Jack & Jill Politics

rikyrah: Didn't the "BANKS" get "BAILED OUT WITHOUT much in the way of ACCOUNTABILITY?

Annnnnnnd, their PROBLEM IS?. . . . . . . . .

Bank Losses Complicate U.S. Rescue

A new wave of bank losses is overwhelming the federal government's emergency response, as financial firms struggle with the souring U.S. economy, the rapid deterioration of global markets and the unexpectedly high costs of shotgun mergers arranged by federal officials last year.

The problems are intensifying the pressure on the incoming Obama administration to allocate more of the $700 billion rescue program to financial firms even as Democratic leaders have urged more help for distressed homeowners, small businesses and municipalities. Senior Federal Reserve officials said this week that the bulk of the money should go to banks.

Some Fed officials suggested that even more than $700 billion may be required, and financial analysts at Goldman Sachs and elsewhere say banks will have to raise hundreds of billions of dollars from public or private sources.

THERE IS MORE.

WHERE were THEIR "ACCOUNTABILITY/RESTRUCTURING PLANS??"

I'm just askin. . . . . . :>)

P.S. Guess the Feds betta crank up the "printing presses" annnnnnnd, the Xerox machines. :>) It's gonna be a looooooong session. :>)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/...
The BART pig who shot Oscar Grant was arrested. Sorry if this is way late news. I don't know... I have never been in this position but in the article (last paragraph) it said:

"Grant's family has filed a $25 million legal claim against BART, signaling an intention to sue for damages. The family's attorney, John Burris, said late Tuesday that he was pleased to hear of Mehserle's arrest."

This is sitting funny with me. Does this paperwork HAVE to be filed OUTRIGHT like that? I mean doesn't the idea of damages come after conviction? I know that pig is guilty... not the question for me. Why are they talking MONEY at all now? This makes me VERY uncomfortable. Their son is dead only two weeks...

If the criminal case doesn't take, the civil case usually does.

Burris already has another civil case pending involving a BART cop shooting. Yep, another kid shot in the back.

BART cops have itchy trigger fingers. They shot a naked black man, too.

If they wait a year before suing, the talk will be:

"Why are they doing this NOW?"
"Why not when he was killed?"

Hope BART has a fat wallet.

Me too! I want BART to dig deep!

I think that it is not only for the parents, but for Oscar's minor child, his daughter. It's going to take quite a while for them to collect, anyway.

What I don't understand is that this shyt has been going on for centuries and these cops still discharge their weapons like they're on some TV show. These guys are dealing in a different reality altogether. They don't seem to realize that these people are not going to get up and brush themselves off and say, good take, man.

Nobody is going to convince me that the boy was "struggling" or was a danger to Mehserle or to the other officers. The video proves that. The other witnesses will prove that. And HE DID NOT NEED TO BE TAZED flat on the ground trussed up like a chicken.

Shyt, if John Burris is involved, BART better pull out their checkbook.

I know John Burris - he is to a lawsuit what Melvin Belli was in a court of law. Those guys won most of their wrongful death, malpractice, negligence cases, and the Oakland Police should know John Burris better than most lawyers, because the most cases he's won were against Oakland Po-Po for everything from officers beating one of their own to Mark Fuhrman-type shyt you didn't see on your televisions outside of the Bay Area. John Burris is the Bay Area's "Johnnie Cochran".

This brotha DOES NOT PLAY. Any of you in the Bay Area; I'm sure y'all know about how he took Highland Hospital to court for racial harassment of his wife, who was a staff doctor Highland tried to fire for alleged incompetence, even though her performance evals consistently ranked her as "excellent".

Burris took the Hospital to court and got a seven-figure settlement for the woman he later made MRS. BURRIS.

As for the BART "Mark Fuhrman" - he is just like the real one; THEY BOTH GOT CAUGHT. That white guy thought quitting his job would get him out of this jam; it only stirred shyt up and if Alameda County had cooled their heels, Oakland would have blown up like Watts did during the riots in the 60s.

But I think the last point, Evita was making was that ... their son had been shot in the back and dead only two weeks and already a multi-million dollar lawsuit is underway.

Maybe it reeks of a little opportunism and I would've hoped no matter whether OPD held this man accountable or not, that people would not be rioting in the street like we saw a few days ago. That's ridiculous to burn down your own neighborhoods ... what is the point in that.

I really don't like that form of civil disobedience and I don't like the cheerleading of it either.

