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Michael Tomasky: Well, leave it to Mitt Romney of all people to put Paul Ryan on his ticket and then move immediately thereafter to distance himself from the Ryan budget. It’s so typical of everything we’ve seen of this semi-vertebrate. Try to bathe in Ryan’s refracted glory to right wingers while trying to tell seniors hey, psst, this is not really my thing, get it? Unbelievable.
It’s important to keep track of the Medicare lies, as they’re bound to pile up. The basic deal is that the Romney-Ryan line about Obama cutting $716 billion while they’ll “strengthen” the program is, shockingly I know, a lie. Ryan’s Medicare program cuts the same $716 billion! And then it cuts even more. And then, Romney’s proposal, insofar as it can be divined because as usual the details are scant, would likely cut even more than that.
…. I trust you saw the USA Today/Gallup poll yesterday showing that Ryan is the second least-approved of vice-presidential choice in the last quarter century …. “If the Democrats handle this right” is always a big if, but if they do, this ticket has the makings of a disaster.
Full post here
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Jonathan Cohn (TNR): Have you seen Mitt Romney’s new ad on Medicare? …. It’s not very subtle. And it’s not very true.
By now, you should know all about the hypocrisy of Romney attacking Obama for cutting Medicare. Paul Ryan put the same cuts in his budget plan. And while Romney has insisted he’d restore them, his budget doesn’t have room for that. If he’s serious about his overall spending plan, then he’d surely have to cut Medicare by as much as Obama did. In fact, he’d probably have to cut it by even more. And that’s just in the first ten years.
Still, the power of this ad is the appeal to senior citizens: Obama is taking your money and giving it somebody else. That’s why Romney and his allies keep saying that Obama “raided” Medicare. But, under the Affordable Care Act, a chunk of the money that comes out of Medicare goes right back into it. It helps seniors pay for prescription drugs, filling in the donut hole from Medicare Part D. It also allows seniors to get preventative care without co-pays, which means they can get an annual wellness visit, cancer screenings, and the like with no out-of-pocket costs. In the first half of this year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than a million seniors have saved an average of $629 on their drug bills because of this assistance.
…this business about “raiding” Medicare? It’s a naked appeal to selfishness and brazen misrepresentation of reality.
Full post here
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Michael Cohen (NY Daily News): …. if you really want to talk about who is playing the race card this year, it’s worth briefly revisiting the latest attack ad from the Romney campaign on welfare….
It might seem odd to the untrained observer that welfare is even being prominently featured in this campaign. It’s hardly an issue of pressing concern among voters. But of course, welfare never is and never has been just about policy; it’s really about politics and in particular, racial politics.
Romney accuses Obama of gutting welfare reform by granting waivers to state governments in how they choose to implement the law. It’s a charge that is completely without merit; spun from whole cloth; an invented attack line. But again, lying on the campaign trail about President Obama’s record is the rule, not the exception, for Mitt Romney.
… What’s most striking about the ad are the visuals – workers wiping their brow; working class Americans toiling away at manufacturing jobs. And coincidentally all the people in the ad … are white. This might not mean much, except for the fact that, as anyone who has followed American politics for the past 45 years knows, criticisms of the welfare system from the campaign trail have habitually always been used as racial code in attacks on Democrats for coddling blacks. It is the symbol of wasteful government spending, rewarding poor Americans for not working and creating a culture of dependency.
…. Indeed, this ad and in fact this whole line of attack is one of the most blatant uses of racial coding in a presidential campaign since the Willie Horton ad of 1988….
Full article here
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Iowa, August 15
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Cagle
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President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama return to the White House from Iowa, August 15
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Morning everyone 
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PS
Goof Morning TOD & Chips.
Planning to goof off, are you Roberta? Glad to arrive with you then, we can do so together.
I’m up early and just trying to catch up on stuff from yesterday. Eyes sore already.
Morning Roberta, morning everyone!
Thanks Chips. Love the Pic. They are so close ans very special. Just love how thye respect each other and the nation.
Aw, what a sweet photo. Just look at those lovebirds.
They can use a couple days of rest, they’ve both been very busy. FLOTUS goes to get the girls from camp today, but POTUS and FLOTUS campaigning together are the best
Congrats on 1st Roberta.
Thank you Jackie and Gm
GM, all!
GM VC are you morning or evening where you are at? I get a little confused as to who is in different time zones.
R, I am at the exact time as the time stamps here, give or take a couple of seconds at times.
OOH My I am 1st Woot. I meant Good Morning.
Does that mean I don’t get to goof off with you? Aaaw. Have a great Thursday anyway!
I don’t know, what do you have in mind today? I am open to suggestions. Too early to do anything strenuous except type my little fingers off.
Well, since you suggested it, I thought YOU had goofing off plans all lined up. I’m far too
lazylaidback to have THOUGHT of anything, but I was willing to go along with your plans, for awhile, if they weren’t too strenuous.First?
5th not bad – congrats Roberta!
Off to Yankees game wearing Obama shirt!
Mitt, where are those taxes?
Buried at 4th base? Have a fun day searching, DrD.
G’morning Chips, TOD, everyone, and congratulations Roberta on #1!! I just LOVE those POTUS/FLOTUS combo pics
Moooooooooooooorning Hopefruit
Morning HF, I LURVE the last one where they are about to go under the canopy. They look super happy and relaxed to me, and that reassures me they enjoyed a productive day and are now ready for some quiet time.
That’s right, that’s right vc! Remember, the girls are returning from camp today, so last night was to be cherished
¡EXACTEMENTE!
Sigh!!
Thanks HF
Man did he have that down. When Lawrence is on he is really on. Thanks for posting this segment. I am at my sisters and no cable. -:(
Did anyone hear Queen Ann say that Mitt is honest, Mitt Romney honest. Honesty must mean something different to her, because Mitt Romney doesn’t know what honesty mean. Her husband is a liar.
I have never seen a candidate for the office of the President lie like Mitt Romney does.
They must define “honesty” differently than most of us.
He’s been especially great this week since the Ryan pick. Love it!
Wowie, she’s about to blow a gasket. I think she expects her husband to run for POTUS and her life not change one bit. HAW! The joke’s on her.
They forgot to mention that blind trusts are supposed to be handled by a neutral party. Mitt’s blind trust is managed by R. Bradford Malt, his longtime lawyer who also happens to be the President of his Bermuda company, Sankaty. One of the investments he made was to put $10 million into a company named Solamere, co-founded by Romney’s son Tagg and the Romney campaign’s National Finance Chair, Spencer Zwick.
Remember when Ann Romney was touted as Mitt’s “secret weapon”? I especially like that her excuse is that they’ve been attacked and that releasing more returns would add fuel to the fire.
Umm, excuse me Miz Ann, but your hubby is applying for the Biggest Job in America. Of course, he’s never had to apply for a job before so maybe he’s unclear on the concept. When you’re applying for a job, your future employers (all of “you people”) are entitled to ask questions. We don’t want to know about your (gag!) private life but your taxes are not private if you want to be Prez.
This plus the zombie-eyed granny starver is shaping up to be the most disastrous campaign since Goldwater. Actually, Goldwater was someone who had principles. America didn’t agree with them but he was not a slippery eel like the Mittster.
Good Thursday morning Chips and TOD. HOPE you all have a great day. LOVE THE PICS. Thank you Chips.
Morning Jackie!
Wait a minute there! I was standing right beside Roberta and you never said good morning to me? I waited quietly for ….for….(muttering ’55-17′ is… / …)… 30+ minutes! Nothing to do with pictures, just a ‘hey you!’ or a ‘Move out of the way’. I’m shattered. Like Artur D, I’m going over to the GOP where I might get better notice paid me.
Good mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorning VC!!!!!
Good morning all and early bird Roberta.
Chips the photos are a great way to start the day. Welcome home First Couple, now you can go get those girls.
July US building permits to highest level in 4 years.
Wow – Romney the semi-vertebrate, a new branch in the Animal Kingdom ….
Nice Michael Tomasky article but the Cohn article was better in disputing the arrant nonsense that the Romney camp have been spewing regarding Medicare. And woah…the NY Daily News is actually doing some real journalism?
When even journalists hate your guts; that means you’re a conscienceless animal Mitt. Welcome to Dick Cheney territory.
That’s been a surprise. The selection of the zombie-eyed granny starver seems to have woken up a bunch of otherwise somnolent reporters. Which is good because there are a few I’ve been yearning to dope slap. And some seem to be committing acts of journalism. About effing time. I guess the R&R campaign has become more fetid and rotten than even they can stand.
I wish this paragraph of the Tomasky article had been included on the front page:
“And the important point is that the $716 cut (under the ACA) are to things like reimbursements, not direct care for recipients. Ryan and Romney, in contrast, start to cut directly into care and coverage. See Ezra Klein here and Igor Volsky here for some more details.”
I FREAKING HATE WordPress this morning. I can’t directly reply to anyone’s comment. Friggin annoying Gremlins.
