President Obama walks to board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base prior to heading to visit a General Motors assembly plant in Michigan to promote the free trade agreement between Washington and Seoul that was passed by Congress this week.
So I was talking to a wealthy “Independent” last night, who spouts stuff like “the government is the problem!” and “regulations are killing business!” You know. The usual lies that Rush and Fox spew 24/7. Anyway, we had a very congenial (!) conversation about the problems this country faces and he actually said to me, “You know, of course, that Obama is absolutely going to win the election, don’t you? Every Democrat will vote for him, the blacks will vote for him, the Latinos will votes for him. He’s totally going to win.” Hearing this from an “Independent” gave me a glimmer of hope that the country hasn’t lost it’s collective minds, even if some people are listening to Rush and Fox 24/7. It was also interesting to note that facts are really surprising to him. My friend was blaming PBO for the bank bailout and was really surprised when I sent him a quote from Wikipedia that proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that TARP was signed into law by Bush, Jr. (although Sen. Obama did vote in favor of it). He was also really shocked when I told him the proof that Republicans are attempting to steal the next election is in Texas, where they’ve passed a law that makes it legal to accept an NRA photo ID to vote, but a STUDENT photo ID is unacceptable. So, I learned that it’s possible to get through the lies these days. Even wealthy people are shocked at how far the middle class has fallen in the last 30 years. So proud of the over 600k supporters who donated to re-elect this great, great, great president.
Great job Lulu! Thanks for taking the time to correct his wrong assumptions about TARP and a host of other lies perpetrated by the GOP Media against President Obama. One would think that a wealthy person would have more resources to divine the truth for himself of herself and not wait for the media to spin the story. We’ve really got our work cut out for us, but at least he understood that no matter the shenanigans the other side peddles out; PBO will still prevail in the end. But the one thing people have to do is: VOTE.
Perfect example of what I’m always talking about…if there was an actual “media” that practiced actual Journalism, which means pursuing truth to the best of their ability instead of the false “presenting both sides,” the modern-day Repub Party would not exist.
Logic, historical fact, and common sense all show that 98% of what a Repub preaches is completely, utterly false. People would see this then, just like your friend did.
Instead, we have a giant Repub PR machine that poses as Journalism designed to fool people. It’s been in full operation for 30+ years now, hence why it’s so difficult for us to break through with people in our own lives. Their carefully-designed lies are engrained in our nation discourse. One by one though, as you did, we’ll get it back, and it’ll happen faster and faster as long as President Obama is in office.
This gives even more credibility to the answers I’ve received regarding why “independents’ (regardless of income level) may vote republican. The answer I consistently get is because they are ill informed. Many people simply don’t take it upon themselves to know what’s going on. They listen to 30 second sound bites and that’s it. So whomever can afford to most sound bites (Koch, etc) wins. We Americans (many of us) have to be spoon fed information. To me, that’s just sad. Of the eligible voting population, only 40% vote in general elections. Why is that? We have one of the worst voter turn out among “democratic” countries in the world.
So, I sm warching cspan hearing on Solyndra. The Republicans are saying the DOE broke the law because they changed the loan guarantee to appease an Obama fundraiser.
The Democrats are saying that republicans are leaving 50% if the evidence out, to support their conclusions.
Typical manufactured crisis.
Donna thank you so much for your link and Our President is always on top of things and can cut the crap out of a serious moment.Ed Henry and that bunch still think they can embarrass this President and loose every time. Thanks again can fix lunch in the rig now and get some rest.Heading to Florida in about 4 hours have fun all.
A positive note about OWS…Al Giordano is in New York now and ‘observing’ what is going on there. I’m very much looking forward to his reporting from there because he is the very embodiment of Authentic Journalism. His commentary will be genuine and something we can believe-no spin.
Thanks for that heads up, Tien Le! I have great respect for Al Giordano. His writings during the 2008 campaign helped me develop my thick political skin — I’m totally immune to chicken-littling thanks to him . Someone linked to an article of his about OWS a few days ago, but I couldn’t really follow it. I look forward to the first hand reports.
I think Al Giordano is brilliant. I really wish he posted more often, but I know he is busy with his journalism workshops. I will look forward getting some feedback from him on what he encountered. For my money, it should be occupycongress and occuplythevote.
I really like Al too, I remember his last diary at Dkos- he was attacked without mercy by the cretins there led by that stinker slinkerwink.. it was so sad. I have huge respect for him, as like Jackie said, during the primaries & election - he was always level-headed and solid in his writing. Please let us know when he posts his commentary, as I too, would appreciate his insight.
I love Harry’s Law, how she gets those great speeches in. I believe it is one of the best TV shows ever! Loved that closing argument when she said all those names.
I’ll be reposting this idea for the next couple of days> So far we have three people who would like to participate. 12 more to go
TOD Family,
One of the things that OFA has asked us fundraisers to do is to recruit new fundraisers. I would like to challenge the TOD family to see if we can get 15 of our bloggers who would setup a fundraiser thermometer and each of them get 5 donations this month. We can have money bombs (if Chips is okay with this) on designated days which are a lot of fun. Its almost like an online money party where you get fellow supporters to donate to your page.
It’s a simple thing that you can do that has tremendous impact on the campaign and even our overseas followers can be fundraisers (they just cannot donate). Some of us are going through financial distress and cannot donate so again this is a way for you to participate and help the campaign.
We would call ourselves the TOD Fundraising Crew and we would challenge ourselves every month with a goal of a certain number of donations to accumulate each month.
I’d love to get some feedback. Its okay if the blog community would rather (feel free to voice your concerns we all learn from each other) or not but I thought I would just throw it out there.
I think its a great idea Donna- I had a fundraising page in the last election, just a small goal- but met it. I haven’t done one yet for this election, but I will, although I have to put it off for a while longer.
I’m trying very hard to move, get my household in order and restart in a new place and thus I don’t feel I can be very vigilant at this point on fundraising. By early next year, I will set one up though… for now, I’ve been giving automatically each month for several months.. and try to give to the fundraisers you all have set up here and at Obama/Biden2012, an additional little bit each month.
Did you see me say in the previous post about being ready to join in with any other quilters to donate one for a fundraiser? I can’t do the page, but I could do this in a heartbeat.
We Introduce the Show to The Huffington Post Audience; Herman Cain and his Ridiculous 999 Plan; News Media Policy Coverage; Corporate Media Monopolies; Michele Bachmann and the Hero Worship of Saint Reagan; Tax Rates in the 1980s; The Values Voters Summit and the ‘Cult’ of Mormonism; Senate Republicans Filibuster the American Jobs Act; and much more!
Do President Obama and President Lee need to travel seperately? Since he’s not in the photo (Pres Lee) I thought maybe there are security reasons for them to not travel together- two presidents, etc.
meta I just watched PBO and Southkorean President Lee In Detroit, and it was a BRLLIANT move by PBO to take
President Lee with HIM just Brillaint. Both President understand each other and both are very smart, and have a
similar background. THe MSM will not know what hit them on their asses on 2010 PBO will have AA, Latinos. and Asians
comunities supporting PBO and this is BIG.
Sherijr, Yes they must a security to World leaders on the same aircraft is a no no just in case some fool wants to try something.The Vice President never travels on Air Force One With the President. in fact it is rare time they are in the same town out side of Washington.
Hey wesleya17- thanks for that answer, appreciate it.. I wasn’t sure.. and I’d forgotten about POTUS & VP not being able to travel together-
I’ve seen your comments here & there about being on the road.. I’m guessing you’re a truck driver? I ask because one of my sons works/lives in MD as a diesel mechanic at a big travel/ repair station.. can’t think of the name of it right now.
Sherijr Yes semi-retired Truck driver I drive to give my Son a break to be with his family and to keep my hand in the business signing the checks get old love being out with the guys.The years have been good but I know what a toll it took on my family and a loving wife who raised Three sons and kept a wonderful home.So when my son needs sometime with his family me and sometimes the wife hit the road and this is the time we chose. She gets to navigate and shop when we have time.As for your sons repair station might be the one in Frederick,MD
Oh thats so nice of you- regarding helping out with your son.. I would imagine being a truck driver does take a huge toll on one’s family. I should know where my son works… but I honestly can’t recall where in MD.. I’m gonna have to ask him- he has only been out of school & on the job since May- he works the night shift, but he really seems to be enjoying the work. Have safe travels wesleya~
I know MSM often gets it wrong - but this story is a constructive one
Home Builders Unite to Use American Made Products
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/10/home-builders-unite-to-use-american.html
After the story aired they were asked by readers to pressure box stores. Home Depot and Lowes were contacted. Home Depot said if customers request these products they will stock them. So every time you go into Lowes or Home Depot ask to talk to management and tell them you want to see them stock American made building materials in their store.
I don’t want to make too much of this. But something finally dawned on me when I saw the news today that a group of Republican senators were introducing what they called a “real” American jobs bill. Then today Speaker Boehner spoke to President Obama and volubly denied the president’s claim that House Republicans lacked any jobs proposals. And Boehner’s office sent out this email ‘read out’ of the call.
…
And remember the deficit super-committee?
We’re going to hear about it again next month as it moves toward what will apparently be deadlock and failure. Somehow though that whole line of argument has shifted into the background.
I don’t suggest that the president’s political fortunes have shifted dramatically. Yet despite the fact that Senate Republicans were able to block a vote on his jobs bill, it seems to have gone with relatively little notice — probably because it’s right there in plain sight — how much the president’s day in and day out push on jobs has simply shifted the national conversation, the focus on what the issue is that requires solving.
I think this is a bigger deal than we realize.
Basically, PBO has shifted the national conversation from deficits to jobs. And the GOP is feeling the heat for continuing to focus on the deficit. Brilliant.
Many of us crazed Obamatrons have been making that exact argument the whole time, here and other places. Better late than never, Josh! Maybe Josh can remember that next time he and his team decide to waste tons of blog space on telling President Obama that he’s naive and what he “needs to” do.
I stopped reading there entirely over a year ago, and there’s plenty of new trusted places now that can figure this stuff out in advance or as it’s happening, since some people, oh I don’t know, strangely think we could all learn a thing or two from America’s first melanin-enhanced President.
And the new polls showing Dems leading Reps in the generic Congressional ballot have all come out post-jobs push. Maybe now those on our team will stop gnashing their teeth and realize that PBO just may actually know what he’s doing.
President Obama pretty much is as politically savvy as one can get. He bides his time, but behind the curtain he’s setting up how various events play out. The naive media thought he had lost the ball during the debt ceiling debate but what their short-sightedness failed to see was that he was getting that mess out of the way, quietly preparing his jobs bill and getting ready to hit the republicans between the eyes. The media is idiotic to count President Obama out time after time. They did it during healthcare, during financial reform, during DADT and on and on and on. You’d think they’d learn after getting egg after egg on their faces; but I guess they’re masochists for humiliation. One should never count PBO out; because when it seems like you’ve got his back against the wall, he comes out swinging like a JUGGERNAUT; and that is a thing of beauty to behold.
The idea that PBO could undo the premises of the Reagan Revolution and the subsequent 30 years of conservative dominance with a wave of a finger was, at best, a disingenuous belief among some of our “friends” on the left. Reagan didn’t come about in a vacuum. The right built up its forces bit by bit, until it was ready to make a play for power. But if you look at everything that Obama has done in his 3 years in office, it’s been to slowly chip away at the received wisdom of the past generation of political discourse. And now he’s pushing even harder, knowing that he has momentum.
I remember during the 90s that Bill Clinton was hailed as the best politician of his generation. But what did he do with all that political acumen? He basically implemented GOP policies, cementing the Regan Revolution even more firmly. PBO isn’t only cleaning up the conservatives’ messes; a lot of the onus falls on Clinton as well.
Investors to vote against Murdochs at News Corp meeting
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/14/us-newscorp-hermes-idUSTRE79D1FA20111014?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=56943
Despite Denials, Sources Say Darrell Issa Was Briefed On Details Of ATF’s ‘Fast And Furious’
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/despite_denials_darrell_issa_was_briefed_on_details_of_atfs_fast_and_furious_operation.php
Politico’s Julie Mason is so disgusting. Her manner is nauseating. She is usually real busy writing bad things about the president or snide remarks about Michelle. But she found time to appear on Andrea Mitchell’s show today to warn about Obama’s tricky relationship with the African American community and how it’s going to be treacherous for him at the MLK Jr. ceremony. Give me a break, disingenuous Julie Mason who has “issues”.
You and I were writting a complaint about the same thing!
the punditry do not really understand what is going on in the black community.
ordinary people are with President Obama and will ostracise any one who critisizes PBO unfairy because they understand the hostility that is directed at him on a daily basis.
some the beltway, academics, and rich blacks have the microfone and are the ones who are speaking loudest but they DO NOT speak for regular black people
Agreed. What does Julie Mason know about black people? Does she even know any black people? What these folks underestimate is the undercurrent of anger and quiet rage that many black people feel about the way PBO has been treated. They also forget that 16% black unemployment means 84% of black people are employed. They act as though all of us are angry with PBO because 16% of us are not working. It is such a simplistic and insulting analysis of how we view things. Black people close ranks when they believe one of their own is being unfairly maligned or railroaded and once we close ranks our support is impenetrable until we perceive the threat no longer exists. So, the more they pound away at PBO the more solid his support becomes. Those very few blacks who don’t support PBO are the ones who never did and many of those don’t even vote. They will regret their disloyalty because we will not forget who was with PBO and who was not.
I am a Fall Fellow with OFA in Detroit and I can tell you all that when I phone bank in Detroit, I hear unwavering and strong support for PBO. Many times before I can complete my question they interrupt to express their unequivocal support and some are almost indignant at the question. They reply, “of course I support the President…absolutely I will vote for him…I just sent him money and yes I will volunteer to help him get re-elected.
