From an interview with VP Biden in Esquire:
“What I haven’t seen before is the intensity of the desire on the other side to see to it that Barack Obama is not president again. There seems to be a willingness to put that ahead of what might be a short-term - or a long-term - benefit to the American people.”
On the Presdsent: “What I’m amazed about is the guy’s courage. The decisions the president makes day in and day out are decisions that nobody sees. Trust me, if you had to make only one of those decisions, you’d be telling your grandchildren about it. … I would argue that this president has had more land on his plate from the day he got in office than any other president - including Franklin Roosevelt.”
On Mitt Romney’s faith: “When my son was a senior, I was asked to do a speech at Georgetown University,” Biden recalled in an interview with the magazine. “Father O’Donovan asked me to speak on how faith informs my public service. I’d never talked about my faith publicly. I mean, I acknowledge that I’m a practicing Catholic, but I don’t think it’s anybody’s business, nor do I think it should matter to anyone. That’s why I’m so angry about the way they’re treating Romney. Who I’m not crazy about, but…”
More here
****
Today:
10:05: The President and First Lady depart the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews
10:20: Leave Andrews for Ft. Bragg, N.C.
11:25: Arrive in Ft. Bragg
11:55: The President and First Lady deliver remarks to the troops
12:50: Depart Ft. Bragg
2:05: Arrive at the White House
5:00: The President attends a campaign event
****
Kathleen Sebelius: As a parent, nothing gives us more peace of mind than knowing that our children can pursue their dreams without unfair limitations. This is why I’m excited to announce that millions more young adults in America now have health insurance coverage thanks to the health care law – enabling them to pursue their goals without worrying about what will happen if they get sick.
The provision in the law allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26 has resulted in 2.5 million young people gaining coverage, according to analysis based on new data released today by the National Center for Health Statistics.
More here
****
Morning everyone ;-)
I’ll catch up with the news - soon-ish
White House.gov
Morning all. Here’s a great site we all need to promote:
http://www.thanksobamacare.org/
Thanks!
Love VP Biden. What an amazing accompaniment to this President. I wanted to bring this over from the last thread…Tweeters/FB people….make your voices heard!
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/matters-most
We are in such great hands.
wrote him a little letter last night - love VP Joe! :-)
I don’t have twitter but anyone on here who does have it, tell nbcpolitics to “report facts and stop trying to create the news for ratings”.
A funny for your Hump Day!
http://mockthedummy.com/2011/12/13/the-twelve-days-of-conservative-movement-christmas/
Wake up TOD!!!!!! Thanks to Jovie, MSNBC, and the White House I found out this HUGE news. Thanks to President Obama’s healthcare reform (ACA), 2.5 million young adults now have health insurance. This is HUGE. This is a BFD (thanks VP Biden). I’ve been tweeting the crap out of this to everyone on twitter and to the media. This cannot and must not be silenced. This is a MAJOR legislative accomplishment. This is history being made right before our eyes. PBO is a political genius! Slowly, but surely ACA is morphing into a version of single payer. If this can happen within a year of a small part of the law taking effect, imagine what happens come 2014, when the full law becomes enacted. Wow just wow! This is for the emoprogs, firebaggers and PL’s who were barking and gnashing their teeth like rabies infected dogs that ACA wasn’t progressive enough. If it wasn’t the most progressive law in decades why would the GOP want to rip it to shreds? That ObamaCare label should be worn with pride because yes, President Obama does care that everyone is entitled to health insurance and should never go bankrupt due to a lack of health insurance.
http://m.yahoo.com/w/news_america/apnewsbreak-2-5m-young-adults-gain-coverage-075541098.html?back=%2Fhealth%2F&.ts=1323863314&.intl=us&.lang=en
Saw your tweet this morning Utah. Thanks for sharing this!
Good Morning UT and TOD…I’m awake and grateful for this phenomenal news. Off to share it everywhere!
Thanks UT for passing this around. This is indeed a BFD and should not be buried! Will do my part to share as well.
It’s HUGE news! And my daughter is one of them! Thank you, President Obama!
UT you are on fiyah this morning - I see your tweets everywhere! w00t!
This should be the headline in every news outlet, not crap about another failed R candidate. You’re right, UT, we’ve got to scream this out to everyone we know. Wish the DNC would make an ad about it. It needs to go out everywhere.
Thanks, Ut. During my breaks from training today, I will tweet it. Thank God I will be near a computer. This is indeed, a major deal. retweeted your tweet earlier.
