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	<title>NO QUARTER &#187; Barack Obama</title>
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		<title>Apparently, Holder Has Other Things To Do</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/11/20/apparently-holder-has-other-things-to-do/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/11/20/apparently-holder-has-other-things-to-do/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[9/11]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ACORN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dept. of Justice (Obama)]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=36467</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Than look at ACORN.  Yet, the hits just keep on coming.  There is another tape out from James O&#8217;Keefe of filmmaker James O&#8217;Keefe and Hannah Giles going to ACORN offices in an expose of the lengths to which ACORN workers will go to assist in setting up an underage prostitution ring.  Here [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Than look at ACORN.  Yet, the hits just keep on coming.  There is another tape out from <a href="http://biggovernment.com/2009/11/19/the-la-story-part-iv-program-for-torture-victims/">James O&#8217;Keefe</a> of filmmaker James O&#8217;Keefe and Hannah Giles going to ACORN offices in an expose of the lengths to which ACORN workers will go to assist in setting up an underage prostitution ring.  Here is the latest video released by O&#8217;Keefe:</p>
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<p>Oh, boy.  So, did I get this right, ACORN has/is working with Larry Flynt, the king of pornography???  Holy crappydoo &#8211; I am sure so many people will be happy to know that&#8217;s to whom their hard earned dollars are going.<span id="more-36467"></span></p>
<p>Thursday night, James O&#8217;Keefe, Hannah Giles, and Andrew Breitbart were on Hannity (h/t to <a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net/">Bronywyn&#8217;s Harbor</a> for this video), and they have some mighty interesting thins to say about who is being scrutinized, and who is not:</p>
<p><script type="text/javascript" src="http://video.foxnews.com/embed.js?id=11754444&amp;w=400&amp;h=249"></script><noscript>Watch the latest business video at <a href="http://video.foxbusiness.com/">FOXBusiness.com</a></noscript></p>
<p>What, they expect AG Holder to go after ACORN?  Why, because of the numerous tapes revealing their wrong doing?  They want him to listen to the whistle blowers who are willing to come forward to expose what ACORN has done &#8211; with our tax dollars, I might add?  Hey, he&#8217;s BUSY working on bringing the 9/11 Masterminds to NYC for a Civilian trial, for pete&#8217;s sake (for recent posts on this topic, go <a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/11/16/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-will-destroy-obama/">HERE</a> and <a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/11/19/miranda-rights-for-terrorist-aliens/">HERE</a>).  I mean, really &#8211; he&#8217;s got his hands full <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLIYbHc7kZU">being schooled by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)</a> on the whole military tribunal thing and all.  Sheesh &#8211; what do they expect?  For Holder to do his JOB???</p>
<p>I am sure they did not expect for Jerry Brown to go after THEM rather than the ACORN employees.  Then again, given the way this Administration has been going with ACORN, maybe they should have.  I mean, isn&#8217;t that why Obama brought in Bauer, to run interference for ACORN?  Oh, no, wait &#8211; that was to &#8220;<a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/67695-rep-steve-king-bauer-was-hired-to-erase-tracks-between-obama-acorn">erase tracks between Obama and ACORN.</a>&#8221;  Well shoot, in that case, for what are Jerry Brown and Eric Holder waiting??  Ahem.</p>
<p>Well, I don&#8217;t think any of us are going to be holding our breath for THAT.  And it is so typical that the people exposing the massive problems with ACORN are the very ones being targeted by the Powers-That-Be, rather than the organization engaging in questionable activities.  </p>
<p>Our justice system really has lost its bearings when war criminals are extended rights given to American citizens. And American citizens who expose wrong doing by a group receiving Taxpayers money are targeted by those with connections to the justice system.  I guess Obama HAS brought change to America&#8230;</p>
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		<title>Obama and Pelosi Ram through Health Care, Ignoring “The Urgency of Now” on J.O.B.S.…</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/11/09/obama-and-pelosi-ram-through-health-care-ignoring-%e2%80%9cthe-urgency-of-now%e2%80%9d-on-jobs%e2%80%a6/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/11/09/obama-and-pelosi-ram-through-health-care-ignoring-%e2%80%9cthe-urgency-of-now%e2%80%9d-on-jobs%e2%80%a6/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bailouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank Bailouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Campaign promises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Democratic Party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economic Stimulus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama's Budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pandering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Race Card]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rahm Emanuel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Speaker Nancy Pelosi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Universal Health Care]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=35868</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just before midnight Saturday, the House rammed through the 2,000 page monstrosity laughingly known as the health care bill.  I’d say they did it under cover of night, reneging on a promise of a 72-hour waiting period.  Again, who read this thing?  How much arm twisting was involved to prevail in this [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Just before midnight Saturday, the House rammed through the 2,000 page monstrosity laughingly known as the health care bill.  I’d say they did it under cover of night, reneging on a promise of a 72-hour waiting period.  Again, who read this thing?  How much arm twisting was involved to prevail in this close vote of 220-215?  All across the net there is a rather horrifying picture of a delusional Nancy Pelosi with a victorious grin on her face, overjoyed at an accomplishment that ignores the concerns of a plurality of the American people, who are now opposed to, or at the very least, dubious about the measures she sought so feverishly to pass. </p>
<p>Ironic that yesterday, NY Times columnist Charles Blow, certainly an Obama cheerleader from way back, penned a column entitled <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/opinion/07blow.html">Obama’s to Fix</a>, in which he cautions the President to stop blaming George Bush for the “mess” he inherited.  Clearly, our President, far from undoing such a mess, is daily making a bigger one of his own.  Mr. Blow begins with this ominous phrase:  </p>
<blockquote><p>What a difference a year makes.  </p>
<p>In October 2008, the candidate Barack Obama delivered a major economic speech in Toledo, Ohio. In it he said: “Right now, we face an immediate economic emergency, and that requires urgent action. We can’t wait to help workers and families and communities who are struggling right now — who don’t know if their job or their retirement will be there tomorrow; who don’t know if next week’s paycheck will cover this month’s bills. &#8230; We need to pass an economic rescue plan for the middle-class, and we need to do it not five years from now, not next year, we need to do it right now. </p>
<p>“So today I’m proposing a number of steps that we should take immediately to stabilize our financial system, provide relief to families and communities and help struggling homeowners. It’s a plan that begins with one word that’s on everybody’s mind, and it’s easy to spell: J-O-B-S.”<span id="more-35868"></span></p>
<p>“Right now,” “immediate economic emergency,” “requires urgent action,” “can’t wait.” Wow! He gave the impression that job creation would be his top priority, that action would be swift and effective, that his solutions would not only stanch the hemorrhaging, but reverse the trend. </p></blockquote>
<p>He has not made jobs his top priority.  This health care debacle, bailing out Wall Street, getting into the car business and generally putting money into the pockets of everyone except those who need it have all taken priority over putting Americans back to work.   And, no, putting an extra $13 a week into people’s paychecks is not going to do the trick when as Mr. Blow points out the new official labor statistics have us at 10.2 unemployment, which is an increase of “more than 50 percent from the time Obama gave that speech.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“(By the way, the underemployment rate, which includes part-time workers who want to work full time and those who’ve given up searching, is a staggering 17.5 percent.)”</p></blockquote>
<p>I am still at a loss to understand why there was such a great urgency to pass health care legislation that is not supposed to go into effect for more than three years.  Someone on another blog made the observation that Obama and Pelosi et al are using the economic crisis and joblessness as a weapon to pass their agenda.  As people are panicked at losing their jobs and their healthcare, they are more likely to look to government to bail them out – and more amenable.  As Rahm Emanuel said, “never waste a good crisis.”  What better time to ram this through.  Mr. Blow continues:</p>
<blockquote><p>Job creation has dropped from top priority to one of many, and President Obama has been remanded to pandering for patience and offering excuses. On the one hand, he argues the tortured rationale that there is good news in the awful numbers: Things are still getting worse but at a slower pace. On the other, he incessantly reminds us that he inherited the crisis. The implication: Don’t blame me, blame Bush. </p>
<p>But this president can’t keep deflecting to the last one. Pain is presently felt. The crisis that took form on Bush’s watch is being experienced on Obama’s. Fair or not, finger-pointing is not effective policy. </p>
<p>This is now Obama’s crisis, and it carries political consequences. During Tuesday’s gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, nearly 9 in 10 voters said that they were worried about the direction of the nation’s economy in the next year. And the majority of those who held that view voted for the Republican candidates. This could portend a flashback to 1994.</p>
<p>It isn’t President Obama’s fault that he inherited this mess, but it is his to fix, and he must make haste. To paraphrase his Toledo prelection: you need to do it not five years from now, not next year, you need to do it right now. J-O-B-S. </p></blockquote>
<p>There were many options to put people back to work this year if that was really the priority.  Clearly it was not.  This President spent almost a billion dollars to get <em>his</em> job.  I don’t want to hear complaints now.  Obviously, he inherited a mess, which he has made worse with reckless spending.  No one expects him to fix everything in the space of a year, but I thought his “good judgment” meant he knew how to prioritize.  We need leadership and part of that involves sacrificing one’s ego to help those who need it most.  That is far more important than pushing legislation just for the purpose of putting a check mark next to one’s name.  You don’t not spend billions, even trillions, you don’t have at a time like this.  Since this bunch so miscalculated on their $787 billion stimulus package, I am not inclined to trust them now by handing over 1/6 of the economy to their stewardship.</p>
<p>It is interesting that Mr. Blow, who played the race card on Mr. Obama’s behalf last year, is now joining the ever increasing number of his pundit supporters who are having problems with his endless campaigning, blaming and wrongheaded focus.</p>
<p>As to the health care debate, I called my Congressman’s office Friday morning to complain about the bill and his assistant debated the merits with me.  At least she took the time to do so.  It was a shame she was wrong on the facts.  I told her to go back and read the thing.  Now we have a 2,000 page beast that the Senate must contend with and we are told it will never pass in its current form.  So why the rush?  Why wouldn’t this Administration be in the same kind of rush to help get people back to work?  </p>
<p><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29235.html">There are 237 millionaires in Congress</a>.  Perhaps that explains why they have difficulty relating to the urgent need to put millions of Americans back of work, instead manufacturing an urgent need to pass labrynthian legislation for the mere purpose of saying “Mission Accomplished.”  </p>
<p>Hmm.  Where have we heard that phrase before?  </p>
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		<slash:comments>39</slash:comments>
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		<title>Another “Classy” Democrat We Can Do Without….</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/28/another-%e2%80%9cclassy%e2%80%9d-democrat-we-can-do-without%e2%80%a6/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/28/another-%e2%80%9cclassy%e2%80%9d-democrat-we-can-do-without%e2%80%a6/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:45:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNC idiocy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hillary Clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sarah Palin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=35269</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(Bumped up from earlier today.)
