Jack & Jill Politics

Fredo's good friend Goldman Sachs is in the hot seat(maybe Barzini's Citicrew is trying to make their bones). One , it appears their earnings are based on getting a 100% return on CDS written by AIG. Two, someone is paying attention to what Goldman Sachs is really doing. Hat tip ritholtz.com
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/04/taxpayer-f...

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/04/goldman-sa...

rikyrah: GOOD NEWS!:

+ Most Americans Trust Obama To Handle Economy: Poll :>) :>)

More than two-thirds of Americans trust President Obama to handle the economy, according to a new Gallup poll. Seventy-one percent of those polled last week said they had a great deal or a fair amount of confidence that Obama would do or recommend the right thing for the economy.

By contrast, Americans have less confidence in two of Obama's economic deputies, Treasury secretary Tim Geithner and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. Only 49 percent and 47 percent of poll respondents said they had lots of confidence in Geithner and Bernanke, respectively. Thirty-nine percent said they had just a little or no confidence at all in Geithner -- only congressional Republicans fared worse in the poll.

In the first April of his presidency, George W. Bush received confidence marks similar to Obama's.

Gallup's writeup notes that poll respondents were highly willing to share their opinions of Geithner and Bernanke even tho most Americans probably have no idea what, exactly, the Treasury secretary and Fed chairman do:

It is unlikely that many Americans have a highly sophisticated understanding of the complex economic policies enacted in the last several months by either Bernanke or Geithner. Yet only 17% and 14% of Americans, respectively, are not able or willing to give an opinion on confidence in these two men's actions on the economy.

Compared to the president, Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress fared poorly in the poll, with Republicans winning the confidence of only 38 percent of respondents. Congressional Democrats earned 51 percent, more than either Geithner or Bernanke.

CONGRATULATIONS - - - PRESIDENT OBAMA!! LEADERSHIP! :>)

Bo The Puppy Runs With Obama (Video)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/13/bo-the...

The White House has released a new photo of Bo Obama, the Obamas' new puppy, running though the halls with President Obama.

Bo is a six-month-old Portuguese Water dog who arrived at the White House over the weekend.



Awww...........You can't get a cuter pic than this!

that left a mark. lol

Damn just posted this in the Afternoon thread. Didn't realize it was already posted.

Anyway, best line:

"It's not up to him to give her lessons; Michelle Obama is of her time; Oscar de la Renta is no longer."

A Has-Been? What a slam!

heeheehee

If your credit rating is good and/or if you have friends who do have good credit tell them to watch out for this scheme; using your good credit you back a buyer of distressed property Hat tip calculated risk:
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/04...

Michael Steele was in New Hampshire this weekend making jokes about their is no recession becasue the malls are full. Asshat statement aside he was reporting this after 10,000 people showed up for a job fair offering 1,500 jobs. Words fail.
http://pamshouseblend.com/diary/10391/michael-s...

Dave Neiwert has been writing the militias and hate speech for yeasr. He's done quite a work-up on Glenn Beck. Last week Beck was showing incredible Nazi marches when talking about the Obama administration.

http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2009/04/glenn-beck...

rikyrah: OF COURSE "PLAY" INCLUDES - - - -

+ PRESIDENT PLAYING BASKETBALL! :>)

+ Lil Bow Wow - Basketball :>)

THIS ! - -- -WAAAAAAY ADORABLE!! :>)

+ President GIVES a "UNIQUE "ASSIST!" :>) PIC

ENJOY! :>)

P.S. + FIRST FAMILY at the EGG ROLL! :>) NICE!!

rikyrah: PIC of the PRESIDENT & "BO!":

+ PIC of the PRESIDENT & "BO!"

Just A - DOR - -A - -BLE!! :>)

ENJOY!! :>)

Another presentation: + Bo The Puppy Runs With Obama (NEW PHOTO) :>)

The White House has released a new photo of Bo Obama, the Obamas' new puppy, running though the halls with President Obama.

Bo is a six-month-old Portuguese Water dog who arrived at the White House over the weekend.

Here's a larger version of the photo: :>)

rikyrah: Good mornin'. Ohhhh! One of us IS VERY ILL. :>( Soooo, I'll B a little limited 2-day. Sorry.

APRIL 13, 2009 -DAY 83- Of His First 100 DAYS! :>)

+ Fergie at Egg Roll - Sings national anthem VIDEO

+ PRESIDENT KICKS OFF EASTER EGG ROLL! VIDEO! Woo! Hoo!! :>)

+ Eggcellent - Obamas host first egg roll

For a short time on Monday, Politics gave way to the Easter Bunny. The first family walked out--Grandma included ...

"Wow, look at that!" Marian Robinson said as she peered out onto the lawn.

"This is great!" POTUS added.

The first family walked down the South Lawn steps of the White House with the Easter bunny.

"Thank you all for coming today. Have fun!" FLOTUS said.

Kicking off the Easter Egg roll, POTUS screamed, "are you ready?" Then he shook all the kids hands.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Obama shouted, smiling.

Malia and Sasha Obama slowly pushed their eggs toward the finish line.

When they reached the end, the first daughters high fived the White House volunteers.

"Wasn't that outstanding?" POTUS asked the press after posing for pics with the kids.

+ POTUS at DOT: Obama said 2,000 transportation projects were approved in just 41 days.

"While we're doing this with speed, we're also doing it with care," Obama said, adding "Because we don't have a single taxpayer dollar to waste either." (12:05 p.m.)
Obama says the government is making the largest new investment in the infrastructure projects since Eisenhower.

He adds that the projects are ahead of schedule and under budget. (12:02 p.m.)
"What we're doing here is not just for today," Biden says. We're not only creating new jobs, we're saving jobs.. and we're improving the nation's infrastructure all at the same time."

Biden said "the road to recovery must quite literally be repaved."

Before speaking about transportation issues, Obama said he is pleased with Captain Phillips' rescue.

"His saftey has been our principle concern," Obama said, adding that he's proud of the U.S. Military.

Obama said he is resolved to hault the rise of piracy. (11:57 a.m.)

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW. HAVE A GOOD DAY. :>) :>)
[Ima get some REST. :>)]

If you're near a TV, Oscar de la Renta is gonna be on The View to "set the record straight" (aka beg FLOTUS for forgiveness) about his comments.

Ewwww...please provide updates!!

Giiiiiiiiiirl! If back peddling was an Olympic event, de la Renta would've taken then gold! LOL!

Brief Synopsis: He showered praises on Michelle, said that he said a lot of good things about her but the article only printed the negative. Said he chose his words poorly. Tried to avoid his comment about her wearing a sweater to meet Queenie. More compliments on Michelle. Said that American fashion is suffering.

I'll post the video once it's available so you all can see it for yourselves.

