May 19, 2013

Tuesday Afternoon Thread: A President for ALL Americans

September 11, 2012 by 137 Comments

The Grio spoke with delegates and attendees to the Democratic National Convention last week, here is what they had to say:

(h/t The Obama Diary)  

Filed Under: African Americans, Barack Obama, Open Thread Tagged With: , , , ,
  • Miranda

    Jim Cramer: Voter ID Law Will Disenfranchise My Dad

    CNBC host Jim Cramer said Tuesday that his father was among the estimated 750,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania who lack a state-issued form of identification.

    “My dad, a vet, won’t be allowed to vote in Pa. because he does not drive, he is elderly, and can’t prove his citizenship,” Cramer wrote on Twitter.

    more here
    http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/jim_cramer_pennsylvania_voter_id.php

    • jds09

      This will be one of many “unintended consequences” of their bullshit voter suppression moves. Blacks folks are far more integrated into the whole society so its not as easy in 2012 than 1950 to edge us out. Times have changed ( as in a kick-ass Atty. General) but certain white folks haven’t.

      • Ebogan63

        I am hoping more and more of these stories come out to force the issue to be covered in the MSM(yeah, I know, fat chance), failing that, hope some of these old white folks get in the azz of the GOP about this bullshit

    • Admiral_Komack

      Too-fucking bad.
      Talk to the Republicans about it.

    • nellcote

      Gee, too bad he doesn’t have something like a teevee show where he can discuss this. Sad that his only outlet is twitter.

    • creolechild

      Update: I read somewhere that the situation’s been resolved for Cramer’s dad. So, I guess we won’t be hearing anything else about the subject from him.

  • JojoRaze

    Joe Biden making me cry, y’all. I just read the transcript from his meeting with and speech to the Shanksville 9/11 families. He knows how to comfort people.

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/09/the_other_side_of_joe_biden.php?ref=fpblg

    … I said last year my mom used to have an expression. She’d say, Joey, bravery resides in every heart, and someday it will be summoned. It’s remarkable — remarkable — how it was not only summoned, but acted on.

    Today we stand on this hallowed ground, a place made sacred by the heroism and sacrifice of the passengers and the crew of Flight 93. And it’s as if the flowers, as I walked here, as if the flowers were giving testament to how sacred this ground is.

    My guess — and obviously it’s only a guess; no two losses are the same. But my guess is you’re living this moment that Yeats only wrote about, when he wrote, pray I will and sing I must, but yet I weep. Pray I will, sing I must, but yet I weep.

    My personal prayer for all of you is that in every succeeding year, you’re able to sing more than you weep. And may God truly bless you and bless the souls of those 40 incredible people who rest in this ground.

    • rikyrah

      thank you, RIDE OR DIE JOE

    • gc

      I love him, too.

    • GreenLadyHere

      HEEY JojoRaze. ***BIG HUG*** :>)

      “Ride or Die Joe has such – COMPASSION —-EMPATHY annnd a BIG ♥.- — -

      - — – Unlike teh “B”- — -WHEN he cries — I CRY!! :>) – -♥ him.- – -

      ♥ his SUPPORT of MR. PRESIDENT. :>)

      Good 2 c U. :>)

  • nellcote

    *** And remembering 9/15, too: While we’re focused on today’s remembrance, don’t lose sight of another anniversary this week — the Sept. 15, 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers. It’s worth noting that the retrospectives we might see of that anniversary could further the narrative that the Obama campaign and Democrats want to tell: that the country is better off from four years ago beginning on Sept. 15, 2008. It’s also an opportunity for third-party validators to talk about the deep hole the country was in from 2008 to early 2009. Now conservatives and critics might use the anniversary to examine TARP’s effectiveness and to make the case that Wall Street is better off than Main Street. But overall, 9/15 advances the narrative of the U.S. economy’s dire shape four years ago.

    http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/11/13803184-first-thoughts-throwing-the-kitchen-sink?lite

  • MonieTalks

    GOPolitco hacks Mike Allen and Jim vandehei actually wrote an article entitled: The Kerry-ization of Mitt Romney

    They are really truing to compare the dishonest attacks against a man who served in Vietnam to one who hid out in France during the same period. There is no such thing as Kerry-ization of a draft dodger PERIOD.

    And then on top of that they throw in some advice old McGrumpy McCain has fold Romney about saying the President never says “victory” when referring to Afghanistan, only about withdrawal. Yet this is the same mofo who was beating the drums loud for the war In Iraq and said on camera that “we can muddle through Afghanistan.”

    The shills even had the nerve to write this in their article:
    In essence, many of the same Democrats who accused Republicans of playing politics with war in past elections are playing politics with it this time around.

    Funny thing is, it was neo-con Bill Kristol who pointed out Romney’s omission of the truth forcefully first.

    GOPolitico needs their asses lit up.

    • Worldwatcher7

      Yesterday Vandehei was on one of the MSNBC shows (Bashir or Matthews I think) and the host referred to him as a reporter. He may be many things, but he is not a reporter.

      • nellcote

        but he is not a reporter.
        ===
        He used to be back when the WaPoo was worth reading. Obviously Vandehei felt being factual was too restrictive.

    • TresL

      They are pathetic. One of their senior reporters or editors (can’t remember his name) was on C-Span after the GOP convention but before the conclusion of the DNC convention talking about how the days of the “bounce” were over just because Williard didn’t get one. They couldn’t even wait until after the conclusion of the DNC convention to make such a proclamation. They made it prematurely because they are rabid partisans posing as “objective” reporters and to cover Williard’s ass only to now look like the fools they are.

      They appear on TV saying what they hope will be true engaging in magical thinking hoping no one will call them on their bullshit. It was so obvious and disingenuous just like those pundits suggesting the convention model was obsolete and unnecessary and you know they were only saying that because of how awful the GOP convention was. It’s such childish thinking. If something doesn’t go their way, they declare that it was unnecessary or not important to begin with. They can never just except a defeat; there is always some excuse or rationalization in their effort to deny PBO any victory large or small. They make me sick!

      • TresL

        Oops, “accept” a defeat.

    • conlakappa

      Who is even talking about Mittens’s non-serving? They’ll complain about anything that didn’t happen.

  • rikyrah

    It’s not 1980
    By Steve Benen
    Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:14 AM EDT.

    I suppose it’s inevitable that election analysts will look for historical parallels, comparing one national campaign to another. Is 2012 going to be 1996, featuring a Democratic incumbent cruising to re-election after brutal midterm defeats? Or maybe 2004, featuring an incumbent eking out a narrow win against a socially-awkward rich guy from Massachusetts?

