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Steve Benen: The general trend on initial unemployment claims over the last few months has been largely encouraging, and today’s report offers additional good news.
In fact, the new figures are the best since April 2008, and even exceeded positive expectations:
The number of Americans who filed requests for jobless benefits fell by 6,000 last week to 357,000, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had projected claims would total 360,000, seasonally adjusted, in the week ended March 31. Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 363,000 from 359,000. The average of new-benefit applications over the past four weeks, meanwhile, dropped by 4,250 to 361,750.
More here
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More here
Ugh:
President Obama signs the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act as Small Business leaders and members of Congress, including Eric Cantor, look on
President Barack Obama greets participants In the Roosevelt Room of the White House prior to signing the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, April 5 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Washington Post: New numbers from a USA Today/Gallup poll of 12 swing states suggests that Mitt Romney is quickly losing support among independent voters – a voting bloc considered the crown jewel of the 2012 election.
Romney’s number in Gallup polling has dropped 10 points among independents since last fall, while President Obama’s number is up by nearly that same amount during the same time frame.
Romney’s struggles among independents are due almost entirely to the fact that independent women, who were voting for him over Obama by 5 points last fall, now favor the Democratic incumbent by a 51 percent-to-37 percent margin.
More here
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ThinkProgress: PepsiCo, the world’s second largest beverage company, has ended its partnership with ALEC, the controversial right-wing group that lobbies for voter suppression efforts. Pepsi’s move, which actually came in January but was first reported this morning by NPR, may also have had a role in compelling Coca-Cola to drop its support for ALEC.
Yesterday, progressive advocacy group Color of Change announced a boycott effort targeting several other corporations that are still members of the group, which for years has partnered with elected officials at a state level to draft and pass controversial, far-right legislation. Just a few hours later, Coke announced that they too are severing ties with the ALEC.
More here
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Actress Julianne Moore, who was just in town for the D.C. premiere of “Game Change,” will be back on Monday for an event at the White House.
Moore, who played Sarah Palin in the controversial HBO flick, will read to children at the annual Easter Egg Roll, the White House announced on Twitter. Actor Forest Whitaker, Disney star Bella Thorne and Robin Roberts of “Good Morning America” will also take part in the reading.
A bunch of celebrity chefs will also be on hand, including Andrew Zimmern, Richard Blais, Marcus Samuelsson, Carla Hall and Bryan Voltaggio. Other notables you might see wandering around the South Lawn: Andy Roddick, Michelle Kwan and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
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Ed Kilgore: You never know how these things are going to turn out, but I get the feeling that RNC Chairman Reince Priebus’ comparison of Democratic claims of a GOP “war on women” to a hypothetical “war on caterpillars” could be an iconic moment in the 2012 election cycle. No, it won’t necessarily change any votes right away, but it is likely to become a convenient symbol of the cavalier attitude the GOP has towards “women’s issues.”
More here
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I’m waaaaaaay behind with all this news today, apologies!
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In case you missed Hachikō’s update, she will be staying tonight with one of the great people here who offered to help. I’m sure when she gets a chance she’ll update us on her situation, the main thing, for now, is that she is safe.
Congratulations GGail on #1!
Thanks hopefruit2
Winner!!
You know how to make me weak in the knees Chipsticks
GG!! You lucky thing, he’s pointing right at YOU!
I KNOOOOWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!
The Caithness Shepherds Flat wind farm in eastern Oregon features 338 turbines spread across two counties. The project is supporting thousands of jobs beyond the 1,000 construction workers on site. The project will utilize 15 suppliers in nine states to fulfill orders for the 845 megawatt wind farm, including General Electric assembly facilities in Pensacola, Florida and Tehachapi, California. Logistics companies, indirect suppliers, and site contractors are also playing an important role in the project. | Image courtesy of Caithness Shepherds Flat
http://energy.gov/articles/update-1703-loan-program
I blame President Obama!
First first first….
Almost!
I missed it by that much (Maxwell Smart).
Good afternoon/evening TOD,
Urge all of you to read LL’s latest at TPV.
#AmericaThisIsNotATest
#PRESSON
It’s an excellent essay. Thanks Bob. #Presson.
Thanks a bunch, Bob!
Thank YOU, LL, for the very fine essay and your empathy toward dear Hachikō.
#PRESSON
LL, you really touched me with your words. Thank you!
PRESS ON!
Chipsticks – you’re making up for your absence – WHEW!
I’m reading as fast as I can
And yes, it is good news about our sister Hachiko & her dog Tucker.
WE ARE FAMILY!
Oh, and…..I’m FIRST
/heavy eyeroll
Who were these women, anyway? I don’t believe it.
This is what scares the shit out of me. What reason would they have to prefer Romney? They are susceptible to the Romney lies and there will be a barrage of lies the likes of which we have never seen.
Smierconish on Hardball just cited a couple of polls where health care is of the utmost important to women, and surprisingly, men ( but I question what men mean by ‘health care matters to them’. Repealing ACA? But to women it’s extremely important.
And gas prices. Way up there for women.
Men care about the deficit and debt. That’s a good sell job on the part of Republicans.
Every possible dime I can give, I’m giving to defeat Republicans.
I find it hard to believe that men who are struggling with health issues themselves or have children who need healthcare (what child doesn’t?) are more concerned about the national debt than the well-being of their families. I just don’t buy it. I think they “say” they care about the debt because it seems more manly and makes them sound important. But really, when your family includes a sick child or you’re worried about paying doctor’s bills, do you really think about the debt first? Not in any world I’ve ever lived in.
I actually do know men like this, where the burden to make things works falls squarely on the women. Then they spout about debt and deficits and taxes.
Ugh! what’s little lord dumbo doing there, right behind PBO. I wonder what he’s thinking behind that fake smile.
my thoughts too. why is PBO even giving him the time of the day ?
lisa, I thought that was photoshopped.!You mean it wasn’t? Ryan was actually there? And actually smiling?
Is that an extra birthday present? Or …?
happy B-day, Joan. and yes, he announced his punk ass was gonna be there today so that some of the positive shine will rub off on him. Too bad it won’t work.
Hi Joan, Happy Birthday. I posted a greeting early today, but just in case you did not see it.
Happy Birthday to someone so special!!!!!HZ
Oh for a sniper rifle for Kantor. I dislike him intensely. The best part of him ran down his fathers leg.
“The best part of him ran down his fathers leg.”
Yardarm, you are quite, quite unique – and I mean that in an entirely good way
Sorry. I get a bit beside myself sometimes. But that dude erks me no end.
I feel the same Yardarm, I just can’t find the words you do to articulate it!
Now, now. You do alright. You manage to get your licks in.
Ah, I must be learning from the master!
Does any one else here feel like sticking Eric Kantor’s grinning head in a toilet and flushing it a few times? I despise that guy so much & I don’t like to see him too close to our Prez.
is eric a man? I thought he is a rodent – but then, I do not want to give rodents a bad name
Thank you globalcitizenlinda, let’s not give rats that bad of a name.
Yes, aquaG, I would love to do that…after a deposit has been made and before it was flushed.
Ha!
Raising BOTH my hands!
Make the toilet the the crap pool from Slum Dog Millionaire and I’m with ya!
I favor an outhouse for him. A real smelly one at that.
In my minds eye, I see POTUS being clumsy when he pushes his chair back to get up and his elbow slams into eric’s groin…
…and just as he does that, Bo runs into the room and bites Cantor in the ass, taking a chunk of out his Brooks Brothers special!
So violent, ladies! But, well deserved.
Ooooh yeah!!! LOL!
HAHAHAHAHA You’all have me cracking up majorly here!
Oh, that was Eric Cantor! I keep getting those two insufferable idjits mixed up.
I really, really despise Cantor. I would like to get that smug smile off his face when he’s defeated in November!
Happy Birthday, dear Joan! Hope you’ve been having a super day and are resting easy.
You are not alone.
“A bunch of celebrity chefs will also be on hand, including Andrew Zimmern, Richard Blais, Marcus Samuelsson, Carla Hall and Bryan Voltaggio.”
WOW!! I LOVE Marcus Samuelson and Carla Hall!!! I wish I could be there…
We didn’t get tickets this year. Truthfully, I think my mom (almost 80) is more disappointed than the grands. She was bugging me to call various folks that I know to possibly get tickets and got ticked when I refused. LOL. Every year, I or another family member received tickets via the lottery and went in 2009 and 2011; I gave my 2010 tickets to a friend (don’t tell my Mom, as I she thinks I didn’t get 2010 tickets).
Marcus Samuelson really is the BEST!
Something for all of our family who are in pain tonight. You are loved…
Stunning. I love this song, especially the Alicia Keys/Bono version, but this is tops. Thanks so much, Dudette.
