The Only Adult In The Room

[stephanie]

Ms M the rethughs are wearing people down so many lies that I think the dems are getting tired. Some of them feel that they ar losing because they are not getting their point across. Know that your postings are not being ignored and people aer reading them whether they comment or not. I am so glad you showed a great example of using social media.

[ms_m]

In that case Stephanie, I'm glad I'm not a Dem.... Cause I'm fired Up and Ready To Go!

...and didn't realize a new page was so close at hand so, I need to re-post my last offering.

[ms_m]

It boggles the mind when I hear people say President Obama is the worse president ever , he hasn’t done anything or he has no spine and is weak…..Hell…if a person of that description can accomplish the following….I wish there were more like him


“The campaign for some form of universal government-funded health care has stretched for nearly a century in the US On several occasions, advocates believed they were on the verge of success; yet each time they faced defeat.”

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/a_brief_hi...s.php?page=all

And then, along comes an obscure first term US Senator, who defeated the wife of a popular former president, a popular, long term senator, and in 2009 was sworn in as President…the first Black President of the United States.....

His first MAJOR piece of legislation is what?...... Universal Health Care....

He also stopped the bleeding of the worst economic recession since the great depression

Saved the collapse of the American automotive industry

Shifted the focus of the war from Iraq to Afghanistan and gave the order to take out Bin Laden

Appointed the first Latina to the Supreme Court

Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans

Closed offshore tax safe havens

Ended media “blackout” on war casualties; reporting full information

Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts

Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules

Ended previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings

Ended previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions

Ended previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back

Ended previous policy on torture; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards

Ended previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry’s predatory practices

Ended previous “stop-loss” policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date

Implemented a program whereby energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources

Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient

Established a new cyber security office

Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children

Expanding vaccination programs

Made sure families of fallen soldiers receive expenses

Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs [[VA) with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America’s Veterans.

Established Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research

Established funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools

Immediate and efficient response to natural disasters

Launched Business.gov – enabling conversation and online collaboration between small business owners, government representatives and industry experts in discussion forums relevant to starting and managing a business. Great for the economy.

Improved housing for military personnel

Donated his $1.4 million Nobel Prize to nonprofits.

Increased pay and benefits for military personnel

Increased student loans

Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return “home” to visit loved ones

Provided tax credits to first-time home buyers through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 to revitalize the U.S. housing market.

Cracked down on companies that deny sick pay, vacation and health insurance to workers by abusing the employee classification of independent contractor. Such companies also avoid paying Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance taxes for those workers.

Protected 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors through the Recovery Act that would have otherwise been lost

His Children’s Health Insurance Re-authorization Act on February 4, 2009, provides quality health care to 11 million kids – 4 million who were previously uninsured.

Lowered drug costs for seniors

Made more loans available to small businesses

Signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis

Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals

Is phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren’t even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan

Provided tax credit to workers thus cutting taxes for 95% of America’s working families

Provided attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles.

Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters

Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy

Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program

Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Gave the order that ensured the successful release of US captain held by Somali pirates;

Increased US Navy patrols off Somali coast

Negotiated the release of 6 Israeli’s in Egypt

….and I will be happy to post more upon request

[ms_m]

On September 16, 2011, at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia, President Obama signed the American Invents Act. This bill amends federal patent law to define the "effective filing date" of a claimed invention as the actual filing date of the patent or the application for patent containing a claim to the invention, replacing the current "first to invent" system with a "first inventor to file" system.

[ms_m]

This is fun and I’m on a roll so I thought I'd post a few more….

Implemented new regulations on power plants, factories, and oil refineries to limit greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming.

Lifted restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.

helped repair badly damaged relationships with foreign powers across the world from Russia to Europe and reached out to the Arab world.

Appointed two Supreme Court Justices [[one previously mentioned)

met with 47 presidents in a 3 day nuclear summit to lower the nuclear weapons count with a treaty signed between US and Russia, putting the world back on a path to reducing nuclear warheads

Reversed ban on federal funding to foreign organizations that allow abortions

Implemented education reforms

signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which, for the first time, gave the U.S. Food & Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco.

