Today's edition of quick hits:
* House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) delivered an interesting speech today, responding to the election results. Of particular interest, he raised the specter of "new revenue," but not higher taxes. More on this tomorrow.
* I think Greg Sargent's exactly right about this: whether one is pleased or displeased by President Obama's re-election, his victory was not "small."
* How did the various pollsters do? Public Policy Polling had an exceptionally good cycle; Gallup and Rasmussen did not.
* In assorted House races of interest, Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) lost, Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) won, David Rivera (R-Fla.) lost, Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) just barely won, and Allen West (R-Fla.) apparently lost.
* It's a pleasant surprise to see Minnesota voters reject a voter-ID law. Good for them.
* No, as a matter of fact I'm not done laughing at Dick Morris.
* Strange story: "An Ohio local TV news anchor who participated in an anti-Obama program on the eve of election day took to social media on Tuesday to defend herself from critics. Yolanda Harris, an anchor at ABC affiliate WSYX in Columbus, insisted several times that she 'had no choice in the matter.'"
* Bill O'Reilly may not have thought this one through: "It's not a traditional America anymore....The white establishment is now the minority."
* And Simon Maloy makes clear just how bad a year the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin has had.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.
~Bob Dylan
Ha Ha haaaaa Yogi-Boner ~ What a Stinkin' JOKE ! Just HOW Did this Idiot get into the position he is in ? One thing is for certsin ~ He Cannot Handle-It ! What-a-GOMER !
The night before the election, Bob Dylan performed and said that the president would win in a landslide..... And even if his prediction was not perfect, this song definitely identifies the problem in government even almost 50 years after it was written.....but then, are the times really a'changin?
This is for Ninz: I think the times they ARE achanging, due to Obama's victory. I'm 70 years old, came of age during the Civil Rights Movement and listened to Dylan during the Vietnam Protests while I lived in the Big Apple. I am EXTREMELY well-travelled and well-educated. I SHOULD, based on my life's experience, be a very tolerant person but the Religious Right has driven me and our nation to the point of dispair! This is ONE group that I CANNOT tolerate! In the course of my life I have learned that a period of progression seems to breed a period of REGRESSIOM! I want young people everywhere to KEEP THE FAITH in progress! I had almost LOST this faith until our diverse and fantastic population finally said NO MORE! The Tea Party scares me to death while "Occupy Wallstreet" gives me hope! Although the Occupy Movement seems to be on the back burner, I cannot help but wonder about the degree to which they have led to this triumph on the behalf of thebeleagured middle class! I LOVE RACHEL & ALL THE GREAT PEOPLE ON MSNBC! Maybe if S.E. Cupp moves to the left a bit she can quit gasping like Bay Buchanan????
There is one more comment I want to add to my message to Ninz: During all the election polls, I was lumped into the category of old white people who were likely to vote for Romney. I want to assure you that ALL of my friends within my age group ABHORRED the possibility of that shape-shifter's rise to the Presidency! While we were disappointed in Obama's failures to live up to ALL the promises of his first campaign, we were realistic about what he was up against and all that he managed to accomplish, despite the racist back-lash! We "old farts" grew up in a time when the middle class was BOOMING! We realize the extent to which people who hold well-paying jobs contribute to the tax base of our economy. I am so much in thrall to all the young people who turned up at the polls, despite the predictions to the contrary! I LOVE YOU AND I THANK YOU for starting a new era of PROGRESS! FORWARD!!
Thank you for posting that Cynthia , that is very inspiring
Hope you do not mind but I e-mailed your post to John Boehner, Mitch McConnell and Eric Cantor. After your post I added that it is time for them to come to the table with an open mind and put Country before party and recognize that compromise is not a "four letter" word.
Romney's timeline (actual times may vary):
11:13 p.m. EST: Ohio called for Obama.
11:14 p.m.: Obama projected winner.
11:51 p.m.: Nevada called for Obama, Romney has not conceded.
