06
Sep
16

Early Bird Chat

Screen Shot 2025-09-05 at 7.17.36 PM

Pete Souza: President Obama, with his hand on the shoulder of @vp, reacts during a meeting with senior advisors today.


131 Responses to “Early Bird Chat”


  1. 2 desertflower
    September 6, 2025 at 9:17 am

    • 3 amk for obama
      September 6, 2025 at 9:22 am

      Bit of a context.

      It still is a rw rag?

  2. 4 whenpamelawandered
    September 6, 2025 at 9:18 am

    ❤️

  3. 5 Ouapiti
    September 6, 2025 at 9:20 am

    Good morning all!

  4. 6 rikyrah
    September 6, 2025 at 9:20 am

    Good Morning, Everyone🙂

  5. 7 rikyrah
    September 6, 2025 at 9:20 am

    Uh huh

    Uh huh

    …………………………………….

    The New York Times Is Picking on the Wrong Candidate’s Charitable Organization
    The Clinton Foundation is squeaky clean, while the Donald J. Trump Foundation is a scam.
    by Martin Longman
    September 5, 2025 1:47 PM

    Paul Krugman is clearly correct that the reporting on the Clinton Foundation has been terrible, filled with innuendo, and has, to date, found nothing untoward or unethical. He’s also right to get a sinking feeling that we’re seeing a repeat of what happened to Al Gore in 2000, when he somehow came off as the dishonest candidate when matched up against an opponent whose entire platform was based on “fuzzy math,” with predictable catastrophic consequences once he became president.

    Krugman is also disturbingly correct about this:

    True, there aren’t many efforts to pretend that Donald Trump is a paragon of honesty. But it’s hard to escape the impression that he’s being graded on a curve. If he manages to read from a TelePrompter without going off script, he’s being presidential. If he seems to suggest that he wouldn’t round up all 11 million undocumented immigrants right away, he’s moving into the mainstream. And many of his multiple scandals, like what appear to be clear payoffs to state attorneys general to back off investigating Trump University, get remarkably little attention.

    That story on the payoffs can be followed in the pages of the Washington Post, but it doesn’t seem to interest Krugman’s own New York Times. It might shock you to learn that Trump even has a charitable organization since he gives almost no money to charity, but the Donald J. Trump Foundation does in fact exist, and it was fined by the IRS this year for making an illegal political contribution to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. At the time, Bondi was supposed to be investigating claims that Trump University was a fraudulent organization designed to bilk people out of their money. After receiving the contribution (which she had solicited), Bondi decided to do nothing, effectively giving Trump impunity for ripping off unsuspecting Floridians.

  6. 8 amk for obama
    September 6, 2025 at 9:21 am

    eyes on the ball, peeps. screw polls/schmolls.

  7. 10 Ladyhawke
    September 6, 2025 at 9:23 am

    This is infuriating. When I saw this headline, the first thing that came to mind was supermarket ‘Tabloid Trash’. /smdh/

    • 11 Ladyhawke
      September 6, 2025 at 9:24 am

      • 12 carolyn
        September 6, 2025 at 9:32 am

        By the time she got to Illinois, later in the day, she was fine. Will they report on that?????

      • 13 desertflower
        September 6, 2025 at 9:33 am

        Great job, NBC…now you’re right there beside Drudge. Pathetic.

        • 14 desertflower
          September 6, 2025 at 9:36 am

          You should dig your teeth into THIS story! You know, A REAL STORY!

          http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-tries-explain-away-florida-ag-controversy#break

          This IS pay to play! Illegal!

      • 15 Ladyhawke
        September 6, 2025 at 9:43 am

  8. 16 rikyrah
    September 6, 2025 at 9:23 am

    What Vladimir Putin Learned From Roger Ailes
    by Nancy LeTourneau
    September 6, 2025 9:07 AM

    A couple of weeks ago, Josh Marshall wrote about “how Russia’s new defense doctrine is like Fox News.” He pointed out that because of Russia’s economic weakness, they can’t engage in the world via military muscle and have, instead, focused on the asymmetric warfare of psy-ops and disruption campaigns.