Florida Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson, the man who stood on the floor of the House and said ‘Republicans want you to die’ just got himself into a little tepid water for making saying that:
Linda Robertson, an adviser to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, [is] “a K Street whore.&#8221;  
Bret Baier [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>(Bumped up from earlier today.)</em></p>
<p>Florida Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson, the man who stood on the floor of the House and said ‘Republicans want you to die’ just got himself into a little tepid water for making saying that:</p>
<blockquote><p>Linda Robertson, an adviser to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, [is] “a K Street whore.&#8221;  </p></blockquote>
<p>Bret Baier of FOX News reports that <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569897,00.html">Democrats Rip One of Their Own for His Language</a>.  But frankly, the ripping is rather mild in my view.  </p>
<blockquote><p>New Jersey Democrat Bill Pascrell tells the Politico: &#8220;There&#8217;s no call for that language&#8230; that&#8217;s absurd.&#8221;</p>
<p>New York Democrat Anthony Weiner says: &#8220;Is this news to you that this guy&#8217;s one fry short of a Happy Meal?&#8221;</p>
<p>And Nevada Democrat Dina Titus dubbed Grayson&#8217;s remarks, &#8220;a bit extreme and rather sexist.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>That’s the best they can do?<span id="more-35269"></span>   </p>
<p>Rather sexist? He called the woman a whore.  If this man is a Democrat, he is someone the party can certainly do without.  But after the grotesque sexist slurs of the 2008 election cycle directed at both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, nothing would surprise.  While I am glad a few in the party bothered to actually say something, where is Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the house?  Why is she not censuring him for this behavior?</p>
<blockquote><p>Grayson heeded the criticism, and apologized late in the day, saying in a statement: &#8220;I offer my sincere apology to Linda Robertson&#8230; I did not intend to use a term that is often, and correctly, seen as disrespectful of women.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>A term that is <em>often</em> seen as disrespectful to women?  <em>Often?</em>  You mean there are times when calling a woman a whore is OK?  Who are these people?  To make matters worse.  Baier reports the following:</p>
<blockquote><p>Despite the outcry from Democrats, the White House is not rushing to distance itself from Grayson. At a Monday night fundraiser, President Obama called Grayson an &#8220;outstanding member of Congress.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>I would hope the President would chastise this man for these filthy words.  Democrats can no longer claim to be the party of women’s rights if they don’t stand up, as one, and declare that this behavior by one of their own is outrageous and not to be tolerated.</p>
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		<title>President Obama Is Insulting Americans Again</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/24/president-obama-is-insulting-americans-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/24/president-obama-is-insulting-americans-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:55:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arrogance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elitism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hillary Clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama's Characteristics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama-Barack & President Barack (PARENT CATEGORY FOR ALL OBAMA REFS.!)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=35094</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(Bumped up from Friday.)
MSNBC carried a blip of President Obama speaking in New York at a fundraiser. Sadly, the President is up to his old tricks.  Remember when he was at a hoity-toity fundraiser in San Francisco and complained of Pennsylvania voters &#8220;clinging to God and guns&#8221;?  That didn&#8217;t go over so well. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>(Bumped up from Friday.)</em></p>
<p>MSNBC carried a blip of President Obama speaking in New York at a fundraiser. Sadly, the President is up to his old tricks.  Remember when he was at a hoity-toity fundraiser in San Francisco and complained of Pennsylvania voters &#8220;clinging to God and guns&#8221;?  That didn&#8217;t go over so well.  Remember Gates-gate where Obama declared that &#8220;the police acted stupidly&#8221; before he knew all the facts?</p>
<p>Here, in the name of passing health care he says that &#8220;Democrats are an opinionated bunch&#8221; likely referring to the trouble he&#8217;s been having with the Blue Dogs.  He said &#8220;y&#8217;all thinking for yourselves.&#8221;  Then he says that Republicans basically &#8220;do what they&#8217;re told.&#8221;   His robotic arm movements to make fun of &#8220;the other party&#8221; are really a sight to behold.  When is a President supposed to make fun of American citizens &#8212; some of whom actually voted the man into office.  </p>
<p>See for yourselves&#8230;</p>
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<span id="more-35094"></span></p>
<p>Interesting however, is that while he pretends to praise the fact that Democrats are &#8220;thinking for themselves&#8221; what he is really saying is that he wants Democrats to &#8220;do as <em>they</em> are told&#8221; as far as passing his fiasco of a health care proposal.  Yet he belittles Republicans for &#8220;doing as they&#8217;re told.&#8221;  </p>
<p>Which is it Mr. President?</p>
<p>When exactly would he like us to think for ourselves?  I guess we already know the answer to that.   The real problem is Republicans and quite a few in his own party are not following his instructions.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t like bullies and I don&#8217;t care which party they belong to.  It is grossly inappropriate for the President of the United States to belittle millions of people.  This health care bill has never been adequately explained, nor is it formed.  Yet in the midst of a disastrous economy, struggling citizens are asked to forego all good sense and follow the President and this Congress off a cliff without first asking any pertinent questions.  </p>
<p>No one, regardless of party, whether an average citizen or a representative in Congress should be &#8220;doing as they are told.&#8221;  What is required now is something we have all too little of &#8212; people thinking for themselves, getting all the facts and making a reasoned decision based on what is best for their families and for the country.</p>
<p>The President&#8217;s arrogance is staggering.  And like the senseless feud he has started with FOX News, the one organization that refuses to pour the Kool-Aid, this is another example of behavior that lessens the gravitas of the office to which he was elected.  As Hillary Clinton said during the primary last year, &#8220;You don’t need a President who looks down on you.&#8221;</p>
<p>I wonder if even those who voted for him are starting to feel this behavior is divisive and destructive.</p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
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		<title>Fuzzy Math For Women</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/19/fuzzy-math-for-women/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/19/fuzzy-math-for-women/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bronwyn's Harbor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Congress (House & Senate)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gender Bias]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hillary Clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MSNBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Bias]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Misogyny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morning Joe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sarah Palin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sexism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=34997</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Co-written with Reverend Amy.
MSNBC is devoting the week to news and opinion stories on the dramatically shifting power and influence of women in America.  The week&#8217;s reports, led by Maria Shriver and John Podesta, is called &#8220;A Woman&#8217;s Nation.&#8221;  Below you&#8217;ll find videos of two segments that contain impressive statistics on the growing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Co-written with <a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/author/rabble-rouser-reverend-amy/">Reverend Amy</a>.</em></p>
<p>MSNBC is devoting the week to news and opinion stories on the dramatically shifting power and influence of women in America.  The week&#8217;s reports, led by Maria Shriver and John Podesta, is called &#8220;<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33247001/ns/today-a_womans_nation">A Woman&#8217;s Nation</a>.&#8221;  Below you&#8217;ll find videos of two segments that contain impressive statistics on the growing status of women.</p>
<p>Over and over again, in segments I caught today, MSNBC played Hillary Clinton&#8217;s powerful but saddening speech about those &#8220;18 million cracks.&#8221;  (I still cannot watch that speech without my throat tightening.  Every time I hear it,  I&#8217;m reminded about what might have been had she received the nomination she won, and then the presidency, which she surely would have won.)</p>
<p>Then there&#8217;s the gorilla in the room that we all know: Only two women, <em>ever</em>, have been on a national ticket (Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin) and, then, as VP candidates.</p>
<p>The only two women to run for president, said the men of MSNBC (with the females* nodding along), were the wives of top-level politicians &#8212; Elizabeth Dole and Hillary. The three women running currently for governor, including Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, were mentioned as future viable candidates, as was Sarah Palin in passing.</p>
<p>Podesta and Joe Scarborough said there&#8217;s <strong>no &#8220;bench&#8221;</strong> from which to consider a woman for national office, and the two men referred to the three female candidates as the only potential (emphasis on <em>potent</em>) candidates. Oddly (or typically), in describing the lack of that &#8220;bench,&#8221; the MSNBC hosts failed to mention the women who currently are governor.  Oh, wait &#8211; that&#8217;s right.  Women who are in the same positions as their male counterparts don&#8217;t count as much as the men do.  How could I forget that reality?<span id="more-34997"></span></p>
<p>If present and past governors such as Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and Howard Dean have been easily regarded as part of the male bench &#8212; and we all know that male governors are regularly, habitually promoted for national office &#8212; why don&#8217;t the MSNBC males consider the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_state_governors_in_the_United_States">current female governors</a> serving their states? Are Jodi Rell (CT), Christine Gregoire (WA), Beverly Perdue (NC), and Jan Brewer (AZ) so shunted aside in any national media discussion that no one outside their states even knows who they are?  Why don&#8217;t any of them merit a mention for national office? Why is a former governor, Sarah Palin, the only female mentioned, and even then, with derision, as if she had no business even being acknowledged as governor of a state?  It is a fairly prestigious accomplishment given the fairly low numbers of governors in general.  She WON the position.  It was not handed to her.  Yet, neither she, nor the other female governors are treated the same as their male counterparts.</p>
<p>Ever since I watched that segment on <em>Morning Joe</em>, the MSNBC males&#8217; dismissal of any of the current female governors &#8212; not even a word about them, let alone their names &#8212; has been eating at me.  How dare these males say that women have &#8220;no bench&#8221; of candidates until they, themselves, realize that the media regularly fail to mention any of these powerful female governors?</p>
