Archive for the 'Political Powwow' Category

The LSOS are at it again…

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 10th April 2012

…doing what they do best….lie, Lie, LIE.

Good morning!

Hey, Etch A Sketch Conservatives: Time to Resurrect Some Honesty

A spring awash with Etch A Sketch conservatives, camera-wielding GOP con men and a bogus deficit reduction budget from House Republicans shows that for the right, wrong is justified when it achieves the desired results.

A perfect example of this political philosophy is the work of James E. O’Keefe III, a right-wing, unsupervised, unaccountable, self-appointed and self-styled “investigative journalist” who has violated federal law, lied about his identity and deceitfully cut and pasted video to destroy what he perceives as liberal institutions.

Oddly for the party that claims conservative Christians as key constituents, O’Keefe’s misbehavior is celebrated by GOP talking heads — the likes of Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. That encourages copycats. The New York Times last week told the tale of one. John M. Howting, a bungling video scam man, sees himself as an O’Keefe apostle.

Honorable journalists abide by an ethics code forbidding lying to secure a story. For them, the end does not justify the means. By contrast, for O’Keefe and today’s Etch A Sketch conservatives, the end they want vindicates any scheme to secure it. Deliberate lying, cynical deceit, cut-and-paste deception — all of that is rationalized by conservatives to get their way. It’s a lovely escape clause they’ve written for themselves from that annoying Judeo-Christian thou-shalt-not-lie commandment.

O’Keefe wannabe John M. Howting tried clumsily to trod in his disgraced mentor’s footsteps, lying about his name, who he represented and his intentions in a failed effort to discredit a couple of what he perceived to be liberal New York community groups.

O’Keefe had better luck. This right-wing rebel without a conscience lied about his name, who he represented and his intentions in successful efforts to manipulate some targets into saying stupid stuff, which he surreptitiously recorded. His deceptive and distorted films destroyed ACORN and damaged other groups he considered progressive. Despite O’Keefe’s liberal use of the Commandment escape clause, he became conservatives’ golden boy.

Among right-wing talk show hosts who urged their conservative Christian listeners to praise the con wasBill O’Reilly, who said O’Keefe should be awarded a Congressional medal. Not so worshiping were federal prosecutors who charged O’Keefe with misrepresenting himself in an attempted phone hacking at the office of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. O’Keefe pleaded guilty. And not so revering was the California state attorney general who determined that O’Keefe’s sliced-and-diced video misrepresented the actions of ACORN workers.

Conforming to the conservatives’ philosophy of wrong-is-right-if-the-right-benefits is GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Like a Judas, he betrayed his own health insurance program.

Romney contended that requiring everyone to get health insurance — known as the individual mandate — was good when he was governor of Massachusetts and signed Romneycare, which includes it. As Congress considered health care reform, Romney repeatedly said Romneycare should be the model for the nation. But later when conservatives blasted the individual mandate in Obamacare, Romney sold out his Massachusetts plan, saying an individual mandate was not good for the nation.

Similarly, in 1994 during Romney’s failed campaign for U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy’s seat, Romney and his wifeattended a Planned Parenthood fundraiser and she donated $150 to the group. But now, in pursuit of the vote of the anti-abortion Christian right, Romney no longer likes Planned Parenthood so much, promising:

“Planned Parenthood, we’re going to get rid of that.”

Are those switches adorable little flip-flops or calculated lying? The comments of a chief Romney aide, Eric Fehrnstrom, show they are calculated. A reporter asked Fehrnstrom how Romney would appeal to crucial middle-of-the-road voters in the fall after taking such hard right positions in the spring to win the primary. Fehrnstrom compared the campaign to an Etch A Sketch:

“You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again.”

So, basically, tell the conservative Christian primary voters one thing. Then tell the mainstream general election voters something else. This is the campaign of the GOP frontrunner, the party’s likely standard-bearer. This is who most Republicans voted for.

It makes sense really. Apparently Republicans don’t expect the truth. Look at the Ryan budget. He calls it the Path to Prosperity. The nation went down this road of tax cuts for the rich and program cuts for the middle class before, under Bush II, and it was a one-way road to increased income inequality. Voodoo trickle-down economics is a path to prosperity only for the already prosperous.