It was pure, unadulterated bullshit.

Sepia: LOL!! :>) :>) If back peddling was an Olympic event, de la Renta would've taken then gold! LOL! :>) :>) GOOD ONE!! :>)

Hold on Sepia...... brb



***throwing up from listening to de la Renta's bullshit***

lol

Sounds like Anna Wintour her DAMN self called him up and said "by end of business today...have it fixed"

Rikyrah,
My mother's ringtone is "Never Could Have Made It." Thanks for sharing with me the whole song.

My daughter loves "Never Could Have Made It" also!

The Easter Egg Roll has started... Yay!

Okay, so confession time: I did not even know what an Easter Egg "roll" was until I saw the video today!!! (am I the only one?) But I loved watching Obama and the family get out there with everybody else, very nice.

Wow....look at this pic from the Easter Egg Roll in 1898
http://dc.about.com/od/photosofspecialevent1/ss...

My goodness - look at that photo! We've come a long way...

Wow!

Good find, Miranda. Wonder who was that?

Lynn Cheney? Hmmm...

ROFLMAO!!! you know you wrong!! LOL

Teehee!

Give-and-Take With Emanuel Advances President's Agenda
Lawmakers Respond to Improved Access to White House

By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 13, 2009; Page A01

As the House and Senate debated the budget earlier this month, Rahm Emanuel's spacious West Wing office took on the feel of a legislative bazaar.

Wavering Democrats filed in individually and in groups seeking audiences with President Obama's pugnacious chief of staff, all bearing concerns about the 2010 fiscal blueprint. For some, the issue was farm payments. For others, veterans benefits. Fiscal conservatives balked at the $1.2 trillion deficit. One House member wanted to discuss a new federal building in his district. Another sought an appointment with the commerce secretary.

Forty-six lawmakers beat a path to the White House, and, on April 2, Emanuel's hospitality paid off. All but three of his visitors voted in the House or Senate for a $3.5 trillion blueprint that preserved Obama's ambitious domestic policy goals. The 233 to 196 House margin represented the largest budget victory for either party in a decade.
Emanuel's theatrical style, ballet training and "Rahmbo" nickname, along with the well-worn story about a dead fish he sent to a rival, are duly noted on his Wikipedia page.

But in his new job, Emanuel is overhauling his image, becoming more valet than hit man, and his formula for moving Obama's agenda through Congress is beginning to resonate. Even Republicans concede that given Obama's early victories, thornier tasks such as landmark health-care, energy and education bills may not be out of reach.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2009/04/12/AR2009041202629.html?wpisrc=newslette

Why do I get the feeling that Emanuel is soothing their concerns by throwing money for their districts at them?

And he would have the power to do that single handedly?

There was chatter in yesterday's thread about the Constitution Party and what it stands for. I linked to their website which lists the Alaska Independence Party as an affiliate of this right wing, dominionist, anti-everything-humane political party. Basically today's republican party. I'm reposting my last comments on the matter below:

::

It seems that the Constitution Party was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party the year Clinton was elected to his first term.

The light bulb just clicked on.

Reaganism is nothing but a thinly-veiled combination of the platforms of the Constitution Party and the Libertarian Party.

This is why the modern republicans consider Reagan their deity. The ruler of the shining city on the hill. His rhetoric was patently theocratic. American exceptionalism? Strip that down and what do you get?

The chosen people. The ones who insist, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, that we are a christian nation.

Those who blindly follow this kind of politics as religion represent no more than 25% of the voting population. Now, if we had a parliamentary government, 25% would actually mean something.

But we don't, so it doesn't.

They know it the same as I do.

And that's why they're so loud. So loquacious. So redundant. Dogma is indoctrinated through repetition.

They're numbers will continue to dwindle as the millennial generation ages. As fewer voters identify as christian.

These are people, to quote a wise man, who cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment.

They are time bombs, ticking, ticking, ticking...

Wrong. American Exceptionalism is not theocratic but humanistic in nature.

Keep telling yourself that.

And there you have it.

These people are a farce, plain and simple.

Reagan himself, born of Hollywood as he was, from many accounts wasn't that conservative in private. And sometimes, not even in public. Back in 1978, he urged Californians to vote against Proposition 6, which would have allowed gay teachers and those who support them to be fired from their jobs.

He convinced a large voting block of wealthy gay men in key cities in key states to vote for him in 1980.

And then he spent two terms allowing Americans to die of AIDS, allowing the epidemic to spread and spread and spread, without even uttering the word.

He was bought and paid for by religious extremists and he was a dream spokesman for the tenets of constitutionalism as president.

His legacy is more delusion and insanity from the far right.

If Republicans were smart, which they're not, they'd have reformed their party while Clinton was president. Instead, they dug themselves deeper and had to steal two elections just to prop up that criminal with the last name Bush.

Now they're backs are against the wall -- whatever anyone thinks of Obama, they know his organization demonstrated how to stop the stealing of presidential elections before the stealing even begins -- and they've taken to tea bagging.

History will not record them kindly.

Preach Craig...thanks for the further schooling. You broke it down.

Not to mention under the "conservative" Godfather Reagan....the first round of modern bailouts occurred due to the Savings and loans crisis of the 1980's which was a precursor of the modern day financial mess that GWBush's ass hid out and did not say a fucking word in his last waning days.

And we don't even need to get started on the Iran-Contra scandal and the trickery and back-door dealing that ensued. And the careless way Bush I exposed troops to harmful chemicals yet denied their illnesses.


It just amazes me that these Republicans can continue to peddle their bullshit like no one can recall their sad legacy...they thrive on an ignorant and ill-informed electorate...and now that knowledge is more accessible and widespread, they are losing the PR battle, even while they insert their propagandist in news organizations all over.

Those who know and study history know their lies,trickery, and deceit would rear its ugly head again...that is the only way they know to operate.

Reagan himself, born of Hollywood as he was, from many accounts wasn't that conservative in private.

And neither was his wife, Nancy "Rug Burn" Reagan, but I'm not one to gossip so you didn't hear it from me.

How much you bet she voted for Obama? I wouldn't be suprised if every living Reagan did.

They know better than anybody what a puppet he was for the extremists.

That's why he couldn't stand the Bushes. But he was forced to put one on his ticket anyway.

The rest is history.

The Bushes are the worst thing that ever happened to this country. God help us if another one gets into the Oval Office.

Speaking of the Reagan/Bush relationship, there was this documentary on the History Channel about secret societies. Well, one of the experts in the doc. thinks that Bush, Sr. was involved in the assassination attempt on Reagan. They wanted him out so Bush, Sr. could take over.

And that would surprise who? Skull and Bones members end up in intelligence agencies all over the globe.

It's why I never trusted Kerry either.

