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Here are some National polls… but the storm could change this
Here are the latest national tracking polls of the presidential race:
Back to the White House
Washington Post: Romney 49%, Obama 48%
Politico/George Washington University: Obama 49%, Romney 48%
Public Policy Polling: Romney 49%, Obama 48%
Reuters/Ipsos: Obama 49%, Romney 46%
Obama, however, has pulled away from campaign speeches so he could get back to the White House to manage the storm response for the East coast. This is a real sign of his being presidential… after all, he has a full-time job working for us. Romney being unemployed right now will keep up campaigning, but it will be interesting to see how he responds to the President’s activities.
Related articles
- Hurricane Sandy blows US election off course – Reuters (reuters.com)
- Tight polls, looming storm shake campaigns down the homestretch (thehill.com)
A Quote for the Morning: A Republican criticizes the racism of his party…
Secretary of State under George W. Bush, Colin Powell, had retired Army Col. Lawrence Wilkerson as a Chief of Staff. 
Wilkerson made this comment in response to John Sununu‘s statement on Thursday that Powell’s endorsement of President Barack Obama’s re-election was motivated by race:
“My party is full of racists, and the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president, and everything to do with the color of his skin, and that’s despicable.”
– Col. Lawrence Wilkerson
And there are people who want these guys elected… why? We worked so hard for decades to establish the civil rights of all Americans. It was a triumph to elect our first black president and Obama has made significant achievements in his first term, even though he faced Republicans in the Congress who publicly pledged to keep his agenda from being passed.
Voting for Republicans in this election endorses their racial views. Do you?
Related articles
- Col. Lawrence Wilkerson says his party the Republican party is full of Racists (americanlivewire.com)
- Lawrence Wilkerson, Former Colin Powell Aide, Blasts Sununu, GOP As ‘Full Of Racists’ (democraticunderground.com)
- Col Lawrence Wilkerson On Republican Party: My Party Is Full Of Racists (ireport.cnn.com)
- Powell’s former chief of staff: I’m voting for Obama too (tv.msnbc.com)
- Video | Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson: “My Party Is Full Of Racist” (3chicspolitico.com)
- Romney campaign so desperate to change subject from Mourdock that they accuse Colin Powell of racism (dailykos.com)
- A Candid Republican Tells The Truth About Racism In His Party (duanegraham.wordpress.com)
- Sununu: Powell endorsed President Obama because of race (thehill.com)
- White Elephants (boyculture.com)
- Honesty – From the Mouth of a Conservative – Finally! (With Video Link) (euterpe-1641499.newsvine.com)
Wow! The Salt Lake Tribune has endorsed Obama over Romney!
Here’s a surprise… the biggest Mormon area newspaper is endorsing Obama… here’s part of their editorial:
Obama has earned another term
Nowhere has Mitt Romney’s pursuit of the presidency been more warmly welcomed or closely followed than here in Utah. The Republican nominee’s political and religious pedigrees, his adeptly bipartisan governorship of a Democratic state, and his head for business and the bottom line all inspire admiration and hope in our largely Mormon, Republican, business-friendly state.
But it was Romney’s singular role in rescuing Utah’s organization of the 2002 Olympics from a cesspool of scandal, and his oversight of the most successful Winter Games on record, that make him the Beehive State’s favorite adopted son.
In short, this is the Mitt Romney we knew, or thought we knew, as one of us.
Sadly, it is not the only Romney, as his campaign for the White House has made abundantly clear, first in his servile courtship of the tea party in order to win the nomination, and now as the party’s shape-shifting nominee. From his embrace of the party’s radical right wing, to subsequent portrayals of himself as a moderate champion of the middle class, Romney has raised the most frequently asked question of the campaign: “Who is this guy, really, and what in the world does he truly believe?”
In considering which candidate to endorse, The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board had hoped that Romney would exhibit the same talents for organization, pragmatic problem solving and inspired leadership that he displayed here more than a decade ago. Instead, we have watched him morph into a friend of the far right, then tack toward the center with breathtaking aplomb. Through a pair of presidential debates, Romney’s domestic agenda remains bereft of detail and worthy of mistrust.
Therefore, our endorsement must go to the incumbent, a competent leader who, against tough odds, has guided the country through catastrophe and set a course that, while rocky, is pointing toward a brighter day. The president has earned a second term. Romney, in whatever guise, does not deserve a first.
So what is Romney and his bunch thinking after this editorial? Certainly he must feel betrayed… or maybe he will start seeing himself the way the rest of us see him as he switches from character to character.