ObamaBiden2012
This is something all universities should be letting their students know about and all family doctors, clinics and emergency rooms should let any uninsured 25 yo and under about - there needs to be more educating the public of what benefits they’re missing out on. Of course it is also in the insurers best interest to inform the parents that their child can be covered by their plan up through 25yo because those are for the most part healthy years and thus likely money makers for the insurance companies.
Over at Old Orange, where there was diary after diary on the supposed inadequacies of the ACA (I’m looking at Slinkerwink and NYCeve), there is now complete silence from the usual suspects. The day is yet young and perhaps someone might come out with a diary. With a little luck it will make the rec list.
They sound like the usual pathetic losers so full of hate they can’t see what’s in front of them.
Just tweeted it.
MERCI BEAUCOUP, UT! :-)
Methinks Susie Madrak af Crooks and Liars needs to hear this after her piece on healthcare.
UT, I saw it on the cnn feed today this morning..With a pic!
Atlanta (CNN) — About 2.5 million young people have received health insurance coverage as a result of health care reform measures that President Barack Obama signed into law last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.
The Obama administration trumpeted the figure as a sign that the controversial legislation is succeeding.
About 2.5 million more people, aged 19 to 25, have health insurance than had it before the law took effect because of a provision that lets young adults remain on their parents’ insurance plans through age 26, the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics said.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/14/health/health-insurance/index.html?eref=igoogledmn_topstories
Great news! Holder Declares War on Voter Suppression
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/12/14/2358/1472
No wonder Republicans hate him.
thanks for the link!
Oh please, if the Justice Department could at least put a hold on these outrageous voter suppression laws, it would help tremendously. And let the HOLD last through 2012, so we can get more Democrats into office. We should be asking every Democratic candidate about supporting legislation that would protect voting rights and expand enfranchisement. This suppression stuff is way out of hand. We are letting a handful Republican governors and legislatures destroy our rights.
I’m wishing Holder all the luck in the world, because it has always been clear to me that these Republicans are trying to steal this election by any means necessary. They know if people come out like they did in 2012 they will have no chance. These Republicans are EVIL.
Thanks desertflower~ Not only do we “deserve to vote” as booman says but it’s our Right in this country for everyone who is eligible to vote. The republicons are so nasty and incompetent they know they won’t get enough votes if they don’t cheat Americans out of their vote.
Thank you Eric Holder for Fighting BACK!
May this day be another blessed day that God has for our wonderful POTUS and VPOTUS and families. May He keep a hedge of protection around them all. Love to all you here.
Amen!
Amen.
AMEN INDEED…THANK YOU TOO VP JOE FOR PUTTING IT RIGHT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE…WE HAVE A VERY COURAGEOUS AND PERSEVERING PRESIDENT! THE GOOD LORD HAS HIS HAND ON HIS SHOULDER!
In Jesus unmatchless Name, Amen.
Good morning everyone..!! :D
{{{ROCK}}}
Morning :)
Please light a candle for our beloved President and First Lady as they travel to Fort Bragg.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Good Morning JB. Thank You!
Good morning GF!
Donna, how many years now hv we been lighting this daily candles for BHO? Quite a bit more than just a few now, eh? This house will always keep the flame burning, and it covers VPB, as well as all those who strive to keep moving steadily into the Light, with one consciousness, like all these blessed workers here on TOD!
Pam, you’re right. We started the original candle just before the Iowa Caucus in Dec 2007. So we have kept a light burning for our President for 4 years now and plan to keep it burning for at least another 5 years.
Lit. And good morning all. And, since I was not on board last night, after reading the comments from Australian PM, doesn’t President Obama just make you damn proud? I simply love that man :-D
I need to add that VP Joe is the perfect partner to PBO. Love that sunny disposition, truth telling, and sturdiness. Many thanks to the both of them for restoring some sense of hope in the US government which I’d long ago disposed of. Now, if we all can be sensible citizens to elect more like them, this American exceptionalism thingy just might work.
I wasn’t on yesterday at all so I’ve been catching up and the PM’s comments just warmed my heart. It’s such a shame that only outside of the U.S. does the obvious character of PBO’s nature become the norm. Here we get stupid pundits saying just the opposite of what we see right before our eyes.