Congressman Paul Ryan contends his budget is a deficit-buster, that it would shrink the deficit to 1.2 percent of the gross domestic product by 2022 — which is exactly the same place where the country would be if it did nothing, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. In addition, the cumulative 10-year deficits under Ryan’s plan would be $200 billion higher than just doing nothing. No busting going on there.

The GOP wants conservative Christian votes so badly it’s willing to break those set-in-stone rules conservative Christians revere. Frankly, it’s surprising this behavior doesn’t make conservative Christians cross. Republicans might consider resurrecting respect for the 9th Commandment if they want to avoid a Christian right inquisition into their Etch A Sketch positions.

***

Readers: So…what else is new? Blog me.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in Lying Sacks Of Shit, Political Powwow | 45 Comments »

Will The Supreme Court Strike Down The Affordable Care Act?

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 26th March 2012

Good morning!

So…there is lots of chitchat in the news about Health Care Reform. Today is the opening day, the first of three days of hearings on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act – Obamacare. Will the Supreme Court, strike it down? I certainly HOPE not and think not, but when it comes to politics one can never be sure of what the outcome might be, especially when we know the Supreme Court is bought and paid for.

Here’s a short write I found on Maddow’s blog on this very subject:

Legal experts: Court won’t strike down ‘Obamacare’

By Steve Benen

Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:26 AM EDT

Associated Press

Conservative opponents of ‘Obamacare’ prayed outside the Supreme Court yesterday.

The Supreme Court this morning will kick off the first of three days of hearings on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, and interest in the case is as strong as anything we’ve seen in many years. For those who watch the high court closely, however, there’s a striking lack of intrigue about the outcome.

National Journal surveyed former Supreme Court clerks and lawyers who have argued cases before the high court about the health care law, and the consensus was that the Affordable Care is likely to prevail. One respondent said, “I don’t think this case will be nearly as close a case as conventional wisdom now has it. I think the Court will uphold the statute by a lopsided majority.”

That’s not at all an unusual predication. On the contrary, despite the polls and ongoing political fights surrounding “Obamacare,” most legal insiders, even on the right, find it unlikely the Supreme Court will ignore precedent and strike down the law.

But the justices have proven to be unpredictable at times. Jon Chait had a good item the other day on setting expectations.

The legal case against the Affordable Care Act is completely absurd. You can make the argument sound kind of plausible, but if you’re a law-talking guy, you can selectively cull through precedents and pile assumptions onto each other just so in order to reach pretty much any conclusion you want. That’s pretty much what the legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act would do. As a straightforward interpretation of constitutional precedent, it’s just silly.

Legal analysts are not dismissing the case completely, but that’s only because they don’t dismiss the possibility that five Republican-appointed justices will leap at a chance to advance the partisan agenda of their choosing. Jack Balkin, in an article suggesting it’s highly unlikely the law will be found unconstitutional, searches through history and can only find one example of the Court making a ruling so radical and lacking in constitutional basis.

The example was an 1895 case in which the court struck down the federal income tax, with overzealous conservative justices responding to a far-right panic about an imaginary “socialist” threat.

In other words, the Obama administration, congressional Democrats, health care advocates, working families, the uninsured, and Americans who occasionally rely on the American health care system have nothing to worry about, just so long as five conservative justices resist the urge to get caught up in a larger ideological crusade.

Hmm.

Common sense suggests the outcome at the Supreme Court is a no-brainer – of course the court majority will rule in favor of the law. If the justices stick to precedent, it won’t even be close — they’d have to take a truly radical approach to the law to conclude otherwise. But since the Roberts Court is quite capable of radicalism, predictions should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

*******

Watch it LIVE here:

Readers: Not sure common sense thinking will prevail when STARK is in control. Can we expect something radical? I certainly HOPE not. Those that oppose are certainly praying for it though – One can imagine what’s going on inside the minds of these “praying conservatives” – they try to “pray away the gay”; why not try and “pray away affordable health care for everyone”.

Thoughts? Blog me.

Peace, Love, & Obamacare

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in Health & Well Being, Political Powwow | 8 Comments »

Has Obama Made It Harder To Talk About Race In America?

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 24th March 2012

Good morning!

