Obama | Oz Mudflats

July 28, 2016

Where to Start…

Posted by ozmud under 2016 July, Uncategorized | Tags: blood clots, gwbush, memes destroying intelligence, Obama, republican propaganda, trump |
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…life has been in a strange fast and furious mode this July – I can’t believe it’s been a month since I’ve posted – or that it’s been a year since my husband passed away – I will leave a couple of highlights before disappearing into the ether for another few days…

First, there is the most exciting project happening regarding my Paul. Some very kind people in the states are putting together a documentary about his life and I get to come to the states and be a part of it. More about this in a few days.

Next, I’ve spent some time in hospital. Good now, but it was scary for a while. When your doctor uses the words ‘multiple’ and ‘prolific’ in the same sentence with the phrase ‘blood clots’ it’s probably not a sentence you want him to complete. But there I was. “You don’t just have a blood clot in your lung. You appear to be breeding them like rabbits!” Well in my defense I’ve never done anything half-assed…

Now on a blood thinner and beta blocker and all signs are go for getting to the US at the end of August.

Finally, have been collecting stories and memes for TrumpWatch and will get them posted here before I leave for Maine. In the meantime, I am so incredibly proud of my president – of our past presidents – and of Hillary, I could burst.

But the most profound ‘awareness’ that I have experienced happened the day after I came home from hospital and called a lifelong friend to let her know I was okay and we had this conversation that I quite literally did not know how to handle.

She’s been my friend for over 60 years. She’s well-educated and is a well-paid bookkeeper by trade. We have always been on the same side of politics, from JFK through Clinton but she changed during the GWBush years. *I think* because she found herself working for an elite golfing community which is almost all white by nature and approaching retirement years, her concerns turned to SSI and how she would sustain herself once she could no longer work. There are probably a lot more factors but the upshot is this:

My wonderful, intelligent friend has bought – hook, line and sinker – into the Republican memes about how the Democrats are trying to destroy the country – how Obama is secretly a Muslim whose sole desire is to let as many illegals into the country as possible so that at the right moment he can ‘open the floodgates and let all the Muslims in where they will then open fire on all of America and anyone who doesn’t own a gun will be dead’ and all because the Mexicans and Cubans and Muslims are all freeloaders who are only here to get the free stuff that she and her peers have worked for and now can’t get bacause there’s nothing left to go around once the freeloaders have taken all the goodies…’

And for you and me this is all just garbelty-gook propaganda but she really, actually, genuinely believes it. All of it. So Trump is our only hope. I had an idea she was headed in this direction back when Palin was running as Veep-Wannabe but my friend’s tone has now gone completely over the edge into complete madness.

And all I can think of is… if she is this hooked on the doomsday conspiracy theories, imagine how hooked people with less education must feel.

This has become a completely emotional election cycle because on the other side of the Democratic equation… the Trump side… Facts.Don’t.Matter.

And that’s terrifying.

Europe has chimed in:

13754652_10208757773160600_1697049661881403467_n

Back in a few days…
Oz

October 18, 2015

Pres. Obama with Marilynne Robinson

Posted by ozmud under 2015 October | Tags: democracy. american politics, marilynne robinson, Obama |
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Pres. Obama got to interview one of his favourite authors – but the quote people are talking about came from him:

Click here for Upworthy story:

This Christian author is one of the president’s all-time favourite authors. Yeah, that Obama… he’s so Jihad!

March 9, 2015

Double Facepalm

Posted by ozmud under 2015 March, Uncategorized | Tags: andy borowitz, good economy must mean suspicious motives, Joe Biden, john boehner, jon stewart, mitch mcconnell, Obama, ted cruz |
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Still waiting for word on the Cinderella Ball video uploads and tripped over this little gem at The New Yorker:

Andy Borowitz may not be a replacement candidate for Jon Stewart over at Comedy Central, but in my book he should certainly be in the running.

Just Googling him has been a treat:

November 16, 2014

FB, G20 & The Dickhead

Posted by ozmud under 2014 November | Tags: g20, heatwave, Obama, s.a.s., tony abbott, tony abbott dickhead |
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Sometimes Facebook says it all…

…

A big shout out to all our specially trained protectors who stood on rooftops guarding this precious group of dignitaries … during a massive heatwave.

It was reported today that those rooftops saw 63c. Go ahead. Google this phrase: Convert 63c and tell me you’re not impressed with Australia’s special servicemen.

November 13, 2014

PM Abbott Puts Australia In Putin’s Crosshairs – Dickhead *Update

Posted by ozmud under 2014 November | Tags: apec, climate change, diplomacy and lunatics, g20, Obama, russian warships near australia, tony abbott, vladimir putin |
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There’s an old saying about letting sleeping dogs lie… and another about not poking said dog in the balls with a stick because no matter how docile the dog it will reach back to bite you. And that, ladies and gentlemen is an accurate description of the Australian Prime Minister’s sense of diplomacy. Get that stick! Poke that dog!

There are currently FOUR -fully armed – Russian warships headed to the east coast of Australia, their projected path ending on just outside the port city of Brisbane (also the capitol of Queensland, where I happen to live) and their projected arrival time is Saturday – intended to coincide with the G20 Summit.

courtesy of Yahoo 7.

There have been other ships in the past from countries whose dignitaries have been in attendance at the G20 but ALWAYS in the past these countries have asked permission of the host country to allow their ships to be present. President Putin on the other hand seems to have deployed his ships – unannounced – in response to insulting comments made to him by PM Abbott following an APEC meeting Monday last. I’m guessing this is how Presidents and Prime Ministers play that age-old game of my dick is bigger than yours.

The long and the short of is PM Tony Abbott used his APEC meeting time with Pres. Putin to threaten him with exposure of certain evidence he claims to have regarding the responsibility of the shooting down of the aircraft MH17. Putin has claimed that it was a rogue shooting. Abbott is saying flat-out no it was you.

Pres. Putin isn’t just a sleeping dog. He’s a certifiably crazy-ass dog who has already shown the world what he is capable of doing by forcibly taking control the Ukraine against all reasonable outside argument. Does Tony Abbott not understand the basic principles of diplomacy when dealing with leaders and lunatics?

If we don’t end up in an armed conflict with Russia it won’t be because Mr. Abbott didn’t try hard enough.

In the meantime, this is happening just south of the Barrier Reef, and just northeast of my house. I am not amused.

Full story here
Updated story here.

And apparently we can now buy *Shirtfront t-shirts.

*To Shirtfront is to head-butt your opponent in the hopes it will knock him to the ground. Mr. Abbott vowed (in the mediaw no less) to shirtfront Putin to get him to admit the killing of Australian passengers aboard the MH 17 was the express fault of Russia. Yes, because we saw how well that strategy worked for the Ukraine’s.

Where’s Obama when you need him…

====== UPDATE ======

Russia has responded to media inquiries regarding the four warships dispatched to Australian waters. With a diplomatic response of roughly because we may need to use our ships in the Antarctic to survey climate change… the article linked above has this tidbit at the end:

The unannounced flotilla is obviously timed for the weekend’s G20. Tony Abbott says it would have been months in the planning, but the Kremlin has confirmed the ships left Vladivostok on October 23 – 10 days after Abbott’s threat to shirtfront president Vladimir Putin.

