Saturday, September 29, 2012

Bain: Buy and HARVEST Companies

Another Willard Romney tape clearly states that Bain Capital's one and only mission was to acquire companies and sell them for profit within 5 years. Buy 'em up, shut 'em down, send jobs to China, make millions.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

So Smooth...

Slightly edited clip from The View:

Why Can't You Roll Down Airplane Windows?

Science-impaired republican Willard Romney wonders why you can't just roll down airplane windows at 30,000 feet. Seriously.

Some comments posted by Think Progress readers:

Mitt Romney has become the Ted Baxter of politics.

Here's an idea, Mitt, why don't you make a plane that has those roll down windows and you and your Repub buddies go take a flight and check em out. Let us know how it works out for you!  LMAO

He probably would like screen doors on planes, too, to get refreshing cross ventilation.

how about a screen door on a submarine?

Wow, this guy is really starting to make Sara Palin look smart!

Just stop it! This is hard!
 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Are You Registered to Vote?

From Think Progress:

Today is National Voter Registration Day. With little more than a month remaining until the elections, time is running out for new voters or voters who moved since the last election to register to vote this November. Voters who need a registration form from their home state can click the link below.


American Voter Registration Rates Are Unusually Low: Approximately 68 percent of voting age Americans are registered to vote. That compares to 100 percent of Argentinians, 97 percent of Brits, 93 percent of Canadians and 77 percent of South Africans. As the Brennan Center explains, America does a poor job of registering voters because we place the burden of registering largely at the feet of the voters themselves, while most of our peer nations actively encourage voter registration.

IF YOU'RE NOT REGISTERED YET,   REGISTER HERE.    IT TAKES 2 MINUTES.

Such a Patriot


Oops! Willard Accidentally Told the Truth

... when he admitted that President Obama did not raise taxes during his first 4 years. Then, of course, his handlers took it back.


Read more here.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

"It Takes a While to Get Things Turned Around"

Over the last 4 years, the Dow has doubled, we've gone from losing 750,000 jobs a month to gaining jobs 30 months in a row, business is making record profits, consumer confidence is up, millions of Americans are no longer losing their homes every month, the American auto industry is not on death's door, and the world's largest financial institutions are no longer failing.

But the economy's not turning around "fast enough," Regressive republicans whine.

Let's play Guess the Quote, shall we?

Who said, "I came in and the jobs had been just falling right off a cliff, I came in and they kept falling for 11 months…If you’re going to suggest to me that somehow, the day I got elected, jobs should have immediately turned around, why that would be silly. It takes awhile to get things turned around.”

Guess who said that? President Barack Obama, right?

Nope. WILLARD ROMNEY.


Booed at the AARP

Willard Romney's pick to be his vice presidential running mate, The Kill Medicare Guy (Paul Ryan) spoke to the AARP yesterday to tell of his wonderful plan to destroy Medicare as we know it and turn it into VoucherCare.

It didn't go over too well.


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Willard's Father was One of Those "Free Riders"

By now you're certainly aware that Willard Romney's grandfather ABANDONED AMERICA to practice polygamy in Mexico.

Are you aware that Willard's father, who was born in Mexico, was on "Welfare Relief" for several years when he came to this country?

Willard's own father must have been part of that bunch of deadbeats and parasites that Willard despises so much. You know, the moochers who love entitlements, won't take responsibility for themselves, and want the government to pay for food, housing, all kinds of "free stuff" as Willard likes to say.

Watch Willard's own mother admit this.



More from Opposing Views.

It's Republican States That Don't Pay Taxes!

From The Atlantic:

Mitt Romney says citizens who don't pay income tax will never vote for him. But eight of the top 10 states with the highest number of nonpayers are red states.

Updated, September 18
 
The political world is in a tizzy over hidden-camera footage of Mitt Romney at a fundraising event. Here's the money quote -- literally -- from the Mother Jones scoop:
There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what ....These are people who pay no income tax.

Willard Romney's Contempt for Half of America

As if his campaign hasn't been imploding enough over the last couple of months, now a new video that was recorded surreptitiously at a fundraiser full of millionaires in Boca Raton has surfaced.

In it, Willard Romney expresses his disdain and contempt for HALF of the American population -- 150 million people -- claiming they are "dependent on  government, who believe they are victims. My job is not to worry about these people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."

Got that? HALF of America is a bunch of lazy bums and parasites that Willard cannot waste his time worrying about, despite his fantasy of becoming president of the whole country.

If this is supposed to be the dog whistle that the rightwingers usually use to disparage minorities, here are the latest demographics: America's black population is 12% and hispanics are at 15%. That adds up to 27%, assuming he and his erudite, elitist pals believe every single member of these groups is lazy, out of work and on the public dole. So who are the other 23%? Must be those lazy, good for nothing white seniors, the poor, the disabled and ex-military personnel who receive those much maligned "entitlements" -- which in actuality are owed to them.

