Now That We Have a Republican Majority in Both Houses of Congress...

...how about a little reality check?

Who's More Presidential, American & Respectful to the Troops? Jon Stewart knows...

As usual, Stewart tells it like it is.  Ladies, be sure to watch the video around 4:50.

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NRA: Fringe Group

By now I would assume you've heard about the new NRA ad attacking President Obama and his children! 

Yeah.

As unbelievable as it is, it has electrified the media and the backlash has been comforting.   To my amazement, Joe Scarborough, "Morning Joe", is all over this as well as much of the crap the GOP, his party, is pulling.  He's so consumed, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop to hear Joe Scarborough switch parties.

I often ask God "Why?".  There is no answer.  Perhaps we aren't meant to know the answer.  On the other hand, perhaps the terrible events, the mass murders by troubled, sick, isolated individuals is bringing the less extreme sides of our political parties, like Joe Scarborough, together.  

What If You Gave A Party and Nobody Came and Other Interesting Tidbits

 

Some Republicans have repeatedly declined to spend time with Obama.  Boehner chose not to be photographed with the president at last year’s White House Christmas party and has refused invitations to five state dinners in a row. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has also turned down multiple state dinners. Many new Republican House members chose not to come to a reception Obama held for the incoming freshmen in 2011. . .Boehner and McConnell also both turned down an invitation to watch “Lincoln” at the White House, along with three Republican senators — Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Olympia Snowe of Maine.   Washington Post 

I cannot imagine turning down an invitation from a sitting or retired President.  It's inconceivable.  In my work in broadcast sales, I've spent plenty of time with people I didn't like or agree with.  It's my job.  I've worked for people I didn't like.  It wasn't easy but it was my job.  John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Lamar Alexander, Tom Coburn missed the memo.  IT'S THEIR JOB.  No wonder nothing ever gets done.

Olympia?  She doesn't count.  Her term is up.

                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New York lawmakers agreed to pass the toughest gun control law in the nation and the first since the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, calling for a stricter assault weapons ban and provisions to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill who make threats. . .The measure also calls for restrictions on ammunition and the sale of guns. It is expected to pass Tuesday.     Huffington Post

It's a start.  Kudos to Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg for spearheading the passage of strict new gun laws in New York state.  Now, if our other 49 states will belly up to the bar...

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And then there's THIS guy:

Recently reelected Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) has barely had a chance to get his feet wet in Congress again, after serving one term from 1995-1997. But already he's making bold threats to file articles of impeachment against President Barack Obama over gun control measures being sought in the wake of December's mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.   Huffington Post

                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the Dept "Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen and Can't Get Up"

While he can’t save his career or his fortune, an admission of doping might rehabilitate Lance Armstrong’s charity and, ultimately, his legacy. . .The disgraced cyclist, who denied doping for more than a decade, admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. . . “Lance knows he’s poison as is, and my guess is he believes if he apologizes... and cries big crocodile tears it won’t solve his problems immediately, but it will at least start the process,” said Richard Burton, David Falk professor of sports management at Syracuse University. . .“His brand value during his yellow jersey days was almost immeasurable,” said Mark Serrano, CEO of ProActive Communications. “I think there were probably few brands in the world that were worth in excess of $20 million a year, and he was one of them.”...

“Today we’re looking at a brand value of near zero,” Serrano said.

                                                      

Friday Funny(s)

Tuesday Funnies

I admit, I am sick of politics right now.  But here's a nod to the issues at hand. 

 Grover Norquist is a bug I'd like to squash

 OMG will these 3 STFU?  Kelly Ayotte is a complete moron and she's
OUR moron in N.H.  The only elected Republican in an all female field of Dems.

We all wonder if it went down like this.

I'm Baaaaccckkk!

And I can't resist...

Here's to the new "Morning in America"!

Call from the Voting Booth

 My younger son just called to ask for help deciding how to vote on three amendments to the state constitution.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"In the voting booth", he replied, rather nonchalantly.

"I don't think you're allowed to do this!"  I suddenly felt uneasy.

His response, "I don't care."

He proceeded to read each amendment to me twice. Why?  Because these friggin amendments, propositions etc are written and meant to be hard to understand.  I realized, while straining as he read sotto voce, how ridiculous it is to deal with this crap.  For years, voters have struggled to understand the purposely convoluted amendments and propositions that are barely understandable, let alone clearly defined.  Hell, I voted on them 3 weeks ago and did not recognize two out of the three.  