    For the Romney campaign, the only model that matters is 1980 — a struggling Democratic incumbent, burdened by widespread public discontent, loses badly to a Republican who then takes on mythical, iconic qualities. Bryon York noted yesterday that Team Romney “strongly” believes the next eight weeks “will play out like the 1980 campaign, in which President Jimmy Carter led Ronald Reagan for much of the race until Reagan broke through just before the election.”

    We’ll find out soon enough whether Romney can turn things around, but it’s worth appreciating just how flawed the ’80 comparison really is. For one thing, Carter didn’t lead Reagan for much of the race (Obama has led Romney for nearly all of 2012). For another, Reagan’s breakthrough came after his convention (Romney received no meaningful bounce).

    http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/11/13803196-its-not-1980?lite

  • nellcote

    A preview of the PBO interview in Oct. Vanity Fair magazine:

    Obama also covers the mundane details of presidential existence. “You have to exercise,” he says, “or at some point you’ll just break down.” At play, the president wears red-white-and-blue Under Armor high-tops, but at work it’s strictly blue or gray suits. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make,” he tells Lewis. “You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia.” Lewis says that if he were president he might keep a list in his head. “I do,” Obama adds. “That’s my last piece of advice to you. Keep a list.”
    …
    “One of my most important tasks is making sure I stay open to people, and the meaning of what I’m doing, but not to get so overwhelmed by it that it’s paralyzing. Option one is to go through the motions. That I think is a disaster for a president. But there is the other danger,” Obama tells Lewis. “There are times when I have to save it and let it out at the end of the day.”

    “When I’m in Washington I spend half my time in this place,” the president says of the Oval Office. “It’s surprisingly comfortable.” Obama didn’t make many changes to the room. “We came in when the economy was tanking and our first priority wasn’t redecorating.” One thing he did do early on, though, was to fill the shelves with the original applications for several famous patents and patent models. “They had a bunch of plates in there,” he says, of prior administrations. “I’m not a dish guy.” Obama points to the 1849 patent model of Samuel Morse’s first telegraph: “This is the start of the Internet right here,” he tells Lewis. The president says there is no taping system in the Oval Office but that it would be fun to have one: “It’d be wonderful to have a verbatim record of history.” He also tells Lewis that people are nervous when they enter that storied room; “I think that the space affects them. But when you work here you forget about it.” According to Lewis, the first thing President Obama did in there, on his first day on the job, was to call in several junior staff members. “Let’s just stay normal,” he told them.

    more at
    http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2012/09/barack-obama-michael-lewis#slide=1

    • gc

      Warning: Totally superfluous comment ahead

      I love him.

    • GN

      He’s crawling over ground glass for this country, each and every day. I’m so utterly grateful to him.

  • rikyrah

    Foreign policy is not a ‘distraction’
    By Steve Benen
    Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:18 PM EDT.

    In the new Washington Post/ABC News poll, likely voters prefer President Obama over Mitt Romney on counter-terrorism by double digits, 51% to 40%. The same poll asked about international affairs in general, and the president’s lead was even larger, 51% to 38%. The new CNN poll also showed a 12-point lead for Obama on foreign policy.

    With this mind, BuzzFeed reports that the president and his re-election team are confident they have “a clear advantage” on these issues, which they intend to emphasize in the race’s final two months.

    The Romney campaign says it’s unconcerned.
    ……………………………………………

    And finally, there’s the Romney’s campaign pitch: the Republican candidate has credibility on foreign affairs because he speaks French; spent time as a missionary; he’s well-traveled; he’s 65; and he helped oversee an athletic competition. Oh my.

    http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/11/13807643-foreign-policy-is-not-a-distraction?lite

    • gc

      French will help in Korea and China.

      • nellcote

        Well, those are two countries he outsourced jobs to. Maybe that’s what he means by foreign experience

    • conlakappa

      Does he really want us to talk about his ability to speak French? For the right wingers, it makes him frenchified, for the left-what-would-taunt him, it reminds us just how he acquired the language.

  • rikyrah

    Living on a prayer
    By Steve Benen
    Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:30 AM EDT.

    Over the weekend, Mitt Romney incorporated some new rhetoric into his stump speech: “I will not take ‘God’ out of the name of our platform. I will not take ‘God’ off our coins, and I will not take God out of my heart. We’re a nation bestowed by God.”

    When we discussed this yesterday, I got an email from reader G.S. suggesting this wouldn’t last — Romney was in Virginia Beach, a religious right stronghold, just a few feet from radical TV preacher Pat Robertson. This was an example of Romney catering his message to a specific audience, G.S. said, not a sign of things to come.

    ………………………………………………………..

    The Romney campaign still wants us to believe the candidate’s central focus is on the economy, but given the recent rhetoric on welfare, contraception, Israel, and the sudden outburst of “God” talk, I think it’s fair to say Romney The Corporate Turnaround Artist has once again metamorphosed into Romney The Culture Warrior.

    http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/11/13805187-living-on-a-prayer?lite

  • rikyrah

    Romney reverses course (again) on health care
    By Steve Benen
    Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:11 AM EDT.

    Mitt Romney has been running for president, almost non-stop, for six years. Health care was, not too long ago, his signature issue, and he’s been talking about the Affordable Care Act nearly every day since it became law.

    And yet, inexplicably, the Republican presidential hopeful still doesn’t know his own message

    Last night, Romney appeared on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, offering the far-right host an entirely new perspective on his approach to health care policy. “Well of course I’m going to repeal Obamacare,” Romney said. “I’ve said that on the campaign trail, I think, every single day. Obamacare must be repealed — in its entirety. It’s bad policy, it’s bad law, and frankly, a $2 trillion entitlement we don’t want and we certainly can’t afford…. Obamacare is a disaster in my opinion, and has to be repealed entirely.”

    I see. So Romney is for the “complete repeal” of the Affordable Care Act. That is, until Sunday, when he said he’s “not getting rid of all” of the Affordable Care Act. That is, until Monday night, at which point he intends to destroy the “entirety” of the Affordable Care Act.

    http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/11/13803979-romney-reverses-course-again-on-health-care?lite

    • nellcote

      My impression of that part of MTP was that Rmoney wanted to repeal all of Obamacare and replace it with the pieces that he thinks people like. Basically he wanted his name on the popular parts instead of PBO’s. Still rediculous but not necessarily a contradiction.

  • nellcote

    Both President Obama and Mitt Romney have pulled their commercials for the day, as a small gesture honoring the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. But while we’ll get a brief reprieve on campaign ads today, it’s worth noting that we’re seeing 9/11 politicking return to a level unseen since the attacks themselves.

    This Sept. 11, John McCain is attacking Obama over Syria; Rudy Giuliani is attacking Obama over Iran; the cast of “Fox & Friends” is attacking Obama over his 9/11 proclamation; Dick Cheney is attacking Obama over his intelligence briefings; and House Republicans are using 9/11 to attack Obama over the looming defense cuts they proposed and voted for.