This video was shot -- and shows what goes on -- behind closed doors when Willard feels comfortable, at home, and believes he can talk candidly with "his kind of people".

Remember, as you watch this very short video, that Willard is talking about you in those condescending tones.



This guy, who claims everyone voting for President Obama is "looking for free stuff," is trying desperately to get elected to give himself millions in tax breaks.

Excerpt from the article:

Here was Romney raw and unplugged—sort of unscripted. With this crowd of fellow millionaires, he apparently felt free to utter what he really believes and would never dare say out in the open. He displayed a high degree of disgust for nearly half of his fellow citizens, lumping all Obama voters into a mass of shiftless moochers who don't contribute much, if anything, to society, and he indicated that he viewed the election as a battle between strivers (such as himself and the donors before him) and parasitic free-riders who lack character, fortitude, and initiative. Yet Romney explained to his patrons that he could not speak such harsh words about Obama in public, lest he insult those independent voters who sided with Obama in 2008 and whom he desperately needs in this election. These were sentiments not to be shared with the voters; it was inside information, available only to the select few who had paid for the privilege of experiencing the real Romney.

Read the whole article written by David Corn, exclusively in Mother Jones.


Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Regressive Republicans' Perfect Candidate

Why don't the Regressive republicans just run Jesus for President? Because according to their bible, he stands for everything they can't stand.



"Wouldn't it be great if we could find a way to get Jesus of Nazareth to come back and run for president on the Republican ticket?

Wouldn't the GOP love to get behind a guy who was a peaceful, radical, non-violent revolutionary who hung around with lepers, hookers and criminals, who never spoke English, who was not an American citizen; a man who is anti-capitalism, anti-wealth, anti-public prayer -- yes he was, Matthew 6:5 -- anti-death penalty, but never once remotely anti-gay, didn't mention abortion, didn't mention pre-marital sex, a man who never justified torture, never called the poor "lazy," who never asked a leper for a co-pay, who never fought for tax cuts for the wealthiest Nazarenes, and who was a long-haired, brown skinned -- that's in Revelations -- homeless, Middle Eastern Jew.

Of course that's only if you believe what's actually in the bible."

Bill Maher's New Rules

McCain Puts Hannity in his Place

What a waste. Such a giant sized head and such a little brain. Sean Hannity is like a dinosaur.

He makes the inflammatory, ridiculous and untrue wild assertions that President Obama "apologized" to our attackers, we should cut all aid and all relations to Egypt and Libya, the population there wants to implement Sharia Law, etc. -- and gets whipped by John McCain.

Dogs Against Willard Romney


Republican Jackass of the Week

  From Mother Jones:

Dick Cheney Sets New World Record for Being an Asshole

—By   Tue Sep. 11

Really, you almost have to admire the sheer balls this takes:
Former Vice President Dick Cheney took a shot at President Barack Obama late Monday night after it was reported that the president has attended fewer than half of his daily intelligence briefings.
"If President Obama were participating in his intelligence briefings on a regular basis then perhaps he would understand why people are so offended at his efforts to take sole credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden," Cheney told The Daily Caller in an email through a spokeswoman.
This came on the same day that Kurt Eichenwald told us what he'd learned after seeing a series of daily briefings from the months prior to 9/11. Presumably Dick Cheney saw them all too:
By May 1, the Central Intelligence Agency told the White House of a report that “a group presently in the United States” was planning a terrorist operation. Weeks later, on June 22, the daily brief reported that Qaeda strikes could be “imminent,” although intelligence suggested the time frame was flexible.
But some in the administration [i.e., Cheney's clique of neocon nitwits -ed.] considered the warning to be just bluster....In response, the C.I.A. prepared an analysis that all but pleaded with the White House to accept that the danger from Bin Laden was real.
“The U.S. is not the target of a disinformation campaign by Usama Bin Laden,” the daily brief of June 29 read, using the government’s transliteration of Bin Laden’s first name....On July 1, the brief stated that the operation had been delayed, but “will occur soon.”....On July 9, at a meeting of the counterterrorism group, one official suggested that the staff put in for a transfer so that somebody else would be responsible when the attack took place, two people who were there told me in interviews.
....On July 24, Mr. Bush was notified that the attack was still being readied, but that it had been postponed, perhaps by a few months. But the president did not feel the briefings on potential attacks were sufficient, one intelligence official told me, and instead asked for a broader analysis on Al Qaeda, its aspirations and its history. In response, the C.I.A. set to work on the Aug. 6 brief.
August 6, of course, was the infamous daily brief titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." — the one that prompted George Bush to tell his briefer, "All right. You've covered your ass."
Honest to God, Dick Cheney really is the world's biggest asshole, isn't he? And for the record, it turns out that sometimes Obama reads the daily brief and sometimes he attends briefing sessions. Either way, though, he certainly pays more attention to them than either George Bush or Dick Cheney ever did.

