See here for Meet the Press air times
****
Steve Benen: We’ve reached the point at which the looming fiscal deadlines are so close, we can count them in hours, not days….
….. And so, we’re waiting. The respective Senate leaders will try to reach a resolution with the intention of holding a vote [Sunday]. If they succeed in crafting a plan, and it passes, Boehner has agreed to bring it to the House floor - even if most of his caucus disapproves - probably on Monday, the last possible day to act.
This is a machine with plenty of moving parts, but looking ahead, there are two main questions to keep an eye on: (1) what might the Senate plan look like? and (2) what would happen if a Senate plan doesn’t come together?
Full post here
****
NYT: Never much known for restraint, Joseph R. Biden Jr. did not hold back during a presidential primary debate in 2007 when a voter asking about gun rights in a recorded video displayed a fearsome-looking semiautomatic rifle and declared, “This is my baby.”
Mr. Biden shook his head. “I tell you what, if that’s his baby, he needs help,” he said. “I think he just made an admission against self-interest. I don’t know if he’s mentally qualified to own that gun.”
….. Five years later, that same type of weapon, a Bushmaster AR-15, is at the heart of a renewed national conversation about gun laws because it was used this month by the mass killer in Newtown, Conn….
Full article here
****
Sun Times: President Barack Obama is urging the Illinois General Assembly to legalize gay marriage in his home state as lawmakers are poised to take up the measure as early as this week in Springfield.
“While the president does not weigh in on every measure being considered by state legislatures, he believes in treating everyone fairly and equally, with dignity and respect,” White House spokesman Shin Inouye told the Chicago Sun-Times on Saturday.
“As he has said, his personal view is that it’s wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships, and want to marry, from doing so. Were the President still in the Illinois State Legislature, he would support this measure that would treat all Illinois couples equally,” Inouye said.
More here
****
From Mike Thompson’s ‘look back at 2012 in cartoons’ (here) - loved this one
****
Morning everyone, could be a long day.
White House.gov
Morning TOD!
G’morning to Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone, and congrats ut on #1! :)
Good morning Chips and TOD family. Congrats ut on being first the lovely Sunday morning.
Congrats on 1st RanMan. Will be able to watch MTP then off to work. Thanks for the morning thread Chips. Remember to hit back at David Gregory if he interrupts the President:
@davidgregory
@MeetThePress
We will proud. Thanks for providing the Twitter handles.
Good morning proudmem, ut is the one actually first this lovely Sunday morning. But thanks anyway.
Lets remember that David Gregory was actually given the privilege to appear before President Obama, and not PBO appear before that right-wing shill.
Good mornin Todville
When I found out yesterday that Pres. Obama was pushing for marriage equality in Illinois, I let out a loud whoop! Despite everything on his plate, he’s still keeping his promise to make our union a more perfect and just one. We have a kick ass president.
Brilliant news, morning UT, morning everyone!
Mornin Chips
Morning Sweetpeg, mooooooooorning everyone!
A very ‘Good Sunday Morning’ to you all! I figured there’d be an early pre-interview gathering this morning, and I was right. :lol:
Howdy, Mayoress Chips! Thanks for ringing the ‘rise and shine’ bells before the action starts.
MooooOOOooooOOOOoooooorning VC!!!!!!!
TY, CC. I always love to see your smile, particularly at the start of my day! ;) ;)
‘Special’ Good Morning, UTAL! I suspect your ‘pad and pen’ are at the ready to do your usual excellent ‘reportage’, especially for twitter. Much appreciated, ‘young girl’ (clarification = term of endearment, as opposed to ‘old girl’).
Hahahahaha. I’ve got you covered VC. Check down thread.
Good morning everyone! I’m up to try to follow MTP on twitter so I know what’s coming three hours later here on the West Coast when my OFA group meets in a coffee shop to “live-tweet” it in PST. Any TOD tweeters planning to watch this morning? We are going to use the hashtags #middleclassovermillionaires #my2k #dontdroptheball and #theaction. I have never done anything like this before and can use all the help you can send my way. We want to have the President’s back and push back hard if David Gregory is not fair and respectful.