Perusing the net, the title of this article from the Washington Post caught my eye. I read the first paragraph (the last sentence raised an eyebrow) and when I got to the end of the second one, I thought, “Yep, that’s sounds like something that would be said”. Then I read the third paragraph and my first thought was, “That is no best friend – she is clueless”.

The first black president has made it harder to talk about race in America

By Reniqua Allen, Published: March 23

A few weeks ago, I was standing outside a posh bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with my friends of almost two decades. I made an offhanded comment about the ratio of blonde-haired-blue-eyed chicks to brown girls like me. It seemed like a zillion to one. My pals, who are white, didn’t get why I was bringing this up. “No one cares about race except you,” one said.

I tried to explain my frustration with having to always choose between an all-black experience or being the “only one,” whether at work, in grad school or even out for a night in New York. I waited for a nod of sympathy; instead, my best friend threw her hands up and said: “How can we all be racist? Look at who is president!”

I didn’t have a response.

Right now the nation has embarked on a massive conversation about race surrounding the tragic death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. On Friday, President Obama weighed in. “I think all of us have to do some soul searching to figure out: How does something like this happen?” he said.

It’s an important conversation to have — but I fear it won’t lead anywhere. After all, we’ve seen plenty of these debates in recent years, invariably prompted by some tragedy or controversy. Think Troy Davis. Or Shirley Sherrod. Or Jeremiah Wright. Or Henry Louis Gates Jr. Or even Rodney King. We have big debates over racial prejudice and disparities in this country, and then nothing happens.

I thought things would be different by now. The Trayvon Martin story flared up exactly four years after Obama’s famous campaign speech on race in Philadelphia, a speech that made so many of us believe that Obama would launch a serious, enduring dialogue. But the election of the first black president hasn’t made it easier to talk about race in America. It’s made it harder.

Obama’s measured words on Friday only highlighted how removed the president seems from the candidate who gave that stirring speech on race four years ago. Obama was asked directly about “allegations of lingering racism in our society,” but he shied away. He rightly used caution in talking about a case that the Justice Department is investigating, and he offered a moving sentiment for Martin’s parents, saying, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.” But he hasn’t grappled with this tragedy, or with racial disparities and divisions, along with us, guiding us in a way that only he can — as the commander in chief, as a lawyer, as a community leader and as a black man.

The Obama presidency is “post-racial” only in the sense that it gives us an excuse not to grapple with race anymore.

As I sat at my desk in a newsroom four years ago, Obama’s speech captivated me. Here was a politician who embraced his biracial heritage but also understood how tough it can be to navigate 21st-century America as a black person. A man who lived multiculturalism as much in his private life as his public life and could relate to what it was like to have someone who loved him dearly — his white grandmother — make comments about race that made him cringe.

I understood that this was a speech made out of political necessity, in response to the controversy surrounding Wright, his onetime minister. Obama didn’t make any bold proposals or even outline policies for his White House, as John F. Kennedy did when talking about religion almost 50years prior. Yet he genuinely seemed to want us to grapple with race — to talk about it.

“The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through — a part of our union that we have yet to perfect,” he said.

Once Obama became president, I thought he might be able to somehow help us break through the status quo of awkwardness and silence on race. And I wanted to see him tackle racial inequalities through federal policy, making the system more equitable and fair for Americans of all colors.

But the memory of the speech that day is a reminder of how little the conversation has changed. Less than a year after Obama was elected, Gates, a Harvard professor, was arrested trying to break into his own home, creating a firestorm over racial profiling. The following year, Sherrod was fired from the Department of Agriculture after an edited video misconstrued her comments about her work with a white farmer, depicting her as racist. In 2010, a black congressman claimed that a tea party protester spit on himand shouted racial epithets during a political rally. More recently, we’ve witnessed racially insensitive rhetoric surrounding the rise of Taiwanese American basketball player Jeremy Lin. And of course now the Martin tragedy.

Four years ago, Obama said some people had implied that his candidacy was “somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it’s based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap.” He dismissed that notion. But the idea — of racial reconciliation on the cheap, with deep divides still prevalent — reflects what I feel in my professional and personal life.

I have encountered many people who seem to believe, subconsciously or not, that Obama’s win is proof that America has reached the mountaintop. What more is there to say about race, they ask me, after this country so proudly and overwhelmingly elected a black president? They cite success stories as disparate as Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z and former Time Warner chief Dick Parsons. But Oprah’s billions don’t counteract the dire poverty and unemployment rates in the black community.