Libyan "Apologies to America" Demonstration

Pictures you'll never see on fox.









Thursday, September 13, 2012

Willard Romney Fails Another Foreign Policy Test


Reaction to an embarrassingly amateurish short video that was only taped to inflame and ignite Muslims by mocking their religion managed to kick off protests in Egypt, and ended up with 4 Americans -- including an ambassador in Libya -- dead.   This cowardly little nobody labeled his nonsense "a US production" and made it look like Americans, who never heard of this trash, were watching and believing it across the country. This is akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater. Its only mission is to inflame and cause violence.

Hours before anyone was killed, when protests were just beginning in Cairo, the US embassy there distanced itself from this anonymous, obscure video by stating, "The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."

John Murphy, a communications professor at the University of Illinois who studies presidential rhetoric and political language, said Romney was wrong to label it an apology.

"First, the statement does not use the word ‘apology’ or ‘apologize’ and does not use any synonym for that word. There is no statement here that says, ‘We are sorry.’

"Second, the grammar of the statement condemns the actions of a third party. An apology, to be pedantic, is when the first party says to the second party, ‘I have offended you and I am sorry.’ This statement condemns a third party -- misguided individuals -- that does not officially represent the United States. The term ‘individuals’ dissociates them from the U.S.

Therefore, it's impossible to say that this is an apology from the U.S. to anyone.

 "Third, the statement does not apologize for the right of free speech; it affirms it. It condemns those who abuse the right of free speech, but it claims that this is a universal right, as is religious toleration. So, the statement does not like what the misguided individuals said and did, but recognizes they have a right to do it."

"It's a condemnation," Murphy said, "not an apology."

Once a separate incident -- in Libya -- ended up with a US ambassador and 3 others killed, President Obama stated, "I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants. Make no mistake. Justice will be done."

I'd love to see some rightwing bigmouth point to the words that suggest an apology in that statement.

There isn't one.

Nonetheless that didn't stop Willard Romney from getting right into the fray, long before all the facts were known, and hurling a highly inappropriate cheap shot at President Obama to try to bolster his failing campaign -- in the middle of an international incident where 4 Americans were killed. Except for the little sideline snipers like the Obese Drug Addict Rush Limbaugh and the Failed Half Term Alaska Airhead, NOT ONE republican stood with the unpresidential, unstatesmanlike, inflammatory idiocy that came from Weak Willard's mouth. Most republicans as well as Democrats condemned his unpatriotic, unamerican rhetoric.

All Willard had to do to look good at this critical time was to say something like, "We are all Americans; we grieve for the loss of these fine patriotic public servants, and we know that justice will be done." That's it. SHUT THE MOUTH AND WALK AWAY FROM THE MIC WHILE YOU'RE AHEAD.

But that's not what an inexperienced buffoon with no foreign policy experience whatsoever like Willard could possibly do.

And this guy wants to be president...

Monday, September 10, 2012

President Obama's Convention "Bump"

Three separate polls show an increase for President Obama after his convention. Willard Romney got no such bump in the polls.

The Gallup Poll is a "live" phone poll; Rasmussen is an automated phone poll; and the Reuters/Ipsos poll is done online. The TOP line in each has the latest numbers.


Last Week / This Week

That's what Jon Stewart of the Daily Show calls this segment: a comparison of how everybody's favorite network, Fox Noise, covered both conventions.  Watch how they go from loving details to hating details, from loving Hollywood celebrities to hating them, and from hating social issues to loving them,  in just seven days...

Friday, September 7, 2012

Democratic National Convention -- Night 3

A perfectly organized, well crafted 3 day event, culminated just minutes ago with an emotional speech from Vice President Joe Biden and a spectacularly rousing speech by President Obama. He only mentioned his opponent on occasion, making a couple of jokes at his expense. Some of the best quotes from the speech, and some of the best Twitter comments are listed below, followed by a replay of President Obama's entire speech. If you prefer, the text of his speech is below the video.

@KrystalBall1
Overall, I have to say this was a fantastic convention. Beautifully orchestrated, moving testimony, powerful vision


Am I supposed to sleep after that? I'm ready to canvass the entire block in my pajamas.

Fox points out LACK OF BALLOON DROP

60 days until the election. 2 conventions down. 3 debates to go.

