First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

cindy, las vegas, nv — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:39:42 GMT

I hardly think it matters to our CIC about the degree. Him speaking is all about his message of hope. This is a man who came from very modest background and is President of the United States. And yes, who had to work for all his degrees. Carrying this message is powerful. When I hear Michele carry her message, I am moved. We have to people in the White House that understand what it's like to struggle, work for what you want. I for one am so proud, they lead by example!!!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Nashville_fan — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:40:15 GMT

But is Obama setting himself up for problems down the road? If this summer and fall ends up being bad again, then what happens to the credibility of the Obama economic team?
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Because the Obama Adminsitration has never said that everything would be all better by summer and fall, I do not see how this is a "credibility" issue at all.

Nice try though.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Kent, Harrisburg, PA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:40:56 GMT

What do you do when your politics suck, your politicians have been repudiated and thrown out of office, all your ideas have proved disastrous, and the public hates you?

Well, if you had even the slightest shred of integrity, you’d apologize, fix your politics, and start all over again.

Of course, regressives in America don’t quite meet that latter test. So maybe I better rephrase. What do you do when your politics suck, your politicians have been repudiated and thrown out of office, all your ideas have proved disastrous, the public hates you, AND you don’t have even the slightest shred of integrity?

Ah, well that’s easy. You just start fabricating reality.

And that is precisely what regressives are now doing.

Of course, this is not exactly a news flash. Remember how Ronald Reagan defeated the Soviets and won the Cold War? Remember how “the adults were back in charge” when George W. Bush came to Washington?

Without deceit, about seventy percent of the content of right-wing politics would immediately disappear. (The other thirty percent is just pure bullying.)

Just the same, it’s remarkable the degree to which regressives have gone completely off the deep-end lately, and are now absolutely just making it up as they go.

As usual, Dick Cheney sets the gold standard. In this case, not only for telling tall tales, but also just for being such a completely tacky (alleged) human being. Cheney is even making George W. Bush look good by comparison, as the latter has had the decency (or is it fear?) not to attack the new administration in its first months. I guess Cheney, who went out of office with single-digit approval ratings, is seeking to determine just how utterly despised a politician can be (hint: Mussolini was shot, hung upside-down on meathooks, and then stoned by an angry public). Are negative numbers a possibility here? Can more people hate you than there are people? If anyone can do it, it would certainly be the Dick.

Nowadays the guy is running all over creation telling anyone who’ll listen that Barack Obama’s foreign and defense policies constitute a threat to American national security. The great irony here is that Obama is basically running the same set of ugly policies that the Bush administration employed, and sometimes even going them one better when it comes to shredding the Bill of Rights. True, Obama has said that he will close down Guantánamo – not that he is setting those prisoners free to go party in Vegas, mind you – but otherwise just about the only significant change I can see between the two administrations on security policy is that the current one seems to want to fight actual enemies of the United States, rather than fabricated ones sitting on top of oceans of oil.

Good grace dictates that Cheney should just shut up. More to the point for this discussion, however, when it comes to the substance of his assertions, he’s just making it up as he goes.

So is the latest right wing media freak du jour, Glenn Beck, who has been on a tirade of late telling his audience that Obama has a secret plan to take away their guns. Let’s leave aside for the moment the fact that we actually live in a country where it’s legal to buy assault rifles. And let’s leave aside for the moment the fact that even George W. Bush claimed he was opposed to that policy. All that aside, I am completely unaware of any actual evidence that the Obama administration has any plans to mess with gun control in America. Much to my chagrin, in fact, it seems pretty transparent that he has absolutely no interest in spending the enormous political capital that would be required to go after this issue, even if it was something that interested him, for which there is also absolutely no evidence that I’m aware of. This is even more embarrassingly stupid than the notion that Bill Clinton killed Vince Foster. There isn’t even a dead body to explain.

But it actually gets a whole lot weirder from here. Ralph Peters is a columnist for the New York Post and is described as a “strategic analyst” for Fox “News”. That’s pretty much all you need to know about the guy’s level of expertise. But his latest column provides an astonishing tour de force lesson in how to fabricate hysterically when the facts inconveniently don’t fit your politics.

Did you know that Barack Obama’s recent European and Middle Eastern tour was a complete disaster, and that he apologized for America everywhere he went? Did you know that Obama went to Turkey “on his knees” and “gave his seal of approval to a pungently anti-American Islamist government”? You know, the same government of the same country that has been a key US NATO ally for decades, and is one of Israel’s best friends? Did you know that Obama made “disdainful remarks” about George W. Bush? Did you know that “he told the Europeans that the global economic crisis is all our fault”? Did you know “He gave the Russians yet another blank check, too. (Meanwhile, in Moscow, Putin's thugs beat an aging pro-democracy dissident to a pulp.)”?

Did you? Personally, I didn’t know any of this stuff! Possibly because it is completely untrue. When Peters refers to the dissident-beating thugs of this “Putin” guy, does he mean the same Putin whose eyes George W. Bush looked into and saw a good-hearted soul? That Putin? Now that was some tough, skilled diplomacy right there, babe.

All in all, this is really remarkable stuff. If Peters argued that Obama had actually gone to the Gamma Quadrant, rather than Europe, and apologized to American-hating, socialist aliens, his tirade couldn’t be any more hallucinatory than it is. It’s really quite astonishing. These guys are clearly starting out with the conclusion that President Obama is badly failing, and then scrambling to fabricate ‘facts’ out of whole cloth in order to support that assertion, since reality is inconveniently spitting in their faces. And they’re doing it on national television, no less.

Another wonderful example comes from some lunatic named William Murchison. He’s real unhappy that gay marriage is on the march in America. So unhappy, in fact, that he’s decided to simply fabricate it out of existence. He writes: “You really can't have ‘gay marriage,’ you know, irrespective of what a court or a legislature may say. ... The human race – sorry ladies, sorry gents – understands marriage as a compact reinforcing social survival and projection. It has always been so. It will always be so, even if every state Supreme Court pretended to declare that what isn't suddenly is. Life does not work in this manner.”

Believe it or not, it actually gets more bizarre from there. Fundamentally, Murchison argues that gay marriage cannot exist because it doesn’t serve the purpose of procreation, and he therefore even goes on to take shots at married heterosexuals who fail to reproduce, calling that “so odd a thing, to put the matter as generously as possible”.

Addressing the Iowa Supreme Court justices who disagree with him, he writes: “These learned folk tell us earnestly that the right to ‘equal protection of the law’ necessitates a makeover of marriage. And so, by golly, get with it, you cretins! Be it ordered that. One can say without too much fear of contradiction that people who set themselves up as the sovereign arbiters of reality are – would ‘nutty’ be the word?”

Get it? Because Murchison sees marriage solely for the purpose of procreation, not only does he get to decide who can marry, he even gets to pretend that there’s no such thing as other forms of marriage outside of his narrow, bigoted and historically inaccurate definition of the term. If the guy is willing to say there’s no such thing as gay marriage, why doesn’t he just get it over with and say there’s no such thing as gays? Or Democrats? Or presidents named Obama? I mean, if you’re going to do denial, why not do it right?

There is a whole lot more of this stuff, everywhere you turn. But I guess my favorite example is given to us by a guy you may have heard of before – a certain Karl Rove. Rove is really upset – and understandably so if you’re familiar with his gentle biography – at the notion that the Obama administration might actually use leverage, or remember who its friends are, when it comes to playing legislative politics in America. So upset, in fact, that he devoted his entire last column in the Wall Street Journal (natch) to a single heinously egregious incident of this. According to Rove, Representative Peter DeFazio got a taste of the presidential backhand when he voted against the stimulus bill. According to Rove, at a subsequent closed-door meeting Obama told fellow Democrat DeFazio, “Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother”. Oooooohh! Ouch! Now that’s some rough stuff, eh?