Oh flip, not again UT?!
Uh oh, I have just sent a message to Chips about the damn little grey box thingy, which won’t leave me alone, and is severely hampering my love and enjoyment of this blog! What? How awful! {{{{{{chips}}}}}
Oh no, are you still having that problem Pamela? Okay, will you tell me again exactly what’s happening and what browser you’re using and I’ll try to get it fixed today.
Chips is going for the wrenches and the screwdrivers!! Everyone take cover!!
Oi!
Oi! Is right! EVERYONE, a BIG MASSIVE, SEVERELY PROLONGED STQNDING OVATION FOR OUR Blogmistress! She is right up there at the top of the heap of the finest among us! YES! it is gone….. It will not be missed, kinda like myth when we are through with him….
Just what does this second handed journalists think he is going to hear when VP Biden and POTUS talk today? I don’t think POTUS is upset with VP Biden, it’s the media who have let the lying Romney camp use them to make some kind of uproar about some comment the VP made. I didn’t fine one bit of problem with it and I’m black. I found more of a problem with that lying Romney going before his white rich donors telling them that if they (meaning blacks) want to continue to sit around and get free stuff then vote for the other guy. Now that offended me very much.
Free stuff from the Government. Romney had spoke before the NAACP early that day then he went to Montana at a fundraiser and made his racists comments. Where were the two bit journalists Knoller at then, somewhere eating more of the GOP B.S.
I agree completely, anniebella. It’s just his snide way of insinuating something. Not to mention all the Republican references to people on the “Democratic plantation”.
Maryl, considering you often get back only as much as you put in, I can’t see Knoller being able to identify either the brilliance or the compassion between VPJoe & POTUS, but it was nice of you to try.
Speaking of getting back as much as you put in, I decided to send Artur D. a nice tweet in goodbye…
Ha! That’s me – nice! My new strategy is to try to take his snarky, insinuating comments seriously and turn them around into something positive. Hoping to seriously annoy him, of course! That’s me – nice, and devious!
Good luck, Maryl, and I mean that seriously. I saw our Betsy using this strategy with Knoller several weeks back and tried to emulate her…for a while. I confess it was hard for me to maintain because he is so UNRELENTINGLY, OBSESSIVELY trivial! I think I’ve only once seen a reasonable, objective comment from him and though at the time I was pleased for the ‘journalist’ hidden in him, I can’t now even remember what it was about. Most of the other GOP shills and GOP candidates do not even register on my personhood meter (too one-dimensional, robotic, and inconsequential to incite any emotion other than my disdain) but for some reason Knoller majorly gets my goat, rarely failing to call out my inner snark! Good luck, really!
PBO and Obama make a great team. And all the upposed “gaffes” are, in fact, quite purposeful. Remember when Joe “let it slip” that he supported marriage equality? Not any kind of slip.
Joe can say things that PBO would like to say but can’t because the wingnuts really, really want to hang the “angry black man” label on him.
Absolutely spot on…
So sick of this twitter gossip columnist Mark Knoller…
Story time LOL-
One year in my elementary teaching career, I think it was my first year of teaching, I had a fifth grade class with a student that had become very obnoxious halfway through the year. His parents were taking the principal to task for something not related to me. The child became hard to live with as he knew he could get away with things through his parents actions. Anyway he started being somewhat of a bully at recess. The kids handled the problem perfectly. They just totally ignorred him and did not play with him or include him in their games until he changed his attitude. They told him up front what they expected too. It worked!! Kids are not so dumb.
Sometimes I think ignoring Mark Knoller could be the answer because without an audience to perform to and participate with the person just becomes a lonely unimportant figure. He may feed off the back and forth we give him. I know there are many others to pick up the role if we vacate it. I know there is the argument that we need to set the record straight, but I always remember those fifth grade kids that solved their problem with this method.
Thanks for the retweet – I wish I had double-checked and spelled ‘two’ right!
Good morning all. David Cay Johnson has raised the possibility (in the LOD clip Chips has uploaded an on other segments) that something will be leaked. I remember he said that he broke a big tax story once because someone slipped him a confidential document. Let us send a prayer that somehow a damning Mitt return is going to find its way into DCJ’s hands.
Could get nasty – Mitt will sue anyone who is found to have leaked his taxes – I’m wondering if he made the McCain lot sign in triplicate that they would never reveal anything.
Good morning Chips, and TOD. Celebrating my birthday today….I try to double Chip’s age…..say 42
Happy Birthday !!
Hi Edp4pbo, thanks and may have a blessed day too
Have a blissful day Ourmanflint!!!
Thank you Chips!!!! Love the cake…..felt it and it is still warm, Yummmmm
Glad you like it OMF, I was up all night baking – happy birthday again!!
So sweet. Between the baking and all the wonderful posts of Pres O and First Lady Michelle in Iowa, you were really busy. you deserve a day at the spa… on me.
Ha ha, lol:lol
If I’ve told you once I’ve told you 1,000 times, just because your keyboard is smokin’ doesn’t mean you can bake a cake on it!
Happy Birthday ourmanflint!!!
Than you Hopefruit
Congratulations and whipping up a double choclate w/ whippped cream .
But Chips will probably do you a better one. I can’t show my kitchen and the process. Have a great day. Happy Birthday to you.
I appreciate so much your warm wishes, Roberta, mmmmmmm
Happy Birthday!!
Thank you for birthday wish Symmetry
Happy Happy Birthday Birthday, ourmanfilnt!
Pamela, so kind of you to remember my birthday . Thanks
HOPE you have a very happy birthday ourmanflint. I am counting backwards now and staying 39.
Thank you Jackie, I was was not too smart and kept counting up.
Ourmanflint! A very Happy Birthday to you! Hope your plans are full of treasure. Enjoy every moment!!
Hi Meta, thanks for your best wishes, may you also reap a great harvest after your hard work
Yah!!! More Leo’s!
Happy Birthday ourmanflint!
Hi Donna, yes Leo s rock on TOD. Thank you
。☆。*。☆。
★。＼｜／。★
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Ourmanflint!!
★。／｜＼。★
。☆。*。☆。
That was nice Sonjia!!!!! Thanks
Happy Birthday, ourmanflint!
Happy Birthday, Our Man Flint.
New marker in Hyde Park Chicago where Obamas shared First Kiss!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-talk-obama-kiss-marker-20120816,0,766924.story
Don’t read the comments!
I never do. I don’t care what some bitter and hateful dumbhead has to say.
dotster3, I read the article, and to hell with the haters. I didn’t read the comments.
“On our first date, I treated her to the finest ice cream Baskin-Robbins had to offer, our dinner table doubling as the curb. I kissed her, and it tasted like chocolate.”
He is just too cool. (and I guess that means he likes chocolate.
)
I love the Obamas-yes, I do and I love the Bidens-Joe and Jill too!
clap, clap, clap, clap!! I love, love, LOVES me some Joey B. And Jill ain’t bad either. Seriously, I like that fact that she’s a community college professor. She KNOWS what working class people do to keep things moving!!
Undoing Obama Medicare cuts may backfire on Romney
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
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WASHINGTON (AP) — GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s new promise to restore the Medicare cuts made by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law could backfire if he’s elected.
The reason: Obama’s cuts also extended the life of Medicare’s giant trust fund, and by repealing them Romney would move the insolvency date of the program closer, toward the end of what would be his first term in office.
.
.
But Obama’s cuts were not directly aimed at Medicare’s 48 million beneficiaries; instead they affect hospitals, insurers, nursing homes, drug companies and other service providers. Simply undoing the cuts would restore higher payments to those service providers. And that would cause Medicare to spend money faster.
.
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“These (Obama cuts) were all on service providers,” said Moon, now director of the health program at the nonpartisan American Institutes for Research. Romney “would have three options: either cut it out of providers in a different way, ask beneficiaries to pay higher premiums in various ways, or raise taxes in order to pay for it.”
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http://bigstory.ap.org/article/undoing-obama-medicare-cuts-may-backfire-romney
As I understood besides the cuts mentioned above there was uncovered fraudulent waste cut like companies scamming medicare. Does that mean Mitt would restore the companies’ ability to fraudulently rob Medicare too? It doesn’t surprise me that he would “steal” from the people by taking away their new benefits of closing the drug donut hole or the free physicals, screenings and tests they now receive from ACA, and give the restored money back to the insurance companies and hospitals.
Good Morning Chips and TOD family. I don’t post much since my new area of focus has kept me away from any computer. I just want to report this weekend I spent time with Chief Oren Lyons from the Onondaga Nation of western New York. I really encourage everyone to google his name and watch some of his videos on youtube. What a privilege to be in his presence. He is very much a President Obama supporter. He says this President actually came and talked to the Six Nations and honored them in their traditions as no other President has. He had much more to say. Just wanted you to know there is much support for this President in all corners.
Keep up the great work here. I do retweet, that is something I can do quickly on my Droid. Well off to work. Have a great day!