Developed stimulus package, which includes approx. $18 billion for nondefense scientific research and development

Increased minority access to capital

Tax credits for up to 29 million individuals to help pay for health insurance

Expansion of Medicaid to all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level

Require health insurance plans to disclose how much of the premium actually goes to patient care

Significantly increased funding for the Violence Against Women Act

Expanded hate crime law in the US to include sexual orientation through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Signed financial reform law requiring lenders to verify applicants' credit history, income, and employment status

Signed financial reform law prohibiting banks from engaging in proprietary trading [[trading the bank's own money to turn a profit, often in conflict with their customers' interests)

Signed financial reform law allowing shareholders of publicly traded companies to vote on executive pay

Extended Benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees

Created more private sector jobs in 2010 than during entire Bush years

Voluntary disclosure of White House visitors for the first time in US history

Signed New START Treaty - nuclear arms reduction pact with Russia

Increased average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg to 35.5mpg, starting in 2016

10 pages of executive orders [[a few may be overlaps from what I’ve already posted) and I can not believe I missed the repeal of DODT

[ms_m]

…even I am astonished there are more but for now, I’ll leave you with this

The Obameter Scorecard
• Promise Kept 145
• Compromise 43
• Promise Broken 46
• Stalled 70
• In the Works 202
• Not yet rated 2


Let's keep im mind these things have taken place while..

faux scandals are being perpetrated from the opposition [[that can be easily debunked)

obstruction of Presidential appointments by Congress

all the push back from both sides of the isle, lies, slurs...

...but he takes a licking, keeps on ticking and continues to fight for the American people...

not bad for someone who it's said, hasn't done anything, is without a spine and weak...but hey...whatever gets you through the night.

[ms_m]

BTW Stephanie, don’t buy into the hype.

President Obama continues to have a legion of supporters and he’s raised 86 mil [[probably more by now) and there are still about 14 months left before the election

When you do happen to run across a weary Dem, tell them they should get involved and fight back!

[marv2]

Ms M the rethughs are wearing people down so many lies that I think the dems are getting tired. Some of them feel that they ar losing because they are not getting their point across. Know that your postings are not being ignored and people aer reading them whether they comment or not. I am so glad you showed a great example of using social media.

Stephanie true, the Re-Thugs aka Republicans are in full force with the lying and sloganeering [[what is this "Class Warfare" really all about?). However, Obama came out swinging hard this week and I only hope the rest of the Dems get behind him and really fight back for a change.

[marv2]

BTW Stephanie, don’t buy into the hype.

President Obama continues to have a legion of supporters and he’s raised 86 mil [[probably more by now) and there are still about 14 months left before the election

When you do happen to run across a weary Dem, tell them they should get involved and fight back!

Exactly! They are starting to do that here with the protests on Wall Street.

[ms_m]

Marv I could be wrong but I doubt if Anonymous Hack/Activists are supporters of President Obama...but you never know.

[ms_m]

You should fight back as well Marv....this concerns all Americans even more than the folks in Washington.
Call and or email your Senators and Reps and tell them to Pass The Jobs Bil!

[ms_m]

BREAKING: House GOP Votes Down Resolution Containing Disaster Relief Funds It Promised Not To Hold Hostage
By Travis Waldron on Sep 21, 2011 at 6:04 pm

With just more than a week until the government’s spending authority ends, the House’s continuing resolution failed 195-230 today, as 48 Republicans broke with party leadership to vote down the measure that would have kept the government functioning through mid-November had the Senate passed the same version. The resolution had been expected to pass easily.

Republican opposition was based on House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s [[R-VA) attachment of $1 billion in disaster relief funds in the wake of Hurricane Irene and other natural disasters, which Republicans, including Cantor, had demanded be offset by spending cuts in other areas. Last week, Cantor promised that no one in the House Republican caucus would hold disaster relief hostage over spending cuts — an assertion that today’s vote has apparently proven false. Democrats opposed the offsets Republicans did find, which targeted funding for energy efficienct vehicles. A bipartisan Senate majority approved $7 billion in disaster relief funds last week.

The House GOP brought the government to the brink of shutdown in April, when a last-minute deal with Democrats ended in a six-month spending bill that expires next week. It appears they’re doing it again.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...-hold-hostage/

[ms_m]

Do informed voters make better choices? Not necessarily.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Knowledge is power -- except maybe when it comes to voting on ballot initiatives. Then it doesn't seem to matter so much.

That's the conclusion of an intriguing new study, "The Dilemma of Direct Democracy," by researchers Craig Burnett of the University of California at San Diego and Elizabeth Garrett and Matthew McCubbins of the University of Southern California. In exit polls after the 2008 election, they asked 1,002 voters in San Diego how they had voted on Proposition 7 -- a measure that would have required public utilities to generate at least half their energy from renewable sources by 2025. They also asked about the basic facts of the initiative, whether in general voters preferred that utilities produce more renewable energy and whether they knew if gas or electric companies had opposed or supported the initiative.

"Surprisingly, we discover that knowledge does not matter," the authors write. Regardless of whether voters were familiar with the facts of the initiative or knew the utility companies' positions, they tended to cast their votes in a manner consistent with their own underlying preferences. "We find no support for the expectation that better-informed voters . . . are more likely to make reasoned decisions than those who are, by our measure, uninformed," the researchers write.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...040202838.html

Several things about this disturb me. If you don't seek the knowledge you're going to make decisions and form opinions based on inaccuracies.