Of course, we don’t know if Obama actually said that. And we don’t know if he said it in jest, either. But, just for the sake of argument, let’s assume that it all went down in the way Karl Rove reports it. Does that seem like a case of particularly tough politics to you? Does that seem like a president who is really playing some serious hardball? Does that seem like something that doesn’t happen every five minutes in Washington, and arguably should happen?

More importantly, does that seem like something that the Karl Rove that we’ve all come to know and love this last decade would really have a problem with? Does it seem like a tawdry, pugilistic, or despotic behavior, far below anything Rove himself could imagine employing? One answer to those questions comes from Ron Suskind, who wrote a piece about Rove in 2003. It’s worth quoting at some length:

“Eventually, I met with Rove. I arrived at his office a few minutes early, just in time to witness the Rove Treatment, which, like LBJ's famous browbeating style, is becoming legend but is seldom reported. Rove's assistant, Susan Ralston, said he'd be just a minute. She's very nice, witty and polite. Over her shoulder was a small back room where a few young men were toiling away. I squeezed into a chair near the open door to Rove's modest chamber, my back against his doorframe.

“Inside, Rove was talking to an aide about some political stratagem in some state that had gone awry and a political operative who had displeased him. I paid it no mind and reviewed a jotted list of questions I hoped to ask. But after a moment, it was like ignoring a tornado flinging parked cars. "We will fuck him. Do you hear me? We will fuck him. We will ruin him. Like no one has ever fucked him!" As a reporter, you get around – curse words, anger, passionate intensity are not notable events – but the ferocity, the bellicosity, the violent imputations were, well, shocking. This went on without a break for a minute or two. Then the aide slipped out looking a bit ashen, and Rove, his face ruddy from the exertions of the past few moments, looked at me and smiled a gentle, Clarence-the-Angel smile. ‘Come on in.’ And I did. And we had the most amiable chat for a half hour.”

Of course, we could go on and on in describing the sort of hardball politics that Karl Rove used over and over again in order to win at all costs. Stuff that Barack Obama would never dream of touching. Stuff like creating rumors that Ann Richards was a lesbian. Stuff like spreading lies that John McCain had fathered a black baby out of wedlock. Stuff like scheduling the Iraq vote right before the midterm elections. Stuff like running ads against triple-amputee Vietnam vet Max Cleland, morphing his face into Osama bin Laden’s.

Stuff like that. When a guy who’s capable of this and so much more worries out loud that Barack Obama is a tyrant because maybe he made a mental note of a member of his party letting him down on a key vote, you really have to ask yourself what’s going on here. Clearly what isn’t going on here is that Rove and the regressive right have any sort of genuine concern about fair play and benighted sweetness and light in the practice of politics. Just as clearly, what is going on is that a political ideology that has exhausted its viability has now turned to wholesale fabrication in a desperate attempt to make the old voodoo work again.

Yep, it’s ugly out there, people. But there is good news in the land, nevertheless. First, what seemed false and idiotic and pernicious only to progressives five years ago now thankfully seems false and idiotic and pernicious to most Americans today. And it is therefore well that the practitioners of these gutter politics continue their practice. Indeed, the more their desperation compels them in frequency and in absurdity, the better our hopes of transcending the threat of regressive politics forever. Clearly, and finally, as Bush and Rove themselves demonstrate, they are their own worst enemies.

Second, like any good regressive should be expected to do, they have now pulled out their forks and knives and are busy eating their young. The regressive movement and its chief political agent, the Republican Party, have never been busier attacking each other and slashing each other to bits. Just last weekend the Virginia GOP had a civil war over what to do with their state chairman, truly a junior version of Michael Steele, and every bit as buffoonish. He’s now gone, and it probably won’t be long before Steele is gone as well, as Republicans seek to join the Know Nothings in the ash bin of history. Yes, as a matter of fact, it is Rush’s party now. I, for one, couldn’t be happier.

Finally, the public increasingly just has no use for these sick puppies. Go figure, eh? A lunatic in Pittsburgh killed three cops with his AK-47 the other day, because he believed that President Obama was going to take away his guns. Hard to figure why some folks might decide not to watch Glenn Beck henceforth.

A New York Times poll released this week shows that only 27 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party. Fifty-six percent have a favorable opinion of the Democrats, and, hey, those guys are weenies! When asked which party is more concerned with the needs of people like themselves, Americans picked the Democrats over the Republicans, fifty-seven percent to twenty-two percent. They trust Obama to make the right decisions about the economy, sixty-three percent to twenty percent for the Republicans. And, remarkably, they trust Obama over the Republicans even on national security issues, sixty-one to twenty-seven percent. Can you say “finished”? When the GOP is getting clobbered more than two-to-one even on their stock-in-trade scary-movie security issues, the show’s over, folks.

That doesn’t mean we won’t continue to see outrageous fabrications of the sort chronicled above, as the regressive movement writhes through its painful and self-inflicted death throes.

It just means that such a display will lean rather more towards the comical than – as in recent years – the catastrophic.

-David Michael Green, www.regressiveantidote.net

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Ron Indiana — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:43:32 GMT

Yesterday was a slow news day, but then on Hardball, my worst person in the world, Pat Buchanan, faced off with one of my most favorite persons, Lawrence O'Donnell. Lawrence sliced and diced Pat into small pieces. Larry thinks smarter than Pan, and can, yes, out shout him when need be. Not being a Catholic, I don't have a dog in this fight, but it seems to me that an open-minded institution would want to hear what our President has to say. Debating thoughts and ideas are what universities are all about. The conservatives may not like to debate, as they have no new ideas...

As for giving our President an honay degree: Why not? Almost all of those who earned a degree from the university have personal opinions and beliefs that do not conform with doctrine. I trust those who think like Pat will not embarrass Notre Dame. A peaceful demonstration of prayer may be appropriate.

On a lighter note: Arrggh: Quiet and careful is how a responsible President should act.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

MSierra, SF — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:44:35 GMT

'...Michele Bachmann called for an “orderly revolution” against Obama’s policies. (“We can't let the Democrats achieve their ends any longer,” she said.) Just five months after Obama’s decisive 53%-46% victory, we’ve got to ask: What is going on with some Republican elected officials? Are they watching too much Glenn Beck?....'

It's a sign of DESPERATION by Republicans
They've got NOTHING !!
That's why Conservatives are Freaking and calling Obama a 'Fascist' !!

REALLY ? A Fascist?
Conservatives have LOST IT !!

Couldn't happen to a more DESERVING GROUP

You had YOUR CHANCE !!
YOU BLEW IT !!
Torture ?
Wire Tapping ?
Economic Meltdown ?
Worst Economy since the Great Depression ?
Make believe WMDs ?
War with Iraq ?
Record Deficits ?
DOUBLING THE NATIONAL DEBT ?
End of Haebeus Corpus ?
UNPRECEDENTED CORRUPTION ?

Sorry Mavericks !!
You got NOTHING !!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Billy, MI — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:44:48 GMT

Hasn't accomplished enough?? He's president of the United States. Sheesh and I thought writing my thesis was a lot of work for a degree. I'm glad I didn't attend Arizona State.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Nashville_fan — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:46:04 GMT

"Presumably doing his best McCarthy impression, GOP Rep. Spencer Bachus said there were 17 members of the U.S. House who are socialists but didn’t name names, the Birmingham News reported. And that came after the always-controversial Rep. Michele Bachmann called for an “orderly revolution” against Obama’s policies. (“We can't let the Democrats achieve their ends any longer,” she said.) Just five months after Obama’s decisive 53%-46% victory, we’ve got to ask: What is going on with some Republican elected officials? Are they watching too much Glenn Beck? " - First Read
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While Glenn Beck is the flavor of the month, he is not alone.