“Let’s not forget Russia’s been much more militarily assertive in recent times,” said Abbott.

He is, of course, referring to Russia sending nuclear submarines to Scandanavia, warships off Crimea, troops into Ukraine and long-range bombers flying over Central America.

For now, the world will have to wait to see what happens at the G20 in Brisbane.

Good read – good photos – two videos.

August 12, 2014

Obama – Supermoon – Liberals – Oh My!

Posted by ozmud under 2014 August | Tags: christwire, liberals, Obama, right wing nuts, supermoon |
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No time to write but I can’t resist posting this link!!

October 13, 2013

The Loophole that Could End The Shutdown

Posted by ozmud under 2013 October | Tags: clivetti, eric holder, jimmy carter, loopholes, Obama, shutdowns, sink the republicans |
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From The Daily Beast:

The government shutdown has had drastic effects across America. But there is no federal law mandating that it should be so severe. Instead, much of the shutdown’s impact is a direct consequence of a nonbinding legal opinion issued by Jimmy Carter’s attorney general, which could be easily be revoked by Eric Holder and the Obama administration. All they’d have to do is write a new opinion… and override 30 years of precedent.

Full story at link above.

I mean if billionaires can use loopholes to get out of paying their taxes, surely we can use just one to end this insane shutdown. After all, it was just one man’s opinion that changed how shutdowns worked, right?

October 3, 2013

US Shutdown – Who Profits?

Posted by ozmud under 2013 October | Tags: affordable care act, follow the money, house republicans behaving like puppets, john boehner, marionettes, mr monopoly, Obama, obamacare, us shutdown |
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Photo pinched from the Norwegian website Sofie’s Verden:

Someone is profiting from the US shutdown and it’s disturbing to think no one in a position to perform actual investigative journalism is paying attention.

The big bear has been circled, tickled, nudged and poked but not actually dragged into daylight and given a name. So here it is:

The millionaire House Republicans currently holding America hostage over a demand that can’t possibly be met have been publicly and unabashedly working towards this exact moment – the shutting down of the American Federal Government – since the day each took office back in 2010. Each one upon his election has openly bragged, warned or hinted to the press that this was the goal – obstruct every piece of legislation produced by the Obama-led administration – no matter what.

But this stratagem only makes sense if someone stands to turn a profit because the only result of it can be a failed economy. And with every failed economy – someone very wealthy becomes suddenly wealthier.

So for me at least, the only image missing from all the photo-shopped graphics and cartoons used to portray the House Republicans as greedy bastards this past week is one of Mr. Monopoly standing over them all pulling their marionette-like strings, making them dance, and laughing at us all.

Why else would John Boehner not put the vote on the floor prior to the deadline on 30 September 013? The votes to keep the government open were there. Everyone knew they were there. Everyone expected a last-minute vote but it was never called. the speaker remained quiet and let the government’s financial security slip silently away.

Obamacare – or the Affordable Care Act – has withstood every trial by fire placed in its path. The American public voted for it when we first voted for Obama in 2008. America voted for it a second time when we voted for Obama and against Romney in 2012. A Supreme court ruled it to be constitutionally sound even amid Republican rants that it wasn’t. Economists the world over have endorsed it’s financial soundness. In fact, every lit match the Republicans have tossed at Obamacare has not only not set the law on fire, but has ricocheted back to burn each of the tossers (pun intended). Why are they so willing to accept the heat?

Obamacare is no longer a piece of legislation that two opposing sides can debate., Obamacare is now law and millions of Americans who didn’t have access to reasonably priced healthcare on 30 September 013 have been signing up for it in droves since 00:00:01am 01 October 013.

No matter how agile House Republicans have proven to be with obstructionist tactics in congress – they cannot put the toothpaste back int he tube. And the thing is, they aren’t even pretending to try.

But there is something happening. Right now – in this moment – stocks are taking a dive. Who is watching to see that insider trading is not taking place among the elected congressional millionaires? Who is guarding against big corporations using this moment to gobble up smaller corporations? buying up small companies hurting from the shutdown?

Someone is making a profit off the middle class collapsing. So the four questions I have are these:

1. Who stands to profit from the shutdown?
2. Who is behind the curtain pulling the strings?
2. How far does the American economy have to sink to satisfy the greed of our unnamed puppeteer?
3. Can President Obama find a way to sever the strings before it’s gone too far?

October 3, 2013

The Republican Legacy: US Shutdown Stops Kids With Cancer Starting Trials

Posted by ozmud under 2013 October | Tags: children with cancer shut out of life-saving trials, ninemsn.com.au, Obama, obamacare, the spoiled brats in congress, us shutdown, what were they thinking |
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From National Nine News in Australia:

The US government shutdown is preventing children with cancer from beginning clinical trials, health officials have warned.

The US lurched into a government shutdown yesterday for the first time in 17 years after Congress failed to end a bitter budget row, forcing numerous government departments to close down.

National Institutes of Health spokesman John Burklow has warned that for every week the shutdown continues 10 children with cancer will be unable to begin accessing treatment in clinical trials, ABC News reports.

Mr Burklow said the children were among 200 patients that would be affected by the shutdown.

He said government health programs had virtually ceased with thousands of employees unable to work due to the shutdown.

“Unfortunately almost everybody is gone,” Mr Burklow said of his office.

Prospects for a swift resolution of the mess are unclear. And economists warn the struggling economic recovery in the US could suffer if the shutdown drags on for weeks.

Karma be damned. I hope the Republicans responsible for this – burn in Hell.

October 2, 2013

List of Members in Both Houses Either Refusing Pay or Claiming to Donate Their Salaries to Charities During Shutdown

Posted by ozmud under 2013 October | Tags: congress members who aren't taking pay, Obama, shutdown, wapo, Washington Post |
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From the Washington Post Online:

It’s a really long read but worth it to see where our representatives stand. 30 Democrats and 27 Republicans are voluntarily not profiting from this shutdown. That’s only 11% of the combined houses however.

For those whinging about the President’s salary here’s a little lesson in Civics:

The President’s salary is constitutionally mandated – he is by law not allowed to refuse it. Same thing with his security team. The office is meant to be protected. The salary isn’t meant to make the person in the office rich – but it is meant to not ever be used as a bargaining chip in any form of negotiation, mediation or in the case of this Republican Congress – ransom.

There are other salaries in the Federal government that are also constitutionally mandatory, but most congressmen and senators are free to decline theirs at any time for any reason.

This is an admiral list – too bad it’s so short.

…

October 1, 2013

How Will the Republican-Orchestrated ShutDown Affect You? *Update

Posted by ozmud under 2013 October | Tags: boehner, how will the shutdown affect you?, insane house republicans, Obama, shutdown, the banana republicans |
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The shutdown actually occurred while I was running bar codes through a scanner at the grocery store. My gf took my arm and, reading her Smart Phone said “It’s done! They shut the government down!” Even Australians are in awe of and following this monumentally stupid stunt executed by the US Republicans.

