Today's edition of quick hits:
* Among the more heartbreaking post-Sandy scenes is the devastation on Staten Island.
* Tempers flare: "Patience wore thin over gas shortages, power failures and long lines for everything from buses to food handouts on Friday, as many parts of the New York City region struggled to recover from the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy."
* The U.S. death toll from Sandy is nearing 100, and seems likely to grow.
* President Obama, back on the campaign trail, made his first public remarks today about Mitt Romney's Jeep-Chrysler-China lie.
* Syria: "The Obama administration's suggestion this week that it was prepared to sideline the opposition-in-exile Syrian National Council and attempt to handpick more representative leaders at a crucial meeting next week came after months of frustration over the group's dysfunction and ineffectiveness."
* Benghazi: "Security officers from the C.I.A. played a pivotal role in combating militants who attacked the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, deploying a rescue party from a secret base in the city, sending reinforcements from Tripoli, and organizing an armed Libyan military convoy to escort the surviving Americans to hastily chartered planes that whisked them out of the country, senior intelligence officials said Thursday."
* Economic history: "[D]espite the view held by many that the GOP is the party of economic prosperity and soaring stock markets, the opposite has historically been true. Over the past six decades, Republican administrations have produced median economic growth of 2.6 percent. Democratic administrations, meanwhile, have produced a median growth rate of 4.2 percent."
* Here's a tip for Republicans: avoid phrases such as "the rape thing."
* And I've seen some ugly China-bashing this election season, but it looks like the Ohio Republican Party has found a way to hit the bottom of the barrel.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
Any news from Fire Island, NY?
Still worried.
For the sake of Staten Island and other hard hit areas, I am glad the marathon has been cancelled. If those people want exercise, let them run up 18 flights and help people stranded with no food , water, or heat. Let them help distribute food on Staten Island. Put 'em to work.
Is this but a taste of "Shock & Awe". The devastation we caused when we were lied into a war. Imagine this going on for years. Imagine another hurricane a month from now. If our planet is to survive we have to get republicans out of office. To the GOP: "Dying rich is still DYING"
How can people vote for their own destruction. We always fare worse under republicans and right now we can't afford to fare worse. GOTV
Well said!!!
bjobotts:
Plz put down the kool-aid.......
bjobotts, #2
One of the most revealing books I've ever read is Naomi Klein's, THE SHOCK DOCTRINE, about disaster Capitalism. It goes into detail about how Bush and his crowd used disasters, like the Iraq war, to gain profit and employ their policies. It goes into the history of disaster capitalism
It is no accident that they called the bombing of Iraq "shock and awe". We need to be careful now that there's been another bad disaster. They moved in just after Katrina and probably will do so after Sandy.
Klein has lots of videos you can watch about the shock doctrine. Go to You tube. It's very revealing and pretty scary.
BBC has breaking news just in that the NYC Marathon has been canceled....
Thank goodness. Maybe it can be scheduled in the spring. I cannot feature when it might be done before then.
Benghazi:
What a pickle,
Obama and Clinton coming right out and saying what was really going on with a certain result of compromising operatives and operations, and giving the Righties something to whine about. Valerie Plame debacle be damned.
Or
Fabricate lies in order to not destroy whatever parts of the covert operations remained and keep whatever operatives remained able to still function, not to mention alive. Which gives the Righties something to whine about, even though telling the truth would result in dismantling the operation and by the Right Wings arguments of the past, the dead would have died for nothing.
Now all the conflicting reports make sense.
.
Canceling funding for embassy security then bitch about there not being enough security eh Ryan? The stupidity is alarming.
The CIA and all those putting their lives on the line demonstrate what true patriotism is. Republicans, who continually hold claim to being the only true patriots, are so blinded by divisive partisanship they don't even see that in slamming the response to the attacks on Benghazi they were slamming the brave actions of our CIA who charged into the fire. If they say no were not, then how come the CIA felt they had to release more details to combat the despicable assertion that Americans wouldn't do all they could to defend our own. Republicans continually forget what the word covert means. They failed to see they were divulging CIA operations and Libyan informants because they were so anxious to put together congressional hearings designed to specifically spew partisan attacks. Once again, thanks to all of those who sacrifice so much, for the rest of us.
www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/us/libya-benghazi-e-mails/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Americans DIED...Obama LIED...and then created a COVER UP!