This has been going on in the Republican Party for YEARS.

My only question is do most Republicans agree with these sentiments?

If they don't, why are they not being required by the media to "reject and denounce" the statements the same way President Obama was everytime anyone he had ever heard of, even if he had no relationship with them, made an inflammatory remark (like Farrakhan)?

Why the double standard corporate news media?

What does John McCain think of all this? How about Dick Cheney? These two get alot of air time to say whatever they want, so I know they will be eager to answer.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Annie in Va — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:46:26 GMT

Don't know any Obama supporters in VA who will vote for McAuliffe. Myself included.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Eric, Salinas, CA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:46:59 GMT

Anyone who watches glenn henpecked is totally out to lunch. Glenn henpecked is the most disgusting, most venal liar of all time. But it's good that the repugnant ones keep imatating him because it scares off the normal moderates who have been fooled by these liars before. Glenn henpecked is so childish and fake in his little tirades of being a limpwristed conservative crybaby chicken little crying the sky is getting dark. Hey Glenn those are rain clouds, no need to push the panic button.

I'm getting sick and tired of how childish the evangelical christian lunatic fringe are about gay marriage. Your religious freedom does not allow you to be discriminatory and it's about time to pass that hate language bull and make gay bashing a federal crime as it should be. Grow up and stop sticking your perverted noses into other people's bedroom business.

The idiot three repugnant one governors deserve to be rejected and denounced for their petty partisan politics of trying to refuse some of the stimulus money. About time these fools of faith get a dose of reality that they are dead wrong. Hopefully the voters in their states will get the message that they have self serving jerks who care only about their pathetic political careers and not the people of their states. Wake up and smell the reality folks!

Impeach Palin Now!
Impeach Sanford Now!
Impeach Jindal Now!
Impeach Bachmann Now!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

MSierra, SF — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:48:56 GMT

'...Helping Hillary -- and Mark Penn: Here’s another question: What’s going on with Hillary Clinton’s campaign debt...'

Does anyone have change for a nickel ??

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

cindy, las vegas, nv — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:53:11 GMT

Wow Kent - Thank you. Very, very insightful posting. Karl Rove is no better, if not worse than Cheney. Again Kent, Thank You!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

nick bartow, lester, pa — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:53:38 GMT

4 weeks ago president Obama told the american people to look at buying stocks if possible because now was a good time to do it. i promptly took the $16.000 i had and put into 10 stocks and now it is almost $21,000.
two weeks ago i started to look into a remortgage and got scared because even though i have been out of work since jan. i was worried that my wife a teamster could also go through a slowdown (by the way my wifes union salary qualifies her alone for the mortgage)
well i have decided to go ahead with the re-mortgage only because Obama said it is a good time to do it.
if the party of NO would start to listen to the presidents plan then this country will recover quickly. if you think MR. CANTER AND BONER have your answers then i am really sorry for you because not only do they not have the answers they don't have the power. is president Obama a salesman? yes!!! and i am buying everything he has to sell.
nickb

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Eric, Salinas, CA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:54:44 GMT

Looks like Obama's recovery program is qworking and the banks are recovering some of their liquidity and profitability. No one to credit except Obama and the Democrats for this wonderful turnaround of the bushwhacker's depression. The Dopes of Nope will be told to buzz off when they try to take credit for something they kept saying no to.

I'm still puzzled as to why the catholic church would be crying about Obama going to notre dame to give a commencement speech. They should be thankful that Obama has deigned to grace notre dame with His presence and that he is overlooking that he will be seen palling around with a bunch of catholic pedophile pervert priests. Before the catholics go throwing stones at Obama they should first clean up their pedophile pervert priest problem that is once again growing!

All this talk of socialists is getting me sick and tired of the facists who keep this nonsense up. We're all socialists and our society will always be a mix of capitalism and socialism because going extreme either way is wrong. Stop being a bunch of limpwristed conservative crybabies and try coming up with some good ideas to get us out of your free market freeloader mess.

In Obama We Trust!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Anna Molly — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:56:12 GMT

It seems quite clear that we have entered the era of the Manchurian Republicans ... Bachmann, Boehner, Limbaugh, Beck, Palin, Cantor, Jindal, et al., cannot possibly be in their natural, unaltered states. No one can be this disconnected from reality unless someone has disconnected them.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Beverly in Chicago — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:56:35 GMT

No doubt that confidence and optimism are musts for this young administration. But is Obama setting himself up for problems down the road? If this summer and fall ends up being bad again, then what happens to the credibility of the Obama economic team?
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Then one can say Nobel Prize winner paul Krugman was correct in saying more money is needed instead of the current amount. More than likely the public will be more inclined to realize less is not more; and not be persuaded by Republican Party any more.

Only the Republican Party of No "Robber Barrons" who have constantly begrudged and built this huge deficit will be be surprised if it does work.

Americans have put their trust in President Obama because the need is urgently now instead of the stupid repetition of later-- "let tax payers keep their money to grow the economy". The dumb "Party of No" who really haven't said much of anything will also see that...it takes money to make money.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Yeah, that's real lopsided — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:57:27 GMT

Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - Rasmussen Reports

Republicans have pulled within one point of Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 40% would vote for their district’s Democratic candidate while 39% would choose the Republican. Support for Democratic congressional candidates fell two points this week, while support for GOP candidates gained one point to tie its highest level this year so far.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Chuck, WA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:58:17 GMT

Great post Kent

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

PO, NYC — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:59:07 GMT

President Obama hasn't accomplished enough for an honorary degree??
What do you have to do?
Anyone see this about Israel trying to limit U.S. talks with Iran about their nuclear program: http://www.governmentalityblog.com/my_weblog/2009/04/israel-again-attempting-to-bait-us-on-iran.html

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

cindy, las vegas, nv — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:00:54 GMT

nickb - I like your postings. Simple and heart felt!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

jesse St.Paul Minnesota — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:02:12 GMT

Mr Obama is not a salesmen,and for you to talk down to him in a degrading way is more of the Staff beat down being applied to what ever Obama is trying to get done.If he was hoping the press would help him get his message,Not like Little George didn't play the press,Instead you come at what he trys to do with your angles,maybe time for a stress test at MSNBC.Here is a little help on what happen yesterday on wall street,and most cub reporters at your local high school saw what happen ,Wells Fargo had a good earnings report,why you say,because they didn't play around the housing market,they didn't jump on the greed train,they kept there books in order,and they are making money,Thats what turned the market up yesterday.So if the market goes up and down this summer that will be trouble for Obama,really,the market goes up and down EVERYDAY,but nice try at creating news.Bachmann calling for a revolution,this woman is a Rush repeater,she quotes Beck,she is out there,in space,the final frontier hoping she gets her mug on TV.I guess the GOP has excepted the fact that they are the party of no,no new ideas,no new leaders,no new direction,just the same tired old fear and smear game.The sad part is they still think it works.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Juan,FT lauderdale,FT — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:03:12 GMT

How do the people of Minnesota continue to elect that psychotic nut job and end of times Bachmann. Now she's calling for "ORDERLY REVOLUTION AGAINST OBAMA'S POLICIES" . Are you kidding me! Talk about sedition. If Democrats had said anything like that against Bush these right wing religious fascists nuts would have asked for arrest followed by waterboarding. They are no better than the anarchists in Europe during G 20. The only difference is this nut Bachmann is in Congress whereby she has a platform whereby she can spout this garbage from her mouth.It no different than yelling fire in a crowded hall to get a response and/or narcisstic tirade by someone like Chavez in Venezuela. VOTE HER OUT OF OFFICE. She's female version of Eugene McCarthy.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Nashville_fan — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:03:19 GMT

No honorary degree from ASU?
Their loss. The President does not need validation from ASU.

