Don't allow this horrific act allow you to be drawn into the loss of your humanity or tolerance. That is the intended outcome. #ParisAttacks
—
Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) November 14, 202514
Nov
15
136 Responses to “Chat Away”
Leave a Reply
White House.gov
- Why Diplomacy Matters: Follow Along as the President Heads to the 70th UN General Assembly
- President Obama at the G-20 Summit: "We Are United Against This Threat"
- Weekly Address: Giving Veterans their Chance
- President Obama Offers a Statement on the Attacks in Paris. Watch Here:
- Expanding Opportunities for Women and Girls of Color
WH Tumblr
- “When I hear folks say that, well, maybe we should just...
- Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Paris, France
- “Rick McKay had a knack for telling a good story. As a...
- “These four guys on August 8, 2025 didn’t come home....
- President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Captain...
The People’s View
- President Obama speaks at the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey Liberal Librarian
- Open thread - You first Liberal Librarian
- Open thread - Nous sommes tous parisiens Liberal Librarian
- Worst terrorist enabler ever Liberal Librarian
- Open thread - President Obama on cover of Out Magazine Liberal Librarian
Smartypants
- A New Gig
- Smart on Terrorism
- When Good Politics is Also Good Public Policy: Clinton's Plan for Coal Communities
- Another Train Wreck for McConnell
- The Business of Media and Politics
A Writing Corner (LL)
- #Pixels: A sign of the Apocalypse?
- Annals in “WTH Were You Thinking??�? – Potty Training
- For the young lady and her love of Seamus Heaney
- On compassion
- A Mass for the Dead
Greg Sargent
- Happy Hour Roundup
- Donald Trump on the Paris attacks: ‘Watch and study the mosques’ here at home
- Obama is frustrated with critics of his policies on the Islamic State. He’s right.
- Morning Plum: Donald Trump and Ben Carson are refusing to go away
- The silly, distracting debate over whether to use the words ‘radical Islam’
Steve Benen
- Week in Geek: insect scuba edition
- Monday's Mini-Report, 11.16.15
- Carson faces foreign-policy test, flunks
- Obama defends American values, pushes back against GOP
- Monday's Campaign Round-Up, 11.16.15
WH Flickr
|
Perfect Tweet.
Just Brilliant, Chips!
Nena! No one has come yet to keep you company?
;)
{{{Nena}}} :-)
{{{{ Chips }}}} :cool:
Don’t allow this horrific act allow you to be drawn into the loss of your humanity or tolerance (drawn into and yet another ME disastrous war). That is the intended outcome.
Now I go to get ready for the Dem Debate.
G’Nite TOD ;)
Hi nena & vc 😊
Congrats nena on First!
Aha, there you are GxG, surfacing from your Saturday off! :D
Hi vc! I’m having a difficult time keeping up today. I’m in LA spending the weekend with friends.
I just *knew* you were partying elsewhere!!! :D :D Have fun with your friends - in the face of terror, etc, normalcy helps.
I’m doing normal things within my comfort zone and with love ones, including Lydia 😘
:)
💕
Hey, GGail :)
Truth.
Look up what PBS Travel Expert, Rick Steves posted yesterday about the Paris attacks. He compared this Paris attack along with past Madrid and London attacks to US gun violence deaths showing how succumbing to fear and avoiding European travel does not equate the risk factor involved.
http://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/dont-be-terrorized/
About the right response to terrorism, I believe we owe it to the victims of this act not to let the terrorist win by being terrorized. That’s exactly the response they are hoping for. Sure, it’s natural for our emotions to get the best of us. But, especially given the impact of sensational media coverage, we need to respond intelligently and rationally.
In 2004, Madrid suffered a terrorist bombing in its Metro, which killed 191 and injured 1,800. In 2005, London suffered a similar terrorist bombing in its Tube system, killing 52 and injuring 700. These societies tightened their security, got the bad guys, and carried on. Paris will, too.
