Signed, Sealed and ….. if you VOTE ….. Delivered!

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Next:

10:25 MDT (12:25 am ET): President Obama delivers remarks at Community College of Aurora, Lowry, Colorado

say hello to mark & denise

Can you pass on a great, big heartfelt “Thank you” to Pres Obama from me and my wife please? You see, it’s our daughters’ book he’s signing in that picture! She actually spoke up and asked if he could sign it, and he was nice enough to oblige :0)

We bought the book a year or two ago to inspire two young daughters of our own, and we quickly took it to her class when told he’d be visiting the school. Yes, we entertained the idea of him signing it, and thought “wouldn’t it be nice!”, but knew it was a long-shot. We especially never thought our little one would take the initiative like she did and ask him in front of everyone haha! So, anyway, we were thrilled and over the moon when everyone told us the news and especially how it came about with a little voice asking at the right time, in a big way.

Everyone was so thrilled as they talked about how gracious President Obama was, and we are still on cloud 9 ourselves after seeing pictures of him interacting with our daughter and her classmates/teachers! It’s an experience our family will never forget, and we plan to have those pictures in that signed book for a long time to come!

Thank you for such a wonderful experience President Obama! We know our daughter will cherish the memory of it the rest of her life.

~ Mark and Denise Rodriguez

President Obama tours the Children’s Laboratory School at Eastfield College, Mesquite, Texas, October 4

well, okay…..

A man shows his shirt that was signed by Vice President Joe Biden following a statement by President Obama in the Rose Garden at the White House, September 12

‘ronaldus magnus’

LA Times: When the Republican presidential hopefuls gather to debate Wednesday night in Simi Valley, one thing seems certain: Lavish tribute will be paid to Ronald Reagan …. but the Reagan reverie will doubtless overlook much of the Reagan reality.

As president, the conservative icon approved several tax increases to deal with a soaring budget deficit, repeatedly boosted the nation’s debt limit, signed into law a bill granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants and, despite his anti-Washington rhetoric, oversaw an increase in the size and spending of the federal government. Before that, as California governor, he enacted what at the time was the largest state tax increase in American history. He also signed into law one of the nation’s most permissive abortion bills; any Republican who tried that today would be cast out of the party.

….. one of the greatest heresies of all: At bottom, Reagan was a pragmatist, willing, when necessary, to cut a deal and compromise …. Stuart Spencer, a GOP strategist who stood by Reagan’s side for virtually his entire political career, dismissed the current vogue of Reagan revisionism: “A lot of those people running out there don’t really understand what he did…..”

… It is hard to imagine a governor with Reagan’s record on taxes and abortion faring very well in today’s GOP nominating fight…..

Full article here

Steve Benen: …. it’s tough to beat the fact that today’s Republicans would have perceived Reagan, their hero, as a sell-out RINO …. On the one hand, Republicans have a religious-like reverence for “Ronaldus Magnus”; on the other, they have no use for his approach to governance … What should Republicans take away from the fact that, by 2011 standards, their party would dismiss their demigod as a tax-raising, amnesty-loving, pro-bailout, cut-and-run, big-government Democrat?

Full post here

handwriting

President Barack Obama signs a hand as he greets people along a rope line at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in St. Paul, Minn., Aug. 30, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

d’oh!

Foknewschannel: Twitter tells us little about @KatieS … she attended The White House Correspondents’ Dinner with a plan … Tomorrow’s goal: bring a copy of @barackobama‘s birth certificate and have the Donald autograph it.

Ms. Stanton added that Trump didn’t hear a word she said as she asked him to sign the President’s Birth Certificate. But, as ever, thinking with his hair, he did it:

More here

Thanks Edwina and Mrs JVD 😉

‘oopsie: fox unwittingly eviscerates reagan over obama easter egg’

Politicususa: On Fox and Friends, guest Laura Ingraham kicked off FNC’s Easter attack on Barack and Michelle Obama by suggesting that Obama is full of ego for handing out autographed commemorative Easter eggs as part of the White House Easter Egg Roll. Ingraham claimed that Laura Bush never did this….Only the Obamas would be so arrogant as to give away autographed Easter Eggs to the kids:

In fact, the tradition of handing out autographed Easter Eggs at the White House event began with…….Ronald Reagan (“Autographed eggs were hidden in the Egg hunt for kids to find during President Ronald Reagan’s reign. By affixing signatures to the commemorative egg, President George W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush became the first to do so”):

Corbis Images: Children play on the lawn of the White House during an Easter Egg Rolling Contest being sponsored by President Ronald Reagan. (April 4, 1983)

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Desperate wingnuts sure love embarrassing themselves, eh? 😆

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Fred reminded me of similar previous outrages:

‘Obama has no class – he puts his feet on the Oval Office desk! Can you EVER remember a Republican President doing that?!’