And how many were killed, wounded and went through hell in Iraq? Was it worth? Did you bitch about that? Did you complain when troop's did not have proper Body Armor? Did you raise questions when $$ Billion's went missing? Or how about 600 million cut from Vet's , Bush put them there, But didn't want to take care of them when they got home, That is really something to be proud of. Why wasn't Bush , Cheney, or any of them A$$wipes at the RNC?
Sarge, Thanks, a thousand thumbs up.
No Problem Sandy, Sure, We have an unfortunate Incident that WE don't have all the info on, But we sure as hell know about Iraq and some thing's that took place. And it really irritates me that None of these Repub's can acknowledge or admit that it was messed up How are Veterans are treated. bunch of Crap.
metoo999, Surely there is a Nascar race you can go watch instead of spewing lies on this blog.
metoo999: Looks like you missed my posting:
Geraldo Rivera to Eric Bolling: You're Lying about Benghazi Attack:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/geraldo-rivera-benghazi-eric-bolling_n_2064006.html
Hey CM, I saw that video and I appreciate Geraldo for that.
If the shipping jobs to China thing is so important, why hasn't the media publicized this clip (from the same fundraiser when Romney talked about the 47%) about Romney talking about his time at Bain, when he was looking to buy a factory in China? Supposedly, the fence around the factory are to keep people out because so many people want to work there (and live in crappy conditions). Yeah, right...
Even on youtube, it hasn't received that many hits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHookkm0008
Because every ort can be pointed to and the question asked , "Why hasn't this been addressed?".
.
It takes a truly AWESOME amount of "chootzpah" for Rape-Public-CONs to gripe about outsourcing jobs to anywhere, when their Congressional & Senatorial caucuses have been repeatedly responsible for blocking Democratic efforts to end the subsidies in our tax code for companies that move American jobs offshore!
That's right, folks. For anyone who didn't already know, for years now (thanks to the Rape-Public-CON Party) some of your tax dollars have gone to US companies that shift American jobs to foreign countries! By design!
I believe the most recent (tragically successful) example of this was in July when the Rape-Public-CON Senate caucus filibustered the "Bring Jobs Home Act" (also referred to as an "insourcing act"). What? Do anything to help beleaguered American workers or the American economy? Not while a Democrat's in the White House, that just wouldn't "do"!
The Senate voted in favor of the Act, 56-42, so obviously it failed. As usual, so did the wing-nut media - I tried searching Foxnews.com and as far as I can tell, there hasn't even been a mention of this, so obviously for the wing-nuts, it never happened.
Crap like this. This is why this "hasn't been addressed"!
Get Enraged and Engaged:
Mooch the Vote 2012!
;-)
Then the gop are allowed to go on the msm and say they are for creating jobs over and over again , but yet again after the election , they will do the exact opposite , the msm will not hold them accountable for their endless romney lying and flip flopping , it is up to DEM voters , and the DEM public , to hold them and the msm accountable , we have to vote , then fight like hell folks , THE RISING!!!!!
Perhaps this the last organized gasp for the rapeublican women bashers and idiocy apologists. Perhaps the ultra-extreme will become too toxic a platform, for public consumption at least. Perhaps the xtian fundamentalists will remember what they are forgetting consisently. Perhaps a multibillionaire will say 'I've got enough money, I think I will share.' Yeah, perhaps jesus will ride in on a triceratops and tell us he really has been living in South Park for all these years. Perhaps sigh.
Jesus on a Triceratops, priceless!!
As far as the Chinese Food thing goes, most of "Ohio"/9th century nightmare land that might as well feature horse drawn carriages everywhere" thinks Chinese food naturally comes with multi-colored rice puffs and all "those people" eat is bland wonton soup, the worst sweet and sour chicken (mmmm, non-nutritive sugar sauce!) and the occasional spring roll..(from a strip mall, next to the Giant Eagle.. or whatever the Chinese communists call it in their country)
Don't cash in your chips yet George Lucas just said he is going to give the procedes from his Disney deal to charity all $4.05 billion of it so thats 1 out of 5
This is a thing....Romney campain tumblr page posted photoshopped "victory rally" pics from their event in Henderson NV last week.
http://mittromney.tumblr.com/image/34185077128
I live in Henderson (and have been to events at that venue) and can confirm that it is definately photoshopped to make the pavillion look bigger. it is actually not that large of a place.