    It appears, then, the political norms have shifted. In, say, 2008, it would have been largely unthinkable that partisans would go after the sitting president, during a war, on the anniversary of 9/11. Those who tried would expect to be condemned, at a minimum, for their insensitivity. Those days appear to be over.

    For his part, the president spoke this morning at the Pentagon. Politics wasn’t part of his remarks.

    http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_nv/more/section/archive?author=steve-benen

    • conlakappa

      They lie. I saw Mittens ads today. Or maybe it was from Crossroads and they didn’t get the memo.

  • rikyrah

    ThinkProgress✔
    @thinkprogress

    Obama appoints as many women judges in one term as Bush did in two thkpr.gs/S85qS9 #fem2

  • Alma98
    • Miranda

      THIS IS HILARIOUS

  • nellcote

    Awesome ringtones H/T BalloonJuice

    Barack Obama is tired of your shit

    3 years ago, I made an awesome discovery: the audiobook version of Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father.

    The main draw of the audiobook is that it’s actually narrated by Obama. It’s interesting to hear him imitate the voices of some of the people that have been important in his life. Like Ray, for example.

    Ray, a former high school classmate, was savvy and streetwise, with a new take on black culture and white America. Best of all, Ray had an extremely colorful manner of self-expression. In other words, he cursed. A lot.

    That means the President curses. A lot.
    In fact you’re about to hear the POTUS swear like a motherfucker.

    Read more at http://www.regretsy.com/2012/09/10/barack-obama-is-tired-of-your-shit/#6gi0DUTvoFpIGHIl.99

    • sagittarius

      LOL, LOL, ROFL! And the cuss words roll so easily off of PBO’s tongue, one knows immediately that these are not foreign phrases.

    • MsKitty

      I’ll listen to these at home where I can fall out laughing in peace.

    • dannie22

      im buying that audiobook lol

  • Miranda

    GOP’s Ryan to go up with TV ads _ for House seat

    HUDSON, Wis. (AP) — Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan plans to begin airing ads in Wisconsin on Wednesday as he asks voters to elect him to an eighth House term he hopes to never serve.

    Contracts formalized Tuesday with at least one Milwaukee television station show that Ryan’s congressional ads will start airing Wednesday morning and go initially for two weeks. Ryan’s congressional campaign manager confirmed that ads defending the seat will run but said additional details would come later.

    more here
    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RYAN_ADS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

    • nellcote

      It would be awesome for him to loose BOTH races.

    • Town

      TRANSLATION: Ryan’s trying to guarantee he has at least one job on Nov. 7th.

      • conlakappa

        Either way, he’s still eligible for a House pension and benefits. We know that he’ll be collecting that check.

  • rikyrah

    Obama Gives Hope to a Son at Portsmouth, N.H., Campaign Stop
    .By Jon C. Hopwood |

    I received news that my mother had passed just after midnight on Friday. Despite her Alzheimer’s, she had been my biggest fan. She was the first to see the photos I took at campaign events; she had even accompanied me to several events. She had the honor of having her picture with her hero, Bill Clinton, and published in the Concord Monitor.

    One, a Romney-Ryan rally at Saint Anselm College, had been an ordeal for her and she had asked me to take her away, away from the hate and bombast.

    I sat with her until well past three in the morning saying my goodbyes. By the time I left — if I was going to get to the Obama-Biden rally at Portsmouth’s Strawberry Banke Museum — I had slept all of one-half-hour in the past 24.

    I felt I would go mad with grief if I didn’t go to see the president. I struggled with whether it was the right thing to do, though I knew she would have wanted me to go. But did I want to go?

    http://news.yahoo.com/obama-gives-hope-son-portsmouth-n-h-campaign-130900215.html

    • nellcote

      Lovely story, thanks!

  • GreenLadyHere

    Good Afternoon miranda/POU FAM♥- – -***BIG HUG*** :>)

    GR8 CONTRASTS:- – - – LOL

    – – — Mr. PRESIDENT in Mansfield — DIVERSITY BACK!! :>)

    - –the WILLARD in Mansfield- – –***puts on SUN GLASSES*** :>)

    FIRST video:- —–Some people— KNOW!! :>)

    - — – - – -SOME PEOPLE- —CAIN’T BUY a CLUE!!—- – geesh

    Have a good day. :>)

  • Miranda

    GM to hire 500 employees in Texas to bring IT in-house

    General Motors will hire 500 new workers in Austin, Texas, as it brings about 90% of its information technology operations back to its own staff from outside contractors who have done it for decades, the company announced Friday.

    more here
    http://www.freep.com/article/20120908/BUSINESS01/309080016/1014/business01?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freep%2Fnayf+%28freep.com+%7C+Auto+news%29

    • nellcote

      If it has to be in Texas, at least it’s in Austin.

      • nellcote

        Just realizing from my comment how hard it is to be President of ALL the states.

  • GreenLadyHere

    miranda – - – -WHEW LAWD — -THIS PHOOL!!- — – -

    —-Romney Adviser Calls Foreign Policy A ‘Distraction’ – — -

    — – -An adviser to Mitt Romney referred to foreign policy as a “distraction” in this year’s presidential election. While President Obama’s campaign continues to focus on the administration’s foreign policy successes and the lack of national security experience from the Romney ticket, Romney aide Robert O’Brien accused the Obama campaign of “going from one shiny object to the next:”

    The Romney campaign, however, doesn’t think national security is a winning issue for Obama.

    Romney foreign policy advisor Robert O’Brien called the Obama campaign’s tactic a transparent ploy to distract from the sagging economy, including a recent jobs report that was “a disaster for them.”

    “It doesn’t surprise me that they’re raising foreign policy because it’s another distraction from the Administration’s terrible economic record,” O’Brien told BuzzFeed. “They’re going from one shiny object to the next.”- -

    - — –SNIP- – -

    — LOL –Even his own advisers and supporters have no idea what Romney’s foreign policy is and his recent foreign trip that was supposed to be a slam dunk in beefing up his security bona fides bombed, spawning the not-so-flattering moniker “Romney Shambles.”
    THERE IS MORE – - — -STOOPIDITY!!

    - – - – -ACTUALLY- – — -WHAT is “FOREIGN” 2 HIM —is HOW 2 RUN THIS COUNTRY! — – -annnd HOW 2 RELATE 2 ALL da PEOPLE!!- –LOL

  • Miranda

    U.S. expects to earn $15.1 billion from bailing out AIG: Treasury

    (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday that it expects to raise an additional $2.7 billion from its American International Group stock sale, allowing the United States to earn $15.1 billion from bailing out the insurer.