‘Obama has no class – he throws a ball around the Oval Office! Can you EVER remember a Republican President doing that?!’

‘Obama has no class – sometimes he doesn’t wear a jacket in the Oval Office! Can you EVER remember a Republican President doing that?!’

‘Obama has no class – he wore flip-flops in Hawaii! Next thing he’ll be wearing Crocs in the White House!”

‘You know, Obama is so classless it wouldn’t surprise me if he eats his meals off the sacred Oval desk!”

😉

what’s going on?

First Lady Michelle Obama speaks during a student workshop event, ‘The Sound of Young America: The History of Motown,’ that brings students from across the country to participate in an event with Motown legends in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, February 24. Seated alongside Obama are (L-R): Singer John Legend, singer Smokey Robinson, record producer Berry Gordy and Robert Santelli, the GRAMMY Museums Executive Director.

‘The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House’ is live on the White House site (here) tonight, 7:00 PM EST

Barry Manilow. Oh, wait, sorry – Nick Jonas.

Any excuse to post this …. all together:

And for sherijr….hey, I feel like a DJ!

And, of course:

in memory

President Barack Obama signs the John M. Roll United States Courthouse Bill in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on February 17. The bill will name a new federal courthouse in Yuma, Arizona, after slain federal Judge John M. Roll who died in last month’s shooting in Tucson. The President was joined by members of Roll’s family, members of the Arizona Congressional delegation, and members of his cabinet.

how’s that hopie changie thing working? rather wonderfully, thanks

David Leonhardt, New York Times: “… Congress and the White House have completed 16 months of activity that rival any other since the New Deal in scope or ambition… If there is a theme to all this, it has been to try to lift economic growth while also reducing income inequality.”

Norman Ornstein (Congressional Scholar at American Enterprise Institute): “This is one of the most productive Congresses in history.”

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

AMERICAN RECOVERY & REINVESTMENT ACT, enacted in the first month of President Obama’s term, to jumpstart our economy, create and save 3.5 million jobs, give a tax cut to small business and 95% of American workers, begin to rebuild America’s road, rail, and water infrastructure, and make a historic commitment to education, clean energy, and science and technology, with unprecedented accountability.  (Signed into Law)

SMALL BUSINESS JOBS ACT, landmark legislation providing $12 billion in tax relief for small businesses by enacting 8 more small business tax cuts on top of the 8 already enacted by this Congress; creating up to 500,000 jobs, by leveraging up to $300 billion in private sector lending for small businesses through a $30 billion lending fund for community banks; fully paid for – doesn’t add a dime to the deficit.  (Signed into Law)

TEACHER JOBS/STATE AID/CLOSING TAX LOOPHOLES, creating and saving nearly 320,000 jobs; providing $10 billion to save 161,000 teacher jobs and $16 billion in Medicaid aid, with the effect of creating/saving 158,000 jobs, including police officers, firefighters, nurses & private sector workers; fully paid for by closing loopholes that encourage companies to ship American jobs overseas; cutting deficit by $1.4 billion.  (Signed into Law)

STUDENT AID & FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT, making the largest investment in college aid in history – increasing Pell Grants, making college loans more affordable, and strengthening community colleges – while reducing the federal deficit by ending wasteful student loan subsidies to banks. (Signed into Law)

HIRE ACT, creating up to 300,000 jobs, by providing a payroll tax holiday for businesses that hire unemployed workers and a tax credit for businesses that retain these workers; also unleashes tens of billions of dollars to rebuild infrastructure; fully paid for by cracking down on offshore accounts for wealthy.  (Signed into Law)

CASH FOR CLUNKERS, jump-starting the U.S. auto industry, providing consumers with up to $4,500 to trade in an old vehicle for one with higher fuel efficiency—spurring the sale of 700,000 vehicles.  (Signed into Law)

WORKER, HOMEOWNERSHIP & BUSINESS ASSISTANCE ACT, boosting the economy and creating jobs with more unemployment benefits for Americans hit by the recession, an expanded 1st-time homebuyer tax credit, and enhanced small business tax relief—expanded to all struggling U.S. businesses.  (Signed into Law)

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS EXTENSION, extending unemployment benefits to millions of American families through November 30, 2010; every dollar of unemployment benefits creates at least $1.61 in economic activity.  (Signed into Law)

AMERICAN JOBS AND CLOSING TAX LOOPHOLES ACT, to promote American jobs by restoring credit to small businesses, extending tax incentives for American R&D and tax relief for middle class American families, rebuilding American infrastructure, and expanding jobs for young people; and to close tax loopholes to make Wall Street billionaires pay their fair share of taxes.  (Passed by House)