12:36 a.m.: Virginia and Montana declared for Obama. Romney still does not concede.
12:49 a.m.: Romney calls Obama to concede.
12:50 a.m.: Romney files amended 2011 tax return claiming all charitable deductions.
12:55 a.m.: Romney gives concession speech he supposedly did not have written.
12:56 a.m. Donald Trump loses again.
The last time I felt as good as I did celebrating President Obama's victory last night was watching people celebrating on the streets of New York and in front of the White House at the news that we delivered justice for 9/11. At the same time these celebrations were going on, Donald Trump was still stewing over the roasting he got from the President at the Correspondents Dinner. Last night as everyone else in the country was celebrating again, Donald Trump was crying through twitter rants.
I think it is time to boycott all sponsors to The Celebrity Apprentice. What Trump's done all year, culminating in his tweets last night, are beyond revulsion.
The Bloviating Ignoramus that is 'The Donald' is nothing more than a sliver spoon daddy's boy who inherited his wealth, and who has filed bankruptcy several times and been bailed out.
He's the modern day version of a used up has been carnival barker. It won't be long until we're rid of him.
I get a laugh out of this: Thank you Mel Blanc!
http://www.hark.com/clips/nsvdjzkfdz-what-a-maroon
seems appropriate, but Trump is even worse than a maroon.
I wonder if Bill secretly keeps his hood next to the white sheets in his linen closet? -Kevo
During House Speaker John Boehner video : Did I hear a loud back ground noise of someone falling of their chairs ?
I wouldn't know. I can't stand to listen to him for that long, but I'll take your word for it. Looks like at least this time he wasn't crying.
Actions speak louder than any words Boehner can offer. Show us the money, and then we will believe that you really want to compromise/negotiate/raise revenue without new taxes (??? wtf ???).
Still skeptical that he has learned anything in the last 20 hours.
He wasn't crying, but he was definitely patronizing and condescending and breathtakingly insincere.
you are so right.a real republican,,where were the tissue,,,,i thought he would cry a river when mr obama won , go mr obama
Dick Morris is a queer man!
(I'm not impugning anyone's sexuality here!)
He is simply a queer man who finds acceptance as he seeks attention in either a world of positive or negative consequences - he doesn't particularly care, so long as he gets his paycheck to help him in his penchant for horizontal recreation with any like-minded business woman! -Kevo
I hope the House and the President can find a way to work together.
Well RobDon..if the House Republicans still can't bring themselves to reach across the aisle..the mid-terms are just two years away.
You said it Ninz. There are some indicators that house seats aren't as safe as many think, no matter how strong your district is, just look at Michelle Bachmann (almost) and Allan West. We can continue to chip away at this, if they keep it up and we work overtime to work around the equalizing press to make it clear to the rest of the country Republican’s obstruction is the wall in front of progress. And it seems like Republicans may help us make this obvious. President Obama's victory last night does severely limit the chess moves that Republicans have left. If they continue to obstruct over the next two years and we make it clear that they're at the center of this storm, Congress's approval rating will be down near 1% and the American people will say enough and in 2 years they will give it all back to the Democrats to get work done. If this happens we will get work done and this will set us up for a landslide victory in 2016. If they negotiate with us the country will finally see a government responding to its people and working for them. Pres. Obama and Democrats will be given due credit for the significant benefits of such work. It won't be as clean as this, because nothing these days in Congress is, but so long as we press to make it clear who is standing in the way, they have been outmaneuvered.
Robdon, the house is full of right wing lunatic extreme fringe whackos.
It's not up to the president to work with them. They need to get real and join the rest of the reality based community.
The American people have spoken. Obama's agenda is America's agenda.
Get with the program or get kicked to the curb and enjoy the dustbin of history.
@ robdon Not if Obama keeps pulling crap like this http://www.saf.org/viewpr-new.asp?id=413 You people have no Idea the depth of excrement you have put yourselves in.