Related articles
- ↪ The Salt Lake Tribune endorsment against Mitt Romney (sltrib.com)
- Salt Lake Tribune Endorses Obama (politicalwire.com)
- Salt Lake Tribune endorses Obama (politico.com)
- Not even the Salt Lake Tribune endorses Romney (viewfrommiddleclass.wordpress.com)
- Salt Lake Tribune throws support behind Obama (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- Surprise: The Mormon-Loving Salt Lake City Tribune Officially Endorses President Barry-O Over Money Makin’ Mitt! (bossip.com)
- In a Devastating Turn for Romney, Swing State and Home State Papers Endorse Obama (politicususa.com)
- Endorsement Of The Day (joemygod.blogspot.com)
Ever wonder how some people get elected to Congress?
I know I do. The fact that there are Republicans who appear to be uneducated, anti-intellectual and just plain outrageous makes me have a very poor impression of the people who vote for them.
Here are 4 samples of what I’m referring to:
Science and Space Committee? Intelligence Committee? How do these mini-brains get put on committees they don’t seem to have any intellectual connection with?
If statements like these keep them from being re-elected to the House, then I’ll have a much better vision of the voting public. I don’t count on it, however.
Related articles
- When Romney questions Obama’s achievements, remember what the Congress did to most of his proposals. (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
- April Russo: GOP Sen. says he will cut scientific funding because scientists read too much (examiner.com)
Romney elected would mean the end of Roe v. Wade and the criminalization of abortion…
From this morning’s editorial in the NY Times:
Mr. Romney has called for overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that recognized a woman’s constitutional right to make her own childbearing decisions and to legalized abortion nationwide. He has said that the issue should be thrown back to state legislatures. The actual impact of that radical rights rollback is worth considering.
It would not take much to overturn the Roe decision. With four of the nine members of the Supreme Court over 70 years old, the next occupant of the White House could have the opportunity to appoint one or more new justices. If say, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the oldest member, retired and Mr. Romney named a replacement hostile to abortion rights, the basic right to abortion might well not survive.
The result would turn back the clock to the days before Roe v. Wade when abortion was legal only in some states, but not in others. There is every indication that about half the states would make abortion illegal within a year of Roe being struck down, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which challenges abortion restrictions around the country, puts the number at 30 states. For one thing, abortion bans already on the books in some states would suddenly kick in. And some Republican-controlled state legislatures would outlaw abortion immediately.
Even with Roe and subsequent decisions upholding abortion rights, more than half the states have enacted barriers like mandatory waiting periods, “counseling” sessions lacking a real medical justification; parental consent or notification laws; and onerous clinic “safety” rules intended to drive clinics out of business.
We do not need to guess about the brutal consequences of overturning Roe. We know from our own country’s pre-Roe history and from the experience around the world. Women desperate to end a pregnancy would find a way to do so. Well-to-do women living in places where abortion is illegal would travel to other states where it is legal to obtain the procedure. Women lacking the resources would either be forced by the government and politicians to go through with an unwanted or risky pregnancy, attempt to self-abort or turn to an illegal — and potentially unsafe — provider for help. Women’s health, privacy and equality would suffer. Some women would die.
…and women still have the ability to get Obama re-elected and protect their right to choose. I’m always amazed at middle-class Republican women who support Romney. Essentially they are making themselves potential victims.
Related articles
- NYT Editorial on Romney and a Future Without Roe v. Wade (lawprofessors.typepad.com)
- Romney: I Want the Supreme Court to Overturn Roe v. Wade via Life News.com (loopyloo305.com)
- Romney: Abortion is not ‘part of my agenda.’ Romney campaign: Oh yes it is. (dailykos.com)
- Romney Needs a Groin Shot (boomantribune.com)
- Ryan’s Roe v. Wade Bombshell (thedailybeast.com)
- Debate Moderator Candy Crowley Calls Out Romney ‘Then and Now’ on Abortion (politicususa.com)
- Women: Don’t Be Fooled by Mitt (thedailybeast.com)
- Mitt Romney’s Constantly Evolving Stance On Abortion Rights (thinkprogress.org)
The VP Debate may have changed things around a little… I think Biden really pulled it off.
I’ve heard critiques this morning that Vice President Joe Biden was all smirks, smiles, laughs, sharp elbows and impolite interruptions in his debate with Paul Ryan. It is always a risky tactic to let Joe be Joe, but it seems to have paid off.
After President Obama’s passive, lackluster response to Mitt Romney’s energetic assault during the first presidential debate, it was a relief that Biden came out swinging at Ryan. They got what they wanted and, as a result, Democrats should be reinvigorated as the closing days of the 2012 campaign tick away. I know I am.
And Biden made sure voters got to see Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” line put into action against the Republican presidential campaign. It was a fantasy moment for Democrats and Obama supporters, who thought the 47% quote from Romney was their major attack point.