 I do think it sets optimistic tone for campaign and stark choice for Americans

@edshow
McCain '08 manager Steve Schmidt: "i don't think Dems could have possibly done a better job making a case for their candidate"

 Joy Reid ‏@TheReidReport
People are still chanting "fired up, ready to go!" This crowd is hyped

@KrystalBall1
God bless this man. We are so lucky that he wants to serve.

 ‏@BarackObama
President Obama: “We don’t turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up.”

@BarackObama
"If you reject the notion that our govt is forever beholden to the highest bidder, you need to stand up in this election"

 ‏@BarackObama
“Ours is a future filled with hope. If you share that hope with me, I ask you tonight for your vote.”—President Obama

@BarackObama
“So you see, the election four years ago wasn’t about me. It was about you. My fellow citizens—you were the change.”—President Obama

Brilliant way to highlight his accomplishments by empowering us as the ones who made the change.

@Nightline
"Selfless soldiers won't be kicked out of the military because of who they are and who they love." -Pres. Obama

@BarackObama
“I refuse to ask students to pay more for college; or kick children out of Head Start programs so those with the most can pay less.”

@HuffingtonPost
Obama: If you can’t afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent’s advice and “borrow money from your parents.”

Joy Reid ‏@TheReidReport
Obama: "I will never turn Medicare into a voucher." Seniors "should not have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance cos."

 ‏@MoveOn
"You don’t call Russia our #1 enemy (and not al Qaeda) unless you’re still stuck in a Cold War time warp." -@BarackObama.

@thinkprogress
"You may not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can't visit Olympics without insulting our closest ally." -- Barack Obama

@HuffPostPol
"After two wars that have cost us thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, it’s time to do some nation-building right here at home."

That crinkling sound you hear? that's mitt #romney, weeping and drying his tears with $100 bills

@edshow
"my opponent and his runningmate are *new* to foreign policy" hahahaha

@BarackObama
“No family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don’t have the money.”—President Obama

 Joy Reid ‏@TheReidReport
Obama: "no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job or a roof over his head."

@KrystalBall1
President Obama doing now what Romney never did and paying tribute to our troops overseas.

@richardwolffedc
Remind me: what did Romney say again about the war at his convention? Oh yeah. Nothing.

Katrina vandenHeuvel ‏@KatrinaNation
Hubby --who's no fan of Obama--just said no rational person could vote for Romney except those motivated by greed, racism.

‏@CBSNews
Pres. Obama: "Climate change is not a hoax."


Jennifer Granholm, former Michigan governor:
In Romney's world, the cars get the elevator and the workers get the shaft.

Sen John Kerry (during his speech):
Ask Osama bin Laden if he's better off than he was four years ago.

 Sen John Kerry (during his speech):
Advice to Mitt Romney -- before you have a debate about foreign policy with President Obama, finish the debate with yourself.




Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


President Barack Obama: "Michelle, I love you. The other night, I think the entire country saw just how lucky I am. Malia and Sasha, you make me so proud…but don’t get any ideas, you’re still going to class tomorrow. And Joe Biden, thank you for being the best Vice President I could ever hope for.
Madam Chairwoman, delegates, I accept your nomination for President of the United States.
The first time I addressed this convention in 2004, I was a younger man; a Senate candidate from Illinois who spoke about hope – not blind optimism or wishful thinking, but hope in the face of difficulty; hope in the face of uncertainty; that dogged faith in the future which has pushed this nation forward, even when the odds are great; even when the road is long.
Eight years later, that hope has been tested – by the cost of war; by one of the worst economic crises in history; and by political gridlock that’s left us wondering whether it’s still possible to tackle the challenges of our time.
I know that campaigns can seem small, and even silly. Trivial things become big distractions. Serious issues become sound bites. And the truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising. If you’re sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me – so am I.
But when all is said and done – when you pick up that ballot to vote – you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation. Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs and the economy; taxes and deficits; energy and education; war and peace – decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children’s lives for decades to come.
On every issue, the choice you face won’t be just between two candidates or two parties.
It will be a choice between two different paths for America.
A choice between two fundamentally different visions for the future.
Ours is a fight to restore the values that built the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known; the values my grandfather defended as a soldier in Patton’s Army; the values that drove my grandmother to work on a bomber assembly line while he was gone.
They knew they were part of something larger – a nation that triumphed over fascism and depression; a nation where the most innovative businesses turned out the world’s best products, and everyone shared in the pride and success – from the corner office to the factory floor. My grandparents were given the chance to go to college, buy their first home, and fulfill the basic bargain at the heart of America’s story: the promise that hard work will pay off; that responsibility will be rewarded; that everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules – from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, DC.
I ran for President because I saw that basic bargain slipping away. I began my career helping people in the shadow of a shuttered steel mill, at a time when too many good jobs were starting to move overseas. And by 2008, we had seen nearly a decade in which families struggled with costs that kept rising but paychecks that didn’t; racking up more and more debt just to make the mortgage or pay tuition; to put gas in the car or food on the table. And when the house of cards collapsed in the Great Recession, millions of innocent Americans lost their jobs, their homes, and their life savings – a tragedy from which we are still fighting to recover.
Now, our friends at the Republican convention were more than happy to talk about everything they think is wrong with America, but they didn’t have much to say about how they’d make it right. They want your vote, but they don’t want you to know their plan. And that’s because all they have to offer is the same prescription they’ve had for the last thirty years:
“Have a surplus? Try a tax cut.”
“Deficit too high? Try another.”
“Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning!”
Now, I’ve cut taxes for those who need it – middle-class families and small businesses. But I don’t believe that another round of tax breaks for millionaires will bring good jobs to our shores, or pay down our deficit. I don’t believe that firing teachers or kicking students off financial aid will grow the economy, or help us compete with the scientists and engineers coming out of China. After all that we’ve been through, I don’t believe that rolling back regulations on Wall Street will help the small businesswoman expand, or the laid-off construction worker keep his home. We’ve been there, we’ve tried that, and we’re not going back. We’re moving forward.
I won’t pretend the path I’m offering is quick or easy. I never have. You didn’t elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. You elected me to tell you the truth. And the truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over decades. It will require common effort, shared responsibility, and the kind of bold, persistent experimentation that Franklin Roosevelt pursued during the only crisis worse than this one. And by the way – those of us who carry on his party’s legacy should remember that not every problem can be remedied with another government program or dictate from Washington.
But know this, America: Our problems can be solved. Our challenges can be met. The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And I’m asking you to choose that future. I’m asking you to rally around a set of goals for your country – goals in manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and the deficit; a real, achievable plan that will lead to new jobs, more opportunity, and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation. That’s what we can do in the next four years, and that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.
We can choose a future where we export more products and outsource fewer jobs. After a decade that was defined by what we bought and borrowed, we’re getting back to basics, and doing what America has always done best:
We’re making things again.
I’ve met workers in Detroit and Toledo who feared they’d never build another American car. Today, they can’t build them fast enough, because we reinvented a dying auto industry that’s back on top of the world.
I’ve worked with business leaders who are bringing jobs back to America – not because our workers make less pay, but because we make better products. Because we work harder and smarter than anyone else.
I’ve signed trade agreements that are helping our companies sell more goods to millions of new customers – goods that are stamped with three proud words: Made in America.
After a decade of decline, this country created over half a million manufacturing jobs in the last two and a half years. And now you have a choice: we can give more tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, or we can start rewarding companies that open new plants and train new workers and create new jobs here, in the United States of America. We can help big factories and small businesses double their exports, and if we choose this path, we can create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years. You can make that happen. You can choose that future.
You can choose the path where we control more of our own energy. After thirty years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. We’ve doubled our use of renewable energy, and thousands of Americans have jobs today building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries. In the last year alone, we cut oil imports by one million barrels a day – more than any administration in recent history. And today, the United States of America is less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in nearly two decades.
Now you have a choice – between a strategy that reverses this progress, or one that builds on it. We’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration in the last three years, and we’ll open more. But unlike my opponent, I will not let oil companies write this country’s energy plan, or endanger our coastlines, or collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayers.
We’re offering a better path – a future where we keep investing in wind and solar and clean coal; where farmers and scientists harness new biofuels to power our cars and trucks; where construction workers build homes and factories that waste less energy; where we develop a hundred year supply of natural gas that’s right beneath our feet. If you choose this path, we can cut our oil imports in half by 2020 and support more than 600,000 new jobs in natural gas alone.
And yes, my plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet – because climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They’re a threat to our children’s future. And in this election, you can do something about it.
You can choose a future where more Americans have the chance to gain the skills they need to compete, no matter how old they are or how much money they have. Education was the gateway to opportunity for me. It was the gateway for Michelle. And now more than ever, it is the gateway to a middle-class life.
For the first time in a generation, nearly every state has answered our call to raise their standards for teaching and learning. Some of the worst schools in the country have made real gains in math and reading. Millions of students are paying less for college today because we finally took on a system that wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on banks and lenders.
And now you have a choice – we can gut education, or we can decide that in the United States of America, no child should have her dreams deferred because of a crowded classroom or a crumbling school. No family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don’t have the money. No company should have to look for workers in China because they couldn’t find any with the right skills here at home.
Government has a role in this. But teachers must inspire; principals must lead; parents must instill a thirst for learning, and students, you’ve got to do the work. And together, I promise you – we can out-educate and out-compete any country on Earth. Help me recruit 100,000 math and science teachers in the next ten years, and improve early childhood education. Help give two million workers the chance to learn skills at their community college that will lead directly to a job. Help us work with colleges and universities to cut in half the growth of tuition costs over the next ten years. We can meet that goal together. You can choose that future for America.