Out of hundreds of calls I’ve talked to only one person who said he would not vote for PBO. He had all the PL talking points down. I disputed all of them and asked why is it that he was holding PBO to every word he ever said during the campaign and that he must know that the reality of being President is very different than campaigning to be President. He basically blamed PBO for convincing him that he was different than other politicians. He sounded like a child who did not get what he was promised for Xmas. He seemed almost personally hurt by PBO. I think I was able to get him to at least see that much of what he was angry about was more the fault of Congress, particularly the Republicans, than PBO. He told me he believed PBO had lost 1/3 of his support. I ended the conversation by saying I would call him the day after the election to congratulate him on the election of President PerryRomneyBachman. He was shocked at the suggestion and said there was no way any of them would win. I said how can you be so sure. You are the one that believed PBO had lost 1/3 of his support. If that’s true he can’t win. That seemed to shock the hell out of him and with that I said good bye. Hopefully, I gave him something to think about.
L3, very good job. thank you so much for all you do. we will work to bring those few back if it lack of information. as for the professional Obama-haters, well the 3 of them can go back to their comfortable rich homes and recline for the 2nd term of President Obama.
Julie Mason should become a member of first lady Michelle’s let’s move campaign. I am convinced that most of these right wing women have a crush on President Obama, and the men want to be like him.
White pundits like Julie Mason make statements that the President has trouble with black folks…and then Herman Cain says that black folks blindly follow the President due to blindness…
Does everything President Obama do have to be challenged?
case in point the recent inditement of the Iranian who is alledged to have plotted to kill the Saudi Ambassador? I must say that I had missed the fact that some in th beltway think that this is made up by PBO an Team Obama.
I also see these MSM types trying hard to sound like tavis and west, saying that President Obama has a problem with civil rights leaders? really, i guess they missed the fact that the NAACP and Urban league leadership routinely meets with PBO to plot out a course of action.
the media seems to ignore that the same black leaders who NEVER supported PBO in the primary are the same ones that are attacking him now because most have gotten used to getting rich within the system. some are infact partly responsible for the currently poverty in the community. they and their family members got theirs and they let the regular poor people down.
Listen, the media has identified the person they want to win the 2012 elections - and that person is Mitt Romney. So going forward, do not expect to see or hear ANYTHING positive about President Obama coming from the media. All the distractions with Herman Cain, Perry, etc. are just diversions to avoid having to scrutinize their candidate Romney. They are hoping that Romney will appeal to certain “progressives” who have a real problem with the President’s race but won’t openly admit. Romney is going to run on the MSM & PL fake platform of President Obama as being unable to lead. Since Romney doesn’t even have an economic policy (because PBO actually has the best policy), he has to resort to false memes and rely on the MSM’s swiftboating tactics.
I think you’re right.. the media has their candidate and will fixate on anything BUT Romney in an effort to give him leeway to be & do nothing. that explain Chris Tweetybird’s bs about POTUS not being a ‘people person’. All the malarky they can spew for the next 14 months.
Fake wrestling champion Hulk Hogan supported President Obama in 2008, but alas, the honeymoon is over, Hogan said Thursday during a Fox News appearance.
“I was a big Obama supporter and kinda, like, believed everything he said he was gonna do,” Hogan said on Fox and Friends. “But now that nothing’s happened…”
Hogan said he was still sore about the president using his theme song, “I Am a Real American” when Obama addressed the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner shortly after he released his long form birth certificate earlier this year.
“I kinda was a little upset that he didn’t ask me permission to use my music,” Hogan added. “But the change of heart is that I think I should be president. I know nothing about politics. I think a flat tax across the board would straighten everything out.”
When told that the Hulk’s idea sounds something like presidential candidate Herman Cain’s “9-9-9 Plan,” he responded, “Wow, yeah well he’s not a real American like I am. . . . I’ve been around, people know me, they know everything about me, they know I’m for real, they know I know nothing about politics. I’ll just make decisions on what’s right or wrong.”
Hulk has been knock in the head to many times. Who gives a dam what he think? Really. Maybe the steroids are taking affect, who knows. Who cares what some washed up wrestler have to say?
He’s got a creepy relationship with his daughter, I’ll just leave it at that. I’m glad he’s no longer running around claiming to support this President.
BREAKING NEWS: 1:39 PM - OBAMA SENDS 100 U.S. TROOPS TO CENTRAL AFRICA TO FIGHT LRA
Obama Deploying Troops To Africa
Detailed in a letter to Congress, President Obama has authorized the deployment of a small number of troops to provide assistance and information to the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in central Africa.
I know the place where LRA operates because this within my ancestral birthplace.
in fact their origins were in my home country but their activities extend in many countries in east and central Africa and in Sudan and Chad.
the LRA has been known for mass mutilation of young people, mass rapes of women, robbing gold, cobalt and diamonds and now they say there is a possibility of oil.
this is one intervention I will full support and it long overdue
TIME Poll: Obama Still Ahead of GOP Rivals, Voters Side With Dems on Taxes
Despite sweeping pessimism about the nation’s fortunes and his own sliding approval ratings, President Obama leads potential Republican rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Perry in hypothetical general-election match-ups, according to a new TIME poll.
Obama leads Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who sits atop the GOP presidential field, 46% to 43% among likely voters. The President has opened a double-digit lead over Perry, 50% to 38%, highlighting concerns percolating through the GOP that the Texas governor would face a steep uphill climb should he capture the nomination. Obama also boasts a 49% to 37% edge over businessman Herman Cain, whose strong Tea Party support has propelled him toward the top of Republican ranks in recent weeks. In each case, the President was buoyed by his performance among female voters. Women prefer Obama over Romney by eight percentage points (49% to 41%), by 17 points over Perry (53% to 36%) and by 21 points over Cain (53% to 32%). (See photos of Republicans taking over New Hampshire.)
I’m LOVING the friendship between President Lee and POTUS. They are so warm with one another. He got a great welcome from the sweet crowd. This was a BRILLIANT idea!!!!
I told you so to take president Lee to Detrot it’s just a masterful idea, By now MItten is shiting on his pants
when he told Detroit to go (F) themselves ans PBO save the Automobile Industry and many jobs. So Mitt
go (F) yourself now and say good by to MIchigan ha. ha. ha.
Just listen to those workers yelling for the President. That was a great thing for both the Presidents to do. It shows what he is doing for the country. PressOn!!!!
very nice reception by the employees of the auto company - yes Government Motors is not a dirty word!!! Brilliant speech by both President Obama and President Lee
They had better vote out all those horrid Repubs in Michigan. I am worried about the Dems in Michigan. They don’t seem to be working together as much as the Dems in Wisconsin. I follow Eclectablog and he talks about the Dems not supporting the governors recall. They do worry me. The President saved that state and some of the people don’t seem to care.
Hi MTmarilyn, I’m in MI and I signed the recall petition but I still have not found out what happened and why they failed to collect enough signatures. I had no idea there was even a problem and was shocked that the recall was essentially called off for lack of signatures. I thought there was great momentum to get it done. I will say that from what I’ve observed there is a lot of division amongst Democrats in Michigan.
Hi L3. Maybe you can direct as many of your Dem friends in Michigan to our TOD site. We can FIRE them UP and get them involved in a positive way. We & they can be stronger in numbers.
And Mark Knoller is having a meltdown on Twitter….snarkily saying that both President sounded like they were giving campaign speeches. I promptly reminded him that the media always sounds like they’re campaigning for the Republicans. And I used his friend Ed Henry as an example.
so what if the Presidents campaign for GM cars and autoworkers? I do not see anything wrong with the President promoting the investments the American people made into the auto-industry
Yes…a horse is a horse of course,a horse. BUT,atleast Mr Ed was funny. Ed Henry is an unfunny, snide little ‘trying to be cute and funny man’. Pathetic is the decent word that comes to mind!
Short sighted idiots. http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/10/14/regulation-works-rebates-could-hamper-efforts-by-some-congressional-republicans-to-repeal-affordable-care-act/
desertflower, you are being too kind calling them short-sighted! I am thinking of a lot of words I could trade with you here but okay let me follow your decent manners
News that the Obama administration is sending combat troops to Uganda hit many in the US as a surprise. The soldiers are heading there with the Ugandan government’s approval in order to help combat the Lord’s Resistance Army.
That fact will make it less of a shock to Africans hearing this news. They know the LRA as a feared and brutal insurgency.
The LRA’s operations are spread across several countries in Africa’s so-called “Great Lakes Region,” including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Sudan.
However, Uganda has borne the bulk of their violence. That’s especially true of the country’s northern parts, where the LRA has run an insurgency since being formed in 1987.
Since 1988 the group has been led by Joseph Kony, a fifty-something former Catholic altar boy who apparently believes himself to be a spiritual medium and a spokesperson for God.
If so, then it’s a violent god he serves: the LRA has long been hammered by the United Nations for its reliance on child soldiers; and the actions those young troops commit include mutilation and the sexual enslavement of women.
Kony was indicted in 2005 by the International Criminal Court on 33 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He has so far evaded arrest, however. The US government lists the LRA as a terrorist organization.
I can attest that this is true as I wrote above. As said, I was born in there and I am often in the region. and I can tell you that the actions of these monsters from LRA have been very brutal.
example s of actions include raiding schools, churches and villages, capturing child soldiers, chopping off thier hands, lying to people they captured that if they go to the front line, they will not be harmed due to oil smeared on their bodies, burning villages.
When people in northern Uganda hear troop deployment, they will be supportive
The LRA has been committing unspeakeble atrocities over MULTIPLE COUNTRIES and over MANY years.
The area of strong operation of the LRA is within at least four countries that share a corner of the region where movement from one to another is very easy.
In addition, a few dictators (they call themselves Africa’s Strong Men) in this area have used the presence of the LRA as a cynical excuse of why they are the only answer to the threat posed so they must keep power for life. removing this excuse LRA from these leaders will contribute to a reducing the grip of these dictators and hopefully some may “retire”.
People of East and Central Africa and Southern Sudan will appreciate any actions that put a stop to these attrocities. this is especially true for women who rapped repeatedly and in public by these rebels
ps: President Obama knows this area well because Uganda shares a border with Kenya and the people across his father’s ancestral home walk back and and live cross-boarder depending on which area is safe and prosperous at the moment
I say AWESOME. These are absolute monsters and have ravaged the region for almost 30 years — correct me globalcitizenlinda if I’m wrong with length of time. Kids have been kidnapped and put thru the “Blood Diamond” type of horrors. With the LRA’s operating arena being in Congo, No. Uganda, and Sudan, I’m glad help is on it’s way. LRA has also ramped up atrocities in the Congo, adding more horror to an already horrible situation.
xtine, you are right. I have seen the results of their actions with my own eyes. I have been to this area of northern Uganda for community development.
in the past, this used to be an area with one of the good infrastructure, education and health institutions. it had one of the highest number of educated people and a thriving economy including agriculture.
agricultural products from this area were exported to feed people in Sudan, Somalia, Egypt and other parts of the Sahel. famines were not a common occurence because they grow some of the crops that thrive in dry areas and are very easy to store in places were refridgeration is rare.
now this area has been torched to leave grassland. people are starving.
for those interested in wild life, the LRA has also destroyed a huge number of rare and common species in the game reserves in this area. they are some of the worst people in killing elephants for their tusks.
Wow, globalcitizenlinda! Thank you for your community dev. work in that area! So needed. Would love to hear about your experiences there!
Also another thing to keep in mind is LRA’s operating arena. The problem w/ Kony (LRA leader) is that he won’t let LRA go the way RENAMO in Mozambique went. Kony is about Kony and the bastard won’t exit earth! With the new Republic of South Sudan, it’s crucial that LRA does not create further havoc at those border towns, as it has done in Uganda and the Congo. LRA thrives in chaos. If South Sudan, northern Uganda & eastern Congo are in chaos, it’s only a hop-skip eastwards to say, Somali undesirable elements.
When I read about LRA and wildlife killing, the only thing I could think of is that this is their modus operandi — kill, devastate everything in the path. That goes for crops, i.e., if you didn’t catch the farmers, starve them, burn their crops & they won’t come back.
this decision is one that has multiplier effects on so many fronts and issues that are critical to preventing human rights abuses and promoting peace..
The safety of Southern Sudan the safety of the displaced people of Dafour and yes the Congo will be impacted positively by this intervention.
I have close friends who come from that area of northern Uganda and now live near me here and are very active supporters of President Obama and voters. often they have to sneak home and they do not spend a lot of time on the ground because of fear.
One has lost a significant number of his immediate family members to war. as a result, some elders beg him to keep his American-born kids here for a while so as to preserve the bloodline.
when the news flash came about the President’s action about the LRA, I immediately sent them the news item.
in these areas where most of the damage is done through cutting with pangas or using small arms, the mention that US soldiers are coming is enough to bring some sense into would-be warriors and make some hardened warriors want to know where the closet restroom can be found.
starting now and in the next few days, weeks and months, we need to explain to those who are not aware about the LRA WHY this is a humanitarian and peace-related action for President Obama to take. already, I see that Dylan Ratigan on MSNBA insinuating things about this decision without knowing much about the facts that went into this consideration.
I intend to update the TOD family about the community development work so please be on the look out. I have noted your interest and I will make effort to contact you personally through Ms Chipsticks.
Very warm and inspirational speeches by the two Presidents. I sat through it with a smile.
Our Prez brings joy and a positve vibe wherever he goes. What a gift we have in this
wonderful man. He and Prez Lee can certainly relate, coming from similar humble backgrounds.
Can’t you just see Mittens twisting himself in pretzel-like contortions to talk about his ‘humble’
beginnings if he were there as president(God forbid).
God bless you PBO. Thank you for saving the Auto Industry amidst fierce opposition. PRESS ON Sir.
We are right there with you.
MOTOR CITY: Here’s what you need to know from President Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to a General Motors plant in Orion Township, Mich., on Friday:
- Lee, a former CEO of Hyundai, reassured the GM workers that when the U.S.-South Korea free trade deal is implemented, American workers’ jobs will not be taken out of the country. He promised that the pact will actually create more jobs for Americans.
- “Today, I can stand here and say the investment paid off,” Obama said about the decision to bail out the auto industries. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been saved, the president said. “The taxpayers are being repaid.”
- Obama sounded like he was at a campaign event when he said that despite all the skeptics of the auto industry, there were folks in America who said, “Yes we can.”
Pool report-
I love my President but as a Michigan resident it was so funny to hear him call the city NOVeye as NOVee. Novi, Michigan right outside Detroit, lots of businesses. it was funny!