Even with knowledge too many will allow their emotions to empower them.

...and the band played on...

shrugs

[ms_m]

BREAKING: House GOP Votes Down Resolution Containing Disaster Relief Funds It Promised Not To Hold Hostage
By Travis Waldron on Sep 21, 2011 at 6:04 pm

With just more than a week until the government’s spending authority ends, the House’s continuing resolution failed 195-230 today, as 48 Republicans broke with party leadership to vote down the measure that would have kept the government functioning through mid-November had the Senate passed the same version. The resolution had been expected to pass easily.

Republican opposition was based on House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s [[R-VA) attachment of $1 billion in disaster relief funds in the wake of Hurricane Irene and other natural disasters, which Republicans, including Cantor, had demanded be offset by spending cuts in other areas. Last week, Cantor promised that no one in the House Republican caucus would hold disaster relief hostage over spending cuts — an assertion that today’s vote has apparently proven false. Democrats opposed the offsets Republicans did find, which targeted funding for energy efficienct vehicles. A bipartisan Senate majority approved $7 billion in disaster relief funds last week.

The House GOP brought the government to the brink of shutdown in April, when a last-minute deal with Democrats ended in a six-month spending bill that expires next week. It appears they’re doing it again.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...-hold-hostage/

[ms_m]

ObamaCares: 1 million more young adults insured in first 3 months of 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 | Posted by Deaniac

Remember how I told you last week that health reform has helped 500,000 additional young adults to get health insurance in 2010? Scratch that. Add another million to it. One million.

That's right. The report last week was based on Census data as of 2010. And now the CDC has released data that just in the first three months of 2011, one million more young adults 19-25 have joined the rolls of the insured [[that's a full 3.5 percentage point drop in just three months, from 33.9% of young adults uninsured to 30.4%), thanks to the provision in the Affordable Care Act [[also known as ObamaCare, heck to the yeah!) that allows young people up to age 26 to remain on their parents' insurance plan. This reduced the number of young adults without insurance from 10 million to about 9 million. In three months.

More:
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/

[ms_m]

Vote on House spending bill reveals John Boehner’s lack of control

House Republicans tried a fresh strategy Wednesday night: Go it alone on a spending bill.

The result was an embarrassing setback.

Wednesday night’s rank-and-file rebuke of GOP leadership — with 48 Republicans bolting on a temporary spending bill — underscored the fact that the House Republican majority is still struggling to find unity on major spending bills. It also showed they still need Democratic votes to help them govern.

More:
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz1YgfD8RtB

If anyone doubted the TP were in charge this should remove all doubt.

[ms_m]

IS THE FED OVERPAYING FOR BONDS?
21 September 2011 by Cullen Roche

One of the many myths which appears to persist around QE2 is the idea that the NY Fed is massively overpaying for bonds which would, in effect, amount to a fiscal operation. The idea is simple. If the NY Fed pays $200 for a 7 year bond that is currently worth $100 then they’re essentially “printing money”. Is that really happening though? Not according to the facts.

The nice thing about our increasingly transparent Fed is that they make all of this data available for us online. So we can actually see these operations, what they paid and what the premium/discount was relative to market prices. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see the data in real-time, but we do get to see what’s going on by reviewing recent transactions which gives us a very good idea of what they paid relative to current market prices. For instance, on September 9th the NY Fed executed one of their permanent open market operations. Interestingly, most of the bonds were bonds that had been auctioned off in the last year so it’s easy for one to conclude that they’re “monetizing” this debt. Of course, the Fed can’t and doesn’t “fund” the US government so it’s nonsensical to say such things.

More:
http://pragcap.com/is-the-fed-overpaying-for-bonds

Interesting article, it kills two myths at one time. One, the myth that the Federal Govt is printing money willy nilly and two…the Federal Reserve is a lot more transparent than folks would have us to believe.

It’s becoming obvious though [[at least to me) one of the main problems with info we receive is that many economist are still stuck on the way things worked when we were on the gold standard.