I’m sure that many Americans will cancel their trips to Paris (a city of 2 million people) or the rest of Europe (a continent of 500 million people), because of an event that killed about 150. As a result, ironically, they’ll be staying home in a country of 320 million people that loses over 30,000 people a year (close to 100 people a day) to gun violence.
Great read. Yup, europeans handle these kinds of terrorism much better than the murkans. No “patriot” act. No 24×7 fear mongering. No constant war drums.
It was…seems like common sense to me, but what do I know:) Thanks, Obama Grandmama!
Thank you, desertflower for finding the post and putting it here. I agreed with RS’ sentiment.
What a thoughtful and sensible response to a horrific event! Thank you so much Desertflower for sharing it with us.
This is very important to give folks some perspective. And the media especially needs to read it…
I see that CBS is busy doing its part to drum up more fear, to indirectly attack our President’s current strategy to defeat ISIS, and to promote another bogus war…
AMEN
Chucky Todd was on this evening and I still can not stand him. MSNBC isn’t worth watching.
intell ? all the mofo had to do was to find the right 140 characters.
who’s Morell?
desertflower I was about to ask that same question. And what is Morell answer?
50,000 American Troops.
I’m just so tired of the culture of immediacy. Tired of the knee-jerk reactions. ISIS has suffered DEFEATS recently, they are being contained geographically , a sure PROGRESS from one year ago. And in a sense, the recent terrorist attacks may be a sign that ISIS is frustrated to have some difficulties on the ground in Syria, Iraq and Kurdish territories. As I’ve heard a commentator say today, ISIS is suffering pain, so it wants to inflict pain in revenge.
AS it has been said by many analysts in the last 24 hours, countering every terrorist attack is impossible. There WILL be more incidents like this. We just can hope that in the long term, the organization will be so discredited, so weakened, that there won’t be as many foreign fighters who go train in the ME and come back to plan terrorist attacks in the West.
As the President said, defeating ISIS will take TIME.
To all the naysayers, I would ask: What would YOU do ? Bomb Syria to obliteration, without any regard for the innocent victims ? Declare outright war and send thousands of troops on the ground ?
They don’t have any response. Much easier to snipe at the President with no constructive suggestions.
You have put into words what I have been thinking. This is not an enemy that we can defeat head on. But if we overreact we are playing their game. I hope that by now, we are so sick of war that we will not even contemplate starting another one.
Any one watching dem debate tonight? I am interested in knowing whether the hawk hillz will emerge tonight.
rather reemerge tonight.
I’m in front of a television ready to watch
I notice that Hillary is not wearing a USA flag pin. It was such a big deal in 2008 when PBO was forced into wearing a flag pin. So soon forgotten.
If she did not wear it, I applaud her for it. Time someone stood up against that kinda meaningless jingoism.
It was ridiculous, but Obama’s clear explanation of the need to not wear it got no where in 2008.
Yes, but he has been true to form and awesome wearing it every single day since, in their face with it, knowing most of them have conveniently forgotten how imbecilic that entire debate (!) topic was.
Where is everyone. Anyone watching the debate
I am watching!
Obama: Help or hindrance for ’16 Democrats?
BY DAVID LIGHTMAN
Do Democratic presidential candidates defend or inch away from President Barack Obama’s record? There’s no easy answer.
A new McClatchy-Marist Poll found Americans are split, 48-48 percent, on whether they approve of the job Obama’s doing. And by a 60-35 percent margin, people see the nation as moving in the wrong direction.
Numbers such as those usually mean big trouble for the party in power.
“We’re seeing a continuation of Americans being unhappy with the way things are,�? said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the survey.
Democratic presidential candidates have a big challenge. Obama remains overwhelmingly popular among Democrats, particularly key constituencies. Ninety-one percent of African-Americans and 62 percent of Latinos give Obama high marks.
The general election, though, will be more difficult terrain. The poll suggests than an area where Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton could be strongest is one where any Democratic presidential nominee could have a particularly rough time defending Obama – his foreign policy.