    As Neil MacFarquhar writes, this goes beyond the possible hacking of the server at the DNC that we heard so much about just before the Democratic Convention. He begins with an example about how Sweden was bombarded with “a flood of distorted and outright false information on social media” as the country was considering whether to enter into a military partnership with NATO. We also know that the same kind of campaign was launched in Britain to spread misinformation about membership in the EU. He points out that Russia uses both conventional media sources – Sputnik and RT – as well as covert channels that are hard to trace.

    When it comes to covert channels, you’ll want to read this fascinating piece by Adrian Chen titled simply, “The Agency” to get a picture of what is happening. Chen went to St. Petersburg, Russia to track down one of the locations that seemed to be the source of bizarre stories here in the U.S. about a non-existent Ebola outbreak and a refinery natural disaster. In the end, Chen’s digging into this story wound up leading to him being an actual target of a misinformation campaign.

    • 18 jackiegrumbacher
      September 6, 2025 at 9:43 am

      Rikyrah, the potential damage Putin can do is great and one of the primary reasons why this country would be committing suicide by electing a man who not only admires and supports Putin, but is financially indebted to him. Hillary Clinton knows Putin’s number and is the only candidate capable of facing him down. Of course, our supine media will never report the damage Putin is doing or Trump’s connection to him. They are too busy reporting Hillary’s cough.

  9. 19 Linda
    September 6, 2025 at 9:28 am

    Gretchen Carlson just got 20 million settlement.

    Will Fox cover it ? hahaaa

    • 20 Betsy
      September 6, 2025 at 9:33 am

      I thought she wasn’t going to settle but go to court.

      • 21 Linda
        September 6, 2025 at 9:41 am

        20 million changed her mind , I guess. Also a public apology is coming.

        http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/gretchen-carlson-fox-news-roger-ailes-settlement

      • 23 arapaho415
        September 6, 2025 at 5:22 pm

        GA Betsy.

        Aren’t you enjoying our wonderful September weather?

        IIRC, every year at this time, we’re sweltering in the hottest heat wave of the year, and the hot weather continues to October — hard to think it’s Autumn when it’s unbearably hot. Really feels like the end of Summer now.

        • 24 Betsy
          September 6, 2025 at 6:43 pm

          You’re right but I wish it would rain as well, sigh.

          • 25 arapaho415
            September 6, 2025 at 6:51 pm

            Crossing my fingers that the rain will come early — forecast for this month in my area (eastern Ventura County) is for a slight chance of rain this month):

            • 26 Betsy
              September 6, 2025 at 7:04 pm

              I’m much further south than you…near San Pedro.😦

              • 27 arapaho415
                September 6, 2025 at 7:09 pm

                We’ll see.

                This past season’s heralded El Nino was a complete bust for Central CA (points north of LA county) — would hear about rain in the LA area, and only sprinkles (if that) here. Last time we had a real downpour was a year ago July — a complete surprise to me, having never experienced rain in July in all my years in SoCal.

                From last week — I’m sure he’s not alone…

  10. 28 Ladyhawke
    September 6, 2025 at 9:33 am

  11. 29 hopefruit2
    September 6, 2025 at 9:36 am

    G’morning Nerdy & TOD! 🙂 Happy Tuesday everyone, and congrats Sir Don on #1🙂

  12. 30 Bobfr (@Our4thEstate)
    September 6, 2025 at 9:37 am

    Good morning TOD!

    Wishing all of you a fine day …. Thank you {{{{NW}}}} ….. Thinking of you {{{{Chips}}}} …. Hope Steve continues to recover & will soon be totally well {{{{Jacqueline}}}} …. Hand salute Sailor!!

    bbl

    #ALL50
    #YesWeMUST

  13. 32 jackiegrumbacher
    September 6, 2025 at 9:37 am

    Morning all. We’re entering into a period of the election campaign when fundraisers are falling back on panic solicitations with OMG e-mails telling us that doom is on the horizon if we don’t donate. This is the exact same message we heard in 2012 when every blip in the polls brought new melodramatic fundraising appeals. I find them offensive and don’t react well to them. I donate on a regular basis because I believe in our candidate, not out of fear and resent the suggestion that I have to be panicked into caring about our success in November. Tell us to keep our heads down and keep working, while donating what we can, and I’m with them. Tell me the sky is falling and my hair should be on fire and I click delete. Does this bother anyone else?