Reagan was an actor. A pretty gone one, in fact. He played his role as president well.

But not so well I couldn't see the terror in his eyes every time he opened is mouth to puppet their venom.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ronnie didn't actually develop Alzheimer's so much as he was injected with something that resulted in it.

Whaaaat?

Gurl, you didn't know.

There are all types of very pausible theories that are out there.

Let's not forget Prescott Bush helped with financing the Nazis...I don't care how much the Bush clan denies it.

Not to mention Bush stole the skull of Geronimo during one of his rituals and there is still controversy surrounding that.

Like Craig mentioned, you would be surprised what is uncovered when you research these politicians and powers-to-be on both sides.

And yet they painted President Obama as the "Boogeyman"

I'm sure he's their boogeyman. They sure as hell didn't see him coming and he's messing up most of their plans.

And the family of Geronimo wants that skull back too.......read about that not long ago and they alleged that Skulls & Bones has it or knows where it is.

Isn't Skulls & Bones an organization that Bush and John Kerry belong to?

Bingo.

Yep

BOOM!!!

MADOFFS ENROLL IN SLAMMER SURVIVAL 101

I have no idea if this story is true but the fact that there is a company that teaches how to survive prison is hilarious -- to me anyway. I can just imagine the course syllabus.

Lesson 1 - The best defense is an offense or how not to get your two front teeth knocked out.
Lesson 2 - Run if you the hear the phrase "Toss Your Salad"
Lesson 3 - Don't pick up the soap
Lesson 4 - Bribery - Making Friends in the Penal System

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04132009/news/regio...

You know, "Oz" was one of my favorite shows and I've been chuckling over some of the made-up scenes in my head of Madoff being tormented by Adebisi; or Schillinger making Madoff his prag by branding a swastika on his ass. Good times.

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM...

I didn't think that Frank Rich's piece http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/opinion/12ric... was all that great this week but I did find a couple of nuggets of info quite interesting. First, we've all heard that Larry Summers made $5.2M from D.E. Shaw last year. What I didn't know is that he made that kind of money WORKING ONE DAY A WEEK. Where do I sign-up!! Next, I learned that while serving as Harvard's President he also served as consultant for the hedge fund, Taconic. And guess who Summers lobbied hard for to become head of TARP? The co-founder of Taconic. And of course, there was all of the "speaking engagement" mullah he made from the likes of Goldman and Citibank.

I started wondering why all of this hadn't been revealed during a hearing and remembered that Summers didn't have to go through any congressional hearings. He's one of the Prez's many "advisors" who have equal sway with the Oval Office, but gained entre without much real scrutiny. I'm wondering what else is out there that we don't know about and really whose interest are these people acting in. <<dripping with sarcasm>>>

I'm even more skeptical when I read about how Volcker is being shunted aside. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123940537361509... Really Timmy? You couldn't be bothered to get any input from Volcker. You know, the guy who actually has some experience in handling this kind of crisis. And the vaunted financial Presidential Advisory Cmte hasn't even met yet!? What are they waiting for? The economy to fall off of the cliff and smash on the rocks below.

There is and has been and incestuous relationship between big business and big government (Republicans and Democrats). It is no surprise the The President's administration is caught up in it now. It was easy to demonize the GOP as the party of big business, but Democrats are just as entangled and entrenched.

If Fredo is Timmy does that make Volcker Lassie? Just asking
Summers has a long history of dissing people like Cornel West and harrassing women at Harvard. He would not have made it through the hearings.

Starting to rethink Timmy as Fredo. I'm thinking maybe a stealth Tessio instead. Can't bring myself to think of Volcker as Lassie. I am very concerned that he seems to have so little say on these matters. Particulary since Timmy claims not to have enough help.

I doubt Summers would have made it through the hearings, but I'm very concerned about all of these advsiors that have equal standing as the cabinet members. We know nothing about their motivations, loyalty etc. and they are pulling the strings. Seems like one big (Wall Street) frat party.

President Obama set that situation up. I think it is so he can have a trusted aide follow what is happening in an cabinet office so as to avoid end arounds by ambitious sub cabinet officers loyal to their political patron

How do we know Volcker is being pushed aside? Because WSJ says so?

Summers was probably going to be Treasury Secretary until his nomination was derailed because of outrage from women. I've no problem with the outrage. But he was allowed to sidestep confirmation hearings.

How convenient.

When Volcker is quoted as saying that Timmy didn't seek any input from him on the crisis, I read that as him being shunted aside. Not because WSJ says so, but because he is quoted as saying that no input was sought. Particularly in light of the fact that he was the "go to" guy during the campaign. This article came out a couple of days ago, I would think if the quote were inaccurate, we would have heard from Volcker or the WH.

I don't read Wall Street Journal.

Thanks for the clarity.

Where is the footage? You trying to tell me some insurgents shot mortars at a plane carrying a US Congressman and there was no camera to catch it? But there were cameras at his meetings withh "officials" in Mogadishu?

Some of the reporting might not be accurate, says the talking head on my TV right now. He's quoting intelligence officials as saying they're not clear "what OR IF ANYTHING actually happened."

This is some wag the dog bullshit.

How much you bet the AP is peddling this "reporting"?

Craig,

AIN'T this some shit? If this didn't happen..... Whoever started this is some low-life mofos!

Now MSNBC says the Pentagon not willing to stick their necks out on this one!

Whoa!

I won't believe it happened till somebody shows me the footage.

And these talking heads need to check their sources before repeating any damn thing the AP pushes down their throats.

This is outrageous.

Mortars? Why don't I believe this? And now Somali criminals, all Black men, are populating my TV?

I smell something rotten.

You didn't know.

They had to give the script a serious rewrite yesterday Craig....stay tuned....the plot will thicken.

Lord Have Mercy!

I'm going to watch this one closely.

Extremely ROTTEN.

And who's the HERO of the day/week?

I am one who loathe taking military action but it is what it is.My 2 cents is this.We know the areas where the idiots operate carpet bomb that area.Make a inclusion zone from 50 miles to 150 miles meaning any ship in that space will be sunk, no ifs ands or buts.Freedom of the seas is a right .

We do not have the right typ of ships to operate in littoral waters for long periods of time. nor are there sufficient ships elsewhere in the world to do so.
If I understand you correctly you would like a no go area. That isn't possible on the high seas. what you can do is make all the merchant vessels go through on a convoy basis Dijbouti to Mombassa, put a few marines on the ships as the go through the area(I like this best as you can involve many countries contributing forces with little chance of combat) or run a picket line of shipps to inderdict any high speed ship coming off the Somali coast.
The really nice thing about putting marines on ships is you keep the problem low key. You do not have to go unto Somali soil avoiding the problem of figuring out whom the bad guys are. If they are at sea w/ gps, grappling hooks and light weapons you know whom you are dealing with.