Oh Gawd…Troubled (Maxine) Waters will be “reading a speech” on the floor of Congress during the week of OCt 24th. The speech consists of tweets, letters, facebook comments, email msgs, etc from her fans, followers and constituents. The msgs from the followers will be a response to this question from Waters: “if I could give a speech on the House floor about jobs and the economy, what would I say?’
Sorry, but that is just completely pathetic. What in the world do these people think their job is all about? She’s been pretty much worthless as a Rep. except to her and her husband’s financial interests.
Really??!!! That’s what she sees fit to waste her time doing? That’s how she wastes taxpayer money? We pay her freaking salary and she’s reading tweets on the House floor? The nerve of congress! Sabrina @Charmed86 and I tweeted her about not calling out Tester and Nelson for voting against the AJA being debated on the senate floor but she made multiple rounds on tv disparaging PBO. I told her she was a hypocrite. That PBO is talking about jobs and she can’t be bothered to talk about his AJA or sponsor it in the House of Reps. She tweeted me saying she wasn’t a hypocrite and she was fighting for the middleclass and she gave me some BS answer as to why she hadn’t yet sponsored the AJA. I tweeted her back and told her “With all due respect Congresswoman; you’re a hypocrite.” Still waiting for her response.
Utaustin…Thank you for your continuous hard work on behalf of PBO and us Toders. You engage and correct misinformation
in a very timely and effective manner. I also appreciate the concise and eloquent summaries you give on the various
political happenings…particularly the the ones that are outright lies from the opposition and that require a strong will to be
able to stomach. Keep up the good work, you inspire.
Actually, this open window might be a good time for TOD-ers to tweet her, then see if any of their comments make it to the floor of Congress. Give her a steady stream of answers to her questions that highlight her hypocrisy, and lack of support for PBO - no swearing though. It would be an interesting exercise to see if she does share comments that make her look less than a committed supporter of AA’s (vs herself/family) over the years or less that a team player when it was in the interest of her constituents.
Hey TOD family. I tweeted Nick Confessore @nickconfessore of the NY Times about his hit piece that PBO was losing a huge chunk of small donors. I told him it must really sting him that his hit piece about PBO losing small donors was a LIE. I then told him #SuckOnThat (childish I know, but I couldn’t resist ) #Liar. He replied to my tweet and then he retweeted my tweet to his 6,000 followers. I’m off to ask him why he won’t admit he’s wrong. GOP Media tool.
Not that you asked or anything, but I’ll just offer a helpful suggestion based upon that experience, and hopefully you’ll like it…
When having an exchange like that, it’s a great time to ask yourself, “Self, what would President Obama do in this situation (WWOD)?” Clearly, he wouldn’t put “suckonthat” in there. That’s part of his genius in always keeping on the high road. Repubs and their stenographers, commonly referred to as “the media,” poke and stoke people like us with their lies and condescension until we shoot back with something they can use to belittle us, thereby ignoring the truths we speak.
So I’m guessing that “reporter” will try to dismiss you now because of your self-admitted “childish” part, and continue with his smug lies about President Obama. Just saying this because I’ve changed how approach debate based on President Barack Hussein Obama’s example, and have found it allows me to “win” more when taking out the “childish” bits. It makes my viewpoints stronger and more credible. Stanley Ann’s son is a true leader in every way! Hopefully this is interesting to you, and no matter what, thanks for getting in the arena and helping attack the avalanche of lies from our MegaMedia.
Thanks for your comment. I always tweet sensibly. But his lies were just too much. To use a reputable newspaper (as reputable as it can be) to try and demoralize PBO’s supporters is reprehensible. To not conduct any research is even more disgusting. I feel good that I told him to #SuckOnThat. I don’t feel sorry for that. It was straight to the point and succinct. He’s not dismissing me. He’s trying to justify that the $70M was only for this quarter and I reminded him that what he reported was that PBO had lost small donors; when the number of small donors actually went up. I told him to go conduct more research and write truth if he wants to call himself a real journalist. He has yet to respond to that.
Waters asks her Twitter followers to compose speech
10/14/11 04:07 PM ET
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) plans to give a speech on the House floor composed entirely by her Twitter followers and Facebook friends, her office announced Friday.
Waters asked her social media fans to use the hashtag #ourspeech to respond to the question, “If I could give a speech on the House floor about jobs and the economy, what would I say?”
Answers posted between Friday afternoon and Sunday at midnight will be reviewed and compiled into a speech that Waters plans to read on the House floor during the week of Oct. 24.
Come to think of it, I’m changing my mind from above. Waters and her colleagues have not submitted a jobs bill despite the state of the economy. She has been actively undermining a President who has been working to rejuvenate the economy, and now she wants constituents to write her speech for her. What exactly has SHE done about jobs/the economy (apart from the relatively recent apathetic ‘jobs tour’)? Isn’t it time for her to do the job for which she is being paid? A worthy answer to Waters’ “If I could give a speech on the House floor about jobs and the economy, what would I say?” might be ‘Let’s do OUR jobs (ex. Pass the AJA), Congresspeople. Let’s represent our constituents. That’s why we were sent to Congress.’
O/T: HELP—VERY IMPORTANT. I just found en email in my Inbox with this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=HcBaSP31Be8&vg=medium. Title is THIS WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. When you look at it, you will, of course, notice all the CAPS….words like WILL, MUST, etc. It is about ACA……gives page number, line or section of specific things that WILL happen, etc. PLEASE help me find info……who is behind this, how to respond or not respond……..HELP!!! I’ll only be here for another 15 minutes; then away until 10:00ish. OH MY…..this is amazing!!!!!!! Scary that it is “out” there. Not surprised at the person who sent it to me, btw.
watched one minute of it - dangerous lies and crap.
Please alert Team Obama either through each of these : the President Obama Campaign Headquarters, the DNC, through the official White House site which has a special team dedicated to lies about the Health Care Act, and just above at this TOD site there is link to Attack Watch
Thank you for direction. Will do tonight or tomorrow….and for now, will not respond in any way to the person who sent it. Leaving now for high school football game…….fun!
I saw barbour’s statement and I asked myself, who are they kidding when they claim Cain’s sweep the South?
You know how it is with the MSM and punditry, they raise up and then promptly cut you down to size. They do not make money unless the candidates are really competing against each other
Sweeping the south ? What with a broom?! Look, let’s be real here. The South? How sad that these sheisters have to stoop to this level of using and promoting Cain in the hope of the brown folk following, but, brown folk are just not into Cain, 9-9-9 or his pizza. Right about now he is really feeling himself! Enjoy it Herman, pretty soon they will eat you alive!
I’m not sure I’d describe it as “sticking up for”—-more like exposing Barbour’s unlikely scenario statement. Now he’s reporting Cain’s quote where he said Obama was “born in Kenya”. How could Cain be that unaware, or was that purposeful? Is Cain playing the race card? This all gets more preposterous by the day. And Tweet is completely stuck on race today, with very little understanding of his subject.
Yes Cain is playing the race card he is there for one reason to play the race card he is NOT ther
because he can be president PBO all ready shut down the garbage with DONALD TRUMP and PBO made
Trump look pathethic. So Let’s not worried about this will be for the Fucking MSM B.S so let’s keep calm.
@metaquest
Cannot believe @MaxineWaters wasting time on House floor to read tweets,FB posts from her “fans” OMG, she has no idea what her job is. #FAIL
@MaxineWaters
@metaquest Dont be confused, this is a way to bring more people into the conversation. I have been vocal on the need to pass #AJA #ourspeech
Bring people in the conversation? The people have spoken long ago - they want jobs, and they support PBO’s jobs bill that he put forth. They do not need opportunistic congresspersons with their own agenda feeding them lies and propaganda.
And talk about your goofy and your preposterous——Anita Perry is blaming Obama for her son resigning from his bank job to work on his father’s campaign. Something about SEC regulations, and it’s all Obama’s fault, just like everything, that her son voluntarily resigned from his job. Anita Perry is getting on my last nerve with her recent comments and crying about how everyone has been so mean to her husband because of Jesus, or something. These people are all goofballs.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/14/anita-perry-blames-obama-for-sons-job-loss/
That’s one wife who will not be able to handle the role of First Lady of U S! The party hasn’t really begun yet, the musicians are only tuning up, and she’s already crying ‘People are mean. They are picking on us.’ Poor thing. Of course there weren’t any complaints while reeling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars on boards supported by her husband’s donors. Poor thing, indeed.
I agree! Anita and her hubby need to go back to texas and stay there.
Having said that I think the spotlight needs to be Ann Romney, not Anita Perry. Romney is the Media/GOP establishment’s candidate of choice. And that’s why they don’t want him scrutinized so they distract voters with all kinds of nonsense with Cain, Perry, etc.
with her as a character on the campaign traill, we are going to have some fun.
by the way is she the one who calls her self a tiger when it comes to defending her husband against political attack? what species of tiger can this be which cries its been subject to brutality after brutalizing others?
one quick question, why in the world would a son (or daughter) who cares about their parent and believes in them think and say that resigning to work on their campaign - FOR ANY POSITION - is a punishment.
God, if one of my parents, siblings or friends were running, I would consider it a priviledge to resign and work for the.
poor, poor anita!! either you have been very protected from the world by yes people or you are one of the most manipulative political wife who has come along in a while!
you hope to guilty people into supporting your lousy, unintelligent but pompus husband who is clearly not ready for prime time, day time, or late night by crying and calling on Baby Jesus
‘…if one of my parents, siblings or friends were running, I would consider it a privilege to resign and work for them’
In this job climate, I don’t think I’d resign. Especially if I was pretty sure they lacked the requisite skills and didn’t stand a chance. I’d just support them in other ways - lend them my car, pay for a massage therapist, listen to their whining, etc. After all, when they drop out, I’d have to go back to working.
Did anyone just see the opening segment of Rev. Al’s show 10-14-11? That auto worker, did anyone listen to that guy? When people want to talk about can this President lead, what have he done? Talk to those auto workers. Let’s remember the so call know it all business man 9Romney) said for the auto companies to go under. Not one Republican supported what President Obama did. We need auto workers like that out there talking, reminding Americans that 1.4 millions Americans would be out of jobs if the Republicans had had their way. And if the sorry ass Senate Republicans hadn’t voted to stop the Americans Jobs Act , there would be millions with the chance of finding work.
MSM is going to be very sad as the end is near for their Golden Boy:
Huntsman Campaign Nearly Broke
Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign “is verging on broke after burning through more than $4 million since the former Utah governor entered the race for the Republican nomination in June,” CNN reports.
The campaign finished the third fundraising quarter in September with just $327,000 in the bank and $890,000 in debt.
I think it’s time for Jon Huntsman to call it quits. Maybe 2016 might be a better time…if ever.
// Huntsman’s campaign is struggling financially, with debt exceeding cash-on-hand, according to CNN.
The campaign finished September with $327,000 in the bank and $890,000 in debt, according to its third-quarter filing. Huntsman has raised $2.26 million and contributed an additional $2.25 million of his own money since joining the race in June. //
This is why the media seems to have shifted to Romney as their candidate of choice. They would have preferred Huntsman because Romney has TONS of baggage that they would rather not have to deal with. But Huntsman is uninspiring and he strikes me as being sickly or lazy or both. Huntsman simply cannot attract enough voters at this point.
remember the theme we have maintained here: he/she who goes against President Obama in pure malice and hate shall not prosper.
if I was back in my E. African village (not very far from PBO’s father’s ancestral home) most people would now be concluding that this is a signal from the ancestors to not mess with their bloodkin. Most people would get the message that PBO has extra spiritural protection and should be left alone
On another note about the reason for Huntsman’s poor showing, even a writer on redstate.com posted this in May:
“I cannot tolerate a man serving as our ambassador to our chief strategic adversary in the world plotting, while in that capacity, to run against the President of the United States.”
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has lost his seat on a local committee in his home state, the Washington Post reports. Cantor was automatically removed from the committee rolls after his endorsement of Del. Bill Janis — a Republican who’s running for Henrico County attorney as an independent.
“Any Republican who supports a non-Republican in a contested race will be automatically removed,” reports the Post.
We are going to have fun with these rightwingers eating each other!
we have always said here that anyone who becomes a really public and consitent hatemonger of President Obama ultimately goes to the dustbin of history due to actions that are not initiated by PBO. is this the beginning of cantor-history?
OHHHH Look! We get to track the cost of the Bush tax cuts…the way the R’s always have the national debt clock running!!
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/10/14/344329/tax-cuts-five-percent-11-6-hour/
Better send THIS OFF to all those Republicans in your state!!!
http://costoftaxcuts.com/ SERIOUS $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ that the Treasury DOESN’T get!!!!!!!!!!
Well it’s that time again. On Friday I always ask folks to send me an email telling me what you did to support the President. Winners will receive Press on buttons, and magnets.
WIW,
Just wanted to let you know that I attended the $44.00 fundraiser minimum amount this past Tuesday in Orlando for our President. Spent 88.00 for my grand daughter and myself. Afterwards spent 70.00 at the store. Then I received the mdse of 95.00 I spent in the victory store. Gave 125.00 in donations.
I am motivated and please let us encourage someone else. Thank you for being a great motivator.
With investments from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the U.S. Department of Energy and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC, (SRNS) sealed the access to the historic P and R Reactors as part of footprint reduction and legacy cleanup at the Savannah River Site.
At P Reactor today, Dr. David Moody, DOE’s Savannah River Operations Office Manager and Marc Sharpe, a reactor operator at P Reactor in the 1980s, were the last people to exit the P Reactor before its final opening was welded shut.
“The Recovery Act enabled us to accomplish a remarkable feat,” Dr. Moody said. “In just two years we successfully and safely delivered a fitting end to these relics that led our nation to a Cold War victory. For that we are proud.”
This is totally OT and just a curious observation, but I watched the NBC Nightly news with Brian Williams last evening (6:30 my time) to see how he would report on the State Dinner. Lo and behold, I sat thru the entire half hour and he did not mention one word about the dinner or the trade deal. It was a little strange to me. I am wondering if it will be reported on today?