Good Morning, Everyone :)
NBC is on an all-out, collaborative, intense Newt takedown effort. The 2 recent polls showing Mankini’s big lead and indicating that Obama wins big over the Blingrich has got them in a complete tizzy. Is it because they fear an Obama landslide with Newtie as the candidate—-a yawn election, no ratings, no ad dollars—-or because they are ideologically determined to produce a Repub win/Obama loss? I’ve never seen anything like it—-it’s like a funeral, they are so distraught by the present state of the Repub primary season. They are still scrambling trying to promote Huntsman, Ron Paul, any 3rd party candidate, looking desperately still for someone else other than Leroy to catch fire.
I hope every Republican primary voter feels manipulated and turns off NBC. This is actually outrageously biased advocacy for a network station.
It’s too late. Heh.
★*˚°。°*。°*。★*˚°。°*。°˚°★*˚°。°*。°*★*˚°。°*。°*★
˛°_██_*˚°。°/♥ \*˚°。°*。°*★*˚°。°*。°*★*˚°。°*。°*★
˛. (´• ̮•)*.。*/♫.♫\*˛.*˛_Π_____*˚°。*。°*❤*˚°。°*。°*★
.°( . • . ) ˛°./• ‘♫ ‘ •\.˛*./______/~＼*˚°。°*。°*°*❤ ˚°*★
*(…’•’.. ) *˛╬╬╬╬╬˛°.｜田田❤｜門｜╬╬╬╬╬*˚°。°*。°* ♥
★*˚°。°*。°*。★ HAPPY HOLIDAYS ★ Warm hugs, lots of love to everyone today.♥
Ah, love that Donna, I feel all Christmassy! Morning you, morning everyone ;-)
That’s fancy keyboard work, donna.
Yes, it is. Yes, we will!
Very nice Donna. Happy Holidays to you too! :D
Very impressive Donna…I have a hard time making a smiley……
Oh, very cool!! A very Merry Christmas to you and your family, Donna. Stay warm and cozy surrounded by those you love. 2012 is our year!!
Thanks Donna - very impressive artwork and Happy Holidays to you!!
Oooooh DD4O, so pretty!
This is so cheerful. I love your ASCII art. Make happy.
So cheerful and beautiful, Donna. Thanks for sharing such a lovely message. I admire your creative mind. Happy Holidays to all of you.HZ
Everything Still Broken in DC
Here’s the roll call for Boehner’s stupid bill to do a bunch of radical things in exchange for extending the payroll tax holiday and unemployment insurance benefits. Ten Democrats, most of them reliably terrible, voted for this monstrosity. Fourteen Republicans voted against it, most, if not all, because it wasn’t radical enough. The Speaker wanted 240 Republican votes, but got only 224.
Members approved the bill in a 234-193 vote in which 224 Republicans supported it — short of House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) goal of getting 240 GOP votes, which he said would give the House a “strong hand” in negotiations with Senate Democrats.
The White House didn’t wait long to issue their response:
Statement by the Press Secretary on Tonight’s House Vote on the GOP Payroll Tax Cut Plan
This Congress needs to do its job and stop the tax hike that’s scheduled to affect 160 million Americans in 18 days. This is not a time for Washington Republicans to score political points against the President. It’s not a time to refight old ideological battles. And it’s not a time to break last summer’s bipartisan agreement and hurt the middle class by cutting things like education, clean energy, and veterans’ programs without asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.
This is a time to help the middle class and all those trying to reach it by extending a tax cut worth $1,000 for the average family. The President has been very clear: Congress should not finish their business before finishing the business of the American people. They cannot go on vacation before agreeing to prevent a tax hike on 160 million Americans and extending unemployment insurance. That is simply inexcusable in this economy. It is our expectation that in the eleventh hour Congressional Republicans and Democrats will come to an agreement to protect the middle class and finish their budget work for the year.
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/12/13/205914/13
F them.
My sentiments exactly! Oh, and good morning guys! :)
I hope the american people (Independents, teabaggers, and GOP’ers) who elected these dirt bags will kick these R’s & D’s that voted for this crap out of office. We are not being represented by adults but a butch of oldsters with 8th grade mentality.
Ew! No thank you!
TIME’S Person of the Year…..”The Protestor”
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101745_2102132,00.html
So basically, they’ve named the organized Obama hater (OWS, Tea Party) as person of the year. Totally not surprised.
Or Egyptians, Libyans, Syrians, Russian protesters…
I see it that way, too
Oh, yes. I’m always negative when it comes to mainstream media, so I didn’t even think they’d be talking about the Arab Spring.
I think itgurl_29 is more accurate. From 2000-2008 there were many “Protestors” - all of whom were shunned, dismissed, ignored or condemned as “unpatriotic.”