With all due respect Noelani, why is it when we're the victims of violence, we're EXPECTED to be nice and gentle? Oscar Grant was MURDERED in COLD BLOOD by a member of LAW ENFORCEMENT to protect and to serve the public. Last time I recall, Black People are just as much of the PUBLIC as anyone else.

I'm tired of being told how to respond to injustices like this - the only response is a HUMAN one, and in this case, it is RIGHTEOUS ANGER. Oscar wasn't doing anything that warranted him catching a bullet in the back - that police officer was trigger-happy because they are taught in the police academy how to subdue someone without resorting to shooting them.

Opportunism, my ass - the only way policies get changed, and human lives of Black People valued, is to HIT IN THE CHECKBOOK, because that is the only language BART officials, elected officials and any other officials UNDERSTAND, and I'm tired of being admonished to respond in a way that I'm not feeling.

I wasn't even going to respond to this because I've already shared my stories on racial profiling so obviously I'm not excusing anything in fact I never once stated in my post that you or anyone should respond in a kind and gentle manner, but IF we are talking how "I" would respond as an individual ... if my son was executed on a train platform ... the first thing I'd be concerned with was making sure the murderer that did it was booked, put on trial and sent to prison.

Afterward I'd deal with the overall issue of the OPD.

However, my original point in my post was not to discuss what I would do, it was to state that I felt kinda an iffy vibe about the timing of the lawsuit.

The civil case would've been an option, regardless, AFTER justice had ACTUALLY been served and it would probably bode better to take place after the criminal case had been adjourned.

Just like you, I speak my mind and I felt the same odd feeling Evita expressed and I said so. And NO to me, two wrongs don't make a right.

Like the assholes who were rioting in the street, are as criminal as anyone else breaking the law and vandalizing other people's property ... they are opportunists too ... and dumb at that ... they're fucking up their own neighborhoods and if anyone thinks the cops, the government or white folks give a shit about that ... well the jokes on them.

Sure fuck up your own shit and incidents like Oscar Grant's unfortunate demise, still persists because tearing down your neighborhood ain't gonna do nothing to change these tragedies - proven fact. It's all dumb to me.

On a related Note, while I'm all fired up ... There's one more thing I'd like to add ...

And where is all this outrage when criminal thugs like the one that shot my friend in the head over a stupid argument, commit crimes and kill their own people?

That HUGE elephant in the room called black on black crime - that is more than likely to effect you and I, than getting shot in the back by a cop.

Yeah I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news THAT we all damn well know is true, but we got a war going on in the streets of many major cities all across America and most of the faces that are committing the murdering of US ... AIN'T white.

I am not delusional, I know the system is rigged, but look at Micheal down in Jena ... all that hoopla and the ignoramus goes and steals some shit in LA and then plays the cop out role by shooting himself in the chest for sympathy - due to his juvenile delinquency and we stay silent ... OR blame it on WHITE folks yet again.

And I actually felt sorry for him ... until I found out he actually did STEAL what they accused him of stealing. I couldn't fucken believe it.

But what about all the people that marched protested and blogged about his plight and those of his friends? How many people raised funds and took time out of their lives to support them?

I'm not saying those young men need to be angels above reproach but BLATANTLY breaking the law AGAIN?! - And then blaming it on THE MEDIA?!!! Get the F outta here!

All I'm saying is that how are we gonna clean up these criminal police, when we can't even clean up the fuck ups that are preying on our people every five minutes or the get rich peddlers using every terrible tragedy to line their own pockets and I don't care if it's Oscar Grants family, Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, people need to be called out if things don't pass the sniff test. Count the police brutality cases and then count how many black thugs murder children, teens, women and men every day?

But I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, maybe I see things in the wrong light, all I know is that there's a lot of outrage, but things stay the same and lawsuit, protest or riot ... it's all been done before to ZERO results, cause we keep getting more Oscar Grants and we for damn sure still have an astronomical rate of Gang violence in our city streets.

Nobody here is cheerleading violence. We understand the anger, but we don't like it either. It took years and years for Watts to recover from the 1965 riots. It's going to take a few years for small business storefronts in the riot area to recover. I will say this, Oakland seems to pay more attention to them than they do the black and Latino youth of the area.

It's not reeking of opportunism to file a civil suit. There is nothing like a high profile civil case to put pressure on city, county or state officials. In civil cases, there aren't any holds barred on evidence. If the Oscar Grant civil case is covered just as the criminal case will be, BART, Alameda County and other city fathers are going to look bad. That boomerangs on people wanting to keep their elective jobs.