The Democratic controlled congress stopped the President from closing Gitmo, it’s reality. Because the President is a team player and hasn’t pointed the finger at his supposed allies, the Democrats in congress, it shows that he is loyal. The problem is, it only helps those who wish to bring him down by giving them just one more political myth to perpetuate. It has to stop!
As Anniebella mentioned above,thr first segment of Rev Al tonight is really worth watching.
I found myself tearing up when I heard the auto worker talk about where he would be if his
job had not been saved. He was so grateful to PBO for the actions he took to save the industry.
This really put a face on all the stats and hogwash we have been fed by the MSM. This was a real
person with a special needs kid who did not have to go live on the street thanks to the BOLD actions of saving the auto industry.
Why can’t the hair on fire people see that they are being duped and lied to by the media.
All the good that PBO has done leaves me breathless…and yet they chose to distort his accomplishments.
There are no words!
HOPE44 - I saw that, too. I’m hoping Rev. Al has a “real person” on his show every night, to prove there are people behind the statistics. Wasn’t the gentleman from the UAW a wonderful supporter of PBO? I don’t think he was a union official - but he was a union member who really, really appreciated the “loan” to the auto industry, as you wrote.
Unreal- Gallup is yen points worse for the President than Rasmussen.
In fact, it now is worse than Zogby and You gov polls…
What is up with Gallup, since the debt ceiling fiasco, he has averaged 38%.
Rasmussen has him at 47% Approval.
Kathleen Sebelius: At some point in our lives, seven out of ten Americans will need daily help because of a disability. It could be nursing home care in the final months of our lives. Or it could be a home health aide who comes by a few hours a week to help with daily tasks, giving us the freedom to live and work in our community for years.
As time goes by, even more of us will require these kinds of long-term services and supports in order to live our lives as we wish to live them. But under the status quo, many of us will struggle to pay for this care — if we can afford it at all.
Many Americans assume that Medicare will pick up the bill for their long-term care, but it only pays for brief nursing home stays. Medicaid offers broader coverage, but many families aren’t eligible until their savings are virtually exhausted. Meanwhile, the private market covers less than three percent of Americans. And at $75,000 a year for a nursing home and $18,000 a year for home health care, most families cannot afford to pay out of pocket.
It was with the hope of giving Americans better choices that Congress included a voluntary long-term care insurance program called CLASS in last year’s health care law. The idea behind CLASS, which was championed by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, is simple: workers could sign up and pay a monthly premium, and in return, they would be eligible after a number of years for a daily benefit administered by our department that could help pay for long-term care services should they become necessary.
CLASS would not only give Americans who knew they were likely to require long-term services and supports an affordable way to prepare for the future. It would also give young and middle-aged Americans a way to insure against the possibility that they would someday require this kind of care themselves. Because all benefits would be paid out of premiums, it wouldn’t cost taxpayers a dime. And CLASS would provide relief for State and federal budgets, which currently attempt to bridge the long-term care coverage gap with scarce Medicaid dollars.
While some analysts predicted that the CLASS program’s finances would be sustainable, others including the actuary for Medicare and Medicaid issued warnings to Congress and the public before the law was enacted that not enough young, healthy people would sign up. This could have led to a vicious cycle where premiums would have to be set higher and higher to cover the likely costs of benefits, leading fewer and fewer healthier people to sign up for the program. For this reason, the law required me to develop a benefit plan that, in addition to meeting other statutory requirements, would also be solvent for at least 75 years.
Since then, our department has worked steadily to find a financially sustainable model for CLASS. Over the last 19 months, we’ve examined the long-term care market, modeled possible plan designs, and studied the CLASS statute, consulting at every step of the way with outside actuaries, insurers, and consumer groups.
When it became clear that most basic benefit plans wouldn’t work, we looked at other possibilities. Recognizing the enormous need in this country for better long-term care insurance options, we cast as wide a net as possible in searching for a model that could succeed. But as a report our department is releasing today shows, we have not identified a way to make CLASS work at this time.
This doesn’t affect the rest of the health care law, which will continue to provide affordable quality health insurance choices to millions of Americans and reduce the deficit. And it doesn’t mean that we’re giving up our efforts to improve Americans’ long-term care choices. In fact, one of the main reasons we decided not to go ahead with CLASS at this point is that we know no one would be hurt more if CLASS started and failed than the people who had paid into it and were counting on it the most. We can’t let that happen.
So even as we suspend work on implementing CLASS, we are recommitting ourselves to the ultimate goal of making sure Americans can get the long-term care they need, whether it’s a working-age mom with disabilities who needs daily support right now or a young man at his first job who wants to protect himself and his family against the possibility of huge long-term care costs in the future.
By 2020, we know that an estimated 15 million Americans will need some kind of long-term care. If we want our family members, friends, and neighbors to be able to live with the maximum amount of freedom and independence, we need to make sure they have access to the long-term supports that make that possible. We will continue to work with the Congress, consumer advocates, health care providers, insurers and other stakeholders to ensure that all Americans have access to long-term care choices that best meet their needs.
Long term care is heinously expensive. My wife is patient care director at an assisted living facility. Medicare does not pay for it. The care is paid for either from long term care insurance, or through personal funds. The cheapest care to be had at her facility is $3800 a month. Other assisted living facilities are comparable. The long term care provisions of the ACA were admirable, but would always have been a problem in securing funding.
Secretary Sebelius’ Letter to Congress about CLASS
October 14, 2025
United States Capitol, Washington, DC
Dear Mr. Speaker:
Last year, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) initiated a comprehensive analysis of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program. The CLASS initiative — championed by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy — was added as a separate program to health reform legislation with the goal of creating better long-term care insurance options for Americans. The Congressional Budget Office carefully analyzed this legislation and provided public estimates of how it would work and its effects on the Federal budget. And, the Administration worked with Congress to strengthen the program during congressional consideration of the Affordable Care Act.
For 19 months, experts inside and outside of government have examined how HHS might implement a financially sustainable, voluntary, and self-financed long-term care insurance program under the law that meets the needs of those seeking protection for the near term and those planning for the future. The work has been groundbreaking in many ways and has taught us a great deal, much of which is captured in the attached report. But despite our best analytical efforts, I do not see a viable path forward for CLASS implementation at this time.
In 2009, the actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a report to Congress during the consideration of the legislation that raised concerns about the program’s viability. Because of such concerns, the law passed by Congress required me to design a plan that would be actuarially sound and financially solvent for at least 75 years. The provision protected both taxpayers and beneficiaries. After all, if CLASS failed, no one would be hurt more than those who would pay into it and would be counting on it the most.
With this in mind, experts across HHS – including the CLASS Office, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation and the Office of the General Counsel – have worked steadily to find a path forward on CLASS. We have undertaken a methodical and comprehensive analysis of the statute and plan design options. We have broadly considered how to design potential benefit structures and reviewed those designs carefully to determine if they meet the twin tests of solvency and consistency with the law. We hired a chief actuary for the CLASS Office, engaged with other government actuaries, and worked with two outside actuarial firms in order to maximize the reliability of solvency estimates. I am proud of the careful and thorough approach that we have taken, engaging talented professionals across the Department and in the private sector.
Our work is detailed in the comprehensive report being transmitted to Congressional leadership with this letter. In the report, you will find the results of our actuarial and policy analyses of the CLASS Act along with our legal analysis of multiple plan design options. While the report does not identify a benefit plan that I can certify as both actuarially sound for the next 75 years and consistent with the statutory requirements, it reflects the development of information that will ultimately advance the cause of finding affordable and sustainable long-term care options.
The challenge that CLASS was created to address is not going away. By 2020, we know that an estimated 15 million Americans will need some kind of long-term care and fewer than three percent have a long-term care policy. These Americans are our family, our friends and our neighbors. If they are to live productive and independent lives, we need to make sure that they have access to the long-term care supports that make that possible.
We also know that left unaddressed, long-term care costs to taxpayers will only increase. Without insurance coverage or the personal wealth to pay large sums in their later years, more Americans with disabilities will rely on Medicaid services once their assets are depleted, putting further strain on State and Federal budgets.
The CLASS program seeks to address the critical need that Americans have for affordable long-term care services. The current market does not offer viable options for those unable to access private long-term care insurance. We look forward to continuing our work with you and your colleagues in Congress, consumer advocates, health care providers, insurers and other stakeholders to find solutions that ensure all Americans have the choices that best meet their needs.
Sincerely,
/s/
Kathleen G. Sebelius
Read the full HHS report, “A Report on the Actuarial, Marketing, and Legal Analyses of the CLASS Program.”
Here is link to the full analysis rpt on the CLASS Program. http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/2011/class/index.shtml
White House.gov
I notice the Colonel and the President are in step.
I wonder if they do that on purpose?
Anyways…
Ha! It does look good, doesn’t it? But I’m sure the only one doing that on purpose would be our military friend! What an honor.
He seems so responsive to our President. He is always smiling or at least has a pleasant expression on his face and it doesn’t look fake.
So I was talking to a wealthy “Independent” last night, who spouts stuff like “the government is the problem!” and “regulations are killing business!” You know. The usual lies that Rush and Fox spew 24/7. Anyway, we had a very congenial (!) conversation about the problems this country faces and he actually said to me, “You know, of course, that Obama is absolutely going to win the election, don’t you? Every Democrat will vote for him, the blacks will vote for him, the Latinos will votes for him. He’s totally going to win.” Hearing this from an “Independent” gave me a glimmer of hope that the country hasn’t lost it’s collective minds, even if some people are listening to Rush and Fox 24/7. It was also interesting to note that facts are really surprising to him. My friend was blaming PBO for the bank bailout and was really surprised when I sent him a quote from Wikipedia that proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that TARP was signed into law by Bush, Jr. (although Sen. Obama did vote in favor of it). He was also really shocked when I told him the proof that Republicans are attempting to steal the next election is in Texas, where they’ve passed a law that makes it legal to accept an NRA photo ID to vote, but a STUDENT photo ID is unacceptable. So, I learned that it’s possible to get through the lies these days. Even wealthy people are shocked at how far the middle class has fallen in the last 30 years. So proud of the over 600k supporters who donated to re-elect this great, great, great president.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!!!!!
Great job Lulu! Thanks for taking the time to correct his wrong assumptions about TARP and a host of other lies perpetrated by the GOP Media against President Obama. One would think that a wealthy person would have more resources to divine the truth for himself of herself and not wait for the media to spin the story. We’ve really got our work cut out for us, but at least he understood that no matter the shenanigans the other side peddles out; PBO will still prevail in the end. But the one thing people have to do is: VOTE.
A,em. utaustinliberal. Amen.
Perfect example of what I’m always talking about…if there was an actual “media” that practiced actual Journalism, which means pursuing truth to the best of their ability instead of the false “presenting both sides,” the modern-day Repub Party would not exist.
Logic, historical fact, and common sense all show that 98% of what a Repub preaches is completely, utterly false. People would see this then, just like your friend did.
Instead, we have a giant Repub PR machine that poses as Journalism designed to fool people. It’s been in full operation for 30+ years now, hence why it’s so difficult for us to break through with people in our own lives. Their carefully-designed lies are engrained in our nation discourse. One by one though, as you did, we’ll get it back, and it’ll happen faster and faster as long as President Obama is in office.
This gives even more credibility to the answers I’ve received regarding why “independents’ (regardless of income level) may vote republican. The answer I consistently get is because they are ill informed. Many people simply don’t take it upon themselves to know what’s going on. They listen to 30 second sound bites and that’s it. So whomever can afford to most sound bites (Koch, etc) wins. We Americans (many of us) have to be spoon fed information. To me, that’s just sad. Of the eligible voting population, only 40% vote in general elections. Why is that? We have one of the worst voter turn out among “democratic” countries in the world.
So, I sm warching cspan hearing on Solyndra. The Republicans are saying the DOE broke the law because they changed the loan guarantee to appease an Obama fundraiser.
The Democrats are saying that republicans are leaving 50% if the evidence out, to support their conclusions.
Typical manufactured crisis.
Yes, to distract. That’s all the Republicans are good for, because they certainly aren’t good at promoting JOBS for Americans.
He looks soo good:-) I’m still high on the Ed Henry smackdown!! Have a nice day TOD family
SLY I’m on the road in my rig can i get a link to the ED Henry smackdown!! I need a good laugh after long hours behind the wheel Thanks for the help.
Here is a good one for you Wesleya17 http://www.politicususa.com/en/obama-ed-henry-fundraising
Donna thank you so much for your link and Our President is always on top of things and can cut the crap out of a serious moment.Ed Henry and that bunch still think they can embarrass this President and loose every time. Thanks again can fix lunch in the rig now and get some rest.Heading to Florida in about 4 hours have fun all.
Take it easy, wesleya17!!
Yes wesleya, safe journey!
Dakota, Thanks will try it is just a ten day run so far last stop California.
Wow that’s a long way to drive.safe travels.
A positive note about OWS…Al Giordano is in New York now and ‘observing’ what is going on there. I’m very much looking forward to his reporting from there because he is the very embodiment of Authentic Journalism. His commentary will be genuine and something we can believe-no spin.
Thanks for that heads up, Tien Le! I have great respect for Al Giordano. His writings during the 2008 campaign helped me develop my thick political skin — I’m totally immune to chicken-littling thanks to him
. Someone linked to an article of his about OWS a few days ago, but I couldn’t really follow it. I look forward to the first hand reports.
Thanks for giving us a heads up Tien Le. I will be waiting to hear his take on it.
I think Al Giordano is brilliant. I really wish he posted more often, but I know he is busy with his journalism workshops. I will look forward getting some feedback from him on what he encountered. For my money, it should be occupycongress and occuplythevote.
This is great news. Al Giordano is one of my heroes. His calming role in 2008 was better than Valium.
I really like Al too, I remember his last diary at Dkos- he was attacked without mercy by the cretins there led by that stinker slinkerwink.. it was so sad. I have huge respect for him, as like Jackie said, during the primaries & election - he was always level-headed and solid in his writing. Please let us know when he posts his commentary, as I too, would appreciate his insight.
Oh, Al had publicly washed off his hands off markos and poblano. He said they would become just like msm and he was proved right.