My sons drove their 85 year old grandma to the polls so she could vote.  They voted.  They took an interest, albeit at their father's and my strong influence.  But, so what?  My manicurist is in her mid thirties and she says she never votes because it "won't make any difference" and neither party cares about her.  How sad is that?

Former Governor Howard Dean is on MSNBC talking about voter harassment and suppression at certain polls in PA.  His cousin was pressured to show his I.D. to people acting as part of the polling process who had been previously legally enjoined by the court from doing this very thing.   I can't imagine what I'd say or do if someone were to confront me about my identification.

Then there's the 6,000,000 electronic voting machines in use around the country, some of which are owned by Tagg Romney.  No conflict of interest there!

Scary stuff.

I Voted

My husband and I voted two weeks ago and, boy, does it feel good. Why? Because it's behind me. I have made my strongest statement, covered my federal and state duties and I no longer have to worry about going to the polls.  I wish I could say voting early was strategic but it wasn't.  We simply realized we were leaving 10/30 on vacation and would miss Election Day.  Of course, Hurricane Sandy had other ideas.  We are now re-scheduled to leave this Wednesday, the day after the elections.

Early voting is a first for both of us. We liked it.  We made our decisions, placed our bets and now it is fingers crossed.

The next 36 hours are going to be nail biters and our concentration is ever so much greater on the last minute polls coming out.  They are driving us crazy!

Oh, and another Nor'easter is heading up the Atlantic Coast on track for a Wednesday landfall...around Long Island...where we change planes.

The best laid plans...

I'm starting to think "We're gonna win" ...

 

AND...

Who Calls the Shots on a Woman's Right to Choose?

While I realize abortion is not THE primary concern nationally, it is important to women, myself included and it is important in the battleground aka "swing" states.  

On October 22, Gallup reported, "Abortion was the top issue named by women voters in 12 key swing states as 'the most important issue.p for women in this election,' according to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. By contrast, 1% of women and less than 1% of men, nationally, consider it the most important problem facing the nation."

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matt-hadro/2012/10/23/new-gallup-poll-shreds-cnns-speculation-women-abortion-and-gop#ixzz2AEKFzeFJ

Abortion rights, a woman's right to choose, the Roe v Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court don't seem to matter to the men running for office.  Paul Ryan is pro-Life, conceding only to Mitt Romney's less radical position because Romney, not Ryan, is the Presidential candidate. If Ryan becomes president, all bets are off.  After the Biden/Ryan debate, the Washington Post had this to say: 

But the position Ryan articulated Thursday — “the policy of a Romney administration will be to oppose abortions with the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother” — is different from Ryan’s earlier position of no abortions, except possibly in cases where mother’s life was endangered.

Todd Akin...hoo boy, we know his story. He's reduced his lead in the state of Missouri to a virtual tie with incumbent Claire McCaskill.

And then there's THIS guy.    

Candidate Romney was for him before he was against him.  Sound familiar?

"All Over the Map"...and the Internet

THIS makes me uncomfortable.

Romney Family Investment Ties To Voting Machine Company That Could Decide The Election Causing Concern

And THIS makes me laugh.

http://www.romneytaxplan.com/


And, after last night's debate, you're gonna see plenty of THIS

Romney had best get out the "horses and bayonets" because with a Defense Spending Plan like his, THIS is all we'll be able to afford.

Debate Highlight Moment

Romney showed his willingness to say anything to win including lying to the American people about his position on the issues and his sudden departure from his previously hawkish positions on foreign policy and military intervention. President Obama gave him his comeuppance in one entertaining moment. Rachel Maddow called Romney a "shameless shape shifter". It might be funny if it weren't so damn scary.

Binders Full of Broads? Please proceed...

Yeah.  I was offended.  But Romney's debate response to helping women succeed in the work place illustrates his total lack of interest in what was, by that time, no longer a movement.  Women were breaking glass ceilings, albeit slowly.  Somehow, as Governor, he missed that.   

Oh, and, by the way, he LIED about seeking out those women.

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As much as this debate tied my stomach in knots with its lack of decorum, rude gestures, lack of respect towards the Office of the President if not the man.  I longed for it to be over.

Then came the great faux pas.

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Some things just get better with repetition.

Barack & Mitt Smackdown

Time for levity.

    

Big Bird & the Political Theatre of Presidential Politics

While I was disappointed in the President's debate performance last night, I was also surprised by the over-the-top reaction of the "talking heads" on both sides of the political spectrum.  I actually thought the Democratic leaning press were more critical than the Republican leaning press who seemed elated and relieved.