As soon as I got home from the shops my boss called and said “This is so big! This is history! We’re watching history! I told my husband – remember where you were when we got the news because you’ll want to be able to tell the grand-kids one day” and all I could do was sigh and nod my head. Which. of course she couldn’t see but still…

But that’s how big this is. News of the Republican congress doing nothing but taking votes over and over again to repeal Obamacare and eliminate programs designed to feed and house America’s most vulnerable citizens, to the insane de-funding of affordable women’s health clinics has NOT gone unnoticed by the rest of the world. And today’s move has made the US Congress a laughing stock with their global peers.

This whole thing is so surreal. My first thoughts were for my 94 year old mother who depends on her SSI check every month – and my son, hundreds of miles south in another part of California, who depends on his combined disability and SSI checks. It wasn’t enough that my special boy lost his job when Bush trashed the economy – noooo the Repub;icans were’t finished with him yet. So now I’ll be working extra hours to send a bit of grocery money home to my family. Thank God I have a job!

But I’m angry and I don’t do my best work when I’m pissed off so – I’m just going to post links to articles about the shutdown that *I feel* need to be read. And a couple of poignant graphics.

72% of Americans Opposed to Shutdown Tied to Health-Care Cuts

In a rejection of congressional Republicans’ strategy, Americans overwhelmingly oppose undermining President Barack Obama’s health-care law by shutting down the federal government or resisting an increase in the nation’s debt limit, according to a poll released today.

By 72 percent to 22 percent, Americans oppose Congress “shutting down major activities of the federal government” as a way to stop the Affordable Care Act from going into effect, the national survey from Quinnipiac University found.

By 64 percent to 27 percent, voters don’t want Congress to block an increase in the nation’s $16.7 trillion federal borrowing limit as a way to thwart implementation of the health-care law, which Obama signed into law in 2010 with a goal of insuring millions of Americans, known as “Obamacare.”

The Humiliated, Bizarre Republicans.

The most memorable quote:

The first question is, how long will the shutdown last? Is Boehner doing this to prove a point to his conservative members or is he truly unwilling to fund the government unless Democrats give him some kind of fig leaf or trophy? Several Republicans have already given up the game. The final tug of war between the House and Senate last night was embarrassing for them. They know they’re going to lose, and many of them are prepared to vote for a clean funding bill today. Even high-profile conservatives have publicly questioned Boehner’s decision.

But the night ended on a bizarre note, with House Republicans demanding formal bi-cameral negotiations over a six week stopgap funding bill (as if the lengthy process of regular order were an appropriate way to fund government agencies set to shut down within an hour) after having refused formal negotiations with the Senate over a real budget for six months. Just how Boehner backs out of that one, or squares the demand with Republicans’ extremely public intransigence on the budget this year, is an open question.

Curbing GOP Nuts Power.

I didn’t know this…

Today’s government shutdown is only one act in a budget brinkmanship drama that includes America’s next debt ceiling deadline, scheduled to arrive by Oct. 17. While some Republicans reportedly see the debt ceiling as their strongest leverage, some legal scholars have argued that President Obama could simply refuse to participate, wielding his legal authority – or obligation – to keep paying the bills even if no debt ceiling increase is passed.

But I did know this…

And I wasn’t at all surprised by this…
Drop me a line in comments and let me know how you will be affected.

UPDATE:

October 1, 2013

When The Republicans Shut Down the Fed Govt on West Wing it was Entertaining. In Real Life? Not so much!

Posted by ozmud under 2013 October | Tags: jeb bartlet, Obama, republican morons, shut-down, speaker haffley, west wing |
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In Season Five of the TV series West Wing, when Jeb Bartlet refused to cave to Speaker Haffley’s 11th hour demands on a Continuing Resolution for the national budget, the Federal government is shut down.

“Shut-Down”

The audience was informed in the following episode of the reasoning – what that 1-3% represented in program cuts and who would suffer the most – the children, elderly and poor. It made the Republicans look like exactly what they were portraying – rich elitists who found themselves in the driver’s seat, steering the American Government straight into their own greedy desires. And it all made sense.

While I am horrified at the ripple effects a shut down will cause, I am rooting for President Obama to not cave to Speaker Boehner and the Republican Thugs who are currently in control of congress.

…

June 23, 2013

Whenever I get Angry with Obama…

Posted by ozmud under 2013 June | Tags: go left, Obama, the other guys |
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Image courtesy of…Like the Go Left page to get in on their daily feed

Scarey thought…

May 23, 2013

FOX Caught Editting Obama Statements To Make Him Look Bad? I’m Shocked I tell You – Shocked!!

Posted by ozmud under 2013 May | Tags: boston bombing, edible republicans, news fraud, Obama, yelloe journalism |
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Yeah doesn’t surprise me either…

March 7, 2013

Can’t Have It Both Ways…

Posted by ozmud under 2013 March | Tags: democrats, fetus, Obama, personhood, republican illogic, Republicans |
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Rock the Slut Vote Facebook page had a similar post to this and I shamefully pinched and edited the content. So by all means feel free to do the same to me! haha!

November 20, 2012

Pres. Obama Added to Mt. Rushmore? Evidently Daily Kos got it wrong – (too bad, too)

Posted by ozmud under 2012 November | Tags: daily kos, mt rushmore, Obama, rush limbaugh |
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BREAKING NEWS AT DAILY KOS – (click for story)

PRESIDENT OBAMA ON MT. RUSHMORE – (click for image)

Best quote from the story:

As this is literally a breaking story, there is little Republican reaction to assess. When the subject was breached in 2011 on his radio show, Rush Limbaugh said:

“If this becomes a reality I will personally strap a load of C5 to my stomach and lower myself down onto the Obama sculpture’s nose.”

The cost to the taxpayers of modifying the original monument, created by the Danish-born Gutzon Borglum, is expected to be largely offset by corporate donors, currently under contract to supply, among other things, the scaffolding required for the three year undertaking:

According to Huffington Post this story has a shelf-life but no credible foundation.

(Link in comments – thanks Mel!)

May 11, 2012

Stand Up with the President

Posted by ozmud under 2012 May | Tags: civil rights, gay rights, Obama, President Obama, same sex marriage |
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Waiting for permission to post the next part of my last post on women who cry ~~wolf~~ rape. In the meantime, this was in my morning’s emails:

The link to add your name is here.

I’m in – are you?

April 17, 2012

Romney Tells Pres. Obama “Start Packing” Seriously? PLUS: Ted Nugent calls Obama Administration “as Nazi Germany as it gets”

Posted by ozmud under 2012 April | Tags: diane sawyer, hey romney take a hike, Obama, President Obama, romney, start packing, ted nugent |
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From a Diane Sawyer interview just hours ago…

I am so over all the open disrespect shown our duly-elected, highly successful, currently seated president. Totally over it.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

TED NUGENT recently endorsed Mitt Romney. In fact, Romney actually solicited Nugent’s endorsement. This weekend at an NRA conference (while the media was in a frenzy over Hilary Rosen’s overly-disected statement about Ann Romney not understanding what it’s like to be a middle-class working mother) Ted Nugent took to a microphone and called President Obama everything but a white boy.

He even stated the current Obama administration was “as Nazi Germany as it gets”. Listen for yourself:

If you don’t have the stomach for the 3 minute audio – News Corpse has a transcript here.

Quote: “We need to ride into Washington in November and chop their heads off!”

yeah, that’s who I want leading my country…

But let’s make sure we continue to harp at Ms. Rosen for stating a truth and ignore the treasonous rhetoric spewing hate from the Romney camp.