CBS’s poll of undecided voters had Biden with a clear win, 50-31. Now we’ll see over the next few days how the VP debate effects overall polling for the presidential candidates.
Related articles
- Biden v Ryan debate: ‘Feisty, aggressive and great television’ (itv.com)
- Video: Biden on Obama’s relationship with Israel: “It’s a bunch of stuff” (cbsnews.com)
- Poll: Biden takes debate over Ryan, uncommitted voters say (cbsnews.com)
- Biden comes out swinging at debate, clashes with Ryan (reuters.com)
- Joe Biden Is Stronger Communicator in VP Debate (forbes.com)
- Biden walks line between aggressive, domineering (kansascity.com)
Ann Romney’s biggest worry: Mitt may go nuts in office…
Nevada television station KTVN interviewed Mitt’s wife, Ann Romney, who revealed that her biggest concern is her husband’s mental well-being” if he becomes president.
Her statement:
“I think my biggest concern obviously would just be for his mental well-being. I have all the confidence in the world in his ability, in his decisiveness, in his leadership skills, in his understanding of the economy. …So for me I think it would just be the emotional part of it.”
So… is Ann’s lack of confidence her husband’s ability to mentally handle the job as the President of the United States going to instill confidence in voters? Well, she still supported his run even though it might produce this emotional distress.
Related articles
- Ann Romney: Biggest Concern For Mitt In White House Would Be His ‘Mental Well-Being’ (mediaite.com)
- Ann Romney: Mitt’s ‘mental well-being’ would be her biggest concern if elected (thehill.com)
- Ann Romney worries about Mitt’s ‘mental well-being’ if he wins election (rawstory.com)
- Ann Romney Expresses Concern About Mitt’s ‘Mental Well-Being’ if Elected President: VIDEO (towleroad.com)
- Ann Romney has one concern (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- Video: Ann Romney worried about Mitt’s ‘mental well-being’ (nyaltnews.com)
An article you must read: Romney and Ryan – The Haters in Chief
This article by Hrafnkell Haraldsson is in PoliticusUSA today. I’m giving you the first couple of paragraphs, but this is a long, well-thought out piece which continues the thinking I started earlier about religion and politics. In fact I was startled to discover a quote from Jefferson from the same document!
As you read it you discover that in a Romney America, “my god is bigger than your god. And your god doesn’t get any First Amendment protections because, well, it really isn’t a religion in the first place, is it? It’s a cult. Cults aren’t protected.” That certainly puts Islam in the gut bucket.
Anyway – here’s the start:
Can you imagine a United States where the president and vice president hate the world’s second largest religion and invite into White House councils those who advocate military action against whoever we feel might be a threat, including, particularly, Iran.
That’s the scenario being faced, incredibly enough, by the people of the United States. President Obama’s pragmatic, sober approach to diplomacy has restored the reputation of the United States and we are on the verge of escaping both long wars embarked upon by the Bush administration.
But Mitt Romney wants to abrogate control of America’s foreign policy – to Israel – which wants to attack Iran. He may have noticed we just got done with a nearly-ten-year-long-war in Iran’s neighbor, Iraq. He may have noticed that we are still engaged in Afghanistan, a place even Alexander the Great could not entirely subdue, a place that was a graveyard and charnel house for the mighty Soviet Union.
And now he wants to involve us in an attack on Iran.
OK… read the rest of it HERE. You’ll be glad you did.
Related articles
- Liberal Smear: Romney’s War for the Jews (commentarymagazine.com)
- Romney campaign quickly distances itself from Mitt’s statement of support for Obama’s Iran policy (dailykos.com)
- Romney and Obama Share Iran ‘Red Line’ (abcnews.go.com)
- Romney Struggles to Distinguish Iran Red Line From Obama’s (nytimes.com)
A view from the far left…
…from Sam Webb, National Chairperson of the Communist Party:
“…I don’t believe that the Republicans even care if the economy rebounds. A sluggish economy in their view is their only path to the White House in this election cycle. If confronted, they will deny it, but if you judge them by their actions in Congress, it seems apparent that sabotage of the president’s economic plans is at the top of their agenda. It is the thin reed on which their return to power and domination rests.
“To say that Romney and his fellow Republicans are consciously undermining the economy for the purpose of winning this election is probably hard for many Americans to swallow.
“Even with their skepticism of politicians and the political process, many American people still believe that there are bounds beyond which neither party would go to accomplish its aims. That is not the case in this instance in my opinion. No matter what the cost and pain, Romney and the Republicans are hell bent on undermining any recovery of growth rates and jobs in order to emerge triumphant on Election Day.
It may bother you that Webb is a Communist, but he is an American Communist which means he has more of a left side political agenda and is strongly related to worker’s employment and unions. This is something the right has no concern with.