Even the most well-intentioned white people, who fundamentally understand the challenges of race in America, often can’t understand why race, as a subject to wrestle with, can never be “over.” They can’t understand what it’s like to walk down the street and have someone fear you just because of your race. Or to go to your doctor’s office after-hours to pick something up and have someone think you’re the maid. Or to have someone give you a virtual pat on the head for being “articulate.”

And they certainly won’t admit that thugged-out guys scare them. Or that if they saw a young black man in a hoodie walking in their neighborhood, like Martin was in his father’s neighborhood outside Orlando last month, they wouldn’t call 911 but they might cross the street.

Just as no well-intentioned person would ever admit those things, no one wants to admit that Obama’s election has changed the way we talk about race. But he’s the elephant in the room peering over so many discussions. His election is part of the reason that blacks, especially those who have “made it,” are hesitant to talk about persistent racial inequality. We don’t want to be accused of whining or being angry for bringing up a problem that many people think is now relegated to history. After all, if Obama could do it, so can any black man, right?

I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with starting these conversations myself when I have personally seen so much progress from my grandparents’ generation to my own. But there is still so much to talk about.

How do I articulate that it’s harder for me to find jobs with a “ghetto sounding” name, when a man with a “funny sounding” name holds the highest office in the land?

How do I explain how it feels to have almost every accomplishment that I’ve ever achieved be attributed to affirmative action? Most recently, a white PhD student in my program told me that I would sail through graduate school and land a wonderful gig, despite the difficult job climate, because of the “black thing.”

Or how can I not think of redlining’s impact when I, with my good credit and sizable down payment, receive notification that I, too, had been a victim of a discriminatory lender when I bought my condo?

It would be unreasonable to ask the president to spend most of his time talking about race. I don’t need him to attack former House speaker Newt Gingrich every time he calls Obama the “food stamp president.” But with the recession’s disproportionate impact on black Americans, the spirited immigration debate and the Occupy movement’s focus on economic inequality, I am convinced that now is a good time to talk about race. Even if we are tired of it. (A 2010 Blair-Rockefeller Poll found that 56 percent of whites said we talk about race too much, compared with 18.2 percent of blacks.)

Billy Vaughn, a diversity expert who trains Fortune 500 and federal employees on how to become more culturally competent, said that Americans think they’re “open and tolerant” — but no one knows the best way to be open and tolerant. He said minorities tend to be more comfortable talking about race because they’re exposed to discussions about it in their communities, but this doesn’t mean that they understand how to engage in those tough conversations any better than other groups.

“People of color are saying that ‘I want you to get it,’ and the privileged people are saying that ‘I’m not doing it.’ . . . The whole conversation can get out of hand because people are talking past each other,” Vaughn said.

And the president has not really continued the conversation. He seems to speak about race only when absolutely necessary. That’s disappointing. We need more than a beer summit to hash out the very real problems that he talked about just four years ago.

And Obama knows it. In a 2010 address to the National Urban League during the Sherrod controversy, he noted that while progress has been made on promoting fairness and equality, there is still “work to do.”

“We should all make more of an effort to discuss with one another, in a truthful and mature and responsible way, the divides that still exist — the discrimination that’s still out there, the prejudices that still hold us back. A discussion that needs to take place not on cable TV, not just through a bunch of academic symposia or fancy commissions or panels, not through political posturing, but around kitchen tables, and water coolers, and church basements, and in our schools, and with our kids all across the country,” Obama said.

He’s right, of course. That speech, more than the sweeping address in Philadelphia, offers the kind of insight that could lead to real change. Because kitchen tables, water coolers or bars in New York City are where real racial progress can be achieved in America. And that’s where I thought having Obama in the White House might make a bigger difference.

*******

Reniqua: I do HOPE that you are here reading, because this is a venue that talks about race and racism all of the time. I invite you to join us where you will be heard and supported. Here, you’ll meet some real friends who will not shun your concerns, who truly care…people who are living in the real world.

I, for one, hear you.