OWS is fizzling out because they do not have a real cause or the folks are not willing to do the necessary leg work but just want quick fixes. No amount of money, media attention or Time Magazine endorsement is going to sustain an inauthentic, poorly directed movement.
Yes. I see those involved in the Arab Spring and Russia as more “revolutionaries”. They are willing and have died for political upheaval. I see OWS and Tea Bagger as “protestors” who just wanna make noise and get lots of media attention, but haven’t really made much change.
Correct.
And the protesters in Wisconsin and Ohio which includes members of OFA who got those petitioned signed.
well those may be technically organizers.
Good morning everyone,
I saw that this morning…..this is sick : No. 4 on Time’s list is Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican whom the magazine credits with bringing to the front of the national consciousness an issue that Washington was loath to confront: America’s ballooning national debt.
This mofo wants to end medicare and they are responsible for the national debt for the most part. How many trillions with their wars, tax cuts for the rich and so on…nothing was paid for.
So lets celebrate Paul Ryan …..grrrrrrr….
What a joke
Thank you - you know this list is garbage when you have Paul Ryan being “credited” with anything positive. EPIC FAIL.
Furthermore, we know that if John McCain were President and he had taken out Bin Laden, he would be person of the year. Period. No ifs ands or buts.
Wow …they have named Paul Ryan as one of the runners up….Imagine That….Time myst be in the Twilight Zone
Whiteboard
Pfeiffer threatens a “no” on Keystone anyway
12/14/11 7:20 AM
White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer writes on Twitter: “The House bill simply shortens the review process in a way that virtually guarantees that the pipeline will NOT be approved.”
A stand-up guy, our Joe Biden!! Gotta love him!
Yep. Plus that picture of him is just so intense. It’s like he’s saying don’t mess with me; because I will tear you into pieces with a smile on my face. Love it! :D
I love VP Biden!! I am happy he always has the President’s back. He was a great VP choice.
:) http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/12/14/on-immigration-polls-show-most-gop-voters-share-gingrich-stance/
Tuesday, December 13, 2025
Last Call
Posted by Zandar
Good news, America! House Republicans have passed an extension to the payroll tax cut! They just have a few, teensy-weensy things they want in exchange.
In a private conversation Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid again warned House Speaker John Boehner that his bill remains dead on arrival in the Senate. In particular, Democrats and the White House oppose a number of GOP-backed provisions: a measure forcing the Obama administration to expedite its decision about whether to green light construction the Keystone XL pipeline; out-year spending caps that could further reduce funding to key federal programs; and other restrictions including one that would allow states to drug test unemployment applicants.
The GOP bill also includes a steep increase in Medicare costs for middle class and upper class beneficiaries to help offset the cost of the payroll holiday. Per the Associated Press, it would “rais[e] premiums for ‘high-income’ Medicare beneficiaries, now defined as those making $85,000 and above for individuals, or $170,000 for families.”
Some would pay as much as several hundred dollars a month additional for Medicare outpatient and prescription coverage. Millions who don’t consider themselves wealthy would also end up paying more.
Just the top 5 percent of Medicare recipients currently pay higher premiums, a change that took effect a few years ago. The new GOP proposal would expand that over time to include the highest-earning one-fourth of seniors.
The White House issued an official veto threat Tuesday afternoon. But Republicans are insisting on going through the motions.
http://zandarvts.blogspot.com/2011/12/last-call_13.html
Good morning, TOD. This isn’t good news but at least we know what’s coming our way. As the President stated recently (roughly paraphrased), “It isn’t going to be easy but it can be done if we persevere.” And, I choose to stick by President Obama because he’s given me no reason not to!~
Ex-Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson, Former Democrat, Launches Third Party Presidential Bid Against Obama, GOP
Tuesday 13 December 2025
by: Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
A new political party has entered the fray as an alternative to Democrats and Republicans ahead of the 2012 elections. On Monday, former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson announced he will run for president with the newly formed Justice Party. Although hailing from a solidly red state, Anderson has been known as one of the most progressive mayors of any major U.S. city in recent years. During his two mayoral terms from 2000 to 2008, Anderson was an outspoken champion of LGBT rights, environmental sustainability, and the antiwar movement in opposition to the Iraq War. Vowing to fight the influence of money over politics, Anderson kicked off his campaign on Monday with a pledge to limit individual donations to $100 a person. Anderson and the Justice Party say they hope to build a grassroots movement heading into the November 2012 elections.