Inspector
Ypou should inspect your sources. Right wing claptrap
Nan Hayworth is out as a NY congresscritter.
Unfortunately, my NY guy, Gibson is not.
Seriously? WTF Tennessee?
Got Enraged and Engaged:
Mooched the Vote 2012!
;-)
O'Reilly:"It's not a traditional America anymore....The white establishment is now the minority."
Yes, just as they were, circa 1620.
I've read Rubin a bit over the past year, and I have come to admire her for her skill of taking pen to paper prolifically to produce nary a well developed thought of causation or substance!
Jennifer Rubin knows words, but she doesn't know how they relate to real life experiences - and therein rests her oft held desire to produce sound and fury signifying nothing!
She wouldn't be able to hold her own as a high school English teacher! -Kevo
I read that Puerto Rico voted for statehood, but I haven't really seen much about it on the shows. Is it just not that big of a deal? Or is it actually possible that we might be adding a state?
They voted a nonbinding referendum approving statehood. It's significant because it's never happened before, but Congress would still have to vote to admit them to actually start the ball rolling.
Can't imagine the House voting for them unless they had a majority of GOPrs'
Before Puerto Rico could become a state, Congress must first pass an enabling act authorizing a constitutional convention on the island. Once a constitution is written, it must then be approved by Congress. If approved, Puerto Rico is a state. However, first a bill for the enabling act must be introduced. Puerto Rico does have a non-voting delegate to Congress and that person could theoretically start prodding buttock to get things moving.
Thanks! The possibility of a new state was a little geeky exciting for me...
Rising the Bar and the Bullsh*t Debt
The GOP holds Magic Money over our heads, as they continue to cut the jobs.
Dick Morris hasn't been this surprised since he found out Madonna wasn't a virgin.
The next four years will shape so much of who we are for many years to come. The country is making it clear what sort of a nation we want. There is a clear mandate and HERE IT IS!
Government is not the problem. We want government. We just want a government that works, and this requires leaders who believe in it and actually make it work for us. Our government is designed by the people and for the people because we the people, understand that when we lift each other up, we lift all of us up. We understand that there are things that need to be done that don't involve profit and these things can only be achieved by working together. This is what government is.
We have made it clear you cannot buy our election, our government or our country and we want money out of politics.
The politics of division and obstruction serve no one and no one will stand for it anymore.
People do not want the government making health care decisions for women. We do not want a partisan Supreme Court. This election is a clear demonstration that the country wants and needs more women in positions of leadership.
We understand a strong economy comes from the middle out. If the 1% makes more and more money this does not result in the 99% making more money. No matter how many tax breaks you give the 1% they won't invest in businesses unless there are customers for those businesses. If the 1% are holding onto their money and aren’t moving things, then the government is the only entity that can step in and give the economy the boost it needs. The auto bailout made this clear enough that it brought President Obama across the finish line with 274. We understand an economy depends on regulations that protect us from reckless economic engagement.
We do not want the government deciding who we can love.
Although there are many who still don't see the good in Obama care(s), they will and the same people made it clear through their support of keeping Medicare instead of turning it into a voucher program, that we need healthcare reform. We still have a way to go, but today more than yesterday, we are on our way to Medicare for all.
This country has always been a diverse nation and we are finally equalizing participation to ensure every voice plays a part in the future of our country.
We made clear that increasing voter suppression will only increase voter participation. We want a voting process that expands participation by making it more accessible in every way we can.
We want comprehensive immigration reform that respects the fact that immigrants are a big part of how we continue to build this nation.
Yes, people want individual liberty and this includes ending prohibition.
We understand that security, peace and prosperity, comes through the strength of focus, not tough talk.
jstvoice..... thank you.
'nuff said.
Peace......
Really well said jst.
Colorado and Washington legalized recreational use of cannabis.
The racism of the 1930s is drawing to a close.
Kindly click on the links to see supporting references.