March 27, 2012

When is a Gaffe Not a Gaffe?

Posted by ozmud under 2012 March | Tags: election promises, gaffe, mccain, medvedev, Obama, President Obama |
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From the UK:

President Barack Obama was caught on microphone telling Dmitry Medvedev that he would have more flexibility after November’s election deal with contentious issues such as missile defence.

(Full article and video in link above.)

I’m not an expert on either protocol or diplomacy but I can guess that when two heads of state are talking privately with their heads together in whispers, things are going to be said which are not intended for public consumption.

I’m also pretty certain that whatever ‘arrangements’ were being transacted between the two presidents that Pres. Obama showing personal confidence in winning the upcoming election was more strategy than gaffe. It’s not like we overheard him promising to deliver weapons-grade uranium to Medvedev’s second cousin in Gramercy Park at midnight. No. He was simply strengthening his position – the U.S. position – with an ally.

I wonder how many times McCain told someone “Do this for me now because after I’m elected president…”

And besides – Pres. Obama was probably telling the truth – he will be in a better position after the November election to come through on his promises to Russia. When he is re-elected in November will we look back on this and think he was simply being clairvoyant?

See? Gaffe? What gaffe?

March 16, 2012

This IS our President…

Posted by ozmud under 2012 March, Uncategorized | Tags: 1st 4 yrs, first four years, Obama, pres obama |
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PS – Yanno… with my stupid busted arm and all… and taking all these stupid narcotics… you’d thingk SOMEONE would have taken pity on me and said something like (psst – Oz – it’s March and your Christmas banner is still up!)

March 14, 2012

“The Road We’ve Traveled” Teaser – Obama for America 2012

Posted by ozmud under 2012 March | Tags: Obama, obama 2012, obama for america, President Obama |
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March 1, 2012

Tidbits from the Snarling Palinbots

Posted by ozmud under 2012 March | Tags: arpaio, c4p, fraud, Obama, obama birthers, palinbots, pres obama, romney |
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So there’s this huge conversation at c4p in the comments of this post about Romney – well an arguement really, between people who are still trying to decipher their queen bee’s instructions (issued the day she pulled the plug on their dream of voting her into the WH) regarding the 2012 election and those who insist they already know.

It boils over into a moderator’s defense of backing Romney against those who think backing Romney will simply guarantee an Obama win should Romney win the primary. The word ‘fraud’ is tossed around, an impassioned debate over the true definition of ‘conservative’ ensues and then this:

First, I am incredibly impressed at the success of Pres. Obama’s Operation Fake Citizen. Really, when you take into account the number of people who must have been employed (and must still be employed) to pull off a conspiracy of this magnitude is just inspiring! And then have the fake birth certificate publicly sanctioned by a credible hospital and its full administration is no less then breath-taking! But wait there’s more! The icing on the cake (drum-roll please) is to then be declared an official and true US citizen by the whole of the congress itself – well honestly – the man has earned his title, no?

Second – and the reason I’m typing one-handed through the discomfort of typing at all… the Arpaio report! I’d forgotten all about it and here’s this nutjob delightedly stating it’s going public this week!

If anyone has/gets leads/links please oh please drop me a note in comments – I’ve been dying to see how the flaming loons spin this one 🙂

February 29, 2012

Why I Support Pres. Obama

Posted by ozmud under 2012 February | Tags: Obama, pres obama, support obama |
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From Keith Olbermann’s Facebook fan page:

[Click to enlarge]

February 11, 2012

The Story of Us: Five Years Ago Today

Posted by ozmud under 2012 February | Tags: Obama |
[4] Comments

couldn’t resist… I’ve never felt so proud of my vote 🙂

June 20, 2011

Michelle Obama on Father’s Day

Posted by ozmud under 2011 June | Tags: alex, barack obama, donations, fathers day, michelle obama, Obama |
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This from my email bag:

Friend —

As families around the country get together to celebrate fathers today, I’m thinking about dads like Alex.

Alex is the father of two boys and two girls, ages six to 13. During the week, he works the 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift as a front-desk supervisor at a Seattle hotel. After work and on the weekends, he devotes his time to a summer organizing program that’s giving more than 1,500 first-time organizers the training they need to help build this movement in their communities.

He says he hopes this organizing work will help teach his kids the power one person can have — that if “they see something that needs to be changed, they know they can make a difference.”

I wanted to share a video of Alex explaining what prompted him to join this program and devote his summer to this work.

I was really moved by what he had to say. Take a look, and share it with a dad you’re thinking about today:

Today, I’m also proud of my husband, the man who drove our first daughter and me home from the hospital 13 years ago next month, determined to be the kind of father he hadn’t had for himself.

Barack often says he decided that day that if he could be anything in life, he’d be a good dad, and he dedicated himself then and there to making sure our daughter had every opportunity he could provide.

When it comes down to it, that’s why we’re all here — Barack, Alex, myself, and everyone who’s part of this campaign. We’re all working to make sure we leave our kids with a country that’s fairer and more full of opportunity — just as our parents did for us.

Thank you for being part of that work, and part of this campaign.

Wishing you a happy Father’s Day,

Michelle

—
We aren’t funded by Washington lobbyists or corporate interests. We rely on donations from people like you. Barack Obama 2012

November 5, 2010

Trouble Ahead

Posted by ozmud under 2010 November | Tags: 2010 election, democrats, midterm election, morning after, Obama, party of no, pres obama, Republican Party, trouble brewing, we the people |
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‘Tis the morning after the midterm elections and I am struck with a profound sadness that seems to have replaced the momentary relief derived from knowing Christine O’Donnell, Carly Fiorina, Carl Paladino, Sharon Angle and other Palin-Picks will not be poisoning my congress anytime soon.

And while it at least appears that Joe Miller won’t be setting up shop in Washington DC after all, it’s still too early to cite a clear winner of that senate race. I still, rather optimistically have my fingers crossed for Scott McAdams.

And I suppose it was a given that John McCain would retain his seat alongside his governor who thinks headless bodies roam her deserts, but looking at the bigger picture, they have both proven to be ineffective politicians who are relatively harmless. I can get by knowing the insanity they both spew will stay grounded in Arizona and not affect me too much.

The sadness gripping me this morning is more like the sensation a mother has just before one of her children predictably falls out of a tree. You know it’s going to happen. You’re powerless to prevent it. You know falling is a part of learning how to climb and climbing is a part of growing up but still… you can see what’s coming and wish there was a way to make it less painful.

And this morning I can see what’s coming and I wish there were a way to make it less painful.

Regardless of your political stance, you have to know that the extreme economic trials facing America today were not created in the last 22 months by the Democratic Party. It is simply not possible for a prosperous country to plummet into this much debt in such a short amount of time. Yet that’s what the Republicans keep banking on all of us believing. And to some not-so-small degree, that’s working for them.

But is it working for us? Is blaming President Obama and his administration for all the financial ills that have befallen this country in the last decade really our best strategy? Is that going to get the hundreds of thousands of men and women standing in unemployment lines back to work and earning pay checks? Is it?