Dudette, thanks for this. I never heard this song. What a soothing, inspiring piece. I love John Legend and Herbie Hancock. I’ve only heard fast stuff by Pink, so this was a change for me. Stuff like this is one of the reasons I love my TOD fam. Always something new to learn!
Retailers reporting sales are up higher than expected, hiring up, house sales up—–that’s how NBC Nightly News began tonight—-of course they had to add the possibility of gas going over $5/gal which would affect the current confidence. But at least they managed to report some positive economic news for a change. It must have hurt.
Hi all. I also wanted to give you an update on Hachikō (@marabout40). I was able to send her some cash this afternoon so hopefully this will help her get through this tough time. You guys are great! Obama would be so proud
oh that is really good news djshay, thank you for letting us know, and I read on the last thread that she got a place w/ Miss Pat. Please have her let us know when/ how we can help more.
We are so joyful for Hachiko. Miss Pat is an angel. A beautiful spirit. A really, really beautiful spirit. Please in your thoughts and prayers give thanks for Miss Pat. That is one thing I can say for sure. What a blessing!!!
Sherijr, has anyone thought of asking Hachiko if she can use some gift cards from different places. Maybe some of us could send those if she has some places that she might need some personal items, we could get some gift cards for her. Just a thought. I do not know how to send money with Western Union or Paypal.
However, I do want to help. If anyone find out how we can do that, it will be helpful. I am just so happy that she is with Miss Pat. She is a gem, so there is peace in my heart knowing that Hachiko is with her tonight. We are going to get through this, I know that.HZ
how were you able to do that? Is there a way for the rest of us to do so too?
She gave me her personal info and I sent her some money through Western Union. I can ask her if she has some way of getting money through paypal. I’ll update you on what she says.
Please do because Western Union is a total rip off especially for those of us who only have a few $$ to contribute. I want her to get the full benefit not Western Union. I have real issues with them over the few times I had to wire money to relatives.
I know what you mean. I’ll ask about gift cards, etc. I know I used to use visa Vanilla cards for a while when I was in her situation.
If she has an address we can send checks, or some banks allow transfers. Western union deducts a service fee every time you take money off. I think you can also send prepaid Visa cards. I would be happy to send something, especially since I found I overpaid taxes this year.
thanks, i appreciate it.
Co-sign! Please let us know because I can contribute some. I’m glad her dog is now being cared for & that she has a place to stay until she can sort things out.
The jackals are very concerned about the “OPTICS’ of the women’s conference at the White House. Could politics be involved??
Ace reporter April Ryan has concerns about the Women’s Conference being held at the White House tomorrow. My heart aches for Press Secretary Jay Carney that he has to answer questions like this from the White House Press Corps. Unbelievable…..
—————————-
April.
Q Jay, I want to go back to the women’s jobs conference tomorrow. Understanding that the White House — everything comes to the White House, all — the White House covers all groups pretty much — what other groups are you looking at having conferences for — jobs conferences, particularly?
MR. CARNEY: I don’t have any scheduling announcements to make. We have had a heck of a lot of conferences over the three-plus years that we’ve been here, and I’m sure we will have more. These kinds of conferences help to focus the energies of an administration on specific initiatives and legislation, to focus attention on issues of importance, and we’ll continue to do that. But I have no announcements to make about other upcoming conferences. I want them to be exciting and surprising. (Laughter.)
Q Okay. Well, they will be exciting and surprising. But the question comes after your exchange with Ed. And it does kind of make you wonder, particularly when there are certain groups still in this country that have disproportionate numbers compared to mainstream America. And I understand women are heads of households in a lot of homes — a large portion are breadwinners and things of that nature in homes. But there are also other groups, like the African American community, who still has a disproportionate number, and the Labor Department even came out with a study on the black workforce. And what’s next after that? And that was last year, and I’m still wondering what’s next, especially with this conference.
MR. CARNEY: Well, I can — I don’t have with me the variety of initiatives that this administration has undertaken and continues to undertake either directly or principally benefit economically minority communities or underserved areas of the country. The focus of this particular conference is on women. As I said before, there have been and will be — continue to be a number of similar conferences and forums at the White House that focus on particular initiatives aimed at sectors of the economy or sectors of the population, or specific policy initiatives, whether they’re education or — they regard education or the economy or even national security. So the broad focus of all of these efforts with regards to domestic policy is economic growth and development for everyone in this country.
I think the underlying principle that the President states so clearly, as he did just the other day in his speech to the AP luncheon, was that his economic vision is one where everybody gets a fair shot, everybody gets — is given a fair shake, and everybody plays by the same rules. That is the underlying principle by his whole economic policy approach and will continue to be so.
——————————–
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/05/press-briefing-press-secretary-jay-carney-4512
I will never forget how April Ryan embarassed her self when she asked Robert Gibbs whether the former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers was up-staging Mrs Obama. And this “reporter” thought this barber-shop gossip was very important given that two attention-seeking people had crushed the White House State Dinner.
Can. Not. Stand. That. Woman.
Optics, my foot. They’re concerned that PBO has utterly appropriated women’s issues because Romney and the GOP managed to alienate and offend the biggest voting group in the country.
Tell it jg. You can always tell when PBO has hit a nerve or has shown he has the upper hand on some issue with the GOP. The jackals hate that because it exposes them for their feckless reporting. What I find fascinating is not only do the jackals ask questions for the GOP. When Jay Carney answers the questions the jackals will challenge his response using the GOP spin. It’s really astonishing to watch this take place every day in the briefing room. As far as I am concerned, this is advocacy not journalism. We might as well drop the pretense and just let Boehner and McConnell’s press secretaries sit in the front row and ask the questions.
Um, people, can I get a “HOLY CRAP!!!” from the congregation?
Story here: http://www.christianpost.com/news/poll-evangelicals-may-double-their-support-for-obama-in-2012-election-72657/
Hat tip to @jeffersonobama
Holy Winning Crap!
IF the GOP loses that big a chunk of the Evangelicals, we’re looking at a landslide. That isn’t even a question.
Holy Crap is right…Repubs for Obama, now the Religious Right for Obama.
Double that Dudette!
Holy Crap! and Amen for bonus.
Any person of deep faith or personal empathy has a clear choice if they believe in the Summon on the Mount or similar text – PBO best represents this and in fact he has previously answered that this was his most meaningful part of the bible
I will say this about my post-Vatican II Catholic upbringing: the priests and nuns and lay teachers hammered the Sermon on the Mount to us as being the essence of following Jesus. That’s still stuck with me all these years later.
I agree and any person who takes the words of Christ seriously has to see that it is PBO that is walking the walk, not the GOP.
correcttion: “Sermon on the Mount”
Can I hear an amen!!!!
I wonder if the media realizes that all the crap it throws against PBO is failing to stick? And that in their failure, they’re just quickening their irrelevancy? I think I get 95% of my information from sources other than the US media. They’re just useless as sources of unbiased reporting.
Same here. I have to wonder what they thought of what PBO said about the “equivalency” issue in today’s reporting in the speech to the AP? They haven’t changed a thing; it’s like they didn’t even address it. Sad bunch of fools.
Ms. Chips,” I hear an Amen”. and another Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen!!! Remember the song, “Amen.” HZ
“Lillies of the Field” Sydney Poitier I believe.
You are so correct, Yardarm756!!! A+++ HZ
Seriously??????????? If PBO can do that, with THEM, that means that the RW has TOTALLY GONE OFF THE DEEP END!
And this poll is commissioned by the Barna Group, which knows all things Evangelical.
wow
Let the Church say Amen!
Boston, I believe you have a problem; his name is Willard “Myth” Romney.
OMG! and HOLY CRAP!!! Is this a real poll?
A real poll from the Barna Group, which has tracked Evangelicals in polling for a few decades. It’s an Evangelical group itself, so it knows its stuff. One more explanation for the panic being shown by the GOP and its masters.
And just to be clear: the 11% of the Evangelical vote that PBO received in 2008 was probably all AA. If he’s doubling that for 2012, he’s eating into the white Evangelical vote. That’s HUGE.
One factor here, most evangelicals do not see Mormons as Christian believers.
Say what? Could it be that God, Guns and Gays are not their priority or do they see a true Christian before them?
Now, granted, there’s no GOP nominee, it’s only April, yada yada yada. But PBO should in no way be pulling 22% of the Evangelical vote if we’re to believe the conventional wisdom. This shouldn’t even be a possibility. The fact that he has that much support—even if it’s conditional—is startling.
I wonder if the anti-Mormon sentiment explains some of that.
Possible. But if that were the case, they’d just say they wouldn’t vote, not that they’d support PBO.
