President Barack Obama and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg tour Memorial Hall at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum prior to the 9/11 Museum dedication in New York, N.Y., May 15, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)
On This Day: Sen. Barack Obama plays a game of pool during a stop at Schultzie’s Bar & Hot Spot, May 12, 2008 in Springhill, West Virginia. (Photo by Scout Tufankjian)
On This Day: Sen. Barack Obama stops to speak with school kids from Holy Cross as he departs after a vote on amendments to S.2284, the “Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007,” on Capitol Hill, May 13, 2008
2013 on TOD – note (‘Even’) Amk has 18,656 TOD friends in India
****
Updated, didn’t want flippin’ Ireland last on the mini-list:
****
It’s been a gobsmacking journey so far, we’re now closing in on a ridiculous 22 million hits – all of them down to me, needless to say, the mindboggling increase in traffic absolutely nothing to do with UT, LL, LP, Zizi and the rest of the gang.
(True, the post stats suggest otherwise, but: hush now).
****
Any way, with this very lovely traffic has come a whole bunch of new visitors, several in the last few days, which is fantastic – but please understand that in an attempt to keep out the trolls – and they are many – your comments won’t appear here automatically if you’re a first time visitor.
I don’t know who anyone is yet – we need them to identify themselves!
A message from DonnaDem:
Today it was an honor and a privilege to meet fellow TODers who are not just great supporters of President Obama but are great people as well…
I met someone who was first inspired to volunteer for PBO because of something she read on TOD. She went outside of her comfort zone and turned into a phone banking beast.
I learned that one of our fellow bloggers was a local civil rights pioneer and today we stand on her shoulders.
Then we have the fellow TOD’er (she was a hoot today) who was in da house to witness live when PBO crooned ~~ I’m So in Love with You ~~ at the fundraiser in NY.
Colorado, Ohio and Virginia, three battleground states, were won due in part to the strong work of three TOD’ers who worked their hearts out for a victory on election night. High Fives all around for those remarkable OFA Team Leaders who became their very own community organizers!
Talk about dedication, we had PBO supporters who traveled all the way from Canada to witness the second Inauguration of President Obama.
Thanks to one of our TODers who invited Cousin Henry Healy of Ireland who tried to make it to the meet-up today but was not able to get away from an Irish Embassy event. He actually sent his apologies.
We ate, we laughed, we hugged but most of all we shared our love and admiration for the greatest President evah and in the end three fantastic bloggers walked away with two tickets each to witness the Inauguration tomorrow!
It was a great time had by all!
Thank you soooooooooo much Donna, love you all!!!!! Have the best day EVER tomorrow!
Blog stats – crikey: hello Trinidad, Netherlands, Egypt, Spain, Switzerland (say hi to Mitt’s bank accounts) and Nigeria, and all those minor countries at the top of the list.
11:05: Departs New York en route to Joint Base Andrews
****
Several gazillion thank yous to those who were able to contribute to TOD’s fundraiser at OFA (the ‘donate’ link is at the top of the sidebar on the right – I hope you appreciate my, em, subtle reminder).
Just to say, though, I’m neither Barb from Florida nor James from Alabama.
That’s who OFA, usually, tell me I am when I click that link.
A big hello to Barb and James, sorry about this. 😕
If you’d like to celebrate the shiny new OFA site you could – maybe? – donate $5 to TOD’s 2012 fundraising page at OFA.
Thank you! 😉
****
President Barack Obama greets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India at the start of their bilateral meeting at the ASEAN Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Nov. 18, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
****
The BIG news!
“On Wednesday, November 23, 2011, President Obama will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in a ceremony in the Rose Garden. The President will celebrate the 64th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation, reflect upon the time-honored traditions of Thanksgiving, and wish American families a warm, safe, and healthy holiday. The 2011 National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate were raised on AgForte farm in Willmar, Minnesota.
“After the pardoning, the turkeys will be driven to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens. The National Thanksgiving Turkey will be on display for visitors during ‘Christmas at Mount Vernon,’ a special program through January 6. After the holidays, the National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate will live in a custom-made enclosure at Mount Vernon’s nationally recognized livestock facility.”
2009:
****
From Bali:
****
Steve Benen: One of the top priorities of the House Republican leadership for this Congress was passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As of this afternoon, we can add another item to the list of GOP failures …. it needed 290 votes in the lower chamber, and came up with 261.
….only four House Republicans voted against it. The majority needed roughly 50 Democrats to break ranks, but ended up with about half the necessary total. [Here’s the roll call.]
The nation dodged a bullet today. This amendment would have devastated the economy and made responses to future crises effectively impossible….
Washington Post: Despite it all, the U.S. economy has entered a strong patch.
…. following a year of one economic disappointment after another, a variety of economic indicators are pointing in a more positive direction. The question is whether the U.S. economy has built enough momentum to withstand new shocks from overseas.
On Thursday, the Commerce Department said the number of permits to build new housing units rose 10.9 percent in October, compared with the 2.4 percent gain analysts had expected, suggesting that home-building may be finally picking up. And the Labor Department said the number of people filing new claims for unemployment-insurance benefits fell last week to its lowest level since April, continuing a two-month downward trend.
I know I don’t usually send you emails, but Joe has a birthday coming up this Sunday, and I’m trying something new.
The First Family and I are putting together a special card for him, and we’d like as many supporters of this campaign as possible to add their names and messages for Joe.
Because the year ahead is going to be a big one – not just for Joe and me, but for all of us. We’ve all got some work to do.
So help us make this birthday a memorable one for Joe. Add your names, and, if you like, your own notes and well-wishes for the year ahead.
NYT: Even with low approval ratings and an uncertain path to reelection, President Obama is exceeding expectations in one area: His campaign is doing far better at attracting grass-roots financial support this year than his GOP rivals or his own historic effort in 2008, according to new contribution data.
The sheer scale of small donations, totaling $56 million for Obama and his party, has surprised many Democratic strategists and fundraisers, who feared that a sour economy would make it difficult for Obama to raise money from disenchanted and cash-strapped voters.
A Washington Post analysis shows that nearly half of his campaign contributions, and a quarter of the money he has raised for the Democratic Party, has come from donors giving less than $200. That’s much higher than it was four years ago, and far beyond what the best-funded Republicans have managed.
…. “The number of small donations shows who it is that supports this president and who put him there,” said Katherine Hahn, a self-described “mom and artist” from Evergreen, Colo., who gives Obama $25 a month. “It wasn’t the powers that be so much as it was people like me.”
The Obama Diary 
A Very Quick Housekeeping Note
Tags: blog, commenting, comments, hits, tod
2013 on TOD – note (‘Even’) Amk has 18,656 TOD friends in India
****
Updated, didn’t want flippin’ Ireland last on the mini-list:
****
It’s been a gobsmacking journey so far, we’re now closing in on a ridiculous 22 million hits – all of them down to me, needless to say, the mindboggling increase in traffic absolutely nothing to do with UT, LL, LP, Zizi and the rest of the gang.
(True, the post stats suggest otherwise, but: hush now).
****
Any way, with this very lovely traffic has come a whole bunch of new visitors, several in the last few days, which is fantastic – but please understand that in an attempt to keep out the trolls – and they are many – your comments won’t appear here automatically if you’re a first time visitor.
Have a look here to see how you can comment.
Best advice: sign in with your Twitter account – but if you don’t have one, check that link.
If your account is @BarackObama, you’re good.
Now, chat away – and thank you all, you human cheesy puffs.