Understand too that it takes a while for any settlement to be released. Oscar's daughter, at any rate, should have the bulk of that money. Justice has a price.

The police have no business killing individuals who have yet to be proved to have done anything wrong. With them, it always seems to be shoot to kill.

No shootings or tazing , no civil cases to redress.

It's just THAT simple.

blksista, Agree:

"Understand too that it takes a while for any settlement to be released. Oscar's daughter, at any rate, should have the bulk of that money. Justice has a price."

It's sad and heart rending to think that in order for struggling Black families to thrive financially, is for cops to murder their Black son's .

It's like we'll kill your son, and if we get caught and charged/sued, we'll pay millions, but only if we don't get caught.

The Benjamns are the effect of the cause. Ugh! Sickening!

Hit'em deep in the pocketbook. It'll be a lesson unto them.

rikyrah: 3:40 PM

Obama leaves his transition office and heads to the Supreme Court.

President-elect Barack Obama and Vice-president elect Joe Biden spent 45 minutes at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, taking up Chief Justice John Roberts on a letter he sent last month inviting the pair to come by for a "warm welcome."

Eight of the nine justices were there, while Justice Samuel Alito was absent, although he had heard two hours of argument Wednesday morning. Obama and Biden both voted against the appointments of Roberts and Alito when President George Bush nominated them.
http://www.politico.com/politico44/

O.K. Sooooo IFFF Alito could NOT show DUE COURTESY and RESPECT to Mr. P-EO & Mr. VP-E Biden, by attending a significant VISIT from them, . . .

"WHYCOME" we should THINK that he would B FAIR annnnnd IMPARTIAL while on the BENCH?

I'm just askin'. . . . . . ***shakin' my head*** :>)

I'm surprised Unca Clarance didn't join Alito and bow out of the meeting, since he's looking for ways to diss Obama anyhow.

Clarence is indoctrinated on being a House Negro Extraordinaire, you know.

lol@ House Negro Extraordinaire! Unca Clarance didn't call in SLICK, huh?

CPL: LOL! :>) "House Negro Extraordinaire." :>) :>)

I was VERY SURPRISED 2. BUT, I'm sure that he is "lying in wait" for Mr. P-EO's first piece of legislation that he can VOTE AGAINST! TRUST! :>)

Ricardo Montalban died. RIP.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me...

KHANNNNN!

He's headed to that big "Coriiiiinthian leather" seat in the sky :-(

But seriously, he was blessed with 88 years of life. That ain't bad!

RIP

Rick Sanchez got beef with Joe the Plumber

LMAO.

I posted this quote by Joe the idiot the other day. I love however, how he read the quoted with halted speech. And I especially loved how Rick gave him a big picture lashing. "He's that guy!"

Has anyone been keeping up with this AMAZING guy. Myron Rolle. He accepted the Rhodes Scholarship and passed on the NFL draft.

http://www.mercurynews.com/morningbuzz/ci_11446817

MSNBC did a great story on Myron Rolle. I can't remember if it was Countdown or Maddow. Probably Maddow.

Wonderful story. The mainstream sports media, especially Disney-bitch ESPN, would rather report on the traffic violation of a 2nd string receiver for the Bengals than report on this. This story wouldn't appeal to their primary target audience.

good for him (for accepting the scholarship)! i was wondering if he was any relation to esther rolle?

From Wikipedia:
Personal

Rolle is of Bahamian descent. He was born October 30, 1986 in Houston, TX to Beverly and Whitney Rolle of the Bahamas.[11] His family members, including parents and brothers, hail from Nassau. He is very proud of his Bahamian heritage and he routinely references the Bahamas as 'home.' After a career as a neurosurgeon in the United States, Rolle plans to open a free health services clinic in Rolletown, a small section of Exuma Island. Rolle tries to pattern himself after former Minnesota Vikings running back Robert Smith, making decisions that set him up as a well-rounded individual who isn't tied only to sports. (While attending Ohio State, Smith had told his coach he would quit football unless he could take a science lab course that conflicted with practice.[12]) Myron is the cousin of Samari Rolle, who plays for the Baltimore Ravens.[13]

THIS GUY IS A TRUE ROLE MODEL!

Sunay, January 18 Meet The Press: Rahm Emanuel, roundtable
Incoming chief of staff discusses the challenges awaiting Pres.-elect Obama


Just two days before the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, we are joined by his incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, to discuss all the challenges that await the nation's new leader when he takes office.