To see the rest of his article go HERE.
Related articles
- Obama Wins Coveted Communist Party Endorsement… Again (thedaleygator.wordpress.com)
- Socialists & Communists Come Out Strong for President Obama’s Re-election (independentsentinel.com)
- And the sheeple believe him . . . (lsnewsgroup.com)
- Communist Party Endorses Obama For 2012 | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Dems Okay With Any Source, Even Beijing, that Trashes Romney (commentarymagazine.com)
- Republicans Don’t Want The Federal Reserve To Help The Economy (politicususa.com)
- Conservatives hammer Romney for skimping on policy details – Reuters (reuters.com)
- Did Republicans Deliberately Crash the US Economy? (economistsview.typepad.com)
- Fiscal Cliff “Deeply Destructive” to U.S. – Obama (247wallst.com)
- Rep. Rangel Says What Everyone Is Thinking: Mitt Romney is Threat to Our National Security (politicususa.com)
Statement from United Wisconsin…
Who knows Ryan better? This from United Wisconsin:
“Wisconsin is once again at the epicenter of the battle between big-money special interests and hard-working families. Today’s announcement that Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan has been tapped for Mitt Romney’s running mate will bring more big money and heated rhetoric to our already deeply divided state.
“As Governor Scott Walker has spent the last year and a half working to destroy our progressive Wisconsin tradition, Rep. Paul Ryan has stood by his side and defended his actions. After Scott Walker introduced his anti-working family budget repair bill, Paul Ryan told the media that he supports Walker’s union-busting laws and claimed that the peaceful protests that broke out in response to the bill were ‘riots,’ a claim later debunked by Politifact.
“In Congress, Ryan has proposed a budget that would end Medicare as we know it while handing out millions in tax giveaways to wealthy special interests at the expense of working families. Ryan has consistently opposed policies to improve health care, public education, and economic opportunity for working people. These are not Wisconsin values, but they are Paul Ryan’s values.
With Paul Ryan taking a more visible place on the national stage, all eyes will once again be on Wisconsin, but the eyes of Wisconsinites – and the progressive movement we have built – will be focused directly on Paul Ryan. We will hold Ryan accountable for his statements and actions on the campaign trail, ensuring he does not take Scott Walker’s failed policies to the White House.”
We’ll keep our eyes on Wisconsin. Of course, many of us wish we could have rid ourselves of Scott Walker when we had a chance.
Related articles
- Rep. Paul Ryan: Will also run in November for his Wisconsin House seat (blogs.suntimes.com)
- Ryan will excite the GOP base, Walker says (jsonline.com)
- Wisconsin: Capital of the Obama resistance (politico.com)
Is Romney Ready for Foreign Policy?
If you’ve been watching the news concerning Willard’s visit to London, you may have heard that he has made a number of gaffes – enough so that the Mayor of London has compared him to Sarah Palin, and thought Palin was the more accomplished candidate.
You can review all the gaffes so far HERE, including videos and statements. It makes you a little ashamed to be an American since the Brits are now looking at Romney as an example of us all.
Here’s one of the gaffes that hit on Mitt’s preparedness for the whole thing:
BBC News quoted Romney:
“To look out of the back side of 10 Downing Street and see a venue having been constructed, knowing that athletes will be carrying out their activities almost in the back yard of the prime minister is really quite an accomplishment.”
So what’s wrong with that, you say. Well… The Guardian responds:
Firstly, in Britain, “backside” means “ass”. As in the part of the body. Secondly, “10 Downing Street” is often used in political reporting as a synonym for a press spokesman for the prime minister, in the same way as “the White House” can say things or have opinions.
Imagine what he’s going to do (or say) in Poland and Israel.
Related articles
- Mitt Romney Makes ‘Disconcerting’ Olympic Gaffe In London (ibtimes.com)
- Ten Reasons Romney is Dangerous On Foreign Policy (davidmixner.com)
- Romney under fire for comments about London Olympics (news.yahoo.com)
- David Cameron Praises Marriage Equality Right Before Romney Visit (towleroad.com)
- After ‘Anglo-Saxon’ gaffe, Mitt Romney and British PM trade barbs over Olympics (news.nationalpost.com)
- Romney Campaign Shames America By Criticizing POTUS on Foreign Soil (politicususa.com)
- Romney tells public of secret meeting with MI6 spy chief (rawstory.com)
- Romney Questions London’s Readiness for Olympics – Media Has a Conniption (thegatewaypundit.com)
- Romney Plays Loud American Tourist in London (theatlanticwire.com)
Good article today over at PoliticusUSA.com (Updated):
Mitt Romney: The Economic Guru Who Specializes In Killing Jobs
(here’s a snip, but go read the whole article HERE.)