I wonder if these evangelicals are finally seeing how the GOP have been manipulating them all these years. Remember that guy who wrote a book talking about how Rove spoke disparagingly about the evangelical Christians but they shut him down right away.
I think so too Betsy. People surely don’t want to sit in church and be lied to. Some maybe don’t like to have their intelligence insulted. Some of them are probably thinking on the commandment “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor”. I would think by now that some of these evangelicals would like to go to church to practice their faith, not to be told who to vote for.
I do truly think that is part of it. As a former evangelical, I can tell you that people have been steeped in anti-Mormon teaching for years and years. Funnily (but predictably), all of the sudden, they’re not doing so much of that teaching (save for a few apologetics specialists), but it won’t be easy to erase the doctrinal foundation.
It’s because people perceive, even those who try very hard to avoid it, the glowing beacon of his deep personal empathy for each person.
#AmericaThisIsNotATest
#PRESSON
Tweet this far and wide. Even the Evangelical vote is starting to abandon the GOP.
Hope this contributes to the enlightenment of those so desperately needing to see & feel the light and caring of our President Obama …
#PRESSON
I like it.
OMGI can’t stop laughing.
If they start losing “the Christians”, who, exactly, is left in the GOP coalition?
Fake “Christians” & the 1%. Good luck with that GOP! We so out number your sorry butts! GO OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!!!
The Kock Suckers.
HOLY MOLY CRAP!
That needs to be tweeted to lil Ricky Stanktorum
This is MAJOR.
*shouts in tongues*
James Dobson weeps.
Now that is a BFD!
I have no doubt that the DEM enthusiasm level is going to fly thru the roof this election…we’re already seeing the signs…check out this photo of a Chicago HQ – back in April 2011, and then a year later to this month (April 2012), and note the difference…
http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/snapshotapril-5th-2012?source=tweet_btn
Bottom Line: This ain’t the 2010 midterms.
Awesome!
Look at the fired up video from the campaign that Chips posted yesterday. The power of people coming together for positive change for all if us will beat the negativity and lies of SlickMitt. I love the fact that PBO gets to talk about shared value, the role of government, our responsibility to one another, the generosity and daring that have brought us to this point and that will build an America for the 21st century for all is us, not just the 1 %
Keith Olberloon to sue Al Gore.
I’ve HAD it with Olberloon’s EGO! He should have taken the hint when he got the pink slip from MSNBC, but he has gone WAY TOO FAR!
I’m not fond of either, so I’ll be sitting in the stands, munching on popcorn and laughing my ass off.
Not to embarrass you again, lisa, but that was another “lisa-ism” for the list!
I too could care less.
I am so glad he’s no longer on the air. I hope he’s gone from the pundit news media forever. I was once a huge fan of his especially during the 2008 election, then he turned on PBO and I was through with him.
Ratings, as low as they were, plummeted after the firing. Spitzer is awful, a real PL whiner with all the answers and not the good sense to act like a responsible human being and keep his day job. I love this great Democrats who harm the party and then preach and whine about PBO. I thought he was better than that, but at least Keith was a decent writer. Without a strong bench to draw from, this may hurt Current.
Stephanie and Bill are doing great in the morning, however.
Yes, they are! I almost fainted this morning when Stephanie said the next caller was from Hampton, TN. Friends, that is the area I am from……uninformed, “red-neck”, evangelical. True, he sounded like a “red-neck”–said lovingly since it’s the way my brother talks–:), but he was also articulate and talked about how difficult it is to be a Democrat “in this area.” There may be hope after all!!!
I heard that guy! He was great! I love this show.
Chips – I love your caption for the Cantor shot: “Ugh”
Pretty much covers it.
It just took three letters to say it all Jacqueline!
I would rather say that JOBS is a four-letter word to Cantor.
I go with Gleefully Avarice to describe his expression. Totally gives me the creeps. Don’t know how the President bears being in his company.
I’m guessing the President just “rolls his eyes” and possibly washes his hands, when he’s out of camera range!
so I go lay down w/the beginnings of a migraine for a couple hours.. come back and missed an entire party~ dang
Hope your birthday has been perfecto Joan.. and it seems Hachiko has settled in or is settling in w/ Miss Pat. All good news today for the most part 
Yay!
I read on the last thread that Maddow plans some big news regarding MI tonight.. since no tv or cable here, will those of you that watch her.. inform the rest of us, what the big news turns out to be ?
Hope your migraine goes away soon sherijr. I’ll take a peek at Maddow and see what her “huge political news” is. We will be sure to report here if it’s anything of interest!
oh I’m good now.. i caught it in time w/ a rest and one of my pills- thank you am fine now
I wonder if they’re recalling MI governor, thought I read recently that was being considered.
Sherijr, (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Rest and Relax))))))))))))))))))))))))))) You have been through a lot of pressure trying to help make sure that our precious Hachiko is settle for now. Love you for your faithfulness. HZ
oh (((((((((((HZ))))))))))))))) you are the best soul, thank you so much for your hugs.. I felt it all the way here
I’m fine, no worries, really.
Migraines suck the big cactus. I had them for years & then they mysteriously went away after the birth of my second child. Never had another one & don’t know why (knocking on wood here!!!) I think the MI stuff is a battle over the Gov & his merry henchmen trying to override the MI constitution & getting schooled by the legal beagles there. Don’t fret. Take some rest. You deserve some down time for all you did for our Hachiko/Marabout40.
If you are a drinking woman, have a good stiff one on me. If not, take a great relaxing bubble bath & have a quite evening with no more stress or distraction. Watch your favorite movie on DVD. I would recommend anything with Antonio Banderas but that is just me. Rest, Kiddo ♥
oh you cracked me up aquagranny… not a drinking woman.. but only because I live alone w/ my child
and I do also appreciate some Antonio on occasion.. 
thanks for the chuckle and good wishes.. I really am just fine. My migraines appeared suddenly 6 yrs ago after being ill… I hope, like yours they disappear just as suddenly !
As a migraine sufferer, I completely sympathize. Feel better.
yes they really suck when they get going, I’m good though, caught it quick
thank you
Can someone Tweet this
http://thinkprogress.org/special/2012/04/05/459216/russell-pearce-mitt-romney-identical/
Romney’s plan is ideal to SB 1070, and it SHOULD be because Romney’s immigration “adviser” is Kris Kobach the author of that racist,awful POS legislation. Here in AZ, we have many names for this, mostly it’s “Breathing While Brown”…DO NOT LET THIS MAN WALK BACK FROM THIS TERRIBLE,HATEFUL STANCE!!!! He needs to OWN THIS!
yes df, tweeted and facebooked – thanks.. this does not surprise me.. more sickening bs from Romney.
Happy to do so, df …
#PRESSON
Bobfr, just did a Rt. Thanks DF and Bobfr. PRESSON!!!! HZ
Thanks, sherijr and Bob….that thing is MORE than awful! He needs to own this. Lock. Stock. And Barrel.
President Obama is sooooooo intelligent. During that short clip about Passover he flowed and spoke the Jewish(?) saying so eloquently without missing a beat. His depth of knowledge is so deep that we don’t even know everything this man can talk about. In the picture where he is signing the JOBS Act he looked great, so did the woman on the left, don’tknow who she is but she looks sincere enough.HOWEVER, I still want to see that smirk wiped off of Cantor’s rat face.This is why even when enemies and deceivers are near him they cannot and will not harm him. God has him. Romney may as well resign himself to being the sacraficial lamb for President Obama’s re-election. OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!!!! 4 MORE YEARS FOR44!!!!
(Hebrew)
We will wipe it off on Nov. 6, 2012 at the ballot box. HZ
Indeed HZ, Indeed.
When PBO releases his tax returns this month, he should release the previous 10 years again, even if already did it in 2008. Hit this weasel hard.
hey BWD, please give that idea to the Obama Campaign Team . They can use that to challenge mitt th liar
then that becomes the story on its own, doesn’t it? Mitt said PBO wasn’t transparent enough? Then his own lack of transparency becomes the story.
wish you would send this justification of a 10 year tax release to Team Obama
I’ll bet Willard has spent his whole life wriggling through loopholes to avoid doing what he doesn’t want to do. That’s how he spend the Vietnam years in France while others fought, died or suffered through years of fear and uncertainty. He’s privileged you see, so he doesn’t have to follow the same rules the peasants do.
but….but…. Ann Romney said they ‘struggled’ early in their marriage to ‘make it’. They had to sell some of their investments and stuff to get started. It was such a struggle.
gee, most people I know who are just starting out don’t have the ‘burden’ of having to sell off some of their trust fund just to buy a new Cadillac.
She said that during some other campaign, this isn’t a recent quote. Although it certainly fits their mindset about how deficient we peasants are.
It is ON like Donkey Kong!!!
#WhatsRomneyHiding is trending on twitter. For real for real.
