Heads Up: San Francisco Giants Meet Pres. Obama

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2:15PM ET: White House  CBS  CBS Ustream

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Rise and Shine

Newseum

The San Francisco Examiner: … Four years ago, under a different owner, The San Francisco Examiner endorsed John McCain and Sarah Palin for president. Happily, the nation’s voters had a better idea. Today, as a different paper under new ownership, we wholeheartedly endorse Barack Obama and Joe Biden for a second term so that they can move forward with reforms this country needs.

A president’s second term is an opportunity to implement his legacy agenda. Nothing we have seen suggests that Barack Obama will be content to rest on his laurels in the next four years.

Full editorial here

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Today (all times ET):

12:25: President Obama departs San Francisco

4:20: Arrives in Columbus, Ohio

4:30: Michelle Obama speaks to grassroots supporters in Loudoun County, Va. (CNN have this listed for live streaming, but for 5:20 – will check)

5:00: President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event at Ohio State University in Columbus

7:15: Departs Columbus

7:30: Michelle Obama attends a campaign fundraising event in McLean, Va.

8:40: President Obama arrives at the White House

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Miami Herald: From a Florida Democratic Party email: …. September is the 8th consecutive month that Democrats have out-registered Republicans …. registered 18,063 more voters than Republicans, beating them by 16-percent …. they had a nearly 30-percent registration advantage with Hispanics. Overall, Democrats are beating Republicans in Hispanic registration by roughly 10-points.

In September, Democrats had a 21-percent registration advantage with women. Overall, Democrats are beating Republicans in women registration by roughly 10-points….

Florida’s September voter registration data shows Democrats’ most impressive month yet: we’ve out-registered the GOP in Florida by over 16-percent in September, with over 43,000 new Democrats on the rolls.

Florida Democrats have built the strongest, largest ground game this state has ever seen – we are entering the final month in a strong position to win Democratic victories up and down the ticket.

Thank you for your handwork and support. We’ve got 29 days to bring it home and we can’t let up now.

More here

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Gotta Register

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Here’s a poll that probably won’t get much attention 😉

Washington Post

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Deaniac83 (The People’s View): Last week, we talked a little bit about the Right’s attempt to play the refs by complaining that pollsters were polling too many Democrats – where in fact, the numbers were justified by both the Democrats’ registration advantage and last presidential election’s voting patterns. So what did our national media and pollsters do? They quickly groveled at the feet of the loud screeching noise-makers, of course.

Today, for example, there is a Pew poll out showing Mitt Romney has taken a lead in national polling of likely voters, 49-45, a full 11-point swing since the same poll from two weeks ago. Did the debate make all the difference? Don’t be silly. Here’s what really happened: Pew polled fewer voters altogether, and, they acquiesced to the wingnut browbeating and entirely took away the Democratic registration advantage documented in actual voting in 2008, registration data, and well, their own previous polling. Here, in a nutshell, is what really happened….

See here

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Newseum

President Obama embraces United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez as he arrives to speak at the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, Oct. 8, 2012 (AP/Carolyn Kaster)

Thousands packed the grounds at La Paz to hear President Obama announce the establishment of the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument

(Felix Adamo/The Californian)

Newseum

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Dana Milbank: …. Scrubbing one’s brain clean of previous positions has been Mitt Romney’s stock in trade. In fact, his foreign-policy speech Monday to the Virginia Military Institute was one long gargle-and-rinse of the candidate’s previous positions.

Last year, Romney called the Obama administration’s intervention in Libya “mission creep and mission muddle.” On Monday, he accused Obama of declining to use “America’s greatest power to shape history”…. Last year, Romney said American troops “shouldn’t go off and try to fight a war of independence for another nation …. On Monday, he spoke of that same conflict as a matter of the utmost national importance…. Last year, Romney reversed his earlier support for the Iraq war …. On Monday, he was back to his original view….

Just a few months ago, Romney said “there’s just no way” to achieve peace between the Israelis and Palestinians because Palestinians are “not wanting to see peace.” …. On Monday, he said he would “recommit America to the goal of a democratic, prosperous Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security” with Israel.

Rub-a-dub-dub! Four positions got scrubbed.

Full article here

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NYT Editorial: Mitt Romney mounted a big foreign policy display on a flag-draped stage at the Virginia Military Institute on Monday, serving up a lot of tough-sounding sound bites and hawkish bumper stickers, some of them even bumping up somewhere close to the truth, to give the appearance that he would be stronger and more forceful on international affairs than President Obama.