    Underwriters have exercised their overallotment option to buy additional shares of AIG, the department said. Over the weekend, the Treasury had agreed to sell about 553.8 million shares of AIG, slashing the government’s stake in the insurer to 15.9 percent from 53.4 percent.
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/us-usa-aig-treasury-idUSBRE88A18D20120911

  • nellcote

    Emoprogs go stupid once again:

    Progressive groups are calling out Ann Romney this week, venturing once again into territory where establishment Democrats refuse to tread. Progressives say the Romney campaign — which has made Ann Romney the core of its outreach efforts to women and other groups — has made the would-be first lady part of the conversation.

    Democrats have been burned every time they’ve even approached talking about Ann Romney, insisting spouses are off-limits and wary that any criticism of a popular, charming woman will backfire. Progressives say that leaves a lot of ammunition sitting on the table. Outside observers agree with Democrats that going after Ann Romney is not worth the risk.
    …

    The Democratic Party did not respond on the record to PCCC’s new ad campaign, but it’s safe to say Democrats will not be following in progressive groups’ footsteps any time soon. Longtime Democratic strategist Celinda Lake said that’s the right call.

    “At this point I think voters want to hear about Romney/Ryan and not others,” she told TPM in an email Monday. Lake did say, however, that focusing on Ann Romney’s “Meet the Press” appearance would be “good for internet fundraising.”
    …
    http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/ann-romeny-liberal-target.php?ref=fpb

    • gc

      nellcote they never LEFT stupid. Luckily the party under Obama flicks them away.

      • jeremy

        They don’t understand strategy and winning. All they know is losing. Following the emo left will lead to sure defeat as the record speaks for itself.

        • gc

          They won’t allow themselves to consider other POV ‘s lest they lose their tenuous hold on their self esteem. Just like tea baggers.

          I gave them up after dkos, and gave up the media last year. Original “source material” and TPV/POU. And my own mind. Good enough.

        • MonieTalks

          Oh, they understand strategy already…strategy to undermine the President and other Democrats. I call it the “Grover Norquist signature strategy”, famously carried out by Baby Jane.

          Ann Romney offers nothing, and actually turns off many. Her mannerisms and air of entitlement says it all. But she should not be the focus of political ads. It will only give her a victim card to play.

          I trust nothing of this self-proclaimed base, who hated PBO profusely his entire term and helped diminish support pre-2010 election. Who the hell needs these ratfuckers help anyone. Suspiciously they wanna attack Ann Romney when even the lazy ass shill media cedes that PBO chances are better than ever. Don’t rust them AT ALL.

          • gc

            For me the final coffin nails were the support of racism at their blogs and the Working Class Supporting OWS preventing the working class from getting to their jobs. They are
            “dead to me.”

          • nellcote

            I don’t know if she was snarking but I think Celinda Lake gets it right when she said “focusing on Ann Romney’s “Meet the Press” appearance would be “good for internet fundraising.”

          • conlakappa

            Celinda Lake is a very smart, strategic, big-picture thinker. I think she was kinda cracking on them for their world basically being a virtual one.

    • TyrenM

      Adam Green – he stay fucking up (h/t kennymack)!

  • Miranda

    Author Michael Lewis’ Six Months With President Obama

    Michael Lewis, acclaimed author of “Boomerang,” “The Big Short,” “Moneyball” and “The Blind Side,” was given exclusive access for six months with President Barack Obama. Lewis wrote an in-depth profile on the president for Vanity Fair’s October issue.
    He discussed his experience on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” Tuesday and at length off-air.

    CNBC: How did you nab the most exclusive interview ever given by a sitting president? (Read More: Obama – Our Problems Can Be Solved.)

    Lewis: I sent an email to Jay Carney [White House press secretary] saying someone should write an old school journalist style [profile], like Harry Truman’s profile in the New Yorker way back when. Carney rang me back and said, “He wants to make it happen.” I went. “Who’s ‘HE’?” — Carney is like, um, HE is the president. Come in, we’ll have you talk to our staff and see … how we can do it.

    more here
    http://www.cnbc.com/id/48987738

    • nellcote

      How did you nab the most exclusive interview ever given by a sitting president?
      ===
      1 Be a good knowledgeable reporter
      2 Don’t be an asshole

      • conlakappa

        Lewis is a Princeton alum. Maybe he worked the old school ties with the First Lady.

  • creolechild

    Florida Voter Purge Caught Just One Non-Citizen Voter |

    Months after Florida first began its purge of the state’s voter rolls, officials now have something to show for it: a single prosecutable case of voter fraud by an immigrant from Canada. Josef Sever, 52, is the only person found to have been falsely presenting himself as a US citizen in Florida, and voted in the last two presidential elections despite being a Canadian citizen. Earlier this month, a spokesman for Florida’s Secretary of State Ken Detzner told NPR that the state was investigating “several” possible cases of voter fraud. That number now appears to be down to just six other outstanding investigations into possible cases of voter fraud, in a state where 8.3 million people voted in 2008.

    http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/09/10/819111/florida-voter-purge-caught-just-one-non-citizen-voter/

    H/T Adam Peck

  • creolechild

    House GOP Backs Off Spending Demands To Prevent Government Shutdown

    House Republicans have dropped their demands to cut spending on domestic programs, for the time being, and instead unveiled bipartisan legislation to keep the government funded through the end of the year at previously-agreed-upon levels.[....]

    But with the election less than two months away, Republicans recognize that touching off another showdown would be too politically dangerous. Senate Democrats have insisted for months that Republicans honor funding levels they agreed to in last year’s debt limit deal and have made clear they won’t budge from those numbers.[....]

    Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/hal-rogers-continuing-resolution-government-shutdown.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

    H/T Sahil Kapur

    • conlakappa

      Johnny Orange was in no way going to jeopardize more seats and Hairdo Cantor is running scared. Notice we haven’t heard much from him lately.

      • creolechild

        Cantor is gearing up for his re-election bid. Apparently, it’s not going to be a cake walk this time around because his poll numbers have taken a substantial nosedive. The women in his district want him gone! I read that he and E. Wayne Powell are scheduled to have a debate in a few weeks.

        • conlakappa

          This I know. Virginia is the export State for this part of Maryland. OFA folk from here have been going there and Hairdo definitely doesn’t want them to mess with his thing.

  • creolechild

    Five Things You Should Know About Solyndra During The 2012 Campaign

    [....] Today, the Republican party is using Solyndra as a key tool in its campaign against Obama — smearing the entire clean energy industry in the process. If you’ve been paying attention to the issue over the last year, you’ve likely heard the name “Solyndra” so many times it makes you nauseous. But most Americans are only now paying attention to the campaign, so it’s likely that many are hearing the name for the first time. If you’re wondering what the GOP claims on Solyndra are all about, here are some facts to put the issue in context:[....]

    Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/09/06/805001/five-things-you-should-know-about-solyndra-during-the-2012-campaign/

    H/T Stephen Lacey

  • Miranda

    Breaking News‏@BreakingNews
    US markets close with Dow at highest level since December 2007 – @cnbc http://bit.ly/U6CBad

    • nellcote

      again? ho-hum LOL

    • TyrenM

      They’ll be totally sick if it gets back to that 14,000 before election day. Mitt really won’t have shit to say about economy stewardship. 13,300 and rising.
      I’m glad for those who lost hella retirement funds who had to work 4-5 more years trying to get some of it back.

  • creolechild

    LOL! You mad, bro?

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the United States had “no moral right” to tell Israel to back down on the Iran nuclear program issue, because it had not taken action itself, according to The Christian Science Monitor.[....] He said, “The world tells Israel: ‘Wait. There’s still time.’ And I say: ‘Wait for what? Wait until when?’ Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don’t have a moral right to place a red light before Israel.”[....]

    Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the White House declined Netanyahu’s request to meet with President Barack Obama during a UN conference at the end of the month, marking a low point in relations between the two countries. Haaretz called Netanyahu’s earlier remarks an “unprecedented verbal attack” on the US government.[....]

    Read more: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/israel-and-palestine/120911/netanyahu-says-us-cannot-red-light-isr

    H/T Priyanka Boghani

    • nellcote

      Reuters) – The White House has rejected a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet President Barak Obama in the United States this month, an Israeli official said on Tuesday, after a row erupted between the allies over Iran’s nuclear programme.

      An Israeli official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Netanyahu’s aides had asked for a meeting when he visits the United Nations this month and “the White House has got back to us and said it appears a meeting is not possible. It said that the president’s schedule will not permit that.”
      …

      Recent tougher Israeli rhetoric has stoked speculation that Israel might attack Iran before the U.S. election in November, believing that Obama would be forced to give it military help to avoid alienating pro-Israeli voters.

      But over the past week, Netanyahu, in calling for a “red line”, had appeared to be backing away from military action and preparing the ground for a possible meeting with Obama.

      Opinion polls suggest that a majority of Israelis do not want their military to strike Iran without U.S. support.

      Defense Minister Ehud Barak seemed to criticize Netanyahu’s assault on the Jewish state’s biggest ally.

      “Despite the differences and importance of maintaining Israel’s independence of action, we must remember the importance of partnership with the United States and try as much as possible not to hurt that,” a statement from his office said.

      http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/us-israel-iran-netanyahu-idUSBRE88A10B20120911

      • Camille

        Netanyahu keeps pushing the limits and keeps losing Israel support from Americans who might otherwise be sympathetic,

        He has lost his mind and thinks he can continue to strong arm America, influence our elections and get Romney to do his bidding.

        Netanyahu is in for a world of hurt.

        • nellcote

          But he gives the goopers a talking point. That’s all he’s caring about right now.

        • TyrenM

          Tell him again – u don’t run shit up in here.

      • rikyrah

        go sit yo’ ass down, Bibi.

    • conlakappa

      Bibi, Bibi, Bibi, sit down and shut up. You’re letting your bromance with Mittens blind you. Chill. Or take up with someone else’s wife agan.

  • creolechild

    Colorado Secretary of State Gives Up On Voter Purge

    Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler (R) has decided not to pursue a voter purge he initiated by sending letters asking almost 4,000 voters to prove their citizenship. After 482 people responded with proof and almost 90 percent of the suspected non-citizens were verified through a federal database, Gessler planned to challenge 141 names still in question, but does not have enough time to handle the hearings before Election Day. Instead, he is handing over the names to county clerks who may challenge them at the polls or when they receive absentee ballots.[....]

    These remaining 141 people comprise .004 percent of Colorado voters. Gessler blamed the Department of Homeland Security for the time crunch, saying the department “dragged its feet” when Colorado and other states fought for access to a federal database of immigrants and legal residents. DHS eventually gave Gessler access, but Gessler found “no confirmed non-citizens.”

    Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/09/11/826661/colorado-secretary-of-state-gives-up-on-voter-purge/

    H/T Aviva Shen

    • rikyrah

      showed his ass and people see what he’s up to.

  • nellcote

    Read the report, know your rights!

    Bullies At The Ballot Box: Protecting The Freedom To Vote Against Wrongful Challenges And Intimidation

    Overview
    This report first provides background on the current threat of overly aggressive voter challenge tactics and the history of such efforts in previous elections. The report then details what is permissible and legal when it comes to challenging a voter’s eligibility, both before and on Election Day and inside and outside the polling place. We analyze laws in ten states governing:
    •The process for challenging a registered voter’s right to vote before Election Day and the use of voter caging lists;
    •The process for challenging a registered voter’s right to vote on Election Day;
    •The behavior of poll watchers or observers at the polls on Election Day; and
    •Protections for voters against intimidation, outside and inside the polls.

    The report measures the extent to which each state’s laws protects voters’ rights in these areas, and assesses them in a set of comparative charts as satisfactory, mixed, or unsatisfactory. Each section includes recommendations for best practices in each of the areas we examine.2

    Findings

    In examining the ten states’ laws governing challenges to voters’ right to vote before Election Day, including the use of voter lists created through caging or other unreliable practices, we find Colorado, Nevada, and Ohio are satisfactory, North Carolina and Texas are mixed, and Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia – five out of the ten states – unsatisfactory.3

    In assessing these states’ laws governing challenges to voter’s right to vote on Election Day, and procedures for determining those challenges, we find that while some of the ten states have practices that protect voters’ rights, other states need improvement.4
    •Texas does not allow for any voter challenges on Election Day, and Ohio only allows challenges by election officials; Colorado, New Hampshire, and North Carolina also have satisfactory protections for voters from improper Election Day challenges.
    •Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia have laws that are mixed, with some provisions that protect voters’ rights but also room for improvement.
    •Florida and Pennsylvania have laws with unsatisfactory protections to guard against inappropriate Election Day challenges to voter eligibility.

    Our analysis of these states’ laws governing poll watchers or observers and their conduct at the polls shows they are also mixed in the extent to which they protect voters’ rights. The laws of Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia are satisfactory; Florida, Missouri, and New Hampshire are mixed. However, Pennsylvania and Texas allow behavior by poll observers or poll watchers that could endanger voting rights.5

    We also summarize these states’ laws protecting voters from intimidation, both outside and inside the polls. State and federal laws barring intimidation of voters can be used to protect voters from harassment.6 However, the efficacy of these protections depends on robust enforcement by election administrators and law enforcement officials.

    http://www.demos.org/publication/bullies-ballot-box-protecting-freedom-vote-against-wrongful-challenges-and-intimidation

  • creolechild

    Five Things You Should Know About Solyndra During The 2012 Campaign

    Today, the Republican party is using Solyndra as a key tool in its campaign against Obama — smearing the entire clean energy industry in the process.