~snip~
http://www.truth-out.org/ex-salt-lake-mayor-rocky-anderson-former-democrat-launches-third-party-presidential-bid-against-obam
Sounds like the Green Party 2.0 to me. Kind of hard to gain any traction when most of what he championed/protested is moot: LGBT rights and the Iraq war. Fighting the influence of money over politics? Seriously? Yeah, that’s gonna work.
from ThinkProgress this morning regarding Upchuck Toad’s little “Opps”
And finally: NBC political director Chuck Todd accidentally “flipped the bird” while live on MSNBC. Todd immediately tweeted that he was “embarrassed” and that it was a joke directed at someone off-camera. All was forgiven on Twitter, where Todd’s fans wrote comments like “you still my dawg” and “it’s not like you threw your shoe at someone.”
“Chuck Todd’s Fans” :roll:
He has fans? lol
The US attorney general has vowed to enforce civil rights protections for voters in next year’s US elections.\
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-us-canada-16171491
Excellent. Now the fightback begins.
The Makings Of A Ron Paul Upset?
PPP’s latest poll puts Paul second in Iowa, behind Gingrich by a single point:
Paul’s supporters are considerably more committed to him than Gingrich’s are. 77% of current Paul voters say they’re definitely going to vote for him, compared to only 54% for Gingrich. Romney has much more solid support than Gingrich as well, 67% of his voters saying they’re with him for the long haul. Among only voters who say their mind’s totally made up, 29% support Paul to 21% for Gingrich, 18% for Romney, and 11% for Bachmann.
Doug Mataconis wonders if Paul is about to get his turn in the spotlight:
Right now… it looks like some of the attacks on Gingrich are having an impact while Paul seems to be the one benefiting from them. Romney, on the other hand, is pretty much stuck where he’s been for a month or more. The one piece of good news for Gingrich here is that its better to have the numbers dipping three weeks out than one week out. We’ve got another debate coming Thursday, then we head into the holidays. If this trend continues, get ready to see a lot more Ron Paul coverage between now and January 3rd.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/12/the-makings-of-a-ron-paul-upset.html
Joe Biden is one of the most supportive VPs in history, which shows what good judgment PBO had in picking him. Every time he speaks, he demonstrates what a great guy he is and what a phenomenal president we have. I so look forward to the book that will one day tell us about all those momentous daily decisions that we would tell our grandchildren about.
Joe Biden is the Best.VP.Evah.
+1,000,000,000
PA GOPer Admits There’s No Evidence That Voter ID Laws Are Needed, But He’s Ramming One Through Anyway
By Ian Millhiser on Dec 13, 2025 at 1:40 pm
In the wake of the 2010 elections, numerous GOP-controlled states have adopted so-called “voter ID” laws to target the entirely fabricated problem of in-person voter fraud. Such voter fraud is so uncommon that a voter is 39 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to actually commit fraud at the polls.
So it is much more disappointing than surprising that Pennsylvania’s Republican Gov. Tom Corbett is now pressuring lawmakers in his state to enact one of these vote suppressing laws, despite the fact that a top GOP lawmaker admits that there is no proof that these vote suppressing laws are needed: Senate State Government Committee Chairman Charles McIlhinney said he has seen no proof that people are casting illegal ballots, but he also said he’s seen no proof that tightening the requirements would deny anyone the right to vote. He called the requirement a “security check.”
~snip~
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/12/13/388169/pa-goper-admits-theres-no-evidence-that-voter-id-laws-are-needed-but-hes-ramming-one-through-anyway/
Is The GOP Base Prepared To Re-Elect Obama?
Noting that the current Republican Party platform consists of positions that “range from unpopular to very, very unpopular with the public as a whole,” Jeffrey Toobin draws an analogy between 2012 and 1964:
In 1964, Republican insurgents seized control of the party. They recognized that their views were not held by a majority of Americans—at least not yet. As Rick Perlstein wrote in “Before the Storm,” his fascinating history of the Barry Goldwater campaign, the Republican Party was taken over by “a little circle of political diehards whose every move was out of step with the times”—which did not bother them much at all. For their moment, they were political missionaries who came to introduce a nation raised on the New Deal to an alternative approach to governing. Goldwater embraced “extremism” in the fond hope that its time, if not his time, would come. Goldwater and his aides didn’t spend a lot of time worrying about “electability.” They didn’t expect to win, and, emphatically, they did not. Lyndon B. Johnson won sixty-one per cent of the popular vote, and carried forty-four states.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/12/is-the-gop-base-prepared-to-re-elect-obama.html
‘Occupy the Voting Booth’—Thousands March to Protect the Vote
Ari Berman on December 12, 2025 - 12:37pm ET
On Saturday, in conjunction with UN Human Rights Day, thousands of activists and concerned citizens in New York City held a march and rally to protest these restrictive new laws. The march began outside the New York headquarters of the Koch brothers, who have given more than $1 million to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the shadowy conservative advocacy group that has masterminded the push for new voter ID requirements this year. Protesters held signs that read “Koch Bros & The 1%: Undermining Democracy.”