He seems to consider himself, ludicrously, a leader similar to the likes of Harry Truman and George Marshall, and, at one point, he obliquely questioned Mr. Obama’s patriotism. The hope seems to be that big propaganda, said loudly and often, will drown out Mr. Obama’s respectable record in world affairs, make Americans believe Mr. Romney would be the better leader and cover up the fact that there is mostly just hot air behind his pronouncements.

…. Americans deserve an intensive, textured and honest discussion on foreign policy. They did not get it on Monday. Mr. Obama should respond, forcefully, to Mr. Romney on these issues, even before their next debate on Oct. 16, which will include issues of foreign affairs.

Full editorial here

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Keep on tweeting this:

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The Fact Checker (Washington Post): We will leave analysis of the GOP presidential nominee’s major foreign-policy address to the pundits, though we were pleased to see that he did not repeat his frequent claim that Obama “apologized” for America — a phrase we and other fact-checkers have long debunked.

Still, we were interested in his assertion about the size of the Navy. Is the Navy really in the worst shape it has been in 96 years?

…. The Pinocchio Test: This is a nonsense fact. In his counting of ships, Romney equates gunboats with aircraft carriers and torpedo boats with nuclear-powered submarines. For such an important speech, one would think the candidate would resolve to use the most relevant facts possible.

Full post here

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President Obama at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, Oct 8 (Max Morse/Getty)

The speech will be available at C-Span some time today

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@MrDane1982

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(Christopher Dilts for Obama for America)

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Happy birthday Bo!!

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Morning everyone 😉

Rise and Shine

‏@NoShock

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Today:

EDT

11:0: The President departs the White House

PDT

1:20: Arrives Los Angeles

2:0: Attends a campaign event at a private residence (closed press)

6:05: Delivers remarks at the Nokia Theater, Los Angeles (pooled for television)

9:15: Delivers remarks at the Ritz-Carlton, LA (print pool coverage)

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A woman in the audience holds a handwritten sign reading “Still Voting for Obama, See No Reason to Change” at a campaign rally with Mitt Romney in Apopka, Florida, October 6 (Reuters)

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@JeffersonObama / @Jeremy10036

Yes, you read right: They have Mitt Romney winning the African American vote in Colorado 58-40. 😆

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Tumblr: “Steven wanted to let the world know he supports President Obama — so he painted a 20-foot logo on his roof that you can see from the planes taking off from the San Francisco airport.”

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OFA

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This and That

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San Francisco International Airport

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All times Eastern:

6:15 Departs San Francisco

7:20: Arrives Los Angeles

10:15: Delivers remarks at a campaign event at Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills (CNN live streaming)

11:55: Delivers remarks at a campaign event at a private Residence, Beverly Hills (Print Pool only)

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People gather in a lobby of a building to catch a glimpse of President Obama where was attending a campaign event in San Francisco

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evening all

President Obama embraces June McKiernan as he greets the crowd after a tour of the Boeing 787 factory in Everett, Wash.

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President Obama leaves after speaking during a Democratic campaign fundraiser in Bellevue, Washington, February 17

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San Francisco last night:

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Women react in the Red Room after meeting First Lady Michelle Obama in the Blue Room during their White House tour, Feb. 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

More here – thanks LOL

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President Obama leaves Paine Field Airport in Everett, Wash. en route to Washington DC

rise and shine

President Obama speaks at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco, Feb. 16

*** See video of the speech here (thanks UT) ***

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Friday (all times ET)

12:00: PBO departs San Francisco en route to Everett, Washington

1:50: Arrives Everett

2:05: Tours the Boeing Everett Production Facility

2:25: Delivers remarks

5:00: Delivers remarks at a campaign event

6:45: Delivers remarks at a campaign event at the Westin Bellevue Hotel

8:00: Departs Everett en route to Washington, DC

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President Obama did not reprise his rendition of Al Green’s “Let’s stay together” in a duet with the famous crooner Thursday, saying once was enough.

“I took a chance at the Apollo and I’m not going to take a chance again,” he told supporters at a San Francisco fundraiser where Green performed the song solo, according to a pool report.

“Now, what is possible is after reelection, I might go on tour with the good Reverend. Be his opening act,” Obama said. “But I don’t want to lose any further votes because of my singing voice.”

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AP: President Barack Obama raised more than $29 million for his campaign and for the Democratic Party in January, a strong fundraising month that put him ahead of the pace he set in the last quarter of 2011.

….. The month’s haul raises Obama’s total combined fundraising for this election cycle to about $250 million. In the last three months of 2011, he averaged about $23 million a month.