Anyone watch Harry’s Law this week? In her closing argument, she skewered HuffPo, Daily Beast, Page 6 and others. Good stuff.
I love Harry’s Law, how she gets those great speeches in. I believe it is one of the best TV shows ever! Loved that closing argument when she said all those names.
I really like Kathy Bates but I keep forgetting what night it’s on. Sounds like a winner!!
Yes, I saw that. She put Huff Post in the same category as Drudge. Snark journalism she called it. Brillinat!
I’ll be reposting this idea for the next couple of days> So far we have three people who would like to participate. 12 more to go
TOD Family,
One of the things that OFA has asked us fundraisers to do is to recruit new fundraisers. I would like to challenge the TOD family to see if we can get 15 of our bloggers who would setup a fundraiser thermometer and each of them get 5 donations this month. We can have money bombs (if Chips is okay with this) on designated days which are a lot of fun. Its almost like an online money party where you get fellow supporters to donate to your page.
It’s a simple thing that you can do that has tremendous impact on the campaign and even our overseas followers can be fundraisers (they just cannot donate). Some of us are going through financial distress and cannot donate so again this is a way for you to participate and help the campaign.
We would call ourselves the TOD Fundraising Crew and we would challenge ourselves every month with a goal of a certain number of donations to accumulate each month.
I’d love to get some feedback. Its okay if the blog community would rather (feel free to voice your concerns we all learn from each other) or not but I thought I would just throw it out there.
Donna would love to but I travel to much but will donate to each fund raising group to reach their goals.along with my monthly to OFA.
Donna sounds great I’m in the middle of making a fundraising page - gotta fly outta here for a lunch date though. but I’m in.
Oh. and 2 questions I got for PBO
1. the voter suppression thing - thoughts, anything DOJ can do?
2. Reps using their several anti woman bills to attach to necessary legislation. what can we do to help PBO to thwart that?
Thanks. I’ll post my address later this afternoon
I think its a great idea Donna- I had a fundraising page in the last election, just a small goal- but met it. I haven’t done one yet for this election, but I will, although I have to put it off for a while longer.
I’m trying very hard to move, get my household in order and restart in a new place and thus I don’t feel I can be very vigilant at this point on fundraising. By early next year, I will set one up though… for now, I’ve been giving automatically each month for several months.. and try to give to the fundraisers you all have set up here and at Obama/Biden2012, an additional little bit each month.
Donna I have a fundraising page.
Did you see me say in the previous post about being ready to join in with any other quilters to donate one for a fundraiser? I can’t do the page, but I could do this in a heartbeat.
I think it’s an excellent idea. I will try to do one. If I need help I know where who to turn to.
BOB and CHEZ SHOW podcast 10/14/11
We Introduce the Show to The Huffington Post Audience; Herman Cain and his Ridiculous 999 Plan; News Media Policy Coverage; Corporate Media Monopolies; Michele Bachmann and the Hero Worship of Saint Reagan; Tax Rates in the 1980s; The Values Voters Summit and the ‘Cult’ of Mormonism; Senate Republicans Filibuster the American Jobs Act; and much more!
http://bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2011/10/the-bubble-genius-bob-chez-show-101411.html
NOTE: Bob Cesca has a new sound effect for “Herb” Cain’s 999 Plan that is hysterical.
Do President Obama and President Lee need to travel seperately? Since he’s not in the photo (Pres Lee) I thought maybe there are security reasons for them to not travel together- two presidents, etc.
It also may be the case that President Lee will depart from Michigan.
meta I just watched PBO and Southkorean President Lee In Detroit, and it was a BRLLIANT move by PBO to take
President Lee with HIM just Brillaint. Both President understand each other and both are very smart, and have a
similar background. THe MSM will not know what hit them on their asses on 2010 PBO will have AA, Latinos. and Asians
comunities supporting PBO and this is BIG.
I agree COMPLETELY, Mel. Here we come!!
Sherijr, Yes they must a security to World leaders on the same aircraft is a no no just in case some fool wants to try something.The Vice President never travels on Air Force One With the President. in fact it is rare time they are in the same town out side of Washington.
Hey wesleya17- thanks for that answer, appreciate it.. I wasn’t sure.. and I’d forgotten about POTUS & VP not being able to travel together-
I’ve seen your comments here & there about being on the road.. I’m guessing you’re a truck driver? I ask because one of my sons works/lives in MD as a diesel mechanic at a big travel/ repair station.. can’t think of the name of it right now.
Sherijr Yes semi-retired Truck driver I drive to give my Son a break to be with his family and to keep my hand in the business signing the checks get old love being out with the guys.The years have been good but I know what a toll it took on my family and a loving wife who raised Three sons and kept a wonderful home.So when my son needs sometime with his family me and sometimes the wife hit the road and this is the time we chose. She gets to navigate and shop when we have time.As for your sons repair station might be the one in Frederick,MD
Oh thats so nice of you- regarding helping out with your son.. I would imagine being a truck driver does take a huge toll on one’s family. I should know where my son works… but I honestly can’t recall where in MD.. I’m gonna have to ask him- he has only been out of school & on the job since May- he works the night shift, but he really seems to be enjoying the work. Have safe travels wesleya~
Good Morning TOD family
Sign me up for quilting and fund raising.
I know MSM often gets it wrong - but this story is a constructive one
Home Builders Unite to Use American Made Products
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/10/home-builders-unite-to-use-american.html
After the story aired they were asked by readers to pressure box stores. Home Depot and Lowes were contacted. Home Depot said if customers request these products they will stock them. So every time you go into Lowes or Home Depot ask to talk to management and tell them you want to see them stock American made building materials in their store.
I so love that! Sent the link to my cousin whose husband is in construction. YAY! Thanks WiW. You are a force of nature.
do you quilt?
Frito-Lay Opens “Greenest Manufacturing Facility In the US”
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/10/frito-lay-opens-greenest-manufacturing.html
I wonder if I can use this as an excuse to buy Fritos (which always settle on my hips)?
GM Teams Up With RelayRides To Make Peer-To-Peer Carsharing Easier
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/10/gm-teams-up-with-relayrides-to-make.html
Interesting comment from Josh Marshall on TPM.
I don’t want to make too much of this. But something finally dawned on me when I saw the news today that a group of Republican senators were introducing what they called a “real” American jobs bill. Then today Speaker Boehner spoke to President Obama and volubly denied the president’s claim that House Republicans lacked any jobs proposals. And Boehner’s office sent out this email ‘read out’ of the call.
…
And remember the deficit super-committee?
We’re going to hear about it again next month as it moves toward what will apparently be deadlock and failure. Somehow though that whole line of argument has shifted into the background.
I don’t suggest that the president’s political fortunes have shifted dramatically. Yet despite the fact that Senate Republicans were able to block a vote on his jobs bill, it seems to have gone with relatively little notice — probably because it’s right there in plain sight — how much the president’s day in and day out push on jobs has simply shifted the national conversation, the focus on what the issue is that requires solving.
I think this is a bigger deal than we realize.
Basically, PBO has shifted the national conversation from deficits to jobs. And the GOP is feeling the heat for continuing to focus on the deficit. Brilliant.
Many of us crazed Obamatrons have been making that exact argument the whole time, here and other places. Better late than never, Josh! Maybe Josh can remember that next time he and his team decide to waste tons of blog space on telling President Obama that he’s naive and what he “needs to” do.
I stopped reading there entirely over a year ago, and there’s plenty of new trusted places now that can figure this stuff out in advance or as it’s happening, since some people, oh I don’t know, strangely think we could all learn a thing or two from America’s first melanin-enhanced President.
And the new polls showing Dems leading Reps in the generic Congressional ballot have all come out post-jobs push. Maybe now those on our team will stop gnashing their teeth and realize that PBO just may actually know what he’s doing.
Perfectly said bonkers!
President Obama pretty much is as politically savvy as one can get. He bides his time, but behind the curtain he’s setting up how various events play out. The naive media thought he had lost the ball during the debt ceiling debate but what their short-sightedness failed to see was that he was getting that mess out of the way, quietly preparing his jobs bill and getting ready to hit the republicans between the eyes. The media is idiotic to count President Obama out time after time. They did it during healthcare, during financial reform, during DADT and on and on and on. You’d think they’d learn after getting egg after egg on their faces; but I guess they’re masochists for humiliation. One should never count PBO out; because when it seems like you’ve got his back against the wall, he comes out swinging like a JUGGERNAUT; and that is a thing of beauty to behold.
Yep.. it is rather amazing that they never seem to learn this about him.
Exactly. Didn’t the MSM all but declare his presidency over after Scott Brown won the special elections in Jan 2010?
LETS NOT FORGET THAT THE PUNDITS (morning joke etc.) counted then SEN OBAMA OUT IN 2008….SO WHAT THEY SAY MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!
The idea that PBO could undo the premises of the Reagan Revolution and the subsequent 30 years of conservative dominance with a wave of a finger was, at best, a disingenuous belief among some of our “friends” on the left. Reagan didn’t come about in a vacuum. The right built up its forces bit by bit, until it was ready to make a play for power. But if you look at everything that Obama has done in his 3 years in office, it’s been to slowly chip away at the received wisdom of the past generation of political discourse. And now he’s pushing even harder, knowing that he has momentum.
I remember during the 90s that Bill Clinton was hailed as the best politician of his generation. But what did he do with all that political acumen? He basically implemented GOP policies, cementing the Regan Revolution even more firmly. PBO isn’t only cleaning up the conservatives’ messes; a lot of the onus falls on Clinton as well.
Could not agree more with all of that. Perfect summation.
Excellent summary Liberal Librarian.
Hey Liberal Librarian, where have you been. I haven’t seen a post from you in a while. Hope everything has been okay with you.
Hey zizi! I’m helping to open a new library, so I’ve been super busy. I’ll be glad to get back to my sleepy little home library.
Totally agree. I am sick of seeing BC on tv. I believe he is trying to undermine PBO & is using the media to do it. Slick Willy is still around.
The ‘jobs’ bill by McCain/Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul is laugh-out-loud funny.
An interesting story on Occupy Atlanta
A History of Georgia’s 1%: Why You Must Face Race to Occupy Atlanta
http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/10/a_brief_history_of_georgias_1-or_why_you_cant_occupy_atlanta_without_facing_race.html
Investors to vote against Murdochs at News Corp meeting
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/14/us-newscorp-hermes-idUSTRE79D1FA20111014?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=56943
Despite Denials, Sources Say Darrell Issa Was Briefed On Details Of ATF’s ‘Fast And Furious’
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/despite_denials_darrell_issa_was_briefed_on_details_of_atfs_fast_and_furious_operation.php
A story from “The Hill”
$70M more for Obama cash stash
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/187563-70m-more-for-obama-cash-stash
ignore republican comments and it is a good read.
Politico’s Julie Mason is so disgusting. Her manner is nauseating. She is usually real busy writing bad things about the president or snide remarks about Michelle. But she found time to appear on Andrea Mitchell’s show today to warn about Obama’s tricky relationship with the African American community and how it’s going to be treacherous for him at the MLK Jr. ceremony. Give me a break, disingenuous Julie Mason who has “issues”.
And what will she say when PBO gets the loudest ovation of any speaker at the dedication?
(That’s merely a rhetorical question. We all know she’ll just move on to the next line of attack.)
You and I were writting a complaint about the same thing!
the punditry do not really understand what is going on in the black community.
ordinary people are with President Obama and will ostracise any one who critisizes PBO unfairy because they understand the hostility that is directed at him on a daily basis.
some the beltway, academics, and rich blacks have the microfone and are the ones who are speaking loudest but they DO NOT speak for regular black people
Agreed. What does Julie Mason know about black people? Does she even know any black people? What these folks underestimate is the undercurrent of anger and quiet rage that many black people feel about the way PBO has been treated. They also forget that 16% black unemployment means 84% of black people are employed. They act as though all of us are angry with PBO because 16% of us are not working. It is such a simplistic and insulting analysis of how we view things. Black people close ranks when they believe one of their own is being unfairly maligned or railroaded and once we close ranks our support is impenetrable until we perceive the threat no longer exists. So, the more they pound away at PBO the more solid his support becomes. Those very few blacks who don’t support PBO are the ones who never did and many of those don’t even vote. They will regret their disloyalty because we will not forget who was with PBO and who was not.
I am a Fall Fellow with OFA in Detroit and I can tell you all that when I phone bank in Detroit, I hear unwavering and strong support for PBO. Many times before I can complete my question they interrupt to express their unequivocal support and some are almost indignant at the question. They reply, “of course I support the President…absolutely I will vote for him…I just sent him money and yes I will volunteer to help him get re-elected.
Out of hundreds of calls I’ve talked to only one person who said he would not vote for PBO. He had all the PL talking points down. I disputed all of them and asked why is it that he was holding PBO to every word he ever said during the campaign and that he must know that the reality of being President is very different than campaigning to be President. He basically blamed PBO for convincing him that he was different than other politicians. He sounded like a child who did not get what he was promised for Xmas. He seemed almost personally hurt by PBO. I think I was able to get him to at least see that much of what he was angry about was more the fault of Congress, particularly the Republicans, than PBO. He told me he believed PBO had lost 1/3 of his support. I ended the conversation by saying I would call him the day after the election to congratulate him on the election of President PerryRomneyBachman. He was shocked at the suggestion and said there was no way any of them would win. I said how can you be so sure. You are the one that believed PBO had lost 1/3 of his support. If that’s true he can’t win. That seemed to shock the hell out of him and with that I said good bye. Hopefully, I gave him something to think about.
L3, very good job. thank you so much for all you do. we will work to bring those few back if it lack of information. as for the professional Obama-haters, well the 3 of them can go back to their comfortable rich homes and recline for the 2nd term of President Obama.
Julie Mason should become a member of first lady Michelle’s let’s move campaign. I am convinced that most of these right wing women have a crush on President Obama, and the men want to be like him.
Have a crush all you want, but that man’s heart belong to Michelle Obama and her’s to him.
Mason could also steal some fashion tips from our First Lady. She is one of the most tackiest journos there is. Yeah I went there and I’m not sorry.