    If you’ve been paying attention to the issue over the last year, you’ve likely heard the name “Solyndra” so many times it makes you nauseous. But most Americans are only now paying attention to the campaign, so it’s likely that many are hearing the name for the first time. If you’re wondering what the GOP claims on Solyndra are all about, here are some facts to put the issue in context:[....]

    Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/09/06/805001/five-things-you-should-know-about-solyndra-during-the-2012-campaign/

    H/T Stephen Lacey

  • Miranda

    Medicaid to Lose $1.26 Trillion Under Romney Block Grant

    Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney would strip Medicaid of $1.26 trillion over nine years as part of a plan to do away with the open-ended approach to funding the U.S. health-insurance plan for the poor, a Bloomberg Government study found.

    Romney proposes to convert Medicaid to a fixed allotment of money from an entitlement tied to economic indicators and a state’s caseload. Payments from the federal government would grow at 1 percentage point above inflation a year, creating the funding reduction, in exchange for fewer rules on how states use the money, according to the study released yesterday.

    more here
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-11/medicaid-to-lose-1-26-trillion-under-romney-block-grant.html

    • rikyrah

      can’t say it enough:

      if you don’t have the money to pay Grandma and Grandpa’s nursing home bill – you have no business voting for RMoney.

      if you don’t have the space in your home or the manpower it would take to care for Grandma and Grandpa when they’re thrown out into the street because of the Ryan budget cuts – you have no business voting for RMoney.

      if you don’t have the money to take care of the disabled adult in your family – you have no business voting for RMoney.

      let alone if you are a poor mother that gets healthcare for your children through Medicaid…surely, you know you have no business voting for RMoney.

      I’m just sayin’.

  • nellcote

    Senate advances President Obama’s Veterans Jobs Corps

    WASHINGTON – The Senate overwhelmingly advanced President Obama’s Veterans Jobs Corps legislation, which would provide $1 billion over the next five years to hire post-Sept. 11, 2001-era veterans for public works jobs and give them preference for police and firefighter positions.

    Veterans from the 9/11 era have a consistently higher unemployment rate – 10.9% for August – than the national rate of 8.1%.

    Tuesday’s vote to bring the bill to the Senate floor was 95-1. Democrats led the effort, which came on the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Republicans agreed to begin debate, but it is unclear whether they will support final passage this week.

    http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-veterans-jobs-corps-senate-obama-20120911,0,6773181.story

    • TyrenM

      That’s taking money away from the blahs…
      Don’t beat me up POU. I know there’s more of us (per capita) fighting over there and in need. I just seen Tavis’ name above and…went there.

  • MonieTalks

    First, Zimerman and his wife..Zimmerman’s parents and now his supposed best friend is hustling off of Trayvon Martin’s murder..lowlifes.

    Zimmerman’s best friend pens book, goes on Dr. Phil

    George Zimmerman’s closest friend is going public in defense of what he calls “the most hated man in America.”

    The federal air marshal who took George Zimmerman in after he shot Trayvon Martin and accompanied him to police interrogations has written a book about his experience and will appear on a national TV show Tuesday.

    Mark Osterman and wife Sondra are scheduled to appear at 4 p.m. on Dr. Phil promoting their new book, Defending our Friend; The Most Hated Man in America. The show airs on CBS4….

    His friendship with Zimmerman is controversial, because many critics believe he coached Zimmerman into what to tell police. The lead Sanford Police detective said Zimmerman sounded scripted, and many of the slain teen’s supporters believe it was Osterman who helped draft the talking points.

    Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/11/2997023/zimmermans-best-friend-pens-book.html#morer#storylink=cpy

    • Miranda

      These people are simply nauseating.

    • Town

      I thought Joe Oliver was his best friend?

    • nellcote

      Inflicting Dr. Phil on the world is in the top ten of the worst things Oprah ever did.

    • GreenLadyHere

      HEEY MoneyTalks ***BIG HUG*** :>)

      - — -THESE PEOPLE R the – -EXCREMENT- – - EVEN FLIES AVOID!!>/b>- — -

      - – -KARMA – - -is layin’ in WAIT!!- – - -Trust!!

      Good 2 c U. B BLESSED. U/FAM :>)

  • GreenLadyHere

    miranda- — A BLACK HISTORY MOMENT- – -

    - – —Frederick Douglas statue to be moved to the U.S. Capitol - — -

    - – - -The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday night approved a resolution that will move the bust of Frederick Douglas to the Capitol, making him only the third African-American to be so honored. The other two: Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sojourner Truth. There are 180 busts on display at the Capitol.

    The bill, H.R. 6336, was sponsored by Republican congressman Dan Lundgren of California, and cosponsored by Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the District of Columbia. A similar resolution was introduced in June by Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer.

    On Monday, Norton hailed the introduction of the bill, writing on her House website:

    – - -HOW WONDERFUL!! – -A GR8 HISTORICAL HONOR! :>)

    THANK U Bill sponsors!! :>)

    • Town

      Tavis Smiley does the Dougie.

    • nellcote

      I wonder what the vote totals were.

      • conlakappa

        According to thomas.loc.gov, they voted to suspend the rules and vote by voice vote.

  • Miranda

    CNN Poll: Who will win the presidential debates?

    Washington (CNN) – The presidential debates: They’re the next big thing in the race for the White House.

    So which candidate will have the upper hand in next month’s showdowns?

    more here
    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/11/cnn-poll-who-will-win-the-presidential-debates/comment-page-5/#comment-4394339

    • Camille

      Is that question based on the knowledge that CNN will send Candy Crowley to debate practice with Romney with the actual questions before hand?

      • conlakappa

        To act as what, the podium? She is nervous and fidgety all the time.

  • GreenLadyHere

    miranda — – -Here’s the VIDEO- – –Sooo SOLEMN — -

    - — Video- President Obama and the First Lady Observe a Moment of Silence on 9/11- – –

    - – - – –SUCH BEAUTIFUL- – -REPRESENTATIVES- – — -:>) –

  • Miranda

    But they told us this election was all about the economy…right Mitt?

    Perkins: I’m In Regular Contact With Romney

    Ahead of his group’s annual Values Voter Summit, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins — one the most prominent public supporters of Todd Akin — said he’s in regular contact with Mitt Romney and his presidential campaign, and lauded Romney’s new focus on what he called “issues of faith.”

    “He’s starting to feel more confident about those issues,” Perkins said of Romney during a bloggers briefing Tuesday at the Heritage Foundation. “There’s been a hesitancy because there are theological differences between us evangelicals and the Mormon faith. And you can’t blur that line. And in my discussion with him, I said you can’t blur that line.”

    more here
    http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/tony-perkins-social-issues-mitt-romney.php

    • nellcote

      I wonder if they know about the Mormon practice of posthumously baptizing people into their religion.