Hopefully UT - one of our most reliable twitter warrioresses (@nerdywonka) will be live-tweeting the MTP hour! :)
I love that you still meet your OFA folks…
Morning everyone - I think this is my first time in the top 100 in the Rise and Shine! Typing while asleep - shooting coffee intravenously…
“Typing while asleep – shooting coffee intravenously”
:lol: :lol: Moooooorning Theo!!!!
Morning Chips! :)
First time in Rise & Shine top 25? Congrats, and a welcoming ‘Good Morning’ to you, Theo! Your sleep-typing is way more accurate than my general awake typing. :razz:
Good morning, VC! As for the “accuracy” myth - you just can’t see how many times i’m having to correct each word….
As it should be. ;) ;) Plus you are obviously awake enough to even think of correction. Two thumbs up.
You’ve very generous, VC - thank you! Heading home tomorrow, so I’m making the most of my so-called jet lag, and crediting myself for the West Coast time zone morning wake up!
Ah! :lol: BTW, have you seen my last DM?
Sorry - I’ve been out all day. Checking now.
Checked that air times list thoroughly but saw neither my town, the nearest large city, nor my country listed! Shame on them for leaving me out. ;) ;) [Kidding. I suppose I could find it if I was inclined to fiddle with the TV, which I’m not. I’m going to follow along here, that way I don’t have to see or hear Gregory at all. Later, I’m sure I’ll stumble onto the more important snippets.]
Good Morning ALL……..say, has anyone seen our lovely TALLY?
Hi JoJo, last I saw Tally was when she dropped in to spread Christmas cheer! I’m guessing she’s busy, busy, busy, but hopefully she’ll be back soon.
Thanks Chips…….I thought maybe I’ve just missed her comments in the past few days.
JoJo, just checked, Tally was last here on the 26th - and the poor thing was in bed with the flu, or some bug like that. Tally, if you’re out there, get well soon!
Her profile shows she was tweeting yesterday. Like Chips says, probably just busy.
I saw her on Twitter yesterday - albeit briefly. I suspect she may be away from her usual domicile, making it difficult to access WordPress. It’s easier to access Twitter from a smartphone because the Ap is already there.
Thanks Hopefruit, just told JoJo that when Tally was last here (26th) she was in bed ill, wishing her the VERY best!
Okay - that settles it then! Hope Tally feels better soon. Thanks Chips. :)
To be more accurate, Tally said she was suffering from “the plague” - still figuring that one out! :-)
LOL! Your guess is as good as mine Chips - perhaps something to do with the GOP?
Maybe the gentle female plague?
Ah, that could be it!!! :lol:
Lovely Tally….We miss you…..Get Well Soon!
Dear Tally, We are missing you. xoxoxox Take very good care of yourself, I know you will;
and give us a wave when you can.
Morning Chips and TOD Family. We are really a well connected family here. I was going to bed last evening, and I was thinking of Tally.
Tally, please be well. I miss you very much, and I hope you are up and just very busy with your schedule.
You are such a sweet fragrance within this beautiful family. Lots of hugs to you, my precious one.HZ
GM folks.
What is all this twitterwhine that Obama signed an EO for pay rise for the congressional critters ? Any one know the true story behind it?
The federal government had a salary freeze for the last two years, which has now expired. So the rate increase includes not just congress folk but veterans, uniformed servicemen/women, all senior & executive federal employees, etc. The EO is just authorizing the effective date of the pay rate adjustment.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/12/27/executive-order-adjustments-certain-rates-pay
The bottom line, if folks don’t want congress getting paid at that level, then don’t vote for them in the first place, but the pay rates for congress were established decades/centuries ago. President Obama should not be blamed for this.
Always trust you to bring out the truth, hf. Thanks. Saw some ‘I voted for you, how could you do this’ whiners and was wondering.