Morning. MM! Thank you for that great info…bet you had a wonderful conversation:) And OMF…Happy Birthday!!!
You Don’t Know Mitt: 99 Facts About Mitt Romney
http://thinkprogress.org/romney-facts/?mobile=nc
The Big Lie of the Day: Republicans Balance Federal Budgets
By LOLGOP
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Vice-President Cheney laughed off the promises that the Bush tax breaks would pay for themselves and the budget would be balanced: “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.” But deficits do matter to Republicans…whenever there is a Democratic president.
Since they woke up from a coma on the day President Obama was elected, Republicans have pushed two Big Lies: The President is responsible for the deficit, which is nearly entirely the result of Bush-era choices that the Republicans refused to abandon, and the deficit is responsible for the poor economy.
In both instances, the opposite is true.
.
.
Republicans have long abandoned any impulse to open a real discussion about the federal budget in hopes of distorting the debate. They’re attacking cuts that eliminate wasteful spending in Medicare, while proposing trillions in cuts that would do real damage. They’re blaming deficit spending for a bad economy that only deficit spending can help us to escape. They’re promising to balance the budget with Paul Ryan’s smile and the magic of trickle down economics.
And how did that work out last time?
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http://www.nationalmemo.com/the-big-lie-of-the-day-republicans-balance-federal-budgets/
THE TRUTH ABOUT ROMNEYCARE FROM THE ARCHITECTS – (Very Informative.)
===================================================================
Mitt Romney does not like to talk about the landmark health care reform he signed into law in Massachusetts. In fact when Romney talks about Romneycare he gets into big trouble with conservatives. But Romney’s health care reform has become the gold standard and set the stage for the Affordable Care Act.
Ed Schultz talks to two of the architects of both plans. Jonathan Gruber, Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and John McDonough of the Harvard School of Public Health and Director of the Center for Public Health Leadership.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755822/ns/msnbc-the_ed_show/#48683432
Saw this last night on the Ed Show and thought that was a wonderful question and answer session with really good explanations. I did notice though that the part about the Obama Care program instituted more policies to hold prices down than Romney Care was missing. The part of the law that requires insurance companies 80% to be spent on medical expenditures really helps hold the costs down.
I have to give Romney credit that his health care work in MA was good. Of course he has run away from it now and Obama did it one better.
This segment certainly showed Ryan up as a liar. Another thing about their campaign as Ryan is now backing away from his own budget. I think the journalists should require Ryan to defend his budget regardless of whether he is now running on Romney’s budget or not as we voters deserve to know Ryan’s stands since he will be a heart beat away from the Presidency. We need to know if we would want the second person in charge as well as the first. Never mind I would never vote for them regardless.
HIdee Ho O’s!!!! All aboard the O train on this great getting up day!!! One thing you just gotta give McHelpMeStayRevelant is that he definitely has nerves. He actually had something to say about Vice President Joe. Then his own failed choice chimes in with advice of VP picks. We didn’t have to send Curiosity all the way to Mars to find strange life forms.
My political take today is yay Axe on keeping the clowns on the Morning Bozo Show from escaping from the big tent of the Mittiful and Paulie circus.
Moment of Clarity: Your Vote Will Be Stolen and Here’s How (VIDEO)
http://veracitystew.com/2012/08/15/moment-of-clarity-your-vote-will-be-stolen-and-heres-how-video/
“Your Vote WILL Be Stolen And Here’s How” – MOC #162 [clean version]
(H/T Stew Steve of Veracity Stew)
Thanks for the video ‘One More Term’. I absolutely loved it being a big broadway fan and of course an Obama fan. It brought tears to my eyes as so many things do these days. Keep posting these lovely pictures and videos. I am sick to death of Mitt and now Ryan always being at the top of the news. Whether it’s good or bad reporting their name just keeps resonating everywhere.
Glad I’m not the only one who teared up over a political ‘parody’.
Me too!! I want this one to go viral.
I am weighing a big decision, and could use some input, especially from the intelligence base that is TOD: I am within several hundred dollars of meeting my personal donation limit for the primary ($2500). I understand that NOW is the time OFA needs the money, and that all donations after the general begins are more than welcome, but somewhat less useful. It would be a stretch for me to meet the goal, and it would mean I cannot donate as much later, which will cause me a different kind of pain. I would appreciate some guidance on this decision. Thank you in advance. {{{{TOD}}}}
I too have reached my $2500 limit, or what I thought is my limit. Is that for the primary season, then after the formal nomination can I start again? Where can I go to find the rules? A month ago the campaign told me I could send X amount of dollars. I haven’t kept real close track, but believe I have exceeded that amount. I want it to count…..and I am a sucker for letters from PBO…..and quick donate. So…someone who knows please tell me where I can find out the rules. Thank you.
Because the President was uncontested in the primary your maximum donation is $5,000.00. That’s 2500 for the primary and 2500 for the general. Anything that you give after your initial 2500 automatically goes to the general election.
I didn’t know that! God, I wish I had five grand to give…….
estimate on the roof/give to PBO. Dental work/give to PBO.
I know, the dental work is so vital, but so weighty on the pocketbook.
I met my primary limit some time ago. Here’s what OFA sent to me. I have been giving to the Obama Victory Fund.
Obama for America can accept contributions from an individual of up to $2,500 per federal election. The Primary and General elections count as separate elections, for a total of $5,000 per election cycle.
Additionally, the Obama Victory Fund can accept a total of $75,800 this cycle. Contributions or gifts to Obama Victory Fund 2012 are not tax deductible. The first $5,000 of a contribution to OVF 2012 will be allocated to Obama for America (with the first $2,500 designated for the primary, and the next $2,500 for the general election). The next $30,800 of a contribution will be allocated to the Democratic National Committee. Any additional amounts from a contributor will be divided among the State Democratic Party Committees as follows, up to $10,000 per committee and subject to the biennial aggregate limits: FL (17%); OH (16%); PA (13%); CO (11%); NC (11%); VA (11%); NV (6%); WI (6%); IA (5%); and NH (4%). A contributor may designate his or her contribution for a particular participant.
Here you go:
http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/citizens.shtml
GM Pamela,
My advice is to give as much as you can to the campaign NOW. They really do need the funds. Then change your focus from donating to fundraising to raise funds for the campaign. This way you double your support efforts to the campaign.
I would donate now. If OFA needs to do a big push, they need the money to do it with. I am trying to find a way to give as much as possible in August and early September. Let OFA decide how and when to use the money, instead of holding off. I know we want to be able to up the totals in subsequent months but this is a real war right now.
Thank you everyone, this is helpful. You have helped greatly with my decision. God Bless, have a wonderful day.
Back at ya, girlfriend!
So. Now to those TOD fundraising links! Ka-Ching!
Thanks to all of you for that vital info. This means I can continue to give…..it’s just become part of my regular monthly budget.
http://i.imgur.com/iF4aS.gif
Check out this interactive map.
Anybody else notice a pattern?
h/t Immoral Minority
Jon Stewart can get on my last nerve a lot of the time but this take-down of Repuplican hypocrisy with their faux outrage with Joe Biden is a thing of beauty:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/16/1120740/-Jon-Stewart-s-awesom-piece-ripping-Fox-News-for-their-hypocrisy-over-Biden-s-remarks
Poll: Obama Opens Up 5-Point Lead In Michigan
// President Barack Obama’s lead in Michigan has inched up to 5 points, a new poll released Thursday shows.
Obama leads MItt Romney, 49 percent to 44 percent, among likely Michigan voters in the latest automated survey from in-state pollster, Mitchell Research & Communications. Mitchell’s previous two polls showed a dead heat between Obama and Romney in the state. Obama clung to a 1-point edge in the June survey, while Romney led by the same minuscule margin last month.
The latest poll, conducted on Monday, shows that Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan has had no immediate impact on the race in Michigan. Obama’s lead remains the same even when the names Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden are included in the survey question. //
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/poll-obama-opens-up-5-point-lead-in
Love Ben: “The Republicans are resorting to Swift Boat tactics because when it comes to foreign policy and national security, Mitt Romney has offered nothing but reckless rhetoric,” LaBolt said.
Reckless Rhetoric!!
The Presidents interview on ET-
http://m.etonline.com/v/News/PresidentObamaWeighs/?KSID=975e832a709623f2b92ce43fe8a3a56b
Excellent, thanks Jovie – here’s the link to the non-mobile version of the site:
http://www.etonline.com/news/124235_President_Obama_Weighs_in_on_Romney_Attack/index.html
Tune in to ET tonight for more, and tune in tomorrow night to hear the Obamas talk about their romance and their oldest daughter Malia starting high school this fall.
How in the world could Malia possibly be in high school?
She is 15?
Malia is 14, she will be going to the 9th grade.
Well, I started high school at 12, so it’s entirely possible. She’s a beauty of a girl, and smart, smart, smart!! At 14, she’ll be starting high school this fall. Wow, time flies!!