<p>Then there are the <a href="http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa121198.htm">13 female</a> U.S. senators.  Why do no media outlets ever bring up, say, Senator Maria Cantwell as a potential presidential candidate?  Why not Maria Cantwell?  If John (yech) Kerry can be the Democratic nominee, why not Cantwell?</p>
<p>Just in case you are keeping score, there are <a href="http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa121198.htm">61 women</a> in the U.S. House of Representatives.  As a reminder, there are 435 Representatives in the House.</p>
<p>You know, for a group that is the majority, women are woefully under-represented. </p>
<p>Now, the videos.  The first is a segment from <em>Morning Joe</em> followed by <em>Meet The Press</em>.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s important to note the discussion in the videos about what MEN need too.</p>
<p><center>
<div><iframe height="339" width="425" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/:2425001/vp/33378119#33378119" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 425px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">Breaking News</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">World News</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">News about the Economy</a></p>
</div>
<p><div><iframe height="339" width="425" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/33368158#33368158" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 425px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">Breaking News</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">World News</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">News about the Economy</a></p>
</div>
<p></center></p>
<p>Yes, women have made some strides, particularly in the workplace.  But women still have to outperform men for comparable jobs, and even then, they are often passed over (look no further than the Clinton v. Obama race).  Politics in general is still firmly entrenched in the Boys Club.  Seems the same for the media, if these two videos are par for the course, and after this past election, I have no doubt that they are.</p>
<p>And so it goes.  I guess this old adage is still true: the more things change, the more they remain the same.  I&#8217;m ready for a change.  How about you?</p>
<p>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .</p>
<p>* His co-host, Mika Brzezinski, and guest, Maria Shriver &#8212; the two women in the segment &#8212; were astonishingly silent on Scarborough&#8217;s boisterous &#8220;no bench&#8221; imbroglio.</p>
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		<title>If You Control The Message, You Control It All</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/19/if-you-control-the-message-you-control-it-all/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/19/if-you-control-the-message-you-control-it-all/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:15:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bamboozling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Censorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Plouffe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fox News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hoodwinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Bias]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Handling of Story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama Comrades]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=34979</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thus proclaims the White House Communications Director, Anita Dunn.  Of course, many of us actually knew this already, or strongly suspected that was the case.  How nice to have someone in Obama&#8217;s administration, someone pretty high up,confirm it:
President Obama&#8217;s presidential campaign focused on &#8220;making&#8221; the news media cover certain issues while rarely communicating [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thus proclaims the <a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/091018/p29#a091018p29">White House Communications Director, Anita Dunn</a>.  Of course, many of us actually knew this already, or strongly suspected that was the case.  How nice to have someone in Obama&#8217;s administration, someone pretty high up,confirm it:<br />
<blockquote>President Obama&#8217;s presidential campaign focused on &#8220;making&#8221; the news media cover certain issues while rarely communicating anything to the press unless it was &#8220;controlled,&#8221; White House Communications Director Anita Dunn disclosed to the Dominican government at a videotaped conference.</p>
<p>&#8220;Very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn&#8217;t absolutely control,&#8221; said Dunn.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the reasons we did so many of the David Plouffe videos was not just for our supporters, but also because it was a way for us to get our message out without having to actually talk to reporters,&#8221; said Dunn, referring to Plouffe, who was Obama&#8217;s chief campaign manager.</p></blockquote>
<p>Here she is, telling the tale.  You don&#8217;t have to wait long to hear her say it:<span id="more-34979"></span></p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TLR5jHlytRg&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TLR5jHlytRg&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<!--more--><br />
Doesn&#8217;t that make you feel all warm and &#8220;tingly&#8221; inside?  Yeah, me too.  I think it&#8217;s called high blood pressure:<br />
<blockquote>Continued Dunn: &#8220;Whether it was a David Plouffe video or an Obama speech, a huge part of our press strategy was focused on making the media cover what Obama was actually saying as opposed to why the campaign was saying it, what the tactic was. … Making the press cover what we were saying.&#8221; 	 </p>
<p>Dunn was speaking at a Jan. 12, 2009, event focusing on Obama&#8217;s media tactics and hosted by the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, which seeks to promote collaboration between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. The event was held in Santo Domingo and was attended by the country&#8217;s president.</p></blockquote>
<p>Did you catch that?  She said this over NINE months ago.  <span style="font-weight:bold;">NINE</span>!!  And this is just now coming out?  Way to make the case, Ms. Dunn &#8211; the media is nothing but a bullhorn for whatever you tell them to say.  Pathetic.</p>
<p>You may know Ms. Dunn for other reasons that have been in the news of late.  The first would be her starting a war with Fox News:<br />
<blockquote> Dunn has been facing some criticism since she led a White House campaign last week against Fox News, slamming the top-rated network as an &#8220;arm of the Republican Party&#8221; and &#8220;opinion journalism masquerading as news.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>From her own lips: </p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1AEt180Wnls&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1AEt180Wnls&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>But you know, not everyone will role over for Ms. Dunn paving the way of The One:</p>
<blockquote><p>Fox hit back this past Friday, releasing a video of Dunn speaking to high school students last June in which she lists her two &#8220;favorite political philosophers,&#8221; including Communist Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung, whose draconian policies are blamed for the deaths of tens of millions of people. </p></blockquote>
<p>Oh, yeah &#8211; she said it.  Not Mother Teresa and, say, Nelson Mandela.  Or Martin Luther King, Jr.  Or Ghandi.  Or the Dalai Lama.  Nope.  Mao Tse-tung:</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HiBDpL2dExY&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HiBDpL2dExY&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>Holy smokes.  In case you need a little refresher of who Mao is, you can click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Tse-Tung">HERE</a>.</p>
<p>So, that&#8217;s the White House Communications Director, Anita Dunn.  She seems to fit right into the Obama crowd, doesn&#8217;t she?  I&#8217;m sure she and Bill Ayers probably have a lot to talk about, or maybe she just hangs out with Obama&#8217;s old Socialist Party friends (<a href="http://www.socialists.com/">remember that</a>?  Oh, yeah &#8211; card-carrying member of the <a href="http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&#038;pageId=78945">New Party</a>.).  Hey, it could happen!!</p>
<p>I do know that this admission is mighty disturbing.  To have confirmed by the White House Communications Director that they purposely controlled the media, thus the message, is telling.  And scary as shit, I might add.  As is the press ALLOWING itself to be manipulated in this way.  Maybe now we really can stop calling them the &#8220;press,&#8221; and instead call them the Obama Propaganda Team?  Or Orchestrated For America?  What&#8217;s your take?</p>
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		<title>What A Bunch Of Racist Hicks Here In South Cackalacky</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/14/what-a-bunch-of-racist-hicks-here-in-south-cackalacky/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/14/what-a-bunch-of-racist-hicks-here-in-south-cackalacky/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:50:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights Act of 1964]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Congress (House & Senate)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hillary Clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michelle Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Race Card]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Racism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Carolina]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=34815</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At least according to my representative, Jim Clyburn.  Let me just say that this is not at ALL what I had planned to write about this morning.  I was going to write about the Senate Finance Committee voting on a bill that hasn&#8217;t even been written out yet, more a theoretical bill, if [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At least according to my representative, Jim Clyburn.  Let me just say that this is not at ALL what I had planned to write about this morning.  I was going to write about the Senate Finance Committee voting on a bill that <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/HealthCare/health-care-senate-finance-committee-approves-baucus-bill/story?id=8817603">hasn&#8217;t even been written out yet</a>, more a theoretical bill, if you will (thus, IMHO, dereliction of duty &#8211; how can you vote on a bill that is not written down???).  And I was going to add in a video of Doug Elmendorf of the CBO testifying before the Senate that the CBO doesn&#8217;t KNOW how much money the Health Care Reform Bill wil cost in terms of taxes, debt, etc.</p>
<p>But then, my fellow <a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net">NQ writer/friend</a>, LisaB, alerted me to a story I missed in my own home town paper while I was out of town, which she found at <a href="http://www.michellemalkin.com">Michell Malkin&#8217;s site</a>.  Now, you may recall that I have no love lost for this man who repeatedly stabbed the Clintons in the back before our primary last year, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sean-wilentz/james-clyburn-happy-to-pl_b_99320.html?show_comment_id=12782934">painting them as racists</a> for stating actual facts (like that it takes a president to sign a bill into law &#8211; one would THINK a US Representative would be aware of that, but apparently, Rep. Clyburn does not know that).  So, I was not at all surprised that he claimed in a recent<a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/oct/10/clyburn-cites-sc-hostility/"> Post and Courier article that Michelle Obama</a> won&#8217;t come to SC because we&#8217;re all a bunch of racists and too hostile.  Oh, how I wish I was making this up:<br />
<blockquote>U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said Friday that a conversation with White House staff left him with the sense that a hostile environment in South Carolina is keeping the first lady from visiting.<br />
<span id="more-34815"></span><br />
The high-ranking South Carolina Democrat said he has received more than 100 invitations for Michelle Obama. But this summer when he brought one of those requests to her staff on behalf of his alma mater, South Carolina State University, Clyburn said her security was an issue.</p>