Its actually above KimKardashiansnextboyfriend
I think the Mayans foretold this? Maybe?
Sunny @sunnyright Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
The cuts he made to Medicare to the tune of $500 billion. Oh, wait, that was Obama. #WhatsRomneyHiding
56s Liz Wheeler @L_Wheels Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
#WhatsRomneyHiding His association with radicals like Derrick Bell and Bill Ayers? Oh wait.. that is @BarackObama #tcot #p2
Who are THESE no nothings???
Emoprogs. Useful idiots for their own enslavement.
Thought so.
I should say one looks like an Emoprog, one like a RW loon. The useful idiot part still holds.
LOL….you have to laugh because they are such fools.
It was number 1 trend for awhile under the purchased one. I tweeted a whole bunch of tweets to keep it up. It’s now gone, and #whatsObamahiding is in the top 5. It’s war.
Hello everyone, I just want to say how thankful I am, to hear that Hachiko Is far better off now, than she was on last evening. Lord I thank you for hearing our prayers. I’m so happy that she has a place to stay, What a GREAt relief for her, whewwwwwwwwww. Hang In there Hachiko, I don’t know you, but that’s not Important, what’s Important, Is that you are a Human Being, and I feel your pain. I’m just waiting to hear how i can contribute, or make a donation. Take care everybody, later~~~~~~:-)
exactly,luci! It is great news…can’t wait to hear from her this evening
Maxine Nastyweave is on Ed’s show. G—–ross!!!! :eek!:
Lisa, I love you!!!! You are so special!!! (((((((Love you, Lisa)))))))))HZ
May I just take a moment to say something. I will be brief.
Chips: You are the most generous, intelligent, caring, full of compassion, and loving person in this arena that I have met. You make us feel so much of a loving family that is just beautiful. You give of yourself in such a beautiful spirit.
We want to say, “Thank you for allowing us to come to this lovely haven and share,, think, converse with respect and support for POB and each other.
You set the bar high, but with so much lovely class that there is NOT another place like this site, Chips. We are so grateful to be a part of this beautiful TOD Family who keeps giving and giving because we have such a beloved leader from the top.
Thank you Ms. Chipsticks. ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( You Live The Matt. 25 Life With Your Beautiful Soul and Gentle Spirit.))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Chipsticks, your chose the Most Fitting Name for this Wonderful Site, because you share with us daily
Everything that Our Beautiful President, Barack Obama Ask of Us.
“I Am My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper.”
We Love You, Ms. Chips!!
Your TOD Family
You’re the kindest HZ. All I do is open the door and let the good folk in! Hope you’re doing well HZ and feeling stronger?
Love you back!!!! I am taking it with daily courage and feeling strong as I go through this journey. Thanks for asking, Chips. You are so special . Thanks for asking. Love you very much.HZ
I don’t often put my 2 cents worth in, but I totally agree HZ. Ms. Chipsticks, you rock!!
Totally agree with you HZ! Thank you for your lovely tribute to Chips for the community she has created and nurtured.
#PRESSON
YEA!!!! HZ:) You said this perfectly…..HZ music!
There’s no one who can say it better than HZ! – thanks HZ, for putting into words what we all feel so strongly
Let the church say A-frickin’-men! Thank you for putting up with all the nastiness you shield from us to keep this a safe, smart and loving place to be. You have the most deliciously wicked humor and glorious heart. We are all in your debt, dear lady. Thanks, Chips (most beautiful hostess ever).
See Tien Le, you made me blush. This is me —->
Every day is a pleasure hanging out with you guys, you make the sun shine! Love ya all. Thanks so much Tien.
Amen. ((((((((((Chips)))))))))) ((((((((((HZ)))))))))
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Amen HZ! Thanks so much Chips.
yes indeed, we’re very lucky to have our Chips and this amazing site she created.
Okay, next person to say anything nice about me gets a 3D photo of a naked Newt Gingrich, a recording of Palin’s voice, and an image of Willard unzipped.
How are ya Sherjir?
Chips, you will never know how much you are appreciated,
Ps, I am not scared enough by the graphic newt – will take one for the TODTeam
am great Chips, and you? I did email you a bit ago on instructions for sending funds.
This, this, this!!!!! HZ you say everything so lovely!!! It’s they way I feel too!!!!
HZ, you are always inspired to say the right thing at the right time. You often call other people good and beautiful in spirit because that’s exactly what you are. Thank you for the light you bring.
Robney agrees with the President, we should let women into Augusta!
What a Guy!
He thinks we should have equal access to Augusta but not decisions about our bodies or birth control. It’s NOT a wash, Mitt!
Right On desertflower.
R.I.P. Mr. Noble
“As a journalist and television producer, Gil Noble worked to dispel negative images of African Americans in media. The notable host of the long-running public-affairs program Like It Is also pushed for clear ethics and objectivity in journalism. According to WABC-TV, he “passed away peacefully after a long illness,” this morning, at the age of 80. Noble had suffered a stroke in July 2011.”
more ———> http://www.theroot.com/views/journalist-gil-noble-it-passes-away?page=0,0
How does this man’s head fit on his shoulders? Look at who the plaintiff is listed as….
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2012/04/05/keith-olbermann-sues-current-tv/
Olbermann Broadcasting Empire???? WTF?!?! Eh, please tell me the name was chosen in a funster, ironic kind of way?!
Crazy, huh? I’m thinking…no…not in a “funster, ironic kind of way.” Lord. Empire???Really?????
If it was anyone else I’d assume the name was chosen in fun, but with Olbermann …. hmm.
Romney lies and gets away with it—-media just sits there:
http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/04/romney-fact-check-media
And we can’t forget the ever popular fake equivalence nonsense.
“I think that there is often times the impulse to suggest that if the two parties are disagreeing, then they’re equally at fault and the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and an equivalence is presented — which reinforces I think people’s cynicism about Washington generally. So as all of you are doing your reporting, I think it’s important to remember that the positions I’m taking now on the budget and a host of other issues, if we had been having this discussion 20 years ago, or even 15 years ago, would have been considered squarely centrist positions. What’s changed is the center of the Republican Party.”
President Obama (April 3, 2012)
opps…* Uh oh: New Romney adviser Ed Gillespie was a lobbyist on behalf of the federal individual mandate — yes, federal — before Obama embraced the idea. Does that mean he thinks it’s constitutional?
From Greg Sargent
I remember when the whiny left was pissed that PBO hired or nominated people from the Clinton Administration. Well, where the hell are you going to find people with executive experience except the people who worked in the last Democratic administration?
So the Republicans are going to be hard-pressed to find one single Republican with any experience over the age of 18 who wasn’t firmly behind a Federal individual mandate.
No! Because he hates the President.
But, he does run GPS Crossroads, so maybe Jim Messina can use that against him!
DUBAI (Reuters) – Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasool said on Thursday Afghanistan would not be used as a launch pad for U.S. drones attacks on neighboring countries after NATO combat forces leave by the end of 2014.
“Afghan soil will not be used against any country in the region,” Rasool told Al Jazeera television when asked if Washington would be allowed to launch drone strikes against Pakistan after the troops’ withdrawal.
U.S.-operated drones have repeatedly carried out deadly missile strikes against suspected al Qaeda targets in Pakistan.
“The presence of the remaining forces in Afghanistan is for training, equipping and securing Afghanistan’s security. It has been mentioned, it is going to be mentioned, that this force is not for use against any neighbors in the region,” Rasool told the Doha-based channel.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE83410U20120405?irpc=932
who is he lying to?
Good evening, everyone. Just checking in to let you know that I am with Miss Pat in Harlem. A lovelier and kinder woman you could not hope to meet. You all are just the loveliest and kindest people. Tucker is also safely boarded just 18 blocks away. I can visit him everyday, while I’m here, and take him for his walks and run.
For those of you willing and able to help financially, please let Chip know and she will give you my information. I have a paypal account now, if that will be easier. I would post the email address, but it includes my full name.
As you can imagine, I’m exhausted. Don’t know how I’m still able to remain upright. I’m going to shower and try to get some sleep.
You guys have a lovely evening, and thank you all again for everything.
God bless.
So glad that you are safe and in the good hands of MissPat. (Thank you, MissPat! for being a savior for Hachiko) Glad to hear that Tucker is safe and cared for and that you can visit and walk him and give him love and attention.
Be safe and well. You have a place to collect your thoughts and devise a plan. You are not invisible. We see you. We hear you. We love you, and you are important and special. Know that. Really, REALLY know that. Chips will be inundated, but it’s all good:) Night, sweet. Sleep like a baby.
You are amazing Hachiko…I am so glad you’ve landed safely. You are in my thoughts and I visualize you happy and well and on your way to your best life. Sleep well.
