investigation burdened by partisan disunity
Congressman Eric Swalwell who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about challenging partisanship within the committee’s Trump Russia investigation.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/smartsocialsummit
Michelle Obama spoke at the Smart Social Summit yesterday.
IT WON’T MATTER WHERE FLOTUS SPEAKS IF PBO DOESN’T STRAIGHTEN OUT THE RUSSIAN/URANIUM MESS..THIS CAN TEAR EVERYTHING THEY HAVE DONE TO PIECES.
This is not true
Sue here are the real facts: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/10/26/the-facts-behind-trumps-repeated-claim-about-hillary-clintons-role-in-the-russian-uranium-deal/?utm_term=.a93788907a14
Gordon Edgar Downie CM was a Canadian rock musician, writer, and occasional actor. He was the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. Died: October 17, 2017, Kingston, Canada
Every fucking week.
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2017/10/18/comforting-the-families-of-the-fallen/