Romney has yet to offer any solutions to help the American people who are struggling because of Bush-era policies Willard promises to implement if he is elected president. One might be inclined to say Romney is a fool for promoting Bush’s failed economic policy that sent Americans into unemployment lines and nearly crashed the economy, but it is more that Romney could not care less about the American people. In fact, Willard has made it clear that he intends on creating hardship for the poor, elderly, Veterans, gays, women, and the middle class with his Draconian cuts to critical social safety nets, and the severity of his policies are only matched by his promise to eliminate unionized public sector jobs because they are earn more than $19,000 annually.
If Americans really want to know what a Romney presidency will look like, then look at his real field of expertise as a vulture capitalist. He earned millions shuttering businesses, relocating companies overseas, and eliminating jobs to increase profits for himself and Bain Capital, and although it worked out well for the rich, it was devastating to American workers who lost their jobs, retirement, healthcare, and their homes.
…….
Willard Romney’s focus is attacking President Obama for telling the American people the truth about the economy, and running away from his area of expertise which is creating wealth for a privileged few while eliminating jobs. It is interesting that President Obama does not tout himself as an acclaimed economist like Romney, but his policies saved America’s economy. There is a reason Romney wants to be president and it has nothing to do with helping the American people or growing the economy, and he is using his expertise as a liar to convince voters that eliminating police and firefighter jobs, giving more tax cuts to the wealthy, and portraying the government as destructive is a sound economic policy.
The only thing voters need to know about Romney is that he is not an economic guru. He is a wealthy investor who earned millions killing jobs, bankrupting companies, and shipping businesses overseas that qualifies him to be a vulture capitalist, but not the president.
So many people haven’t learned this yet. It is really depressing to think about it. Unfortunately, he not only doesn’t seem to know the economic implications of his statements, he certainly does know how to lie about them.
Romney seems to be taking the voters of this great nation for total fools. The facts are out there, and they are not pretty. Romney is a purebred vulture capitalist, the kind of multi-millionaire that snaps up family businesses and solid companies just to shut them down, kill good-paying jobs, and get a fat write-off to pad his own bottom line. His “business experience” is the kind of experience that America cannot afford to have in the White House. And the only instance where Mitt took the reins of government… ie: the State of Massachusetts… and tried his hand at “job creation,” he failed miserably.
Romney cannot be allowed to run away from the fact that he was literally the worst “job creator” in the nation over his four years in office.
Related articles
- Willard Romney’s Lies of the Week (theobamacrat.com)
- Willard Romney’s Lies of the Week (3chicspolitico.com)
- The Reason Why Bain is important. (3chicspolitico.com)
- Right Wing Uses Pre-Rally Pictures To Claim Obama Spoke To Empty Seats (alan.com)
- Willard Romney, Whiner (Cont’d.) (esquire.com)
- Romney: We Don’t Need More Firefighters, Police Officers Or Teachers (alan.com)
- 3 things Romney needs to get Right, and so far he only has 1 of them. (whitehouse12.com)
- Romney: “Is he really that out of touch?” (hotair.com)
- Mario Piperni Does Mittens (seniorsforademocraticsociety.wordpress.com)
- Obama starting week hitting Mitt on cops, fire fighters teachers remark (blogs.suntimes.com)
- Mitt Romney’s Sleazy Support of Ted Nugent Reveals His True Moral Character (kaystreet.wordpress.com)
Even a Conservative sees the reality of lobbyists…
“Lobbying is a form of legalized bribery.”
Here is a former speechwriter in the Reagan White House (and a fine American satirist) who made this statement on Morning Joe this morning. Interesting that he also favors President Obama over Mitt Romney… although he is upset that the Bowles-Simpson report was walked away from by the Administration. In reality, libertarian Buckley was dropped as a conservative National Review writer for endorsing Obama in 2008.
However, in commenting on his political involvement:
“My last name happens to be Buckley. That’s my only connection with politics.”
Related articles
- They Eat Puppies, Don’t They? – Christopher Buckley to speak in Columbus (collectedmiscellany.com)
- Lawrence O’Donnell: Romney Is Scared Of Conservatives Because He’s Not One (mediaite.com)
- Romney Spokeswoman in 2010: Marco Rubio is a “Wheeling-and-Dealing” “Lobbyist-Politician w/ “Questionable Ethics” (abcnews.go.com)
- Obama’s ‘naive’ lobbyist ban (politico.com)
- Lobbyists’ lobbyist draws US public’s anger (vancouverdesi.com)
- Sure, money is power. But, is it also liberty and freedom? Or, is it a tool? (warmsouthernbreeze.wordpress.com)
Why are we so stupid that we will be tied up in Afghanistan for another 12 years?