Since the 2008 presidential election the Republican Party has so focused on getting back into the driver’s seat they completely missed the part about how their jobs are to help us – The People. they didnt help the Demorats build any roads or new schools or hospitals. They didn’t lift a finger to help the Democrats build a healthcare platform all Americans could get behind. They were too busy campaigning. And they still are. It’s like going to Washington is onegiant campaign trail and nobody actually stops to do the job.

And this morning the talk is more rhetrical talking points about repealing Obamacare and every bit of legislature that’s been passed since January 2009 – why, exactly?

Is the Republican attitude of tearing down all that’s been built by the Obama Administration and starting over with just Republican ideals being represented really a solution to financial solvency in America? Seems to me it was Republican ideals that got us into this mess in the first place.

The recent Republican wins in the house are not going to make conditions any better for anyone. They’re going to make things a lot worse. The Party of No isn’t going to Washington to work for We The People, they’re off to keep their corporate cash cows happy.

And I don’t say this as a registered Democrat. I say this as a mother with years of experience bandaging scraped knees and developing a sixth sense about trouble.

This morning I can feel trouble brewing and we’re all powerless to stop it.

November 1, 2010

Moron Watch: 36 Hours To U.S. 2010 Midterm Elections *Update

Posted by ozmud under 2010 November | Tags: bbc, eye candy, Fox News, foxtel, igno-rant, mccain, Obama, Obama Administration, President Obama, Sarah Palin, sky news |
1 Comment

Sky News Australia is the land downunder’s one and only around the clock, 24 hours per day news service. It comes to us courtesy of FOXTEL, our one and only television cable service. A good portion of the broadcasts are courtesy of Great Britain as we, at the end of the day, still pledge allegiance to the Queen.

Not ten minutes ago, while folding laundry, Sky News broadcast a British report on the upcoming U.S. elections. The report talked about how President Obama has lost so much ground during his first two years in office that the Democrats will lose the House and most of the Senate in Tuesday’s election.

The report included this tidbit: “The Democrats themselves are so disenchanted with Pres. Obama that many have jumped ship…”

To drive the point home, a clip of Sarah Palin was played. Her screechy voice whinged… “Mr. Obama you’ve had two years to pull this country out of despair and all you’ve done is make it worse.” My quote is not accurate as I can’t retrieve it. But it’s close enough.

I’m sickened that the media, even over here treats Ms. Palin as if she were an authority on White House policy, foreign policy or was any form of political leader at all. I’m sickened that the foreign media treats her words as if facts and accuracy were a part of her protocol. And I’m sickened that she continues to be treated as a credible influence on any political stage, anywhere.

In just under two years President Obama has done more for the good of the American people than both George Bush presidencies combined. There are news articles you can barely find on back pages of news publications which make the case that he’s written and passed more legislation in two years than previous presidents in their completed terms. But do we hear of any of these accomplishments? No.

We don’t hear of anything positive about the Obama Administration not because positive things aren’t happening in Washington, but because Sarah Palin is a media cash cow and her daily igno-rants bring in more ratings for entities like Fox News.

Sarah Palin represents only a handful of disgruntled Americans. She does not hold an elected office. She lost the 2008 election by something like an excess of 200 millon votes – and that wasn’t even her ticket anyway. McCain added her to the bottom of the ticket in a desperate move to capture the votes from Hillary Clinton backers.

Turns out Sarah Palin doesn’t even deserve to lick Hillary’s boots.

It used to be there were only one or two lunatics to look out for during any given election season.

Today, thanks mostly to a jealous Republican Party, a greedy media and Sarah I’ll say whatever it takes to put $$$ in my pocket Palin – there are far too many morons to watch.

Please – vote.

============ UPDATE ============

Just watched this on Shannyn Moore’s website and knew I had to post it here as well… thanks Shannyn… this is excellent – and yes, I remember 🙂

To comment on the post, please scroll up to the title “Moron Watch: 36 Hours To U.S. 2010 Midterm Elections” and click on the word comments just beneath. Thanks, OzMud

September 16, 2010

Flag-Check

Posted by ozmud under 2010 September | Tags: american flag, anti-american, anti-flag, idiots, Obama, obama and the american flag, pres obama |
[3] Comments

Anyone who knows me knows better than to forward any of the circulating emails trashing President Obama. I’m happy to discuss any of the theories which portray our president as not being qualified for office, just don’t flood my email account with .gifs which morph his face into Hitler or portray him as the devil reincarnate.

To pro-Palins that may sound a tad hypocritical considering how I treat their beloved Quitter-Queen on my blog, but it doesn’t feel hypocritical to me. President Barack Obama was duly elected to the office of President of the United States by a majority of all 300 million American voters. His credentials were in order before running for the US Senate and they were in order again when he made his bid for the White House. He has been upfront and open about his life, his education, his activities, his religion and his family since the beginning. Sarah Palin, by contrast, has dodged almost every question put to her by the media and secreted into hiding most of the documentation purportedly qualifying her to hold public office, ever. She was voted Governor to a state with fewer residents than occupy the state of Rhode Island and then she couldn’t even manage to complete one term. President Obama has a history of making and keeping commitments to his constituents. Sarah Palin has a history of promising her constituents the moon and then arrogantly blowing them off.

So when it gets back to me that there’s an email going around which claims our president ‘so hates America he won’t even be seen standing next to an American flag’ it makes me furious. That such an idiotic lie can be made believable – is unconscionable.

Fifty-two times a year the White House puts out a video wrap-up of President Obama’s week. The cover is adorned in red, white and blue and there is always an American flag featured in the clip.

Fifty-two times a year President Obama sits in the oval office and gives his weekly address to the nation. He is ALWAYS seated in front of the American flag.

Three-hundred and sixty-five days each year President Obama checks into Facebook with a small comment, event announcement, or just words of encouragement. His Facebook Avatar has him seated in front of the American flag. His avatar appears on each and every post. (As of this writing, dated 16 Sept 2010, there have been 40 personal posts made by Pres. Obama on his facebook page for this month alone.)

So at least FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY NINE TIMES A YEAR since moving into the White House, our president has been captured on camera in front of an American flag. And it galls me to know that even with this visual proof to countermand the lie, there will still be thousands of gullible people who will stubbornly continue to tell other gullible people that our president hates our country so much he won’t even be seen in public with an American flag.

President Obama’s Facebook Avatar:

…and the rest…

To comment on this post, please scroll up to the title “Flag-Check” and click on the word comments just beneath. Thanks, OzMud

August 15, 2010

Smear Campaigns: Do they Work? You Betcha!

Posted by ozmud under 2010 August, Uncategorized | Tags: barack obama, Obama, people who believe sarah palin, President Obama, Republicans, Sarah Palin |
[3] Comments

During this past month I’ve come to realize that I personally know six people on the mainland who believe – genuinely believe – that President Barack Obama:

…is not a U.S. citizen and has never produced a US birth certificate.
…is a fanatic Muslim intent on destroying Christianity.
…is owned by big corporations who line their pockets at the expense of ours.
…hates America.

Six people. That’s six votes to my one.

