We are talking about the NRA here. These are the same folks who, one week after 20 children were gunned down in Newtown Connecticut, came out and said, the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.
Nothing is off-limits for the group of crazies who runs this organization, so when they released this new ad today, I was taken aback. But I soon realized who was responsible for putting out something so low.
The NRA!
Whatever happened to the Republican opposition? President Obama hasn’t even taken the oath of office for the second time and already the GOP has caved on the fiscal cliff, the prospect of immigration reform, and Sandy relief. Oh, and their opposition to any and all forms of gun control is going to cost them at the ballot box. Maybe not in their gerrymandered districts, but on a national level. Newtown was a tipping point. Mark my words.
The negotiations over the debt ceiling and spending cuts will likely go the president’s way too. Why? Because more of the public wants a compromise that includes modest adjustments to entitlements rather than the slash and burn Greek/Spain approach that the “take your medicine” caucus led by Eric Cantor is proposing. Do not ever forget that the true purpose of the Republicans Party’s spending program is to overturn the New Deal and Great Society. They’ve hated those programs for almost 80 years now and for a long time they could taste the victory they believed was rightfully theirs.
But then came November 2012 and the revenge of the real math league that correctly forecast an Obama victory. That didn’t just anger the right; it led to conspiracy theories and a final take-no-prisoners approach to governing that the GOP thinks is a winning strategy. It isn’t.
So now they’re talking about forcing the president to accept drastic cuts in exchange for a debt ceiling rise. The only problem is that most Americans are on Obama’s pragmatic side because they understand that the Recession caused the deficit, not the other way around. Once we get ourselves out of the downturn, and we’re slowly doing just that, the deficit will narrow. People will be productively back at work. Tax revenues will rise. Consumers will begin spending again, if only cautiously. So the GOP’s strategy is doomed to fail. They’ve tried it before and our credit rating was cut. Now there’s evidence that it could be cut more. We’ve seen this movie. It doesn’t end well.
President Obama seems like a new man these days, issuing ultimatums and using the power of his office to effect change on gun control and, I’m assuming, on immigration. He’s said that he’s no longer going to negotiate on the debt ceiling and he’s exactly right. If push comes to shove, he should invoke the 14th Amendment and let the Congress and the Courts figure out if he’s right. He’s said he won’t do that. Too bad. The other option is to call Congress’s bluff and let them take the heat when the government shuts down. Ask Newt Gingrich how that worked out the last time.
Oh, wait. I don’t care what Newt says.
The boss has a new attitude. And things are about to change.
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Oprah has wrapped her interview with alleged performance enhancing drug user, Lance Armstrong. In the interview that will air on Thursday, Armstrong admits to using PEDs throughout his career. The interview was two and a half hours long and Armstrong reportedly gets into details about when exactly he used PEDs and why but as of right now, there aren’t many details from the interview because their is a non-disclosure agreement in place since the interview will air on Thursday.
What’s the next step? Do we forgive what Armstrong has done? Or maybe we just forget about him forever. Well, I don’t think either of those answers are right. This man is not stupid. He was risking being charged for perjury but the statute of limitations has run out on that charge. We are not talking about a man who is desperately looking for forgiveness and will take whatever punishment he deserves. We’re talking about a man who is cunningly making his way through the apology tour to rehabilitate his shattered public image. The excuse that he did it because everyone else was too, that doesn’t make it ok. That just makes everyone else wrong also.
So his seven Tour De France wins were a lie. Actually, it’s unclear at this point if they were all tainted but even if they all are, does that mean that everything he’s ever done is tainted? Even Livestrong? No, of course not. Lance Armstrong cheated. He made a huge career altering and defining mistake. However, Armstrong created and helped lead an organization that has raised over $470 million for cancer research. That’s still pretty damn incredible.
So before you rip off your Livestrong bracelet and throw it in the trash, think about what that yellow bracelet means. Do you wear it because its going to help you win the Tour De France? No. You bought it because the money went to help someone with cancer.
I’m disappointed that Armstrong did PEDs but I would be much more disappointed if all that money didn’t go to an amazing cause. But it did. Don’t forget that.