I'll be darned.
I went looking for a picture of the venue and found this:
Oh Doctor: Romney Instagram Etch-a-Sketches Campaign Photo
http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2012/10/oh-doctor-romney-instagram-etch-a-sketches-campaign-photo/
" ... Because the photoshopping is ridiculously amateurish, ... "
Lets not forget Colon Powell and the pictures he showed the UN, back before General Powell fully transitioned to Civilian.
.
I belive that is "Colin" not "Colon", even though in our guts, we knew he was nuts!
Sigh, can't the Romney/Ryan team tell the truth about anything?
No. Lack of experience.
Wow. This is pretty funny. From another article about it at Romney photoshops image to exaggerate crowd size, gets own name wrong:
And as the author, John Aravosis, points out, the photo manipulation made the campaign banner read: "Romnmney 2012".
Easy to see how rocks could be confused with "heads" in that crowd... LOL.
Get Enraged and Engaged:
Mooch the Vote 2012!
;-)
American voters are not the fools Mitt Romney takes them for. Romney wants "change," but why change paths in the middle of a solid economic recovery that has more people finding jobs and getting paychecks? Mitt has been rooting against America and Americans the entire campaign. It was a bad bet that has failed him now. Clearly Romney's bizarre campaign decisions of the past week are based on fear and desperation, not the "momentum" that many in the press seem hell-bent on bestowing upon Mitt. Rolling last minute ads that are patently and absurdly false is a show of immense weakness and panic from Team Romney. - PP
"The rape thing"..rep candidate Koster actually said, "How does killing a child make it any better". WTF? No one is killing a child..it's a FETUS idiot...not capable of life outside the womb. Like saying you're killing a child if you ejaculate on the ground. Is a miscarriage also killing a child? Is birth control? Your belief system is not fact or reality...and you've no business telling a woman what she can or can't do with her body. The morning after a rape pill is not "killing a baby"...Come on say it with me...Fetus...fet-us...fet-US...good boy.
According to these yahoos, contraception and abortion are equivalents.
I am glad the marathon has been sidelined. It just wouldn't be right to unnecessarily host out of town folks for a race while the residents suffer. The start would be at Staten Island, from my understanding. Just have the supplies delivered to the staging area for the residents instead of the runners. Sensible.
They can schedule another marathon in the spring, can't they? Wounds are fresh, having a marathon would be salt in them.
Mark Halperin is at his best when he's simply quoting the President and refraining from comment.
Why has the MSM been so quiet about Romney's obvious lies? It seems like the lie about Jeep shipping jobs overseas has caused a stir but what about his many lies in the past few months? I've been voting since the late 1960's and I have to say that I've never seen anything like Romney's blatant untruths. The MSM considered it a great"strategy" for Romney to lie during the debates. I feel like we are living in Orwell's "1984" with the Ministry of Truth turning every lie into a "truth" and rewriting history. I can only hope that the American people are smart enough to see through this subtrefuge and vote for Obama.
They'll probably lose their job.
The news media needs to be all over the Romney campaign's lies and half truths. There are a lot of low information voters out there who are buying the swill they are selling.
The marathon is being replaced by a telethon? Now that makes sense.
Bloomberg must have been suffering from shell shock. I imagine most of those in the area are. We had been warned for decades that this would happen but you just don't understand the magnitude and scope of the consequences until it happens and you can see it yourself. My heart goes out to all those effected. Hang in there. Help is on the way.
The rest of the country cares and so do the relief workers coming from all across the nation as soon as they can possibly get to the devastated areas. FEMA had a plan in place and it's being implemented as fast as the receding water allows the professionals to get to you and do their work on the utilities, transportation, and food and shelter.