White pundits like Julie Mason make statements that the President has trouble with black folks…and then Herman Cain says that black folks blindly follow the President due to blindness…
Oooooooooooooo weeeeeeeeee…
Does everything President Obama do have to be challenged?
case in point the recent inditement of the Iranian who is alledged to have plotted to kill the Saudi Ambassador? I must say that I had missed the fact that some in th beltway think that this is made up by PBO an Team Obama.
I also see these MSM types trying hard to sound like tavis and west, saying that President Obama has a problem with civil rights leaders? really, i guess they missed the fact that the NAACP and Urban league leadership routinely meets with PBO to plot out a course of action.
the media seems to ignore that the same black leaders who NEVER supported PBO in the primary are the same ones that are attacking him now because most have gotten used to getting rich within the system. some are infact partly responsible for the currently poverty in the community. they and their family members got theirs and they let the regular poor people down.
Listen, the media has identified the person they want to win the 2012 elections - and that person is Mitt Romney. So going forward, do not expect to see or hear ANYTHING positive about President Obama coming from the media. All the distractions with Herman Cain, Perry, etc. are just diversions to avoid having to scrutinize their candidate Romney. They are hoping that Romney will appeal to certain “progressives” who have a real problem with the President’s race but won’t openly admit. Romney is going to run on the MSM & PL fake platform of President Obama as being unable to lead. Since Romney doesn’t even have an economic policy (because PBO actually has the best policy), he has to resort to false memes and rely on the MSM’s swiftboating tactics.
I think you’re right.. the media has their candidate and will fixate on anything BUT Romney in an effort to give him leeway to be & do nothing. that explain Chris Tweetybird’s bs about POTUS not being a ‘people person’. All the malarky they can spew for the next 14 months.
I present this for the ridiculousness that it is.
Fake wrestling champion Hulk Hogan supported President Obama in 2008, but alas, the honeymoon is over, Hogan said Thursday during a Fox News appearance.
“I was a big Obama supporter and kinda, like, believed everything he said he was gonna do,” Hogan said on Fox and Friends. “But now that nothing’s happened…”
Hogan said he was still sore about the president using his theme song, “I Am a Real American” when Obama addressed the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner shortly after he released his long form birth certificate earlier this year.
“I kinda was a little upset that he didn’t ask me permission to use my music,” Hogan added. “But the change of heart is that I think I should be president. I know nothing about politics. I think a flat tax across the board would straighten everything out.”
When told that the Hulk’s idea sounds something like presidential candidate Herman Cain’s “9-9-9 Plan,” he responded, “Wow, yeah well he’s not a real American like I am. . . . I’ve been around, people know me, they know everything about me, they know I’m for real, they know I know nothing about politics. I’ll just make decisions on what’s right or wrong.”
ROFLMAO!!!!
You tell ‘em Hulk! You’re only interested in voting for “real” Amurikkkans…..
good grief.. thats all I got.. except Yikes!
Hulk has been knock in the head to many times. Who gives a dam what he think? Really. Maybe the steroids are taking affect, who knows. Who cares what some washed up wrestler have to say?
He’s got a creepy relationship with his daughter, I’ll just leave it at that. I’m glad he’s no longer running around claiming to support this President.
BREAKING NEWS: 1:39 PM - OBAMA SENDS 100 U.S. TROOPS TO CENTRAL AFRICA TO FIGHT LRA
Obama Deploying Troops To Africa
Detailed in a letter to Congress, President Obama has authorized the deployment of a small number of troops to provide assistance and information to the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in central Africa.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/1172
I don’t know about his. I hope there are no U.S. casulties.
I know the place where LRA operates because this within my ancestral birthplace.
in fact their origins were in my home country but their activities extend in many countries in east and central Africa and in Sudan and Chad.
the LRA has been known for mass mutilation of young people, mass rapes of women, robbing gold, cobalt and diamonds and now they say there is a possibility of oil.
this is one intervention I will full support and it long overdue
TIME Poll: Obama Still Ahead of GOP Rivals, Voters Side With Dems on Taxes
Despite sweeping pessimism about the nation’s fortunes and his own sliding approval ratings, President Obama leads potential Republican rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Perry in hypothetical general-election match-ups, according to a new TIME poll.
Obama leads Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who sits atop the GOP presidential field, 46% to 43% among likely voters. The President has opened a double-digit lead over Perry, 50% to 38%, highlighting concerns percolating through the GOP that the Texas governor would face a steep uphill climb should he capture the nomination. Obama also boasts a 49% to 37% edge over businessman Herman Cain, whose strong Tea Party support has propelled him toward the top of Republican ranks in recent weeks. In each case, the President was buoyed by his performance among female voters. Women prefer Obama over Romney by eight percentage points (49% to 41%), by 17 points over Perry (53% to 36%) and by 21 points over Cain (53% to 32%). (See photos of Republicans taking over New Hampshire.)
I’m LOVING the friendship between President Lee and POTUS. They are so warm with one another. He got a great welcome from the sweet crowd. This was a BRILLIANT idea!!!!
I was just sitting here thinking the same thing Meta.
Me thinks that President Lee was a huge hit in Detroit. Love it.
love it; two people came from nothing to the Presidency all because of hard work, education, and supportive families
I told you so to take president Lee to Detrot it’s just a masterful idea, By now MItten is shiting on his pants
when he told Detroit to go (F) themselves ans PBO save the Automobile Industry and many jobs. So Mitt
go (F) yourself now and say good by to MIchigan ha. ha. ha.
Here is the WH link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/president-obama-and-president-lee-republic-korea-speak-us-south-korea-trade-agreement
That was a great speech by the President of South Korea. I love watching them.
Very passionate. I like President Lee a lot!
So do I Donna. Mittens had better not set foot in Detroit again.
I meant Mkichigan as a whole.
Correction, “Michigan”.
That’s for darn sure. What a great reception for both of these great men. Wonderful sense of pride and hope on FULL display.
THAT WAS PHENOMENAL!!!! Really inspiring. Those folks should be very, very proud.
Just listen to those workers yelling for the President. That was a great thing for both the Presidents to do. It shows what he is doing for the country. PressOn!!!!
It was.. very inspiring~ all I can say is Michigan had darn well bring out the vote in 2012. POTUS got lots of well deserved love there today.
very nice reception by the employees of the auto company - yes Government Motors is not a dirty word!!! Brilliant speech by both President Obama and President Lee
It was a nice reception by the employees and President Lee’s speech to them was very inspiring. Of course President Obama was his usual awesome self!!
They had better vote out all those horrid Repubs in Michigan. I am worried about the Dems in Michigan. They don’t seem to be working together as much as the Dems in Wisconsin. I follow Eclectablog and he talks about the Dems not supporting the governors recall. They do worry me. The President saved that state and some of the people don’t seem to care.
Hi MTmarilyn, I’m in MI and I signed the recall petition but I still have not found out what happened and why they failed to collect enough signatures. I had no idea there was even a problem and was shocked that the recall was essentially called off for lack of signatures. I thought there was great momentum to get it done. I will say that from what I’ve observed there is a lot of division amongst Democrats in Michigan.
Hi L3. Maybe you can direct as many of your Dem friends in Michigan to our TOD site. We can FIRE them UP and get them involved in a positive way. We & they can be stronger in numbers.
And Mark Knoller is having a meltdown on Twitter….snarkily saying that both President sounded like they were giving campaign speeches. I promptly reminded him that the media always sounds like they’re campaigning for the Republicans. And I used his friend Ed Henry as an example.
so what if the Presidents campaign for GM cars and autoworkers? I do not see anything wrong with the President promoting the investments the American people made into the auto-industry
I just loved what the President told Mr. Ed. Do anyone remember this show many years ago about a talking horse call Mr. Ed?
Yes…a horse is a horse of course,a horse. BUT,atleast Mr Ed was funny. Ed Henry is an unfunny, snide little ‘trying to be cute and funny man’. Pathetic is the decent word that comes to mind!
Short sighted idiots. http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/10/14/regulation-works-rebates-could-hamper-efforts-by-some-congressional-republicans-to-repeal-affordable-care-act/
desertflower, you are being too kind calling them short-sighted! I am thinking of a lot of words I could trade with you here but okay let me follow your decent manners
Who Are The Lord’s Resistance Army?
News that the Obama administration is sending combat troops to Uganda hit many in the US as a surprise. The soldiers are heading there with the Ugandan government’s approval in order to help combat the Lord’s Resistance Army.
That fact will make it less of a shock to Africans hearing this news. They know the LRA as a feared and brutal insurgency.
The LRA’s operations are spread across several countries in Africa’s so-called “Great Lakes Region,” including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Sudan.
However, Uganda has borne the bulk of their violence. That’s especially true of the country’s northern parts, where the LRA has run an insurgency since being formed in 1987.
Since 1988 the group has been led by Joseph Kony, a fifty-something former Catholic altar boy who apparently believes himself to be a spiritual medium and a spokesperson for God.
If so, then it’s a violent god he serves: the LRA has long been hammered by the United Nations for its reliance on child soldiers; and the actions those young troops commit include mutilation and the sexual enslavement of women.
Kony was indicted in 2005 by the International Criminal Court on 33 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He has so far evaded arrest, however. The US government lists the LRA as a terrorist organization.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/who-are-the-lords-resistance-army.php
I can attest that this is true as I wrote above. As said, I was born in there and I am often in the region. and I can tell you that the actions of these monsters from LRA have been very brutal.
example s of actions include raiding schools, churches and villages, capturing child soldiers, chopping off thier hands, lying to people they captured that if they go to the front line, they will not be harmed due to oil smeared on their bodies, burning villages.
When people in northern Uganda hear troop deployment, they will be supportive
Reminds me of Grenada, except in Grenada, Cuban troops had taken over the island and we rescued US college kids in a school there.
The LRA has been committing unspeakeble atrocities over MULTIPLE COUNTRIES and over MANY years.
The area of strong operation of the LRA is within at least four countries that share a corner of the region where movement from one to another is very easy.
In addition, a few dictators (they call themselves Africa’s Strong Men) in this area have used the presence of the LRA as a cynical excuse of why they are the only answer to the threat posed so they must keep power for life. removing this excuse LRA from these leaders will contribute to a reducing the grip of these dictators and hopefully some may “retire”.
People of East and Central Africa and Southern Sudan will appreciate any actions that put a stop to these attrocities. this is especially true for women who rapped repeatedly and in public by these rebels
ps: President Obama knows this area well because Uganda shares a border with Kenya and the people across his father’s ancestral home walk back and and live cross-boarder depending on which area is safe and prosperous at the moment
Jovie my dear,Grenada was not as clear cut as was made out. I have heard many varying stories on the US occupation. Enough said.
I say AWESOME. These are absolute monsters and have ravaged the region for almost 30 years — correct me globalcitizenlinda if I’m wrong with length of time. Kids have been kidnapped and put thru the “Blood Diamond” type of horrors. With the LRA’s operating arena being in Congo, No. Uganda, and Sudan, I’m glad help is on it’s way. LRA has also ramped up atrocities in the Congo, adding more horror to an already horrible situation.
xtine, you are right. I have seen the results of their actions with my own eyes. I have been to this area of northern Uganda for community development.
in the past, this used to be an area with one of the good infrastructure, education and health institutions. it had one of the highest number of educated people and a thriving economy including agriculture.
agricultural products from this area were exported to feed people in Sudan, Somalia, Egypt and other parts of the Sahel. famines were not a common occurence because they grow some of the crops that thrive in dry areas and are very easy to store in places were refridgeration is rare.
now this area has been torched to leave grassland. people are starving.
for those interested in wild life, the LRA has also destroyed a huge number of rare and common species in the game reserves in this area. they are some of the worst people in killing elephants for their tusks.
you are very right.
Wow, globalcitizenlinda! Thank you for your community dev. work in that area! So needed. Would love to hear about your experiences there!
Also another thing to keep in mind is LRA’s operating arena. The problem w/ Kony (LRA leader) is that he won’t let LRA go the way RENAMO in Mozambique went. Kony is about Kony and the bastard won’t exit earth! With the new Republic of South Sudan, it’s crucial that LRA does not create further havoc at those border towns, as it has done in Uganda and the Congo. LRA thrives in chaos. If South Sudan, northern Uganda & eastern Congo are in chaos, it’s only a hop-skip eastwards to say, Somali undesirable elements.
When I read about LRA and wildlife killing, the only thing I could think of is that this is their modus operandi — kill, devastate everything in the path. That goes for crops, i.e., if you didn’t catch the farmers, starve them, burn their crops & they won’t come back.
right on point xtine.
this decision is one that has multiplier effects on so many fronts and issues that are critical to preventing human rights abuses and promoting peace..
The safety of Southern Sudan the safety of the displaced people of Dafour and yes the Congo will be impacted positively by this intervention.
I have close friends who come from that area of northern Uganda and now live near me here and are very active supporters of President Obama and voters. often they have to sneak home and they do not spend a lot of time on the ground because of fear.
One has lost a significant number of his immediate family members to war. as a result, some elders beg him to keep his American-born kids here for a while so as to preserve the bloodline.
when the news flash came about the President’s action about the LRA, I immediately sent them the news item.
in these areas where most of the damage is done through cutting with pangas or using small arms, the mention that US soldiers are coming is enough to bring some sense into would-be warriors and make some hardened warriors want to know where the closet restroom can be found.
starting now and in the next few days, weeks and months, we need to explain to those who are not aware about the LRA WHY this is a humanitarian and peace-related action for President Obama to take. already, I see that Dylan Ratigan on MSNBA insinuating things about this decision without knowing much about the facts that went into this consideration.
I intend to update the TOD family about the community development work so please be on the look out. I have noted your interest and I will make effort to contact you personally through Ms Chipsticks.
Senate Comitee to mark up the repeal of DOMA next week.
Suck on that, mr speaker.
Bad news for Bona!
Very warm and inspirational speeches by the two Presidents. I sat through it with a smile.
Our Prez brings joy and a positve vibe wherever he goes. What a gift we have in this
wonderful man. He and Prez Lee can certainly relate, coming from similar humble backgrounds.
Can’t you just see Mittens twisting himself in pretzel-like contortions to talk about his ‘humble’
beginnings if he were there as president(God forbid).