The left. /smh
Good morning. Woke up to a Dr. Zhivago landscape-all ice and and snow. Waiting on the Senate and House to do something sensible is like waiting for a dead car battery to start on a cold morning. You hope it will, but but it doesn’t seem likely. I love and admire the president for being able to express optimism while he is probably seething inside. By the way, do NOT read any of the comments on Benen’s site. He managed to wake up a lot of loonies. And thanks. Chips, for the wonderful series of videos yesterday. They were real little gems of love. Off to try to rescue the Sunday paper from an ice rink driveway.
loony left or rwnj’s?
whats the difference?
True.
Jackie are you from PA…
Good Sunday morning, Chips and TODville!!
Is that David Gregory’s Serious Jurrrnalizm Face? LOLz.
Maybe David will do this “mc rove” dance for PBO.
meta - you cracked me up! He definitely practiced that face. His voice is even raspy. Maybe the gazillion tweets and emails and phone calls he got saying not to disrespect or interrupt the President put him in this crazy condition!
meta - Just spotted the fake, immature, “knowing” smile (look, mommy, are you proud of me? I just interviewed the pwesident!) on Gregory’s face, at the end of his interview. Barf.
The President was magnificent, as usual. He’s legendary. We get to watch history unfold.
I’m glad to hear POTUS slammed it. I detest Gregory.
I know I’m weird but I can’t stand having the TV on before 7pm, so I’ll wait for the video. I’m excited to hear POTUS talk about his second term.
No wonder you have a good, solid, healthy mind, meta - you don’t turn on the TV before 7 p.m. There ya go!
Oh, JO’B, now don’t exaggerate!!
Moi?
:)
Meta, that makes two weirdos. The sound and sight of a tv in the morning actually gives me a headache. For me, tv is an after supper, after the day is done kind of thing. Only exception is the weather channel during a disaster and then I can only take a few minutes.
Ah, a kindred soul!! I especially can’t stand all the shouty manipulative idiot punditry. I watch TV for entertainment, not heartburn!!
Ya think?
This is what he really said, as per ut.
OH, YYYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Well, hallalujah! Let PBO, VP Biden and every Dem who goes on tv repeat this over and over again.
Good Morning Everyone!!
Tell that to the Tea Bagger Al Qaeda members of the House?
People are tweeting every Obama sentence—-I already know everything he said, even before airing here in the mighty midwest.
Maybe we should get rid of twitter? Lol!
Twitter is fine but there’s nothing like watching our President in person - seeing his facial expressions, his handsome smile, etc. along with his profoundly thoughtful words.
That’s my President!
Oh my - I can’t wait when it comes on in my area at 10:AM.
Seriously, Jon Kyl(R) Arizona is a Grade A Prick!
That is all!
Yes. Little prick with big balls.
Following along here and on Twitter….is this live streaming anywhere?
Good West Coast morning Chipsticks & TOD family. Its COLD this last Sunday of 2012. Congrats ut on First. Can’t wait to see POTUS this morning.
PBO is doing a great job. I will turn off during the round table. I have my own opinion…I don’t need anyone else.
Just want to say I support Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary. I am Jewish with family in Israel. I also have a gay son. My issue…Nuclear Proliferation. Best team to get this done is PBO and Chuck Hagel.
I thought the interview with PBO was going to span the entire MTP hour - no?
Just the first half hour. David Brooks, Tom Brokaw, and Chuck Todd to be on panel.
Thanks Bill for alerting me. I will be sure to do the right thing after the first 1/2 hr, which is *CLICK*
MTP ratings take a plunge after the first half hour…………………..no one whats to hear a bunch of deadheads who like hearing the sound of their voice.
Thanks, Jojo. You answered my question before I asked though I only saw this after I refreshed. :grin:
What an utterly pitiful crew, totally unequal to the task of discussing the president’s remarks. How typical to stack a discussion with idiots who have nothing to pass around but hot air. Would love to see MTP ratings plummet for the second half hour.