Protestests from Notre Dame?
They seem small minded, no? I thought colleges were places where ideas could be exchanged, not controlled.

Yesterday, First Read said much of President Obama's success was rooted in the failure of President George Bush.

Apparently, many of his problems start with President Bush as well - because it seems that many people in this country no longer know how to respect the OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY even if they despise the occupant of the office.

This may prove to be one of the saddest and most long lasting legacies that the Bush Admistration left us.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Rick, NC — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:04:13 GMT

We should root out the fascists in the republican party since the opposite of a socialist is a fascist clown like bachman, rush, or beck...not only are they hitler wannabes but they simply aren't very bright or well educated either...

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Palomino — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:04:54 GMT

The 300 or so Tea Parteis in major cities acrossed the U.S. are to protest Obama's tax hikes and general disenchantment with the Chosen One's policies.

Rumors are flying that it will turn into a rebellion and eventually a revolution. People are ganging on.
Glenn Beck has to have police cars parked in front of his house due to liberal maniac threats. O'Reilly, who has been critized by his fellow conservatives for giving Obama a pass on most of his policies, also has been threatened.

Seems that the Kossacks and ACORN are doing a major smear campaign again. Beck will turn up the volume and O'Reilly, an independent, say he will continue to expose anyone or anything that is out of tune with what is right and just. And ACORN just got 2 million from the stimulus. Bad, bad Obama.

Maybe this is why Beck has shot to number three on Fox, behind O'Reilly and Hannity, while MSNBC dwells in the basement of cable news.

Tea, anyone?

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Clara Kansas City, MO — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:06:02 GMT

I mirror cindy's response. Great find, Kent. Too many paragraphs for the opposition, though - so prepare to be bashed for taking up too much space.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Nashville_fan — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:08:32 GMT

Oh yeah, about Hillary's debt . . . I will gladly give as much as I can . . . so I never have to hear about this situation again.

Seriously.

P.S. Ditto what cindy from vegas said - great post from Kent (long but great).

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Eric, Salinas, CA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:09:27 GMT

The repugnant ones are like a bunch of wild children throwing immature temper tantrums. As long as they cling to glenn henpecked and Fox and Freaks they will be the laughing stock of Mainstream America. It's good to see MSNBC's ratings going up while those at Fox and CNN (Fox Lite) are going down. What I see of Fox and Freaks and glenn henpecked on the liberal comedy shows and Keith Olbermann's Worst Person in the World segments is truly hilarious and makes me wonder how brain damaged the fools are that watch that and actually believe it. Well you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of them all of the time and people are showing that they are tired of being fooled by the christian conspiracy and immoral mminority.

Another great week here at First Read reading the great articles and enjoying the totally awesome comments by the Obama supporters. Some really great comments this week from the Obama supporters that made me laugh at how clever they are. Oh and you dopes of nope keep up your pathetic drivel as it is so funny watching you limprwristed conservative crybabies are so impotent in your rage against Mainstream America.

Ha Ha the three little chicken little governors who were crying the sky is falling because Obama sent them a bunch of money are finding out that they are out on a limb and they're sawing themselves off for a big fall. So satisfying to see state legislators of both parties just say no to these pathetic excuses of governors. I guess they forgot to say "Read My Lips" first. Still wonderful to see these three stooges of nope get their proper comeuppance from their own constituents.

In Obama We Trust!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

sbvpav, creswell, oregon — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:10:59 GMT

geez, there is nothing more fun than exploring this beautiful country in my rv; but the list of states i now want to avoid is growing! i mean did bachus never watch the manchurian candidate? jon stewart said it best, "me thinks you are confusing tyranny with losing!"

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Republicans keep spinning and America is getting dizzy — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:12:16 GMT

"Tea, anyone? -Palomino"

So all the huff and puff is to protest a TWO PERCENT TAX HIKE that President Obama CAPAIGNED ON for TWO YEARS, which will take the upper tax bracket back to the level it was under Ronald Reagan?

Seriously?

Now even YOU don't believe that Palamino.

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jawillie Philadelphia, PA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:12:57 GMT

>>>*** Republicans Gone Wild, part II...Presumably doing his best McCarthy impression, GOP Rep. Spencer Bachus said there were 17 members of the U.S. House who are socialists but didn’t name names, the Birmingham News reported. And that came after the always-controversial Rep. Michele Bachmann called for an “orderly revolution” against Obama’s policies. (“We can't let the Democrats achieve their ends any longer,” she said.) Just five months after Obama’s decisive 53%-46% victory, we’ve got to ask: What is going on with some Republican elected officials? Are they watching too much Glenn Beck?
==========
While righties carp about teleprompters and sleeveless dresses, these goons are purposely inciting people to violence. They can claim "freedom of speech" all they want, but they are well aware of the audience they want to influence. The very audience that produced the man who kill three Pittsburgh officers because he was afraid Obama would take away his guns.

Like him or not, Beck speaks to the paranoia that afflicts the right-wing, and like all of his ilk, uses that paranoia to his own ends. If it gets ratings for the Fake Noise Crapper, who cares if it drives some people off the deep-end. You righties can say what you want about Keith O. or Rachael Maddow, but I don't recall anyone being influenced by them to shoot up their town.

http://jawillie.blog.com

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Rick, NC — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:13:01 GMT

What is up with cnn using the talking chowderheads over on faux news on their network? I was watching at the Y this morning and they showed clips of glen beck and sean hannity yapping away about something Obama said or did...this was right after they explored deep subjects like where's the WH dog and is Obama 'tough' enough to end the lifeboat farce off the coast of Africa...

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Anna Molly — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:15:04 GMT

"Tea anyone?"

Ha. More like kool-aid. Grape or cherry?

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A Clear Memory — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:24:34 GMT

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Tombstone Shadow — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:28:53 GMT

When I read Palomino's post that ended with "tea, anyone," I thought now some lib is gonna use the "Kool-aid" label.

Anna, you didn't let me down.

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pat huntington ny — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:29:00 GMT

"If Peters argued that Obama had actually gone to the Gamma Quadrant, rather than Europe, and apologized to American-hating, socialist aliens, his tirade couldn’t be any more hallucinatory than it is."
-Post by Kent...

-----
But Kent, he can't get to the Gamma Quadrant without first reopening the wormhole near B'jor and making nice with the Cardasians! Just wanted you to know that someone here got your Star Trek Deep Space Nine reference.

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Suburban Mom paying attention, IL — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:32:03 GMT

What is going on with some Republican elected officials? Are they watching too much Glenn Beck?
------------------------------------------------------
Please keep shining a light on this, First Read. Had Democrats been speaking like this against a Republican administration, Rush et. al. would be calling for the ultimate punishment for their "treason". Heck, they DID screech that against anyone that dared question the reasons for going into Iraq.

These hypocritical rantings- and refusal to engage in rational dialogue- are exactly why many of us got as far away from the Republican Party as we could. Kudos to Chuck Todd for his eloquent push-back on Karl Rove's nonsense re: the Pew poll. Chuck accurately pointed out that the GOP #s are dwindling- while Independents are increasing- and the middle is where campaigns are won.

If the GOP leadership thinks they don't need to listen to moderate Republicans, they can enjoy the wilderness forever.

I just hope those idiots remember to bring a lot of tea.