We'll cover foreign policy, the economy, the new cabinet and much more. Plus, insights and analysis on the inauguration and the new administration with NBC's Tom Brokaw, The New York Times' David Brooks, presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, and PBS's Tavis Smiley. (he just a squirrel trying to get a NUT)

Some blacks choose inauguration over work
Coming a day after Martin Luther King holiday, many will extend the break
AP-updated 5:24 p.m. CT, Wed., Jan. 14, 2009

ATLANTA - Asante Bradford gave his bosses nearly three months notice that he would not be at his desk on Jan. 20.

A day after Barack Obama's historic presidential win, Bradford knew he wanted to be able to whoop it up when Obama was sworn in as the nation's first black chief executive — and that he couldn't do that at work.

"I decided if I couldn't be (in Washington D.C.), I'm just going to take the day off, just so I can scream and holler," said Bradford, 40, who works for the state of Georgia as a liaison to the entertainment industry. He plans to watch the festivities at home with friends.

There is more.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28661596/

Not sure if this has been posted but I'm truly speechless..............

http://www.headostate.com/

Pass the brain bleach, please.

MY EYES...MY EYES!!

Who thinks this up ?? Umphf!

The PUMAs could have used some of that last year.

You know the REAL reason they were mad at him was b/c they knew they had no chance to get some of that.

Word,Town. You called them on their intense cravings last year.

Yup! That sums it up ,Town! You know how they are? It's the real reason behind the hating of Michelle! The b#tc#e#!

I regret clicking on that link.

Me too.

Those people are sick.

White follk truly do want we have, now don't they?

We know what's in their twisted mind! Just sick freaks!

OMFG!

British women injecting hormones to get a tan

Snippet: Many British women have started injecting themselves with an untested and unlicensed tanning drug that increases the amount of dark pigment in their skin.


If I may quote Paul Mooney on the Dave Chappelle show, "Everybody wanna be a nigga, but nobody wanna be a nigga."

They better watch it, or some of them may not be able to fade back to white.

ROFL

Found the clip:

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml...

LOL! Thanks, Carolinagirl.

"Ask Whitney & Bobby" about the drugs! Paul Mooney is too funny!

Channeling Paul Mooney:

"They say that there's a rock heading for earth and it can't be stopped. Well, send Captain Whitney up there; that bitch'll stop it."

<<<cue sounds of sucking on a crack pipe>>>

"Go get 'em, Captain Whitney!"

I howled when I first heard that joke....ROFL

Bobby,! I love you, Bobby!

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

True dat. Let them bring their dark asses to NY City and try to hail a cab or shop in a Walgreens.....

Yup!

lol

Don't know if this was in that Dave Chappelle clip but...

Paul Mooney once stated on Dave Chappelle about everything black folks have...white folks want it. It was too funny. I tried finding that clip but couldn't. Anyway, it was hilarious!

It was that segment "Ask the Black Man". LOL

"They even make movies that don't have POC in it: "The Mexican" - starring Brad Pitt or "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise. Well, I have a movie, titled "The Last N*gga on Earth" starring Tom Hanks, and see how you like that."

LOLOLOL

ROTFLMBAO!!!! Tom would play that role nicely too!

LOL! Ain't that the truth, Ruth.

NOW WHO'S THE STANDARD OF BEAUTY IN THE WORLD?!!!!!!!!

Glad to see you're feeling better Justice. :o)

Thanks Carolinagirl! It's the Vicodin. Otherwise I'd be crying! I'm a wuss! lol

rikyrah: ***scrunch*** ***scrunch*** ***click. . .click*** **grunt*** ***groan***

Those are the sounds of:
Another Move for the Obamas

The Obamas are moving one step closer to the White House.

On Thursday, President-elect Barack Obama and his family will move into Blair House, which traditionally serves as a temporary home for incoming presidents and their families, just five days before they move into their official residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Mr. Obama had hoped to move into Blair House earlier this month to get his two daughters settled into their new school, Sidwell Friends School. But Bush administration officials said the house was already occupied. It often serves as a guest house for visiting dignitaries and John Howard, former prime minister of Australia and a longtime ally of President Bush, was scheduled to stay there. (Several receptions were scheduled to be held there as well.)

There were no hard feelings, Mr. Obama’s transition officials said, and the first-family-to-be moved into the presidential suite at the Hay-Adams hotel instead. Now they’re on the move again. At least in their new abode, they’ll have a great view of where they will finally end up.
Blair House sits right across the street from the White House.