Krugman: "Republicans Have Become Embarrassing To Watch"
Anti-tax organizers of "tea parties" around the country have tried to keep out fringe elements like birth certificate conspiracy theorists and potentially embarrassing national politicians like Michael Steele and David Vitter. But Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times Monday that the "movement" is of a piece with the Republican party of the past decade or so:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13kru...

Krugman has become EMBARRASSING to watch too.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/04/krugman...

He lost his mind.

What is lost on Krugman and other on the 'left is that these Tea Parties are not limited to Republicans. They are not organized nor are they subject to control by the GOP.

lol thats not true and you know it. how many democratic officials are going? and why is fox news reporting on it so much? dont be silly fox and its allies are backing these things. its alright though its not unexpected

Not true. I have been following this movement from the outset and it is truly grassroots in nature. Believe what you will but the fact that FOX pundits, et al (motivated by $$ and ratings) and GOP politicians(hoping to stay in office or get elected) want to jump on the bandwagon demonstrates the growing support of those arguing for fiscal responsibility and discipline and smaller government.

lol right. its a grass roots? well look i wont take anything from this movement or whatever it is. from the clips ive seen it seems to be the typical group of white conservatives screeching about things not going their way and the end of the world. either way have your protests maybe itll help you guys find a way out of the darkness

Reality is what we say it is...

Reports are surfacing on the right that Obama's surprise visit to Iraq and ensuing photo-op with the troops was staged. 100% controlled and contrived. Soldier were hand-selected and military members who has voted for Obama were given digital cameras and placed in front of the media camera covering the event.

http://digg.com/d1oYVK
http://www.floppingaces.net/2009/04/11/obamas-p...

"From the AP:

Quote:

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama went for the defining television shot by capping his first extended foreign tour with a surprise visit to Iraq.

He got it – pictures of hundreds of U.S. troops cheering wildly as he told them it was time for the Iraqis to take charge of their own future.

The war-zone photo opportunity produced a stunning show of appreciation for Obama from military men and women who have made great sacrifices, many serving repeated tours in a highly unpopular war.

So, the professional journalists [stop laughing -- I'm serious here] assigned to report the news of the President's visit, saw cheering throngs of adoring troops, but failed to note the screening process that made the Kodak Moment possible."

No doubt the sentiments expressed by the soldiers in the photos were real, and the MSM covering the event were no doubt all too willing to present this staged event as a representation of wide-spread adulation and support for the POTUS.

JJP readers were thrilled with the photos because it fits right in line with their views of Obama and of the sentiment they believe he engenders.

Personally, I find this disappointing. Sure, I know I am bound to hear, "Presidents do this stuff all the time," and no doubt instances of Republican Presidents (including Bush) will be cited, but does that make it right?

Why not put the President out there in front of the troops, unfiltered? What is the fear? What is the risk?

Where does the above quote end? Is the AP making the Kodak Moment comment? That seems OOC. Is the AP calling out JJP? Does the "personally" refer to you or the AP writer? It's not clear.

Conserve - that was so silly. Even for you . . . . just silly.

Give us the name of who the individual witnessed this supposed staging, who saw and heard it occur.

And if you can't put up a name then shut the fuck up.

Don't even politicize and question any soldier's reaction.....you low-lifes are jealous because a beautiful array of men, women, Black, White, Latino, Asian, Native American and every spectrum of American troops could be seen excited to see their CinC, and giving him hug and fist bumps in the process.

I linked to the sites and I am not saying that this is even true.

If the administration chose to pre-screen and pre-select soldiers, then can they not be criticized for politicizing the soldiers? What was the entire point of the photo-op? The whole point was to 'produce a stunning show of appreciation for Obama' just like the AP reported.

The sites your referenced are lying. The administration did not pre-screen and pre-select soldiers...why do you people lie so much? Why do you hate the soliders?

Proof please?

your asking us to prove they arent lying when you cant prove they are telling the truth. no wonder glenn beck is popular with you guys. I CANT DISPROVE THESE FEMA CAMPS!!! Beck they dont exist. PROVE IT CUZ I CANT PROVE THEY DONT!!!

ROFLMAO

Are you familar with ... Bush's "Mission Accomplished"?


I swear Conserv1....You make things too easy!

lol buddy you dont want to start talking about politicizing the military and soldiers my friend.

exactly......"Mission Accomplished" on an aircraft carrier almost SIX YEARS ago....nuff said.

Sure. And they photo-ops were exposed. So why should the Obama administration not be held to the same level of scrutiny and called out if and when it is appropriate?

You wingnuts are so see-through.

Wasn't it on the campaign trail where your ilk tried to make a purported "snub" at Landstuhl an issue when in actaulity it wasn't.

The trickery and lies never ceases. It appears the genesis of this garbage you posted begins with "Macminds" blog, a blogger who on the pages of his blog called Obama anti-military and anti-American, claiming he was e-mailed this by a anonymous Marine who he can't prove even existed, who does not even provide the Marine's unit or anything, it's pitiful.....just like I can sit right here and type I am Barack Obama's love-child, which has no freaking merit at all...you see how that works.

Just leave JJP in shame already, you wingnut hack....pathetic.

LOL you act as if this is new. you think kennedy in berlin saying "Ich bin ein Berliner" was natural? or nixon saying I am Not a crook was natural? Or reagan saying Tear down these walls? or bush saying read my lips no new taxes, or clinton its the economy stupid, all of these were staged and planned to generate emotion and connect to america. stop being silly please.

It is different because this was reported as a 'stunning show of appreciation' by the AP.

Why was it stunning? Who was stunned?

stunning probably because for the last 30 years everyone assumes that republicans are the party of the military and a anti war president is being received positively by the men and women he commands. the people stunned are the ones who will say that this cant be true because hes a democrat and democrats hate the military.

not to mention Walter Reed, the number of soldiers killed from faulty wiring from defense contracts, abu grahib, liberals hate the troops, yadda yadda yadda. same argument every 4 fucking years. notice monie how conserv doesnt mention that Cheney as defense secretary under the first bush cut military funding by 25 percent. so if anyone uses the military as some symbol of party strength its the other side.

And whose words were these:

Reports are surfacing on the right that Obama's surprise visit to Iraq and ensuing photo-op with the troops was staged. 100% controlled and contrived. Soldier were hand-selected and military members who has voted for Obama were given digital cameras and placed in front of the media camera covering the event.

....or do you cut and paste so damn much you don't know what you post.

And you still aren't providing anything FACTUAl, but I forgot your kind never do...go join your Stormfront brethren.......we are too educated on this site for your smug, sorry, lying ass.