I hear it coming up in the Presidential campaign with insistence and regularity: We’re getting out of Afghanistan in 2014. Right? Yeah, it takes a long time to get all those troops and all that equipment out… 2014 is really pretty quick.
But…
Today we signed a strategic partnership pact that pledges American support for Afghanistan for 10 years after the withdrawal of combat troops at the end of 2014.
Put your fingers away… the count is to 2024. The cost in money, military death and injury, Taliban conspiracies against American cities and people, and so many other things is more than poor indebted bozos like us can sustain.
The draft of the pact has been signed at the diplomatic level and will now be sent to Mr. Karzai and to the Afghan Parliament for review and approval, and also to President Obama and the White House. It will become final when signed by both presidents… and don’t even begin to think it won’t be signed.
Look, put the moral and ethical concerns aside… ignore what the majority of Americans think about our involvement in the longest war we have EVER been involved in… WTF are we going to pay for this with?
Costs totaling $2.7 billion a year have been discussed, but it would likely be more. Add in aid for civilian programs , too.
The powers that be will say that this is a reduction from the amount the United States now spends here (about $120 billion a year), and we should all feel the financial relief that brings. We just have to bring in a few bucks compared to what we have spent already (and still owe.) So where will we get it?
Money from the Rich? Doubt it. How much do you want to bet this will make them more rich (richer?)? Money from the rest of us? You betcha!
Let me be very clear about my political view here. I am a liberal and a Democrat, but this disgusting cesspool of foreign policy can be laid just as easily at the feet of Republicans and to those of President Obama. Neither side is putting America ahead of our military-economic suckfest.
Makes you wonder who you can vote for that will make any difference. It’s a good thing it is not the only issue being considered this year.
But it is an unabating one.
Andrew Breitbart had a tape, EE Eye EE Eye Oh…
…and on that tape he had some crap, EE Eye EE Eye Oh…
With Obama here, and students there
Here a speech, there a speech
everywhere a speech speech…
Andrew Breitbart had a tape, EE Eye EE Eye Oh…
According to the Telegraph in the UK:
(A) video, pitted as Mr Obama’s coup de grace and the end of his 2012 re-election bid, promised to expose the president as a “racist radical” who had plotted to seize control of the White House with other “totalitarian freaks” for more than 20 years.
In reality the tape showed a college student campaigning for racial diversity at Harvard law School – not quite the fiery revelations right wing blogger Andrew Breitbart had pledged prior to his death.
Sean Hannity, though, tried to push the tape on Fox News as some kind of real revelation that would end Obama’s campaign. But his efforts were more or less silly with a lot of respondents outside of the Fox/Tea Party crowd having greater respect for the President and his support of a dedicated professor while he was Editor of the Harvard Law Review (I don’t think Hannity ever had that kind of status).
As to Breitbart, he died before he could create another phony attack on good people. Perhaps he is watching all this from Hell. 🙂
Related articles
- Breitbart’s Video of Obama at Harvard on Hannity Tonight! (fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com)
- Breitbart Video Shows Barack Obama Protesting at Harvard in 1991 (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)
- Breitbart Editors Preview Obama College Video With Hannity (mediaite.com)
- Andrew Breitbart Tapes To Be Released (webpronews.com)
- BREAKING: Years Old, Publicly Available Photo of Andrew Breitbart Hugging A Black Guy Found (thesuperficial.com)
- Why We’re Talking About Barack Obama and Derrick Bell Now [Andrew Breitbart] (gawker.com)
- ‘Mancow’ Muller: Breitbart Was Murdered (mountainrepublic.net)
I listened to Repub candidates propose that we could be invaded from Iran…
…but, although the USA professes itself menaced by Iran, it rather has Iran encircled by military bases:
Stars = US Bases
(thanks to Juan Cole‘s Informed Comment.)
So what I want to know is which of these Repub candidates has any kind of grasp on mid-east policy? Certainly Iran knows that they can be completely wiped out by us with little or no provocation.
Related articles
- US, Europe cautious on Iran offer for nuke talks (sfgate.com)
- GOP candidates take hard line on Mideast (politico.com)
- Can the US stop Iran going nuclear? (americablog.com)
- Russia is preparing to respond to Israeli or US military strike on Iran (irannewpearlharbour.wordpress.com)
The next time some Repub partyer argues about President Obama’s record…
… go to KEEPING HIS WORD and be supplied with a list of his accomplishments, the answers to his promises that have been kept, and all the information you need to wipe the lying bastards off the great right-wing ass.