I'm STILL NOT OVER the FACT that SHRUB is a . . . . . . __________.

[Another "Fill In the Blank!" :>)]


Annnnnnd, Laura KNOWS IT!! Soooo, "WHYCOME" she thinks that her ire at the P-EO counts! It DON'T!!

WE'RE GETTIN' CLOSER!!! Crowd Cheer And Applause :>) :>)

Laura need to go somewhere, GreenLady. Did you hear she's mad at PEO? Why? Because of what he said about the Bush Administration. It was nothing but the truth. Laura still can't face that! (Eye Roll) Well, it's her problem!

Justice58: Glad ta see that U R on the mend! Yaaaaa! :>) :>)

YES! Like I said, She KNOWS that Mr. P-EO spoke the TRUTH!! :>)

She's been watchin' him for as long as they have been married, annnnnd especially, these last "8 YEARS!!" SHE KNOWS!! :>)

Thank You, GreenLady!

Feeling better. It's the medication. I'm so glad that I got the procedure over with. It was worrying me! I can be a worrywart sometimes. lol

Justice58:

Guess we all can B. :>)

But, . . . Phil.4:6 helps to put us in check. :>)

Gettin' closer! almost 5 MORE DAYS!! Whooo! Hooo! :>)

This is why when the Republicans talk about budget deficits and spending they are full of s@#$. The FED's balance sheet not the countries expanded from $800,000,000 to $1,200,000,000,000.
As to the issue of knowledge of transactions and transparency. These guys need to fess up. Normally you want to take advantage of a weak insitution. It has become clear however that every large financial institution world wide is in deep trouble. They are holding the same toxic assets. The insitutions and the FED and other world wide central banks know as well. There are no other large financial organizations that are so clean they could take the business of the cripple organizations so the issue of trust becomes moot.
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/01/12-trillio...

Agree, Robert M. The Repub are unfreakingbelievable. Whining about spending. What has the Bush Admin been doing the last 8 years and on what?......

BTW, thanks very much for the financial markets leads, Robert M. They are very helpful

Capito Hill Cat Cam

To celebrate the new YouTube/Congress “HouseHub” featuring videos of Congress, Nancy Pelosi introduced “Capitol Cat Cam”.

MsKitty, Where you at? LOL!

http://www.3horn.org/?p=52

Thanks for the link. I was cool with the video until they threw in the Rickroll at the end...what was that about?

Blil Cosby's on Rachel Maddow, tonight

Atheists want God stricken from inaugural oath


WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama wants to conclude his inaugural oath with the words "So help me God," but a group of atheists is asking a federal judge to stop him.

California atheist Michael Newdow sued Chief Justice John Roberts in federal court for an injunction barring the use of those words in the inaugural oath.

Newdow and other atheists and agnostics also want to stop the use of prayers during the inaugural celebration.

Newdow, who lost a Supreme Court battle to get the words "under God" taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance, has failed in similar challenges to the use of religious words and prayers at President George W. Bush's inaugurations.

Roberts' attorney Jeffrey P. Minear filed a document in Newdow's lawsuit saying that Obama wants the words "so help me God" included in his oath of office.

The Justice Department and attorneys general from all 50 states have filed motions at the federal court asking for the lawsuit to be thrown out.

The oath dictated by the Constitution is 35 words long and reads: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The National Archives says that George Washington added the words "so help me God" when he took the oath at his 1789 inaugural, and most presidents have used it since. However, some have argued that the first eyewitness account of a president using those words came at President Chester Arthur's inauguration in 1881.

Named in Newdow's lawsuit are Roberts; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; and the two pastors invited to the event, the Rev. Rick Warren and the Rev. Joseph Lowery.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton will hear arguments on Thursday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090115/ap_on_go_ot...

This is SUCH a colossal waste of time and money.

I disagree. I don't believe that any oath should be taken on any book of scripture nor do I believe the word God should appear on any federal currency or in any oaths of office.

Sure it is. Some people just want attention.

Exactly! I was gonna call these idiots "attention hoes." LOL

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This should be interesting.

Walton is one of us. Very interesting.

Hey Whiterose!

Thanks for the well wishes! I'm not in pain anymore. Good ole Vicodin! But I am still swollen. I go back to Doc tomorrow to see what's going on with the swelling. Maybe some swelling is expected?

Justice, swelling is expected. It should subside in a day or two. So glad your'e managing the pain.

Thank You, Nurse!

Thank God for pain medication! I hope the next day or so pass quickly. You're a good Nurse, Spirit!