<p>The conversation came after former Richland County GOP activist Rusty DePass suggested on Facebook in June that an escaped zoo gorilla was not harmful because it was probably one of Mrs. Obama&#8217;s ancestors. DePass&#8217; comment was coupled with a remark in July from U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican. DeMint said that beating the president&#8217;s health care plan would be a &#8216;Waterloo&#8217; moment for Obama.</p>
<p>Congressman Joe Wilson&#8217;s &#8216;You lie!&#8217; outburst during Obama&#8217;s joint address on health care reform last month didn&#8217;t help either, Clyburn said.</p>
<p>&#8216;A lot of it has to do with the fact that the climate in South Carolina just is not good, and that&#8217;s a shame,&#8217; Clyburn said at a roundtable discussion at his Columbia office.</p>
<p>&#8216;I do believe it is keeping her away from this state,&#8217; he said.</p>
<p>The congressman said the first lady&#8217;s family connections in South Carolina and her fond childhood memories from Georgetown County left many excited at the possibility that the Obamas would vacation on the coast here. Her security must be guaranteed before that could happen, Clyburn said.</p>
<p>DePass said Clyburn&#8217;s comments were off base.</p>
<p>&#8216;The idea that people in South Carolina are hostile to the Obamas is poppycock,&#8217; he said. &#8216;That&#8217;s utterly ridiculous.&#8217;</p></blockquote>
<p>I concur.  Just more race baiting from Rep. Clyburn.  Oh, I am so proud that he speaks for me &#8211; NOT.  But there&#8217;s more:<br />
<blockquote>DePass apologized before the South Carolina Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for his Facebook comment, and reiterated that apology</p>
<p>Friday. He also said that his history with the Republican Party included reaching out to minority voters and trying to remove the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse dome.</p>
<p>Wilson&#8217;s office also said Clyburn was wrong.</p>
<p>&#8216;Congressman Wilson respectfully disagrees with Congressman Clyburn&#8217;s assumption,&#8217; Wilson spokesman Ryan Murphy said in a statement. &#8216;He believes the people of South Carolina would welcome the president and the first lady should they decide to visit our great state.&#8217;</p>
<p>Neither the first lady&#8217;s press office nor the Secret Service provided comment for this story. DeMint&#8217;s office also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>
<p>Pat Caddell of Hanahan, an expert on public opinion polls and a Democratic strategist, said South Carolina surely has racists among its residents, but racism isn&#8217;t the prevailing sentiment. &#8216;The Democratic Party will blow itself up if it keeps assigning things as racist,&#8217; Caddell said. (Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-926-7855 or <a href="ywenger@postandcourier.com">ywenger@postandcourier.com</a>.)</p></blockquote>
<p>Sigh.  I have to tell you, I am pretty damn sick and tired of being called a racist because I live in South Carolina for starters, but for any, ANY, questioning of President Obama&#8217;s policies (or lack thereof).  For Rep. Clyburn to claim that the First Lady isn&#8217;t coming here, even though she has FAMILY here, because it&#8217;s &#8220;hostile&#8221; just makes me, well, &#8220;hostile!&#8221;</p>
<p>I had to read some of the comments at the end of the article to see what some of my fellow Palmetto State residents had to say.  Three in particular caught my attention.  The first is obviously in response to another comment:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">treasured</span> wrote:</p>
<p>regulardude&#8230;Please give us a break!</p>
<p>Was Obama&#8217;s negative remarks about the US to other countries patriotic?You get respect when respect is earned.</p>
<p>Just because he is the President does not mean that we have to agree with him and like you, we can voice our opinions and our concerns.</p>
<p>There have been many concerns about this President and they have not just been from SC.You are just reading articles from a SC paper.What is the difference in your remarks accusing us of not respecting the President and you obviously not respecting your own state that you insist on living in?Must be something you like about it.</p>
<p>I have grown children and I have a young child. As it stands right now, they and their children will have to pay back for many years all the money that Obama has dished out in his so called stimulus plans.</p>
<p>Now, if you want to sing his praises, well and good, but don&#8217;t call the rest of us unpatriotic if we don&#8217;t agree with what he is doing.That is our right as Americans.</p></blockquote>
<p>And this one:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">caberchucker</span> wrote:<br />
Yeah, that makes sense that she&#8217;s &#8220;scared&#8221; of the hostility in SC. Oh wait, didn&#8217;t the Obamas and Oprah have to move their rally to USC&#8217;s stadium while campaigning, so they could accomidate all the people? Nevermind, I guess that never actually happened.</p></blockquote>
<p>Uh yeah, evidently not.</p>
<p>And finally, this one, which I think really hits at the core of this charge by Rep. Clyburn:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">wonderdog</span> wrote:<br />
Clyburn is embarrassed because he got snubbed by the Obamas, so he made up this nonsense to make it appear that it&#8217;s somebody&#8217;s fault. If he can get enough people to buy into that BS, maybe he can convince himself, too.</p></blockquote>
<p>Now that the Obamas have no more use to them after he played his role as patsy during the campaign, why should they deign to do anything that might help him in some way?  But yes, so much easier &#8211; for Rep. Clyburn, that is &#8211; to blame it on the very people who sent him to D.C.  Nice, really nice.  Can&#8217;t wait to see what he calls us next!</p>
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		<title>Mr. President, Why Did You Want This Job?</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/07/mr-president-why-did-you-want-this-job/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/07/mr-president-why-did-you-want-this-job/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:01:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arrogance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank Bailouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bush administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago politics]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[George Bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michelle Obama]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Obama Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama's Broken Promises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama's Budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama's Characteristics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama-Barack & President Barack (PARENT CATEGORY FOR ALL OBAMA REFS.!)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obamatopia Mirage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=34359</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I would like an answer to my question.  How can someone be so determined to knock everyone else off the stage that he would spend nearly a billion dollars to do it, and when his waffling and doubling dealing in office don’t yield the desired result, blame President Bush and everyone else under the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I would like an answer to my question.  How can someone be so determined to knock everyone else off the stage that he would spend nearly a billion dollars to do it, and when his waffling and doubling dealing in office don’t yield the desired result, blame President Bush and everyone else under the sun for his predictable lack of leadership skills.  The Democrats have controlled Congress since 2006.  With overwhelming Democratic majorities in Congress now, what’s the problem?  Could it be our Democratic Commander in Chief was not as ready or right on day one as he promised? I next want to know how he dare take this job at such a difficult time if that was the case.</p>
<p>The American Idol president is running his own reality show and we are picking up the tab.  Mr. Obama seems to think that he and his wife are the most fascinating part of the American narrative.  Last Friday, the IOC clarified the butter for the Obamas.  In the past months, we have published many articles reporting on Kool Aid drinkers who have lifted their heads from the pink trough, dazed and confused, wondering where the “Change” is.  The list is long:  Peggy Noonan, Frank Rich, Susan Estrich, Andrew Sullivan, Camille Paglia, Robert Reich.  Feel free to add your own.  Today I add three more to that growing list.  </p>
<p>First WaPo’s Richard Cohen complains <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/10/06/obama_doesnt_seem_ready_to_lead.html">Obama Doesn&#8217;t Seem Ready to Lead</a>: <span id="more-34359"></span></p>
<blockquote><p>Barack Obama&#8217;s trip to Copenhagen to pitch Chicago for the Olympics would have been a dumb move whatever the outcome. But as it turned out (an airy dismissal would not be an unfair description), it poses some questions about his presidency that are way more important than the proper venue for synchronized swimming. The first, and to my mind most important, is whether Obama knows who he is.</p>
<p>This business of self-knowledge is no minor issue. It bears greatly on the single most crucial issue facing this young and untested president: Afghanistan. Already, we have his choice for Afghanistan commander, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, taking the measure of his commander in chief and publicly telling him what to do.  This MacArthuresque star turn called for a Trumanesque response, but Obama offered nothing of the kind.  Instead, he used McChrystal as a prop, adding a bit of four-star gravitas to that silly trip to Copenhagen by having the general meet with him there.</p></blockquote>
<p>Mr. Cohen is blaming Gen. McChrystal for someone else leaking his report to the President.  The more important point is, as Gen. Wes Clark or anyone else who’s actually been in this position will tell you (and as he did say in an interview this weekend), you’d better listen to your commanders on the ground.  Cohen is right that the 25 minute meeting with McChrystal on Friday was merely a photo op.  He’s still deliberating.  How many more months of ‘deliberating” are required while our soldiers are dying in Afghanistan?</p>
<blockquote><p>This is the president we now have: He inspires lots of affection but not a lot of awe. It is the latter, though, that matters most in international affairs, where the greatest and most gut-wrenching tests await Obama. If he remains consistent to his own rhetoric of just last August, he will send more troops to Afghanistan and more of them will die. &#8220;This is not a war of choice,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al-Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>President Obama has the disastrous example of Iraq where Bush’s Generals told him from the outset that an overwhelming force was needed.  They did not get it.  You saw the result.  Obama himself admitted that the belated 2007 surge was wildly successful.  How much more evidence does he need?  Define the mission, and either send the forces in to get the job done or pull all our men and women out of there.  Choose.  Lead.  That’s the job description.  Date night I don’t care about.  Dog walking I don’t care about.</p>
<p>Cohen concludes:</p>
<blockquote><p>But the ultimate in realism is for the president to gauge himself and who he is: Does he have the stomach and commitment for what is likely to be an unpopular war? Will he send additional troops, but hedge by not sending enough &#8212; so that the dying will be in vain? What does he believe, and will he ask Americans to die for it? Only he knows the answers to these questions. But based on his zigzagging so far and the suggestion from the Copenhagen trip that the somber seriousness of the presidency has yet to sink in, we have reason to wonder.</p></blockquote>
<p>Has the seriousness of the presidency sunk in?  Now there’s a question.  </p>
<p>You may be surprised to note that NY Times columnist Bob Herbert is wondering the same thing.  A huge cheerleader for Obama, Herbert cried racism and even saw phallic symbols in the leaning tower of Pisa in a misguided attempt to defend his chosen hero last year.  Now he wonders <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/opinion/06herbert.html">Does Obama Get It?</a>  Well, Mr. Herbert, don’t feel bad.   This question has been keeping me up nights, too.  He states: </p>