Great information source that the White House has (finally) put up to counter the world’s least truthful party.
http://www.keepinghisword.com/
Related articles
- Tea partyers not keen about GOP presidential field (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- President Obama will present his 2013 budget plan Monday (news.blogs.cnn.com)
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- Why Congress Must Extend the Payroll Tax Cut Through 2012 (whitehouse.gov)
The Power of Catholicism
We’re waiting this morning for President Obama to come out and report any modifications to the birth control requirements in health insurance that has raised an alarm with Catholics.
Some background from the NY Times:
The ruling issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, said that only religious organizations that primarily employ and serve their co-religionists would be exempt from the requirement to provide insurance that covers birth control. Churches are therefore exempt, but Catholic hospitals, service agencies and colleges are not. The White House said that 28 states already had such mandates, so this federal rule, which is part of the health care overhaul, just applies the mandate uniformly.
—
NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan
The bishops have found allies among conservative evangelicals, who do not share the Catholic Church’s doctrinal prohibition on contraception but are delighted to see the bishops adopt the right’s longstanding grievance that government has declared a war on religion. They have been joined by the bishops of Eastern Orthodox churches (like Greek, Russian and Ukrainian) and two Orthodox Jewish groups — small constituencies but ones that lend the cause a touch of diversity.
On the other side are religious Americans and clergy members who are unmoved by the religious liberty theme, and who regard the administration’s ruling as sensible health care policy.
Here’s what I think. The Catholic Bishops are thrilled to have this conflict broadcast on all the news stations… thrilled that it is taking up so much space in C-PAC speeches… thrilled that it takes up space in newspapers (as Craig Ferguson said: “A newspaper is a thing that people used to read. It’s like a website, but all the information is from yesterday.”)… and certainly thrilled that they have something to shout out from the pulpit.
Why? Because as long as everyone is discussing this sham Constitutional complaint, no one is talking about the relationship of the Catholic Church to child molesting priests. That is quite a relief after months of revelations and and complaints about Bishops who hid information for years.
When the Birth Control/Insurance issue is all gone, we’ll get back to pederasty by priests. I’ll bet the Bishops are looking forward to that.
Related articles
- Roman Catholic Church battle over birth control coverage was well planned (mercurynews.com)
- Bishops’ Hypocrisy on Religious Freedom and Contraception. (queeringthechurch.com)
- A lay parable for Catholic Bishops to consider: The Scorpion and the Frog (erickbrockway.com)
- Enough Of The Fake Outrage Over Contraception (angrydd.wordpress.com)
- Catholic Church silent on child rape, taking to the streets over ‘intrinsically evil’ birth control (dailykos.com)
Monsanto Attempts to Lockout Socially Responsible Shareholder at Annual Meeting…
CLICK HERE
In the Organic Consumers Association blog, the report concerns Monsanto shareholder (and organic food activist) Adam Eidinger. A clip:
Eidinger, who organized last October’s a 100 person, 313 mile “Right2Know March” from New York City to the White House for federally mandated GMO food labeling says: “With the rise or
Round-Up resistant ‘superweeds‘ the company is simply telling farmers to spray even more toxic herbicides including 2,4 D, the main ingredient in Agent Orange.
I urge you to go read the article and to contact your representatives about Monsanto poisoning (and hiding their actions concerning) our food.
Tonight is Obama’s State of the Union Address…
President Barack Obama will deliver his State of the Union speech tonight at 9 p.m. EST. It is expected to last at least an hour, after which Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana will deliver the Republican response (there will be a Tea Party response from Herman Cain… don’t miss it. All speeches like this should end with humor.)
Obama is expected to use the State of the Union to pitch new initiatives on jobs, taxes and housing, in what will be billed as his opening salvo in a long 2012 election race. He will probably push tax breaks for bringing manufacturing jobs home from overseas, give ideas to help the troubled home-mortgage market and create incentives for alternative energy development. Expect him to call again for higher taxes on the wealthy – despite consistent Republican opposition – and to speak of further pressure on China over currency and trade practices.
There are a number of ways you can watch and follow the speech online. The official White House website, which will not only be streaming the speech live, but will be accompany it with charts, stats, and data that reinforce the address. On television, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC will all air the speech live. The Huffington Post will also run liveblog coverage of the event, accompanied by an embedded live video feed.
Some items based on recent Obama remarks leading up to the address:
“Before we take money away from our schools or scholarships away from our students, we should ask millionaires to give up their tax break.”
The President has promised to let the Bush tax cuts for millionaires expire at the end of 2012.
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“[The Affordable Care Act] is making prescription drugs cheaper for seniors and giving uninsured students a chance to stay on their parents’ coverage.”
At least 2.5 million young Americans now have health insurance through their parents’ health care plans until 26 years of age. As of November, more than 2.2 million people with Medicare had saved more than $1.2 billion on prescriptions (I’m one of them. I support this whole heartedly. – Bill)
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Expect the Republicans to make it clear that they will continue to oppose Obama’s positions… but also expect Obama to say that he will be seeking bi-partisan progress even though it is an election year.