  14. 35 hopefruit2
    September 6, 2025 at 9:37 am

    Everyone remember this? Yeah…good times, good times…🙂

    • 36 jackiegrumbacher
      September 6, 2025 at 9:49 am

      Oh yes, Hf, how can we forget the great Romney surging, Obama is doomed narrative in September 2012. I read later that by September, 2012, the cake was already baked as far as outcomes were concerned and that debates rarely make a substantive difference in the election results. Oh, and the nomination of Sarah Palin was going to propel McCain to the White House. Funny how that worked out.

      • 37 hopefruit2
        September 6, 2025 at 10:06 am

        So true jg-

        Frank Luntz after the 1st debate: “This debate just cost Obama the 2012 election.”

        Hey Frankie, how’s that working out for ya? 🙂

      • 38 Obama Grandmama
        September 6, 2025 at 11:51 am

        Of all the attempts to give Trump the election I am most worried about the upcoming third debate’s moderator, Chris Wallace’s comment that it is not his job to be a fact checker which could give perceived accuracy to Trump’s lies. That could sway the election.

    • 39 africatimes2
      September 6, 2025 at 10:57 am

      And who can forget Peggy Noonan’s all time election indicator: The famous yard signs.

  15. 41 RanMan (@ranman09)
    September 6, 2025 at 9:51 am

    Good morning Ms. Chips, Danny and TOD family, I hope all is well with everyone this lovely Tuesday morning. Congrats Don, on being first this morning.

    Nerdy, thanks so much for helping Ms. Chips and the sacrifices you are making for us TOD’ers. 💫🙏👌👊❤

    To all, I hope you have a very blooming, prosperous, and successful day today. ❤ ❤❤

    Thank God that President Obama is still the President of The United States of America. ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆

  16. 42 rikyrah
    September 6, 2025 at 9:54 am

    How the Press is Making the Clinton Foundation into the New Benghazi
    by Paul Glastris
    September 2, 2025 2:08 PM

    Over the last two weeks, Hillary Clinton’s campaign has taken a hit in the polls, much of it pretty clearly due to aggressive press investigations involving her relationship with the Clinton Foundation when she was Secretary of State. Even Hillary fans should see that these investigations are warranted. After all, Clinton is running for the most powerful office in the world. While she was Secretary of State, her husband was overseeing a $2 billion a year charity. That charity took in donations from foreign governments and individuals with international interests. These facts raise legitimate questions. Did donors to the Foundation get special access to the secretary and the department as a result of their donations? If they did get special access, did they receive any favors? Did Hillary or her staff do anything illegal, unethical, or contrary to U.S. interests or administration policy?

    The good news is that as a result of these investigations we can now answer those questions pretty definitively: no, no, and no. The bad news is that the press doesn’t seem to want to take “no” for an answer, even if the answer is based on the evidence of its own reporting.

    Consider the story in today’s New York Times by Eric Lichtblau based on a new batch of emails released by the conservative group Judicial Watch as part of its lawsuit. The emails show that Doug Band, then with an arm of the Clinton Foundation, asked Huma Abedin, a top aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to help him procure special diplomatic passports for himself and two other Clinton Foundation staffers. Band also asked for a private meeting between Secretary Clinton and Dow CEO Andrew Liveris, a Clinton Foundation donor. These emails, writes Lichtblau, raise “new questions about whether people tied to the Clinton Foundation received special access at the department.”

  17. 43 meta
    September 6, 2025 at 9:57 am

  18. 49 desertflower
    September 6, 2025 at 9:58 am

  19. 50 desertflower
    September 6, 2025 at 10:00 am

    Yes, please

  20. 51 meta
    September 6, 2025 at 10:02 am

  21. 52 amk for obama
    September 6, 2025 at 10:03 am

  22. 53 amk for obama
    September 6, 2025 at 10:04 am

  23. 54 Ladyhawke
    September 6, 2025 at 10:06 am

    In late June, the Mercer-financed super PAC quietly re-formed as Make America Number One, now a pro-Trump entity. Mr. Bossie, a longtime conservative activist who has produced documentaries about the Clinton family and illegal immigration, is leading the group, which is likely to raise more money from the Mercers to pay for attacks on Hillary Clinton.

  24. 55 amk for obama
    September 6, 2025 at 10:19 am

  25. 56 meta
    September 6, 2025 at 10:32 am

    Sweetest man ever/

    "You're missing a tooth." President Obama interacts with children of U.S. Embassy staff in Laos today.