I saw it here in MO at least two times after week-long plus outages from tornadoes and wind surge/ice events. You will get through this and come to appreciate the efforts of others and what's really important in life.
Why do you have to have gasoline when there are people nearby who need your help right where you are? Seek out others who are shut ins and pitch in with the clean up till the power comes back on. Be part of something bigger than yourself. Those people sitting around fires at Occupy Wall Street were onto something.
http://www.randirhodes.com/pages/rrnews.html?feed=393046&article=9880240
Check it out.
SIGNAL BOOST
WASHINGTON STATE AND OREGON HAVE HAD VOTING MACHINE TAMPERINGS AND ALL BY REPUBLICANS!!!!
http://kaipai.tumblr.com/post/34749000991/signal-boost
http://reagan-was-a-horrible-president.tumblr.com/post/34858978957/oregon-county-elections-official-under-investigation
IF ONE SIDE IS TAMPERING WITH VOTES IN BLUE STATES YOU KNOW THEY ARE LOSING!!!!
RACHAEL PLEASE POST THIS.
The people taking part in these acts are despicable human beings, totally Un-American!
If ever there was a legitimate reason to have the public tar and feather people, this is one. Remember those Western movies where the townsfolk gather at the jail and chant at the prisoner the night before the hanging?
OR and WA vote by mail. We don't even leave the house except to mail or drop our ballots off.
I was horrified to see the article on filled in mail in ballots being found discarded in Vallejo, CA.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_21914228
I hope they find and arrest the person/s doing that.
it was a Clackamas county.
so one was taken the ballots and filling in all republicans went the person who send the ballot in didn't pick one or other. but this is not the first time for that county.
Remember when Romney said Russia is our #1 enemy? (lol) well one Romney troll is doing business with them.
http://kileyrae.tumblr.com/post/34849163893/apparently-there-are-trolls-within-the-romney-clan
When it come to the auto industry bail-out consider the following silly thing:
Workers weren't laid off because it paid off.
In his own words:
"On Feb. 2, 2009, President Barack Obama explained his chances to fix the economy to host Matt Lauer on NBC's "Today" show: "I will be held accountable. I've got four years. … If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition." According to Obama, himself, words mean something. He has made his entire political career using carefully chosen words.
So a $16.4 trillion debt and climbing, $6.2 Trillion new Obama debt, 12.9 million people out of work 13.7 million looking for work , 47 million people on food stamps, destroying the healthtaxcare system, unemployment above 7.9% and 2.0% GDP, first time in U.S. history our credit rating downgraded...and looking like it going to be again!!! You bet Obama has really led the country in the right direction.
We need CHANGE so we can move FORWARD…….
Yawn - same old, same old! OK, you proven you know how to cut and paste. Now, let's go on to the next step - READING and UNDERSTANDING what you cut and paste!
What you are posting is SOOOO OLD - find something new that we can get excited about.......cause right now, you are just BORING!!!
first time in U.S. history our credit rating downgraded...and looking like it going to be again!!By Republicans who will hold the country hostage again .
There fixed it for you .
You trollettes seem to think you are going to convert somebody with your Faux nooze worldview.
They had Faux on today at the gym and they were positively aghast that they were the only ones excited about Bengahzigate . Why screeched Bret Baier the major networks won't even cover our Bhengahzi
scandalmade up scandalI broke out laughing . So immersed in their own bubble they believe their own shyt...
The adults have moved on.
But that's all metoo has ever had. I think he has thiose 2 iissues some place he can just cut and paste. Never had any real info. Never will. His hate shows through with ever post.
Sickand efen tired
It is shocking to see the melt down on this , after being silent about 9/11 and the iraq debacle , these clowns think they have a leg to stand on with Bengahzi ? Low information voters does not begin to describe these proactive nazi like propagandists
The liberal haters are trying to buy some love. They're having a telethon to raise money for Sandy victims.
Money from the Katrina telethons somehow got lost on the way to N.O.. This will be no different.
I'm turning back to O'Reilly, at least there's some honesty there.
Anther new idiot troll. Yawn.
Yup checked the newsvine ..posting since 10/31/12
At least he was nice enough to realize we don't cotton to his type in this world ....better he return to the bubble.