…. Presidential candidates must submit January fundraising reports to the Federal Election Commission on Friday. The Obama campaign’s full report is expected later in the day.

More here

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Morning everyone 😉

evening all

President Barack Obama poses for a picture during a stop at Great Eastern restaurant in the Chinatown section of San Francisco, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Have we seen this WH Photo of the Day before? 😕

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aspe.hhs.gov

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Steve Benen: Here was the witness table at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, as discussion about contraception access and health care got underway:

More here

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TPM

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First Lady Michelle Obama greets members of the general public as they enter the Blue Room during their tour of the White House, Feb. 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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Friday (all times ET)

12:00: PBO departs San Francisco en route to Everett, Washington

1:50: Arrives Everett

2:05: Tours the Boeing Everett Production Facility

2:25: Delivers remarks

5:00: Delivers remarks at a campaign event

6:45: Delivers remarks at a campaign event at the Westin Bellevue Hotel

8:00: Departs Everett en route to Washington, DC

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How excellent is this?

😎

OFA

Thanks Jessica!

rise and shine

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1:05: PBO delivers remarks at a campaign event in Corona Del Mar, Calif.

2:45: Departs Los Angeles, California en route San Francisco

3:30: Arrives San Francisco

5:00: Attends a campaign event

10:10: Delivers remarks at a campaign event

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AP: The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell to the lowest point in almost four years last week, the latest signal that the job market is steadily improving.

The Labor Department says weekly applications for unemployment benefits dropped 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 348,000. It was the fourth drop in five weeks and the fewest number of claims since March 2008.

More here

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USA Today: General Motors earned its highest profit ever last year. The 103-year-old company made $7.6 billion in 2011, up 62% from 2010. Full-year revenue rose 11% to $105 billion.

More here

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ABC (Devin Dwyer): Fact Check – Obama and the Resurgence of American Manufacturing

President Obama is this week heralding the resurgence of American manufacturing as a leap toward an “economy built to last,” and a sign that he deserves a second term. …. Obama’s claim is corroborated by government statistics, which show an undeniable rebound for manufacturers during his term, both in terms of productivity and employment of American workers.

When Obama took office in January 2009, unemployment in the manufacturing sector stood at 10.9 percent and spiked to 13 percent a year later, according to the Labor Department. But in the two years since, unemployment has fallen precipitously, now holding at 8.4 percent in January 2012.

In terms of raw manufacturing jobs, the trajectory is similarly positive …. U.S. manufacturers have also increased production by 15 percent since the recession officially ended in late 2009….

More here

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PPP

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New York Times (Editorial): There’s nothing like a deadline – and the prospect of acute political embarrassment – to concentrate the mind. With Congress about to go on recess, and with Republicans fearing a voter backlash, negotiators on Wednesday were putting the finishing touches on a deal to extend the payroll tax cut and federal jobless benefits through 2012.

The agreement is imperfect but sound. It will help struggling Americans and the struggling economy. It is also a political win for Democrats and President Obama, who had made extending the payroll tax cut and the jobless benefits a centerpiece of his jobs agenda. We hope that it gives them the courage to stick to that agenda if they face another round of Republican obstructionism…..

More here

See Steve Benen here

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LA Times: ….. President Obama was expected to raise a total of more than $3 million during two events at the expansive Holmby Hills estate of “The Bold and the Beautiful” producer Bradley Bell and his wife, Colleen. The outdoor event, with tickets priced at $250 and $500, featured a performance by the Foo Fighters and appearances by comedian Jack Black and actress Rashida Jones.

Obama spoke later to a more intimate gathering inside the Bells’ Spanish-style home, which about 80 supporters each paid $35,800 to attend. Among those present were George Clooney, Jim Belushi and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who on Wednesday was named chairman of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

More here

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Washington Post: …. If Obama is suffering any lingering Hollywood blowback after his administration failed to get behind a pair of high-profile Internet piracy bills championed by the entertainment industry, it wasn’t apparent …. The two Tinseltown events were expected to reap more than $3 million….

“Anything we can do to help,” said Andy Spahn, a political consultant to DreamWorks chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, one of Obama’s top campaign bundlers and staunchest Hollywood supporters. “The events are sold out,” Spahn said of Wednesday’s concert and dinner at the home of Bradley and Colleen Bell, producers of “The Bold and the Beautiful.” “I expect the president to continue to enjoy strong support.”

More here

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TPM

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2006:

Oh boy.

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SF Gate: …. this week, The Chronicle has learned that the Obama campaign has, for the first time, opened a new type of campaign office in San Francisco: A Technology Field Office. It is believed to be the first such type of campaign office for a presidential campaign.