Hachiko – thanks for the update! So glad to hear that you are safe with wonderful Ms. Pat and that Tucker is going to be okay while you both are still in NY. Hope you are able to get some restful sleep and I’m sending positive vibes your way for what will hopefully be an opportunity for a fresh start.
Dear Hachiko,
I am extremely glad to hear that you have settled in with Miss Pat. A sincere thanks to Miss Pat. Please get some rest and gather your thoughts. We are all looking out for you. Be good.
Thank you, Joy.
SOOOOOO happy to hear you have a roof over your head. That shower must feel good. I’m also glad you can see your dog.
Hachikō, so thrilled you’re warm and safe tonight, there are no words for Miss Pat’s kindness.
I’d be happy to pass on your PayPal details to anyone seeking them, just email me the info and I’ll reply to anyone who contacts me at theobamadiary@gmail.com.
Sleep well tonight, talk soon.
Can we think of another way to send support because PayPal creator a strong republican money backer…..
Good point Michele. I had forgotten what a douche nozzle he is.
Ok. Thank you, Chip…for everything.
Glad to hear from you. Stay well. Love to MissPat. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Can you post the PayPal link? That would be easiest.
Oh Hachiko, I’m so happy you’re safe, at “home” and in good family hands. And pleased to know that you’re close to Tucker, you two have had a hard couple of days. Rest, take care.. take some deep breaths.. and thank you so much Miss Pat.
What a tremendous gift. Please take good care and know that we are all keeping you in our thoughts and pulling for you.
Hachiko, I hope you’ll give your mind and spirit the chance to rest before you exhaust yourself with more plans. Sometimes you just have to let it go for a while to get back your strength and energy and preserve your health. I truly believe that the worst is behind you now. You will get a direction and be able to put aside the fear. Bless you and Miss Pat for opening up her heart and home.
Glad you are OK. Thank you Miss Pat! Tucker is beautiful, glad you can see him daily. I just lost my two dogs to cancer and old age last year so know how important it is to take advantage of the brief time we are allowed to share our lives with our companion animals. Unconditional love rejuvenates. Will send $ once I get the link from Chips.
I’m so happy to hear you and your baby, Tucker, are safe. Be well and be at peace. Miss Pat, you are one of God’s angels. Bless you.
Thank you, and blessings to you too.
Bloomberg has the craziest article I have ever read-
Why does the US build Roads if it cannot afford to fix them?
Oh, come on! The Richest Nation ever, and we are giving up? Really?
WTF?!?!?!?!
And why then does Bloomberg pay reporters if they don’t report?
Jovi, can you provide the link? However, there is some truth to that statement, except I would ask, “Why does the US build roads if the Republicans won’t allow them to be fixed?”
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-05/why-does-u-s-build-roads-if-it-can-t-pay-to-fix-them-
So what is Rachel’s big story?
Exactly. I mean, I LOVE what she’s doing on the War On Caterpillars (!!!), but where’s the monster scoop? Me? I have no patience.
Ah ha, it’s coming up.
Let us know when you find out.
Okay I’m waiting patiently…I hope it’s not some nonsense.
I wonder if it is about Benton Harbor.
I think it was that Ann Romney is not a real blondy!
Just showed a photo of a young Romney fam and Ann had dark brown hair! Blockbuster! 
Okaaaaaaay. That’s the big political news out of MI that Rachel wants to tell us?
Rachel said that they’ve been working on this story for the past year now. I guess it must be that Ann Romney is almost due with her 6th child. And Willard is not the father, but the baby daddy lives in MI and helped him to win the GOP primary?
I hope that’s it! It would be SO FUN!
Ah Hopefruit, how did you get that scoop?
LOL! She’s talking about it now.
Soooo? what really was her big news?
Nothing that was worth waiting 50 minutes to hear. About the GOP state legislature. I kinda tuned out after about 5-7 minutes into the segment.
thank you hope, I’ve been reading back & forth. appreciate everyone’s input.
It was a big deal. Democracy is dead in MI. I wouldn’t be surprised if that state comes under marshal law.
Pffffft
Good Evening, Everyone.
Happy Birthday, Joan. MissPat you are an angel. Chips I sent you an email. Hachikō get some rest…in the morning, everything will be alright.
Have you all seen this petition….
http://leftaction.com/action/tell-scalia-actually-yes-i-do-expect-you-read-health-care-law
that is one of the many stupid questions from the SCOTUS that bothered me – yes of course we EXPECT SCOTUS to READ ALL pages of the legislation. that is what you are paid to do
Why does Face the Nation have on Cardinal Timothy Dolan this Sunday?
Are they really going for round 2 on contraceptives? Are they Really?
let him talk about women’s health – gop will pay
Are we there yet? 14 signs of fascism
http://www.rense.com/general37/char.htm
I don’t see one thing on that list that doesn’t apply to current Republican ideology — not one.
I get that this is probably totally off the wall, but this has been bugging me. Isn’t Mitt Romney an Elder in the Mormon Church? If a Catholic Bishop were running for President, the whole country would be up in arms about it. How, please tell me, is this any different?
A completely reasonable question, I would have thought. How strange it isn’t being asked…
Well, Orin Hatch sure thinks it’s coming, it’s all he has been talking about
But we’re not allowed to talk about Mitt’s religion. It’s okay to question PBO’s religion and make shit up, but not Romney. Oh, no.
Stop being reasonable!!
So, let’s open this valuable insight of yours, Tien Le, to questioning minds
#AmericaThisIsNotATest
#PRESSON
Ooo, nice, Bobfr!
very nicely done Bob!!!
Tien, he does have a very senior position in the church. He used to be a bishop and has moved up the ladder. And yes, it is like a very senior level clergy in another religion was running for office. I doubt we would hear the end of a bishop or even monsignor running for office, or a rabbi or mullah. The WH is not going to talk about this, but that doesn’t mean we can’t. What he believes or doesn’t believe is, of course, his own business, but his level of leadership in his church should be. All JFK did was sit in a pew and he got nothing but grief.
That’s why he can lie about everything since it is lying for the Lord in furtherance of having a church elder head of the US.
Rachel’s scoop had better be good. This is the longest tease ever. Enough already, what’s up Rachel?
It’s the emergency manager law that some folks had mentioned last thread.
Disappointing! I thought she was going to pull her lousy Book off the Shelves!
Oh well!
LOL!
Well considering that about 50% of African Americans may not be able to vote in Michigan and that the emergency manager bill was put into effect immediately, WITHOUT the required 2/3 vote, I’d say it’s pretty important. Also, the Dems in the legislature are suing.
It’s important but very consistent with the GOP’s antics.
You’re bad Jovie
Oh boy, I knew the GOP in Michigan was contemptible, but I didn’t know any of these details, this is just beyond belief. Democracy? ****ing hell.
It made me sick to my stomach that this is happening in America. I can’t believe people who decided to stay home to punish the President are thinking they’ve taught PBO a lesson or got his attention as someone once told me. I hope what they did, voting in these Republican, has gotten THEIR attention.
Rachel was one of those people who were depressing the DEM vote back in 2010. While the PL was busy scrutinizing and attacking every last move of PBO, the GOP was busy planning their dirty tricks. Up to this date Chris Hayes will not take a segment to focus on voter suprpession but will spend half his show talking about the War in Afghanistan.
When they actually lie about the number of votes for a bill, it’s a BFD. My impression was that they had used this stunt in all of the 96% (!) of all the bills passed since the wingnuts took over in January, 2011. An ‘emergency’ provision was used to make the laws effective immediately, requiring 2/3 of the legislature. But they just said it was 2/3 when it wasn’t 2/3. To be honest, I was flipping channels so I don’t know if it was all the bills but it definitely was the emergency manager bill. They just lied.
Absolutely!! It most definitely is a BFD and should not be dismissed out-of-hand. The action of the Michigan legislature is the most radical thus far in the nation.
Wonderful Eclectablog has been all over these issues for months … good it’s hitting ‘prime time’ ….
#AmericaThisIsNotATest
#LandslideOBAMA2012
#YesWeMust
OMG, I hope the DOJ is on this!
Didn’t someone say earlier that Rachel was on with Jon Stewart and the two of them chuckled knowingly about how there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans? After her report on what’s going on in Michigan – never mind everything else – does she seriously believe that???
Chips, I have taken Rachel with a grain of salt for a long time. I’m not sure if the pundits on TV are playing a role as though they are in a movie or what.
it is who is paying their checks that matters
Simple question …
#AmericaThisIsNotATest
#LandslideOBAMA2012
#LandslideDEMS2012
#YesWeMust
The “there is no difference between the parties” meme is common among the hipster liberal set. I heard Lewis Black say that in a horrible stand up special he had on Comedy Central shortly after President Obama was elected. It is startling b/c it would seem that both Stewart and Maddow are too intelligent to really believe that, but unfortunately, they seem to be Utopianist who are out of touch with the real world implications of right wing extremism. They know it on an intellectual level, but don’t FEEL its impact. Perhaps it is guilt from benefiting from the GOP’s tax policies (they are both firmly in the top 1%, let’s not forget). In the end, they are entertainers, first and foremost, so I too take what they say with a huge grain of salt.