Walt Henderson,
Your village is missing its idiot. Phone home.
Tip for Obama (although it's too late now): When 4 Americans die at the hands of terrorists, it's probably not a good idea to get a good night's sleep, fly off to Vegas for a fundraiser, then go on talk shows the next few days. Might have been a better idea to at least act presidential.
Maybe you'd like to read Sarge's response:
#4.4
I thought it was a good one.
Don't forget, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld have the Blood of Thousands on there Hand's. Weren't even at the RNC, Crap they couldn't even give any kind of Tribute to the member's of OUR Armed Forces at the RNC. Bush is in the Caymans, Probably tappin into the $$$ Billion's that vanished in Iraq. Or maybe that $$$ is funding the repub's campaign's, That is only speculation on My part,
Then to put the icing on the cake, Robme put's on a half ass attempt at a Relief Effort in Ohio. As a Fmr. Gov WE would think that Romney would have known how to Coordinate, or would have Contacted the Red Cross as to What he could do.Never heard anything reported as to him doing that. The saying, It is the thought that counts, Not to much thought put into that one, If he really wanted to do something, Why not a Public Service Announcement, In my view, he made a mockery out of People's suffering. Caring , compassion are 2 qualities he doesn't posses
I just ran across an article that is from Faux News for these people that keep saying things about Benghazi being a cover up or whatever they are spouting.
It seems one of their own is calling b.s. on this stuff:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/02/1154261/-Geraldo-Turns-On-Fox-That-s-An-Obscene-Lie
maybe they will be persuaded to leave it alone if it comes from one of their own.
Sandy, #20.4
You are a lot more of an optimist than I am about Fux up the news!
You never know, but I am an optimist.Possible that a few yahoos might realize they are being led around by Faux and Limpy, etc.
They cancel the marathon, but are still having the GIANTS game on Sunday!! Seems to me they should postpone the game until fans can actually could be there to watch...or at least have electric so they could watch it!!! Instead of playing go out into the community and help all their fans...The NFL is to worried about loosing to much money...Will the game be blacked out?? Probably!!!!
I contacted Broward -County Florida elections early enough to get my ballot mailed to me in Canada. As a matter of fact, I contacted them one week prior to them sending out the out of town ballots (absentee ballots)and they said it will be sent out. I never got it. I had to contact them twice more before I finally had them email it to me and I would have to fax it back to them once I filled it out as there was no time to mail it to get it back to them in sufficient time. I had to ask them if my voter registration which showed I was a Democrat had anything to do with it. I was serious. I've emailed my ballot back but I will never be sure if they register my vote or toss it in the garbage. Just today I also got an email from another person in their office telling me that my ballot was just mailed out! It's one month since they were supposed to have sent it.
Ridiculous! They have NO SHAME! You've been mugged. How can you vote them out if they won't let you vote?
What is that called in a third world… dictatorship?
Sandy, I am beginning to think we should all register Republican, then go and vote Democrat. I did that in FL and I was able to vote but my husband, who is ex Air Force, voted all his adult life, from NY, was turned away at the polls; no explanation given except his registration was wrong. Of course, it wasn't. He and I had registered together. I registered GOP as a protest against what Bill Clinton did with Lewinsky. Lucky in a way. I voted for the Democrat. I have since re-registered Democrat. I have never voted Republican.
I have since forgiven Bill Clinton. He has so many good qualities. He is so appealing.
Rachael, Romney has been saying that unemployment is higher than when Obama took office. This is literally true but ignores the curve that shows what happened (sharp rise in last year of Bush, overshoot and peak in first year of Obama then decline after peak.) Could you show this curve and explain it, please? We can't let him get away with that misrepresentation! If you put it on FB, I will share it.
Open thread YAY! My thought on the Christie giving verbal props to the President situation:
Perhaps it is made understandable when you remember a few important things about Christie. He is pragmatic, smart and actually does care about NJ. When Sandy hit it was clear that the recovery would take quite a bit of time and require outside the state help. Knowing the idealogues surrounding Romney (who will likely be making policy in an administration) as only an insider like Christie would know, he knew that a Romney administration might not be too forthcoming with help whereas Obama certainly would. He cannot openly endorse Obama without totally p*ssing off the Rep. powers but clearly it is in his (and his state's) best interest to help tip the scales to an Obama win. By doing it this way he might influence enough votes to get Obama back in office while still keeping his position as a potential Presidential candidate in 2016.