Thanks for reminding me about the round table, proud. I haven’t watched MTP in so long, I forgot there was one. I won’t be watching, either.
Glad to hear your thoughts on Chuck Hagel. I agree, from my own perspectives, that PBO and Hagel are the best team from this point forward.
Will the network know that viewers signed off after the PBO portion was done? I sure hope so.
Wish we had that answer! Click!
Jojo (above) seems to think so. Hope she is right as that would be a very good message to send them IMO.
YES!
Agreed!
I am starting to notice all the republicans quoting Bob Woodwards book.
He is a Obama Hack! Seriously, a hatchet man.
He’s so pre-Mayan. The ones still reading Woodward are, too.
This makes me wonder if they all really read it or if one reads then points the others to what they consider are usable quotes.
CSPAN BOOKTV:
“It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism”
By Thomas Mann & Norman Ornstein
About the Program (Last aired: July 21, 2025 )
————————————-
Congressional scholars Thomas Mann, senior fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, examine partisan politics in the U.S. government. The authors contend that the level of “hyperpartisanship” has resulted in a dysfunctional political process that is marked by adherence to political party platforms above all other costs. Mr. Mann and Mr. Ornstein offer several solutions to the stalemate, from expanding the voting public and promoting an active public and vigilant media to reforming the election process. The discussion, moderated by E.J. Dionne, columnist for The Washington Post, is followed with remarks by Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for the USA Today and former Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-OK, 1977-1992).
—————————————-
TIME: 1 hour, 20 minutes
http://www.booktv.org/Program/13478/quotIts+Even+Worse+Than+It+Looks+How+the+American+Constitutional+System+Collided+With+the+New+Politics+of+Extremismquot.aspx
Excellent book and required reading for any junkies like us :) Morning everyone….just a reminder that MTP is replayed on MSNBC later in the day. I got up late and set the DVR for that one.
The president was magnificent on MTP!!!! Gregory tried his hardest to make everything PBO’s fault, but he shut that down, until finally, all Gregory could do was sit there and listen as PBO laid it out with firmness, charm, confidence, and humor. PBO owned Gregory and this interview. Loved it. He also made it clear that the repubs. are at fault. He, he, he, he, he. Repub. heads are exploding.
Furthermore, I will never forgive these fools for not doing their jobs and for causing the president and his family to make sacrifices that they should not be called upon to make.
Not interested in the commentators; click!
YES!! So proud of PBO, again… :)
PBO warned them he was going to lay it out!!
Yes, meta, and this is just the beginning. We’ll hear another version of this theme in his inaugural and in the State of the Union.
Yes he did,,,
David Gregory - 0
PBO - 1
VC - :lol: :lol:
Hopef - :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Yeah!
I hope Howard Dean does not step all over our message and say we should go over the fiscal cliff.
We are clearly winning this argument, we don’t need any lone wolves.
That is all!
Last time I heard Dean speak about it, he said he fully supported the President in where he leads us in this, although he’d like personally to take a different position in one or two areas. I remember because it seemed very measured - not how the lefty whiners sometimes act. Dean’s maturity came through to me. Not sure if that will continue.
Dean was on “This Week” this very a.m. pushing the meme going over the cliff at this late date is a better option than a quicky deal because going over cuts spending and the deficit! Idiot!
I spoke too soon, then.
Dean needs to realize he’s pretty much irrelevant, if he can’t get with the President’s agenda. So are the others on the far left. They need to listen to the American voters, not the voices in their heads.
This is good, on so many levels.
WOW, it sure it.
Time for transformation of human consciousness. Starting with us.
With ya.
Thanks to all who gave me heads-up on MTP. I can’t watch it on screen yet but feel much better prepared.
Good luck to you and your action team when the interview hits your air waves.
Unreal that the “round table” is the media talking to themselves - when will they ever report the news rather than make themselves the news. Chuck Todd reports what he wants to hear - not what is said.
Every single one of them is still wiping egg off their faces from the election. They were all counting on a Romney win.
