Monday Open Thread [1.27.14]
Well now, how this for symbolism?
Two white doves released by children standing by Pope Francis as a symbol of peace were immediately attacked by a renegade seagull and large black crow.
The President’s State of the Union Address is tomorrow. We now have some information on the guests that will be seated with the First Lady and Dr. Biden.
Carlos Arredondo and Jeff Bauman, two fo the scheduled guests, were immortalized in photos taken moments after the [Boston Marathon Bombing] attack, with Arredondo, in a cowboy hat, applying tourniquets and assisting Bauman, who lost both legs when one of the improvised bombs went off. The White House typically selects individuals of merit from the previous year, as well as those whose stories the president will reference during the speech.
Arredondo lost a son, Lance Corporal Alexander Scott Arredondo, in Iraq, and subsequently became an anti-war activist. From the hospital, Bauman helped identify the perpetrators of the bombing attack.
[Jason] Collins became the first active male professional athlete playing in a major sports league to announce he was gay in a cover story for Sports Illustrated last year. He played in 2013 for the Washington Wizards, and has announced he is currently a free agent seeking another contract.
According to multiple sources and news outlets, President Obama is going to throw Congress under the bus and instead focus on what he is going to do in the coming year to make the country stronger.
Wall Street Journal: “Mr. Obama will emphasize his intention to use unilateral presidential authority–bypassing Congress when necessary–to an extent not seen in his previous State of the Union speeches, White House officials said.”
Washington Post: “An internal White House assessment concludes that President Obama must distance himself from a recalcitrant Congress after being badly damaged last year by legislative failures, a government shutdown and his own missteps. […] Obama has said that his fraught relationship with Congress, especially after Republicans won the House in 2010, complicated his ability to promote his agenda. But for the first time, following what many allies view as a lost year, the White House is reorganizing itself to support a more executive-focused presidency and inviting the rest of the government to help.”
New York Times notes Obama “realizes that he has little chance of major legislative victories this year, with the possible exception of an overhaul of immigration law that Republicans are also making a priority. As a result, aides said, he will present a blueprint for ‘a year of action’ on issues like income inequality and the environment that bypasses Congress and exercises his authority to the maximum extent.”
And he should be doing this. He should say tomorrow…
“Hey, look, I can’t trust this Congress not to send the planet into a self inflicted world wide financial apocalypse. Twice in the last three years, the majority in the House has threatened to do just that if they do not get everything they wanted in budget negotiations. And now they are doing it again. I can’t work with these people. They are clinically insane. And I will not have the business and progress of our nation delayed or impeded simply by the unfortunate reality that they hold one House of Congress.
So I am going to do what I can, under my existing executive authority, under existing laws, to do good for the American people. To create jobs. To save the environment. To provide those who need it with affordable healthcare. And if Congress wants to join me in this effort, they are more than welcome. But America cannot rely on the Majority in the House.”
From Chris Bowers at Daily Kos: Democrats are becoming more liberal, and it has not hurt them at all.
In 2002—the year Daily Kos was founded—there were almost as many conservative Democrats as liberal Democrats, and moderate Democrats far outnumbered either liberals or conservatives. Now, there are actually more liberal Democrats than moderate Democrats, and conservative Democrats have become a small minority.
What I want to know is, who are these 19 percenters who are conservative Democrats? Well, not who are they. I know who they are. My question is why are they still here. Their southern brethen, the Dixiecrats, left for the Republican Party long ago. What, are they thinking that it is only a matter of time until equal rights is taken out of the Democratic platform?
An interesting thought experiment. What it Obama told the truth about Republicans? “I can’t work with these people. They are insane.” ( figuratively insane, not clinically)
1) The national press would have a hissy fit,
2) His overall popularity numbers would spike up.
But America cannot rely on the Majority in the House.
He should also say that he is going to be all over the US this year explaining to people just how the House does not work for them — and encouraging them to vote for people who might do a better job.
“He should also say that he is going to be all over the US this year explaining to people just how the House does not work for them — and encouraging them to vote for people who might do a better job.”
Great idea, except for the fact that most of those who are running in competitive House and Senate races don’t want Obama anywhere near their campaign.
His popularity has cratered among the independents that candidates in these competitive districts need to win their races.
Obama: This past year we had the least productive Congress in the History of the United States of America. This election year, Congress will probably do even less. For the sake of this country, you have got to give me a Congress I can work with… We’ve lost 4 years. Give me Democrats and together, we’ll drop the deficit, protect Social Security, and put the middle class back to work…..
Any Republican elected, keeps things exactly the same. This November, if America is to grow, Congress needs to elect a super-majority of Democrats…. If Republicans don’t want to govern, SEND THEM HOME….