KERRI WASHINGTON’S SHOW ON NOW ON ABC!!! CALLED SCANDAL
Thanks, lisa~ I’ve been catching up on Ashely Judd’s “Missing” on Hulu and got to see PObama’s pic on the wall of the CIA’s office. Also, “The Good Wife” pans to a photo of the President in its show, too.
Another show I watch on Hulu is “Smash” and the latest one has Jerry going to a republicon fundraiser with his Gay boyfriend and he ends up leaving saying he likes his boyfriend but hates republicons. It was a thing of beauty!
Ha! In Scandal, when the group is voting whether to take on the guy as a client, one of the lawyers says she doesn’t want to take the case, because “he’s a Republican — I hate Republicans.”
I was hooked in the 1st fifteen minutes!
Trending number 1, somebody is concerned!
He’s toying with Romney like a cat with it’s prey. It’s fun!
I saw on twitter that the President is looking forward to the campaign, saying “it’s going to be fun. It’s always great to have the truth on your side”.
Wonder why I can no longer retweet a tweet from here??
Make sure that the last tweet you retweeted closed properly. I have to minimize everything to see if it’s still hanging out there. That’s what happened to me when I couldn’t retweet something. They usually close automatically after retweeting, but sometimes you need to hit ‘close’.
Thanks, 57andfemale! I checked & I don’t have any boxes open. I have been having lots of problems with Wordpres since yesterday.
Sorry it didn’t work. WordPress is annoying as all hell.
sym, I just tried it and it worked for me.
@meta, The tweets that I am seeing here don’t even show the “reply”; “retweet’etc options.
That was happening to me last week. I think it’s a WP thing. Completely screwy!
OH DEAR….Lawrence is going to announce some “Breaking Hunstman news” from Jon Hunstman’s daughter..which is “not what Romney wants to hear.”
Lehmme guess.that he’s switching his endorsement from Romney to Barack OBama?
i hope not. that backstabber can keep his bad luck to himself.
i agree!
I’m betting it’s Americans Elect.
I don’t trust Huntsman. He’s no moderate — he’s as RWNJ as the rest of them and I don’t want any Republican to claim that PBO said something and use his position against the President.
The one Republican who has been a very pleasant surprise is Ray LaHood as Transportation Secretary. He’s from Illinois and was in the thick of the impeachment against Bill Clinton, but he is the one, lone Republican voice of sanity.
you are funny!
She said the other day he would not be a surrogate in the campaign. It was on twitter.
So hf, what was the mind boggling, earth shattering, world changing “breaking news” ? Her daddy is running again ?
Hi O’s. Extra late to the party, but still another great going to bed evening from the best getting up day today.
I heard on Rev Al’s National Action Network radio show that the AA leaders in Detroit wanted to let the Emergency Management kick in. The thinking is that they are close to getting enough signatures on petitions to repeal the Emergency Management policy on the ballot. Once that happens, they can abolish it and all of the cities in Michigan who are currently in under EM, will get their rights back. Had it not kicked in, via another piece of legislation that they had to vote on, then they would not be able to challenge it, or something. I’ve forgotten all of the details, but that was how he framed it.
I think in the report the Rethugs are pushing an emergency law to prevent challenges via a referendum….
What is being done in MI is totally contemptible. The whole state should be taken over by the Feds.
I agree. Is that really possible? I know nothing about these things.
I’m not sure but after watching RM something should be done. There’s no democracy left in MI. The governor should be put in prison.
I wonder if the Michigan voters realized this was what they were voting for, and if they’ll remember that this is what they voted for when November comes calling. The fact is, the Republicans didn’t just take over the government, they were voted in. They were asked to govern. And just as we shout that President Obama should be allowed to govern because he was duly elected – well, these GOP were duly elected in 2010, either by people actually voting or abdicating their vote. These are the consequences.
If people don’t take these consequences seriously, and they don’t think about all the other crap that Republicans have done since they’ve been in power – like zero real jobs bills, 1100 anti-women bills, attempting to repeal Obamacare, trying to kill unions, firing millions of public workers from state governments, passed anti-immigrant bills… This is what people voted for. This is what Republicans are promising to do more of, if they win the White House or the Senate or keep the House. And they’re promising even more. They want to reinstate DADT. They want to repeal Dodd-Frank. They want to defund important departments. They want to drill in protected public lands and build a pipeline that has no route and will have the potential to do serious ecological harm. They want to start fresh wars, kill Medicare, defund social programs. And they ultimately want to hand your hard-earned tax dollars to millionaires and billionaires in the form of tax cuts. They’re not joking. They weren’t joking in 2010, and they’re not joking now.
Sorry I’m late to TOD today but in MI they have also stolen the volt.
just did a phone bank and got back why do you always remember the calls that are discouraging?? I don’t get that. OK I’ll get over that but what I’m thrilled about is that Hachiko is in a safe place and so is Tucker – yay! Thanks Miss Pat!
I’ll email yez chipster for the info. I guess I better go learn about paypal!
alice I’ve used paypal for a few years and never had any problems, its safe as far as I’ve experienced.. and really great for emergencies too.
And may I say Sherijr – your consistent voice of support for Hachiko has been so heartening. Everyone of course has been so thoughtful but there was one point where you said something like “honey we’re your family” and tears just sprang into my eyes. I was so touched by your story of how you were helped and I could see how you were paying it forward.
Anyways it’s been a humbling experience watching care concern and love in action. thanks sherijr and everyone I was so glad to have been able to witness this.
thank you alice, very much for your kindness~
The president looks tired and unshaving in the first video. Hope he gets some rest.
My sincere thanks to Pat for opening her home to Hachiko — that is one of the most personally meaningful gestures I have ever witnessed. A special place in heaven is reserved for such a giving soul.
Yes it is.. I too am so grateful to Pat, some folks would never consider such a personal gesture of generosity.. it takes a big loving heart, imo.
Agree, Sheri. Thank you Pat.
#PRESSON
Hear. Hear. #personalheavenofherchoice.
I’m going to be catty as all hell — What the hell is up with Abby Huntsman’s MASCARA?!?!? Honey, you’re supposed to throw the tube out when it expired 3 years ago. When it’s the consistency of shoe polish, it shouldn’t go anywhere near your face.
Huntsman won’t be campaigning for Romney, but maybe he will or maybe he’ll be asked when they need ‘independents. Or something. it was all pretty unintelligible
Give me a sane reason why that little girl is all over the tee vee.
LOL! I didn’t even watch the segment..I just overheard what they were saying from another room. She sounded very hyper to me..and as you said, she seemed to be saying just saying a whole lotta nothing. I read somewhere Huntsman is mad at John McCain for endorsing Willard in what he referred to as a “petty betrayal.” He felt betrayed especially after he endorsed McCain over Willard back in 2008, thereby alienating the Mormon population in Utah. There’s a lot of infighting and chaos in the GOP that the media is keeping under wraps. If it were the DEMS in this situation it would be all over the networks.
I agree. “GOP in Disarray” or “Chaos Within the GOP” does not fit the MSM’s narrative. Imagine how this country could be if the MSM stopped carrying the GOP’s water.
Aren’t we all weary to the bone of the pettiness of Republicans? Is there one — just one– Republican who has an ounce of decency or statesmanship? That 40% of the American people will vote without question for any one of these mean-spirited bastards for any office is unfathomable to me.
Bcause she is good looking and her grand daddy has a couple billion in the Bank!
I had a similar catty call the other day when she was sporting some bubble-gum coloured lipstick, and I really couldn’t take anything she said seriously. She’s not 12. Although, a 12 year old might just have more sensible stuff to say.
We love you, Chips, yes we do. We love all the wonderful things you do. I love Chipsticks-yes I do. I love Miss Chipsticks-how about you?!
I’m with you, I do, I do!
Yes we do…
Love her, love her, love her!!
The White House is highlighting how it has helped women gain economic security over the past three years — and how the GOP budget proposal would roll back the progress.
Deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan would be disproportionately harmful to women, senior administration officials said Thursday. About one-third of babies born in the U.S. are now delivered with Medicaid assistance and nearly 70 percent of Medicare beneficiaries over the age of 85 are women.
The GOP proposal to slash discretionary spending would also negatively impact other federal programs that benefit women, including support for housing, education and domestic violence shelters, according to one official.