In a world of new threats and new challenges, you can choose leadership that has been tested and proven. Four years ago, I promised to end the war in Iraq. We did. I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11. We have. We’ve blunted the Taliban’s momentum in Afghanistan, and in 2014, our longest war will be over. A new tower rises above the New York skyline, al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, and Osama bin Laden is dead.
Tonight, we pay tribute to the Americans who still serve in harm’s way. We are forever in debt to a generation whose sacrifice has made this country safer and more respected. We will never forget you. And so long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known. When you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you’ve served us – because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they need when they come home.
Around the world, we’ve strengthened old alliances and forged new coalitions to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. We’ve reasserted our power across the Pacific and stood up to China on behalf of our workers. From Burma to Libya to South Sudan, we have advanced the rights and dignity of all human beings – men and women; Christians and Muslims and Jews.
But for all the progress we’ve made, challenges remain. Terrorist plots must be disrupted. Europe’s crisis must be contained. Our commitment to Israel’s security must not waver, and neither must our pursuit of peace. The Iranian government must face a world that stays united against its nuclear ambitions. The historic change sweeping across the Arab World must be defined not by the iron fist of a dictator or the hate of extremists, but by the hopes and aspirations of ordinary people who are reaching for the same rights that we celebrate today.
So now we face a choice. My opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy, but from all that we’ve seen and heard, they want to take us back to an era of blustering and blundering that cost America so dearly.
After all, you don’t call Russia our number one enemy – and not al Qaeda – unless you’re still stuck in a Cold War time warp. You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can’t visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally. My opponent said it was “tragic” to end the war in Iraq, and he won’t tell us how he’ll end the war in Afghanistan. I have, and I will. And while my opponent would spend more money on military hardware that our Joint Chiefs don’t even want, I’ll use the money we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work – rebuilding roads and bridges; schools and runways. After two wars that have cost us thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, it’s time to do some nation-building right here at home.
You can choose a future where we reduce our deficit without wrecking our middle class. Independent analysis shows that my plan would cut our deficits by $4 trillion. Last summer, I worked with Republicans in Congress to cut $1 trillion in spending – because those of us who believe government can be a force for good should work harder than anyone to reform it, so that it’s leaner, more efficient, and more responsive to the American people.
I want to reform the tax code so that it’s simple, fair, and asks the wealthiest households to pay higher taxes on incomes over $250,000 – the same rate we had when Bill Clinton was president; the same rate we had when our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, the biggest surplus in history, and a lot of millionaires to boot.
Now, I’m still eager to reach an agreement based on the principles of my bipartisan debt commission. No party has a monopoly on wisdom. No democracy works without compromise. But when Governor Romney and his allies in Congress tell us we can somehow lower our deficit by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy – well, you do the math. I refuse to go along with that. And as long as I’m President, I never will.
I refuse to ask middle class families to give up their deductions for owning a home or raising their kids just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut. I refuse to ask students to pay more for college; or kick children out of Head Start programs, or eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans who are poor, elderly, or disabled – all so those with the most can pay less.
And I will never turn Medicare into a voucher. No American should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies. They should retire with the care and dignity they have earned. Yes, we will reform and strengthen Medicare for the long haul, but we’ll do it by reducing the cost of health care – not by asking seniors to pay thousands of dollars more. And we will keep the promise of Social Security by taking the responsible steps to strengthen it – not by turning it over to Wall Street.
This is the choice we now face. This is what the election comes down to. Over and over, we have been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way; that since government can’t do everything, it should do almost nothing. If you can’t afford health insurance, hope that you don’t get sick. If a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children breathe, well, that’s just the price of progress. If you can’t afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent’s advice and “borrow money from your parents.”
You know what? That’s not who we are. That’s not what this country’s about. As Americans, we believe we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights – rights that no man or government can take away. We insist on personal responsibility and we celebrate individual initiative. We’re not entitled to success. We have to earn it. We honor the strivers, the dreamers, the risk-takers who have always been the driving force behind our free enterprise system – the greatest engine of growth and prosperity the world has ever known.
But we also believe in something called citizenship – a word at the very heart of our founding, at the very essence of our democracy; the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another, and to future generations.
We believe that when a CEO pays his autoworkers enough to buy the cars that they build, the whole company does better.
We believe that when a family can no longer be tricked into signing a mortgage they can’t afford, that family is protected, but so is the value of other people’s homes, and so is the entire economy.
We believe that a little girl who’s offered an escape from poverty by a great teacher or a grant for college could become the founder of the next Google, or the scientist who cures cancer, or the President of the United States – and it’s in our power to give her that chance.
We know that churches and charities can often make more of a difference than a poverty program alone. We don’t want handouts for people who refuse to help themselves, and we don’t want bailouts for banks that break the rules. We don’t think government can solve all our problems. But we don’t think that government is the source of all our problems – any more than are welfare recipients, or corporations, or unions, or immigrants, or gays, or any other group we’re told to blame for our troubles.
Because we understand that this democracy is ours.
We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what’s in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.
As citizens, we understand that America is not about what can be done for us. It’s about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government.
So you see, the election four years ago wasn’t about me. It was about you. My fellow citizens – you were the change.
You’re the reason there’s a little girl with a heart disorder in Phoenix who’ll get the surgery she needs because an insurance company can’t limit her coverage. You did that.
You’re the reason a young man in Colorado who never thought he’d be able to afford his dream of earning a medical degree is about to get that chance. You made that possible.
You’re the reason a young immigrant who grew up here and went to school here and pledged allegiance to our flag will no longer be deported from the only country she’s ever called home; why selfless soldiers won’t be kicked out of the military because of who they are or who they love; why thousands of families have finally been able to say to the loved ones who served us so bravely: “Welcome home.”
If you turn away now – if you buy into the cynicism that the change we fought for isn’t possible…well, change will not happen. If you give up on the idea that your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void: lobbyists and special interests; the people with the $10 million checks who are trying to buy this election and those who are making it harder for you to vote; Washington politicians who want to decide who you can marry, or control health care choices that women should make for themselves.
Only you can make sure that doesn’t happen. Only you have the power to move us forward.
I recognize that times have changed since I first spoke to this convention. The times have changed – and so have I.
I’m no longer just a candidate. I’m the President. I know what it means to send young Americans into battle, for I have held in my arms the mothers and fathers of those who didn’t return. I’ve shared the pain of families who’ve lost their homes, and the frustration of workers who’ve lost their jobs. If the critics are right that I’ve made all my decisions based on polls, then I must not be very good at reading them. And while I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together, I’m far more mindful of my own failings, knowing exactly what Lincoln meant when he said, “I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.”
But as I stand here tonight, I have never been more hopeful about America. Not because I think I have all the answers. Not because I’m naïve about the magnitude of our challenges.