I know you'll be a great Nurse for your daughter next week! I wish her well and a speedy recovery!

Good Lord. Here we go again!

http://www.whataboutourdaughters.com/2009/01/br...

About as plain a statement as any about (1) "reality" shows (2) our tastes. The producers are all white. Proving again n*ggahs are our own worst enemy, and we, not white folks, are to blame for the jacked up images of us out there.

One of the best, most nuanced and detailed endorsements I've seen. It was well done and stays in my mind to this day.

The Powell endorsement was very powerful. I loved how he went into detail about why he was voting for Barack Obama! The Republicans lost their minds over it! Woo Hoo!

They lost the ELECTION too.

when the repubs lost their minds, it was the icing on the cake.

Obama's People

I still watch the Powell endorsement from time to time, classic.

icebergslim: This was GREAT! :>) :>) Thank you! :>)

rikyrah: The President-Elect Obama is PRACTICING what HE PREACHES!:

Late nights, long hours in Obama White House

Barack Obama is bringing back the night-owl presidency.

With the metabolism of a White House set by its occupant, Obama's team is preparing for a return to long nights, heavy weekend shifts – and a boss who will venture into Washington far more than the place's current resident.

It’s a throwback to Bill Clinton’s cramming-for-an-exam style, a shift from George W. Bush’s early-bird routine. Aides expect the workload to be so intense, at least for the early months, that they’re trying to formalize ways to help staffers stay in touch with spouses and kids – with ideas under consideration that include inviting family members into the White House for casual after-hours meals.

Another possibility: urging aides to go home for dinner, as long as they come back to finish the night.

Obama aides say there are no specifics so far, but hinted that staffers' children may be seeing the inside of the White House like never before – as way to stay in touch with Mom or Dad.

“Family is very important to the Obamas and while the challenges ahead will require long hours, hard work and sacrifice for everyone in the incoming administration they hope to make the White House a place that is open and welcoming to the families of White House employees,” said Jen Psaki, an Obama spokeswoman.

Bush famously arrives at the Oval Office by dawn, leaves by 6 p.m. and goes to bed by 10 p.m. Dinners out are as rare as a lunar eclipse. [***shakin' my head***]

Obama, by contrast, stays up late. He holds conference calls with senior staff as late as 11 p.m., and often reads and writes past midnight. Ahead of the Democratic National Convention, he spent consecutive nights holed up in a Chicago hotel room, working on his speech until 2 a.m.

And in the 10 days alone, Obama stopped by a Senate cocktail party, dined out with foreign policy types, and made a visit Saturday to Ben’s Chili Bowl, a Washington institution and pillar in the African-American community. He stayed out until 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at a dinner with conservative columnists.

“The expectation is that it will be a lot of hours, and hours we were used to working before the transition,” one Obama aide said. “Everybody is comfortable with that. There is an expectation that the first few months will set the tone.”

Michelle Obama often speaks of using her new role as First Lady to highlight the struggles of balancing work and family. But she need look no further than her husband’s White House, where not just the incoming president – a father of two daughters – will feel torn.

The senior ranks include several parents of young children, including incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, press secretary Robert Gibbs, and Jackie Norris, chief of staff to the First Lady.

In his attempt to maintain balance, Obama would routinely divert his lumbering campaign apparatus back to Chicago simply to be present for important events: picking out a Christmas tree, taking the girls to go trick-or-treating on Halloween, attending a dance recital. His staff would take their own timeouts, too. Gibbs flew home less than five days before the election so he could spend Halloween with his son.

“There is a great deal of respect and importance for being there for your children,” the aide said.

Still, the White House will no doubt foster an unforgiving pace, particularly now that late nights may be more normal than they were under Bush. Emanuel, for example, doesn’t think twice about dialing up his staff as early as 6 a.m. He schmoozes after work at Washington hot spots, and emails late into the night.

THERE IS MORE.

He STILL leaves room for FAMILY TIME for him annnnnnd, his STAFF!

LEADERSHIP!! :>) :>)

I'll never forget this Colin Powell interview.

There were 2 moments stood out for me.

1. He called out the race-baiting of Palin.
2. He gave a moving tribute to Kareem R. Khan, a Muslim soilder and his mom
hugging Kareems tombstone.

It was PROFOUDLY POWERFUL..

Yes...TRIPLE

co-sign!!!

Colin PUBLICALLY called the REPUBLICAN Party out on their ugly, RACIST shit.

He sure did! Boldly too!