God bless you PBO. Thank you for saving the Auto Industry amidst fierce opposition. PRESS ON Sir.
We are right there with you.
MOTOR CITY: Here’s what you need to know from President Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to a General Motors plant in Orion Township, Mich., on Friday:
- Lee, a former CEO of Hyundai, reassured the GM workers that when the U.S.-South Korea free trade deal is implemented, American workers’ jobs will not be taken out of the country. He promised that the pact will actually create more jobs for Americans.
- “Today, I can stand here and say the investment paid off,” Obama said about the decision to bail out the auto industries. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been saved, the president said. “The taxpayers are being repaid.”
- Obama sounded like he was at a campaign event when he said that despite all the skeptics of the auto industry, there were folks in America who said, “Yes we can.”
Pool report-
AP pics from last night’s state dinner - http://www.philly.com/philly/style/photos/Obamas_State_Dinner_in_South_Korea.html
I love my President but as a Michigan resident it was so funny to hear him call the city NOVeye as NOVee. Novi, Michigan right outside Detroit, lots of businesses. it was funny!
Oh Gawd…Troubled (Maxine) Waters will be “reading a speech” on the floor of Congress during the week of OCt 24th. The speech consists of tweets, letters, facebook comments, email msgs, etc from her fans, followers and constituents. The msgs from the followers will be a response to this question from Waters: “if I could give a speech on the House floor about jobs and the economy, what would I say?’
http://waters.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=264503
Sorry, but that is just completely pathetic. What in the world do these people think their job is all about? She’s been pretty much worthless as a Rep. except to her and her husband’s financial interests.
mete, amen to that.
Really??!!! That’s what she sees fit to waste her time doing? That’s how she wastes taxpayer money? We pay her freaking salary and she’s reading tweets on the House floor? The nerve of congress! Sabrina @Charmed86 and I tweeted her about not calling out Tester and Nelson for voting against the AJA being debated on the senate floor but she made multiple rounds on tv disparaging PBO. I told her she was a hypocrite. That PBO is talking about jobs and she can’t be bothered to talk about his AJA or sponsor it in the House of Reps. She tweeted me saying she wasn’t a hypocrite and she was fighting for the middleclass and she gave me some BS answer as to why she hadn’t yet sponsored the AJA. I tweeted her back and told her “With all due respect Congresswoman; you’re a hypocrite.” Still waiting for her response.
Utaustin…Thank you for your continuous hard work on behalf of PBO and us Toders. You engage and correct misinformation
in a very timely and effective manner. I also appreciate the concise and eloquent summaries you give on the various
political happenings…particularly the the ones that are outright lies from the opposition and that require a strong will to be
able to stomach. Keep up the good work, you inspire.
Actually, this open window might be a good time for TOD-ers to tweet her, then see if any of their comments make it to the floor of Congress. Give her a steady stream of answers to her questions that highlight her hypocrisy, and lack of support for PBO - no swearing though. It would be an interesting exercise to see if she does share comments that make her look less than a committed supporter of AA’s (vs herself/family) over the years or less that a team player when it was in the interest of her constituents.
Hey TOD family. I tweeted Nick Confessore @nickconfessore of the NY Times about his hit piece that PBO was losing a huge chunk of small donors. I told him it must really sting him that his hit piece about PBO losing small donors was a LIE. I then told him #SuckOnThat (childish I know, but I couldn’t resist
) #Liar. He replied to my tweet and then he retweeted my tweet to his 6,000 followers. I’m off to ask him why he won’t admit he’s wrong. GOP Media tool.
Not that you asked or anything, but I’ll just offer a helpful suggestion based upon that experience, and hopefully you’ll like it…
When having an exchange like that, it’s a great time to ask yourself, “Self, what would President Obama do in this situation (WWOD)?” Clearly, he wouldn’t put “suckonthat” in there. That’s part of his genius in always keeping on the high road. Repubs and their stenographers, commonly referred to as “the media,” poke and stoke people like us with their lies and condescension until we shoot back with something they can use to belittle us, thereby ignoring the truths we speak.
So I’m guessing that “reporter” will try to dismiss you now because of your self-admitted “childish” part, and continue with his smug lies about President Obama. Just saying this because I’ve changed how approach debate based on President Barack Hussein Obama’s example, and have found it allows me to “win” more when taking out the “childish” bits. It makes my viewpoints stronger and more credible. Stanley Ann’s son is a true leader in every way! Hopefully this is interesting to you, and no matter what, thanks for getting in the arena and helping attack the avalanche of lies from our MegaMedia.
Thanks for your comment. I always tweet sensibly. But his lies were just too much. To use a reputable newspaper (as reputable as it can be) to try and demoralize PBO’s supporters is reprehensible. To not conduct any research is even more disgusting. I feel good that I told him to #SuckOnThat. I don’t feel sorry for that. It was straight to the point and succinct. He’s not dismissing me. He’s trying to justify that the $70M was only for this quarter and I reminded him that what he reported was that PBO had lost small donors; when the number of small donors actually went up. I told him to go conduct more research and write truth if he wants to call himself a real journalist. He has yet to respond to that.
Good - what did he reply to your tweet?
Waters asks her Twitter followers to compose speech
10/14/11 04:07 PM ET
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) plans to give a speech on the House floor composed entirely by her Twitter followers and Facebook friends, her office announced Friday.
Waters asked her social media fans to use the hashtag #ourspeech to respond to the question, “If I could give a speech on the House floor about jobs and the economy, what would I say?”
Answers posted between Friday afternoon and Sunday at midnight will be reviewed and compiled into a speech that Waters plans to read on the House floor during the week of Oct. 24.
http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/187709-waters-asks-her-twitter-followers-to-compose-speech
Me, Waters has nothing I want to hear
She has less than 5k followers.
Come to think of it, I’m changing my mind from above. Waters and her colleagues have not submitted a jobs bill despite the state of the economy. She has been actively undermining a President who has been working to rejuvenate the economy, and now she wants constituents to write her speech for her. What exactly has SHE done about jobs/the economy (apart from the relatively recent apathetic ‘jobs tour’)? Isn’t it time for her to do the job for which she is being paid? A worthy answer to Waters’ “If I could give a speech on the House floor about jobs and the economy, what would I say?” might be ‘Let’s do OUR jobs (ex. Pass the AJA), Congresspeople. Let’s represent our constituents. That’s why we were sent to Congress.’
O/T: HELP—VERY IMPORTANT. I just found en email in my Inbox with this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=HcBaSP31Be8&vg=medium. Title is THIS WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. When you look at it, you will, of course, notice all the CAPS….words like WILL, MUST, etc. It is about ACA……gives page number, line or section of specific things that WILL happen, etc. PLEASE help me find info……who is behind this, how to respond or not respond……..HELP!!! I’ll only be here for another 15 minutes; then away until 10:00ish. OH MY…..this is amazing!!!!!!! Scary that it is “out” there. Not surprised at the person who sent it to me, btw.
watched one minute of it - dangerous lies and crap.
Please alert Team Obama either through each of these : the President Obama Campaign Headquarters, the DNC, through the official White House site which has a special team dedicated to lies about the Health Care Act, and just above at this TOD site there is link to Attack Watch
please let someone know who can take action
Thank you for direction. Will do tonight or tomorrow….and for now, will not respond in any way to the person who sent it. Leaving now for high school football game…….fun!
Now, Tweety is sticking up for Cain- playing a clip of Hayley Barbour saying if Cain is the nominee he will sweep the South.
Lol!
Wow, they are all high.
I saw barbour’s statement and I asked myself, who are they kidding when they claim Cain’s sweep the South?
You know how it is with the MSM and punditry, they raise up and then promptly cut you down to size. They do not make money unless the candidates are really competing against each other
Sweeping the south ? What with a broom?! Look, let’s be real here. The South? How sad that these sheisters have to stoop to this level of using and promoting Cain in the hope of the brown folk following, but, brown folk are just not into Cain, 9-9-9 or his pizza. Right about now he is really feeling himself! Enjoy it Herman, pretty soon they will eat you alive!
I’m not sure I’d describe it as “sticking up for”—-more like exposing Barbour’s unlikely scenario statement. Now he’s reporting Cain’s quote where he said Obama was “born in Kenya”. How could Cain be that unaware, or was that purposeful? Is Cain playing the race card? This all gets more preposterous by the day. And Tweet is completely stuck on race today, with very little understanding of his subject.
Cain is definitely playing the race card, and the GOP is LOVING it. I cringe everytime I hear Cain speak.
Sounds like Cain’s going for broke. He doesn’t have much going for him. This will not end well.
Yes Cain is playing the race card he is there for one reason to play the race card he is NOT ther
because he can be president PBO all ready shut down the garbage with DONALD TRUMP and PBO made
Trump look pathethic. So Let’s not worried about this will be for the Fucking MSM B.S so let’s keep calm.
Yes…and he had Matt Kibbe on AGAIN…don’t they do any research ? Kibbe has direct links to Tim Phillips, Ralph Reed and Jack Abramoff.
He does not want to be accused by the tea-racists of being from Kenya.
No- dont put him in that category…
Jeesh. Is he insecure!
Maxine just retweeted one of my tweets to her:
@metaquest
Cannot believe @MaxineWaters wasting time on House floor to read tweets,FB posts from her “fans” OMG, she has no idea what her job is. #FAIL
Maybe she will “unleash” her fans on me! HA!
@metaquest
.@MaxineWaters Hope you’ll add that tweet to your collection to read on the House floor while millions go jobless. #PasstheBill #jobsnow
@MaxineWaters
@metaquest Dont be confused, this is a way to bring more people into the conversation. I have been vocal on the need to pass #AJA #ourspeech
Bring people in the conversation? The people have spoken long ago - they want jobs, and they support PBO’s jobs bill that he put forth. They do not need opportunistic congresspersons with their own agenda feeding them lies and propaganda.
Thanks meta for confronting Troubled Waters!!
Go Meta!! She is spending too much time collection parts of a speech to read on the House Floor, but cannot seem to put energy ot do anything else.
And talk about your goofy and your preposterous——Anita Perry is blaming Obama for her son resigning from his bank job to work on his father’s campaign. Something about SEC regulations, and it’s all Obama’s fault, just like everything, that her son voluntarily resigned from his job. Anita Perry is getting on my last nerve with her recent comments and crying about how everyone has been so mean to her husband because of Jesus, or something. These people are all goofballs.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/14/anita-perry-blames-obama-for-sons-job-loss/
That’s one wife who will not be able to handle the role of First Lady of U S! The party hasn’t really begun yet, the musicians are only tuning up, and she’s already crying ‘People are mean. They are picking on us.’
Poor thing. Of course there weren’t any complaints while reeling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars on boards supported by her husband’s donors. Poor thing, indeed.
I agree! Anita and her hubby need to go back to texas and stay there.
Having said that I think the spotlight needs to be Ann Romney, not Anita Perry. Romney is the Media/GOP establishment’s candidate of choice. And that’s why they don’t want him scrutinized so they distract voters with all kinds of nonsense with Cain, Perry, etc.
At least, for the moment, Ann Romney has the good sense to keep herself quietly in the background and not draw undue attention to herself.
with her as a character on the campaign traill, we are going to have some fun.
by the way is she the one who calls her self a tiger when it comes to defending her husband against political attack? what species of tiger can this be which cries its been subject to brutality after brutalizing others?
one quick question, why in the world would a son (or daughter) who cares about their parent and believes in them think and say that resigning to work on their campaign - FOR ANY POSITION - is a punishment.
God, if one of my parents, siblings or friends were running, I would consider it a priviledge to resign and work for the.
poor, poor anita!! either you have been very protected from the world by yes people or you are one of the most manipulative political wife who has come along in a while!
you hope to guilty people into supporting your lousy, unintelligent but pompus husband who is clearly not ready for prime time, day time, or late night by crying and calling on Baby Jesus
‘…if one of my parents, siblings or friends were running, I would consider it a privilege to resign and work for them’
In this job climate, I don’t think I’d resign. Especially if I was pretty sure they lacked the requisite skills and didn’t stand a chance. I’d just support them in other ways - lend them my car, pay for a massage therapist, listen to their whining, etc. After all, when they drop out, I’d have to go back to working.
OMG, hearing Anita Perry, what’s up with that woman? Did Perry drop that N-rock on her head?
David Gregory has a debate on MTP between mitt Romney/pawlenty against Cain/ jindal.
For the whole fucking hour.
Really?
Sheesh!
Then they will proclaim Romney the winner of course.
What??? What is that mess? That’s just unbelievable. What could they be thinking coming up with that programming? Wow, wow, wow.
Pete Souza’s collection of photos from President Lee’s State Visit:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/president-lee-myung-bak-republic-korea-official-visit
Did anyone just see the opening segment of Rev. Al’s show 10-14-11? That auto worker, did anyone listen to that guy? When people want to talk about can this President lead, what have he done? Talk to those auto workers. Let’s remember the so call know it all business man 9Romney) said for the auto companies to go under. Not one Republican supported what President Obama did. We need auto workers like that out there talking, reminding Americans that 1.4 millions Americans would be out of jobs if the Republicans had had their way. And if the sorry ass Senate Republicans hadn’t voted to stop the Americans Jobs Act , there would be millions with the chance of finding work.
That suppose to be Romney, not 9Romney.
it was a very moving testimony from a regular guy,
he even mentioned the special shifts these “hated Union Workers” put in to support the law enforcement community after 911. I did not know about that
Annirbella, the gentleman is the perfect person for an ad. He spoke from his heart and was so real.
OOps, I meant “Anniebella”.
That’s okay COS, we all make those mistakes.
MSM is going to be very sad as the end is near for their Golden Boy:
Huntsman Campaign Nearly Broke
Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign “is verging on broke after burning through more than $4 million since the former Utah governor entered the race for the Republican nomination in June,” CNN reports.
The campaign finished the third fundraising quarter in September with just $327,000 in the bank and $890,000 in debt.
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/10/14/huntsman_campaign_nearly_broke.html
WAAAH!
Meta it seems like you and I are on the same wavelength here! Our comments on Huntsman were posted at the same time!!!