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pat huntington ny — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:33:38 GMT

The republican and neo-con critics are just amazing! They are quickly losing any last shred of credibility they may have had. They would even have something bad to say if Obama managed to singlehandedly capture Osama Bin Laden, parade him down Pennsylvania Ave by a leash, and then have him executed.

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Beverly in Chicago — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:34:40 GMT

Palomino (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:04 AM)

ACORN just got 2 million from the stimulus. Bad, bad Obama.

Maybe this is why Beck has shot to number three on Fox, behind O'Reilly and Hannity, while MSNBC dwells in the basement of cable news.

Tea, anyone?
???????????????????????????????????????????????
Palomino:

When did ACORN get 2 million from the stimulus?

I doubt if you come out of your basement anyone would have tea with an uninteresting, uninformed, recluse.

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Media Skeptic — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:37:24 GMT

FR: "If this summer and fall ends up being bad again, then what happens to the credibility of the Obama economic team?"
---------------

When the market was going down, MSNBC deceitfully cropped stock market charts to make it appear the downward trend started when Obama took office even though the truth is that what happened after Jan 20 was simply the continuation of the long death spiral that began in a YEAR ago. Then they opined that maybe it was President Obama's fault or Geithner's fault that the market was doing so poorly.

But now that the market is showing signs of life again, First Read immediately issues the grim warning that Obama may lose credibility if the upward trend doesn't continue. Didn't you forget something guys? The upward trend just MIGHT have something to do with Obama's program or perhaps simply the fact that having a grownup in charge of the country once again has generated public confidence in the economy that's already having an influence on the market.

If it was fair to question whether Obama was responsible for the downturn, it's certainly fair to question whether he's responsible for the recent upward trend, too.

But you can count on the corporate media never being fair to Obama. They're all still sore that McCain didn't win. They were so looking forward to the free food and booze that McCain would have provided them at his gala barbecues he likes to throw to win friends and gain influence with the media.

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MSierra, SF — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:40:13 GMT

After 6 years of George Bush and a Republican Congress

Bush DOUBLED THE NATIONAL DEBT !!

Bush DOUBLED THE NATIONAL DEBT !!

124 years of Civil War, WWI, WWII, Depression....
All the Accumulated debt was DOUBLED by George Bush and His Republican Congress

NICE WORK, MAVERICKS !!

GREAT JOB !!!

BUSH DOUBLED THE NATIONAL DEBT !!

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Moonshadow — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:42:12 GMT

Republicans gone wild. Yeah, I can relate to that.

Too many have just sat on their hands and watched Obama and company destroy this country with one radical agenda after another.

Just a few years ago James Carville, the ugliest Dem ever, put a can over his head saying the Dem party was in big trouble.

NOW the republicans have the can over their heads. Things changed quickly for the Dems and things can change quickly for the Republicans. Just start sounding off big time.

Palin is a fighter and the attacks on her and her family have been brutal but also expected. She's fighting back and the rest of the Repub base have to do the same. Everyone hits at once. With Americans in the streets to take this country back something will get done.

It one of those "we're not gonna take it anymore"
protests. Obama is always campaigning and over seas was an embarrassment to our country. He dissed Bush on foreign soil and the heads of other countries had to be wondering why. Many liked president Bush.
Obama is a pansy. He wants everyone to like him and will suck up to the enemy if he has too.

I don't believe one word he says and he's constantly talking, generally in vague terms so that he is able to blame everyone else for his failures.

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Phoebe, NY, NY — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:44:23 GMT

The obamanation has accomplishments - he has run up our national debt 100-fold in just three months; he signed the flagrant budget wih 8500 earmarks without anyone reading it; he has denigrated America and her citizens to foreign leaders and press; he can effectively speak with his 12 teleprompters; he has a cabinet and administration full of tax evaders, lobbyiest and borderline criminals and finally, he has broken every campaign promise! However, he is perhaps one of the most hubris, inexperienced, naive and clueless individual ever to hold the office. My question is, why is he still campaigning? He needs to understand the duties of the president. He needs to start leading - but then again, you have to have leadership ability and management skills, which he is totally devoid of. The man is an embarrassment, and a fool.

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Cjake — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:44:24 GMT

Glenn Beck is a 'phenom' because the media fails to but Fox 'propaganda' News in check and it's having corrosive effects amoung the conservative populace in this country. Anyone see the Youtube rantings of his followers, it's frightening. A Democrat, black President set to remake the U.S. in his own image is too much for them to handle. Beck was a bootleg Hannity at CNN and he still is, he's just figured out how to make more money by becomming a complete sideshow.

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Brian Crooks, Naperville, IL — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:44:28 GMT

Remember the Petraeus/Betray us ad from a couple years ago? Remember the uproar and the outrage about it (completely justified, I might add)? They had a vote on the floor of the Senate to denounce the ad, remember? If you were a Democrat but didn't vote to condemn the ad then it meant you hated the troops and that you in turn hated America, remember?

Why can't we have a vote to condemn Glenn Beck? What he has said day in and day out about the President is FAR worse than questioning David Petraeus' voracity. He's said everything from Obama is a fascist dictator to Obama wants to take away your rights, none of which is based in reality. But the GOP says NOTHING. I find it extremely troubling that if a liberal think tank buys an ad in the NYT to critique a General, the whole government shuts down to decry the unpatriotic nature of it all but when dozens of far-right wackjobs go on TV night after night after night to try to foment a rebellion in this country, the GOP stands and applauds and helps them on their way. This is disgusting.

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We know Obama lies — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:45:33 GMT

Shouldn't that be Chia Pet in Chief?
Obama is a total loser.. Killing babies and murdering innocent people in Iraq and afganistan and asking $83billion more to do it

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Cjake — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:49:14 GMT

Palomino is perfect example of right wing idiocy. I wouldn't call him an idiot if he actually said anything that resembled common sense. These Tea Party's as it turns out is actually funded by a Conservative PAC's...mostly headed by Dick Armey. I can't remember the institution but check Thinkprogress. These are lobbyists and corporate elites...not to mention the conservative elits at Fox News attempting to jump on the band wagon for what will amount to small scaled Palin rallies. Yes, Palomino you will get your revolution...on your back porch. Just don't point your guns at neighboors.

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Moonshadow — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:50:40 GMT

Palomino

Great blog.

Bev doesn't know what she's taking about, or just plain lying. I heard on C-Span the other night about the 2 million given to ACORN. It's a fact, but one that all libs will deny.
What lib on this blog has the guts to admit the money given to ACORN?

Anna Molly might tell the truth. She's one of the more respected libs here by the conservatives, but don't count on it. They're all smear merchants.

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Raymond Hernandez, San Antonio, TX — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:52:47 GMT

"I hardly think it matters to our CIC about the degree. Him speaking is all about his message of hope. This is a man who came from very modest background and is President of the United States."
-------------------------------------------------
We live in the greatest country in the world. Our system of capitalism nurtures the enviroment that we live it. It demands that that those who want to rise high in our ranks give their very best.

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matt — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:54:19 GMT

We are on a road to economic recovery, but the mess will surely get a little worse before it slowly gets better.