<blockquote><p>The big question on the domestic front right now is whether President Obama understands the gravity of the employment crisis facing the country. Does he get it? The signals coming out of the White House have not been encouraging.</p></blockquote>
<p>Clearly Mr. Herbert, if you have to ask, then Obama does not understand the gravity of the situation.  Where is his good judgment?  How can one not understand 9.8 unemployment – in reality it is a much higher number when one includes Americans out of work for so long they have fallen off the rolls.</p>
<blockquote><p>The Beltway crowd and the Einsteins of high finance who never saw this economic collapse coming are now telling us with their usual breezy arrogance that the Great Recession is probably over. Their focus, of course, is on data, abstractions like the gross domestic product, not the continued suffering of living, breathing human beings struggling with the nightmare of joblessness.</p>
<p>Even Mr. Obama, in an interview with The Times, gave short shrift to the idea of an additional economic stimulus package, telling John Harwood a few weeks ago that the economy had likely turned a corner. “As you know,” the president said, “jobs tend to be a lagging indicator; they come last.”</p>
<p>The view of most American families is somewhat less blasé. … </p>
<p>Nearly one in four American families has suffered a job loss over the past year, according to a survey released by the Economic Policy Institute. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans is officially unemployed, and the real-world jobless rate is worse. </p></blockquote>
<p>It is a nightmare.  No one is blasé when they are worried how they are going to feed their families.  What about the porkulus package?  Is this administration waiting to release most of the funds in 2010 to help them at the polls?  If that is the case, shame on them.  </p>
<p>Why should Obama understand when he isn’t spending his own money?  Half million dollar pizza parties, an obscene amount spent on the inauguration and several million on this reckless Copenhagen junket show a frightening disconnect between Obama’s priorities and his fiduciary responsibility to the American people.  Herbert continues:</p>
<blockquote><p>The Obama administration seems hamstrung by the unemployment crisis. No big ideas have emerged. No dramatically creative initiatives. While devoting enormous amounts of energy to health care, and trying now to decide what to do about Afghanistan, the president has not even conveyed the sense of urgency that the crisis in employment warrants.</p>
<p>If that does not change, these staggering levels of joblessness have the potential to cripple not just the well-being of millions of American families, but any real prospects for sustained economic recovery and the political prospects of the president as well. An unemployed electorate is an unhappy electorate. </p></blockquote>
<p>Mr. Herbert, they are already crippled, but instead of addressing the urgency of the economy and Afghanistan head on, we get what George Will calls <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/10/06/olympic_gold_for_narcissism_98591.html">The Obamas&#8217; Narcissism on Display</a>.  Speaking of Mr. and Mrs. Obama’s speeches before the IOC last week, </p>
<blockquote><p>…Their separate speeches to the International Olympic Committee were so dreadful, and in such a characteristic way, that they might be symptomatic of something that has serious implications for American governance.</p>
<p>Both Obamas gave heartfelt speeches about &#8230; themselves. Although the working of the committee&#8217;s mind is murky, it could reasonably have rejected Chicago&#8217;s bid for the 2016 games on aesthetic grounds &#8212; unless narcissism has suddenly become an Olympic sport.</p></blockquote>
<p>George Will suggested that since the Obamas used so many &#8220;I&#8221; and &#8220;me&#8221; references in their speeches, Obama’s genius speechwriters (Favreau et al) should have substituted the words I and me with &#8220;sauerkraut&#8221; to underscore the ‘antic nature of their excessive appearances.’  Someone needs to tell the Obamas that what is compelling about America is all Americans – all colors of the rainbow, all states, all social strata – together.  All of us.  Not just the two of them.  And all of us are hurting out here.  Our soldiers are hurting, too.</p>
<p>Will also points to Obama’s excessive use of cliché:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;At this defining moment,&#8221; a moment &#8220;when the fate of each nation is inextricably linked to the fate of all nations&#8221; in &#8220;this ever-shrinking world,&#8221; he aspires to &#8220;forge new partnerships with the nations and the peoples of the world.&#8221;<br />
&#8230;<br />
Does our Cicero even glance at his speeches before reading them in public?</p></blockquote>
<p>All this is indicative of a man not connected to his words or not caring enough about either his audience or the subject at hand to come up with anything better than patented brand phrases that some focus group told him “resonate” with the public.  </p>
<p>Our soldiers and our economy need a coherent plan.  Now.  He has had ample time to figure this out, as has Congress.  Too much energy is focused on infighting for a health care plan that is such an incoherent monstrosity that they should trash it and start over.  This is not even supposed to take effect until 2013, after the next election.  Hmmm I wonder why.  All things considered, that leaves health care the least urgent issue of the three.  </p>
<p>On Afghanistan and the economy, pressing matters where lives, jobs and homes are on the line – where is the president?  Will concludes:</p>
<blockquote><p>Unhappy will be a president whose defining adjective is &#8220;vain.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>In keeping with the vanity of this man’s administration, we also see that nothing President Obama does is his own fault.  This is the job he wanted.  And a majority of the electorate voted him in to do it.  What is he waiting for?  There is no one else to blame if he hems and haws so long that Afghanistan is lost.  There is no one else to blame if he insists on focusing on parts of an agenda that are not helping put the American people back to work.  This is his presidency now.  So I’ll ask again.  </p>
<p>Mr. President, why did you want this job?  </p>
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		<title>Correction: Make That $5 Million</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/06/correction-make-that-5-million/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/06/correction-make-that-5-million/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:45:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ACORN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago politics]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=34311</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Oh, boy.  This doesn&#8217;t look good for ACORN, not that much does these days.  You may recall that Dale Rathke, one of the two founders of ACORN, had embezzled $1 million dollars, according to this NY Times article.  That became the widely accepted amount, not that that embezzlement stopped our government from [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Oh, boy.  This doesn&#8217;t look good for ACORN, not that much does these days.  You may recall that Dale Rathke, one of the two founders of ACORN, had embezzled $1 million dollars, according to this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/us/09embezzle.html">NY Times article</a>.  That became the widely accepted amount, not that that embezzlement stopped our government from giving them millions of our dollars.</p>
<p>Well, it turns out that figure of $1 million is just a little low.  By $4 million dollars, that is.  Holy smokes.  In this article, <a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/091005/p126#a091005p126">ACORN Embezzlement Was $5 Million, LA Attorney General Says</a>, that figure is revised way up, and not by a reporter, or a politician with an ax to grind, as ACORN would not doubt claim, but the State Attorney General:<br />
<blockquote>Louisiana&#8217;s attorney general has broadened the scope of an investigation of <a href="http://blog.nola.com/tpmoney/2008/10/acorn_dirty_laundry_to_be_aire.html">ACORN</a> to include a possible embezzlement of $5 million a decade ago within the community organization, five times more than previously reported.</p>
<p>ACORN Chief Executive Officer Bertha Lewis said the new reported amount is &#8220;completely false.&#8221;</p>
<p>Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has been conducting <a href="http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/base/news-3/125325123915020.xml&#038;coll=1">an investigation of ACORN</a> since June. He issued subpoenas in August seeking documents related to former ACORN International President <a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/09/former_acorn_organizer_worries.html">Wade Rathke</a> and his brother Dale Rathke, who kept the group&#8217;s books. Those subpoenas were focused on possible ACORN violations for non-payment of employee withholding taxes, obstructing justice and violating the Employee Retirement Security Act. No charges have been made.<br />
<span id="more-34311"></span><br />
The attorney general had inquired in June into an alleged embezzlement within ACORN that happened 10 years ago. The group last year dealt with an internal dispute and a lawsuit involving accusations that Dale Rathke made nearly $1 million in improper credit card charges in 1999 and 2000. The brother and a donor repaid the money.
</p></blockquote>
<p>Did you catch that?  <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/hey_big_spender_ekp1paAPaHSUidBrZOKKEO">A &#8220;donor&#8221; helped</a> pay back the money.  Dale was not formally charged, nor did he have to spend any time in prison. None. Now we know it was so much more money than previously thought:<br />
<blockquote>Caldwell said last month that the statute of limitations presented obstacles to prosecutors taking action on the embezzlement, and that his investigation was not focused on that issue. The <a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/10/acorn_embezzlement_was_5_milli.html">subpoena issued Monday</a> changed the tone of the investigation and put a new emphasis on the embezzlement issue.</p>
<p>&#8220;Current high-ranking members of ACORN have publicly acknowledged that embezzlement did in fact occur, but the exact amount of the embezzlement was unknown until it was recently acknowledged in a board of directors meeting on Oct. 17, 2008, by Bertha Lewis and Liz Wolf that an internal review had determined that the amount embezzled was $5 million, &#8221; the new subpoena says.</p>
<p>The subpoena says, &#8220;It is still unclear if some of the monies embezzled are from state, federal or private funds.&#8221;</p>
<p>The subpoena requests documents from Citizens Consulting Inc., a financial arm of ACORN, and from various accounting and legal consultants in New Orleans. Investigators are trying to verify the issues raised in the subpoena.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to follow the evidence where it leads us and try to do the right thing,&#8221; said David Caldwell, head of the attorney general&#8217;s public corruption and special prosecutions divisions. &#8220;We are actively investigating the case, whatever the outcome might be. This is something we are devoting our full attention to.&#8221;</p>
<p>Wade Rathke, who was in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, referred questions to ACORN officials. Lewis said she would comment further after she and ACORN attorneys had a chance to review the subpoena.</p>
<p>ACORN board member Vanessa Gueringer, chairwoman of the Lower 9th Ward Chapter, said she had not seen the subpoena but that the accusation about the larger embezzlement was untrue.</p>
<p>&#8220;I believe it is another lie, another witch hunt, &#8221; Gueringer said.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1253424061142910.xml&#038;coll=1">ACORN</a>, which provides counseling on housing and other assistance to low and moderate income families, has been reeling from national negative publicity in recent weeks. Actions have been taken on the federal level and by many states, including Louisiana, to end public contracts with the group. (Robert Travis Scott can be reached at <a href="rscott@timespicayune.com">rscott@timespicayune.com</a> or 225.342.4197.)