None of theses options are what you would call “sexy.” But I have always loved Cervelli’s intensity and heart. He plays with a fire that most guys don’t have. Romine is young and calls a very good game. His hitting is not where the organization hoped it would be. He was improving a great deal until he hurt his back and missed most of the 2012 season. Chris Stewart isn’t a bad option but he is definitely not your starting catcher if I had any say. Come Opening Day, my two catchers would be Cervelli and Romine. Spring training will tell who gets the start on Opening Day.
As long as the Yankees stick to their plans of getting a righty outfielder/DH and don’t go get a catcher, the job is Cervelli’s to win. He has something to prove to himself and to this team. He’s looking to show everyone that he can help the big league club and not just as a back up. He told Bryan Hoch of Yankees.com that this is his dream opportunity and he’s not about to settle. It will be interesting to watch him in spring training. He’s a great team guy and he’s a fan favorite. I’m pulling for him.
Malik Obama, the step-brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, said he will run for governor of the western Kenyan county of Siaya, where he may face a sibling of Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Obama, 54, will compete as an independent candidate during the March 4 national elections, he told a public gathering yesterday in Kogelo, about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of the capital, Nairobi. Obama, who shares the same father as the U.S. president, said he will use his relationship with his half- brother to address issues such as poverty and unemployment.
“Siaya county is facing a lot of problems from poor infrastructure to poverty due to bad leadership,” he said. “I will change this if elected.”
This is what the Republicans have been waiting for. With this news, they can now feel that their work in Congress is complete.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will testify Jan. 23 before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the deadly Sept. 11 assault on the U.S. mission in Libya.
That’s the word from Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the panel. He said in a statement late Monday that Clinton will answer questions about the raid that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi.
Clinton had been scheduled to testify last month but she suffered a concussion when she fell during an illness. She was later hospitalized with a blood clot in her head.
She’s also expected to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee around the same time as her House testimony. That date has not been announced by the committee.
Following the shooting in Sandy Hook where 20 children were slaughtered by a crazed gunman, the average American felt the need, the urge to do something… anything to make sure this never happens again. Everyone, except the NRA, who came out of hiding a few days later calling for more guns on the streets and in our schools.
And now this. Exactly one month to the day since the tragic events at Sandy Hook, the NRA has launched a new shoot-em-up video game, for kids 4 years old and up. The free version of the game comes with a regular handgun. But a bigger more powerful gun – the MK11 is available for a purchase price of $.99
One month ago we lost 26 innocent lives including 20 kids ages of 6 and 7 years old. According to the medical examiner’s report, each child was shot between 3 to 11 times. But that was a month ago. Today, the NRA is trying to sharpen up the aiming skills of 4 year olds.
What on earth could go wrong…?
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Monday warned Republicans against refusing to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, calling such talk “irresponsible” and “absurd” and saying it would set off an economic crisis and financial hardship.
“They will not collect a ransom in exchange for not crashing the American economy,” Mr. Obama said during his final news conference of his first term in office. “The full faith and credit of the United States of America is not a bargaining chip.”
The president repeated his vow to seek what he called a “balanced” approach to reduce the nation’s deficit during the months ahead. But he said he would not negotiate on the debt ceiling, and he said Republicans in Congress would be responsible for the effects of a refusal to raise it.
“It would be a self-inflicted wound on the economy,” Mr. Obama said. “It would slow down our growth and tip us into recession. To even entertain the idea of this happening is irresponsible. It’s absurd.”
He added: “America cannot afford another debate with this Congress about whether or not they should pay the bills they’ve already racked up.”
h/t New York Times
Commuters from all over the world removed their pants on January 13th and took a trip on the subway. Why? Who knows. But this yearly trend is being done in cities near and far, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, Lisbon, London, Milan, Paris, New Orleans, etc., etc., etc.,
Here’s a few pics from this year’s event.
Approach a Capricorn with a certain amount of caution, and chances are he’ll trust you more. Be slower to open up and he will be comfortable doing the same with you at his own natural speed. Don’t spill all your most intimate secrets the first week you hang out. These folks are slow and steady and not interested in taking anything too fast.
Enjoy some fine dining and wining with your Capricorn friend. Capricorn is the sign of high rank and status, so they love indulging in the finer aspects of life when they can afford to.
Recognize that from time to time, your Capricorn friend might have a tendency to be melancholy or pessimistic. Her sometimes negative frames of mind can be shifted if you are clever enough and can employ some witty humor. Throw in some jokes about how things could be worse, or even how they couldn’t be worse. If you’re witty enough, it might be enough to bring a Capricorn out of her bad mood.