[ms_m]

I Am The Kind Of Democrat Who Is ALL IN For President Obama
Thursday, April 07, 2011 | Posted by TiMT @ The People's View

I am not just a blind follower of my President even though some do think that about me but I really don't give a damn about what people say especially those who are hell bent to destroy him. The facts are irrefutable for why I support my Democratic President. I classify myself as a well informed pragmatist progressive/liberal who is results oriented. To that effect, look no further than what President Obama and the Democratic Congress have accomplished in the last two years. After all, progressive means to make progress and there is no better person to lead America to progress than President Obama if you look at what he has accomplished to date. So, yesterday I gave my first $100 to the Obama 2012 campaign in support of the President's vision for America and for his accomplished to date. I am committed and plan to actively do my part in support of the 2012 "yes we can" campaign. This President has done so much of what he had promised quietly in a very short time while so many chastise, belittle, undermine and disrespect him from day one with the intent of ensuring his Presidency is a failed Presidency. However, we never see him taking his eyes of off his target [[the people), taking the high road and focusing on the issues at hand. With all the hating going on in our country and the Republicans doing everything they can to hijack and blackmail the President, threatening to shut down the Government, we need someone like this President who is a bridge builder, a leader who understand the pain of its people, someone who always put the business of his people first to move the country in the right direction not to mention a person who has display the utmost class for the office of the Presidency. Our country is in dire need of civil discourse that exemplify maturity, strength, intelligence and compassion and there is no other modern day leader with all of those qualities to move America in the right direction than President Obama. However, for a President to really effect change that will be lasting in a profound way, one term is not enough to see a significant impact while this President has accomplished in two years what some had not been able to do in two terms. Considering President Obama's track record, I am committed to helping him get the kind of support he deserves to change America for the better in the long run. I also understand some Democrats believe in such outrageous statements:

More:
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2011/0...ll-in-for.html

This op-ed is several months old but I thought it was pretty good.
Ironically, it reminded me of a quote I ran across concerning Dwight Eisenhower….

With his victory in the 1952 presidential race, Dwight Eisenhower became the first Republican president in 20 years. The Republican party also held a majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate. After being elected president, Eisenhower made it clear to those close to him that he did not approve of McCarthy and he worked actively to diminish his power and influence. Still, he never directly confronted McCarthy or criticized him by name in any speech, thus perhaps prolonging McCarthy's power by giving the impression that even the President was afraid to criticize him directly. Oshinsky disputes this, stating that "Eisenhower was known as a harmonizer, a man who could get diverse factions to work toward a common goal... Leadership, he explained, meant patience and conciliation, not 'hitting people over the head.'"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy

Sound familiar?

[ms_m]

Sunshine Debate: Five Things To Watch In Tonight’s Florida GOP Debate
Eric Kleefeld and Benjy Sarlin September 22, 2011, 6:28 AM

The Republican presidential candidates are stepping up Thursday night for another round of debates — this time in the big swing state of Florida, ahead of the state GOP’s straw poll on Saturday.

Gov. Rick Scott has been talking up the straw poll, seeking to raise the profile of his state party in the nomination fight, and even claiming that the winner of the contest will become president. A bit bold perhaps, but with polling indicating a close race at the moment between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry in the state, Florida’s importance is growing rapidly in the primaries as well as the general election.

So in preparation for the debate, let’s review some key things to look out for.

Read More:
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/20...te.php?ref=fpb

Here we go again…

[jillfoster]

Damn... feast your orbs on this:

[jillfoster]

Keep it to yourself, he says.... I guess that means he doesn't want straight soldiers to discuss their wives and children with other soldiers? Yeah... didn't think so.

[destruction]

This is a Public Service Announcement:

Due to an Area-Wide Power Outage, Management has been unable to post in this thread.

She ask that you continue this much needed conversation.......

If you have questions that need answers, issues that need resolution, or other concerns, please don't hesitate to post them here.....

....and I will get them to her using some infrastructure that I picked up at the last Psychic Friends Nework Fire Sale.

Until next time......This is Geek Boy signing off.

[ms_m]

LOL...Des you're crazy and thanks!

I'm back but now I have to play catch up on my other day job....LOL

Will be back shortly.

M

[chidrummer]

All I can say, M is...PREACH, sister, PREACH!

The GOP spent the last two days trying to serve up the lie that President Obama was chastising the black community during his outdoor rally. I guess they've never heard of
video tape because it didn't take long for the full context of his speech to surface and
BAM the heat was on.

for the full speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swlaZJ2RbBw

Maddow gets it:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#44679281

I don't know if I can take this crap for another year. I'm going to watch Pan Am

[ms_m]

Glad you are enjoying my offering Chi. Yep it's crazy out here but it doesn't have to stay that way.

I'm still playing catch up. Being off line for 5 days threw me so far behind it's ridiculous. Not sure when I can get back to this but I WILL be back.....LOL

[ms_m]

Decided to stop and watch the videos. My local paper alone for 5 days didn’t cut it. LOL

The divide and conquer strategy doesn’t surprise me Chi…it’s what people do to keep us from fighting the real enemy. They don’t care about videos because they know too many people will not take the time to seek out the truth. It’s why this thread has become so important to me; to get the real story out. People can believe, or not believe but at least they will hear the other side of the coin.