It should be noted, however, that State of the Union messages have historically not effected increases in a President’s poll ratings (an exception being Bill Clinton’s 2nd address which increased his numbers by 3%.)
Related articles
- Obama to Hold Google+ ‘Hangout’ After State of the Union Address (techland.time.com)
- President Obama’s State of the Union Address Webcast (diaryofafemaleveteran.wordpress.com)
- State of the Union: President Obama’s big campaign speech (tarpon.wordpress.com)
- Obama to Answer Your Questions on State of the Union Interview on Google+ (socialtimes.com)
- Obama to shift strategy on healthcare in 2012 – The Hill’s Healthwatch (policyabcs.wordpress.com)
Obama stands up to Boehner on Payroll Tax vote…
Today, the President made separate calls to Speaker Boehner and Leader Reid. In his call to Speaker Boehner, the President reiterated the need and his commitment to work with Congress to extend the payroll tax cut for the entire year, and the fact that the short-term bipartisan compromise passed by almost the entire Senate is the only option to ensure that middle class families aren’t hit with a tax hike in 10 days and gives both sides the time needed to work out a full year solution. The President urged the Speaker to take up the bipartisan compromise passed in the Senate with overwhelming Democratic and Republican support that would prevent 160 million working Americans from being hit with a holiday tax hike on January 1st.
The President also spoke with Leader Reid and again applauded him for the work he conducted with Minority Leader McConnell to achieve a successful bipartisan compromise that passed overwhelmingly in the Senate on Saturday, and Senator Reid reaffirmed his commitment to secure a bipartisan year long tax cut after the House passes the two month extension. The President urged the Speaker to allow a vote on the one compromise that Democrats and Republicans passed together to give the American people the assurance they need during this holiday season that they won’t see a significant tax hike in just 10 days.
Boehner and the Tea Party folks are now getting the worst of the press, and they are even being criticized by other Republicans, none of whom would like the Middle Class on their tails come election time. Meanwhile, the Senate is on vacation and it doesn’t look like they are coming back to renegotiate before the short-term bill is passed.
Looks like the rest of the week will be interesting. Ho Ho Ho.
Related articles
- Obama Phones Boehner (thepage.time.com)
- Harry Reid: It’s ‘unconscionable’ that Speaker Boehner is blocking bipartisan payroll tax cut deal (dailykos.com)
- Joe Peyronnin: Ebenezer Boehner (huffingtonpost.com)
- Obama calls Boehner, urges him to allow vote on Senate payroll bill (thehill.com)
- Harry Reid to John Boehner on payroll tax cut: Put people before politics (dailykos.com)
- Obama urges Hill leaders to extend payroll tax cut (newsok.com)
Political quote for the day… are Republicans smart enough to realize what they are doing?
Paul Begala doesn’t think so.
“I cannot think of a time when the economy declined but the president was not blamed — but this may be the first. If the Republicans were smart, they would do on taxes what they did on trade: quietly pass Obama‘s proposals, knowing full well that even a million new jobs will not be enough to climb out of the hole Obama inherited. The economy isn’t giving Obama enough jobs, but the Republicans are giving him the next best thing: a villain to blame for the poor economy. By killing Obama’s jobs agenda, Republicans may just save his presidency.”
– Paul Begala
Quote of the Day… from Silicon Valley
“Mr. President. I don’t have a job, but that is because I have been lucky enough to live in Silicon Valley for a while and work for a small startup company down the street who did quite well. So, I am unemployed by choice. My question is — would you please raise my taxes?”
– Man at the Town meeting Obama held today with Linked In (later identified as Doug Edwards, former director of communications and marketing at Google.)
Ban Fracking on 9/13 — Spread the Word!
Contaminated Water from Pennsylvania Fracking
Mark your calendar: Call the White House at (888) 498-2945 tomorrow and tell the President to Ban Fracking!
Don’t think that what has happened in Pennsylvania and new York State can’t happen in West Virginia!
Help build the momentum by spreading the word for the National Call-in Day to Ban Fracking — Tuesday, Sept. 13th! (THAT’S TOMORROW!)
Related articles
- Blood Tribe Members Set Up Anti-fracking Blockade (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)
- Fracking: A Tale Of Two States (themoderatevoice.com)
- Part of New York State’s Fracking Regulations Already Trails Industry Practice (treehugger.com)
- Environmental Groups Seek Fracking Rule (businesslawdaily.wordpress.com)
- Ball: ‘Over my dead body’ will fracking create Penn-type problems (timesunion.com)
Under The LobsterScope 