Personally I can't wait till Christie has a few moments to spare to sling a few rocks at Rushbo...I'll pop the popcorn!
I'd watch that and even pay for the popcorn. Oh, would I love that! Rush Limbaugh should be sent to another universe. He is the most vile person I've ever seen or heard: A real sick-o.
Sandy, If you are on the blog. I reached our friend and he did ride out the storm on Fire Island. He is still there, helping in the clean-up. He only had 30 seconds to talk, and is exhausted, but OK. He did not say if his house is still there, or his boat and vehicle. He ignored the mandatory evacuation. Fool!!!
India....I'm glad your friend made it out OK.....sounds like things are getting a little out of control with the gasoline situation....I'll be glad when things are back to normal....and I will be glad when the election is over....
Hi TAP, Thanks. Oh, boy, I will be glad when it's over, too. I cannot imagine our friend up there on that little barrier island. It was all but destroyed. Parts of the island were breached. It is flooded. It is unlivable. The ferries aren't running, and there's no way else to get off except the Robert Moses bridge and he's not near there. I've seen videos. OMG!
After the snow storm of 2-5-10, here we had no gas either and were out of power for four days or five. It was awful but a wake up call. We now have a cupboard of food stocked, a kerosene heater, and extra paper products and such. Never again. It was 43 degrees in here in the house. We wrapped the cat in my husband's wool cap! LOL
Looks like Obama will win. I know that won't make your day, but give him a chance to keep this recovery going.
Glad to hear he's OK. Life is going to be hard around there for some time.
Hey, Sandy....you are right...it is going to be tough around there for quite some time.....Fire Island took a beating.
India...all we can do is pray about the situation in the Hurricane effected areas, donate to the Red Cross and encourage our leaders to lead and do what is best.
As far as the election goes....well you know I don't agree with you on Obama...and that is ok with me....I respect your view. We all have to vote for who we think will make things better......That's the American Way....Have a Great Day!
TAP and Sandy,
Officials want all residents off the Island. They say no power can be restored there, the ferries are gone and people could die from the cold. I am upset at him for not leaving. The Island has been breached, also, in places. We still do not know if his girlfriend is with him! I had no time to ask!
That wasn't a smart move....sorry to hear that India. Try not to worry too much...Worrying will not help....Give it to God.
Hi India, I am so happy to see you, I was concerned because I know you live in Pa. I read about your friend, from watching the weather report, there seem to had been three actions going one, (1) Hurricane Sandy, (2) Nor'easter (3) Jet Stream and they collided and that's what made it a perfect storm or terrific storm..I hope your friend will be ok .The city is coming back together, we have 80% subway and maybe 100% buses, New York State is giving 10gallons of gasoline for free this weekend, I suppose they realize some people may have run out of cash etc..people are much calm, maybe petty crimes nothing to report and people are going about their business in the usual manner..If you understand new yorkers, they take things in stride..
(((India))) Hope it helps. There was probably a submarine cable severed from all the turbulence. It may take awhile to get to that. TAP is right worrying won't help. Hope and pray for all of them. They are survivors, should bring some clarity as to priorities.
He would have probably been showing it if his g/f was hurt or lost.
Sandy, Yeah, you are right.
Hi CM, My gosh I was worried about you, too. I know you are in NY. Did you lose power? I cannot imagine being in a high rise there with no lights or elevators! Do you have power now?
We saw Long Beach and the house we lived in in the eighties was right on the beach and it, and our neighbour's house, are GONE! I hated living out there, in the Winter sand and snow would blow in every time you opened the darn door!
Here, during the storm, we never lost power at all! Honest, this is a place where we lose power if someone sneezes real hard!
Hi India, I did not lose power at all, I am in Manhattan upper so its a little hilly, but I was on the computer posting all night, the lights flickered twice but that was all, I like the water but have never thought of living close to I hope you hear from your friend soon..