Harry Anslinger read racial propaganda from Hearst Corporation into the congressional record during drug campaigns in 1937, which is responsible for the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act of 1937 (the head of the organization that would become the Drug Enforcement Administration).
The Marijuana Tax Stamp Act of 1937 was overturned in court in 1969 because US law required those seeking a tax stamp to incriminate themselves. Cannabis was re-criminalized by the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, which classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 Drug: "a category of drugs not considered legitimate for medical use".
That is how cannabis became illegal.
It has nothing to do with medical evidence.
National Institutes of Health indicates cannabis is effective for some of the most debilitating diseases.
US government authorities indicate there is no such thing as crime to support cannabis addiction.
There have been no fatalities. Overdose requires approximately 1,500 pound consumption within 15 minutes.
Cannabis prohibition began while white supremacists dominated Washington D.C. during the 1920s.
The outcome of cannabis prohibition was creation of organized crime that focus on exploiting illegal profit created specifically because of prohibition that increased the price to $4,000/pound.
Cannabis produces hormone analogs that produce a feeling of bliss similar to those produced by the stomach when we eat fatty foods (it produces happiness).
US Declaration of Independence (drafted on hemp paper)
Yo Crackhead - the "hemp" you speak of regarding our revolutionary document was not the type of "hemp" you'd want to put into your lungs!
I have no problem with industrial hemp - it's the recreational dope we need to keep our watchful eyes on as it may lead to large segments of maladjusted adults addled by a stoned out perspective on everything that happens to come their way!
A stoned mind is not a creative mind! -Kevo
Kevo has obviously not partaken, nor have ye ever witnessed a drunkard in action which have killed more innocents than a billion times of those that are high!
I think you may want to rethink your position, Kevo. I am not one who partakes myself, but when we decide whether or not criminalization is an appropriate way to "keep our watchful eyes on it," we really do need to consider whether it's significantly different than other substances that are currently legal. A drunk mind is not a creative mind, either, and yet I doubt you'd express the same support for a return to Prohibition. In addition, as with Prohibition, there are negative consequences for society that must be weighed against the consequences of individuals choosing to partake -- violence from the underground market, a huge number of lives ruined by unnecessary incarceration, an inability to regulate the product, and more.
Just think about it.
Kevo I've liked you for a long time, but I beg to differ with you on pot.
Mind altering substances have aided creativity throughout the course of civilization.
Your idea of creativity is necessarily subjective, as is all of ours -
Really? Cool! Now I do want some... :D
Got Enraged and Engaged:
Mooched the Vote 2012!
;-)
Apparently kevo has never had a pot brownie
Look at the 1937 statement about pot kevo , then look at your own , there is no difference between them
Alright people - I said a stoned mind is not a creative mind!
I didn't extend the observation beyond that as it stated what I wished to convey! I mentioned nothing about the sober after-high in which the user can reflect about the thoughts, ideas and imaginative notions he had while being stoned. That is another set of issues.
Hey dudes - I get high, I've gone to college where there is a time and place for everything, and I did everything!
Here it is again - read it for what it says - a stoned mind is not a creative mind! It is merely a stoned mind! -Kevo
Interesting opinion, I guess. Of course, as a huge fan of the Grateful Dead (house band at the Acid Tests, among other many career highlights, pardon the expression) I think I might have to disagree...
;-)
Isn't creativity subjective?
I am not saying folks don't think they're better than they are when stoned. But Through the Looking Glass is a Classic where it appears some kind of substance may have brought alternative perspectives.
Do only stoners like it?
Song......"Keep Blazin"..... artist Jah Knight... can be found on You tube. Listen and enjoy... LOL
HELLO MCFLY!!!!! The House certainly did not get a mandate. What they got was put on notice. Get the work done for "We the People" or your ass will be sent packing. We the People are we the VOTERS!!!
The next election is in 2014, when all the House members and one-third of the Senators will be up for re-election. Be vigilant, and be certain to vote.