      Someone should take a videocam to the conference and ask.

    • gc

      They are on the same page where it devolves into anti-Americanism: superiority complexes and intolerance. I don’t give damn about the find points of their respective dogmas.

  • nellcote

    Jay-Z and Beyonce to host fundraiser for President Obama

    Jay-Z and Beyonce will host an exclusive fundraiser for President Obama next week, EW has confirmed.
    The New York Post first reported the news. The paper states that the $40,000-per-ticket event will take place at Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club Sept. 18 and will be capped at 100 guests. It will be Obama’s last fundraising event in New York before the election

    http://news-briefs.ew.com/2012/09/11/jay-z-beyonce-obama-fundraiser/

    • macademic

      Hi nellcote!

      I thought POU might like this- their previous coproduction of Fela on Broadway was *the business* and the trailer (at link) looks really good:

      Will & Jada Pinkett Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation have officially come on-board as executive producers of Shola Lynch’s Angela Davis documentary, “Free Angela & All Political Prisoners.”

      http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/09/watch_trailer_for_jay-z_will_and_jada_smiths_free_angela_all_political_prisoners_doc.html

      • nellcote

        I’m always glad to see AA entrepreneurs expand their investments in the culture beyond the music biz.

      • TyrenM

        I had to like this. Big up to The ROC! Also, I just began reading Angela Davis’ autobiography. Hard to put down…carry on.

  • creolechild

    Crowdfunding helps community power become reality

    Back in April, President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the JOBS Act), and one of the most heralded elements was so-called crowdfunding. The law sought to solve a major problem: It’s hard to finance small-scale business ventures. Wall Street only cares about multi-million-dollar plays, and securities regulations make small-dollar projects rather difficult (and costly) to jointly fund. The act could have big implications for community-based renewable energy projects.[....]

    The JOBS Act may finally allow thousands of regular folks to make a modest return (5 to 10 percent) by investing in local renewable energy projects. The act allows for crowdfunding under the following circumstances: The project raises less than $1 million. The project owner discloses certain financial information, such as income tax returns, financial statements reviewed by an accountant, or fully audited financial statements.[....]

    Read more: http://grist.org/climate-energy/crowdfunding-for-community-power/

    H/T John Farrell

    • nellcote

      There are so many good ideas in the JOBS Act. I really hope we can get it passed next year.

  • Camille

    Martin Bashir should stop having this Brookings Institute weasel and war monger Michael O’Hanlon on to push his neocon crap and try to sell us Romney as resistant to war when we know differently.

    Mitt Romney is Netanyahu’s poodle and will do whatever he is told to do. That is exactly what Sheldon Adelson has paid for!

    Michael O’Hanlon was one of the biggest cheerleaders for the Iraq war and has always been anti-President Obama even if recently he has tempered his public attacks against him.

    But Michael O’Hanlon’s job is to promote Netanyahu and Israel even before America and the best interests of America.

    • conlakappa

      Unless Adelson was in that venture capital club with Bibi and Mittens, their relationship long pre-dates him. Wasn’t the Newter Adelson’s subject?

  • GreenLadyHere

    miranda — – -REID is RELENTLESS!- – — CLOWNIN’– -BACK!!- – — -LOL —–

    - — -Reid ‘disappointed,’ says it’s too early to give up on deficit deal- – -

    – — – -Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday that he is “disappointed” that his House GOP counterpart has given up hope in achieving a deficit deal this year.

    Reid told reporters that it is far too early to give up on the prospect of a bipartisan deal on taxes and spending during the lame-duck session after Election Day.- – - -LOL

    He said Republicans need to look at the glass “half full” instead of “half empty,” noting that Democrats are willing to extend the Bush-era tax rates for 98 percent of American families.

    “I was disappointed when my friend John Boehner said today that he has no confidence on a budget deal. I think we have to look at the glass being half full and not half empty all the time. I’m confident that we will reach some kind of arrangement,” Reid said.

    “It’s much, much too early to give up,” Reid added. “I’m not going to give up.”
    THERE IS MORE- – - -Seeeeeeeeeee- — –LOL

    He- – - AIN’T — -RIGHT!! :>)

  • Camille

    Jonathan Martin really ought just to be formally presented as spokesman for the Romney campaign, Politico headquarters.

    • nellcote

      Bob Woodward, also, too.

    • rikyrah

      so true…but, he’d have competition from Chucky T, Halperin, etc.

  • creolechild

    On Eve of 9/11 Anniversary, Paul Ryan’s Opposition to First-Responders Bill Revisited

    [....] Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican nominee for vice president, voted July 29, 2010 against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act when the measure first came up for a vote in the House of Representatives[....] Support for the bill fell short, 255-159. Eight weeks later on Sept. 29, when the $7.4 billion package returned to the House floor under regular order, Ryan voted no again. This time, however, the bill was considered under a rule, requiring only a simple majority for passage, and was sent on to the Senate. The Democrat-controlled Senate made its changes to the bill and the House voted on final passage during the lame duck session on Dec. 22, 2010.

    Ryan, along with 167 other members of the House, did not vote on final passage in the House, having already skipped town to return to their congressional districts for the holidays. Ryan explained in a floor statement that he would have opposed the final passage vote, too, calling the bill “deeply flawed.” He also complained that it “would create a new health care entitlement, the World Trade Center Health Program, while also extending eligibility for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001.”[....]

    Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/on-eve-of-911-anniversary-paul-ryans-opposition-to-first-responders-bill-revisited/

    H/T John Parkinson

    • creolechild

      A liar AND a hypocrite!

      Ryan: ‘We Are Truly The Home Of The Brave’

      Paul Ryan praised “those in the military who have sacrificed so much” in a statement on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks:

      “Eleven years ago today, from Capitol Hill, I could see the smoke rising from the fires burning in the Pentagon. Like all Americans, I will never forget the moment that our homeland came under attack. For me, this is a day to remember those who perished on that day of terror, including the first responders.[....]

      Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/ryan-we-are-truly-home-of-brave

      H/T Pema Levy

      • conlakappa

        He must have serious vision to see from the Capitol to the Pentagon.

    • rikyrah

      We have been down on Jon Stewart, but it was Stewart bringing those First Responders on his show, and showing the asses of both the GOP – that voted against the 9/11 First Responders Healthcare Bill , and to the MSM, which didn’t say SHYT about the GOP voting this down…until Stewart showed them up.