HOME STAR JOBS, to create 168,000 American jobs making energy efficiency products, by providing incentives for consumers to make their homes energy-efficient — cutting energy bills for 3 million families and reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and dirty fuels.  (Passed by House)

JOBS FOR MAIN STREET ACT, to boost small business and to rebuild highways and transit; paid for by redirecting TARP funds from Wall Street to Main Street.  (Passed by House)

SMALL BUSINESS & INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS ACT, to extend Build America Bonds to help finance the rebuilding of schools, hospitals, roads and bridges; and target tax incentives to spur investment in small businesses and help entrepreneurs looking to start a new business. (Passed by House)

EDWARD M. KENNEDY SERVE AMERICA ACT, tripling volunteerism opportunities to 250,000 for national service for students to retirees; increased college financial awards. (Signed into Law)

WALL STREET REFORM, historic reforms to end taxpayer-funded bailouts and the idea of ‘too big to fail’, and protect and empower consumers to make the best decisions on mortgages, credit cards, and their own financial future.  Lack of accountability for Wall Street and big banks cost 8 million jobs.  (Signed into Law)

CREDIT CARDHOLDERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS, providing tough new protections already saving consumers money—like banning unfair rate hikes, abusive fees, and penalties—and strengthening enforcement. (Signed into Law)

FRAUD ENFORCEMENT & RECOVERY ACT, providing tools to prosecute mortgage scams and corporate fraud that contributed to financial crisis; creating an outside commission to examine its causes.  (Signed into Law)

LILLY LEDBETTER FAIR PAY ACT, restoring the rights of women and other workers to challenge unfair pay—to help close the wage gap where women earn 78 cents for every $1 a man earns in America.  (Signed into Law)

HELPING FAMILIES SAVE THEIR HOMES ACT, building on the President’s initiative to stem the foreclosure crisis, with significant incentives to lenders, servicers, and homeowners to modify loans. (Signed into Law)

HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM, landmark legislation putting American families and small business owners—not the insurance companies—in control of their own health care; lowering costs for middle class and small business; holding insurance companies accountable to prevent denials of care and coverage, including for pre-existing conditions; strengthening Medicare and lowering prescription drug costs; creating up to 4 million jobs; and reducing deficit by largest amount in almost two decades. (Signed into law)

HEALTH CARE FOR 11 MILLION CHILDREN, to finally provide cost-effective health coverage for 4 million more children and preserve coverage for 7 million children already enrolled.  (Signed into Law)

ENSURING SENIORS’ ACCESS TO THEIR DOCTORS, by blocking scheduled 21% cut in Medicare physician payments through November 30, 2010 and also updating payments by 2.2%.  (Signed into Law)

FOOD SAFETY, to fundamentally change the way we protect our food supply; close gaps exposed by recent food-borne illness outbreaks; give the FDA new authorities.  (Passed by House)

RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS TREATMENT EXTENSION ACT, guaranteeing access to lifesaving medical services, primary care, and medications for low-income patients with AIDS and HIV. (Signed into Law)

AMERICAN CLEAN ENERGY AND SECURITY ACT, historic legislation to create 1.7 million jobs (with the Recovery Act); help free us from funding terrorism with our dependence on foreign oil; reduce the carbon pollution causing climate change; keep costs low for Americans; will not increase the deficit. (Passed by House)

OMNIBUS PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT ACT, the most significant conservation bill in 15 years, strengthening tourism and rural economies with more than 2 million new acres of wilderness and parks.  (Signed into Law)

DISCLOSE ACT, to fight a corporate takeover of our elections, requires them to disclose they are behind political ads; bans foreign-controlled corporations from putting money in U.S. elections.  (Passed by House)

FY 2010 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION, authorizing 3.4% troop pay raise, strengthening military readiness and military families support, focusing our strategy in Afghanistan and redeployment from Iraq.  (Signed into Law)

REPEAL OF DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL, to provide for the repeal of this outdated policy, contingent on the certification that military review completed and that repeal would not impact readiness.  (Passed by House)

VETERANS HEALTH CARE BUDGET REFORM & TRANSPARENCY ACT, a top priority of veterans’ groups, authorizing Congress to approve VA medical care appropriations one year in advance to ensure reliable and timely funding and prevent politics from ever delaying VA health care funding.  (Signed into Law)

FY 2010 MILITARY CONSTRUCTION-VA APPROPRIATIONS, strengthening quality health care for 5 million veterans by investing 11% more for medical care, benefits claims processors, and facility improvements.  (Signed into Law)

CAREGIVERS AND VETERANS OMNIBUS HEALTH SERVICES, landmark legislation providing help to caregivers of disabled, ill or injured veterans, and improving VA health services for women veterans.  (Signed into Law)

HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT, giving law enforcement resources to prevent and prosecute hate crimes against Americans based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  (Signed into Law)

See the full list here