News Flash
For Your Sees Only: Rachel is a secret agent. Her number is #0098.6
And , this is the good part, she is a half sister to Santa Clause ( no totally confirmed but she trys ). So I now am writing Santa-Rachel for my Christmas wishes. 1) Please make people nicer to each other everywhere on this planet. 2) Please convince the rest of the world that America does not hate them. 3) That new Ipad thing looks fun. Can I have one ?
I am leaving milk and cookies for you by the tree, as always. Good luck ! ?
So Dick Morris thinks that 325 electoral votes is a landslide, but 332 is not a mandate. Odd how that works.
Reaching across the aisle does NOT mean giving them your ideas and insisting that those plans be implemented.
Reaching across the aisle DOES mean taking a bit from your side and taking a bit from their side and finding a way to meld those two ideas to form something that can work.
Boehner came up through the ranks in the era when "bipartisanship" meant "both parties agree to do what Republicans want." It may take a while for him to learn otherwise.
In reality, I actually believe that Boehner wants to negotiate, and I'm willing to accept his statement as his starting position for negotiations. What I don't believe is that he has any more ability than he did last session to get Republicans to vote for deals he negotiates, so it's kind of a moot point.
Amid all the current talk about the Obama coalition, I have never yet heard an acknowledgment of a core constituency: The old line white liberals. We marched for civil rights, we demonstrated against the Vietnam debacle, we backed the women's movement, and we have continued to support to one good cause after another with advocacy, money, activism, and votes. We have done all this not because of some personal self-interest, but because of our core belief that these causes serve to make America better for everyone, including our kids and grandkids.
My wife and I live on the edge of Sacramento's capital city in a very stable and predominantly white middle-class neighborhood. My neighbors, all now retired, had careers in many different professions. Without exception, they share with us a deep blue liberal commitment. We're all quite happy today, of course. Yet it seems to me that political role of folks like us is being overlooked in the rush to give credit solely to the newest emerging phenomenon in electoral politics. Around here, old white folks too carry on the good fight.
Comedians Key&Peele say that white people who voted for Obama are now honorary black people. (I don't have a link to the video, but look it up, it's great.)
So at least we have that acknowledgement. ;-)
Thanx Nemo , you are not forgotten and all of you are appreciated
Physical Cliff? I though we already fell off that thing? How can they keep moving it?
Still kicking his can down the road and runing the economy off in the ditch.
TM
That's Fiscal Cliff. Physical Cliff is what Thelma & Louise went over. ;-)
Congratulations to Democracy. With all the monies flowing in from various places Obama remains the
President of the U.S.A..Glad this election is OVER. It would have been more satisfying if there was a less expensive election process ( Supreme Court did not help) and we could have used these monies to pay down the debt. But, it is what it is, foolishly there are corporations who would rather throw money to the wind instead of hiring people.....hope the wind changes its direction. Right now, Hooray for Obama!
Another thing that readers of Nate Silver know that "expert" pundits do not -- just because PPP is Dem-leaning does not mean it is the equal and opposite of Rasmussen, nor that both can be dismissed in favor of the "nonpartisan" Gallup.
This has been a good day for America and my blood pressure. The potential liar in chief is gone. With any sense of justice, the gop will let die the trickle down lie. Let's start with a major infrastructure jobs bill which will put money in the hands of the worker. The corporations know if Americans have money to spend the economy and their profits will grow. Increasing employment and wages will create other jobs to serve the new spenders. Tomorrow is not too early to start.
Isn't it time for Dick Morris to be ignored for ever more? I mean, come on folks, a stopped clock is right way more often than that fat fool...
I am not from Arizona, but yesterday voters there voted against Proposition 120 that would have turned over all public lands including the Grand Canyon over to the state.
How would they take over federal lands? A State law cannot overrule federal law and land ownership. The sponsors were definitely tilting at right-wing windmills.