Understand that Capricorn can get stubbornly attached to her goals and become a workaholic. Being a friend of a Capricorn can take skill, because you need to be able to understand when to leave her alone, and when to put in the effort to pull her away from work and show her a little fun.
Demand as much from your Capricorn friend as he does of you. Capricorns can become overbearing and difficult to deal with sometimes; however they are willing to do their part and own up to your requests as a result of it. Frank, straightforward conversation is the best way to deal with making sure you both remain happy in your friendship.
h/t eHow
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell went on NBC’s Meet The Press today, and a discussion on today’s Republican party ensued.
During the interview, NBC’s David Gregory asked Powell why he continued to consider himself a Republican after supporting President Obama in 2008 and 2012 and taking moderate policy positions. Powell replied;
“I think the Republican Party right now is having an identity problem, and I am still a Republican,” Powell explained. “In recent years, there has been a significant shift to the right and we have seen what that shift has produced: two losing presidential campaigns.”
“When we see that in one more generation that the minorities of America — African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans — will be the majority of the country, you can’t go around saying, ‘We don’t want to have a solid immigration policy, we’re going to dismiss the 47 percent, we are going to make it hard for the minorities to vote,’ as they did in the last election.”
“There is also a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party. They still sort of look down on minorities. How can I evidence that? When I see [Palin] saying that the president is ‘shucking and jiving,’ that’s a racial-era slave term. When I see [Sununu] after the president’s first debate, where he didn’t do very well, says that the president was ‘lazy’ — he didn’t say he was slow, he was tired, he didn’t do well — he said he was lazy. Now, it may not mean anything to most Americans, but to those of use who are African Americans, the second word is ‘shiftless’ and there’s a third word that goes along with it.”
“Why do senior Republican leaders tolerate this kind of discussion within the party? I think the party has to take a look at itself. It has to take a look at it’s responsibilities for health care, it has to take a look at immigration, it has to take a look at those less fortunate than us.”
You will be welcomed in the Democratic party Mr. Powell. Come on over!
The Petition to deport CNN’s Piers Morgan gathered over 109,000 signatures, far more than the 25,000 required to get an official response from the White House. Well that response is finally here.
By Jay Carney
Thank you for participating in We the People to speak out on an issue that matters to you.
Let’s not let arguments over the Constitution’s Second Amendment violate the spirit of its First. President Obama believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. However, the Constitution not only guarantees an individual right to bear arms, but also enshrines the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press — fundamental principles that are essential to our democracy. Americans may disagree on matters of public policy and express those disagreements vigorously, but no one should be punished by the government simply because he or she expressed a view on the Second Amendment — or any other matter of public concern.
We recognize that the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, sparked an intense, and at times emotional, national conversation about the steps we can take as a country to reduce gun violence. In fact, your petition is one of many on the issue, and President Obama personally responded by sharing his views on this important issue.
n a recent press conference, President Obama also addressed the Second Amendment and the important perspective that law-abiding gun owners bring to the public conversation on this issue:
Look, like the majority of Americans, I believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. This country has a strong tradition of gun ownership that’s been handed down from generation to generation. Obviously across the country there are regional differences. There are differences between how people feel in urban areas and rural areas. And the fact is the vast majority of gun owners in America are responsible — they buy their guns legally and they use them safely, whether for hunting or sport shooting, collection or protection.
But you know what, I am also betting that the majority — the vast majority — of responsible, law-abiding gun owners would be some of the first to say that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few from buying a weapon of war. I’m willing to bet that they don’t think that using a gun and using common sense are incompatible ideas — that an unbalanced man shouldn’t be able to get his hands on a military-style assault rifle so easily; that in this age of technology, we should be able to check someone’s criminal records before he or she can check out at a gun show; that if we work harder to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, there would be fewer atrocities like the one in Newtown — or any of the lesser-known tragedies that visit small towns and big cities all across America every day.
Jay Carney is White House Press Secretary
Alex Jones, the man who started the petition was invited on Morgan’s CNN show to discuss gun issues. It was an invite we’re sure Morgan regretted making. The show turned out to be an absolute disaster.