All six are over the age of 50.
Four are women.
Three are widows.
One is self-employed.
Two are retired.
One served in the military.
All have a high school education.
Five attended at least one year of college.
Three hold college degrees.
Five are parents.
Three are grandparents.
Three are currently employed.
One held the same job, in the same building for 40 years.
Five were employed prior to the Bush Administration.
Two collect Social Security.
Five were born and educated in California.
Six were homeowners prior to the Bush Administration.
Three are homeowners now.
All were baptized and raised in Christian faiths.
Four baptized their own children.
None currently attend church.
Five blame Pres. Obama personally for the current state of the economy.
Three believe the new healthcare plan will destroy their current coverage.
*Four own handguns.
Two are Registered Republicans.
Two follow the Fox News Channel.
Two refuse political discussion claiming all politics is garbage.
One believes whatever her son tells her to believe.
One believes Sarah Palin makes a lot of sense.
Four view Sarah Palin as a victim of ratings-driven journalism.
Three believe Sarah Palin’s ‘wild ride’ was created by the media.
Six believe Sarah Palin to be Trig Palin’s natural birth mother.
Two believe Sarah Palin is a political drama queen but would vote for her over Pres. Obama anyway.

*Of the four gun owners, three honestly believe Armageddon is upon us and they will need their firearms to protect their homes and families from Muslim invaders.

What struck me the most about my supposedly educated, well-rounded friends was not that we share such different core beliefs, (because I have a lot of friends and usually enjoy the diversity) but that each of their current political leanings appear to be driven by abject fear. All six believe the Obama Administration is now and will continue to plummet America into the worst economical depression ever recorded by man, and because of our foreign debts, we will one day be owned by the Muslims who will impose Islamic Law, having us bowing to the east or be shot on our doorsteps.

Oh yes. There’s one more thing my friends listed above all have in common:

Not one of them knows about my blog.

To comment on this post, please scroll up to the title “Smear Campaigns: Do they Work? You Betcha!” and click on the word comments just beneath. Thanks, OzMud

August 1, 2010

Sign The President’s Birthday Card… UpdateUpdate2*

Posted by ozmud under 2010 August | Tags: facebook, michelle obama, Obama, ofa, organizing for america, president barack obama, president's birthday card, Sarah Palin, vote 2010, Washington Post |
[9] Comments

Sarah Palin wants to be President of the United States and has a bit over two million Facebook fans to prove it.

On the other hand, President Barack Obama already IS President of the United States, has over 11.6 million fans on Facebook and doesn’t have to prove a thing. Unlike Sarah’s Facebook page which is a steady stream of whining rants proffering lots of criticism and few solutions, President Obama’s page is filled with optimism for the country’s future and gives a positive take on life inside the White House.

President Obama’s Facebook page is well structured, gives lots of daily and weekly updates on his schedule, positions, goals, obstacles, etc. There are heaps of short videos to view, helpful government links to services and this week, there’s the special bonus of an announcement from Michelle Obama, encouraging everyone to sign a birthday card for the President. He will turn 49 on 4 August 2010 and she provides this link to a very thoughtful birthday message.

You do need a USA zip code to sign. (Shh dont tell anyone but I used my daughters!)

Another feature I especially like is a series of weekly video clips called West Wing Week. They are a change of pace from the heavy, critical reports we get on the President from the maintream media. It’s a pleasure to watch him in action and reinforces why we voted for him.

This week’s chapter is titled Men in Blue Jumpsuits:

With all the bad press he gets, it’s nice to see our President’s accomplishments emphasized and watch a running record of how many campaign promises he actually keeps. Compared to Sarah’s page of gloom and doom messages, President Obama’s Facebook page is a breath of fresh air.

And in a world filled with pollution, we need all the fresh air we can get 🙂

========== UPDATE ==========

Organizing For America (OFA) have sent follow up letters to those who signed President Obama’s birthday card. Volunteers across the nation are organizing events from now until November to encourage voters to get out and vote. These birthday parties are one such type of event.

An interactive map [click here] shows where the parties will be held. Enter a zip code, city or state and the user is directed to the nearest planned party(s).

From the site:
Volunteers nationwide will hold birthday parties and use the occasion to recruit new OFA volunteers. Each new volunteer will help get more first-time 2008 voters back to the polls in November. And with so much more on our agenda, and tight races from Florida to Alaska, we don’t have a moment to lose.

What a neat gizmo! I plugged in cities for all my rellies and friends. Yes, even the Republican ones! Ok they probably won’t attend but it was still quite fun to see all the places that popped up. (There’s one just a mile from my oldest daughter on Saturday the 7th put on by a chapter of YES WE CANvass… They look very organized.)

Speaking for myself, I get bogged down in all the whining put out by Sarah, the Tea Partiers and new Republicans. So much discontent and fear in their speeches and messages. Finding my way to sites filled with workable solutions instead of finger-pointing has been encouraging. There are – in fact – more people out there who see through Sarah and her cohorts than follow her blindly.

The trick is, to get them all to the polls because the only way to guarantee Sarah Palin never wins another election is to put some old-fashioned elbow grease into it and work to see that everybody votes. So even from my perch in Australia, I will be doing my part. Please use the OFA link above to find out how you can do yours 🙂

There’s just too much to lose to do nothing…

========== UPDATE 2 ==========

Writers at the Washington Post are critical of the Obama birthday card, making the claim that it’s just a ruse for fundraising. The reasoning comes from noting that a person’s 49th birthday is insignificant (the writer backs this arguement at length by presenting former presidents who have turned 50 while in office and the huge bashes that marked the occasion while none publicized their 49th birthdays) and that the site sports a donation button for 2010 campaign contributions along with a call for volunteers to help get people to the polls.

To be honest, while visiting the Organizing For Obama website I hadn’t really paid attention to the donation button. Why would I? Donation buttons are everywhere. And it’s a bit like the pot calling the kettle black for a Republican to cry foul when SarahPAC, Sarah Palin’s Facebook page, RNC websites, other Republican PACs all and each have the same donation button on every one of their sites as well.

As far as the complaint that using President Obama’s 49th birthday as a cover for gathering supporters is (1) inappropriate and (2) has more to do with gathering votes for the president’s re-election in 2012 than campaigning for Democrats in 2010 is just well, sour grapes.

There’s no rule of etiquette preventing any birthday year from being a huge bash. That number is irrelevant. The number of people wanting in on the celebration is more to the point. And when you read the article you’ll begin to get a sense of how many hundreds of backyard bbq’s, potluck suppers, picnics and block parties have been carefully planned and advertised via this one, simple bithday tradition of signing a card. It’s brilliant in its simplicity.

And if these nationwide birthday parties prove successful and help the Democrats create a venue for future vote-gathering on top of garnering votes for Democrats in 2010 so what? Republicans have their political strategies and we Democrats have ours. And while I hesitate to gloat… our strategies have put Barack Obama in The white House. Republicans have – who, again?

We The People have endured the media’s reporting of Republican opinion as if it were fact and the overly-televised nationalization of phoney, mismanaged, disorganized Tea Parties for more than a year now. It’s all a bit stale. We can do with a little cake and coffee 🙂

Please read the full WaPo article here.