“We learned from 2008 that using the talents and skills of our supporters was a key to building the most effective organization,” said Obama campaign deputy press secretary Katie Hogan. “We’re taking the next step by providing tools and space for supporters in the technology community to help the campaign extend our current tools like BarackObama.com and our mobile applications.”

…. instead of cold-calling independents, a techie who wants to help Team O can come in and help develop something new for the website, etc…..

If you want to get involved, contact techvolunteers@barackobama.com.

More here

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The Guardian: …. Obama has critics and doubters. Maya Angelou, the sage of black America, now 83, has no time for them. “I think he has done a remarkable job, knowing how much he has been opposed,” she says. “Every suggestion he makes, the Republicans en masse fight against him or don’t vote at all.”

…. “I was hoping for the best. And I think I have gotten the best from him.” What of his detractors? “Those are people who didn’t see the morass into which he stepped.”

….. “His physical self, just being there, his photograph in the newspapers as president of the United States; that has done so much good for the spirit of the African American. We see more and more children wanting to be like President Obama, wanting to go to school.”

…. More recently, her presidential link has been via the first lady, Michelle Obama. “She’s the grand dame,” says Angelou. “I wrote her a note a few months ago because I was in a gathering. The president and his party were there, but I had to leave early. I know that’s a gaffe because no one leaves the building before the president so I wrote and apologised. I got a letter from her in her own handwriting. She said: ‘I have only one regret – that I didn’t come over and hug your neck.'”

More here

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Morning everyone 😉 I’ll catch up with more news later, see you then.

chat away

President Barack Obama and Jay Leno joke backstage before taping the Tonight Show (Pete Souza)

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San Francisco tonight – no sound until 8 seconds in 😳

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The First Lady in Detroit – photos from Anne Savage Photography via Eclectablog

Thanks Hopefruit 😉

Loved this one from Anne Savage:

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First Lady Michelle Obama with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel at a South Side Walgreens today in Chicago

Chicago Tribune – Read the text of the First Lady’s remarks here – thanks Jovie

First lady Michelle Obama holds up a worm from a compost pile as she visits Iron Street Urban Farm

First Lady Michelle Obama and Mayor Rahm Emanuel greet Newt Gingrich in Chicago

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Denver Post: A new statewide poll released today to coincide with President Obama’s trip to Colorado shows the first-term Democrat is more popular than any of his major GOP presidential challengers, particularly among unaffiliated voters and Hispanics, two crucial groups.

…. “At this point in the presidential race, President Obama is running against himself,” Project New West president Jill Hanauer said today. “At the same time, the Republican field is not reaching a majority of Coloradans due to their extreme views in very centrist state where voters vote for the person not the party and the policy vision, not a political ideology.”

…. PNW’s poll showed that 49% of likely Colorado voters view the President in a positive light, compared with 45% who have a negative opinion of him. Comparatively, Mitt Romney has a 40/38 favorable/unfavorable rating, and Rick Perry is underwater with a 29/38 rating.

Importantly, the President is even more popular with unaffiliated voters, who constitute a crucial 29% of the Colorado electorate. 54 percent of unaffiliated voters have positive feelings about the president, compared with 37% who view him negatively. Romney (38/37) and Perry (24/33) have similar ratings among Unaffiliateds as they do with the broader electorate.

The President also remains popular with Hispanic voters, who made up roughly 12% of the Colorado electorate in 2010. Obama has a 59/36 approval/disapproval rating among Colorado Hispanics, compared to 31/35 for Romney and 28/39 for Perry.

Full post here

Thanks Marlz

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Go to Political Correction to see an enlarged version of the graphic – ‘A Timeline Of GOP Economic Sabotage’. Thank you BWD.

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OMG! Ex-pat GG briefly left Brazil to visit America for an appearance on Maddow to promote his shiny new book! Awesome! It was a complete love-in – Rachel even wrote the huggy blurb on the back of the book! And she nodded knowingly when he went on about the elites who rule America (but she ran out of time before she could ask him about the Koch brothers and GG’s work for their CATO Institute).

Buy the book now!

san francisco

President Obama leaves Los Angeles International Airport en route to San Francisco

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee reaches out to greet President Barack Obama on his arrival at San Francisco International Airport

At a campaign event in San Francisco

Demonstrator Tommy Schneider, a Democrat from Bentwood, Calif., protests with a sign outside the hotel where President Obama was appearing in downtown San Francisco.

So, who’s Tommy going to vote for? Romney/Perry? 🙄