    A photo posted by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on

  26. 62 desertflower
    September 6, 2025 at 10:36 am

    Here we go:)

    http://www.politicususa.com/2016/09/06/break-fox-news-begins-greta-van-susteren-abruptly-departs-fnc.html

    Greta Van Susteren is the first Fox News host to leave the network after the Ailes scandal, as the On The Record host has departed the network after 14 years due to what is being called a “financial dispute.”

    Van Susteren was one of the few Fox News employees who defended Roger Ailes publicly as the sexual harassment scandal broke, so it would not be surprising if the Murdochs played hardball with her over money because they want the Ailes loyalists out.

  27. 65 africatimes2
    September 6, 2025 at 10:36 am

    Happy Monday TODers.

    GM Nerdy and thanks immensely for all your hard work.

    ((((((((((((((((((Chips)))))))))))))))

  28. 66 desertflower
    September 6, 2025 at 10:37 am

    • 67 SUEDUVALLSMITH
      September 6, 2025 at 3:19 pm

      NEVER EVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED..REASON BEING…THERE ARE ENUFF LOOSE CANNNNNONS IN THIS COUNTRY TO VOTE FOR HIM AND THEY WILL LIE ABOUT IT IN THE POLLS!

  29. 68 Ladyhawke
    September 6, 2025 at 10:44 am

    Trump tries to explain away Florida AG controversy

    http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-tries-explain-away-florida-ag-controversy

    According to Trump, he never spoke to Bondi. That’s probably untrue, but for the sake of conversation, let’s say he’s correct. Also according to Trump’s campaign, he wasn’t trying to derail an investigation into his so-called “school.”

    So why write a $25,000 check in a state A.G. race?

  30. 69 prettyfoot58
    September 6, 2025 at 11:34 am

  31. 70 prettyfoot58
    September 6, 2025 at 11:35 am

    GM everyoneee….

    Has the President returned home yet?

  32. 73 meta
    September 6, 2025 at 11:36 am

    I SURE HOPE SO. They deserve every penny and are likely to give a lot of it away.

  33. 79 yardarm756
    September 6, 2025 at 11:51 am

    Good morning TODville.

  34. 82 Ladyhawke
    September 6, 2025 at 12:17 pm

  35. 86 bella2758
    September 6, 2025 at 12:17 pm

    NBC poll shows Clinton ahead by 6 points.

    • 87 0388jojothecat
      September 6, 2025 at 2:01 pm

      Not for anyone of us to rest on our laurels and GOTV, but I do not believe any of the polls that show DT ahead. I will work my ass off to get HRC elected for the sake of our country and for PBO’s legacy. I would hate to know what the GOP would do to him and his family if they were in charge they hate Democrats, Hillary and PBO so much.

      • 88 99ts
        September 6, 2025 at 7:24 pm

        All the anti Hillary talk from the political media is to create a close race jojo - not going to happen - too many other ways for folks to get their news. Look at the cross tabs of any poll with Hillary leading - going to be too many republicans & too few minorities.

  36. 89 rikyrah
    September 6, 2025 at 12:35 pm

    And?

    So?

    …………….

    Obamas could get $45 million payday from book deals: report

    The Obamas could be in for a $45 million payday from book deals after leaving the White House, the New York Times reports.

    President Obama, already an accomplished author with a bestselling memoir “Dreams From My Father,” could, together with his wife Michelle, land the biggest post-presidency book contracts in American history.

    “His is going to be easily the most valuable presidential memoir ever,” Raphael Sagalyn of the ICM/Sagalyn Literary Agency told the Times.

    Sagalyn predicted to the Times that Obama could earn $30 million with a two- or three-book contract and said Michelle Obama “has the opportunity to sell the most valuable first lady memoir in history.”

    But the Times report indicated that the real figure for the Obama memoirs might be lower than the dollar signs imagined by enthusiastic literary agents.

    Publishers, the ones who actually have to pay the exorbitant sums, quoted much lower figures to the Times, speculating that Obama would do well to get more than $12 million and his wife would be lucky to get more than $10 million.

  37. 94 Ladyhawke
    September 6, 2025 at 12:35 pm

    WELP …..

    In other words, you have a perfunctory one and done from the Times and CNN, basically asking Trump or his representatives whether it was a problem and moving on when they said it was fine.