Obama needs to watch what he and his entire administration says in touting the economy. They don;'t want to get caught in the "fundamentals are strong" trap.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

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Clara Kansas City, MO — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:58:41 GMT

Obama the Changemaster (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 9:23 AM)

Not true, I spoke out against this yesterday and the day before. This is appalling and I am not happy about it. I have contacted the Whitehouse to express my concern and you should to:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

I encourage everyone to push back HARD. This is a Civil Liberties issue and it needs to be addressed.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Tea It up And Hit It Long (Sent Thursday, April 09, 2009 5:43 PM)

I like your moniker; but you are failing to see the point. I LOVE the fact that people are organizing to protest. Involved citizens are a good thing. We are just pointing out how misrepresentational it is to call it a Tea Party, since that represented something so completely different in our Nations history. Plus, I think it is funny that some bozo keeps coming on this site saying how HUGE the tea party was in Ohio several weeks ago. They were claiming over 5,000 people were there, yet when I found the ‘party pics’ – you would have been hard pressed to say 500 people. Which is still a good showing; but then it reminded me of how the Repubs were so happy to claim 20,000 attendees at rallies there at the end when local authorities were saying it was more like 8-10K. So, yeah, I guess some of us are just laughing at what appears to be pathetic attempts at attention seeking behavior. Jon Stewart called it last night, “We think you are confusing tyranny with losing.”

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MSierra, SF — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:59:37 GMT

Palomino:'...The 300 or so Tea Parteis in major cities acrossed the U.S. are to protest Obama's tax hikes and general disenchantment with the Chosen One's policies...'

WOW, Palomino !!

This sounds BIGGER than ARYAN WOODSTOCK !!
Is Rush gonna speak >
How about O'Reilly ?
or Beck ?

Did any of those guys speak at ARYAN WOODSTOCK ?

Or were you too busy 'grovin' with your bros' to notice ??

sounds like you're in for a TREAT !!

Palomina, I CAN HARDLY WAIT !!

PS
Wanna bet White Supremacists WILL NOT be Represented at the Tea Baggings ?

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Luigi, Odenton, Md. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:01:32 GMT

If you think the Tea Parties are about income taxes you truly need to get out more.

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Barbara — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:02:47 GMT

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Republicans keep spinning, and America is getting dizzy — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:06:10 GMT

Why do Republicans decry our country being disrespected "on foreign soil" when they disrespect our country on "American soil" every day?

When are the MAJORITY of Americans who don't agree with these loud mouthed losers going to to stand up and tell them to stuff it?

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. " -Edmund Burke

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Bush same as Obama — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:11:03 GMT

MSierra, SF

Bush's Illegial Wire Taps

What do you say about Obama's Illegial Wire Taps?

Here we go again...

The ACLU and the Far Left Democrats screamed every day about the Bush warrantless wiretaps as illegal and an invasion of privacy. And Obama promised to “leave behind” them.

January 8, 2008
“For one thing, under an Obama presidency, Americans will be able to leave behind the era of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and wiretaps without warrants," he said.

However, now he is not only keeping the Bush wiretaps, but he is expanding them and increasing their reach.

EFF Says (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
“Obama Warrantless Wiretap Defense Is Worse than Bush”
Based in San Francisco, EFF is a donor-supported membership organization working to protect fundamental rights regardless of technology.
Kevin Bankston of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a lawyer for the customers, said The filing was disappointing in light of the Obama presidential campaign's "unceasing criticism of Bush-era secrecy and promise for more transparency."
Obama’s transparency is clear as mud!!!

But, the ACLU’s response to Obama keeping and increasing the Bush warrantless wiretaps is…

NOTHING – absolutely nothing!

And the left wing screamers respond by saying…

Nothing – absolutely nothing!

So, its “illegal” warrantless wiretaps when Bush does them.
And it’s “all hail Obama” warrantless wiretaps when Obama does and increases them.

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People who can read — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:11:45 GMT

fascism: a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sounds like the Bush Administration to me!

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MSierra, SF — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:18:31 GMT

WHO KNEW ???

'...I am demanding DNA tests to determine whether Florida congressmen are part alligator. I have had enough with the reckless whispering.... This is just something I've heard: Bill Posey's grandma, allegedly, [had relations with] an alligator."...'

Is THAT BAD ???

How about Skunks ??

From Washington Monthly:

'...POSEY'S DELICATE SENSIBILITIES.... In March, Rep. Bill Posey, a far-right Republican freshman from Florida, introduced a bill to require presidential candidates to present a valid birth certificate before seeking national office. It was, of course, legislation driven entirely by ridiculous attacks on President Obama.

Posey was widely mocked for his foolishness, and even Posey's conservative colleagues declined to endorse his bill or sign on as co-sponsors. Most notably, Stephen Colbert mocked Posey, arguing that questions about the president's birthplace are about as legitimate as questions about the Florida Republican's background: "To quell the persistent rumors about Posey himself, I am demanding DNA tests to determine whether Florida congressmen are part alligator. I have had enough with the reckless whispering.... This is just something I've heard: Bill Posey's grandma, allegedly, [had relations with] an alligator."

Apparently, the freshman lawmaker isn't enjoying the ridicule.

Making national cable news can be a coup for a freshman congressman -- unless the show is the satirical Colbert Report and its anchor calls you "part alligator" while mocking one of your bills.

Such was the fallout when U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, introduced legislation last month that would require all presidential candidates to submit a birth certificate when qualifying to run. Posey said the intent was to prevent a repeat of what happened last year, when fringe critics of then-candidate Barack Obama questioned his citizenship.

Instead, the bill fell flat -- it has yet to attract a co-sponsor -- and Posey took a beating from late-night comedy-show hosts and liberal media, who accused him of kowtowing to extremists in his party.

"I expected there would be some civil debate about it, but it wasn't civil," Posey said. "Just a bunch of name-calling and personal denigration. ... There is no reason to say that I'm the illegitimate grandson of an alligator."

He now says that he has "no reason to question" that Obama -- born in Hawaii to an African father and an 18-year-old American mother -- is a U.S. citizen. Initially, though, he told the Orlando Sentinel that he couldn't "swear on a stack of Bibles whether he [Obama] is or isn't [an American]."

How would you like to be this guy's press secretary?

Note to Posey: fewer people will mock you if you make fewer ridiculous moves. Just a helpful hint...'

Do you have webbed toes ??

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Brian Crooks, Naperville, IL — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:19:54 GMT

He's said everything from Obama is a fascist dictator to Obama wants to take away your rights, none of which is based in reality. But the GOP says NOTHING.
--------------------------------------------------
And Keith Olbermann has been calling Bush a fascist for years. Are you outraged at him, too? Did the Democrats denounce him?
======================
See, the difference is that Keith Olbermann called Bush a fascist because there are memos in which the Bush Administration declared the First Amendment null and void, and because they took great steps to do away with the 4th Amendment, 5th Amendment, and Habeas Corpus. Glenn Beck calls Obama a fascist because he wants to tax the top wage earners the same rate they were being taxed in 1999 and because he wants to "take your guns away" (even though there has never been any semblance of an effort by anyone in the White House nor in this Congress to restrict gun ownership).

What I'm saying is that Glenn Beck has been LYING every single night about what Obama wants to do and what he has done. Just last night he symbolically doused a man in gasoline and said that he was representing President Obama lighting the average American on fire to watch him burn. That is WAY above and beyond anything Keith Olbermann has ever said or done, and is WAY worse than the Petraeus Betray Us ad. I'm just trying to play it down the middle.

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John B, Des Moines, IA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:21:34 GMT

From my seat in the transportation industry I predict that 2 months from now we will identify April as the month the freefall started to stabilize. Within the last 5 weeks freight availability (think of that as movement of merchandise) is slightly better and rates have stopped falling. Trucking is a leading economic indicator. We see the fall off first and recoveries start here first. This is probably because warehouse inventory is almost totally exhausted and must be replenished, but it has to start somewhere. I expect things to remain sluggish through the summer and real recovery to begin around the first of the year. That's a prediction.

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Barbara C. - Fort Lauderdale, FL — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:22:53 GMT

I am having my own "Tea Party" down here in Florida....

It is going to consist of a Cup of Lipton's Tea with Sugar and Lemon while I sit on my easy chair and watch the Evening News on how well the message is getting out from our President.