Don’t give up on Obama. He is not removed from the candidate he was 4 years ago when he gave that stirring speech in Philadelphia. In my opinion, Obama being in the White House has made it easier to talk about race in America. Well…perhaps easier is not the correct word, but more conversations are certainly inspired and surfacing because he is the president.

I HOPE you don’t mind me saying that I believe you’re just hanging out with a crowd that uses the excuse that racism isn’t that bad because “Hey, how can we all be racist? Look at who is president!” (Stick around and read here, you’ll find plenty of responses :) Your best friend seems to be part of the one third group of white America who isn’t racist but stands around and doesn’t do anything to combat racism. I’ve heard people say similar words before as well. They’re just washing their hands like racism isn’t a big problem, brushing it under the table like it racism is not that big of a deal.

Racism is a big deal. It does exist and has always existed. I realize I am not telling you something you don’t already know; just making a statement. Racism has always raised its ugly head, but now with Obama as president, people are talking about it more. And because of his presidency it has brought out racism in people in the worst way. Just turn on any news channel and you’ll experience how racism is running rampant…anything is said, and everything is done to prevent “that black man” from becoming a two-term president. True colors are shining brightly. And as much as what is said and done is disgusting, I’d rather know the truth, than not know. It gives me fuel for the fire to combat racism.

Stick with your gut. You thought right about Obama. He is making a difference. And when he is president for his second term, nothing he can’t say or do now, will be held back. Plan on the conversation changing big time. Plan on some kick-ass action. We will all see just how much of a difference he will continue to make.

I, for one, am committed to making sure that happens.

Lastly, you stated it yourself on your website:

“… the people,that have the power to make change, even if they dont always know it. it’s the power of the people. the power of their voices. The stories from their souls. however, their voices are often silent. particularly the ones we need to hear from most. people are too scared, too apathetic, too confused or feel they dont have anything to say, i hope to change that in whatever way i can. Whether its silly, simple or sad, everyone has a voice, and usually a good story or two to back it up.” (sic)

Plenty of stories have been shared here. I HOPE that you’ll share yours and continue the conversation here with us.

I, for one, would love it.

PS: Rant and vent – it is all welcome as well. :)

Readers: That is it for me today. Thoughts? Blog me.

Peace & Love…

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in Human Rights and Equality, Political Powwow | 15 Comments »

“Honey, See you later, I’m off to the Doctor’s office to watch an abortion”

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 22nd March 2012

Good morning!

It is women like this that need to have their heads examined. State Rep. Terri Proud (R-Tucson), and no doubt proud to be a republican, made a statement that she thinks “women should be required to watch an abortion before they receive the procedure“. Are you kidding me? First we have to fight off a Personhood bill, requiring the use of trans-vaginal ultrasound prior to a woman obtaining an abortion. And now Proud wants us to watch an abortion before we decide to have one. Let’s just make a movie – Pass the popcorn please – what’s next?

Seriously, how about requiring us to watch a tubal ligation before a we decide we don’t want babies anymore. Why not? How about before any procedure that has anything to do with our vaginas or abortions, we are required to watch it first? How about banning birth control and making it a requirement for each woman to have at least one baby? I’m serious because that is where this is leading. And if anyone thinks I’m crazy, just look at what we’ve been debating lately when it comes to women’s health, and our right to make our own decisions.

Terri Proud, Arizona State Representative, Explains Abortion Email

A Republican lawmaker in Arizona said Tuesday that she thinks abortion providers are dishonest with women about the procedure and that is why she emailed a constituent that she would like to require women to watch an abortion before having one.

State Rep. Terri Proud (R-Tucson) said in a statement Tuesday that “the abortion industry” has been “selling abortions” and that she would like to look at the health and safety of women. The statement responds to an email Proud sent to a constituent, saying that women should be required to watch an abortion before they receive the procedure.

“For too long, Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry have placed selling abortions above the health and safety of women,” Proud said in the statement, sent by her office from her state email account. “My message to a constituent last week emphasized my concerns with how abortion providers have not been honest with women about the realities of abortion, and the short and long-term risks of this dangerous surgical procedure.”

Proud — who described herself as a “pro-life legislator” — reiterated her support for several bills that have passed in Arizona, including a 24-hour waiting period before receiving an abortion and requiring a woman to receive an ultrasound before receiving an abortion. She said both laws are “steps in the right direction for our state.”