  • creolechild

    Marching Against Voter Suppression In Minnesota

    [....] Through the streets of Minneapolis we marched after being energized by speakers who reminded us that it was our turn to follow Dr. King’s example of always speaking truth to power. And the truth of the Minnesota ballot initiative this November, if passed, will be that it will forever change how Minnesotans cast their vote and it could keep up to 500,000 eligible Minnesotans away from the polls. We here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes led the nation again in 2008 in voter turnout thanks in part to our civic pride and a wonderful thing called same day voter registration, which allowed more than 540,000 individuals to cast ballots on election day in 2008.[....]

    Our Supreme Court is due to make a final ruling on this amendment soon. [....] Nowhere does it state what type of government ID must be presented. Nowhere does it state that provisional ballots — an entire new concept to Minnesota – will be issued to voters who can’t produce valid ID. Nowhere does it state that absentee ballots –used by more than 240,000 Minnesotans in 2008, are completely in jeopardy.

    And so we marched…and so we talked to others…and so we will continue to talk to our neighbors and fellow citizens. Our democracy is under attack here in Minnesota, just as it is in other state throughout the land facing voter suppression laws.[....] The real power belongs to ‘We The People.’ It’s up to us to once again do the work to reclaim it from those who seek to take it from us.

    Read more: http://www.winningprogressive.org/marching-against-voter-suppression-in-minnesota?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=marching-against-voter-suppression-in-minnesota

    H/T Joanne Boyer and Winning Progressive

  • Rhoda

    First, I read Mittens actually told two different stories about how he found out about 9/11!

    Then, if that isn’t enough I find Mark Halperin trying to spin that mess by going, hey POTUS might fall down soon too!

    LOL.

    Wow.

    Read, I dare you not to laugh:

    Perspective
    By MARK HALPERIN | September 11, 2012

    4:50 pm ET

    Note to giddy Democrats and fretting Republicans:

    Mitt Romney has lost the vast majority of news cycles in the last thirty days.

    If the President slips up and has a week-long turn in the barrel, the race will look and feel a lot different than it does now.

    Currently, the floor of support under Obama is a huge factor in this contest; if

    Romney puts together a winning streak, the ceiling keeping down the incumbent’s support will become more important.

    I thought John McCain was bad; but damn if the 2012 election isn’t good news for John McCain! The next HBO movie will make him look like a genius in comparison.

    • Kennymack1971

      Mark Halperin ….beltway hack to the bitter end

    • Miranda

      You can actually see Halperin sticking pins in his lil Obama doll. He’s so pitiful. “fi the President slips up and has a week long turn in the barrel”…………LMAO…..Mittens has had what….20 plus weeks of shooting himself in the face? But if PBO mispronounces a word that will equate to a BIG SLIP UP. LMAO

    • Rhoda
    • conlakappa

      Has Jon Hamm pre-informed HBO that he doesn’t want to play Mittens? Give it to Bill Pullman!

    • rikyrah

      sorry, couldn’t make it through without LOL

  • MonieTalks

    I believe every bit of it…

    Romney’s Insensitivity To LGBT People: ‘I Didn’t Know You Had Families’

    David Wilson and Julie Goodridge, two of the plaintiffs whose case led to the legalization of marriage equality in Massachusetts, described meeting with Romney to discuss their experiences. According to Wilson, “it was like talking to a robot. No expression, no feeling.” At one point, Romney remarked, “I didn’t know you had families.” Goodridge recalls her final exchange with the governor, which proved to her that he had “no capacity for empathy”:

    GOODRIDGE: Governor Romney, tell me — what would you suggest I say to my 8 year-old daughter about why her mommy and her ma can’t get married because you, the governor of her state, are going to block our marriage?

    ROMNEY: I don’t really care what you tell your adopted daughter. Why don’t you just tell her the same thing you’ve been telling her the last eight years.

    http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/09/11/831201/romneys-insensitivity-to-lgbt-people-i-didnt-know-you-had-families/

    • Alma98

      Cold as a fish and nasty too.

      • conlakappa

        Unable to process normal human emotionss and reactions. There was no microchp for that. As much warmth as HAL.

    • Miranda

      SMH……….Barney Frank was right bout those Log Cabin Republicans.

    • rikyrah

      I didn’t know you had families?

      W-T-F?

      did he think they sprung from the ground?

  • GreenLadyHere

    POU FAM – -annnnd gotta “hit da road”- – - -:>) C YA —as soon as. :>)

  • creolechild

    Guest blogger Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo: As Amtrak improves and expands, more Americans choose to ride the rails

    [....] For the first time, Virginians will be able to board Amtrak trains in Norfolk and reach Richmond, Washington, D.C. and the many other destinations along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. And at the northern end of this vital corridor, the State of Maine expects the new Amtrak Downeaster extension from Portland to Brunswick to begin service later this fall.

    This news comes at a time when Amtrak is more popular than ever. Since 2000, Amtrak’s ridership has increased 43 percent, with annual ridership records set eight out of the last nine years. Last year, America’s passenger rail carrier reported 30 million passengers.[....] This turnaround was no accident. It was a concerted effort to identify and conquer new markets. To revitalize customer service. To forge new partnerships with the states to provide regional services. To wisely reinvest in rail infrastructure.

    Read more: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2012/09/more-americans-are-choosing-amtrak-than-ever-before.html
    .

  • creolechild

    FHWA Saves Taxpayers $78 Million with Innovative Approach to Bridge Reviews

    The Federal Highway Administration today announced a proposal to save taxpayers money and speed the time it takes to replace or repair bridges by doing away with individual historic preservation reviews for common bridge types, built after 1945, that will soon need repair or replacement.[....]

    “This approach is in line with President Obama’s initiative to promote innovative business practices in order to save time and money,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Not only are we working to save taxpayer money by eliminating unnecessary burdensome reviews, we are redirecting energy and resources where they need to be to rebuild the economy and create jobs.”[....]

    Read more: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa1238.htm

  • MonieTalks

    Damn..

    Romney election triumph would sink US reputation in Europe, poll finds

    Only around one in 20 of those surveyed in Britain, France and Germany by YouGov held a positive view of the Republican presidential nominee.

    The poll of more than 12,000 people across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and China was prepared for the YouGov-Cambridge forum this week at which the Guardian is a media partner.

    read more:

    • Alma98

      Doesn’t surprise me one bit.

  • creolechild

    US Labor Department awards more than $1 million to manage, operate national center for preparing youths with disabilities for employment [09/10/2012]

    The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1.1 million grant to the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C., to manage and operate the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s new National Technical Assistance and Demonstration Center on Preparing Youth with Disabilities for Employment. The center will build capacity within and across youth service delivery systems to improve employment and postsecondary education outcomes for youths with disabilities.

    “Through our investment in this center today, we are laying the groundwork to ensure that youths with disabilities enter the 21st century workplace with the skills and experiences they need to succeed,” said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy.[....]

    Read more: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/ODEP20121853.htm

  • Miranda

    Evening Links Thread is up!