Thanks for helping with that Chi….YOU get it too…outstanding links. The POTUS WAS ON FIRE!!!!! He’s right, this is tougher than I’ve seen it in my life time and that’s saying a lot from a old lady from the segregated south. But that’s what keeps me going Chi cause I “ain’t” going back. I will not give up, I will not stop!

Hang in there Chi it’s going to be a long hard fight but don’t give up. Take a little break, get your 4th or 5th wind, shake it off, press on and keep on, keeping on….we’ll get there…and that’s a “good crazy.”

Fired Up and Ready to Go!

[ms_m]

Anita Perry Defends Her Husband’s Job Creation Record: ‘People Are Hungry For’ Minimum Wage Jobs
By Marie Diamond on Sep 28, 2011 at 4:30 pm

Anita Perry, the wife of presidential contender and Texas Gov. Rick Perry [[R), took to the campaign trail in Iowa today to defend her husband against a growing wave of criticism and scrutiny from the right. In between brushing away criticism of her husband’s debate performance and positions on immigration and the HPV vaccine, she made a surprising admission.

While parroting her husband’s jobs claims, she also conceded that not all the jobs Texas has created during her husband’s tenure are high-paying jobs — in fact, Texas has the highest percentage of minimum wage jobs in the country. But Perry says that’s the sort of job people are “hungry for”:

PERRY: He knows how to create jobs…We have 1,500 people moving to Texas every day to find a job. I’m not going to tell you they’re all high-paying jobs, but they’re a job, even if they’re a minimum wage job. And that’s what people are hungry for.

More:
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...mum-wage-jobs/

$7.25 hr. x 40 hrs = $290.00 gross [[before taxes)
$290.00 per week x 52 weeks = $15,000.00 gross per year




http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/11poverty.shtml


People really should learn to THINK before opening mouth and inserting foot.

[ms_m]

Economists: Obama’s Jobs Plan Would Help Prevent A Double-Dip Recession
By Pat Garofalo on Sep 28, 2011 at 9:30 am

Ever since President Obama released his jobs plan earlier this month, Republicans have been claiming that it will not the help the economy. “What the president’s proposed so far is not serious. And it’s not a jobs plan,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [[R-KY). “I just don’t think that is really going to help our economy the way it should,” added Speaker of the House John Boehner [[R-OH). Many Republicans derided the plan as a “second stimulus,” ignoring the success of the first.

However, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, the jobs plan that President Obama introduced would help prevent a double-dip recession by boosting economic growth and bringing down unemployment next year:
President Barack Obama’s $447 billion jobs plan would help avoid a return to recession by maintaining growth and pushing down the unemployment rate next year, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

The legislation, submitted to Congress this month, would increase gross domestic product by 0.6 percent next year and add or keep 275,000 workers on payrolls, the median estimates in the survey of 34 economists showed. The program would also lower the jobless rate by 0.2 percentage point in 2012, economists said.

More:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/201...nts-recession/

President Obama is proposing a higher tax only on households in which $1 million or more per year is earned.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...fare-sham.html


In the late 1970’s, 1% of the population received 9% of the nations income
Now, 1% of the population receives 23.5% of the nation's income.



Did they play by the rules more than you?

Did they work harder than you?

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011...ses-have-lost/


[…]



[…]

ACTION: Contact your elected representative and tell them to pass the American Jobs Act now. You can find their office phone listed here, or call the Capitol switchboard at [[202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected. Tell them to PASS THE White House Jobs BILL NOW!

Contact Elected Officials - Address, Phone, Twitter, Email
Posted by Linda H on 7:58 AM

A list of websites, email addresses, twitter accounts and phone numbers for the Senate, members of the House of Representatives, and the White House:

White House
President Barack Obama - [[Democrat) Twitter BarackObama
1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW WASHINGTON, DC 20500
Web Form: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/barackobama
Phone: 202-456-1111

Click link for your state to contact your Senators and Representatives
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/05...e-twitter.html

[ms_m]

President Obama the Warrior
September 27th, 2011
by Bill Schneider

Politics is the enemy of problem-solving. That’s common knowledge. Why can’t the country deal with the national debt? Politics. Why can’t we do something about climate change? Politics.

We see more evidence of it every day. Why is the country on the brink of another government shutdown? Politics. Why can’t we get disaster relief to people who desperately need it? Politics. President Obama told a rally this month in Richmond that the American Jobs Act could pass if Republicans “set politics aside for a moment to deal with America’s problems.”

Set politics aside? Not on your life. House Speaker John Boehner made that clear when he said, “Tax increases… are off the table.” Obama’s response a few days later: “I will not support — I will not support — any plan that puts all the burden for closing our deficit on ordinary Americans.” In other words, “Go ahead — make my day.”