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/04/white-house-gop-budget-bad-for-women-119787.html
Late getting here,but SO glad to hear Hachiko will be staying with Miss Pat and Tucker has his own place close to Hachiko. All of us on this blog are concerned with and care for our pets. They do matter! As Japa said, this group truly is a family….we know we are our brothers and sisters keepers. Amazing how much we care about each other, just through our writing.
Also, late again, but Happy Birthday Joan. I thought I was perhaps the “oldest” chronologically on this group, but I know I’m not, but I know that you are thankful for every day you live. We are so fortunate to be living in the Age of Obama! We waited a long time for this.
Sleep well Hachiko, get some deep down rest and renewal. Thank you Miss Pat for taking her into your home.
Yes, We Do!!! I am just so full tonight. Just thinking, last evening we were worried, so concerned, and a little scared about our Hachiko. Chips allowed us all to come together, and now look where our “Beautiful and Collective Good Engeries Brought Us.” A Divine Power greater than all of us, but inside of each of us was summoned within our hearts, and tonight, Hachiko is resting peacefully with an Angel, Miss Pat(and believe me, she is an Angel) Miss Pat was placed in Hachiko’s path, and with the quickness and goodness of Chipsticks and Miss Pat and all of us,, we can rest peacefully tonight.
I do believe, prayers, faith in each other, a diviness of goodness towards another human being, our Christian faith, each person’s own private spiritual love of beliefs, and powerful prayers ,and good deep meditations of goodness for another brother or sister brought joy in this morning. Look what we experienced this morning.
I am tired, and we all are after staying up until we could not stay awake(some even stayed up) but I am not worried tonight, because Miss Pat opened up her home with so much kindness and warmth, and Hachiko can sleep safely tonight. And Tucker is safe and near by as well. TOD Family, we are so blessed.
So, I am going to take my meds, put another candle on and my music, and cry with joy of thanksgiving and appreciation for my TOD Family and God’s Power tonight. I love you Chips and each one of my TOD Family members here tonight. You all give me so much hope, joy, and courage to believe in the better angel of our hearts and souls, and so much love to carry me to the next situation. Thank you so much.
Our next step is to ask for wisdom to get finances to Hachiko as we are able to do so. I had faith last night, and I still have faith that we are going to see her through all of this. This is what Chips was thinking about, I believe when she created this space: carrying out the true meaning of “Believe In Hope,” “Yes We Can.” ” Having the Audacity To Do the Unthinkable.” and “Being our Brothers and Sisters Keepers., and all the while lifting up and supporting and standing with our wonderful President.” These are our Values, Mr. Romney. This is who we are, Mr. Romney. Thank you, Mr. President , Barack Obama. We are The Obama Diary, and boy do we have Entries to Share with the World.
Good Night, my sweet family, and Miss Pat, you are a beautiful soul. (((((((((((((((((( To The Obama Diary Family))))))))))))))))))))))))HZ
You said it all, HZ. Thank you.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1zgkzichd1rt7gleo1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI6WLSGT7Y3ET7ADQ&Expires=1333771146&Signature=EdTwdQoV50Q8PtkyRMApCTcWG9A%3D
Also behind the union bashing and public-service worker bashing in Wisconsin and throughout the U.S. – wherever Republican governors took over.
Absolutely. At last the covers are getting pulled off.
ALEC needs to be neutered. FOREVER. If the corps.abandon them, as they seem to be doing now…there will be now reason for legislators to stick with them….at least that’s the rational I heard from the TV tonight:) I hope that’s right. They have bought and paid for nearly ALL the Republican elected legislators…from the Fed. level to the local level.They need to be exposed, and they need be GO!
Pepsi, Coke,Kraft Foods….who’s next? We need to put pressure on….
As a retiree, how about AT&T, UPS, for starters.
Wow! I’m so happy that these companies are abandoning ALEC. When I first read about ALEC I must admit I felt pretty hopeless in the face of so much combined power. Sometimes things work out better than I dared to hope.
Offshore drilling fees are financing the purchase of $41.6 million worth of new national forest lands in 15 states.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday the 28 different purchases from North Carolina to Oregon will protect clean water and fish and wildlife habitat, absorb private inholdings within wilderness areas, and support outdoor recreation spending that contributes $14.5 billion annually to the economy.
The purchases from willing sellers represent about 20,000 acres, which were chosen from 68 applications.
The money comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, created in 1964. Congress taps mitigation fees paid by companies drilling for offshore oil and gas to finance the fund year to year. The fund is capped at $900 million a year. Other federal agencies also use it.
http://m.miamiherald.com/mh/db_42940/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=BI89nomq
Information on ALEC
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/american-legislative-exchange
http://alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed
You can find your locally OWNED ALEC legislators here, as well…
Krystal Ball was excellent this morning on Martin Bashir’s show – she rattled off statistics showing the war on women is real. I really like her as a pundit – she’s passionate, informed, articulate.
Please start tweeting this ALEC crap out tomorrow.. This entire country needs to know about ALEC just like we knew all the sponsors of rush limbaugh..
FAN OUT, FAN OUT………. Trust me that ALEC has something to do with radical laws in Michigan that Rachael Maddow covered last night…
So glad that Hachikō and her puppy are safe for the night. How kind and caring you all are. Will send some $ when I get paypal details. Goodnight. Sweet dreams.
Wow, step away for a day or so and one misses so much! Really moved by the outpouring of kindness, love and support shown by everyone here to Haichiko (sp?). You all are FIERCE! Really humbled by it all. Thank you for re-igniting my faith in the goodness of people. So glad I stumbled upon this blog last fall. Ms. Chips I sent you an email asking for the contact info so I can do my little part to help Haichiko.
Peace and blessings y’all.. *off to my corner to weep*
If Only … I will never forget that afternoon in San Antonio Texas as I was on my way to my sisters to school to bring them home and heard over the car radio of the horror that Dr King had been assassinated.
Later that evening, in the most horrible confrontation with my father, ever, though it had been building for years, I left a family dinner and from that moment on would never be able to comprehend, as a white male of a mixed immigrant, paternal first generation Italian and maternal gene pool that include Charles Carroll of Carrollton, signatory of the Declaration of Independence, the raw hate of a man who represented the essence of the Promise of America – just because he was BLACK.
Why to post this comment now?
Well, it’s really simple ———— #AmericaThisIsNotATest
6 Nov 2012 is the MOST IMPORTANT date in the history of the Republic since 1776 – NO JOKE; no hyperbole.
#PRESSON
Just watched a very derogatory segment on the Daily Show regarding the GSA debacle, without any balance showing what PBO did to address the situation. He even had Bill O’Reilly on. It was disturbing and NOT funny; even the audience wasn’t really laughing. When is Jon Stewart going to realize he’s losing his audience?
You know when Jon Stewart highlights, makes the Bill oreily Show or Morning Joe, that he is going after the fixed news audience.
My friend is a conservative, and loves Jon Stewart.
Their you go!
I kept waiting for him to say what PBO did to address it too. Then, as you say, it hit me, he must be trying to attract Faux News viewers. I’m done with him. Will stick with Colbert and Key & Peele — the only two things on Comedy Central worth watching in my opinion.
This is why Colbert wins the Peabody and Steward loses viewers. I quit watching him in 2008.
I don’t watch him much anymore, but was curious to see it again as he used to be so fabulous. Ever since PBO was elected, he began to change. I think he believed his own hype, and now he’s on a downward slide. So sad. I love Colbert. His satire is truly funny.
This is so funny:
LOL!! Good one.
NEW YORK – The Obama re-election campaign tonight is seizing on a report that suggests Mitt Romney is using ethics exceptions to avoid disclosing some of his financial investments. Obama’s team has gone as far as using the president’s Twitter handle to lob attacks on the GOP candidate.
The account linked to the president’s name tweeted a link to the report, published by the Washington Post, that said that Romney has “taken advantage of an obscure exception in federal ethics laws to avoid disclosing the nature and extent of his holdings.”
“By offering a limited description of his assets, Romney has made it difficult to know precisely where his money is invested, whether it is offshore or in controversial companies,” the article said.
In addition, the Post reported that in 48 accounts from Bain Capital, the firm Romney founded in Boston and touts daily on the trail, he did not reveal his assets.
http://abcnews.go.com/m/blogEntry?id=16084117
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration’s man in charge of squeezing Tehran over its nuclear program is unapologetic for the difficulties faced by banks in their dealings with Iran since the U.S. tightened sanctions against the country.
Companies that trade with Iran are struggling to get paid and the biggest Asian countries are scrambling to work around U.S. sanctions that aim to deprive Tehran of revenue needed to develop its nuclear program. “I don’t feel apologetic about it because that is the consequence of these banks in Iran willingly facilitating transactions for Iran’s nuclear programs,” said David Cohen, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury Department.