I know, I know, we’re not supposed to talk about the girls, but I feel so bad for any boy who likes her and has to get up the nerve to ask her out. Wheeeew, talk about pressure. Plus, I suppose she’ll have proms and dances and such. Wooooweeee, Daddy is gonna be a mess!!!
THINK PROGRESS: MEDICARE CUTS 101
===================================
1) The Romney-Ryan Plan to Cut & Then End Medicare
http://thinkprogress.org/progress-report/medicare-cuts-101/
2) New Romney Plan: Make Medicare Insolvent by 2016
http://thinkprogress.org/progress-report/end-medicare-sooner/
“When I wake up in the morning I make a wish to be useful to others.” ~ HHDL. 15 August 2012 @DalaiLama
Paul Ryan’s brother worked at Bain.
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/08/14/paul-ryans-major-private-equity-connection/
Gee willikers…
Right on!!
Knoller is in the Guiness book World of Records for Snark! For Petes sake, I swear he just does it to get you going. Pushing buttons…
I must say I find the real Snark Knoller much funnier …
Gawd…Knoller is a piece of work……
He’s a retread, a tired pain in the ass. I can’t stand his rattle. In fact, I don’t even really know who he is, just see his crap on here too often.
yes sirree
Same here. Who is he exactly?
LYRICS FOR “ONE TERM MORE” (This post Includes a great photo of PBO.)
Check Out One Term More: An Inspired Obama GOTV Video Set to Les Miz
By: Sarah Jones
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Here’s a rousing political parody entitled “One Term More” set to the music of “One Day More” from the musical Les Misérables. What’s not to love? Exceptional talent, incredible music, a message of patriotism and support for the Only Adult in the Room (that would be your President).
Don DeMesquita says his inspiration for the musical parody was to ask, who will be strong and stand with me? “If you’re not a moneyed Republican plutocrat with a name commonly mistaken for a mattress, soft drink or sundae, don’t own a ball club in Chicago or casino in Macao or have an extra hundred-mil lying around, what do you do to make a difference? You stand up the only way you know how. I’m not an activist, lobbyist, PAC, 527 or 501(c)-anything, just a private citizen (and sometime parodist) asking “who will be strong and stand with me.”
(VIDEO and LYRICS)
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http://www.politicususa.com/term-rousing-politcal-parody-set-le-miz-music.html
Isn’t it Uniquely Beautiful, Ladyhawke!? I posted it on DU’s Barack Obama Group last night..everyone who’s seen it is in Love with it!
Here’s a link to “the “Open Letter” written by the writer/parodist/executive producer for his underlying thoughts and inspiration for the piece at:” http://www.onetermmore.com/letter.html
As Sarah Jones writes at PoliticusUSA..It’s a ..“An Inspired PObama GOTV VID Set To Les Miz!!”
Ryan is a dangerous nutbag! http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/15/691161/why-paul-ryans-constitution-has-a-lot-more-in-common-with-ayn-rand-than-with-the-founding-fathers/
Honestly, I don’t get it. I thought Ayn Rand was something you entertained for like 20 minutes as a freshman in college. Her work is trash.
My brother loves her and so does the tea party.
Well, then, I guess I owe your brother an apology.
Is your brother a christian? I am willing to bet most of the tea party isn’t. The fact that their VP candidate call this woman a hero of his, should concern the bunch of GOP quote christian. This woman was a Atheist.
To all those so call holy evangelicals , Paul Ryan said a atheist was a hero of his.
She also hated reagan and was pro-choice. The baggies have no real foundation, except that they don’t want Black people to have anything. It’s the glue that binds them.
Evangelicals need to see this video. Check her out a little after 2 minutes in:
Believe me, we already had a big argument about her.
Short version: Selfish, uncaring bitch. Sounds JUST LIKE TP’ers
Ezra Klein: Obama gave Ryan a “death hug”
By Smartypants
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Ezra Klein wrote a fascinating column in Bloomberg yesterday. He starts out by explaining how the Republicans initially ran away from Paul Ryan and his budget.
In 2008, Ryan released the first version of his budget, the “Roadmap for America’s Future.” So while Obama and the Democrats in 2009 were pushing big plans to stimulate the economy and reshape the health-care system, Republicans had a big plan of their own all ready to go.
But as Ryan Lizza recounted in the New Yorker, Republican leaders “wanted nothing to do with his Roadmap.” Their theory was that Obama’s agenda was rapidly becoming unpopular, and the smart strategy was to attack, attack, attack.
He then goes on to explain the steps President Obama took to make Ryan the de facto Republican leader and his budgets the focus of the opposition. This all culminated in the President’s speech on April 13, 2011 comparing Ryan’s budget to his own alternative.
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http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2012/08/ezra-klein-obama-gave-ryan-death-hug.html
You have quick fingers:)
DF, my dear kindred spirit, we do that all the time. Top of the mornin to ya.
Yes we do:) Morning, love!
I highly recommend reading the source article she quoted as well: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-15/obama-s-evolution-on-paul-ryan-and-his-budget.html
DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON’T
LOLGOP @LOLGOP
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Imagine how they’d be attacking him if bin Laden were alive.
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http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2012/08/ezra-klein-obama-gave-ryan-death-hug.html
Paul Ryan Criticized His Own Medicare Spending Reductions
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The Romney-Ryan campaign, likely anticipating a slew of attacks over Medicare, quickly went on offense. Days after Ryan joined the ticket, the campaign released an ad accusing Obama of cutting more than $700 billion from Medicare.
HuffPost’s Sam Stein reports there are two things wrong with that:
The first is that Obama didn’t necessarily “cut” Medicare; he limited the expected rate of growth in the program on the supplier side by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse, mostly in Medicare Advantage. And the savings that Obama achieved are adopted by Ryan in his own budget.
The Obama campaign responded swiftly to Ryan’s comments Wednesday night. “Today, Mitt Romney forced Paul Ryan to attack his own budget,” Obama campaign spokesman Danny Kanner said in a statement. “Congressman Ryan knows that the $716 billion in Medicare savings that he included in two of his own budgets do not cut a single guaranteed Medicare benefit. It’s a shame that someone picked for his ‘strong beliefs’ is now abandoning them just to help Mr. Romney score a political point.”
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(Accompanying photo is hilarious.)
http://thedailybanter.com/2012/08/paul-ryan-criticized-his-own-medicare-spending-reductions/
Sam Stein embarrassed himself , again.
Nice job from WiW…http://www.whatisworking.com/2012/08/study-medicare-beneficiaries-receive.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WhatIsWorking+%28what+IS+working%29
Study: Medicare Beneficiaries Receive Higher Quality, More Affordable Care
We should have a surrogate to push this new measures.
Romney to Cut PBS Funding While Ryan and GOP Protect Big Oil
BY BOB CESCA
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What the hell is wrong with Mitt Romney and the Republicans? Seriously, these policies and agendas are so twisted and upside-down and backwards, it’s impossible to know where they stand on anything. This is what happens when a campaign and a party stands for the exact opposite of the president’s record. They’re in favor of subsidizing corporations, but against regulating them. They vote for policies that created the current deficit and debt, like the Bush tax cuts and the Bush wars, but then demonize the other party for the deficit and debt. They support privatizing Medicare while lumping on an $700 billion in unnecessary spending to the program, but then complain that the system is going bankrupt.
It’s an utterly incomprehensible and incoherent party. Yet around half the country supports them. Perhaps half the country should’ve spent more time watching PBS. They might’ve learned something.
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http://thedailybanter.com/2012/08/romney-to-cut-pbs-funding-while-ryan-and-gop-protect-big-oil/
This is the issue to focus on. Privatize and Voucherize Medicare- Romney Ryan on same page. 79% of American voters reject. This is the Albatross around the neck of GOP.
Bills obstructed by the Republicans AND AynRandPaulRyan
:
H.R. 466 – Wounded Veteran Job Security Act became H. R. 2875.
H.R. 1168 — Veterans Retraining Act
H.R. 1171 – Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization
H.R. 1172 — Requiring List on VA Website of Organizations Providing
Scholarships for Veterans
H.R. 1293 — Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural
Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009
H.R. 1803 — Veterans Business Center Act
H.R. 2352 – Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act
BUT PLENTY OF MONEY FOR TARP AND OIL COMPANY SUBSIDIES
BIRTHERS, BAGGERS AND BLOWHARDS
Facts? What Facts?
By Chez Pazienza:
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By Chez Pazienza: In case you haven’t seen this yet, it’s pretty much guaranteed to make your day. Or give you a brain hemorrhage. Or possibly both. Yesterday morning on CNN’s Starting Point, Soledad O’Brien got into a contentious on-air back-and-forth with Mitt Romney surrogate and talking scrotum John Sununu over the Obama and Romney plans for Medicare. The reason it was contentious is that O’Brien refused to simply let Sununu spew the usual nonsense talking points and instead actually held his feet to the fires of reality.