The purpose of the march was both practical and symbolic. “The march on Saturday was an indication that Americans will not go backwards,” said Judith Browne-Dianis, co-director of the Advancement Project. “We will keep up the momentum to end voter suppression by taking to the streets, to the legislatures and to the courts. We won’t be silenced by those who want to undermine democracy.”
The Advancement Project has helped gather 120,000 signatures asking the Justice Department “to oppose any discriminatory laws that will disenfranchise voters.” The Justice Department has that authority under the Voting Rights Act. DOJ has sent pointed questions to states like Texas and South Carolina about their new laws, but we still don’t know how aggressively they will enforce the existing laws on the books.
~snip~
http://www.thenation.com/blog/165104/occupy-voting-booth-thousands-march-protect-vote
Good, slowly and steadily, ows is throwing its efforts where ti counts (pun intended).
The sad thing is that OWS really was not intricately involved in this. Yes the organizers used the name “Occupy” to draw attention to the event but it was Rev. Al’s National Action Network and the Unions who primarily were the catalyst for this event. The OWS movement was otherwise busy preparing to shut down the ports on the West Coast…
Tuesday, December 13, 2025
When The Abyss Keeps Staring Back At You, Everything’s An Abyss
Posted by Zandar
First, the actual story, and it’s an important one: As part of UN Human Rights Day this weekend, Occupy movement protesters made “Occupy the Voting Booth” a top priority, and today Attorney General Eric Holder will give a major speech on voting rights at the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library in Texas. Ari Berman:
Holder’s speech could not come at a more critical time. Over the last year we’ve witnessed an unprecedented GO
P war on voting, with a dozen Republican governors and state legislators passing laws to restrict voter registration drives, require birth certificates to register to vote, curtail early voting, mandate government-issued photo IDs to cast a ballot and disenfranchise ex-felons who’ve served their time. The Brennan Center for Justice has estimated that “these new laws could make it significantly harder for more than 5 million eligible voters to cast ballots in 2012,” and notes that “these new restrictions fall most heavily on young, minority and low-income voters, as well as on voters with disabilities.”
http://zandarvts.blogspot.com/2011/12/when-abyss-keeps-staring-back-at-you.html
The republicans did not get the riders on the spending bill, so they are going all out to attach the riders to the tax bill.
EPA riders and defunding the hcr law are something that would get mad headlines.
I would rather take the tax increase!
With Luke Russetts help, anything is possible. Lol!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/13/chuck-e-cheeses-fined-for-child-labor-violations/ They were “NOT AWARE” of these laws???? Are you joking? Even in the deli at the grocery store, people under 18 can’t use the meat slicer!
Newtini: Why can’t ten year olds run the meat slicer? These are good skills…by the time these ten year olds become adults they won’t need hands anyway with the advancement of computers you’ll only need your mind to control electronics.
This is an EXCELLENT article. Thank you, Ramona!~
Monday, December 12, 2025
Attention: The job opening is for POTUS. Dilettantes need not apply.
When I was a little girl during FDR’s time, I remember people in my family talking in hushed, reverent tones about the President of the United States — as if he were someone so special you mustn’t use your normal, everyday voice. I grew up thinking there was no one in our beloved country who could top the President when it came to being all-wise and all-caring.
But what I’m seeing now is that venerable institution moving further and further away from any kind of special honor and more and more into celebrity/CEO status. It is no longer cherished, no longer looked on as both a rare privilege and a breathtaking responsibility. For proof, take a hard look at the Republican Party’s current lineup of potential presidential nominees. Unless something major happens, the president’s opponent will be one of these frontrunners: Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, or Michelle Bachmann.
Look deeper: There is not a serious candidate among them. They make it understood that they want to be known as presidential without the annoying duties historically relegated to the presidency. “Duties” is the one word in the job description that gives them the most grief, and the one they’re each aiming to adjust once they’re in office. What I’m getting from their debate discussions is that they’re falling all over themselves to see who can diminish the office of the presidency the fastest.