</p></blockquote>
<p>Now that&#8217;s some Major League Denial going on there, isn&#8217;t it??  The Attorney General of the State isn&#8217;t just making stuff up.  He has actually been INVESTIGATING <a href="http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/base/news-3/125325123915020.xml&#038;coll=1">ACORN</a>, and rightly so.  </p>
<p>Let&#8217;s just do the math here.  ACORN has received $53 Million of our taxpaying dollars.  Dale Rathke embezzled $5 million from ACORN.  Sure they get donations, but honestly &#8211; you don&#8217;t think some of that money was OURS????  And why is he NOT IN PRISON??  That&#8217;s what I&#8217;d like to know.  Hopefully, he will be soon, thanks to the LA State Attorney General.</p>
<p>And that begs the question &#8211; where has everyone ELSE been on this issue?  It&#8217;s not like it wasn&#8217;t public knowledge, and not like it hasn&#8217;t been reported in major newspapers across the country.  I&#8217;m glad someone is doing his job.</p>
<p>And speaking of the Rathke Brothers, don&#8217;t forget that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wade_Rathke">Wade</a> is also the one who co-founded the SEIU, yes, the <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/Public/Content/article.aspx?RsrcID=47864">union that held California hostage</a>.  Well, you are not going to believe where their name pops up in connection to the White House.  Check out this video, beginning at the 1:45 minute mark:</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s6RIggjq-EQ&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s6RIggjq-EQ&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>Holy smokes.  The SEIU is working with the Wite House and the NEA to spend YOUR/OUR money on propaganda.  </p>
<p>And we thought the Bush Administration was bad about the whole propaganda thing&#8230;</p>
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		<title>Are You Tired Of Seeing&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/05/are-you-tired-of-seeing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/10/05/are-you-tired-of-seeing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chicago]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flip Flopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreign Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Huffington Post]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Michelle Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Muslims & Arabs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Secretary of State Hillary Clinton]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=34215</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Photos like this every single day, especially as The One Who Thinks He Is King and his wife, thought their awesomeness would win Chicago the 2016 Olympics:


Or this:

And finally (!), this:

I sure as hell know I am.  Oh, and all photos came from this Huffington Post site &#8211; where else, unless it was MSNBC? [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Photos like this every single day, especially as The One Who Thinks He Is King and his wife, thought their awesomeness would win Chicago the 2016 Olympics:</p>
<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/SsisZ7On4NI/AAAAAAAAAjs/Mq8RtCLT3gk/s1600-h/Obamas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/SsisZ7On4NI/AAAAAAAAAjs/Mq8RtCLT3gk/s400/Obamas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388746515544531154" /></a><br />
<span id="more-34215"></span><br />
Or this:</p>
<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/SsisZWCoz8I/AAAAAAAAAjk/RAkmvJBbERw/s1600-h/Obamas+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/SsisZWCoz8I/AAAAAAAAAjk/RAkmvJBbERw/s400/Obamas+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388746505562148802" /></a></p>
<p>And finally (!), this:</p>
<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/SsisZOZV3qI/AAAAAAAAAjc/v42FlGQxKyo/s1600-h/Obamas+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/SsisZOZV3qI/AAAAAAAAAjc/v42FlGQxKyo/s400/Obamas+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388746503509892770" /></a></p>
<p>I sure as hell know I am.  Oh, and all photos came from this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/02/obama-pda-in-copenhagen-p_n_307481.html?slidenumber=8#slide_image">Huffington Post site</a> &#8211; where else, unless it was MSNBC?  Ahem.  There are plenty more, if you wish to go see them.  I know you&#8217;re surprised by that.</p>
<p>I tell you who I would rather see.  While the Obamas and their pal, Oprah, you know, the one who anointed Obama as The One, were wasting our tax dollars on a trip no other president has made EVER, there was someone who was hard at work for the country.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, of course, as the <a href="http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/Rp7CC01vgNp/Clinton+Meets+Sec+y+General+Organization+Islamic/JAxJZz0zfGd/Hillary+Clinton">photos*</a> below make clear.  She was meeting with Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who is the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to discuss issues related to Muslim relations around the world.  Here she is greeting him:</p>
<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/Ssiu9iPnAxI/AAAAAAAAAkM/ni32Nek-vLU/s1600-h/Clinton%2BMeets%2BSec%2By%2BGeneral%2BOrganization%2BIslamic%2B0LCdtN-GiSEl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/Ssiu9iPnAxI/AAAAAAAAAkM/ni32Nek-vLU/s400/Clinton%2BMeets%2BSec%2By%2BGeneral%2BOrganization%2BIslamic%2B0LCdtN-GiSEl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388749326336328466" /></a></p>
<p>Here is Secretary Clinton in rapt attention as he speaks:</p>
<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/SsiuqFMljXI/AAAAAAAAAj8/gBxUJXY8yDE/s1600-h/Clinton%2BMeets%2BSec%2By%2BGeneral%2BOrganization%2BIslamic%2BJAxJZz0zfGdl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/SsiuqFMljXI/AAAAAAAAAj8/gBxUJXY8yDE/s400/Clinton%2BMeets%2BSec%2By%2BGeneral%2BOrganization%2BIslamic%2BJAxJZz0zfGdl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388748992121507186" /></a></p>
<p>And here, Secretary Clinton indicates it is time to move on:</p>
<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/Ssiupw618zI/AAAAAAAAAj0/tZX2M7qZDdw/s1600-h/Clinton%2BMeets%2BSec%2By%2BGeneral%2BOrganization%2BIslamic%2Bi_1Oj8oqgk7l.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ohjlmIeE2rI/Ssiupw618zI/AAAAAAAAAj0/tZX2M7qZDdw/s400/Clinton%2BMeets%2BSec%2By%2BGeneral%2BOrganization%2BIslamic%2Bi_1Oj8oqgk7l.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388748986678375218" /></a></p>
<p>Look at how he looks at her.  We have seen this look of respect from leaders all around the world.  They know what so many of us know &#8211; this woman is no political lightweight.  She is brilliant, she is knowledgeable, and she is capable. She will get the job done, no hemming and hawing around, no sirree.</p>
<p>Sophie B. Hawkins says it all in the video below:</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EwEiQOVzXdA&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EwEiQOVzXdA&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>Damn &#8211; I wish she was president, too&#8230;</p>
<p>* All photos by Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America</p>
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		<title>John Edwards Is Told Where To Get Off…</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/24/john-edwards-is-told-where-to-get-off%e2%80%a6/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/24/john-edwards-is-told-where-to-get-off%e2%80%a6/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Democratic Nomination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Edwards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Presidential Candidates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=33499</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I would not typically publish a further smack-down to a smack-down.  But every now and then, something is written that is so spot on, it requires further highlight and big hooting Brava!  Susan Estrich today published just such a piece telling Senator John Edwards what he ought to be doing.  Here’s the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I would not typically publish a further smack-down to a smack-down.  But every now and then, something is written that is so spot on, it requires further highlight and big hooting Brava!  Susan Estrich today published just such a piece telling <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_susan_estrich/dear_john">Senator John Edwards what he ought to be doing</a>.  Here’s the long and the short of it:</p>
<blockquote><p>Dear John,<br />
Just. Shut. Up.</p></blockquote>
<p>The occasion of her instruction came because Edwards is now pondering</p>
<blockquote><p>… &#8220;publicly&#8221; acknowledging paternity of his mistress&#8217;s baby, [though he] had not yet brought his wife around to the idea. With his mistress, baby in arms, testifying before a grand jury about the payments she received from Edwards&#8217; associates, and the campaign aide he had pushed to claim paternity now shopping a book about the deceit, Edwards is reportedly considering a public affirmation of paternity as a way to spin the story in his direction &#8212; make it look like he is standing up to take responsibility, doing the &#8220;right thing.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Ms. Estrich phrases the following like a delicate soufflé, perfectly timed as it comes out of the oven, piping hot and puffy:<span id="more-33499"></span></p>
<blockquote><p>Message to John Edwards: We know it&#8217;s your baby. Everyone knows that. You want to do the right thing? Do it privately. Do penance for the next 20 years. Wash your wife&#8217;s feet and help the poor. But don&#8217;t make public pronouncements or expect public forgiveness.</p>
<p>Nothing John Edwards can do will change the judgment we have reached about him. World-class scumbag doesn&#8217;t begin to describe it. I can think of no one in recent political history whose betrayal matches his.</p></blockquote>
<p>While Ms. Estrich states that other politicians have likewise had affairs and does not excuse any of them, she points out in this case, his actions really go above and beyond the term “dog”: </p>
<blockquote><p>How many times did I say that an extramarital affair is not an impeachable offense? It isn&#8217;t. But when your wife has metastatic breast cancer, when you use everybody around you, when you lie to her and your aides and the voters, when you distort a presidential race you had no business being in and bring a child into the world because of your arrogance and cruelty, then it&#8217;s an unforgivable one.</p></blockquote>
<p>Therein lies the problem.  His wife and campaign manager knew about the affair and advised Mr. Edwards not to run for the President in 2008.  He did it anyway.  I’m not going to play woulda coulda shoulda here, but the man campaigned in Iowa for two years.  What if he were not part of the equation?  He also took campaign contributions knowing he had this damning secret.  </p>
<p>There was no way he could have believed he would get away with this all the way to election time.  He was crucified for getting a $400 haircut.  Although one could argue another man who is a political lightweight possessed of heavy personal baggage currently occupies the White House, we must remember that Edwards didn’t have the advantage of playing the race card daily to silence any critics or opponents.</p>
<p>Ms. Estrich rightly points out the continuing humiliation Elizabeth Edwards and her children must endure in processing this continuing mess, played out in front of a grand jury as it is determined whether or not Mr. Edwards acted illegally in funneling campaign monies to help support his mistress.  Ugh.</p>
<p>I am reminded of the Democratic Convention last August.  The second night was devoted to the accomplishments of women.  Elizabeth was one of the scheduled speakers – until John Edwards’ actions were discovered.  Suddenly not only he was scrubbed from the Convention, but her speech was cancelled as well.  He did something wrong.  She did nothing.  Yet she must hide out along with him.  She is an accomplished, respected woman who set an example with her courageous fight against cancer and should have been allowed to speak.  She is not his chattel.</p>