Oh....this....this is just so sad.........you're not even TRYING anymore Conserv...LMAO!!!!!!

lol THE TROOPS DONT SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT!!!!!!!! same thing over and over again. said the same thing about clinton said the same thing about carter. The troops only actually love republicans. lol find a new creed please. the troops support their commander point blank. they supported bush just as much as clinton. the problem is people like yourself who somehow feel as if they have some ownership of the military and its thinking, similar to the sentiments that people like yourself think that you own religion and morality. Same argument different year.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/08/thrill...

There is NOTHING staged or contrived about these soldiers. Believe that.

I do not doubt the enthusiasm of these soldiers.

But, should the event have been reported in a way that would have let readers and viewers know that they were looking at a pre-selected group of soldiers who had voted for the President, who had been given preferred access and given camera?

You still haven't provided a name....tick tock tick tock

JJP readers were thrilled with the photos because it fits right in line with their views of Obama and of the sentiment they believe he engenders.

This is what YOU do here on a daily basis. Every post from you is an article that you've copied and pasted from a right wing site that goes along with you, "Barack Obama Ain't Shit" memo that you try (and fail) to promote. None of your own thoughts. No researching to see if what you're posting is fact, not fiction. Your only objective is to find an article to that fits in your motive to tear PBO down, facts be damn.

Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Give me a name of one soldier who said it was staged.....I can give you one who can say it wasn't.

You sad bitter people are what is wrong with America.

And our troops put themselves in harm's way for ALL people....even the sick ones like you who want to divide and destroy this country and lie on our troops in the process. You are shameful.

That was pathetic even by Conserv's poor standard.....LOL...I couldn't take that garbage seriously if my life depended on it...you gotta just laugh that one off because it was slapstick stupid.

I'm sure it wasn't hard to find soldiers that wanted to see the President. Given the amount of soldiers interested I'm sure they had to decide a way to pick those who would have the chance. It's logical to pick those who show interest first so it is not surprising that happened.

This does not undermine the wide spread adulation that has been reported. I have yet to see a report of soldiers that are anti-Obama. And don't say the MSM keep them hidden. If they existed Fox would have found them.

But even more importantly, soldiers love their Presidents and respect their Commander. Bush drew crowds on his visits and the soldiers were genuinely happy to see him. I'm sure those scenes were "staged" as well with his biggest supporters getting the opportunity to see him. It makes sense.

This is a non story.

I knew this post was going to stir things up and I am sure it will be a non-story.

What I find the most interesting is the way media is used to try and control and manipulate public opinion. It is nothing new but the internet sure makes it more difficult for that attempted control to go unnoticed and unreported.

Are you just trying to point out the obvious, that the media creates and displays the images and stories that promote their agenda whether it be conservative, liberal or somewhere in between in an effort to get ratings and sell subscription? Well, um, duh.

Are you saying the Internet makes it harder for this to occur? I disagree. The Internet just makes it easier to find exactly the point you are looking for. You can google just about anything and find support for it. But just because someone writes it doesn't make it true. I can post "Cheney was not invited to the Bush staff reunion because he was linked to a gay love affair with John Kerry making Bush jealous." Within a day there will be "facts" to support this and reject this. But it is out there just waiting for someone to quote on a website as an example of Cheney being a gay liberal lover, the true reason for the rift between Cheney and Bush, or the secret Washington society of non-partisan man love.

So the Internet does not provide more or prove against validity to crafted messages. It just makes it really easy to create unsubstantiated reports.

First, thanks for getting to the point of my post. The media, both print and television used to serve as objective eyewitnesses to events. The media is now more suspect than ever.

I do think the internet makes it harder for political parties to control messaging. For instance, Youtube makes it difficult to take words out of context when clips are available in their entirety.

Why do you think that totalitarian governments like China and Iran seek to limit the widespread, unfiltered access of the web to their populations?

The media, both print and television used to serve as objective eyewitnesses to events.

How do you know? Because they told you?

The difference is the US Media has it's left and right and indifferent outlets. So while they each control their individual message, between them they cover all messages. So our media outlets are nothing like the totalitarian government. For example, if there is a bigger issue behind the "staging" of the of the Iraq photo op then Fox will cover it. To death. And then some more. When Bush had his "staged" events MSNBC pointed it out. To death. And then some more. Nothing is hidden. Every situation is looked at from every angle giving the individual the chance to make up their mind as to what is true and what is fluff.

True, but few choose to venture out of their 'echo chambers'.

Which is why I like to visit and comment here. I know I can always get the opposing viewpoint here and I appreciate it.

Which other (more or less) liberal blogs do you comment on? Give us some links.

The only point of your post was to try to take away from the positivity of the event, and lump Obama with the shady tactics of the Bush Mafia. This sentence tells your true intentions: The media is now more suspect than ever. Please.

The problem is that your source is questionable and you don't have any proof to back up your claims. So until you can present evidence that the Obama administration staged this event, like this video evidence of the Bush administration coaching soldiers before a Bush press conference in Oct. 2005 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VADsAg0A6LQ), then it would behoove you quit while you're behind.

And the internet works against the wingnut meme and message every time...that is why YOU cannot stand it.

o so your post was about the broader message of of manipulation not devoted to barack really not being connected to the miltary because he staged a photo op? o well shit thats all i needed to here

it's funny how you wingnuts base your claim from an anonymous soldier


but yet there is REAL footage of REAL troops expressing their excitemement who gave their real names.

You're pathetic....I feel sorry for your family.

Again, you miss the point.

Clearly, there are soldiers who support for and voted for the President.

The question is: Is it RIGHT to 'stage' photo-ops by pre-screening and pre-selecting participants, and handing them props? Is it important to reveal in the 'reporting' that the soldiers, while sincerely enthusiastic, were selected for their enthusiasm?

Give me a credible source who claims this...where is the name of this individual?

Provide the source who will stand by this assertion.

You're such a liar....the cameras were not all alike and I am so tempted to contact local people in the military community and let them know wingnuts like you are peddling this crap about our troops......and I just may well do that and put you Rethugs on blast..

Conserv1,

Republicans are mean-spirited and very jealous hearted mofos because our President got a very warm welcome by the troops. Too bad, so sad that y'all wanted a different reaction. It is pitiful that you're so blinded by hate that you can't even accept a picture of the President receiving love from the troops.

This is not mean-spirited nor jealous.

I have no doubt that the reaction of the troops shown was genuine.

BUT is it RIGHT to present this as a representation of the military at-large, (which the AP report clearly intended) when, if it was truly the case, that this was merely a pre-selected, pro-Obama group?

BUT is it RIGHT to present this as a representation of the military at-large, (which the AP report clearly intended) when, if it was truly the case, that this was merely a pre-selected, pro-Obama group?