I get that Sununu is an especially stubborn and combative viewpoint delivery device for the right, but his response to O’Brien’s attempt to bring a little empirical evidence into the discussion — namely that she should just go right ahead and “put an Obama sticker on (her) forehead” — was the kind of revelatory moment you wait for whenever one of these blowhards is put on the spot but which rarely comes. As far as Sununu is concerned, anything that contradicts firmly established conservative orthodoxy, regardless of its basis in actual fact, is nothing more than pro-Obama propaganda and therefore isn’t worthy of serious consideration. It should immediately be deemed suspect and the person disseminating it a political enemy.
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Much more here …..
http://thedailybanter.com/2012/08/facts-what-facts/
Good Morning Chips! Good Morning TOD Family! Happy Birthday ourmanflint! I’m Fired Up!!!
ROMNEY/RYAN SINKING DEEPER INTO QUICKSAND OF POLICY STUPIDITY (A must read by Steve Benen)
Paul Ryan condemns Paul Ryan’s policy
By Steve Benen
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Consider this remarkable series of events:
1. President Obama extends new benefits to seniors on Medicare and finds savings in the system to strengthen Medicare’s finances.
2. Paul Ryan approves of Obama’s Medicare savings and incorporates them into his own budget plan.
3. Mitt Romney endorses Ryan’s plan, which includes Obama’s Medicare savings.
4. Romney changes his mind, and tries to argue he’s for and against the Medicare savings at the same time (for them in Ryan’s plan, against then in Obama’s law).
And finally 5. Ryan denounces the Medicare savings he supports.
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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/16/13315113-paul-ryan-condemns-paul-ryans-policy?lite
Who does the filming at campaign events? I’ve been watching (but no sound) Ryan in Ohio. No front crowd shots – all you see is behind and a couple of rows in front of the podium. I’ve seen 1 black gentleman – looks very similar to the man who was at the launch of R and R last Saturday. I think the one’s behind the podium all have “jobs”. There are 3 women continually taking photographs, one woman with a smile from ear to ear – all the time – and a couple with serious head nodding. The men just look serious – or bored – depending on your point of view.
A couple of signs and half a dozen flags – with all that money – no signs at rallies?? And absolutely no sign as to how many people turned up.
Well, sounds to me as though you’ve just described the Republican National Convention later this month, in advance. What fakers! Of course, at the convention, there will be a bunch of crazy old white folks in plastic straw hats screamin’ and yellin’ (I’m one of those crazy old white folks, and proud of it because I’m Crazy for Obama-Biden 2012! Ha!).
jacqueline – I’m what I call a true baby boomer – born 9 months after my Dad came home from WWII – and I adore your President – I get really mad when I read about the old white baby boomers who vote for Mitt Romney – lots of us are on the other side – as I get older I seem to move more and more to the left & care about those living in crisis that I sadly didn’t think too much about in my youth. I just love that the youth of today “get it”. Their world loves them for caring.
Ahh – now he’s trying to do the meet & greet & hug – hahahaha – just hugged a man who sure didn’t look as if he wanted to be hugged. Couple of guys now with cameras – not sure who they may be photographing. Absolutely no idea as to how many turned up.
Oh, I enjoyed all of that tremendously, 99ts! Thanks for the morning goodness.
Mornin’, TODers. Mini monsoon (comparatively speaking) in my part of Central Illinois today. I was out dancing in it. Rain! Oh, the joy.
Off to catch up with the rest of you!
Apparently, Knoller is live blogging the Ryan Smarmy event.
What a joke. At least that will keep him out of our hair for a minute or so. Snark Knoller might want to live blog as he live blogs, eh?
PAUL RYAN VOTED “BIGGEST BROWN-NOSER” IN HIGH SCHOOL
Paul Ryan: Generation Ex
By Chez Pazienza:
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According to the article, Ryan listens to “grunge” — a term, needless to say, that was always pissed on by anyone who truly loved bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden — and has a fondness for the pop culture of his early years. But where Ryan diverges from the traditional model of the Gen X youth is when it comes to pretty much everything else. It’ll surprise no one to learn that he was voted “biggest brown-noser” in high school and he supposedly worshiped Ronald Reagan as a kid, which contrasts starkly with the taste-makers of my generation’s culture, who spent the 80s intravenously feeding on punk bands that made entire careers out of vilifying the Reagan era.
Obviously, I’m not the personal standard to which any 42-year-old should be compared. I’ve never acted my age and still don’t; it’s served me incredibly well at many points in my life and has been my downfall at others. I’m not expecting Paul Ryan and I to have much in common aside from our age and I admit that I look in the mirror and can’t imagine that I’ve been on this planet the same amount of time as somebody like him. Ryan strikes me as somebody who was born old, but that could easily be a product of his particular political affiliation. I have a tough time picturing any hardcore conservative being young only because conservative thinking always seems to be based around a desire to return to the past. By its very nature, it’s against the progress that the next generation invariably represents.
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http://thedailybanter.com/2012/08/paul-ryan-generation-ex/
Makes perfect sense. A lot of Gen-Xers had/have nothing to believe in as a generation — no defining moments, no large issues (war, civil rights, economic unrest) to contend with, raised by spoiled Boomers, etc. Brats like Ryan were born into cushy situations so they’ve had to create something….anything…to show a sense of accomplishment. This doesn’t surprise me in the least.
10 Reasons Paul Ryan is Worse for Romney than Palin was for McCain
By LOLGOP
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1. Paul Ryan makes Mitt look weaker.
Mitt only picked Ryan out of weakness. He knew he was losing and he knew he needed to get attention off his business career and tax avoidance. Because of this obvious flailing, he was bullied by the far right into picking a running mate he knew would hurt him. Mitt may have finally wrapped up the GOP nomination in August but he did it by admitting he’d lost control of his campaign. Since Mitt picked Ryan he’s already had to distance himself from the Ryan Plan and then backtrack from distancing himself. The qualities that were sinking Mitt are being emphasized with a Paul Ryan-sized highlighter.
2. Paul Ryan voted for all the worst of the Bush Administration—including the Iraq War and the tax breaks for the rich that blew the surplus.
Mitt has mostly avoided the stink of Bush’s failures. Now he’s lousy with them.
3. The Ryan Plan, which even without Ryan on the ticket was dragging Mitt down. It starves the government to pay for massive tax breaks the rich do not need. It’s not a budget as much as it is a cookbook for the middle class.
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Reasons 4-10 here….
http://eclectablog.com/2012/08/10-reasons-paul-ryan-is-worse-for-romney-than-palin-was-for-mccain.html
Hey Bobfr. Can you please remind me of why the period BEFORE the twitter handle is important? Thanks.
It’s odd but if you add some punctuation before the @ symbol, it gets tweeted not only to the addressee, but to all who follow them.
Sure – indicates distribution to all followers of the addressee … #PRESSON
Wow, I never knew that. *takes notes*
Jamila, I know right? Learn SO MUCH from this blog!!!
$717 BILLION NUMBER PULLED FROM 7/24 CBO MEMO ABOUT HOUSE PLAN TO REPEAL OBAMACARE
The Republican Medicare Scam, Part 2
BY BOB CESCA (Exemplary reporting. Two terrific articles.)
————————————————
Meanwhile, Obamacare trims $428 billion in waste, fraud and abuse. Not $500 billion and certainly not $700 billion. No cuts to benefits, just increased efficiency, fraud protection and a reduction in Medicare Advantage payments to the same levels as Medicare proper. That’s all. The savings will add another decade of solvency to Medicare, while, according to the CBO, Medicare spending is expected to nearly double by 2020. Meanwhile, Medicare Advantage premiums are lower and enrollment is up.
The Republicans, including Mitt Romney, are vocally against these obviously positive changes to the system, and they’ve vowed to repeal Obamacare and all of the Medicare provisions within, including the streamlined savings, the preventative care coverage and they’ll re-open the donut hole, leaving retirees with potentially thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket drug expenses every year. At the same time, the Romney camp is positioning itself as the true savior of the program — a claim that’s absurd on its face and exactly the opposite of their true intentions.
So it turns out that the $717 billion number that Sununu was screeching about on CNN was pulled out of a July 24 CBO memo about the House plan to repeal Obamacare. Doug Elmendorf explained, “Spending for Medicare would increase by an estimated $716 billion over that 2013–2022 period.” There’s nothing in there about benefit cuts or anything else the Republicans have said. Nothing.
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http://thedailybanter.com/2012/08/the-republican-medicare-scam-part-2/
I think that “wizard” picture of PBO was really Chips in disguise.
She was right about @SnarkKnoller, he’s back this morning, tweeting away (Ryan in Canton Ohio).
Hip, hip, HOORAY!
I was excited to see that Snark is back in action! Yay! Fun and delicious tweets!
Snarky baby, welcome back. I have missed seeing your stylish over-sized baseball cap. You are such a fashion plate.