<p>Just more of an unfortunate double standard that shows no signs of dissipating.  I appreciate Ms. Estrich for saying what many should have said long ago.</p>
<p>It is cold comfort to discover that there is more than one politician who suffers from narcissistic personality disorder.</p>
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		<title>White House To Insurance Companies &#8211; &#8220;Shut The F**K Up!&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/23/white-house-to-insurance-companies-shut-the-fk-up/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/23/white-house-to-insurance-companies-shut-the-fk-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:15:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Censorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Congress (House & Senate)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom of Speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Insurance Policies & Industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicare]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=33468</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By now, surely you have heard about the White House threatening a Gag Order on insurance companies, Humana in particular out of KY.  Why?  Because they dare to tell their members what will happen to Medicare Advantage if the current Health Care Bill goes through.  Damn their eyes &#8211; what are they [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By now, surely you have heard about the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/22/AR2009092201849.html">White House threatening a Gag Order</a> on insurance companies, Humana in particular out of KY.  Why?  Because they dare to tell their members what will happen to Medicare Advantage if the current Health Care Bill goes through.  Damn their eyes &#8211; what are they thinking, giving their members pertinent information on what can happen to their Medicare Advantage Plan?  Sheesh!  That takes some nerve, don&#8217;t it(poor grammar intended)?</p>
<p>But wait, it gets worse.  The White House, through Health and Human Services, isn&#8217;t just telling them to STF up, they are THREATENING Humana and these insurance companies in general:<br />
<blockquote>The government might take enforcement action against insurers that have tried to mobilize opposition to the legislation by sending their enrollees &#8220;misleading and confusing&#8221; messages, a senior official of the Department of Health and Human Services said in a memo Monday.</p>
<p>The mailings in question urge enrollees to contact their congressional representatives and protest the legislation, the memo said.</p>
<p>A spokesman for America&#8217;s Health Insurance Plans, the industry&#8217;s main lobbying group, issued a statement Tuesday criticizing what he described as the government&#8217;s &#8220;gag order.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Seniors have a right to know how the current reform proposals will affect the coverage they currently like and rely on,&#8221; AHIP spokesman Robert Zirkelbach said. </p></blockquote>
<p><span id="more-33468"></span><br />
Now, all of us who said that Obama was simply going to take Chicago Politics national, raise your hand.  Yep &#8211; we were all right.  Honestly, though, I&#8217;d rather be wrong on this, but that ship has sailed.  In essence, the White House is saying, &#8220;If we don&#8217;t like what you&#8217;re saying, we&#8217;ll come after you.&#8221;  Nice.  Really nice.  And we thought Bush was bad.  (Remember that?  When we were so upset about his &#8220;propaganda&#8221; through the media?  At least he wasn&#8217;t threatening private companies who didn&#8217;t agree with his proposed policies.  Never thought I&#8217;d be defending Bush.  See what Obama has done to me?!?!)</p>
<p>But I digress. </p>
<p>Remember when all of Obama&#8217;s supporters kept touting his legal expertise particularly in terms of the Constitution during the campaign?  And I kept saying, &#8220;the better to tear it to shreds.&#8221;  Sure seems to me that&#8217;s exactly what he is trying to do with the First Amendment:<br />
<blockquote>Proposed health reform legislation would sharply reduce funding for Medicare Advantage plans, and the insurance industry has been battling to prevent that from happening. The bill unveiled last week by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, would directly cut payments to Medicare Advantage plans by an estimated $123 billion over 10 years, and it would indirectly reduce funding for those plans by another $15.6 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.</p>
<p>The big insurer Humana triggered the HHS crackdown with a letter to Medicare enrollees claiming that health reform proposals could hurt &#8220;millions of seniors and disabled individuals&#8221; who &#8220;could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Advantage plans so valuable.&#8221; The letter was sent in envelopes marked &#8220;important information about your Medicare Advantage plan &#8212; open today!&#8221;</p>
<p>HHS wrote to Humana last week instructing it to stop the mailings, and it wrote to all Medicare Advantage plans Monday, saying &#8220;such communications are potentially contrary to . . . federal law.&#8221; The government regulates communications between the health plans and their members.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight:bold;">Baucus had urged HHS to crack down on the mailings</span>.  (Emphasis mine.)</p>
<p>&#8220;It is wholly unacceptable for insurance companies to mislead seniors,&#8221; he said in a Monday news release. &#8220;The health care reform bill we released last week strengthens Medicare and does not cut benefits under the Medicare program &#8212; and seniors need to know that,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The AHIP spokesman countered that if the proposed cuts are enacted, &#8220;seniors will face premium increases, reduced benefits, and, in some parts of the country, will lose access to their Medicare Advantage plan altogether.&#8221;</p>
<p>Humana spokesman Tom Noland said beneficiaries &#8220;deserve to know the impact that funding cuts of the magnitude being discussed would have on benefits and premiums.&#8221; </p></blockquote>
<p>Peter Johnson provided a VERY good overview of the issue in the video below:</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b0cZdOaalVU&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b0cZdOaalVU&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the question this just begs to be asked: If this plan is so great, why is it unable to withstand any real scrutiny without threats of retaliation for stating what is in it?  That, to me, is a big, huge red flag that someone is lying here, and it does not seem to be Humana.</p>
<p>Oh, and since I&#8217;m on the topic of the Health Care Bill, here is a HUGE issue that may be facing us if this plan, as it is, goes through:</p>
<p><embed type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://foxnews1.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/foxnews1-foxnews-pub01-live/current/largeplayer011008/fncLargePlayer/client/embedded/embedded.swf' id='mediumFlashEmbedded' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' bgcolor='#000000' allowScriptAccess='always' allowFullScreen='true' quality='high' name='undefined' play='false' scale='noscale' menu='false' salign='LT' scriptAccess='always' wmode='false' height='275' width='305' flashvars='playerId=011008&#038;playerTemplateId=fncLargePlayer&#038;categoryTitle=&#038;referralObject=9938009&#038;referralPlaylistId=playlist' /></p>
<p>Holy toledo.  So, a gag order to insurance companies for telling the truth, and another possible truth we&#8217;re not hearing enough about &#8211; there likely will not be enough doctors to care for us under this new plan.  Yep, no more First Amendment, and not enough doctors willing to provide care under this plan.</p>
<p>Well,that&#8217;s just jake. </p>
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		<title>And Which One Is Lying Here?</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/22/and-which-one-is-lying-here/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/22/and-which-one-is-lying-here/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bamboozling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michelle Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Universal Health Care]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=33311</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A classic case of &#8220;She said, he said,&#8221; is what we have here, that&#8217;s for sure.  This next video (courtesy of longtime reader, SFIndie) illustrates the conundrum:

Um, it seems to me that if you happen to be the President of the United States, maybe you could appoint a Fact Checking Czar to go with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A classic case of &#8220;She said, he said,&#8221; is what we have here, that&#8217;s for sure.  This next video (courtesy of longtime reader, SFIndie) illustrates the conundrum:</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Ea4GxYtT2Y&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Ea4GxYtT2Y&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>Um, it seems to me that if you happen to be the President of the United States, maybe you could appoint a Fact Checking Czar to go with the other Thirty-One &#8211; make a nice even number of it.  I&#8217;m just saying &#8211; when you are giving a speech before Congress, televised all over the nation, it seems the very least he could do is MAKE SURE HIS FACTS ARE CORRECT.<span id="more-33311"></span></p>
<p>Hey &#8211; maybe THAT&#8217;S when Rep. Wilson called him a liar!  He KNEW Obama was lying about the cancer-stricken patient he was using for political gain.  Just a thought.</p>
<p>Not for nothing, but they are using their own daughter to further this debate?  Interesting.  Funny how they don&#8217;t seem to make the connection that they are MILLIONAIRES, most people in this country are NOT, and the illness wasn&#8217;t serious (according to Michelle, anyway).  Or that they both had jobs at the time &#8211; really, really, good jobs.  Or that those jobs provided excellent health coverage, the very kind that <a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/terry-trippany/2009/09/17/87-employers-reduce-benefits-if-health-care-reform-increases-costs">87% of employers </a>would work to reduce if this Health Care Reform goes in as defined now.  I know, picky, picky, picky&#8230;</p>
<p>Anyway, you know, there are plenty of REAL examples from which Obama could choose, I am sure, but honestly &#8211; why lie? ABOUT HIS OWN DAUGHTER?  Is it just that he hasn&#8217;t met a truth he couldn&#8217;t corrupt?  What&#8217;s the deal?</p>
<p>Oh, well.  I am sure there will be plenty more examples to examine as his time in office goes on.  But for now, I will leave you with this peppy little tune.  I&#8217;m sure it will stick with you for the next 3 yrs and 4 months:</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gj_EPRWKFrs&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gj_EPRWKFrs&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>The Right Woman to Take Teddy Kennedy’s Senate Seat</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/20/the-right-woman-to-take-teddy-kennedy%e2%80%99s-senate-seat/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/20/the-right-woman-to-take-teddy-kennedy%e2%80%99s-senate-seat/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:01:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hillary Clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Martha Coakley]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=33045</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the Presidency, Massachusetts was the most telling primary.  The three most powerful men in the state, Senators Kennedy, Kerry and Governor Duval Patrick endorsed Barack Obama yet Hillary still won the state by over 15 pts.  The old boys club failed to fool the voters.  They [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the Presidency, Massachusetts was the most telling primary.  The three most powerful men in the state, Senators Kennedy, Kerry and Governor Duval Patrick endorsed Barack Obama yet Hillary still won the state by over 15 pts.  The old boys club failed to fool the voters.  They saw the best candidate and voted for her.  </p>