Let's see here. Let's just take out the phrase "pro-Obama" and insert "pro-Bush" shall we. Because we know that at EVERY event, EVERY stop those attending ANY event that involved Bush was staged.

BUT is it RIGHT to present this as a representation of the military at-large, (which the AP report clearly intended) when, if it was truly the case, that this was merely a pre-selected, pro-Bush group?

And speaking of which - that goddamned turkey was staged.

Ya lost - move on.

Exactly. I knew this would be brought up. The left never hesitated to point out 'staged' events and rightly so, IMO.

But yet when the right points this out, they are labeled jealous or haters. A clear double standard.

I don't know that it is a double standard. One person's email doesn't make it true or a fact. I don't like the staging of events because that's simply propaganda - and the Rove machine were masters.

Up to this point as far as I know Obama's events have been free of the kind of scrutiny undertaken for those who attended Bush's events, rallies, etc. Simply put - there is no comparison.

conserv isnt being honest. he knows everything about bush was stage and crafted. from his townhalls that only invited supporters to his appearances with military gear on. fact is his stage craft didnt mimic his policy. its one thing to say you support troops and actually do things that support military personnel. but i doubt it will ever get that substantive. itll remain superficial because thats how some portions of the electorate are. stunningly superficial and shallow

Not to mention the incidents in which people were reported to have been thrown out under duress, threatened, which were covered in the news media. And - a number of lawsuits if I recall correctly as well.

I used to just read your posts and move on because you had enough people bashing you. Sometimes the posts were interesting and I actually felt bad that people wouldn't give what you posted a chance because they didn't like you or were closed off to anything remotely Republican. But lately you are just getting tiring. Cut-and-paste then attack under the guise of a question. You generalize JJP which is an insult, you purposely seek out extreme stories sometimes written by people with less credibility then you and state them as fact and I can't decide if you are really a conservative or someone who just wants to start a fight. It's sad really. I think that there are conservative ideas that are worth discussion and support and I was hoping given you screen name you would be a person to bring that discussion forward. But you are not, you are just a troll. Move on.

The reason I put "Mxyztplk and Kltpzyxm" in most of my replies to Sir Cut & Paste is that I want him, her, it to disappear for at least 90 days if he says his name backwards.

Drats!!! He clearly didn't fall for it. Keep trying though. You may catch him off guard!!

It is not a guise of a question. And if this is little more than a mean-spirited rum,or, it will wither and die with all of the rest.

Is it RIGHT to 'stage' and 'micromanage' photo ops to the extent that we are seeing in politics today?

Do you really want to go there about staging....I mean really...after "Mission Accomplished" on an aircraft carrier almost SIX YEARS ago..

Pathetic.

Exactly. And it was called out as a 'staged' event. So why should the same standard not apply in this case?

It is the nature of a "photo op" otherwise it would be a "candid photo". Doesn't matter what side you fall on the goal is to put the subject in the best possible light. If you are a supporter of the subject you applaud it, if you are not you attack it. It's not right or wrong, it just is. Which is why this is a non-story. Saying the President's staff wanted to provide the best optics possible is not news. If you want the story behind the story go find it, but don't assume because the PR folks are highlighting the positive there has to be something negative to cover it up.

But it should be an issue.

The role of the MSM as an objective eyewittness to events is continually being called into question. Newspapers and media outlets are becoming increasingly partisan and less 'objective' and neutral everyday.

This is a great loss. But the internet is making it increasingly difficult for news to be 'managed' and 'controlled'.

I am not even assuming that there is something negative behind it. There may be no 'there' there. However, for the AP to report the photo-op as a 'stunning show of appreciation for Obama from military men and women who have made great sacrifices, many serving repeated tours in a highly unpopular war" shows that the media was seeking to advance a narrative and not fully reporting the context of the event.

But it was a "stunning show of appreciation for Obama from military men and women who have made great sacrifices, many serving repeated tours in a highly unpopular war". However it was set up the people in that room appreciate Obama.

Would you rather the story be "stunning show of appreciation for Obama from military men and women who have made great sacrifices, many serving repeated tours in a highly unpopular war but outside the tent a soldier is pissed? (cue the conspiracy music)" Should the media focused on ever individual opinion of every person (we'd need a whole lot more channels or maybe and Internet) or go with the majority and vocal minority as a representation? In this case there probably wasn't a vocal minority that had anything bad to say about Obama.

No, I would have preferred 'a show of sincere appreciation for Obama by soldiers. A group of selected soldiers who had gone on record as having voted for Obama were given preferred placement at the event in closest proximity to the President. Some cameras were provided to selected soldiers to capture the moment.'

You assume that I want a negative spin. No, I want no spin.

Please provide a quote from a person who was denied enterance or a camera because they voted for McCain. Till then you are trying to create a negative spin.

lol please stop, please. its just getting to silliness now. your saying that for the 4 hours Barack was there in a suprise visit someone ahead of time picked out individual soldiers who voted for him gave them all cameras and told them where to stand in a matter of 30 minutes? remarkable that logic

allamr18: lol please stop, please. its just getting to silliness now.

MUCH of what he/she posts CAN FIT THIS DESCRIPTOR!!

Initiating CONTROVERSY on SHALLOW CONCEPTS - - in the GUISE of SERIOUS DEBATE.

Stop the MADNESS!! :>)

Thank You, GreenLady!

Feel betta?

Justice58:


Thank U 4 your concern.

Right NOW- - kinda feelin' - - YUK!! :>)

I'm tryin' ta do betta. :>)

Keep prayin' :>)

You got it!

Thank you.

Ask Karl Rove the same question. Was it right then?

The republican party have no ideas, no plans and nothing else but hateful criticism of a President who has done more for the country in less than a 100 days than Bush did in 8 freaking years.

You're mean-spirited jealous haters of all things good.

Have you served and give something back to you country?If not ,don't you ever assume how we as veterans and active duty take our oath seriously,To defend the constitution against all enemies foreign or domestic.President Obama is not playing CinC and the troops support him because they realized that the adults have their best interest at heart.

You are truly a piece of shit with the post and you really need to hide under a rock....

You and your ilk ought to be ashamed for even trying to make this visit politicized and put a spin on it....my husband personally knows one soldier who was interviewed on MSNBC about the visit...and their is NOTHING fake about her or her reaction..

Go to hell seriously....you wingnuts are so hardened and hate-filled about those beautiful images because it plays against your longstanding psychobabble .....YOU honestly can't get over the fact that soldiers are happy to see the President...who was elected and placed in office without the trickery and disenfranchisement Bush Inc had to use to get in office

Seriously, Fuck you....you are a low-life.

Go Monie!

So, you're basing all this on an email sent to a right-wing blog by one person.