~snip~
http://ramonasvoices.blogspot.com/2011/12/attention-job-opening-is-for-potus.html
Well, thank you, Creolechild. I saw a couple of hits from this site and had to come over and see what was going on! I appreciate the mention, and now that I’ve found this website, I’ll add it to my blogroll.
Keep on keeping on, everybody. It’s an uphill battle but we’re climbing. At long last, we’re climbing.
Ramona
Yeah, let’s just get rid of that burdensome EPA! Great idea!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/13/arsenic-in-water-near-coal-fired-u-s-plants-monitor/
Paging Ron Paul and his supporters…..
Yeah, but you know…they think they would be able to make pot legal! All is right with the world! Fools.
And they hate Louis Pasteur!
Spin your own poll chuck as bad news for Obama!
So, good news for Obama is actually bad news for Obama. Got it!
Just who is he trying to impress?
Lowe’s Anti-Muslim Stance Prompts Calls For Boycott, Sparks Fury From Lawmakers
By Tanya Somanader on Dec 13, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Americans across the country are voicing their concerns with Lowe’s prejudice. Religious advocates and even entertainers including Kal Penn, Russell Simmons, and Mia Farrow are urging a boycott of the company. So incensed over Loew’s “un-American” and “naked religious bigotry,” California state Sen. Ted Lieu (D) is boycotting the company and is looking into (unlikely) legal ramifications of Lowe’s decision:
~snip~
Update: The Muslim Public Affairs Council has published a full list of companies that FFA claims it persuaded to pull ads from the show. The list includes Airborne Vitamin, Bare Escentuals, Campbell’s Soup, Capital One, Cotton, Inc., Dell computers, Estee Lauder, Gap, Good Year, Hershey Kisses, Ikea, JC Penny, Kayak.com, McDonald’s, Nationwide Insurance, Old Navy, Pier One, Radio Shack, Sears, T-Mobil, Volkswagen, Wal-Mart, and Whirlpool. Click here to see the full list.
Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/12/13/388448/lowes-anti-muslim-stance-prompts-calls-for-boycott-sparks-fury-from-lawmakers/
That’s a huge list. I know someone who works for Ted Lieu and he is getting death threats over this. CRAZY.
Good Morning TODville. I see Pfieffer is on offense on Twitter. Looking forward to see POTUS & FLOTUS in NC.
Pfeiffer is awesome on twitter. He’s so witty and he really uses 140 characters to eloquently and in a sophisticated manner verbally decimate the press.
Congress keeps sodomy ban in defense bill
By Eric W. Dolan
Tuesday, December 13, 2025
The House-Senate conference committee has kept the military’s current policy on sodomy in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012. “Dropping Article 125 has been recommended for more than a decade by SLDN and several groups, including the Cox Commission that includes distinguished legal scholars from the military and academia, as well as the Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG).”
The removal of language repealing Article 125 was a blow to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocates. But the conference committee also dropped provisions that would have prohibited the military from recognizing the legal marriages of same sex couples and prevented military chaplains from participating in same sex marriage ceremonies.
~snip~
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/13/congress-keeps-sodomy-ban-in-defense-bill/
I.D.I.O.T~
Sen. Ron Johnson: ‘Good workers’ don’t make minimum wage
By Eric W. Dolan
Tuesday, December 13, 2025
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on Sunday defended voting against raising the minimum wage by suggesting that only bad workers earned minimum wage. “Bottom line: when you’re a good worker you don’t stay at minimum wage for long,” he said. “Trust me on that. It’s not universal, but trust me as an employer, as an employer I certainly didn’t want to lose good employees. And so you actually have a better marketplace. And so if your employer is not paying you good wages and you’re a good worker, you go look for other places.
“Now that’s hard to do, that’s hard to do when we have such high levels of unemployment. But again I would get back to we don’t have a very attractive place for business investment.”
~snip~
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/13/sen-ron-johnson-good-workers-dont-make-minimum-wage/
Says the Senator from Kochistan, WI
Here is one for ya.
Mcconell is blocking the GOP tax bill from coming to the floor.
Wow!
What ? Why ?
They want the spending bill to go first, then they can skip town and say they tried to pass the tax extension but…
Did turtle neck get up on the wrong side of his neck this morning or what?
Hey TOD, you won’t hear this is in the press but a new Reuters poll shows that PBO is ahead of the GOP clown nominees. In a head to head match-up he beats Gingrich 51-38 and beats Romney 48-40. We’re still the underdogs and we still have to fight like crazy for 2012 but this is good news.
http://democratsforprogress.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=11497
That’s why the MSM is royally pizzzed off and trying to push Huntsman. Someone posted earlier that they woke up to find Morning Joke having a temper tantrum. That’s usually the first indication that all is not well in Republikklan_Land.