My God....even Jack Welch on "Morning Joe" gave Obama an 'A' this morning on his handling of issues abroad last week! That was a nice surprise...!!

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MN Voter, Minneapolis MN — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:26:44 GMT

In response to Juan from FL, I live in MN and find Bachmann to be a total nutjob embarrassment to our state. She gets elected because she represents an enclave of conservatives on the outskirts of the metropolitan area. She did not have a strong opponent in the last election either.

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My Eye!, Scrotum Junction, AL — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:28:16 GMT

My boyfriend and I tea bag all year round. We don't have to wait for tax day.

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Jack — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:37:25 GMT

ENOUGH ALREADY!
I am sick and tired of the right wingers out there twisting the truth. Obama is having to spend 83 billion on our troops because of a war he INHERITED! If he didn't spend the money you psychos would be berating him because he isnt taking care of the troops! You people are nothing more than sore loosers!

You all scream about the stimulus package saying it will never work. I didn't hear a single word out you when GWB handed out his TWO stimulus packages.

You all say that FDR's New Deal did not fix the economy, that it was really WWII that brought America out of the great depression. That is the one thing you have been right about, even though you miised the point. WWII in ADDITION to being needed in order to stop tyranny in world, was also the biggest Goverment sponsered stimuls package in history once you adjust for inflation. Who do you think paid for all of those tanks, jeeps, war ships, and everything else that went into winning that war!

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Tax the Wealthy Three More Percent, PA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:38:21 GMT

The protest that became known as the Boston Tea party was a protest against King George for taxes without representation. Hello? There is no connection to these ridiculous protest being planned for 04/15. These morons are protesting a 3 percent increase for the wealthy.

So what is their next step when the protests don't work for them the way The Boston Tea Party didn't work for the colonists?

The most incredible part is that the people they'll get out there for this protest are the ones Obama's tax polocies benefit the most. You won't see any wealthy people out there protesting. It will be the middle class jerks that listen to and believe all the lies being told to them every day on FOX news. What a shame.

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John B, Des Moines, IA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:55:02 GMT

"The "bushwacker's" depression? Are you referring to Clinton? Look at 3 laws. The Community Reinvestment Act (subprime mortgages), Glass-Steagal repealed (leverage), and Commodity Futures Modernization Act (derivatives). Clinton signed each of these bills. Since it is popular to blame the President for all problems, shouldn't you be calling this the "stained dress depression?" Of course Eric, I know you will not respond as it would take some thought on your part.

A Clear Memory (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:24 AM)"

All things that were passed by the Republican Congress and thrust upon Clinton with a threat that he wasn't being "bipartisan" or "reasonable" if he didn't sign them. Before we actually admitted the economy was in the dumps Conservatives were more than happy to claim these for their own. Now it's clear that Republican trickle-down orthodoxy has nearly destroyed our economy it must be Clinton's fault. My memory is clear enough not to fall for historical revisionism, thanks very much.

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Red, White, and Screwed — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:05:26 GMT

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pat huntington ny — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:05:32 GMT

with Obama's approval rating higher than most republican presidents at this stage, and his approval rating in handling the economy high as well, one wonders where the Obama bashers and haters on this blog are from....probably inpatients at their local mental hospitals.

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John B, Des Moines, IA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:05:52 GMT

"What lib on this blog has the guts to admit the money given to ACORN? Moonshadow (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:50 AM)" Point me at a real, verifiable source and I'll admit you're right. Perhaps someplace like this http://www.recovery.gov/ . Except of course that ACORN isn't mentioned ANYWHERE. I'll tell you what, if you CAN'T find a verifiable source will you admit that you're wrong? You can do that now because here http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/does_the_stimulus_bill_include_a_52.html is your claim debunked.

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Jody, Iowa — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:07:14 GMT

Lots of good comments today all of which pretty much summed up my thoughts and more effectively.

The 2006 and 2008 elections seems to have left the republican congress (along with pundits) dissolved into a group of far right, paranoia, conspiracy theory, spoiled, poor sport nuts running their party. Both parties have extremes but the only republican voices we hear right now are the extreme ones. One can only hope that voices like GOP Chuck Hagel, Jim Leach, Colin Powell will be heard again.

Pres Obama has not said everything is great and the economy is fixed, he's just pointing out there are signs that things will get better but it will take time. Although some of us on the left are annoyed that Pres Obama has not pushed for investigations into the Bush/Cheney activities and the latest wire tap statement from Eric Holder is disappointing, Obama has taken numerous steps to undo the damage. I believe that if the Obama administration went after Bush/Cheney at this time, there would be no hope of getting the other critical parts of his agenda pushed through congress. It stinks but is true. Maybe we should be patient for a time to see what happens; Obama has a different approach and we may not recognize the strategy.

Karl Rove should climb back in his hole along with Cheney. What a hypocrit. Rove is a worm and his tactics were despicable. Bush's nickname perfectly discribes him, Turdblossom.

The three muskateer GOP governors deserve the rath of their state legislatures along with that of their constituients. When you put party ideology and personal gain ahead of your people, you deserve the contempt of those same people.

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Anna Molly — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:10:54 GMT

T Shadow ~ So glad you weren't disappointed. I live to serve. If the conservatives are serving tea, make mine jasmine.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

M Shadow ~ A respected smear merchant? You've made my day.

But seriously, I'd tell the truth about Acorn if I knew the truth, and then knew which way the truth cut. I do think the voter fraud claims are problematic, but maybe not the way Bill O'Reilly suggested the other day in the Boston Herald.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1163471&srvc=home&position=rated

Anyway, to tell you the truth, I haven't studied it enough, and I don't know the truth. When I do, I won't shrink from it; I promise. I'm sure you'll do the same.

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Nancy Inverness Fl — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:12:32 GMT

"I thought now some lib is gonna use the "Kool-aid" label."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
No, kool aid is too sweet, how about some "sour grapes" to go with that whine.

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Jim, Santa Cruz — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:14:00 GMT

Beck is a German beer isn't it? Hmmm....

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Jose Von Hussein - The United States of America — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:14:01 GMT

"What is going on with some Republican elected officials? Are they watching too much Glenn Beck? Seriously, could the bizarre rantings of this new darling of the right have something to do with this?"

What's going on is that you guys in the MSM have been ignoring the very rightward tilt of the Republican Party for the last 8 years, and not bothered to investigate it or call it out for what it is.

Think about it: Democrats have liberals, moderates, and conservative "Blue Dogs." Where in the Republican Party is there a similar split? Who are the "liberal" Republicans? Snowe, Collins and Specter? Okay, maybe, but they're Senators representing whole states. Who are the Republicans that are liberals, or even moderates?

There are NONE!!!

Grover Norquist has hijacked the Republican Party. There is not a SINGLE REPUBLICAN anywhere at the federal level that is in favor of increasing taxes that is not subject to Norquist's wrath.

And the crazy Beck / Limbaugh / socialist phenomenon? The people that are left in the Republican party are FAR RIGHT. They are the loyalists, the authoritarians. Democrats represent a nice swath of American voters. Districts like Bachmann's are SOOOO far to the right, they really are on the right wing fringe, and these are people that are naturally pre-disposed towards being conspiratorial.

And yes, Beck has tapped into that. And if he's not careful, he'll wind up with a lot of blood on his hands for fomenting some really violent behavior.

Someone needs to put these people in their place with a little perspective, instead of saying, "Well, let's give them equal time and call it balanced coverage."

IT'S NOT BALANCED!!!!!