To comment on this post, please scroll up to the title “Sign The President’s Birthday Card…” and click on the word comments just beneath. Thanks, OzMud

April 16, 2010

Sarah Palin’s Head Explodes In 5, 4, 3, 2…

Posted by ozmud under 2010 April | Tags: gay rights, Obama, President Obama, President Obama and his Band of Merry Democrats, Republicans, Sarah Palin, sarah palin's head explodes, teabaggers, u.s. hospitals, Washington Post |
[3] Comments

This just plucked from my mailbag:

Sender: washingtonpost.com
——————–
News Alert: Obama orders hospitals to grant same-sex couples visitation rights
07:34 PM EDT Thursday, April 15, 2010
——————–

President Obama signed an order Thursday night requiring hospitals to allow gays and lesbians to have non-family visitors and to grant their partners medical power of attorney.

The president ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation. The memo is scheduled to be made public Friday morning, according to an administration official and another source familiar with the White House decision.

An official said the new rule will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding.

For more information, visit washingtonpost.com:
http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/C7I8XW/PQQFK/95C4W9/WANX5I/XVNKS/7V/t

——————–
(Have I mentioned lately how very proud I am of our President?)

To clarify, it seems while the Teabaggers and Republicans are busily monopolizing the news with their inbred fight over which will win the right to run for running the country, President Obama and his Band of Merry Democrats are actually, oh how shall I put this… behind the cameras, busy at work, actually running the country!

Couple this equal rights win with the financial report which shows this years taxes are the lowest they’ve been in 10 years and… I can see Sarah’s head exploding from my house!

To comment on this post, please scroll up to the title Sarah Palin’s Head Explodes In 5, 4, 3, 2… and click the word comments just beneath. Thanks, OzMud

March 24, 2010

A Lesson on: ObamaCare 101

Posted by ozmud under 2010 March | Tags: barack, barack hussein obama, barack obama, care, Obama, obama care, obamacare, president barack obama, President Obama, republican who? |
1 Comment

…and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put the Republican Party back together again.

It should be sad watching an institution crumble but for me, watching the Republicans receive their much-deserved comeuppance this week was more like watching the Berlin Wall topple to the sound of several million cheering onlookers. The Republican Party who – in their haste to win an election – forgot their manners, disrespected the office of the President of The United States and acted on the advice of pollsters rather than constituents – is now gasping its last bit of air as a responsible representation of the American people. And try as I might, I’m hard-pressed to conjure up any sympathy.

For most of us, this week marks the burial of a campaign that should have died and been put to rest more than a year ago. It used to be that once an election was over, the losing side pulled up their socks and got to work for the people they represented. They worked with the guys who won the election to get the job done and gave America their full attention until the next campaign. Something about honouring a good battle and behaving like men. Attributes the current Republican leaders seem to have dropped along the way, I’m guessing somewhere between Alaska, Arizona and Iraq.

No, there’s no sadness in my home. There is, however, a sense of justice.

This week’s events have been marked by really excellent writings of bloggers, journalists, columnists and television commentators alike. So many, in fact, it’s truly difficult to pick just one. Starting with this article from the Huffington Post, for the rest of the week, I’ll be posting links to my favourites.

*Robert J. Elisberg* Posted: March 23, 2010

GOP Applies for Health Care for Self-Inflicted Wounds

Putting all your eggs in one basket is a good thing when it’s Easter. In politics, though? Not so much.

The Republican Party put all its eggs in the “Tear Down President Barack Obama and Defeat Health Care Reform” basket. This was a questionable action at best. At worst, they could end up breaking their own kneecaps.

Unanimously fighting health care reform was questionable at best because few in America didn’t think the health care system had to be fixed in at least some way.

But at worst – yipes.

Yipes, because the President of the United States won the election campaigning on it. Both houses of Congress won majorities campaigning on it. And from the start, polls showed that the majority of the public wanted some kind of health care reform. Including a public option.

Yet in the face of all this, the Republican Party in Congress put every single one of its fragile eggs in a single basket and chose to unanimously fight health care reform.

The bill contained over 200 Republican proposals, and Republicans still unanimously voted against it.

The GOP was simply going to do whatever they could – unanimously – to defeat health care reform and bring down President Obama. Turn “Yes, We Can” into “No, He Can’t.” Republicans didn’t just want the seats a party out of power traditionally picks up in an off-year election. They wanted it all …<snip>…

Mr. Elisberg goes on to fully describe how the Republican plan to derail the Democrats backfired in epic proportions and then… he drops this precious little gem:

Republicans, who are usually so good at coming up with fake catch-phrases like “Death Taxes” made their biggest gaffe of all. Gargantuan.

You see…for the past year, Republicans have called this bill (say it all together now) – “ObamaCare.”

Health care reform is now known to everyone – thanks to Republican Talking Points – forevermore as ObamaCare.

They gave President Barack Obama full name credit.

ObamaCare. ObamaCare. ObamaCare. ObamaCare.

Care.

President Barack Obama – cares.

And the Republican Party is the one who told you …<snip>

Please go to HuffPo and read the entire article here.

PS. And for those who may have noticed, yes – yes I did, in fact, have a bit of fun with the tags on top. Why? Well because… I can!

To comment on this post, please scroll up to the title A Lesson on: ObamaCare 101 and click the word comments just beneath. Thanks, OzMud

April 18, 2009

The Republic of Sarah – Part 1 (Republican Ideals – Close, But No Cigar)

Posted by ozmud under April 09, The Republic of Sarah | Tags: Bush, e-joke, homeless, Obama, Republican, Rudd, Sarah Palin |
[5] Comments

This was in my email today. I’ve seen it many times before and am quite positive it originated in one of those pre-email inter-office faxes that used to drive our bosses over the edge, especially when the fax machine was out of paper, the back-up supplies were nowhere to be found and we would all be standing around with heads hung hoping he wouldn’t notice the Clinton cartoon still in the tray.

How any of those old jokes have found their way into today’s technology is beyond me. I’m sure it involves people with too much time on their hands, dusty crates in the attic and a broom.

So today, when reading this cutesy… well here have a read for yourself:

And when was this written do you think? The tasks described in the e-joke look like a full days work to me. That token $50 would barely pay for a meal and a bath. So again the phrase which dominates my thoughts is close but no cigar.

But the sentiment is alive and well and living in the Republican Party, nurtured by Mother Sarah and repeated by her horde: All the homeless are on the street by choice – they can each go home and stop being a bother any time they want.

Bollox. The homeless have evolved in and because of our culture. We did this with our promises of prosperity and entitlements and a social security system that would be there for us all if we just contributed evey week while we worked… So first we cause people to become homeless, then we ignore them, then we ridicule them, then we blame them for being homeless.

It all rather smells of the bully who first knocks you to the ground, then places a foot over your face and then scolds you for daring to say it hurts.

We show the world how smart we are by producing televisions and computers, video games and fast cars and let everyone think that just by owning a credit card we can all have it all. Then reality sets in and some of us struggle more than the rest and rather than try to work out how to make good on the promises made by western democracy, we find it easier to walk on the other side of the street.

The reasons for being homeless are as many and as varied as their numbers:

*Sudden illness which wipes out savings and incurs insurmountable debt.
*Sudden loss of a partner whose income we depended upon for basic survival.
*An unfortunate accident rendering us immobile and dependent upon a broken social security system which can’t support us.
*Having the company for whom you worked twenty years suddenly close it’s doors, taking your medical insurance and pension with it
*Losing your job at age 45 and discovering no one wants to hire a 45 year old
* Mental incapacity
*Physical incapacity
*Old age

There are more. Stacks more. But my point is, not eveyone who sleeps in a cardboard shelter wants’ to be there. And the Republican chant of just go get a job doesn’t even come close to offering a solution.