I’m hopeful because of you.


The young woman I met at a science fair who won national recognition for her biology research while living with her family at a homeless shelter – she gives me hope.


The auto worker who won the lottery after his plant almost closed, but kept coming to work every day, and bought flags for his whole town and one of the cars that he built to surprise his wife – he gives me hope.

The family business in Warroad, Minnesota that didn’t lay off a single one of their four thousand employees during this recession, even when their competitors shut down dozens of plants, even when it meant the owners gave up some perks and pay – because they understood their biggest asset was the community and the workers who helped build that business – they give me hope.
And I think about the young sailor I met at Walter Reed hospital, still recovering from a grenade attack that would cause him to have his leg amputated above the knee. Six months ago, I would watch him walk into a White House dinner honoring those who served in Iraq, tall and twenty pounds heavier, dashing in his uniform, with a big grin on his face; sturdy on his new leg. And I remember how a few months after that I would watch him on a bicycle, racing with his fellow wounded warriors on a sparkling spring day, inspiring other heroes who had just begun the hard path he had traveled.
He gives me hope.
I don’t know what party these men and women belong to. I don’t know if they’ll vote for me. But I know that their spirit defines us. They remind me, in the words of Scripture, that ours is a “future filled with hope.”
And if you share that faith with me – if you share that hope with me – I ask you tonight for your vote.
If you reject the notion that this nation’s promise is reserved for the few, your voice must be heard in this election.
If you reject the notion that our government is forever beholden to the highest bidder, you need to stand up in this election.
If you believe that new plants and factories can dot our landscape; that new energy can power our future; that new schools can provide ladders of opportunity to this nation of dreamers; if you believe in a country where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules, then I need you to vote this November.
America, I never said this journey would be easy, and I won’t promise that now. Yes, our path is harder – but it leads to a better place. Yes our road is longer – but we travel it together. We don’t turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up. We draw strength from our victories, and we learn from our mistakes, but we keep our eyes fixed on that distant horizon, knowing that Providence is with us, and that we are surely blessed to be citizens of the greatest nation on Earth.
Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless these United States."

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Democratic National Convention -- Night 2

Wow. Just wow. What else is there to say?