“I’m thankful to be a part of a state legislature that has taken bold action in recent years to protect women and preborn children,” Proud said in the statement.

Proud did not directly address the abortion-watching email, or the bill that provoked the email, which would make abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy illegal in Arizona.

Proud’s original email was published Monday afternoon on a political blog on theArizona Republic‘s website and called for the abortion-watching provision. The email answered a constituent who had emailed Proud to urge her to vote against the bill. The email was sent from Proud’s state account and was unedited.

“Personally I’d like to make a law that mandates a woman watch an abortion being performed prior to having a “surgical procedure”. If it’s not a life it shouldn’t matter, if it doesn’t harm a woman then she shouldn’t care, and don’t we want more transparency and education in the medical profession anyway? We demand it everywhere else.

Until the dead child can tell me that she/he does not feel any pain — I have no intentions of clearing the conscience of the living – I will be voting YES.”

The email immediately touched off a firestorm from Arizona Democrats, with Rep. Matt Heinz (D-Tucson) describing the email as a “hodgepodge of crazy.” Heinz, a physician, said the email showed that Proud did not realize that there are laws to prevent audiences at surgical procedures.

House Minority Leader Chad Campbell (D-Phoenix), who had described the email “going off the deep end,” said it could be Proud — one of Arizona’s more conservative legislators — showing a liberal side.

“Talk about big government, that’s the epitome of big government,” Campbell said Tuesday to HuffPost. “This is getting out of hand.”

*********

Readers: This is getting out of hand to say the least.

You want to know what I think? I think Proud needs to be anal probed to see if her brains are in her ass, because the things that come out of this woman’s mouth is just unbelievable. And I have good reason to believe they’re down there because all I experience up there is air. And that goes for many republican women out there who support such insane ideas under the guise of “protecting” women. This isn’t about “protecting” women; this is about controlling women…this is saying that women don’t have a mind of their own to make the right decision for themselves, and their bodies.

We don’t need women like this, not supporting women, but tossing us back in time with no rights. Just when will women stop joining men in controlling women’s bodies? It isn’t in our best interest – but they’re too dumb to realize that.

And I can almost hear some of you men out there snickering in pleasure. There’s a reason why “man” is part of the word “mandate”. Hey, I’ve got an idea (don’t go crazy mad on me now Al :) Don’t you think that before a woman decides to go out on a date with a man she should watch his performance in bed….with close-ups? This would certainly “protect” a woman from disappointment. Now that would be a movie worth watching with popcorn.

Thoughts? Blog me.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Health & Well Being, Human Rights and Equality, Love, Sex & Relationships, Political Powwow | 20 Comments »

The Road We’ve Traveled

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 16th March 2012

Good morning!

For those of you who need to be reminded just how much President Obama has done for this country, and it seems the GOP is doing their best to make you forget, here is a 17 minute video by Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim.

For those who don’t need reminding, you’ll enjoy this as well. I certainly did. Last night there was over 300 screenings across the country. Election time is here – this is a great tool to use when canvassing in this very important election that will be here sooner than we know. Interested? Plan an event and show the video.

All I can say is I am getting very excited….and I’ll echo the words of Tom Hanks, “…let’s remember how far we’ve come and look forward to the work still to be done.”

Remember how far we’ve come. From Academy Award®-winning director Davis Guggenheim: “The Road We’ve Traveled”.

This film gives an inside look at some of the tough calls President Obama made to get our country back on track. Featuring interviews from President Bill Clinton, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Elizabeth Warren, David Axelrod, Austan Goolsbee, and more. It’s a film everyone should see.

Obama Campaign Releases 17-Minute Ad: “The Road We’ve Traveled”

Posted by:

CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin, CNN White House Producer Adam Aigner-Treworgy

Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign unveiled Thursday a 17-minute long video painting a glowing portrait of the President’s first three years in office. The theme: President Obama inherited one of the worst financial meltdowns in history and, despite the odds, improved the economic picture while racking up accomplishments that should make key Democratic constituencies happy.

The video, narrated by Tom Hanks, features interviews with former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, former Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod and former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, among others. Academy Award winner David Guggenheim directed the spot.

Watch the video here.