The very banking system George W. Bush and now President Obama and Prime Minister Rudd have sought to bail out of financial ruin have a huge hand in the growing number of homeless in our two nations. Homes and jobs have been retched from people who had been taking care of themselves. Medical costs are another amongst the culprits as people try desperately to pay for outrageously over-priced surgeries, therapies and medications which can only be paid for by second mortgages and exorbitant bank loans.

Are there blodgers amongst them? Of course there are. But the Republicans would rather abandon the mother of three who lost her husband to cancer and her home to his medical bills, than dream of paying one cent to someone else who might be undeserving, and I just think that’s bass-ackwards.

It’s also less than humane.

For Sarah and her Republican cohorts to hold the homeless up to an unrealistic standard is simply preposterous.

Want the homeless to stand up and take care of themselves?

Easy. Take your boots off their faces.

April 17, 2009

ALASKANS DODGE WAR – OBAMA HIDES BEHIND BUSH

Posted by ozmud under April 09 | Tags: dickheads, Enhanced Interrogation, Obama, Wayne Anthony Ross |
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Don’t you just love headlines? It’s where the editors get to unleash snarky and all is forgiven because the headline is just doing it’s job of coaxing you into reading the whole story. (The story is where they hide the facts. Well, most of the time, anyway.)

But my snarky headline aside, these are the actual two top stories in Alaska’s papers this morning. Wayne Anthony Ross was deemed unfit for duty in the Attorney General’s office by the state legislators. (Good’onya mates! Well done!)

Then there’s the kerfuffle created by President Obama after announcing the Obama Administration will not be persuing charges against the Bush Administration for (among other things) the torture of prisoners at the Guantanamo facility. You can watch Keith Olbermann’s head exploding here.

enhanced-interrogations1

This headline in my morning’s email made me guffaw. I guffawed! No, really, I actually did! Enhanced Interrogation! What rubbish! What’s next?

Little Tommy [crying]: Mommy! Mommy! Daddy just spanked me and it really hurts!
Mommy [in a calm voice]: Don’t be silly dear, Daddy would never spank you, he loves you. He merely applyed an Enhanced Behaviour Modification technique to your behind.

***

Judge: Your client has been charged with raping Ms. Landry. How does he plea?
Attorney: Why, innocent your honour – this young woman is clearly overreacting. My client didn’t rape her, he merely had an Enhanced Hormonal Response to a Sudden and Uncontrollable Penile Erectus Reaction.

Hey wait a minute… Sudden, Uncontrollable Penile Erectus Reaction. Well that certainly explains SUPERman…

Enhanced Interrogation… dickheads.

April 14, 2009

Dear Republicans, You’re not going to bring Obama down with a Tea Bag. Get over yourselves.

Posted by ozmud under April 09, Open Letters | Tags: boston Tea Party, Obama, Republicans, Sarah Palin, tea bagging, the Young Turks |
[6] Comments

Tea Bagging Just Misses The Mark

It’s a bit odd that in a world where something like a third of the populaton is starving, Republicans have chosen to bogart a food substance as a symbol for – wait – what is it again the tea bagging is supposed to accomplish?

The original Boston Tea Party was a direct response by American colonists to an excessive tax on a particular tea they were forced to purchase from Britain.That’s a simplistic summary, I know, but if you want to know more, start here.

I’ve watched the news reports here in Australia, presented by reporters who can barely keep a straight face while reporting the story, the cable news reports from the US, read the news articles from a few US papers, and of course, read the perspectives proffered by my favourite bloggers (the list is just to your right over there >>).

For the life of me, I cannot find the connection. All I can come up with is some overly-zealous Republican had a ‘cutesy’ idea and from sheer lack of any other ideas, it became the number one play in the Republican playbook of ‘we can out-Dem the Dems if we can just come up with the right distraction’.

But here’s my problem in trying to connect the Boston Tea Party with today’s politics: Each of the United States, today, is represented in Washington by two Senators and a number of Representatives (said number of which is determined by state population). This is above the number of elected officials on city, county and state levels, each ‘representing’ their own constituency.

For the Republicans to use ‘tea’ to represent their current cause, simply makes no sense. First because Americans are clearly not suffering from taxation without representation, and second because they are not being force-fed a particular brand of tea from a particular source, depriving themselves of choice or jeopardizing any local business.

And third because at least one of the tea bags held up by US newscasters to put a fine point on the Tea Bagging event is from a British-owned company which pays hefty import fees – to the US – in order to get their tea products into the US in the first place. Rather the complete opposite of the situation in 1773. (I’m betting some Republicans either didn’t know Lipton Tea wasn’t an American-owned Company before holding it up to ridicule, or that – in true Sarah Palin style, ala the infamous election scarf -.they were hoping no one would notice. Because that tactic’s worked so well for them in the past!)

What exactly is the Republican cause here? I didn’t actually understand the motivation behind the Tea Bagging until I watched this youtube video put on by The Young Turks. It might not be my cup of tea (sorry) but I’m willing to acknowledge that they nailed the Republican Party full stop.

Quote: [Why?] Because the Republicans don’t know what they’re doing.

So while this is not the style of editorializing I take in on a daily basis, (the main presenter often looks stoned because of the number of times he apparently needs to stop and read whatever material is printed on the inside of his eyelids) I am compelled to share it with you because of it’s simplistic accuracy.

The Young Turks are becoming quite popular with their postings on youtube, reflecting many common attitudes of today’s under 40 generation, and once in a while are even quite insightful. So barring the snarky-style and periodic stray towards porn, it’s possible even for us oldies to sit back and be entertained by this young man who bags (sorry again) the Republican’s latest public display of mediocrity.

Ok – the Republicans are asking the entire population of middle to lower class Americans, to relinquish their newly-received tax cuts under the Obama Administraion, in favour of rallying around the rich to repeal a slight tax increase recently imposed on those Americans who make millions of dollars each year in income and don’t actually pay their full share of taxes anyway due to tax loopholes procured for them by highly paid accountants and lawyers.

To put it simply, the Republicans have chosen one of America’s most cherished, historical events – and one which lead directly to their declaring independence from an oppressive monarchy, bringing about one of the most bitter battles in American history – to symbolize the new Republican platform of taking from the poor and giving to the rich.

Yes, my head’s cocked sideways and I’m squinting.

And what about the fate of all these tea bags once the bagging parties are over?

Are people meant to bring their own tea bag to these gatherings and then actually have a cuppa during the meeting? Are the bags going to be handled like flags at a footy game and then thrown away because after all they’ve been handled? Or are they going to be collected en masse to dump on the White House doorstep at some later date in a feeble attempt to embarass President Obama?

I’m guessing a couple of large donations to a few needful soup kitchens isn’t even being brewed…

Regardless of the Republican intention for the Tea Bagging ceremonies on 15 April 2009, I think it’s a rather sad commentary on their party priorities to encourage the wasting of perfectly good food during a time when millions of people are going a little hungry in order to pay their mortgage.

Someone is profiting from the US shutdown and it’s disturbing to think no one in a position to perform actual investigative journalism is paying attention.

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