More:
http://perspectives.thirdway.org/?p=1179

I see so many negative adjectives attached to President Obama that when I see a positive one, I’m skeptical it may be sarcasm. Glad this was NOT the case.

[ms_m]

Ohio’s Anti-Union Law Jeopardizes Public Safety With Depleted Staff, Slower Response Times
By Marie Diamond on Sep 29, 2011 at 2:40 pm

In March, Ohio Gov. John Kasich [[R) signed an overwhelmingly unpopular anti-union bill into law that stripped the state’s employees of almost all of their collective bargaining rights. While Gov. Scott Walker’s [[R) more infamous union-busting law in Wisconsin actually let police officers and firefighters off the hook, the Washington Independent notes that Kasich’s law forces these public safety workers to beg for the resources they need to do their jobs.

Jay McDonald, president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Ohio, says that if SB 5 is not repealed, about 51,000 public employees across the state could lose their jobs — two-thirds of them public safety workers:
More:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/201...public-safety/

Rick Perry’s Budget Cuts Will Leave 49,000 Teachers Without A Job And 43,000 College Students Without Financial Aid
By Tanya Somanader on Sep 29, 2011 at 3:50 pm

GOP presidential front runner and secession enthusiast Gov. Rick Perry [[TX) touts the primacy of state control and often points back to his reign over the state of Texas as proof of its efficacy. Of course, under Perry, Texas has a plummeting employment-to-population ratio, the highest rate of uninsured residents, the greatest number of executions, the highest pollution rate, and a derth of well-paying jobs.

On education, Perry offers the same message: “I don’t think the federal government has a role.” In rebuking the Obama administration’s Race to the Top education funds, Perry said it “smacks of federal takeover of public schools” and “could very well lead to the ‘dumbing down’ of the rigorous standards we’ve worked so hard to enact.” Once again, Texas tells a different story. Perry’s education “standards” — exemplified by $4 billion in budget cuts to education for the upcoming budget cycle — will force schools to lay off as many as 49,000 teachers and will leave at least 43,000 college students without financial aid:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/201...financial-aid/

[ms_m]

Breaking Their Promise To Focus On Job Creation, House GOP Proposes Slashing Job Training Programs

By Marie Diamond on Sep 30, 2011 at 1:50 pm

House Republicans yesterday released their draft budget proposal for labor, health, and human service, which in one fell swoop revives the assault on all their favorite bugaboos, including Planned Parenthood, National Public Radio, the National Labor Relations Board, and President Obama’s health care reform law. The GOP also targeted heat subsidies that prevent low-income families from freezing in the winter, and slashed education funding by $2.4 billion. The bill also eliminates the Administration’s “Race to the Top” education reform program and reduces eligibility for Pell Grants for low-income college students.

Perhaps most surprisingly for a party that claims to be focused on job creation, the GOP budget reduces funding for job training programs that give the unemployed the skills they need to find work in an ailing economy:

Employment Training Administration [[ETA) – The legislation provides the ETA with $7.5 billion in new discretionary budget authority – $2.2 billion [[-23%) below last year’s level and $2.1 billion [[-22%) below the President’s request. Much of this reduction is due to the transition of employment and training programs to a federal fiscal year and the elimination of $2.4 billion in advance appropriations for the 2013 fiscal year.

Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/201...-job-training/

The GOP way to create a job is to eliminate job training, and people fall for this crap?

....and they call people like me brainwashed...hahahahah

lawd love a stupid duck

[stephanie]

MS M keep it up I like reading these things. Where are the jobs rethugs?

[jillfoster]

Here's something that lays it all out really well.

[ms_m]

LOL

I saw this on AJE when it first came out Jillfoster and to say it was slightly biased would be an understatement.

Some how people conveniently forget that the repeal of Glass Steagall which deregulated the banks...deregulation that helped the 1% become richer and wall street more sinister....was done under William Jefferson Clinton!

The second thing people conveniently forget, those tax cuts which were extended were bundled in with middle class tax cuts. If they had been allowed to expire, not only would the 1% loose out but the middle class taxes would have gone up as well. The LAST thing the middle class needed then or now is an increase in taxes.

There is also the fact that deal, insured unemployment benefits would be extended, the middle class received a tax holiday as well as small businesses. START was resigned and DODT was ended in the so call "capitulation" by President Obama.

During the debt ceiling debate when the "super committee" was formed, the deal centered around the expiration of the tax cuts for the wealthy but not for higher taxes on the middle class. Those tax cuts automatically expire on Dec. 31, 2012....and that's whether the current Jobs bill is passed or not....and the presidential election will be decided in Nov 2012. I report, you decide.

[ms_m]

...I forgot to mention in that post although, it is in this thread, under President Obama much of that deregulation of Wall street ended. Not all and not enough but much of it did end...also an agency for consumer protection was created. It was the agency that Elizabeth Warren was nominated to head but the GOP congress push back against her was so aggressive, she basically said eff it and decided to run for Senator of Mass....so far, Scott Brown is running scared.