Ha! Oh, good, I get to worship at the Altar of Snark Knoller today!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Welcome back Snark!
This is a long article but it’s an absolute ‘must-read’ that gives lots of clear and comprehensible facts on the benefits of the ARRA. There’s a lot of stuff in there I didn’t even know about.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/08/13/think_again_obamas_new_deal?page=0%2C5
Ha! The article by Tomasky, which described Romney as “this semi-vertebrate,” was the funniest thing I will probably enjoy reading today!
This is also a great, if off-topic, idea that I think we should spread around. I think it would have great resonance since people are so disgusted with banks now.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/08/13/how-to-save-the-postal-service/
Five Reasons Ayn Rand Would Have Despised Paul Ryan
By Jason Sattler
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Paul Ryan may be backing away from his devotion to Ayn Rand, the woman who inspired him to enter politics. But there are some things that the 20th century’s most prominent prophet of selfishness would have probably appreciated about the Republican’s soon-to-be nominee for vice president.
In fourteen years in Washington D.C., Ryan only passed two bills—one naming a U.S. post office in his hometown, the other giving arrow makers a tax break. This abject uselessness on behalf of the American people is about as close as an elected official can get to “going Galt.” Being a star member of the most unproductive Congress in 65 years might also have impressed the author who saw the only purpose of government as protecting citizens from physical violence.
.
.
Here are five reasons why Ayn Rand would have quickly shrugged off Paul Ryan.
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http://www.nationalmemo.com/five-reasons-ayn-rand-would-have-despised-paul-ryan/
THIS is what is driving the GOP insane:
Translates into more potential DEM voters some day.
Artur, Artur, tis ovah:
“I’d warn him, though: public apostasy is a tricky business. A lot of the people cheering for Davis in Tampa will be privately contemptuous of him, and he’ll also learn that it’s one thing to defect from a president and a party and another altogether to try to help destroy them. Look at poor old Zell Miller. Given the chance to snarl and rant and work out his unique psychological problems from the podium of the 2004 Republican convention, Miller was permanently affected, and to this day seems to be obsessed with proving no one can get to the right of him in his adopted party. Artur Davis should consider just getting out of electoral politics before it’s too late.”
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_08/apostasy_is_a_tricky_business039268.php
The WaPo has a big article on Davis too. If he wasn’t black and attacking the POTUS no one would care. The guy would sell his mother’s soul.
Yup! Weasel.
IMO anyone dumb enough to lay claim to the current evolution of the GOP at this point in its history, especially a person of colour, AND doing so while turning his back on the best President the US has seen in ages is intellectually a write-off. I’d say he is intellectually, perceptually and morally blind. Democrats can do without this kind of mindset. I’m inclined to think him jumping sides and grandstanding in such a public way is advantageous as opposed to hanging around, keeping the label, while quietly undermining the Pres as come Dems do from time to time. Go find your place with the Republicans, Artur. You’ll be welcomed, at least as the convention token!
WHO’S ON FIRST, I DON’T KNOW, THIRD BASE (Romney/Ryan would make Abbott & Costello proud.)
From ‘very different’ to ‘identical’ in 24 hours
By Steve Benen
————————————————————-
If you watched Tuesday night’s show, you saw Rachel explain that Mitt Romney’s position on Paul Ryan’s Medicare privatization scheme hasn’t exactly been consistent.
In May 2011, he was against the Ryan plan to end Medicare. Six months later, he was for it. More recently, on Monday, Romney said his plan for Medicare is “very similar” to Ryan’s proposal, but on Tuesday, the Romney campaign said the plans are “very different.”
And 24 hours after the Romney campaign said the two policies are “very different,” Romney told a reporter in Green Bay, Wisconsin the opposite again.
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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/16/13316039-from-very-different-to-identical-in-24-hours?lite
Dealing With Campaign Lies: Positive Ideas
By Ed Kilgore
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I was proud to have participated yesterday in a round of public agonizing over the news media’s indifference to the systematic, lavishly funded, and racially toxic Romney campaign of lies about Obama’s record on welfare. I hope a few beat reporters were shamed into reconsidering their cynical tolerance for these sorts of tactics. But in the meantime, The Atlantic’s Garance Franke-Ruta suggests some ways that editors and news organization can help with antidotes to the poison:
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http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_08/dealing_with_campaign_lies_pos039266.php#
I would encourage every tweeter to read this article, it follows a similar theme to the one TOD Tweeters often use when they include positive Obama facts in their tweets. These subtle phrases make a bid difference. Ed Kilgore seems to be finding his voice.
This is supposedly an “honest” guy. Incredible.
The hypocrisy of the republicans has no bounds. It’s gotten to the point where it just hurts my SOUL to see these guys bragging about their patriotism and their love for America, and dissing the one man who has more integrity than all of them united.
They’re officially unhinged, & the idiot put this in a tweet:
Added Castellanos: “I’d advise Mitt to release 10 years of tax returns when Obama releases 10 years of birth certificates.”
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/16/13315498-10-years-of-birth-certificates?lite
Wow, R-money must have some nasty, nasty, nasty dealings in those tax returns.
His tax-dodging paperwork is the hammer of his non-campaign. We’re handing him the nails, one-by-one.
I thought Castellanos still had a little bit, just a little bit, of honesty in him. The lust for power, what it does to people.
There’s so much darkness in the GOP …
Castellanos’ attempts to defend the nut party has grown more desperate and pathetic every year.
I hadn’t even heard we lost seven military members in Afghanistan, but Jay Carney is apparently speaking about it now, according to MSNBC. So tragic that even at this “late date” in that war, we are still counting these brave souls who went in harm’s way for all of us and perished. May they rest in peace, may their loved ones know we all grieve with them, and may our other troops be welcomed safely home.
Morning SL. Up and at ‘em. I think it’s time for us to leave the land of the poppy.
You have definitely got a point there, Yardarm, as usual! Never been much into “the poppy” myself (good thing with my otherwise addictive personality), but that land truly is that.
My daughter lost a friend who was 20 years old. This is so sad!
Oh, I’m so sorry for your daughter – and the friend’s family. So very sorry.
What is going on with Syria these days? No one has written here about it recently.
It will soon be impossible for the corporate media to hide the level of control the FSA has now established throughout the country.
Bob, what’s the website you keep posting on Syria? I want to bookmark it.
LL, it’s Go Free Syria and it’s managed by friends who are more than willing to allow a variety of folk post there, but please realize that certain comments and tweets are far from accurate – that’s not something I can comment further.
http://gofreesyria.blogspot.de/2012/03/tired-of-western-influenced-media-tired.html
Clem & Polish Soldier’s information is as reliable as they can convey at any given time.
Apostasy Is A Tricky Business
By Ed Kilgore
——————————
It’s all more than a bit dishonest, of course. Davis may want to claim the Democratic Party left him behind. But memories are a bit too fresh of Davis’ own abandonment of Democratic positions in the House after he decided to run for governor of Alabama in 2010. As some maps published today by Dave Weigel remind us, Davis was trounced in the Democratic primary in his own congressional district, mostly losing African-American voters who preferred his under-funded white opponent. Without accusing Davis of any particular insincerity, it does look like he convinced himself his skin color enabled him to move as far to the right as he needed to appeal to Alabama’s conservative general electorate, and he wound up with no real constituency in either party.
.
.
I’d warn him, though: public apostasy is a tricky business. A lot of the people cheering for Davis in Tampa will be privately contemptuous of him, and he’ll also learn that it’s one thing to defect from a president and a party and another altogether to try to help destroy them
——————————————–
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_08/apostasy_is_a_tricky_business039268.php
Thank you, thank you, thank you Chips for re-posting “One Term More”! It was so great to have it great this late (very late) riser.
so “count dracula” knoller lists his job as “white house correspondent.” so why in the world does he have 7 straight tweets that are simple stenography of paul lyan talking?!? there’s a bunch on there earlier today where he provides stenography services to artur davis. wth?!? i’d be curious to see if he tweets more about rmoney/lyan than he does about president obama, and i’m already certain he tweets more sarcastic stuff about president obama than the all republicans combined. odd numbers for someone called a “white house correspondent.”
Morning y’all(afternoon to some). Late riser again to gloomy weather and a bullshit pressor on tv. Sheesh. They need to exterminate the front row of those pin-heads. Makes me want to go back to bed. Somebody puhleeze do something w/Ed Henry and that Tapper person.
The Worst-Ever Attempt at Swiftboating
Jamelle Bouie
August 16, 2012
——————————————-
“Dishonorable Disclosures” is a 22-minute video from a group of former special operations and C.I.A. officers that attempts to do the same to President Obama. The group, called Special Operations Education Fund (OPSEC), bills itself as a nonpartisan group—it calls on supporters to “stop the politicians, President Obama and others”— whose main goal is to inform the public. More specifically, it’s registered as a 501(c)4, or “dark money” group, which doesn’t have to reveal its donors to the public.