If you didn't see the speech from President Bill Clinton in its entirety, here it is.



And tonight, it's Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama to wrap up the convention. Tune in to msnbc early (coverage begins at 7 eastern), make some popcorn, and join me!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Democratic National Convention -- Night 1

First Lady Michelle Obama did a terrific job last night. Home run.

The first thing you notice at a Democratic Convention is that the delegates and the audience look like America. I saw people who were white, black, hispanic, Asian, male, female, gay, straight, young, old, and everything in between. Last week the cameraman struggled to find that one black face in that older, angry white Regressive crowd. And I'm convinced HE walked in by accident.

Michelle reminded us of Pres Obama's character, core convictions, sense of fairness and desire for everyone to succeed. She reminded us that "for Barack, success isn't about how much money you make; it's about the difference you make in people's lives." And "when you walk through the door of opportunity, don't slam it behind you."

Julian Castro (Mayor of San Antonio), Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, Lilly Ledbetter and Mass Gov Deval Patrick gave tremendous, rousing speeches -- not filled with hate or resentment like we heard last week, but filled with hope, excitement, pride in their country, their many accomplishments as well as listing the major accomplishments of President Obama.

Watching Michelle's speech
 Some say this year Pres Obama's facing an "enthusiasm gap." Is he?  No way. Of course, it's not the same as it was 4 years ago because that was a historic election of mammoth proportions. In addition, 4 years ago the economic situation was drastic. One financial institution after another was going bankrupt; millions were losing their homes; we were losing 750,000 jobs a month. We were falling off a cliff without a parachute.

That's no longer the case.

Take a look at this convention. Watch the speeches. Listen to the ebullience. And wait for the bump at the beginning of next week.

The question should be, "is Willard facing an enthusiasm gap?"

There was NO BUMP WHATSOEVER after their hatefest last week. Willard is still far behind in approval from women, blacks, gays, hispanics, etc. His base is bitter, angry older white men. Clint Eastwood solidified that last week.

No one is enthusiastic about Willard. This is why, during the primaries, EVERY OTHER REGRESSIVE CANDIDATE took a turn being the flavor of the month in the #1 position -- for a couple of weeks, until, one by one, they each imploded. Willard just happened to be the last man standing. That's not something to be excited about.

While Obama supporters can't wait to vote for him, Willard's people are stuck with someone they don't really support -- someone they know is not conservative at all, but a flip flopping liar who'll say anything to be elected.

Can't wait for tonight's speeches from President Bill Clinton and Mass Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Bill Maher's Take on the (R) Convention

He, too, noticed that someone prominent in the Regressive world, was missing...


Saturday, September 1, 2012

Recent Tweets About the (R) Convention

@RadioVegan
Love how righties hate Hwd showbiz types but as soon as they find one who's on their side they either elect him president or have him yell at a chair. 

Tell me again what a great manager Romney is. He couldn't manage to keep Christie, Rubio or Eastwood on message or keep convention on time. 

Two things not mentioned during RNC: Dubya and Teabaggers. (Jeb did say "his brother" kept us safe. Oh? Ever heard of 9/11?) 

Still time to dump Mitt, nominate Empty Chair

@RadioVegan to @SarahPalinUSA 
We MISSED you at the convention! But we had a doddering old man talking to a chair. Just as good.

 Also interesting for a party that wants English as official language they had at least 3 speakers pander in Spanish. 

Republican Convention Bombs As Viewership Drops by 17 Million http://www.politicususa.com/republican-convention-bombs-viewership-drops-17-million.html
 
Romney is no businessman. He's a financier. He didn't get rich the old-fashioned way. He exploited tax loopholes. 

These assholes, pandering to the same people they want to "self deport", is as disgusting as #MittRomney
 
Neil Diamond sang "I Am, I Said" to Clint's stool and no one heard. Not even the chair.

I heard that Clint Eastwood was channeling me at the RNC. My lawyers and I are drafting our lawsuit...
(Newhart’s famous comedy bit included talking to someone on a phone that we never heard.)

Good news for Romney out of Clint Eastwood fiasco? He will get to fire some people

I guess the only person missing at the convention was @SpeakerBoehner passing out crying towels. 

"But officer, I'm not driving alone in the carpool lane. That's @BarackObama in the passenger seat.""   

We all focus on the empty chair and not Romney. But in truth the empty chair gave a better speech. 

It was a nice change for Clint. Usually he talks to his oatmeal. 

So I guess if Romney is elected we can get ready for a new cold war with Russia.

"I never thought it was a good idea for attorneys to be president." - Clint Eastwood, endorsing Harvard Law grad Romney. 

Does this mean that next week someone will interview an empty suit and pretend it's Willard Romney?