Monday, September 26, 2011

Obama at CBC speech: "stop complaining"

Over the weekend, Obama spoke to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The transcript of the key part seems pretty horrific. The video, here, makes it more unclear exactly what Obama is talking about, and you can hear the audience continues to applaud. And the context of the whole speech makes it seem somewhat better. Maybe.

This was the ending:
I expect all of you to march with me and press on. Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We've got work to do, CBC.
I'll divide this into two parts:

1. the "stop complaining" part. The most charitable interpretation you can give is that Obama didn't mean this to CBC members specifically, but as sort of a general call. That's pretty generous to interpret it that way. Even if you do, who is the President accusing of just "complaining?" That doesn't seem accurate. Nor does it seem like a good idea to be saying.

Black unemployment is at 16.7%. Is there someone specific the President would like to accuse of "complaining" rather than being productive? The President has rejected nearly every single policy proposal from the CBC. These haven't been complaints. They've been... policy proposals.

2. the "We are going to press on. We've got work to do" part. Makes it sound like they're on the same team. The whole point, as everyone knows, is that Obama has, in fact, not been on their team.

More from Lauren Burke, Courtland Milloy.

Friday, September 23, 2011

This just in: WashPost teaches reporters how to properly use "links"

Can't make this stuff up.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Eww Eww Eww

Yucky alert. Not going to click on that stuff.


Op-Ed Columnist

The Re-election Tango

By MAUREEN DOWD

Bill shows Barry how to dance with adoring women.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Troy Davis denied clemency

Happened this morning. See AJC.

Friday, September 16, 2011

How many continents are there?

This!

Rhetorically playing for the other team

Democratic Senator Tom Carper of Delaware is "supportive" of Obama's jobs bill, but decided to throw in this real helpful line:
I think the best jobs bill that can be passed is a comprehensive long-term deficit-reduction plan. That's better than everything else the president is talking about -- combined.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The ELF documentary

"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" is a new documentary just out. It goes deeper and with way more access than anything before. It aired on PBS Tuesday and it's viewable for free on their website for the next few weeks.

Somehow I had thought the ELF in the US went way back further; in fact it started in the later 90s. The documentary focused on one particular cell, so it was hard to get a sense of the whole scope. But do watch it.

Breaking from WaPo

Take a look at the 5 stories below from today's "Afternoon Buzz" email from WaPo. What do #'s 1, 3, 4 and 5 have in common? They're not news! Who cares about these things? (re #4, the patent bill itself is a real story, but it's over -- it's done).



***

Today’s News Update

Justice Ginsburg aboard plane evacuated at Dulles International Airport

United Airlines Flight 586, scheduled to depart Dulles airport at 12:34 p.m. for San Francisco, has been evacuated after a fire was reportedly spotted in an engine.

No abortion ban in Senate D.C. spending bill

Advocates for District autonomy and abortion rights won a partial victory Wednesday, as the Senate released a draft spending bill that does not include a ban on the city using taxpayer money to fund abortions for low-income women.

U-Md. plans major classroom facility

A $10 million gift from a Baltimore developer will enable the University of Maryland to build a “world-class teaching and learning center.”

Obama to sign patent bill in Alexandria

One week after going to Richmond to deliver a speech on jobs, President Obama will cross the Potomac River again Friday to sign legislation.

Aruba suspect’s family hires Casey Anthony’s attorney

Jose Baez has been retained to defend Gary Giordano, who has been jailed in Aruba in connection with the disappearance of a Maryland woman.

Monday, September 12, 2011

DN does 9/11 anniversary

Important stories, yes, but might be stretching it a bit here. From Democracy Now in last few days:
That's the 18th anniversary in Guatemala, of course. Nice round number. And Attica began on the 9th and ended on the 13th, so no particular significance for the 11th.

Friday, September 09, 2011

The Obama jobs speech

I mean, hardly perfect, but, uh, this is largely in the direction we wanted, right? That is, for the President to finally propose stimulus, and campaign for it, and try to make it hard for Republicans to vote against it (fore more, see Jonathan Cohn). Put me in the camp believing this is not impossible. It's been easy to forget it, but the truth has been and remains that a lot of Congressional Republicans are plenty vulnerable.