“If they are going to do that, they shouldn’t be accessible to the international financial system. They shouldn’t be financial institutions that any reputable bank wants to deal with,” Cohen said in an interview.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSBRE8341AE20120406?irpc=932
Where is everybody this Morning? Place is like a Ghost Town. See all the Tumble weeds?
Good Mornng Jovie!
What time do the job numbers come out?
I think 8:30am so sooon
Thank you CollegeKay and good morning.
Any second now!!
I am wondering the same thing. Good morning family. Blessed Good Friday!
I’m here Jovie. A little groggy, but here.
120k jobs created UE rate ticks down to 8.2%.
Not that great! Meh!
That tick down is huge.
It’s fine and what people were predicting. What were you expecting? Any tick up is good news!!
Good morning, Jovie!!
meant to say….although NOT what people were predicting.
Wow that’s weird. It was way below expectations but the rate still went down.
They are saying if it were not for the warm weather and the Construction being up as a result of, we might have had a negative number.
WTF happened? The economic indicators did not pick this up?
Bad luck!
Take heart jovie – I’m sure it’s going to be revised UPWARDS next month…mark my words
Imagine the outrage if it had ticked up to 8.4
.
The Participation rate fell to 58% from 65. Which is why the number fell.
This is strange, as people are dropping out of the workforce. Just a strange number, very unexpected.
I’m not happy.
I’m not going to react based on a single report which is probably going to be revised upward next month. Secondly, the overall TREND is consistent with all the previous reports, and PBO himself said that he does not expect all reports this year to be extremely strong.
US economy added 120,000 jobs in March; unemployment rate falls to 8.2% – @wsjbreakingnews
WOOOOOT!!
Unemployment down to 8.2% pay rolls up 120,000
I was expecting 200,000+ jobs again. meh.
But progress is progress. I suspect its because of the states laying off public sector workers.
No. The retail sector was terrible, brought down the number greatly.
This was a bad report.
Lousy way to start a Morning!
Lawd Have Mercy Jovie!
This was not a BAD Report as you put it. A “Bad Report” would have been job loss and an increase in the UE report. You seem to buy into the Pundits talking points way too easy for me.
No! Just the internals. Participation rate down, retail way down, government jobs stagnant.
No sugar coating this number.
But I appreciate your spin…
So where did the 120K jobs come from then? By your assessment, there should have been ZERO jobs added, or a net LOSS – like how it was back in Jan 2009.
Construction!!!!!
Construction alone did not add 120K jobs. Health care AND manufacturing added jobs as well.
Jovie you’re being ridiculous. Just ask those 120K people who were unemployed but now have a job how “lousy” they feel this morning. The number was below expectations, but from my experience with these job reports, will probably be revised upwards next month. I’ve seen this movie before, and I’m not about to get caught up in any hysteria over each and every jobs report that doesn’t match expectations.
I am just reporting the internals, people are leaving the workforce.
You can yell at me all you want, it’s not my fault!
Same old same old.
I am out of here for a while.
So why didn’t you mention that manufacturing was up by 37000? Because it doesn’t fit the narrative that you want to stick to. That’s why. You’re basing your doom and gloom theory based on a single report. One month doesn’t a trend make.
Whatever! Go fight the conservatives on twitter.
Those fighting skills from twitter that you bring over here are moot!
We’re at a THREE YEAR LOW!!
Government jobs -> postal workers.
Not yet. That will be next month, if no deal struck.
What kills me is the amount of people dropping out of workforce.
Maybe the FED should do more QE, because for some reason something is keeping these numbers down!
Good Morning CK!
No we only loss 1000 jobs in the public sector last month. It was retail businesses that laid off 30,000 workers. This makes no sense because yesterday the report came out that retail business was up.
I’ll take any dip in the UE rate but of course I’m sure the press will harp on “not meeting expectations of 200K” this month.
At least we are creating jobs and now its something like 25 or 26 months of private sector job creation.
good morning! that’s true, any job creation is definitely a plus.
30k retail workers? odd!
Talk about a negative spin WSJ – Job Growth Loses Steam [I am not surprised, just noting that they could have chosen to highlight the positive ]
Jobs outside of agriculture grew by 120,000 last month—half the number that the economy added the prior month—the Labor Department said Friday. It was the first time since November that job growth fell below 200,000.
…..
.
The UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, obtained by a separate survey of U.S. households, TICKED DOWN A TENTH of a percentage point to 8.2%, but the drop resulted in part from …yada, yada
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303299604577327350639645794.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories
They can’t help themselves VC. Negative news is good for Republicans and the WSJ is as R as it gets. Haven’t read it in ten years.
JG, I’m slowly learning which news sources are definitively Repub versus those that are ‘mainstream’ Repub.
But I just read this article and thought, it’s the people in the media who truly care about the country who try to lift spirits instead of continuously depressing them.
We have to remember there will be ups and downs with the numbers but the fact is we’re on a positive trend.
Exactly – I recall PBO himself cautioning last month that there will be months where job growth will be much less than other months, but the overall trend is what we need to look at. You can’t take one month of modest job growth after 3 months of relatively strong growth and start panicking as thought the sky is falling. That’s EXACTLY the reaction the media wants – and will push in order to drive down PBO’s numbers and boost Romney.
hopefruit2, I agree with you all the way. If anyone listen to President Obama speak, he always say that we are not out of the woods yet. Things are getting better, but we will have good months and bad ones, but he will continue to work to do all he can to see to it that everyone who wants a job can find one. I am kind of getting alittle tired of all this predicting of what the jobs numbers is going to be. Best thing is to wait and see, instead of listening to folks predicting and they come out wrong.
And then the rest of the day all we hear is doom and gloom from some people.
We didn’t get into this mess overnight and we won’t get out of it overnight. We are heading in the right direction, and we need to continue heading there.
I guess what I find hopeful is there were +37,000 jobs in manufacturing.
For anyone who wants to comb over the numbers in detail…
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
And remember, Jovie made up all these numbers, bad Jovie, bad!
Ah, Jovie! {{{Jovie}}}
120,000 people who didnt have jobs in February obtained work in March (praise God!!). Now these people have money with which to keep a roof over their heads, pay their electric bills, and otherwise provide for their families. Like someone said, there will be ups and downs. There has been continued steady progress and I have faith things will continue to get better.
Thank you carolrptr, people act as though 1200,000 new jobs is something to sneeze at. Sometimes we need to step back and take a look around, the problems we have took eight longs years develop, and it’s going to take some time to fix them.
Morning eveyrone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/04/06/rise-and-shine-146/
It seems there’s some push back on The President’s World Bank pick:
World Bank job should go to Okonjo-Iweala, say ex-staff
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17623083
A group of former World Bank officials has written a letter backing Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to be its next president. Traditionally the post is given to the candidate put forward by the US, which this time is Dr Jim Yong Kim.
But in an open letter, 35 former economists and managers said the Bank should choose the next chief on merit. Another group of economists this week signed a petition backing Colombia’s Jose Antonio Ocampo. This is the first time the World Bank has had to choose between candidates since its creation more than 60 years ago.
The executive board of the Bank has to choose between Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank managing director, Jose Antonio Ocampo, a former finance minister of Colombia, and Jim Yong Kim, a public health expert and president of Dartmouth College in the US. The Bank is holding interviews next week and plans to select the successor to outgoing president Robert Zoellick by 20 April, when it starts its spring meetings with the IMF… [more in the article]
OK, WHAT THE FUCK!? Seriously, Jovie? You are going off on these numbers worse than those goddamn looney beatniks I used to fight over on DailyKos. No wonder liberals keep losing shit, the media and Republicans see this report, yell out no good, and then you cry like a little girl who didn’t get to see Justin Bieber. I’m sorry, but we have the most hypocritical, bland, half dead fool running against us thats more stiff than a grizzly bears dick after hibernation which would make shit go back to the way it was if he ever got enough states to push him over the mark. I am in fighting mode right now. If your not satisfied with the job numbers, you better do what I’m doing, get on the phone and call congress. Otherwise, get in the fight now, discredit the other side, and for Christs sake, stop pissing in. Don’t do the GOP’s work for them.
Morning all and thank you, needed to be said
Got a quick minute at work to check in and was really rather put out by the tone of this mornings posting. Lately these reports are always revised upward in favor of growth. Why people like to be led around, more like whipped around, by the gop talking heads beats me.
Charlie Brown is still being fooled by Lucy moving the ball.
Right On anotherslyfox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The numbers weren’t great, they weren’t horrible, it ain’t over. The sky is not falling. Stop the doom and gloom talk , please.
Full moon today, 12:19pm/pdt, 17Libra23. Nice.