The ad’s overarching theme is that the President made tough decisions based not on political expedience but instead for enduring change, but that he has more work to do. The message seems geared more toward base voters who are already inclined to support him, not toward swaying the undecided.

The video, called “The Road We’ve Traveled,” begins with dire descriptions of the state of the U.S. economy immediately following President Obama’s election. Axelrod describes a post-election briefing this way: “There was a screen set up for slides, but we might as well have been showing a horror movie because what was described in that meeting was an economic crisis beyond what anybody had imagined.”

Emanuel says in the film: “You had people telling you that the auto industry was literally days from collapse. The financial sector – kind of the heart that pumps blood into the economy – was frozen up in cardiac arrest.”

Narrator Tom Hanks then weighs in: “Not since the days of Franklin Roosevelt had so much fallen on the shoulders of one President.”

The ad, which the campaign refers to as a documentary, reminds viewers that the Recovery Act gave middle class voters a tax cut, funded job training programs and helped pay the salaries for police, first responders and teachers.

A significant portion of the video focuses on the decision to bail out the now-recovered American auto industry, making the case that the President’s choice to fund a second round of bailouts was fraught with risk.

Former consumer advocate and Assistant to the President Elizabeth Warren, now running for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, is featured saying, “If he fails to invest in the auto industry it implodes, the economy goes down and blood is on his hands. The President invests and the auto industry just can’t pull out? That’s on the President’s hands as well.”

There’s a reminder that the George W. Bush administration invested $13 billion in Detroit and that Mitt Romney penned an op-ed entitled “Let Detroit go Bankrupt.” In the words of former President Clinton, “He didn’t just give the car companies the money and he didn’t give the UAW the money. He said, ‘You guys gotta work together and everybody’s gotta have some skin in the game here.’”

The narrator concludes, “Because of the tough choices the President made the stage was set for a resurgent auto industry.”

Despite the controversy over health care reform, the campaign’s video doesn’t shy away from presenting it as a major accomplishment. This section includes the only appearance by first lady Michelle President Obama. In explaining why the President wouldn’t back down when it looked like the Affordable Care Act would fail, she said that he was encouraged by the memory of his mother, whose death from ovarian cancer was complicated by inconsistent health insurance.

Bill Clinton describes health care as a “huge economic issue,” and narrator Hanks says of the President, “He knew he couldn’t fix the economy if he didn’t fix health care. He wanted to bring Washington together to face the tough decisions but he faced an opposition hostile to compromise.”

The section ends with the passage of President Obama’s signature health care reform law, but the ad later comes back to health care, with the message that more Americans now have coverage because of the legislation.

The most dramatic portion of the documentary deals with the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound. It features nighttime video of military helicopters and familiar images of the President and his team before and during the operation.

Here, President Obama is featured saying, “A lot of people have asked, ‘How did you feel when you first heard that it was Bin Laden and he’d been killed?’ And truth is I didn’t have time for a lot of feelings at that point because our guys were still in that compound. And it wasn’t until I knew they were across the border – they were safe, everybody was an accounted for, including the dog – that I allowed some satisfaction.”

For dramatic measure the narrator adds, “It was the ultimate test of leadership. A victory for our nation. And there would be many others.”

Reminding viewers that the President ran on the promise to end the war in Iraq, the ad shows images of the President welcoming home returning troops. Hanks succinctly describes it as “a promise kept.”

From here the video offers something for just about every Democratic interest group. There are reminders that health care reform expanded coverage to young adults and women with children. For the green energy crowd, he signed into law new mileage standards for vehicles. For young voters, he reformed student loan programs. For gays and lesbians, he ended Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. For women, he signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and nominated two women to the Supreme Court. And the campaign’s closing message on the economy makes the case that the jobs picture is improving and Detroit is now booming.

The President Obama campaign is screening the video Thursday at more than 300 locations across the country, according to a campaign spokesperson. Axelrod, now a senior strategist on President Obama’s reelection campaign, will conduct a question and answer session online following the screenings. The ad also streamed live on the campaign’s website at 8 p.m. Thursday night

******

Readers: Are you in? Flap your lips…Blog me.

xox

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Political Powwow | 26 Comments »

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Archive for the 'Political Powwow' Category

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The Road We’ve Traveled

Obama Campaign Releases 17-Minute Ad: “The Road We’ve Traveled”

xox