<p>Once again, we have a woman vs. the old boys club in the run for the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat.  So let me share a spot of good news with all of you.  According to the <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/09/poll_suggests_c.html">Boston Globe</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has a higher favorability rating than any other candidate in the rapidly-coalescing field for the US Senate seat left vacant by the death of the late Edward M. Kennedy, a new poll released tonight shows.</p></blockquote>
<p>Attorney General Coakley’s credentials are impeccable.  Moreover, she had the good sense to be a fierce Hillary supporter last year, refusing to give up her vote at the Convention even after Hillary released her delegates.  Ms. Coakley still voted for the stronger candidate.<br />
<span id="more-33045"></span><br />
Martha Coakley has sued for equal marriage rights, filing a constitutional challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act, protesting the fact that 16,000 married same-sex couples are being unfairly denied benefits.  [<a href="http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/8303956">Although the Obama Administration Asked Court To Dismiss Another Challenge To Anti-Gay Marriage Law</a> ].  She defended children against clergy sexual abuse, has won settlements that protect consumers and fought those who are unfair to workers, indicting contractors in connection with prevailing wage law violations.  Sounds like just the kind of voice we need in the Senate right now.</p>
<p>Given Massachusetts progressive bent, it is surprising how difficult it is for qualified women to rise to positions of power in that state.  The Hill’s article, <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/58433-coakleys-tough-battle-in-mass-special-election">Coakley’s Tough Battle in Massachusetts Special Election</a>, states</p>
<blockquote><p>Martha Coakley has the statewide profile, the political know-how, and the early edge needed to win a special election for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat. But is she the right gender? </p>
<p>By most accounts, the Massachusetts attorney general should be and is the frontrunner in the special election, at least for now, and as the lone female candidate in a field of male congressmen, she should have a built-in advantage with half the electorate.</p>
<p>But this is Massachusetts, and the bluest state in the union has a not-so-Democratic reputation for turning away female candidates.   </p>
<p>Women have been elected to just four statewide offices, none of which have been governor or Senate. Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) in 2007 became just the fourth woman elected to Congress in state history, and the first in a quarter-century.</p></blockquote>
<p>It’s time to break that trend.  January’s upcoming special election would be a good place to start.</p>
<p>Of note, Politico’s recent article <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27152.html">Women Lawmakers Outperform Men</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Are women more effective lawmakers than men? </p>
<p>That’s the preliminary conclusion of a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University and the University of Chicago, who say that on average, women in Congress introduce more bills, attract more co-sponsors and bring home more money for their districts than their male counterparts do.</p></blockquote>
<p><em>Could that be because we are better at multitasking and are smarter shoppers?</em>  Hee hee. And the following information is just shocking – not:</p>
<blockquote><p>The researchers also found that women introduced more legislation than men who served in their same districts, often hitting the ground running in their first terms. </p>
<p>“We find that, on average, women sponsor about three bills more per Congress per term than their male counterparts,” said Anzia. “They co-sponsor more bills than other members, and they also obtain more co-sponsors for their own bills.” </p>
<p>Since 1789, women have constituted just 2 percent of the total congressional population. The ratio of female to male representatives has increased in recent years, but the pace is still fairly glacial: Nearly 17 percent of House members are women today, compared with about 3 percent in 1979. </p>
<p>…Women who run and win are likely the most politically ambitious and talented of their pool, having potentially overcome hurdles including voter bias and self-doubt about their ability to win. … Large majorities of both men and women in candidate feeder pools, such as law offices and political organizations, believe there is a bias against women in elections, according to Lawless and Fox studies in 2005 and 2004.</p>
<p>Once women get to Capitol Hill, those hurdles may drive them to perform better, on average, than male counterparts who have faced a less contentious road. </p></blockquote>
<p>We know something about that, don’t we?  </p>
<p>While I was encouraged by the polling data in the Boston Globe, it is clear Ms. Coakley faces a tough battle and needs funding and boots on the ground to turn out the vote.  As The Hill noted: </p>
<blockquote><p>One Democratic consultant not aligned with any of the special election candidates said the glass ceiling is even tougher now because of the nature of low-turnout special elections and the timing of it, with a cold December primary and a colder January general election.</p>
<p>“She has to figure out not just how to get women votes but how to get senior women to vote for her and break a pattern where older women in Massachusetts don’t like women candidates,” the consultant said.</p>
<p>Coakley, who in 2006 was elected the state’s first female attorney general, is proudly running with the women’s mantle and has garnered the support of EMILY’s List and other women’s groups.</p></blockquote>
<p>Emily&#8217;s List noted in an email the other day:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;In the 24 years since we founded EMILY&#8217;s List, I can&#8217;t think of a single race where the need was so urgent and the opportunity so great. We have a chance to make history once more, but we can&#8217;t afford to wait.&#8221;</p>
<p>Martha has everything going for her-intelligence, experience, competence and compassion-except the money- Shame of having a local campaign chest that can&#8217;t be used for a national position unlike the other candidates who are starting with well over 1 million dollars each. </p>
<p>Please do anything you can to help- $25-$4,800 ($2,400 for primary; $2,400 for general)  Your money-no matter how small will matter-let&#8217;s level the playing!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.actblue.com/page/mc2010">http://www.actblue.com/page/mc2010</a></p>
<p>Check made out to Martha Coakley for Senate Committee:</p>
<p>Martha Coakley Committee<br />
Box 220<br />
State House Station<br />
Boston MA 02133</p></blockquote>
<p>For articles, updates on the campaign and information on all things Martha, please visit:  <a href="http://www.womenforcoakley.com/">Women for Coakley</a></p>
<p>I am proud to support Martha Coakley and hope that, once again, Massachusetts voters can look at the field and choose the best candidate.</p>
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		<title>I Am So Sick Of Obama&#8230; **OPEN THREAD**</title>
		<link>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/20/i-am-so-sick-of-obama-open-thread/</link>
		<comments>http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/20/i-am-so-sick-of-obama-open-thread/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:01:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Congress (House & Senate)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Democrats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Handling of Story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obamedia]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/?p=32151</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I tried to write something about Obama after his 263rd speech last Wednesday evening &#8211; not making up that number &#8211; but I just couldn&#8217;t.  I am sick to death of him already.  I am sick of seeing his face on the cover of my newspaper, on the cover of just about every [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I tried to write something about Obama after his 263rd speech last Wednesday evening &#8211; not making up that number &#8211; but I just couldn&#8217;t.  I am sick to death of him already.  I am sick of seeing his face on the cover of my newspaper, on the cover of just about every magazine in the grocery store checkout line, and I am most DEFINITELY sick of seeing him on the TV.  And, how many more speeches did he give after that the big one!   Sheesh,  WTH already??  He had a captive audience that night &#8211; that wasn&#8217;t enough for him?  Not for nothing, but he messed with the airing of &#8220;Wipeout&#8221; on Wednesday, dadgummit!  Hey &#8211; I have my priorities!!</p>
<p>Well, and if that didn&#8217;t just beat all, dangit &#8211; I  switched the channel to NOT have to watch him go on and on &#8211; and there he was on a COMMERCIAL.  I thought I was safe going over to ESPN.  Apparently not.  Blech.</p>
<p>I swear, though, if I see that damn &#8220;Cha, Cha, Cha, Cha Chia&#8221; Obama commercial one more time, well, I&#8217;m not sure my tv is safe.  And when they claim it&#8217;s a &#8220;great opportunity&#8221; to get one?  Well, yes SOMEONE is being opportunistic, but I don&#8217;t think it is the buyer.  Ahem. </p>
<p>Then there are the Sunday morning news shows.  Because Obama hasn&#8217;t gotten his face on tv ENOUGH this week, or gone on and on about this faulty plan enough, he has to ruin our Sunday morning, too.  On every channel except for Fox and Telemundo, as I understand it.  Huh.  Wassup with that?  Ahahahahaha&#8230;<span id="more-32151"></span></p>
<p>Oh &#8211; and about the SC representative who shouted out &#8220;You lie&#8221; Wednesday night, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/us/politics/10wilson.html?_r=1&#038;partner=rss&#038;emc=rss">Joe Wilson</a>?  I admit, I had never heard of him before.  The only Joe Wilson with whom I was familiar was the Ambassador, husband to Valerie Plame Wilson.  But one thing&#8217;s for sure &#8211; he spoke the truth.  Every day brings a new way in <a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/09/19/yepwords-just-words/#more-33057">which that comes out</a>.</p>
<p>And it isn&#8217;t like it hasn&#8217;t happened before, for heaven&#8217;s sake.  Yes, a breach of decorum, but Democrats are hardly blameless as this post from <a href="http://www.mererhetoric.com/archives/11275877.html">Mere Rhetoric</a> highlights.  It&#8217;s happened.  And it happened during The One&#8217;s Big 263rd Speech.  It wasn&#8217;t right, but it wasn&#8217;t racism, either.</p>
<p>Hypocrisy is hardly the purview of one party, and the Democrats have made that ABUNDANTLY clear, especially with their little resolution denouncing Rep. Wilson, or whatever the heck it was they did to him.  This is getting mighty tiresome, and it hasn&#8217;t even been a year yet.  Oh, dang.</p>
<p>All I can say is: Thank heavens for Yankees baseball, and the incredible achievement of Derek Jeter.  The night of the &#8220;big&#8221; speech, it allowed me to avoid the breathless adoration of the Obamaphants.  Yes, my beloved Derek Jeter, the Captain of the Yankees, tied the Iron Horse&#8217;s record of 2,721 hits, which he has now surpassed.  Unbelievable.  And all the while he has been amassing these hits, with every milestone, his response has been the same &#8211; it is all about the team.  Anyway, here is the big moment:</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q_ooL5qt1u8&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q_ooL5qt1u8&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>Pretty cool, right?  Now that I could watch all day.  Obama?  Not so much.</p>
<p>How about you &#8211; are you as sick of seeing him spewing the same hollow crapola day in and day out?  What else is on your mind?</p>
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