Cool! I’m glad to see he’s showing very little ability to manage his money. HA!
may be he can write himself a cheque from daddy’s Iran-source income.
what did he do with the money? I thought he was one of those who tires easily and is constantly taking breaks from the campaign.
he cannot manage a 4 million enterprise but is auditioning to for a job which involves managing trillions?
Hahahahaha……. WAAAAAAH WAAAH WAH Call the wambulance!
This is so tweet worthy. Thanks Meta.
Huntsman should have stayed in China.
I think it’s time for Jon Huntsman to call it quits. Maybe 2016 might be a better time…if ever.
// Huntsman’s campaign is struggling financially, with debt exceeding cash-on-hand, according to CNN.
The campaign finished September with $327,000 in the bank and $890,000 in debt, according to its third-quarter filing. Huntsman has raised $2.26 million and contributed an additional $2.25 million of his own money since joining the race in June. //
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/187731-huntsmans-third-quarter-disclosure-shows-campaign-in-debt?utm_campaign=hillballotbox&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
This is why the media seems to have shifted to Romney as their candidate of choice. They would have preferred Huntsman because Romney has TONS of baggage that they would rather not have to deal with. But Huntsman is uninspiring and he strikes me as being sickly or lazy or both. Huntsman simply cannot attract enough voters at this point.
That’s what he gets for being a traitor, running against PBO
remember the theme we have maintained here: he/she who goes against President Obama in pure malice and hate shall not prosper.
if I was back in my E. African village (not very far from PBO’s father’s ancestral home) most people would now be concluding that this is a signal from the ancestors to not mess with their bloodkin. Most people would get the message that PBO has extra spiritural protection and should be left alone
Well said.
On another note about the reason for Huntsman’s poor showing, even a writer on redstate.com posted this in May:
“I cannot tolerate a man serving as our ambassador to our chief strategic adversary in the world plotting, while in that capacity, to run against the President of the United States.”
Cantor Kicked Out of Virginia Republican Party
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has lost his seat on a local committee in his home state, the Washington Post reports. Cantor was automatically removed from the committee rolls after his endorsement of Del. Bill Janis — a Republican who’s running for Henrico County attorney as an independent.
“Any Republican who supports a non-Republican in a contested race will be automatically removed,” reports the Post.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/#1179
We are going to have fun with these rightwingers eating each other!
we have always said here that anyone who becomes a really public and consitent hatemonger of President Obama ultimately goes to the dustbin of history due to actions that are not initiated by PBO. is this the beginning of cantor-history?
Woooohooooo… Thanks for this Fred. Off to tweet. Now if only he would lose his US Congressional seat. What sweet joy that would be!
OHHHH Look! We get to track the cost of the Bush tax cuts…the way the R’s always have the national debt clock running!!
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/10/14/344329/tax-cuts-five-percent-11-6-hour/
Better send THIS OFF to all those Republicans in your state!!!
http://costoftaxcuts.com/ SERIOUS $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ that the Treasury DOESN’T get!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome.
In a disgusting sort of way.
Yeah. I just meant that it’s great to have such a stark graphic that says it al. I’m hoping it will get lots of attention.
Greetings TODers
Well it’s that time again. On Friday I always ask folks to send me an email telling me what you did to support the President. Winners will receive Press on buttons, and magnets.
my email is [email protected]
And I got mine today-
Thanks…
WIW, I donated $100.00 today! I have campaign stuff that I bought to give out so no need for you to send me a thing AND thank you for all that you do.
WIW,
Just wanted to let you know that I attended the $44.00 fundraiser minimum amount this past Tuesday in Orlando for our President. Spent 88.00 for my grand daughter and myself. Afterwards spent 70.00 at the store. Then I received the mdse of 95.00 I spent in the victory store. Gave 125.00 in donations.
I am motivated and please let us encourage someone else. Thank you for being a great motivator.
White House To Boehner On Jobs Plan: Did We Hit A Nerve?
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/white-house-to-boehner-on-jobs-plan-did-we-hit-a-nerve.php
Boehner is a first class jackass.
YES, THEY HIT A NERVE…..
1) The truly farcical ‘Jobs Through Growth Act’
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_10/the_truly_farcical_jobs_throug032810.php
2) Falling apart under scrutiny
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_10/falling_apart_under_scrutiny032824.php
With investments from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the U.S. Department of Energy and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC, (SRNS) sealed the access to the historic P and R Reactors as part of footprint reduction and legacy cleanup at the Savannah River Site.
At P Reactor today, Dr. David Moody, DOE’s Savannah River Operations Office Manager and Marc Sharpe, a reactor operator at P Reactor in the 1980s, were the last people to exit the P Reactor before its final opening was welded shut.
“The Recovery Act enabled us to accomplish a remarkable feat,” Dr. Moody said. “In just two years we successfully and safely delivered a fitting end to these relics that led our nation to a Cold War victory. For that we are proud.”
http://blog.recovery.gov/2011/10/12/photo-of-the-week-srs-p-reactor-sealing/
VIDEO: Bursting the Cain Bubble
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/10/14/bursting_the_cain_bubble.html
This is totally OT and just a curious observation, but I watched the NBC Nightly news with Brian Williams last evening (6:30 my time) to see how he would report on the State Dinner. Lo and behold, I sat thru the entire half hour and he did not mention one word about the dinner or the trade deal. It was a little strange to me. I am wondering if it will be reported on today?
Sad. And yet if somebody had “crashed” the State Dinner, it would have been all over network and cable news.
Political Mythbusters – Guantanamo Bay
The Democratic controlled congress stopped the President from closing Gitmo, it’s reality. Because the President is a team player and hasn’t pointed the finger at his supposed allies, the Democrats in congress, it shows that he is loyal. The problem is, it only helps those who wish to bring him down by giving them just one more political myth to perpetuate. It has to stop!
http://extremeliberal.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/political-mythbusters-guantanamo-bay/
As Anniebella mentioned above,thr first segment of Rev Al tonight is really worth watching.
I found myself tearing up when I heard the auto worker talk about where he would be if his
job had not been saved. He was so grateful to PBO for the actions he took to save the industry.
This really put a face on all the stats and hogwash we have been fed by the MSM. This was a real
person with a special needs kid who did not have to go live on the street thanks to the BOLD actions of saving the auto industry.
Why can’t the hair on fire people see that they are being duped and lied to by the media.
All the good that PBO has done leaves me breathless…and yet they chose to distort his accomplishments.
There are no words!
HOPE44 - I saw that, too. I’m hoping Rev. Al has a “real person” on his show every night, to prove there are people behind the statistics. Wasn’t the gentleman from the UAW a wonderful supporter of PBO? I don’t think he was a union official - but he was a union member who really, really appreciated the “loan” to the auto industry, as you wrote.
Unreal- Gallup is yen points worse for the President than Rasmussen.
In fact, it now is worse than Zogby and You gov polls…
What is up with Gallup, since the debt ceiling fiasco, he has averaged 38%.
Rasmussen has him at 47% Approval.
What is this?
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/14/obama-drops-long-term-health-care-program/
Kathleen Sebelius: At some point in our lives, seven out of ten Americans will need daily help because of a disability. It could be nursing home care in the final months of our lives. Or it could be a home health aide who comes by a few hours a week to help with daily tasks, giving us the freedom to live and work in our community for years.
As time goes by, even more of us will require these kinds of long-term services and supports in order to live our lives as we wish to live them. But under the status quo, many of us will struggle to pay for this care — if we can afford it at all.
Many Americans assume that Medicare will pick up the bill for their long-term care, but it only pays for brief nursing home stays. Medicaid offers broader coverage, but many families aren’t eligible until their savings are virtually exhausted. Meanwhile, the private market covers less than three percent of Americans. And at $75,000 a year for a nursing home and $18,000 a year for home health care, most families cannot afford to pay out of pocket.
It was with the hope of giving Americans better choices that Congress included a voluntary long-term care insurance program called CLASS in last year’s health care law. The idea behind CLASS, which was championed by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, is simple: workers could sign up and pay a monthly premium, and in return, they would be eligible after a number of years for a daily benefit administered by our department that could help pay for long-term care services should they become necessary.
CLASS would not only give Americans who knew they were likely to require long-term services and supports an affordable way to prepare for the future. It would also give young and middle-aged Americans a way to insure against the possibility that they would someday require this kind of care themselves. Because all benefits would be paid out of premiums, it wouldn’t cost taxpayers a dime. And CLASS would provide relief for State and federal budgets, which currently attempt to bridge the long-term care coverage gap with scarce Medicaid dollars.
While some analysts predicted that the CLASS program’s finances would be sustainable, others including the actuary for Medicare and Medicaid issued warnings to Congress and the public before the law was enacted that not enough young, healthy people would sign up. This could have led to a vicious cycle where premiums would have to be set higher and higher to cover the likely costs of benefits, leading fewer and fewer healthier people to sign up for the program. For this reason, the law required me to develop a benefit plan that, in addition to meeting other statutory requirements, would also be solvent for at least 75 years.
Since then, our department has worked steadily to find a financially sustainable model for CLASS. Over the last 19 months, we’ve examined the long-term care market, modeled possible plan designs, and studied the CLASS statute, consulting at every step of the way with outside actuaries, insurers, and consumer groups.
When it became clear that most basic benefit plans wouldn’t work, we looked at other possibilities. Recognizing the enormous need in this country for better long-term care insurance options, we cast as wide a net as possible in searching for a model that could succeed. But as a report our department is releasing today shows, we have not identified a way to make CLASS work at this time.
This doesn’t affect the rest of the health care law, which will continue to provide affordable quality health insurance choices to millions of Americans and reduce the deficit. And it doesn’t mean that we’re giving up our efforts to improve Americans’ long-term care choices. In fact, one of the main reasons we decided not to go ahead with CLASS at this point is that we know no one would be hurt more if CLASS started and failed than the people who had paid into it and were counting on it the most. We can’t let that happen.
So even as we suspend work on implementing CLASS, we are recommitting ourselves to the ultimate goal of making sure Americans can get the long-term care they need, whether it’s a working-age mom with disabilities who needs daily support right now or a young man at his first job who wants to protect himself and his family against the possibility of huge long-term care costs in the future.
By 2020, we know that an estimated 15 million Americans will need some kind of long-term care. If we want our family members, friends, and neighbors to be able to live with the maximum amount of freedom and independence, we need to make sure they have access to the long-term supports that make that possible. We will continue to work with the Congress, consumer advocates, health care providers, insurers and other stakeholders to ensure that all Americans have access to long-term care choices that best meet their needs.
Long term care is heinously expensive. My wife is patient care director at an assisted living facility. Medicare does not pay for it. The care is paid for either from long term care insurance, or through personal funds. The cheapest care to be had at her facility is $3800 a month. Other assisted living facilities are comparable. The long term care provisions of the ACA were admirable, but would always have been a problem in securing funding.
http://www.hhs.gov/secretary/letter10142011.html
Secretary Sebelius’ Letter to Congress about CLASS
October 14, 2025
United States Capitol, Washington, DC
Dear Mr. Speaker:
Last year, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) initiated a comprehensive analysis of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program. The CLASS initiative — championed by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy — was added as a separate program to health reform legislation with the goal of creating better long-term care insurance options for Americans. The Congressional Budget Office carefully analyzed this legislation and provided public estimates of how it would work and its effects on the Federal budget. And, the Administration worked with Congress to strengthen the program during congressional consideration of the Affordable Care Act.
For 19 months, experts inside and outside of government have examined how HHS might implement a financially sustainable, voluntary, and self-financed long-term care insurance program under the law that meets the needs of those seeking protection for the near term and those planning for the future. The work has been groundbreaking in many ways and has taught us a great deal, much of which is captured in the attached report. But despite our best analytical efforts, I do not see a viable path forward for CLASS implementation at this time.
In 2009, the actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a report to Congress during the consideration of the legislation that raised concerns about the program’s viability. Because of such concerns, the law passed by Congress required me to design a plan that would be actuarially sound and financially solvent for at least 75 years. The provision protected both taxpayers and beneficiaries. After all, if CLASS failed, no one would be hurt more than those who would pay into it and would be counting on it the most.
With this in mind, experts across HHS – including the CLASS Office, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation and the Office of the General Counsel – have worked steadily to find a path forward on CLASS. We have undertaken a methodical and comprehensive analysis of the statute and plan design options. We have broadly considered how to design potential benefit structures and reviewed those designs carefully to determine if they meet the twin tests of solvency and consistency with the law. We hired a chief actuary for the CLASS Office, engaged with other government actuaries, and worked with two outside actuarial firms in order to maximize the reliability of solvency estimates. I am proud of the careful and thorough approach that we have taken, engaging talented professionals across the Department and in the private sector.
Our work is detailed in the comprehensive report being transmitted to Congressional leadership with this letter. In the report, you will find the results of our actuarial and policy analyses of the CLASS Act along with our legal analysis of multiple plan design options. While the report does not identify a benefit plan that I can certify as both actuarially sound for the next 75 years and consistent with the statutory requirements, it reflects the development of information that will ultimately advance the cause of finding affordable and sustainable long-term care options.
The challenge that CLASS was created to address is not going away. By 2020, we know that an estimated 15 million Americans will need some kind of long-term care and fewer than three percent have a long-term care policy. These Americans are our family, our friends and our neighbors. If they are to live productive and independent lives, we need to make sure that they have access to the long-term care supports that make that possible.
We also know that left unaddressed, long-term care costs to taxpayers will only increase. Without insurance coverage or the personal wealth to pay large sums in their later years, more Americans with disabilities will rely on Medicaid services once their assets are depleted, putting further strain on State and Federal budgets.
The CLASS program seeks to address the critical need that Americans have for affordable long-term care services. The current market does not offer viable options for those unable to access private long-term care insurance. We look forward to continuing our work with you and your colleagues in Congress, consumer advocates, health care providers, insurers and other stakeholders to find solutions that ensure all Americans have the choices that best meet their needs.
Sincerely,
/s/
Kathleen G. Sebelius
Read the full HHS report, “A Report on the Actuarial, Marketing, and Legal Analyses of the CLASS Program.”
Here is link to the full analysis rpt on the CLASS Program. http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/2011/class/index.shtml