Doest that make it untrue? Are the broader points made now irrelevant?

It doesn't prove the truth of it, and the "broader" points made aren't relevant. Period.

Do you know one real person who was there....I do.

You tend to rely on the same wingnuts who have a critique for everything the President does, but never a solution.

You dumbasses don't even realize that during this past election, while there were McCain/Palin stickers on cars on the bases, there were just as many Obama/Biden ones as well, if not more.

What you wingnuts don't realize is that troops know Bush/Cheney and their ilk did US troops NO FAVORS....they were so fuckin triflin they sent them into combat under false pretenses....didn't provide them with body armor yet made sure their contractor budddies had PLENTY of no-bid contract dough to waste......let those in Walter Reed recover in filth....and underfunded, with the help of the GOP, the VA the ENTIRE time Bush was in office.....and then the some in the GOP had the nerve to be against the GOP with Bush even threatening to veto this crucial and important legislation.

The problem is you wingnuts seem to think saying we support the troops is the only thing that can get you by ......guess what...you have to SHOW that you support them........and believe me , most know a liar when they see one.

I am not denying the fact that Obama clearly has support among our military. But is it OK for any President to 'stage' and 'manage' photo opportunities to create positive news? Why is it necessary?

"Mission Accomplished"

Kltpzyxm

Name me the source who has ABSOLUTE knowledge it was staged.

Because if you can't provide me with a name, a news organization or an e-mail, YOU are a fuckin liar like the rest.

Deal with facts and facts only ....give us a name...the clock is ticking.

Fair enough. As pjamma says, this may be a non-story.

I linked to the sources from the outset, in order to let you know where I was getting this info. I posted it because I knew it would spark debate and if there is more to the story I will track it down and post it.

You're backtracking now!

Dayum...that was a RIGHTEOUS SMACKDOWN, Monie.

When will Conserv1 realizes it will be taken more seriously if it produces conservative AND progressive sources?

My BAD. I must remember that it is a TROLL who had fifty million blogs that no one reads, so it has to come here and do what it do.

BE A TROLL.

Dayum...that was a RIGHTEOUS SMACKDOWN, Monie.

You AIN'T lying.

Conserv1 just serving it up to Monie! She's unloading on his ass! lol

This is why we need to fight rethugs
GOP leaders were hoping (and convinced) ) Obama would fail
The Republicans desperately want Obama to fail -- even if that means the nation suffers. What's most disturbing is just how vocal so many GOP blowhards, which includes everyone at FOX, are about it -- even in the midst of a crisis. The latest example was the pirate hostage situation. But once again, the President stayed cool, calm and collected. He acted like a president should. The results speak for themselves, just as the GOP's bizarre obsession with wanting Obama and the U.S. to fail, says so much about them.
Click on the link and watch the video
http://www.americablog.com/2009/04/gop-leaders-...

Congratulations to the SEALs, and congratulations to Obama for making the right call. If this had gone badly, he would have taken the blame.

Let's give credit where credit is due and the POTUS took the steps necessary to bring about this happy ending.

He's the president; what other call would he make? He knows what he's doing. The sooner those leaning right towards fascism realize that, the easier this will be. And, he never said he was a pacifist.

Rahm said somewhere yesterday (I read so much, my head is spinning) that the president was apprised several times a day. Just because he wasn't all over the cable news networks or calling in reporters does not and did not insinuate he wasn't involved in the process.

I am not insinuating anything.

When Obama's policy choices overlap with my views, I will congratulate him for it .

You're fooling no one. Republicans aren't happy about the outcome. They wanted badly for the President to fail. Just ask Limpballs!

TEA PARTIES: REAL GRASSROOTS
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04132009/postopinio...

by Glenn Reynolds

A kind of energy our politics hasn't seen lately.

AROUND America, taxpayers have had enough. Fed up with excessive spending, planned tax increases and a federal government that first caused the financial bubble through misregulation, and then grabbed power in order to "fix" it, they're hitting the streets to protest.

The first march came in Seattle, where a couple of mom-bloggers organized a rally on Feb. 16. Rallies followed in Denver and Mesa, Ariz., on the 17th. Then CNBC talker Rick Santelli delivered his "rant heard 'round the world," calling for a "tea party" protest in Chicago on July 4. The name stuck, and further Tea Parties began popping up around the nation.

Some -- like those in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Orlando and Fullerton, Calif. -- drew thousands; others, more modest, saw hundreds. But new rallies popped up every week.

Then organizers -- really, just people discussing things on Twitter, blogs and chatboards -- decided that Tax Day, April 15, would be the perfect day for a coordinated national day of protest. Online lists of protests (such as taxdayteaparty.com) predict 300 to 500 marches on Wednesday all across the country.

Now that the movement looks likely to be big and successful, various established groups (mostly on the right, though a lefty counterpart will march this weekend) are getting involved. But its genesis and enthusiasm are pure grassroots: a lot of people who've had enough, brought together by the power of the Web.

No doubt they'll be dismissed by chin-pullers in the Big Media (the same folks who sent more reporters than there were protesters to a staged ACORN protest over AIG bonuses), but these Tea Party protests aren't the same old rituals with the same old marchers.

These aren't the usual semiprofessional protesters who attend antiwar and pro-union marches. These are people with real jobs; most have never attended a protest march before. They represent a kind of energy that our politics hasn't seen lately, and an influx of new activists.

Many in the punditocracy will ignore this week's protests, to the extent possible, this week. But, thanks to alternative media and talk radio, they'll still get noticed -- in particular, by the members of Congress in whose districts they take place.

In the short run, this is likely to provide at least a bit of resistance to the borrow-and-spend-like-there's-no-tomorrow approach that now governs Washington. In the longer run, they're likely to be a source of new energy and enthusiasm in politics -- bringing in a lot of voters, organizers and even candidates from among those who were previously on the sidelines.

Instead of the "astroturf" that has marked the ACORN-organized AIG protests, this movement is real grassroots. So if you've had enough, consider visiting a Tea Party protest in your area -- there's bound to be one.

It's your chance to be part of an authentic popular protest movement, one that just might save America from the greed and ineptitude of the folks who have been running it into the ground.

lolol GOP = Grassroots???

BWAAAHAAAAAAAA

Conserv - how can you post that drivel when we all know about the repubs penchant for teabagging? http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/10/718...

Val, try to laugh it off all you want but citing DailyKos isn't going to persuade me of anything.

Further, I have been watching this movement develop since the first protest popped up in Seattle. Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit has been doing a fine job chronicling the Tea Parties, too, which is why I posted his article. I feel that it is a fair portrayal of the 'movement.'

aaahhh not citing Daily Kos. pointing to the video that clarifys what Repubs really get out of teabagging. lolol

Yeah...real AstroTurf, provided by Koch Industries and Fox News:).