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article44763750.html#storylink=cpy
Really a stupid analysis from McClatchy. Americans want ISIS to go away but they don’t want another Middle East war of invasion and occupation. That’s what started ISIS.
via bj
O’Malley: My heart goes out to the people of France in this moment of loss. Parents and sons and daughters. We must remember this. This is a new face of conflict and warfare. We must anticipate these threats. It requires new thinking and fresh leadership. As a mayor and governor I thought of the threat of a surprise attack every day.
He kinda killed it with his last line selfpromo.
i was not impressed with that line…he did not anticipate the devastating effect that his policing policy would have on the city of Baltimore…i have grown weary of his “need for new leadership” line
I am, as well. Very weary of it.
So have I. I want someone who has some sort of experience in foreign policy at a time like this.
Like maybe a third term of President Obama? Oh how I wish!
Got that right Jacqueline. That’s why I so wanted VP Biden to put his hat in the ring.
Yes, we didn’t get that wish, either. Just so it’s a Democrat at this point!
Trump: Paris attacks would have been ‘different’ if civilians were armed
By Bradford Richardson - 11/14/15 02:03 PM EST
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump says victims of the terrorist attacks in France on Friday would have had a better chance of defending themselves if they were allowed to carry guns.
“When you look at Paris, you know, the toughest gun laws in the world, nobody had guns except for the bad guys, nobody,�? Trump said at a campaign rally in Beaumont, Texas, on Saturday. “Nobody had guns, and they were just shooting them one by one.�?
The billionaire business mogul said the outcome would have been “different�? if citizens were armed.
“And I’ll tell you what, you can say what you want, but if they had guns, if our people had guns, if they were allowed to carry, it would have been a much, much different situation,�? he said.
At least 129 civilians were killed in France in a series of coordinated terror attacks Friday. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has taken responsibility for the attacks.
Trump also called President Obama’s plan to take in displaced Syrian refugees “insane.�?
He pointed to reports that indicate one of the attackers in Paris may have been a migrant who entered Europe through Greece.
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/260171-trump-paris-attacks-would-have-been-different-if-civilians-were
10.3 firearm deaths per 100,000 per year in the U.S. 3.1 firearm deaths per 100,000 per year in France. Piers Morgan (I know, but he is big on gun control) tweeted in January after the Hebdo attack: ‘540 fewer deaths in France than in the U.S. this month.”
This is going well…so far by all three
double hmmmmph
…………………
AP Exclusive: Democrats see Rubio and Kasich as 2016 threats
By HOPE YEN and STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press
2 hrs ago
WASHINGTON — Bring on Donald Trump, and Ben Carson, too.
That’s what Democratic insiders are saying about the Republican outsiders who sit solidly atop preference polls in the race for the GOP nomination for president.
They are far more worried about GOP candidates who have experience in office, with Marco Rubio cited most often as the strongest potential competition for their overwhelming choice for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“As a Democrat, I’d love to see a Trump-Carson ticket,” said Bob Mulholland, a member of the Democratic National Committee from California. “We’d probably win back the Senate and pick up the House as well.”
The Associated Press contacted all 712 superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention next summer, and asked them which Republican they thought would be their party’s strongest opponent in the general election.
Offering a window into how the Democratic establishment is sizing up the competition, most superdelegates declined to name a candidate, expressing bewilderment at a Republican field in which billionaire Trump and retired neurosurgeon Carson are leading in polls while Jeb Bush, the son and brother of presidents, struggles.
Of the 176 superdelegates who answered the question, 65 said Rubio, the first-term senator from Florida, would be the Democrats’ strongest opponent.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ap-exclusive-democrats-see-rubio-and-kasich-as-2016-threats/ar-BBn02uG
Politics | Sat Nov 14, 2025 5:36pm EST Related: ELECTION 2016, POLITICS
Paris attacks may reshape U.S. presidential race
WASHINGTON/DES MOINES, IOWA | BY JAMES OLIPHANT AND JOHN WHITESIDES
The lethal attacks in Paris have the potential to reshape the U.S. presidential race, placing a new emphasis on issues of national security, border control, and counterterrorism, while perhaps bolstering candidates who talk toughest about taking on Islamic State militants both at home and abroad.