IMO current ‘newstainers’ make themselves the news because they lack the insight to open up the discussion by throwing light on all the real players’ positions. They seem incapable of stepping back and presenting the information in a truly unbiased way so that viewers can think and form opinions based on the facts. Maybe they never learned how, and sadly they are inculcating a new generation in how reporting shouldn’t be done.
BOOM- tell ’em Dan!
Okay, get Dan’s statement on a freakin’ bumper sticker and give out free copies to each American, or put it on billboards around our nation’s highways. He is GREAT, and that response to Chuckhead was GREAT.
Amen!
OH. MAW. GAWD. GOOOOOOO, Dan!!!! Good to see they are just as fed up as the rest of us. Most likely, MORE SO.
Mark Knoller is awfully quiet this morning. His last tweet was at 8:20PM last night. As Jodi Kantor would say - Hmmm….
Please excuse my ignorance but—-I am in NYC and Meet The Press hasn’t aired yet.
Where are you guys who have seen it already?
I’m in the same boat as you vicki - I’m in the DC metro area and won’t get to see it until 10:30 AM Eastern time. Some time zones air MTP at earlier local times than those of us on the East. :(
I am in Florida; it aired on our local NBC station at 9:00 am.
I live tweeted MTP and here are some of the highlights.
Brilliant tweetin’ UT, thanks a million.
Many thanks UT - looking at Chuck’s tweets it seems you watched a different interview - and so is the press today - If the President says his priorities are a,b,c,d the press reports that the President is not interested in x,y,z
They really are irrelevant in comparison to TOD and all the wonderful people who report what was said rather than a skewed idea of what the media thinks should have been said.
You are a Goddess/Warrior and honored scribe, UT. Your contributions are invaluable.
THANK YOU, ut xoxoxo
Good morning TOD. It is redemption day for the GOP
Let’s just say it: The Republicans are the problem.
By Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein (April 27, 2025)
————————————————————————-
We understand the values of mainstream journalists, including the effort to report both sides of a story. But a balanced treatment of an unbalanced phenomenon distorts reality. If the political dynamics of Washington are unlikely to change anytime soon, at least we should change the way that reality is portrayed to the public.
Our advice to the press: Don’t seek professional safety through the even-handed, unfiltered presentation of opposing views. Which politician is telling the truth? Who is taking hostages, at what risks and to what ends?
Also, stop lending legitimacy to Senate filibusters by treating a 60-vote hurdle as routine. The framers certainly didn’t intend it to be. Report individual senators’ abusive use of holds and identify every time the minority party uses a filibuster to kill a bill or nomination with majority support.
Look ahead to the likely consequences of voters’ choices in the November elections. How would the candidates govern? What could they accomplish? What differences can people expect from a unified Republican or Democratic government, or one divided between the parties?
In the end, while the press can make certain political choices understandable, it is up to voters to decide. If they can punish ideological extremism at the polls and look skeptically upon candidates who profess to reject all dialogue and bargaining with opponents, then an insurgent outlier party will have some impetus to return to the center. Otherwise, our politics will get worse before it gets better.
—————————————————————————-
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-27/opinions/35453898_1_republican-party-party-moves-democratic-party
Said this upthread, but the replay of MTP airs on MSNBC later in the day. Check your local listings:)
Glad I watched only the first half with the President’s interview and not the second SpongebobSquareTable punditry part.
Thanks - needed to be said!
I think it was good that she was there….Konacki handled her well….she showed her face ….and folks could see thri the talking points….it was a good program
Oh my…I’m witnessing a thing of beauty on Twitter. Our TOD Twitter brigade and others are fairly and squarely putting UpChuck in his place regarding the media false-equivalency “both sides are to blame” activities.
Chuck Todd needs to get back to the basics:
1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth
http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles
Thanks I tweeted your link to UpChuck!
Good Sunday Morning TOD and Happy New Years Eve Eve to you all!!!
Thank You Dan Pfeiffer for speaking the truth to the jackals!!!