    • 95 99ts
      September 6, 2025 at 7:30 pm

      Welp indeed - how differently they act when Hillary tells them “it’s all good”. I’d like to know why they aren’t investigating the relationship between Christie & Trump - Christie was just too fast to fall onto his knees in front of Trump.

  38. 96 prettyfoot58
    September 6, 2025 at 12:46 pm

  39. 97 prettyfoot58
    September 6, 2025 at 12:48 pm

  40. 98 prettyfoot58
    September 6, 2025 at 12:54 pm

  41. September 6, 2025 at 1:07 pm

  42. 102 Nena20409
    September 6, 2025 at 2:18 pm

    Hello TOD Community.
    Thank Goodness for the Awesome NW and the work she does daily keeping TODbots informed.
    Congrats to all the Gold⭐ winners, startng with Don on this page and on 2 posts back.
    {{{{{❤ Chips❤ }}}}}

  43. 103 Nena20409
    September 6, 2025 at 2:21 pm


    Worth Watching.

    • 104 vcprezofan2
      September 6, 2025 at 4:09 pm

      Nena, I was open-minded *until* the author got to talking about PBO (‘He wasn’t going to play favoritism to Black America. He wasn’t a race man, yada yada’) …..then he lost me, so I stopped watching, IMO this particular argument of his showed his immaturity and so I figured I’d leave him be… give him time, so to speak, for his ideas re Pres O to mature a bit more.

  44. 105 Nena20409
    September 6, 2025 at 2:22 pm

    Full Video in Laos.

  45. 106 jazziz2
    September 6, 2025 at 2:27 pm

    Paging Nerdy! You tweet made the Philly Inquirer…

    http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/entertainment/celebrities_gossip/Malia-Obama-makes-statement-with-Smoking-Kills-shirt-at-Made-in-America.html

  46. 111 Allison
    September 6, 2025 at 2:53 pm

    Brock Turner has registered as a sex offender … part of his punishment for sexual assault.
    TMZ has obtained the registration, filed in Greene County, Ohio, near his parents’ home in Bellbrook.
    Turner does not list any schools or jobs under the “Other Known Addresses” tab. He’ll be required to add the info if he goes to school or gets a job.

    http://www.tmz.com/2016/09/06/brock-turner-sex-offender-registers-sexual-assault/

  47. 112 Nena20409
    September 6, 2025 at 2:57 pm

    06Sep16 Presser by Rhodes & Earnest

  48. 113 JER
    September 6, 2025 at 3:10 pm


    SOON: Tim Kaine Delivers National Security Address in Wilmington, N.C - http://abcnews.go.com/live?stream=4

  49. 115 Nena20409
    September 6, 2025 at 3:14 pm

  50. 116 Nena20409
    September 6, 2025 at 3:18 pm

  51. 117 Nena20409
    September 6, 2025 at 3:32 pm

    • 118 arapaho415
      September 6, 2025 at 4:15 pm

      GA Nena.

      It’s purple on another version of wapo map, along with AZ, CO, NV in the west. And in the south, GA, FL, MS and NC are purple too.🙂

  52. 119 meta
    September 6, 2025 at 3:39 pm

    • 120 swbluega
      September 6, 2025 at 5:51 pm

      …and they want to use some of that time to reprimand the D’s that held the sit-in instead of voting for a Zika bill, or gun control, or immigration reform, or passing a budget to avoid a government shut-down…

  53. 121 Nena20409
    September 6, 2025 at 3:40 pm

    • 122 meta
      September 6, 2025 at 3:59 pm

      A bit more info:

    • 123 prettyfoot58
      September 6, 2025 at 4:08 pm

      To ensure a robust examination of each topic area, GU Politics will also host companion events following the Administration speakers, featuring elected officials and other high profile guests with alternative perspectives and opposing points of view.

      i hope that they invite the gang that met on Inaug nite to obstruct the Pres…even as the ecomomy was tanking

  54. 127 meta
    September 6, 2025 at 3:53 pm

  55. 128 africatimes2
    September 6, 2025 at 3:58 pm

    This is a hoot.

  56. 129 JER
    September 6, 2025 at 4:01 pm


    NOW: Bill Clinton Visits a Market in Durham, NC. - http://abcnews.go.com/live?stream=5

  57. 130 meta
    September 6, 2025 at 4:04 pm


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