Before I fell into a stupor, I perked up when Romney said the following:

He said to moderator Jim Lehrer, who works for PBS: “I’m sorry, Jim. I’m going to the stop the subsidy to PBS. I’m going to stop other things. I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I actually like you, too. But I’m not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it.”  Washington Post  10-4-12

I was surprised he said this.  I was surprised because it was coyly defiant; a slap in the face, really to the moderator and, possibly, many undecideds who grew up on or raised their children on Sesame Street.

While criticisms of Obama's such as "listless" and "he looked as though he didn't want to be there" are accurate, they don't address the substance of the debates.  I heard a politico on NHPR this morning say he thought Romney looked "amped".  A Massachusetts caller who teaches public speaking and body language, thought Romney showed "agitation" while the President appeared "calm".  In the end, it was theatre.

... it seems to me Romney thrived in large part because he abandoned the pretense of honesty. And as it turns out, winning a debate is surprisingly easy when a candidate decides he can say anything and expect to get away with it.

Romney told viewers his proposed $5 trillion tax cut isn't really his proposed $5 trillion tax cut. He suggested he could eliminate a $1 trillion deficit by going after Big Bird. He said his non-existent health care plan protects those with pre-existing conditions when in reality the exact opposite is true. He cited trumped up "studies" from far-right ideologues as if they're legitimate, assuming the public won't know the difference. He said a deficit that's shrunk has actually "doubled."   The Maddow Blog 10-4-12

All in all, it may be best summed up with the following cartoon seen on the internet today.

GOP National brand "a mess"...

If the latest swing state polls are to be believed, President. Barack Obama has New Hampshire sewn up.

He is also significantly ahead nationally.

This morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe,  Chuck Todd asserted  the GOP brand is "a mess" and Romney's campaign is scrambling to spin the increasing loss of support.   Eugene Robinson's op-ed today in the Washington Post addresses the President's ever widening lead in the pending election:

Conservative activist circles are abuzz with a new conspiracy theory: Polls showing President Obama with a growing lead over Mitt Romney are deliberately being skewed 

Romney's campaign is the screwiest I've ever seen.  I think I preferred McCain/Palin's.  At least that was entertaining.  This is just sad.

And to think I voted for Ross Perot in 1992!

Best Convention Ever!

I cannot get over the comprehensive inclusion of guest speakers, issues, facts and reminders as to why President Barack Obama is a good president and should be re-elected.  The DNC left no stone unturned,  no problem unaddressed, no member of our society ignored.  It was masterful.

Here's The Obama Diary blog's coverage of newspaper headlines, political commentary, photos and videos of the DNC 2012.  

Enjoy!

Republicans Ignore Women's Issues at Their Peril

Women on the airwaves are PISSED!  They are all over the moronic comments of Rep. Todd Akin (R: MO) yesterday regarding abortion for "legitimate rape" victims.

The good side of this?  Claire McCaskill, whom most pundits   said was in the "fight of her political career" now has a great chance to win re-election.                                                                                                      **********

Next we have Republican members of the House of Representatives carousing in the Sea of Galilee involving drinking and nudity:

A group of House Republicans were reprimanded last August for taking a late-night swim in Israel's Sea of Galilee that reportedly involved drinking and nudity. As Politico reported Sunday night, a number of Republican lawmakers on a fact-finding trip to Israel were involved in the incident, including Reps. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), Steve Southerland (R-Fla.), Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.). Some spouses, family members, and staffers were also present. According to the report, Yoder took off his clothes before entering the reservoir, which the Bible cites as the place where Jesus walked on water.  Huffington Post 08-20-12

Gotta love those awesome junkets abroad.                                                                                         ********* The Donald weighs in on women in general "not getting what's going on" when it comes to President Obama. In his usual subtle delivery, he states his case:

Can you imagine being married to this guy?  Or working for him?  Every time I hear him speak and look at his hair, all I can think is "What a douchebag."  It's ever so much more descriptive than "asshole".

President Obama is currently giving an impromptu press conference as I type this.  His comment when asked his thoughts on Akin's "legitimate rape" response.

Obama: "We shouldn't have a bunch of politicians - a bunch of whom are men - making health-care decisions for women"  MSNBC  08/20/12

Yeah.  Tell that to Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, Donald Trump and the GOP in general.  

JUST RELEASED:  NBC/WSJ POLL:   Obama 56% vs Romney 39%  with WOMEN