Its message is straightforward: The Obama administration is leaking sensitive national security information for the sake of political gain. In particular, the ad accuses Obama of bragging about the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, and using its success as a weapon against his political opponents.
.
.
My guess is that this is part of a kitchen-sink strategy—throw as much as you can at the opponent and see what sticks. But after one failed war and another unnecessary one, Americans are deeply skeptical of anything conservatives have to say about defense. If anything, this attack might help Obama, by reminding the public of just what happened the last time you let a Republican sit as commander-in-chief.
—————————————
http://prospect.org/article/worst-ever-attempt-swiftboating
Tell these Karl Rove, Koch Brothers follies to go straight to “H”.
I need a little help from the O techies. How do you put a UTube video on a site? Example, I want to put the One Term More video on another blog site so that folks can lick on the video. so far, all I’ve been able to manage is the link to the video, not the video itself. Any suggestions?
If you copy the url of the video in the address bar and paste it on the blog site, then it should pop up as a video if the blog site has that enhanced feature.
Thanks ever so….. Now I’m off to try it.
Well that didn’t work. Here’s what the site says about embedding video.
“Insert Video
Insert a video by pasting the embed snippet in the box below
the embed snippet usually starts with “<object …"
I can't get anything to come up that starts with "<object….
GM folks.
Finally solved an engineering problem that has been giving me headache for the past 48 hours. Off to another city in another two hours. Very busy two days it has been.
Partisan Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Wrongly Upheld by Court
By Ari Berman
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This was a head-scratching ruling, and one at odds with state courts in Missouri and Wisconsin, which found that voter ID laws restricted the fundamental right to vote of citizens. Instead, Simpson relied on a controversial 2008 ruling by the Supreme Court in Crawford v. Marion County, which upheld Indiana’s voter ID law even though the state failed to provide any evidence of in-person voter fraud to justify the law. Pennsylvania, like Indiana, stipulated at the beginning of the voter ID trial that “there have been no investigations or prosecutions of in-person voter fraud in Pennsylvania; and the parties do not have direct personal knowledge of any such investigations or prosecutions in other states.” But in the Crawford case the Supreme Court found that the mere threat of voter fraud was enough to justify a voter ID law, which set a chilling precedent for voting rights advocates. (That “threat” is virtually non-existent. A major investigation from 2002-2007 by the Bush Justice Department failed to prosecute a single case of in-person voter impersonation. There were 39 times as many deaths by lightning from 2000-2007 as there were instances of voter impersonation.)
Despite the Crawford ruling, it’s hard to take seriously Simpson’s claim that the Pennsylvania voter ID law is non-partisan and non-discriminatory.
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http://www.thenation.com/blog/169409/partisan-pennsylvania-voter-id-law-wrongly-upheld-court
GOP Strategists Vs. Fox News Pundits
By Media Matters
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Have we ever seen two aligned camps within the conservative movement view the same event so differently? The far-right press is convinced the selection of Paul Ryan as VP is the boost Mitt Romney desperately needs, while GOP operatives, who try to win campaigns for a living, fret Ryan just doomed any chance Romney had of capturing the White House and will hurt Republican candidates nationwide.
Fox News got the vice presidential pick it wanted; the one Rupert Murdoch all but demanded Romney make. But the cheers of exultation that were heard within the right-wing media in the wake of the Ryan pick, as pundits toasted him as a true movement believer, have been met with equally emotional groans from Republican operatives who see Ryan as an unnecessary electoral anchor around the neck of GOP candidates who must now talk about Ryan’s unpopular budget blue print, including his plans to radically alter Medicare.
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http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/08/16/gop-strategists-vs-fox-news-pundits/189386
BONJOUR TOD!!!
I have a question for you – my judgement meter is offline at the moment because of lack of caffeine intake at this hour (I’m working on it…) I want to tweet this, but I don’t want to piss anyone off:
#CryBabyRomney answers every Progressive’s wet dream by letting them know their POTUS is an ANGRY BLACK MAN – FINALLY.
thoughts?
Don’t like it! Even in jest, never repeat negative memes about your candidate…
copy that. thanks.
You’re welcome!
Kind of my thoughts – but I know someone on the left will point this out eventually, since there are so many who whine about wanting PBO to get mad – which, thankfully, he never will to the degree they want him to, because he’s AWESOME.
Paul Todd @ptodd62
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Romney thinks it’s “small-minded” that Americans care about the tax returns of the man who wants to run the country.
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oh and – https://twitter.com/bardgal/status/235977281011589120
That is true, Mark, the press does need a pep talk, too, and maybe would have benefited. I’ll tell you what: the American people will give you a pep talk. How about this: FIND OTHER WORK YOU ARE NO GOOD AT WHAT YOU TRY TO DO YOU BUFFOON. That is all.
Aren’t you the press, Mark ? Or are you just a ” Press-titute ” ?
Thad McCotter’s election fraud much bigger than first thought
By Eclectablog
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As I wrote about yesterday, disgraced former Republican Congressman Thad McCotter has now been found to have fraudulently falsified nominating petitions not only this year but in 2010, as well. The Detroit Free Press now reveals that the fraud goes back at least EIGHT SIX YEARS (three election cycles) when McCotter filed photocopied and cut-and-paste copied signatures in 2006 and 2008, too. In fact, if the two-year statute of limitations hadn’t run out, McCotter could be looking at jail time.
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One thing is certain: the push by Republicans to make voting harder does nothing to combat the gross election fraud perpetrated by their own politicians. In fact, the voter suppression efforts being pushed under the guise of preventing virtually non-existent voter fraud are just smokescreens for efforts to make sure Democrats have a harder time voting. Meanwhile Republican politicians continue to abuse our election system and to engage in corrupt and illegal behavior, none of which is addressed by voter suppression laws. It makes the fact that the investigation into the Bolger/Schmidt election fraud scheme was stopped before it was finished even more troubling.
It’s shameful and it’s sadly typical of the Republican Party today.
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http://eclectablog.com/2012/08/thad-mccotters-election-fraud-much-bigger-than-first-thought.html
Priorities USA Action, the pro-President Obama super PAC, has reserved another week of time in Ohio, two media-tracking sources tell me.
The flight began this past Tuesday, and runs through Monday, with broadcast and cable buys in Cleveland and Columbus markets, and in Cincinatti and Dayton markets, cable only, one source said.
A source familiar with the buy says the flight won’t include the controversial ad featuring a former steel worker whose wife died, which tethers the loss to his plant being shut by Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital. The ad made an appearance in the Ohio market on Tuesday morning, during the intial day of the buy, in what Priorities officials called a “station error.”
It meant the ad had been shipped to the stations, but that Priorities hasn’t given the signal to run it. It remains to be seen if the spot goes up at any point.
I Kinda Sorta Approve This Message
by JM Ashby
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In other news, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen subpoenaed JP Morgan Chase, Barclays, and UBS today in connection with their possible involvement in the LIBOR rate-fixing scandal.
But, I thought Jamie Dimon was clean as a whistle? A beacon of trust that shows Wall Street doesn’t need to be regulated.
It’s time for a FLASHBACK:
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http://bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2012/08/i-kinda-sorta-approve-this-message.html
Cilliza and Andrea mitchel believes that after Robney just said, that he has always paid mire than 13%, that he would never lie.
Willard would never lie, unimaginable, they both said, and it should put the tax issue to rest.
WTF? No! WTF? No, no! WTF,WTF,WTF?
That is all
I cannot stomach Mrs Greenspan.
Well, that settles that. NOT!!! Mitt’s refusal to release his tax returns may prove to be fatal to his campaign. It is a simple issue that voters can easily understand. Mitt has left the lasting impression that he is hiding something, which really impacts the “trustworthiness” most voters look for in a president. The MSM may want to give Mitt a pass, but Team Obama will not let voters forget about Mitt’s tax returns.
Now, She goes to David Walker for a fact checker on Medicare, who basically sez, both sides do it.
Yup! That David Walker, the one that third party group was lobbying.
Ugh! Propaganda…
She’s an idiot. I also sent a couple of tweets to her.
INFOGRAPHIC: Everything You Need To Know About Romney’s Dishonesty On Medicare
By Igor Volsky and Adam Peck
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This week, the Romney/Ryan campaign has twisted itself into a pretzel attacking President Obama for “stealing” $716 billion from Medicare, while trying to explain why Paul Ryan included the savings in his FY 2013 budget.
The infographic below offers a rundown of the campaign’s contortions from Sunday’s proclamations that Romney would have signed the Ryan budget and its Medicare cuts into law, to Romney’s announcement on Tuesday that he would restore the Medicare savings that both Ryan and Obama supported:
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http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/08/16/698261/infographic-everything-you-need-to-know-about-romneys-dishonesty-on-medicare/
Ok so I’ve been looking for an official Romney site that has a blog page where folks can comment. Been looking since he got the nomination. So far, no luck. It appears that all you can do is read his pages, no comments allowed, not even from supporters. Even McDarkAges had a website that included comments. Just say I’m a glutton for punishment, but I had some of my heartiest laughs reading what those folks had to say. Strange that he doesn’t even want to hear what his supporters have to say.