Facts are an interesting thing, if you leave a few facts out, the entire story tends to shift.

[ms_m]

Note To GOP And The Media: Buffett Did Not Disagree With The Buffett Rule
By Pat Garofalo on Sep 30, 2011 at 11:53 am

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett appeared on CNBC today, where, of course, he was asked about the Obama administration’s “Buffett rule,” which stipulates that millionaires should not pay a lower tax rate than middle-class families. Buffett said he is happy to have lent his name to the administration’s push:

Q: Are you happy you said yes [to having your name on the Buffett rule]?
BUFFETT: Sure, I wrote about it.

Q: Are you happy with the way it’s been described? Is the program that the White House has presented — a million dollars and over — your program?

BUFFETT: Well, the precise program, I don’t know what their program will be. My program will be on the very high incomes that are taxed very low. Not just high incomes, some guy making $50 million a year playing baseball, his taxes won’t change. Make $50 million a year appearing on television, his income won’t change.

But if they make a lot of money and they pay a very low tax rate, like me, it would be changed by a minimum tax that would only bring them up to what other people pa

[…]

Buffett also said he is “supportive of the action” Obama is trying to take to put people back to work. So for those trying to turn this into a “Buffett v. Obama” story, as Mitt Romney would say, “nice try.”

Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/201...-buffett-rule/

[ms_m]

WE THE PEOPLE…Your Voice In Our Government

Introduction

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

-The First Amendment, United States Constitution

The right to petition your government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. We the People provides a new way to petition the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country. We created We the People because we want to hear from you. If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:

The idea of petitioning the White House or the government isn’t new, but this online platform is. Since the White House has never featured anything like this, we expect to make some adjustments to improve the platform based on how people use the system and your feedback.

For example, right now, the threshold for a petition is 5,000 petition signatures in 30 days. If a large number of petitions are reaching that threshold, it may increase so that the workload is manageable and so that we can respond in a timely fashion.

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petition...y/introduction

[ms_m]

I guess it’s not enough to try and divide Blacks and Whites…let’s divide Blacks and Blacks as well. [[rolling my eyes is an understatement)

I would love for the pizza man to win the Repub nomination…bring it on fool and all your little foolettes too!

Ingraham Suggests Cain Would Be The Real First Black President Because Obama Has White Relatives
By Tanya Somanader on Oct 6, 2011 at 7:30 pm

Right-wing radio host and Fox contributor Laura Ingraham makes a living from race-baiting when it comes to the president. Like many of her conservative cohorts, Ingraham often insists that much of Obama’s success is solely derived from the fact that he is African-American. Yesterday on her radio show, Ingraham offered Obama’s rise to the presidency as a perfect example of “the problem with affirmative action.” This is “what happens when individuals get pushed into positions, or elevated to positions for which they’re not qualified,” she said. “People get pushed, pushed, pushed farther than their abilities can match the position, and then they just keep failing.” All “because we had such a yearning for history,” she added.

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/...ite-relatives/

[jillfoster]

Ms. M... I wanted to comment on the previous statement by Perry's wife, that stupid woman thinks people are "hungry" for minimum wage jobs? Wouldn't her husband love for us to not HAVE a minimum wage? this woman doesn't seem to know hunger from desperation. People who are working these jobs are despreate for ANYTHING, nobody is EVER hungry, or excited to work for minimum wage [[something i've never done, and something I can never morally bring myself to do to someone else)

[ajk93]

***edit***

[ms_m]

I agree, people are taking whatever jobs they can get and when you stop to think that many of these folks have families...anyone who thinks min. wage is acceptable is so out of touch with reality, it's crazy.

[ms_m]

Why Obama has no intention of giving up on the American Jobs Act

The Republican party wants to kill jobs. They showed that again in yesterday's Senate vote when Republican senators voted unanimously to prevent the American Jobs Act from being even debated. Every last Republican who voted, voted to kill the measure. Of course, they were helped along by Democrats Tester [[MT) and Nelson [[NE).

But the president is not done. He is just getting started. This is the president, speaking in Pittsburgh, right before the Senate vote, that everyone knew the Republicans would be blocking.

More:
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2011/1...giving-up.html

[MotownSteve]

From MSNBC a few minutes ago: New York City police clashed with Occupy Wall Street protesters and arrested at least four of them after owners of the park being occupied ditched cleanup plans demonstrators claimed were a pretext to evict them.

[jillfoster]

I agree, people are taking whatever jobs they can get and when you stop to think that many of these folks have families...anyone who thinks min. wage is acceptable is so out of touch with reality, it's crazy.