Goooooooood Morning everyoneeeeeeee
k here’s mtp
I know I’m an Obamabot, but that really seems like the only answer. :)
Sounds good to me! I wonder how PBO would feel about that?
And I wonder how FLOTUS would feel!
I’m convinced she’ll have had enough at the end of two terms.
Totally agree, Dudette.
Well if they were both up for it, I sure would make my voice heard in support!
I would love to change the constitution to give the PBO a third term. I think that he could do it but I don’t think Mrs. Obama would want to.
even tho I love PBO….he will not always be in office….i am not sure what 2016 will bring/
I’m IN!
Great live tweeting, ut. All RT’ed. The third rate, fifth columnist, fourth estate is disgusting,
Thanks.
You’re quick and precise. Excellent qualities.
Live streaming link for MTP:
http://livetvcafe.net/video/8XBK9SMHGS9U/NBC
You are just perfect Chips - thank you so much
:cool: You’re welcome 99ts! :-)
https://twitter.com/NJedwina/status/285402602278105088
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/12/30/obama-gop-doesn-t-say-yes.html
That tweet from ToadyTodd was just wrong about what PBO said on gun control - he LIES - it is sad that you cannot rely on the Press to report what was said 30 seconds ago
Everybody’s on fire today! Love it.
MTP has posted the full interview with Pres. Obama.
So glad to hear PBO pushing back on meme that both sides are uncooperative.
It was a good interview in spite of gregory - not because of him - President Obama ate him and spat him out.
Yep
egg.zak.ly 99!
The fiscal cliff negotiators in the Senate have given themselves a 3pm deadline to arrive at a deal. So we should know pretty soon how this is going to shake out on the Senate side. What happens in the House is a whole other idiot ballgame.
New post everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/12/30/president-obama-on-meet-the-press/
Good morning Todville and Chips, I’m watching MTP it is on a slower schedule. As much as I loathe David Gregory I ‘m only watching to hear our President. Did anyone notice the glee in David’s eyes when he told our President gun Control would not work? Maybe, I loathe David Gregory so much I thought I saw something that was not there. Nonetheless, how did that magazine work out David since he wants to speak of what doesn’t work?
It’s so good to see PBO shut David Gregory down. We are coming to reactions now on our local NBC. Yes, it is a false equivalency. The meme both parties are at fault is a fallacy. It is the republicans and the tea party the media should explicitly denote as not wanting to come together and have intentionally created the fiscal cliff .
Everyone have a nice day and Happy New Year! :)
My good looking President is looking mighty fine this morning on MTP.
Ha! All David Brooks has is the President is Arrogant and thinks he is morally and intellectually superior.
He sounded mad.
Jeeze!
In other words . . . . UPPITY!
Well, he’s half right. The president IS morally and intellectually superior to him. As for the other, I have never seen a person less arrogant than PBO - and if anyone has the right to be arrogant it’s him dealing with the likes of David Brooks.
The pundits and the repubs. just do not seem to get what has happened with the re-election of PBO. There is a sea change in American life that was reflected in his/our win. We will no longer stand for the abuses of power by elected officials, the media, the 1% and the influence of the so-called social conservatives (bigots). We out-number them and we and PBO know how to go around them to get things done. PBO’s words about what citizenship is are beginning to resonate with more people. Our country has changed and we will not be going back to blindness, ignorance, inactivity, or to being victims. The enemies of the people (msm, repubs. and their allies) do not seem to know that their days are numbered, or maybe the problem is that they do know, but will continue to use their no-longer effective weapons to stem the tide of our evolution. It takes awhile, but justice, goodness, and fairness win in the end. I am in awe of PBO; how this man who is filled with empathy, humor, gentleness, candor, optimism, and brilliance, is slowly and shaping the lives of millions, here and abroad, for generations to come. We are so blessed to see this, to be a part of it, to add our hands to the plow that is preparing the field for a bountiful harvest in the lives of so many. I could never imagine that I would live to see this. We are on the cusp of a new Golden Age.
yes to all of this CEB. forward