It is also why they are trying so hard to push a 3rd party. Anything to get the black family out of the WH.
You’re quite right Debz.
Oh no, we won’t hear this in the press that’s for sure.
AP/gfk poll too, same results.
It is funny listening to the pundits spin baby spin!
We’re not the underdog. LANDSLIDE!!!!! :):):)
Jeez BWD, I wish you’d stop being so negative.
:lol:
PS It’s so cold here today I wish I was sitting on a balcony in Rio. :???:
If all Republicans have is Solyndra, President Obama will do well next year. I saw Rove’s ad, and am watching a Repug on MSNBC talking about it.
Instead a balanced budget amendment will be voted on in the senate.
Really pushing for 0% approval.
The govt runs out of money on Friday and they are voting on this shit? Really?
Didn’t they already vote on that ?
Nope. It’s happening now in the senate as part of the august 2nd budget deal!
I thought this was an extremely nice gesture. It made me smile and continue to have *HOPE* because I believe the majority of people in this country are compassionate and really do care about the well-being of others.~
Secret Santas pay $500 toward 15 customers’ layaway orders at Jackson Kmart (with video)
By Brian Wheeler | Jackson Citizen Patriot
Secret Santas have been anonymously paying off strangers’ layaway orders at Kmarts in Michigan. Now, they are helping customers at the Kmart in Jackson. WLNS-TV reported Monday that two people paid off $500 in layaway items, helping some 15 people who had held items and planned to pay later. The mystery Santas paid all but $1 of the orders, and asked only that the recipients do good deeds for others.
~snip~
http://www.mlive.com/business/jackson-lansing/index.ssf/2011/12/secret_santas_pay_500_toward_1.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+michigan-news+%28Michigan+News%2C+Updates%2C+Photos%2C+Videos+and+Opinions+-+MLive.com%29
Very nice and encouraging story!
I freakin’ love that.
Roy Blunt wins GOP leadership post
Samantha StainburnDecember 13, 2011 18:35
Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a longtime lawmaker on Capitol Hill, beat tea-party-supported Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin in a secret ballot today to become vice chairman of the Republican Conference, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The fifth-ranking spot in the Republican caucus became available when Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced that he would give up his third-ranking position as chairman of the Republican Conference at the end of the year to focus on lawmaking.
~snip~
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/111213/roy-blunt-wins-gop-leadership-post-senate
Ferrari boss unveils Italian high-speed train to rival Europe’s finest
December 13, 2025 16:09
Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo has unveiled Italy’s first private high-speed train near Naples, calling it “Europe’s most modern.” The sleek red trains — called “Italo” — are due to begin service in March 2012 and will connect seven Italian cities: Bologna, Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome, Salerno and Turin — traveling at around 220 miles per hour.
Other selling points include panoramic windows, leather seats, a small cinema, WiFi Internet connection throughout and “carriages that are wider than the classic French TGV trains,” AFP reported.
~snip~
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/italy/111213/ferrari-italy-travel-high-speed-train-italo-Luca-Montezemolo
Oh, I must ride one someday!!
On a sad and frustrating note, California HSR is in trouble again. People want to put it on the ballot and polls are now showing it would lose. So short-sighted and infuriating on so many levels. We have federal money, it would create jobs and would solve a lot of our legendary transportation problems. There is a huge lobby against it and guess who usually wins out. I still have hope but it’s a tough ride. ARGHHHHH.
Hi everyone, new post here:
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/12/14/nc-bound-updating/
US Congress freezes $700 million in aid for Pakistan
Lillian RizzoDecember 13, 2011 11:43
A US Congressional panel froze $700 million in aid to Pakistan until the country gives assurances it is joining the fight against the spread of homemade bombs in the region, Reuters reported. The latest move by the United States may only further hurt ties with Pakistan and contribute to the growing sense of anti-Americanism in the population, a senior Pakistani official told NBC News. The relationship between the two counties suffered greatly in May when US forces killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
Still, the freeze in aid, which is a part of a defense bill expected to be passed by Congress later this week, could cause further cuts, the BBC reported. The US has given about $20 billion in security and economic aid to Pakistan since 2001, mostly in the form of reimbursements for assistance in fighting militants. Congress says Islamabad has not only failed to act against the militant groups, it has actively provided help to them in some cases, the BBC reported.
~snip~
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/111213/us-congress-freezes-700-million-aid-pakistan