TEA PARTY PANIC!
http://rhetorican.com/2009/04/12/tea-party-panic/

“What’s the big deal? ACORN, MoveOn, and Soros get to pull puppet strings year after year, and that’s ok. But God forbid Fox News puts so much as its imprimatur on Tea Parties! No way! That’s too sinister, too insidious; and makes the whole movement illegitimate and inauthentic. Whatever… Jane Hamsher and Oliver Willis are probably asking ‘Who the hell are this Tea Party bunch? Where did they come from?’ I’ll tell you who they are, Jane and Oliver. They’re your worst nightmare: they’re small-governmenters first and party-loyalists second.”

Have you seen the video's from these events? Some of the topics:

Obama's was born in Kenya!
Obama is not the President!
The digital convertor box is a brainwashing machine!
Take your kids out of collage!
Burn the books!
George Soras controls the world!

Is this what you stand for? I ask because I don't know.

No. My point is that the left is going just as apoplectic over Tea Parties as the right did over ACORN and Soros.

The legitimate concern and anger towards bigger government and runaway spending is not contrived, nor sinister. IMO, it is the burgeoning economic equivalent of the anti-Iraq war movement.

Hey, I don't have a problem with Fox promoting these things. I just wonder why they have to lie about it. I wonder why Cavuto said (ridiculously) that Fox did the same with the Million Man March. I wonder why he said that when Fox News didn't EVEN EXIST when the Million Man March took place.

Yeah. They should just come out and say, hey, we think it is in our financial best interest to promote this because we think it will increase the number of viewers which will in turn lead to greater advertising revenues. But most people can figure that out for themselves.

Exactly - I saw that at News Hounds.

ROFLMAO

HAHAHAHAHAHA You are a joke HAHAHAHAHAHA

Live video feed of the White House Easter Egg Roll: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live4/

thanks for sharing

Amazon Delists feminist, GLBT and Classic literature: Among some of the books delisted are:

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity

Yes Means Yes

Heather Has Two Mommies

James Baldwin, Giovanni's Room

Annie Proulx Brokeback Mountain

Full Frontal Feminism

If this were not enough to enrage you, apparently Mein Kampf as well as From the Pit to the Palace: Conquering the Spirit of Homosexuality and A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality are still listed. Apparently anti-gay hatred and rantings of one of the worst murderers in history are acceptable but somehow GLBT and Feminist literature is too adult. This is a failure of epic proportions.

Jack front-paged a version of this yesterday. It's really quite staggering.

I read the link claudia _m sited. Logically it makes total sense to me. do I understand you to say this is not the case?

I am saying that a glitch running from February specifically targeting books of a certain genre is censorship and troubling. They are only calling it a glitch because of the social media backlash.

bezos and amazon are so in trouble. There is likely to be a serius bear raid on Amazon's stock for this action.

I think what is interesting in a broader context is that the internet is the enemy of regulation and control.

The left struggles to press the internet into their existing systems, treating it as just one more way to get their message across. But the web and blogs have changed politics forever. This is good news for those who value freedom, and bad news for the left which inherently seeks control.

So loud, so loquacious, so redundant.

The left controlling..you cannot be serious. Conservatism is about maintaining hierarchies, which we know already favor privileged bodies. Having blogs means that people are no longer able to hide behind their undeserved privilege and this is why the right wing attacks social media and bloggers as openly as it does. The lefts only agenda is freedom which is a lot more than I can say for the uptight fundies who seek to make the world march to their drum.

I see, and the left has no hierarchies to maintain and protect? How do you explain the presence of Wall Street protectors and beneficiaries in the Obama administration? What do you have to say about the sacrosanct position of the teacher's union and other 'advocacy groups' within the Democratic Party?

Is it freedom to impose 'collective action' at the expense of individual liberty? That is all the left is about these days.

The relationship between the employee and the employee is necessarily predatory therefore I defend the teachers unions. Further in case you have not realized it humans are communal animals. We are inter pendent and it is only the greedy rich bourgeoisie that seek to horde wealth at a cost to the masses. Individuality is not stifled by demanding a minimal standard of living that takes into account basic human rights.

Why do teacher's unions oppose school-choice and voucher systems? To what degree do advisors with ties to Wall Street in the Obama administration seek to preserve the incestuous relationship between Wall Street and Washington?

Individual liberty can be easily stifled by demanding ever greater 'collective action.'

The left would gladly trade individual freedom for a government implemented, utopian ideal of 'fairness' and a chance to proclaim for all what is best for each of us.

Did you see this post about one possible explanation on third-party mass trolling? http://tehdely.livejournal.com/88823.html

I posted their response however this glitch has been going on since February so I would hardly call it a glitch. This was clearly purposeful on their part.

D'oh! I should have taken the time to read your post before putting up my comment and link. That search engine screen shot is really troubling.

I am working on ge4tting the word lane removed so that I can leave the screen shot up. When I posted it last night I didn't even notice it. I am not computer savvy so I may just end up having to pull it altogether.

Good morning, JJP. Your morning is just about to get a little brighter: check the Obama Peep Art for Easter. Don't miss the Aretha peep in her signature hat! Oh man, too much, just too much...

And in Literary Obama news: Obama Comic Nominated for 3 Glyph Awards. One of the better Obama comics getting some well-deserved attention.

I LOOOOOVE the Aretha peep! It's so cute! :-)

LOL, isn't it great! The gigantic bow is perfect.

This is a really illuminating article on Dubai, it's not the paradise it's hyped up to be at ALL. Quite the contrary, it's actually quite an evil place...

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentato...

That sheds even more light on a story I saw on HDNet a few weeks back (a video snippet is here - click on episode 707). The emphasis was on the male workers that they bring over, and since the government wouldn't give permission to have the workers living quarters filmed the news crew used smuggled cameras to do it. What they're doing to those folks is straight up slavery.

Absolutely MsKitty, it's TOTALLY slavery what they're doing, Dubai is EVIL....

Good Morning.Your morning Jam.Enjoy
Esther Phillips "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" (1972)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjZy-29vy7c

dj: Thanks. SAD concept - - BUT - - great JAM! :>)

The president worked the pimp stripes on Easter Sunday.

Priceless.

He looked oh so smooth.

OH, Yes!!!!!

Yes he did!

I prefer "chairman of the board" stripes.

yup, the pimp stripes are that shyt Steve Harvey wears in Stacy Adams crayola colors.

Where I come from, a stripe of any type on a suit is called a pimp stripe.

LOL, and that smooth silver gray tie!

im waiting for the 3 piece or Steve Harvey

Yeah he did, he was clean as the board of health!

BAP: Good One! This is from Waaaaay back!! :>)