Ryan said that the President is robbing Medicare this morning. Robney just put out a chart, that said, what we are saying about them on Medicare.
You see? It’s all a lie, one big mind game, to confuse Seniors.
Cookemom,
I think that he wouldn’t mind hearing from his supporters at all. He (and his campaign) just doesn’t want to hear from the likes of US!!
He can monitor the site to prevent the likes of ‘us’ from commenting. There’s no excuse in this day of social media that you can’t comment on his official site. He just don;t want nobody to bring him no bad news. He wants to remain a legend in his own mind. His official site has the look and feel of PBO’s official site, with exception of being able to post on it. I won’t link to it, but it a mind boggler, imo.
You expect R-money to give a damn about comments? Comments? He don’t need no stinkin’ comments!!
:lol;
Ha, ha, yeah, I guess it’s asking too much for him to waste time on us people. The other thing I noticed, he has under communities, about 7 different community types for Romney, except AAs, LGBT, or Dems. I don’t guess they’d be welcome even if they wanted to join.
The truth will all come out, during the debates. Robney has left himself one big vulnerability, with all these lies on Medicare, exposure. Thus, the debates are a great opportunity for the President!
He really deserves more than a little praise for that segment on #BainMitt & #PityPartyAnn
Willard is just plain stupid. LOD is right he never says he paid INCOME taxes.
Romney: I paid tax rate of at least 13 percent
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romney-says-he-paid-at-least-13-percent-in-taxes-for-past-10-years/2012/08/16/bf4b5944-e7be-11e1-8487-64e4b2a79ba8_story.html?hpid=z1
SUGGESTED NEW SLOGAN FOR ROMNEY/RYAN CAMPAIGN:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ‘LIARS ARE US” <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
This may be a repost.
On Monday, August 13th workers facing outsourcing by Bain at the Sensata plant in Freeport, IL, went Romney’s Madison campaign headquarters to urge the former Bain CEO to help save their jobs and hand-deliver an open letter from Sensata workers to Romney’s campaign staff.
Romney Campaign calls police on workers being outsourced by Bain-owned Sensata
The answer to, “will Romney respond” is absolutely not. He doesn’t feel that he should answer to anyone. We should just crown him President because “it’s his turn” and You People should get out of his way.
I cannot stand this man!
Obama Camp On Romney’s Latest Tax Talk: Prove It
// The Obama campaign is not satisfied after Mitt Romney told Reporters Thursday he checked 10 years of tax returns and found he never paid less than 13% in taxes. Romney “has forfeited the right to have us take him just at his word,” Obama spokesperson Lis Smith said. Her full statement: //
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-camp-on-romneys-latest-tax-talk-prove
Happy Birthday OurManFlint!!!
Chips Chica we could use a new “chat away” thread
Tom Murray of 620 WTMJ Newsradio was one of the (bothersome) reporters on the scene today at Husco International, where Thomspon spoke in front of employees:
“When I was governor and I was employed by the people of the State of Wisconsin, I released my tax returns, but I’ve been in the business world,” Thompson said. “The question is, ‘am I going to release my tax returns?’ The answer is ‘no’.”
Thompson stood firm when pressed by reporters.
“No,” Thompson said. “The answer is N-O. What part don’t you understand?”
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Mike Tate, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, concurs:
“Multimillionaires like Tommy Thompson and Mitt Romney want tax cuts that will end up making them richer and that will result in tax increases for the middle class, but for all their talk of taxes they won’t show the people of Wisconsin their own tax returns.”
The MSM’s attempt to help Romney by trying to shut the rest of us up about his taxes will only make things worse. I don’t know what Andrea Mitchell thought she was doing by tweeting this garbage about “Romney sez” knowing fully well that at least 51% of the country does not trust ANYTHING that this man has to say, and with damn good reason.
Fans of the fabulous “One Term More” video can find a subtitled version here:
http://www.onetermmore.com/video_subtitles.html
And text of the lyrics here:
http://www.onetermmore.com/lyrics.html
Obama Campaign Strikes Back Against Former Navy SEALs
By John Hudson
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Politically speaking, Navy SEALs aren’t the safest targets to rail against in a presidential race, but the Obama campaign isn’t hesitating to take down a group of former SEALs who’ve criticized the president’s national security decisions.
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“The Republicans are resorting to ‘Swift Boat’ tactics because when it comes to foreign policy and national security, Mitt Romney has offered nothing but reckless rhetoric,” Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt told Reuters’ Mark Hosenball last night. Taking a direct shot at the leaders of OPSEC, an Obama campaign official lambasted the group’s accusations about national security leaks this morning. “No one in this group is in a position to speak with any authority on these issues and on what impact these leaks might have,” said the official, speaking on background, “and it’s clear they’ve resorted to making things up for purely political reasons.”
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http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/08/obama-campaign-strikes-back-against-former-navy-seals/55847/
OFF TOPIC
I’m a Ravens fan, but have to give credit when it’s due. I just think that black athletes are often disparaged by the media and not given credit when they do good things.
LaMarr Woodley donates $60,000 to cover school budget cuts
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/16/lamarr-woodley-donates-60000-to-cover-school-budget-cuts/
( I just think that black athletes are often disparaged by the media and not given credit when they do good things.)
not only black athletes, most black people include BHO
Excellent point, Dun.
THIS is sweet!!!
WTF has Paul Ryan done? A long, sordid list
http://www.wtfhaspaulryandone.com/
[Lawd! & He-he!]:
The Silversun Pickups issued a cease-and-desist letter to the Republican nominee’s campaign, claiming the campaign illegally used the LA band’s 2009 hit “Panic Switch” before a campaign rally in North Carolina.
“We don’t like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don’t like the Romney campaign,” Silversun Pickups lead singer Brian Aubert said in the statement. “We’re nice, approachable people. We won’t bite. Unless you’re Mitt Romney! We were very close to just letting this go because the irony was too good. While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that ‘Panic Switch’ really sends the message he intends.”
[SNIP]
For what it’s worth, the song is apparently crictical of Republicans, or so says the AP:
“Panic Switch,” which seems to be an indictment of “red views” that “keep ripping the divide,” helped the quartet earn a Grammy nomination for best new artist in 2009…
http://gawker.com/5935221/romney-campaign-runs-into-more-copyright-issues-this-time-with-alternative-rock-band?tag=election-2012
Jan Brewer counters the Immigration policy signing an executive order against the Dream Act. She is such a daggone miserable racist witch.
Off-topic Adorableness:
Colbert welcomes U.S. Olympic gymnastics team as ‘new interns’ (you wanna watch the video with this article)
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/16/colbert-welcomes-u-s-olympic-gymnastics-team-as-new-interns/
Dig McKayla’s “not impressed” look at the end. Ha!!
It was adorable. I didn’t expect it last night. It was a great surprise.
Scott Brown’s troublesome summer continues
By Steve Benen
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Brown has run into a series of troubles, including touting a strange conspiracy theory, talking up imaginary phone calls, denying the existence of oil company subsidies he’s voted for, “kings and queens,” and his stumbling on one of the few bill he’s actually passed.
This week, Brown scheduled a major policy speech, “but did not include any new policy pronouncements,” and walked “out the back door with a cellphone to his ear as he was chased by reporters.”
But Blue Mass Group has come up with a new problem, noting the similarities between Brown’s words and those of Earline Parmon, a Republican lawmaker in North Carolina.
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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/16/13317689-scott-browns-troublesome-summer-continues?lite
Oh poor Browny. Karma couldn’t bite a more appropriate person.
New post everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/08/16/barefaced-liar/
Karl Rove’s Medicare “Cut” Confusion
By Media Matters
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n his Wall Street Journal column this morning, Karl Rove argues that Congressman Paul Ryan’s selection as Mitt Romney’s running mate gives Republicans the advantage on Medicare as a political issue — an advantage that has historically belonged to Democrats. To bolster his case, Rove twists himself into logical knots to argue that President Obama, and not Paul Ryan, wants to “cut” Medicare despite having (in Rove’s own retelling) almost identical policies.
According to Rove’s math, the GOP isn’t “cutting” Medicare spending, because they still project growth in spending over the next decade:
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Keep in mind that Ryan’s budget — the budget Rove says doesn’t “cut” Medicare — envisions those same $716 billion in savings from Medicare.
So Rove is arguing that the Ryan budget doesn’t “cut” Medicare because he increases spending and extracts $716 billion in savings, while Obama does “cut” Medicare because he increases spending and extracts $716 billion in savings.
That’s fairly ridiculous — about as ridiculous as having the head of a pro-GOP Super PAC write political columns and not disclosing his financial interest in the outcome of the election.
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http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/08/16/karl-roves-medicare-cut-confusion/189393