National security has not assumed a central place in a U.S. presidential election for more than a decade as the economy preoccupied American voters. But with the nation’s economic health on the upswing and the threat of Islamic terrorism now looming in Europe, that may change.
National security will be the focus of Saturday’s Democratic presidential debate in Iowa, with the front-runner, Hillary Clinton, expected to be pressed on how she would confront the threat from Islamic State and other terror groups.
“Something as startling, as shocking as these attacks are going to propel (national security) back to center stage,” said Brian Katulis, a foreign-policy analyst with the Center for American Progress, a think-tank in Washington.
In the immediate aftermath of the coordinated assaults in Paris, which killed at least 129 and injured 352 more and for which Islamic State has claimed responsibility, conservative presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz called on the Obama administration to reconsider plans to allow thousands of Syrian refugees to be resettled in the United States.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/14/us-usa-election-paris-idUSKCN0T30ZI20151114
All three are making smart full answers. Not just sound bites.
Yes Marilyn, I agree.
I keep waiting for one of them to mess up.
Although, I have the racial climate in Maryland in the back of my mind
I have wondered how he will speak about it.
One of the suicide bombers in Friday’s attacks in Paris has been identified as Ismael Omar Mostefai, a French member of Parliament says.
Mostefai lived in Chartres at least until 2012, Jean-Pierre Gorges, who is mayor of Chartres as well as a member of parliament, said via Facebook.
Does anyone know who Ben Carson really is?
By Kathleen Parker Opinion writer November 10
In the annals of presidential politics, it’s hard to recall anyone who has tried so hard to be so ordinary.
The fascinating story of Dr. Ben Carson’s attempts to ungild his lily by telling awful stories about himself — he tried to stab a classmate, later identified as a “close relative,�? and hit his mother with a hammer? — will be its own chapter someday, if not in a collection of strange campaigns then perhaps in a catalog of psychological classifications.
Masochistic/Narcissistic Conflation Syndrome? (I made that up.)
The illustrious Carson seems to have found his own too-good-to-be-true life story too good to be true — or to bear. ’Tis a mystery: Why would this amazing man serially seek to belittle himself in the eyes of his admirers?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ben-carsons-strategic-iconoclasm/2015/11/10/7dd8c6fe-87e8-11e5-be39-0034bb576eee_story.html
did O’Malley just say that we need Muslim-Americans to stand up?
Yes he did.
water is wet news
Black Americans twice as likely as whites to face use of non-fatal police force, US study says
Justice Department analysis of tens of millions of interactions finds black Americans encounter such force or the threat of it at a far higher rate
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/14/black-americans-twice-as-likely-as-whites-to-face-use-or-threat-non-fatal-police-force-us-study
Frustrated 8th-grader writes letter about racism he experiences at school
by theGrio | November 14, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Za’’Khari Waddy is only 13 years old, but already, he has had to face extreme racism.
“Ever since we’ve moved to this area my son has been faced with racism,�? Za’Khari’s mother, Zettrona Powell, wrote in a letter to the school. “He’s been asked if he was going to rape or rob a young lady, he’s been pushed into lockers and called a n—-r on numerous occasions.�?
Za’Khari wrote an open letter describing the abuse he has had to endure at school, in the hopes that he will be able to draw attention to the issue.
“Yesterday on the football bus coming from our football game a kid … started saying racist things to me. He then started saying he does not like blacks and he told me 200 years ago my ancestors hung from a tree and after he said that I should I hang from a tree,�? Za’Khari wrote in his open letter.
Frustrated 8th grader writes letter about racism he experiences at school news letter“That made me super mad, so in the locker room I told him not to call me n—-r or that I should be hung on a tree,�? he continued.
“The coaches took me away from the kid because I was really mad and they think I was going to fight him but I want someone to do something about it because I’m tired of boys messing with me because of my skin. I’m at my boiling point with this. Please do something about this because when I bring it to the office/principle [sic] you do nothing about it and I’m tired of the racism.�?