And for some wierd reason, I had one of the best years I've ever had. I don't why this happens, but whenever the economy goes to hell, I start doing good, and when the economy does good, things slow down. Hell if I can figure it out. But I do consider myself lucky that i've gotten every job I've ever applied for, never been fired, and never been unemployed a day in my life. And some of that is due to LUCK, not some God given right or my incredible perserverence, or whatever. [[I do, however, owe some of it to my affable, accomadating nature)

[MotownSteve]

If this was me, with any luck, I'd be finishing my jail term.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_1...es-police-say/

Reading Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 12.01. FELONIES. it seems that if you harm someone financially the statute of limitation is longer than if you harm them physically.

[ms_m]

Jay Smooth - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race

….the connection we maintain with our imperfections allows us to be good

In the past, here on SDF and else where I've said we need to stop and look in the mirror. For whatever reason that often upsets people but I like the phrase above which I think is saying what I ‘ve been trying to convey. Another phrase I often to say to friends is, what you deny grows stronger….

Anywhoo this is a great video for those who are interested and willing to open their minds to another way of looking at situations, people, places and things. I think this not only speaks to racial issues but issues in general.

[ms_m]

12/02/2011 @ 3:44PM
Rick Ungar, Contributor
The Bomb Buried In Obamacare Explodes Today-Hallelujah!

I have long argued that the impact of the Affordable Care Act is not nearly as big of a deal as opponents would have you believe. At the end of the day, the law is – in the main – little more than a successful effort to put an end to some of the more egregious health insurer abuses while creating an environment that should bring more Americans into programs that will give them at least some of the health care coverage they need.

There is, however, one notable exception – and it’s one that should have a long lasting and powerful impact on the future of health care in our country.

That would be the provision of the law, called the medical loss ratio, that requires health insurance companies to spend 80% of the consumers’ premium dollars they collect—85% for large group insurers—on actual medical care rather than overhead, marketing expenses and profit. Failure on the part of insurers to meet this requirement will result in the insurers having to send their customers a rebate check representing the amount in which they underspend on actual medical care.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickunga...day-halleluja/

[ms_m]

OP-ED
'Obamacare' to the rescue
A woman who felt President Obama had let the middle class down has changed her mind.
By Spike Dolomite Ward
December 6, 2011

I want to apologize to President Obama. But first, some background.

I found out three weeks ago I have cancer. I'm 49 years old, have been married for almost 20 years and have two kids. My husband has his own small computer business, and I run a small nonprofit in the San Fernando Valley. I am also an artist. Money is tight, and we don't spend it frivolously. We're just ordinary, middle-class people, making an honest living, raising great kids and participating in our community, the kids' schools and church.

We're good people, and we work hard. But we haven't been able to afford health insurance for more than two years. And now I have third-stage breast cancer and am facing months of expensive treatment.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...,6794828.story


Health-Care Reform Returns Surprising $1.5 Billion Medicare Savings
Dec 7, 2011 4:45 AM EST

Medicare, the government program infamous for its waste and abuse, provided some unexpected news on Tuesday: $1.5 billion in savings on prescription drugs. Daniel Stone reports.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...e-savings.html

[ms_m]

This is THE MOST entertaining presidential primary I have ever witnessed.

Florida Libertarians organizing campaign stop for Gary Johnson
By Virginia Chamlee | 12.05.11 | 9:33 am

The Libertarian Party of Florida will host a campaign stop for Republican presidential hopeful Gary Johnson. The partnership is leading many to speculate that Johnson, a two-term New Mexico governor, may drop out of the GOP to run as a Libertarian. Florida Libertarians, for their part, say they would welcome the “anti-war, limited-government candidate” with open arms.

The Save America Foundation and the 1787 Network will be helping to organize a Johnson appearance in Clearwater on Dec. 12; the candidate will speak at a conference center and later at a meet-and-great at a nearby steakhouse. Both events are free and open to the public.

In a press release, the Libertarian Party of Florida said Johnson had been given the “cold shoulder” by his fellow Republicans and the media, who have all but shut him out of the race. “Though his positions on decriminalizing marijuana and eliminating restrictions on gay marriage appeal to civil libertarians, they are a bitter pill for the socially conservative GOP,” reads a new press release from the party.

http://floridaindependent.com/59301/...rty-of-florida

[Roberta75]

OP-ED
'Obamacare' to the rescue
A woman who felt President Obama had let the middle class down has changed her mind.
By Spike Dolomite Ward
December 6, 2011


http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...,6794828.story


Health-Care Reform Returns Surprising $1.5 Billion Medicare Savings
Dec 7, 2011 4:45 AM EST


http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...e-savings.html

All well and good but we better all pray the Supreme Court doesn't overturn this bill or important parts of it.