Rise and Shine

President Obama hugs Irene Hirano Inouye, widow of the late U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, after she receives the flag that draped his casket at his memorial service, Hawaii, Dec 23

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MoooOOoooOOooorning everyone. I hope you’re very impressed: I almost have the February photos video made, which gives me a whole week to get the other 10 done. 😕

Equally impressive, you’ll agree, is that I have all of this afternoon to get all of my Christmas shopping done. I vowed to be more organised this year than last, I think you’ll agree I’ve succeeded. 😎

So, chat away and I’ll be back later with a very, um, seasonal February video and my presents bought.

christie’s after someone’s job. (pete souza’s)

Thanks Terrick 😉

comfort zone

President Barack Obama comforts residents in a neighborhood hit with flooding from Hurricane Irene in Wayne, N.J., Sept. 4 (Top photo by Pete Souza)

paterson, new jersey

People cheer as President Obama’s motorcade travels through Presidential Boulevard in Paterson, N.J.

“I know that there’s been some talk about whether there’s going to be a slowdown in getting funding out here, emergency relief. As President of the United States, I want to make it very clear that we are going to meet our federal obligations – because we’re one country, and when one part of the country gets affected, whether it’s a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, or a hurricane that affects the Eastern Seaboard, then we come together as one country and we make sure that everybody gets the help that they need. And the last thing that the residents here of Paterson or the residents of Vermont or the residents of upstate New York need is Washington politics getting in the way of us making sure that we are doing what we can to help communities that have been badly affected.”

President Obama speaks to reporters with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

President Obama with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as he prepares to depart Paterson, New Jersey

President Obama jogs down the ramp of Air force One as he arrives at Andrews Air Force Base after a trip to New Jersey

wayne, new jersey

President Obama tours damage caused by the rain-swollen Passaic River in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in Wayne, New Jersey, September 4

‘missing the pulse of the country’

sunday

Paterson, New Jersey, August 31

President Obama will visit New Jersey on Sunday to tour damage left by Hurricane Irene, the White House has announced.

so, hurricane irene was no big deal?

Billy Stinson is comforted by Lisa Morrissette while he sits next to a pile of debris that was once his cottage in Nags Head, North Carolina.

The President’s opponents – on the right and left – should tell that to the loved ones of these people who died as a result of Hurricane Irene:

Connecticut: Shane Seaver (46), Charlotte Levine (89).

Delaware: Christopher Valentine (25), Jean Baptista (25).

Florida: Frederick Fernandez (55), James Palmer (55).

Maryland: Anne Bell (85).

Massachusetts: An as yet unnamed public works employee in Southbridge was electrocuted by a downed power line.

New Jersey: Michael Kenwood, Celena Sylvestri (20), Ronald Dawkins (47), Scott Palecek (39), Jorge Hernandez (25). There were two more fatalities but the victims have not yet been named.

New York: Rozalia Gluck (82), Sharon Stein (68), Joseph Rocco (68), Jose Sierra (68), Mikita Fox (23), Danine Swamp. There were two more fatalities but the victims have not yet been named.

North Carolina: Ricky Webb (63), Katherine Morales Cruz (15), Tim Avery (50), Jose Manuel Farabia Corona (21), Sabrina Anne Jones (26), Melton Robinson Jr.

Pennsylvania: Michael Scerarko (44), Patricia O’Neill (64). There were three more fatalities but the victims have not yet been named.

Vermont: Michael Garofano Sr, Michael Garofano Jr (25, missing). There were two more fatalities but the victims have not yet been named.

Virginia: Zahir Robinson (11), James Blackwell (67), William P. Washington (57). There was one more fatality but the victim has not yet been named.

And more are missing or in critical condition in hospital.

And this isn’t counting the damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure.

Yep, no big deal.

Details here at MSNBC

oh yeah, funny

“It isn’t every day that we have an earthquake in the United States.”

As of August 30, there have been 2,901 earthquakes in the United States in 2011 (USGS).

So, yes, there is an earthquake every day in the United States.

🙄

oh boy…..

Steve Benen: Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann campaigned in Florida yesterday, attending services at a Baptist megachurch near Tampa. Afterwards, the right-wing lawmaker offered a rather unique perspective on the weekend’s weather developments:

“I don’t know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We’ve had an earthquake; we’ve had a hurricane. He said, ‘Are you going to start listening to me here?’ Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we’ve got to rein in the spending.”

…. under sensible political norms, this should probably be a career-killer for a national political figure …. anyone who thinks the federal budget prompted God to send a hurricane that killed 20 Americans has issues that far exceed flakiness …. Bachmann’s reported remarks should effectively ruin her political ambitions.

Full post here