Despite this, the school has done nothing except to tell Za’Khari’s mother that they would look into the issue.
“This has crushed my son’s spirit,�? she said. “When my son got off the bus, he threw his backpack, the coaches came in and told him don’t let it get to him. How can he not allow this to bother him mentally? This has mentally damaged my son.�?
http://thegrio.com/2015/11/14/frustrated-8th-grader-writes-letter-about-racism-he-experiences-at-school/
does any one know if berns voted for or against iraq war?
He says he voted against it.
I heard Rachel say that devoted against it. However, it still doesn’t enhance his foreign policy knowledge.
Thanks, j’ob. At least he has that going for him.
Yes, he does.
wasn’t he in the House back then? Barbara Lee of California was the ONLY person in the House to vote against the Iraq War
wiki
Sanders voted against the resolutions authorizing the use of force against Iraq in 1991 and 2002, and opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He voted for the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists[75] that has been cited as the legal justification for controversial military actions since the September 11 attacks.[76] Sanders voted for a non-binding resolution expressing support for troops at the outset of the invasion of Iraq, but gave a floor speech criticizing the partisan nature of the vote and the George W. Bush administration’s actions in the run-up to the war.
Rikyrah, I think you are thinking about Afghanistan. Many Democrats in both the House and the Senate voted against the Resolution to go to war in Iraq.
yep, another slave catcher
…………………
Jenean Hampton is Kentucky’s version of Ben Carson
Opinion
by David A. Love | November 7, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Kentucky has a new lieutenant governor who is making history as the first African-American elected to statewide office in the Bluegrass state.
Meet Jenean Hampton. Imagine Ben Carson, but as a woman living in Kentucky, with all the atrocious political positions and appeals to white racists.
Much like Carson, Kentucky’s new second-in-command is not a career politician. And at a time when sisters are doing things such as building a new #BlackLivesMatter movement to fight racism and police violence against black people, Hampton is one of the few black women in the country who is down with the Tea Party. And the top of her ticket, Matt Bevin, the governor-elect with whom she ran as running mate, apparently is down with white supremacists. But we’ll get to that later.
Also like Dr. Ben Carson, the 57-year-old Tea party activist from Bowling Green was born and raised in Detroit. Her mother — who did not have a high school diploma and cleaned homes — and her father — who worked in the automobile industry — divorced when Hampton was 7. Her mother was left to take care for Hampton and her three sisters.
http://thegrio.com/2015/11/07/jenean-hampton-is-kentuckys-version-of-ben-carson/
I can tell you, I would be more terrified if we had a Republican in office right now.
Whenever a Republican occupies the Oval Office, we should be very afraid.
We cannot let that happen for at least another 30 years! It’s unthinkable.
You mean 300 years, for the sake of our grand children and their grand children.
Yes, that’s what I really meant! (I used to think it was good for our democracy that the pendulum would swing back and forth between Democrats and Republicans, so nobody would go too far left or right. I no longer think that.)
Frank Luntz is full of alot of B.S. If this country can survive eight years of Bush and Cheney, the attack of 9/11, then why the hell are we suppose to be so dam afraid of Paris attack. As always Republicans jackass are trying to use fear. Ask the people in Chicago who their kids face being gun down by gangs or policemen, who they fear more? This is just some right wing B.S. where the media will help pedal.
Well said, bella.
Thank you jacquelineoboomer.
What makes me fearful is a President Trump or President Carson, President Bush, or President Cruz.
I am so impressed with the level of attention each candidate is giving to their answers.
Uh oh, Bernie has gone into Hil’s Wall Street
HRC’s answer to Sanders’ attack was excellent.
I am not a Hillary supporter but I don’t want this to turn into a he said she said.
Now they’re on the subject of gun control
Tell us what they say, GGail…not watching on tv so I’d love to know what they say.
Follow on Twitter #demdebate
Yes, pls follow Twitter cuz my mind can’t listen, type & remember 😄
That was good, it’s just when Bernie gets all riled up about donations, etc.