Please understand that first, and then we can move on and make some progress in the country with a real, substantive dialogue between both sides.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

John B, Des Moines, IA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:17:44 GMT

"And Keith Olbermann has been calling Bush a fascist for years. Are you outraged at him, too? Did the Democrats denounce him?
Barbara (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 11:02 AM)" Is there something wrong with calling someone a fascist after he takes away rights going all the way back to the Magna Carta, justifying all of it with a cockamamie "Unitary Executive" theory? If the Executive can declare me an enemy of state and hold me incommunicado for the rest of my life with no right to trial does that not sound like fascist rule? I'm sorry, but "it's OK, he's doing it to protect us" isn't good enough. And yes, the President should lose those powers regardless of whether a Republican or Democrat is in the WH.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

JGordon, Princeton, NJ — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:18:54 GMT

The Obama Adminstration really needs to appoint a special proscecutor to investigate all of the crimes committed by Rove and Cheney and Bush and Ashcroft and Gonzalaz etc. during the 8 long years of the Bush Administration.

Then and only then will Carl Rove and Dick Cheney shut up!

Let's use the Constitution and the law of the United States of America to put these criminals behind bars where they belong.

It is clear that if they are not held to account for their crimes against this country, then they will continue to feel invulnerable and free to spew their lies. Hasn't this cadre of unAmericans poisoned and destroyed this great nation of ours enough?!

Enough is enough of these self-absorbed, greedy, hateful scoundrals. They don't know when to slink away into the dark night and shut up!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Jill F., Tulsa, OK — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:27:56 GMT

To people complaining about the tea parties taking place around the country on April 15:

Get over yourselves. Has it occurred to you that the "tea party" is being used as a mere symbolic gesture? From what I can tell, these tea parties are protesting the redistribution of wealth or government interference in their lives (i.e., controlling health care, our banks, our auto industry) that they fear (rightly or wrongly) has already happened or is just around the corner. Dems claim to be "tolerant" and defensive of our bill or rights, but when people exercise them in a manner that they don't agree with, they get all snarky. It's immature. If people want to protest, they can protest, as long as it's peaceful and does nothing to threaten the security of the public. And, by the way, tolerance works both ways. You can't claim to be tolerant and inclusive when your actions convey your intolerance for beliefs contrary to yours. If we'd all shut up and actually listen to each other instead of jumping to how wrong the other person is, something in this country might actually change. Sadly, I can't see it happening anytime soon.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

John B, Des Moines, IA — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:28:38 GMT

"WWII in ADDITION to being needed in order to stop tyranny in world, was also the biggest Goverment sponsered stimuls package in history once you adjust for inflation. Who do you think paid for all of those tanks, jeeps, war ships, and everything else that went into winning that war!
Jack (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 11:37 AM)"

Well said, Jack. Also note that during WWII the deficit went above 100% of GDP (!?!) and yet somehow we managed to pay it down. The deficit boost we're experiencing now is small potatoes by comparison and the President has already said repeatedly that we will need to bring it back under control once the economy is restored to health.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

frank, NC — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:38:30 GMT

If the Gov. of any states dont want to take any of the stimulus send it to the states that want it. I am sure Arnie in Cal would love it.

Also please remember that for all the furor about Obama and spending and the Federal deficit, the facts are that 90% of the debt was created under the leadership of Reagan, Bush and Bush. Thats almost $10Trillion of the $11 Trillion debt.

Also i agree with Cindy, LV good job Kent.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

The Last Living Democrat — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:40:19 GMT

"Are they watching too much Glenn Beck?"

We know that they aren't watching to much NBC.
No one is!!!

Glenn Beck's ratings are higher than all of NBC's shows combined! (I personally dont care for him)

I bet CNN wishes they had him back!
It has to be costing the Clinton News Network millions in lost endorsements and ratings.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Beverly in Chicago — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:54:06 GMT

Moonshadow (Sent Friday, April 10, 2009 10:50 AM)

Bev doesn't know what she's taking about, or just plain lying. I heard on C-Span the other night about the 2 million given to ACORN. It's a fact, but one that all libs will deny.
What lib on this blog has the guts to admit the money given to ACORN?

Anna Molly might tell the truth. She's one of the more respected libs here by the conservatives, but don't count on it. They're all smear merchants.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Moonshadow:
You're a moon watcher. You should walk in your shadow and not that of another; especially thode of the Republican wingnuts. Confucius said...A man can not get rich watching his neighbor if he watches day and night. HA HA HA HA!
The stimulus didn't go through the Obama Administration. It was that acerbic big mouthed Michelle Malkin who thought she found something she could tag on the President Obama's Administration. Don't walk in those wingnut's shadow if you want to be your self. This can only be related to the Bush Administration.
See below...

Neighborhood Preservation
Bank of America is committed to helping create economically vibrant and stable communities. The mortgage foreclosure crisis has had devastating social and economic consequences for families and communities across the country.
Recently, Bank of America
and Countrywide Financial Corporation announced a $35 million neighborhood preservation
and foreclosure prevention package. The package, which is comprised of both grants and
low-cost loan/investments supports nonprofit partners already conducting effective
foreclosure prevention, financial and homebuyer education programs and activities. It
complements efforts undertaken by the U.S. government and other housing agencies, such
as the $180 million allocation from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) to NeighborWorks® America to boost the capacity of both national and local nonprofits
supporting distressed homeowners. The program spans grants and investments made from
October 2007 through June 2009.
The $35 million Neighborhood Preservation Package consists of:
• $10M in direct grants to national and local organizations from Bank of America and the
Bank of America Charitable Foundation engaged in foreclosure prevention and
education programs
• $5M in direct grants from Countrywide to organizations engaged in foreclosure
prevention programs
• $5M in unallocated grants to address future needs, including counseling and education
efforts
• $15M in program-related investments (PRI) to create capacity for nonprofit affordable
housing organizations to preserve affordable home ownership and rental units in
deeply impacted cities by acquiring and redeploying foreclosed properties
Giving and investments details:
Total NATIONAL GRANTS
OCTOBER 2007 through JUNE 2009 $5,500,000
• ACORN Housing Corporation (Chicago, IL) - $2,000,000
• Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) - $500,000
• Housing Partnership Network (Boston, MA) - $200,000
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (Washington, DC) - $500,000
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (Silver Spring, MD) - $250,000
• Homeownership Preservation Foundation (Minneapolis, MN) - $250,000
• National Urban League (New York, NY) - $300,000
• NeighborWorks® America (Washington, DC) - $1,000,000

Hud has 2 grants the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and the NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) programs. But those funds cannot be used for anything resembling ACORN's controversial voter registration programs. HUD has very strict rules for projects that can be funded through CDBG grants, including promotion of home ownership and micro-enterprise assistance.

ACORN – and any other nonprofit entity – would be eligible to compete for NSP as it already does for CDBG funds), but the key words here are "eligible" and "compete."

The group's chief organizer, Bertha Lewis, has said..."We have not received neighborhood stabilization funds, have no plans to apply for such funds, and didn't weigh in on the pending rule changes."

President Ford (a Republican) signed the NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program)into law in 1974.
The NEW NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) was authorized in 2008 as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act signed into law by President BUSH.

Btw: If you don't believe me fact- check it or go to Politifact.com. When you listen to your radio next time make sure understand what you hear. That would help you a lot.

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Casey - Sebastopol, Ca — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:56:03 GMT

@Clara

Yeah, kind of reminds me of the whole "PUMA" thing... claiming huge numbers but not able to show or prove them.

And some people should look up the connotations of T-bag before using it without care, LOL. Methinks its meaning is somewhat different in THIS century!

First thoughts: Salesman-in-chief

Casey - Sebastopol, Ca — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:57:56 GMT

Glenn Beck is a RUSH wanna-be.