This image reminds us that while some of us sit tonight and watch the debate, our current Commander-in-Chief is authorizing our military to make the world a little safer tomorrow night. And many nights beyond tomorrow night.
exactly. the corrupt critters voted to legalize whatever the corrupt wallstreet thugs did. no way holder could have got any convictions. he found alternatives and fined them billions, which would have not happened in a mcangry/mittbot presidency.
This is what the purists on the Sanders’s side don’t get. POTUS had to deal with the hand given to him. Even when he had both chambers in Congress during the first 2 years of his presidency, there were Blue Dogs, Yellow Dogs, Dems that came from red states that would not even look at their shadows. What was POTUS to do? Miracles?
Why didn’t POTUS wave his magical wand???? Asking for the shy emoprogs…
Apparently, Martin has a new nickname.
No comment.
I am giving all three candidates good marks tonight.
I don’t want to get to name calling, it takes away from the candidates platform. Bernie made good points as did Martin & Hillary. Martin slipped when he said Muslim Americans, I think Hillary took too much credit for her involvement in bin laden situation.
It’s a long time to November.
If VP Biden reconsiders…
Hear hear.
This is what happens when the Dem debate isn’t as “jaw dropping” as a RWNJ debate. Hard to keep concentratin’ !!!! :)
Another one drifting away from the debate - Ha!
The public is so used to reality TV that they cannot watch anything substantial. Had the Dems on stage being saying vile things or insulting everyone, there would have been millions, I mean, billions of people watching. (Joking about the billions).
True. I remind myself that many Americans have the attention span of a gnat, in the 21st century, because reality TV is winning over reality - perhaps has already won, in many cases. It’s mind blowing.
GE TODville.
PBO will be in Turkey just before midnight EST.
the cognitive dissonance burns.
Yup!
1001%
President Obama has done a dam good job, despite the GOP obstruction.
Oh yuck! I saw Cornel West
Think I heard this week that he is traveling with Sanders. Yuck!!
I think they all did a good job overall. Bernie’s yelling drives me nuts. MOM is sometimes over the top egotistical and all about me. Hillary is concise, clear and confident.
Good evening, TOD! Doing a “drive-by.” The past week has been “Hell Week;” 1st world problems, so when I’ve had a moment, it has been mostly in lurk mode… Hope to catch up a little later tonight when I settle down for the evening.
Heartsick about Paris, Beirut, Chad, Cameroon and so many other locations… My friend who I was to currently be visiting in Paris, arrived home this past Monday; last year, she lived on one of the streets attacked; all of her Parisian friends except one is accounted for. My Ivorian friends who are currently posted in Paris have checked in safe; still waiting to hear from my Senegalese friends. My local pizza shop is owned by a native of Beirut, his parents and siblings still live there; will swing by the shop tomorrow to check on their wellbeing…
Well I am now watching West Side Story. Just my short thoughts on the debate. Martin isn’t there, although I’ll take Amy of our 3 over any Repub. Bernie yells too much and I still don’t think he has any idea aphis it is working with a Repub Congress to run the whole country. Hillary had some problems but I will vote for her over Bernie.
I am with you 100 per cent.
Boy, my iPad made too many mistakes
I so agree, none of the 3 on the stage are at his level.
2017 I want, I hope a Democrat in office, but as far as feeling part of that day, no I will not. When POTUS and FLOTUS walk away from that White House, I better have my kleenex tissue cause I’m sure I will shed afew tears.
2017 I want, I hope a Democrat will be in office.
Remember to keep on taking the time to appreciate this full last year, first, before grabbing the tissues! I plan to try to pay even closer attention to President Obama’s final year of his second term, and savor every moment.
I will.
I know you will!
Amusing … especially this reply.
So very true, John Fugelsang.
GOpers spin and the US News Media loudly cher and parrot their messages.
Toodle-di-doo!
To bed I’m a-going.
Good night, folks, and may you and all your family awaken with hope after a peaceful night’s sleep.
Nite nite. Zzzzzz
New post.
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/11/14/chat-on-132/