President Barack Obama - Term 1 and 2 Thread

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

Eisenhower was a great general and POTUS because he realized that the People always must be served first... so much so that he warned the American population about the rising military industrial complex in his farewell speech. Much the same way George Washington did in his farewell letter also.

Ike loved his entitlements as well. Modern day troglodyte Conservatives simply love to deify progressive Republicans from the past.

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid. - Eisenhower"

If I were alive in 1952 I would have supported Taft for the Republican nomination not Eisenhower. Taft was the real small government non interventionist candidate. Not Ike. Pity Taft didnt win it. Eisenhower's Agriculture secretary Ezra Taft Benson (who wanted to get rid of farm subsidies- something which would have in the long run helped the small US farmer but I digress-) was often frustrated by him.

But that said Ike was right about that the point about the military industrial complex. And saying someone is right about point A does not mean you have to agree with him about point B, nor are you being contradictory in doing so. Also it is worth pointing out that most of the folks quoting Eisenhower here are paleocons or Jeffersonians on foreign policy, and only making comment on the truth of that one warning. Your mainstream GOP conservatives the Linsey Grahams, John Haggees, Shawn Hannity, Rick Santorum and other such idiots are not quoting IKE. They are completely consistent in what they want - war with out end Amen.

[Boomchild]

Is the shit getting ready to hit the fan? The liberal obsession with this guy is quite remarkable. Apparently the blinders are on, no matter what truths are revealed. Apparently, in the face of truth, Obama must shit Ice Cream for the Libs. What will be interesting to find out is if the country will become more enlightened before voting in 2016, or will the sheeple vote us farther down the sewer?

No matter what hits the fan it will not impact the general public's opinion of those who like and support Obama. I liken it to the people who followed Jim Jones. He captivated his followers by promising them a life in utopia. They continued to follow him even though they were living in misery and squaller. All the way to drinking cyanide laced kool aid. People are expecting the same type of utopia to come from Obama. But as with all fakes and charlatans they will be let down in the end and wonder what the fuck happened after the dust settles.

[Boomchild]

Where's the like button for this?

[The Sushi Hunter]

Just got done watching a youtube vid of Syrian rebels executing a number of prisoner's of war blind folded and hands tied behind their backs. Wonder if this will be another "game changer" for BO and his clown posse administration in regards to how they appoach this issue in Syria.

[slucero]

Eisenhower was a great general and POTUS because he realized that the People always must be served first... so much so that he warned the American population about the rising military industrial complex in his farewell speech. Much the same way George Washington did in his farewell letter also.

Ike loved his entitlements as well. Modern day troglodyte Conservatives simply love to deify progressive Republicans from the past.

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid. - Eisenhower"

I love it! You mention one good thing about a Republican President and it must mean that you support everything that President ever did. Kind of like how I believe that Bush was a terrible President but because, at some point in the past, I said something positive about him, there are still folks who just swear up and down that I must be a George Bush apologist. "Well, Bush had a good haircut at one time" now equates to "George Bush is the greatest President ever!"

leave him alone.. he's trying to be "noble"..

[slucero]

Eisenhower was a great general and POTUS because he realized that the People always must be served first... so much so that he warned the American population about the rising military industrial complex in his farewell speech. Much the same way George Washington did in his farewell letter also.

Ike loved his entitlements as well. Modern day troglodyte Conservatives simply love to deify progressive Republicans from the past.

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid. - Eisenhower"

If I were alive in 1952 I would have supported Taft for the Republican nomination not Eisenhower. Taft was the real small government non interventionist candidate. Not Ike. Pity Taft didnt win it. Eisenhower's Agriculture secretary Ezra Taft Benson (who wanted to get rid of farm subsidies- something which would have in the long run helped the small US farmer but I digress-) was often frustrated by him.

But that said Ike was right about that the point about the military industrial complex. And saying someone is right about point A does not mean you have to agree with him about point B, nor are you being contradictory in doing so. Also it is worth pointing out that most of the folks quoting Eisenhower here are paleocons or Jeffersonians on foreign policy, and only making comment on the truth of that one warning. Your mainstream GOP conservatives the Linsey Grahams, John Haggees, Shawn Hannity, Rick Santorum and other such idiots are not quoting IKE. They are completely consistent in what they want - war with out end Amen.

you have to understand TNC.. for him its an all or nothing thing.... as long as you're not a Democrat..

[ebake02]

Am I the only one who sees nothing wrong with what the IRS was doing? I just wish they would have been fair and went after liberal groups too, giving tax exempt status to any political group is fucking wrong.

[steveo777]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/05/ ... competent/

I don't know why I'm laughing - I shouldn't be. There should be more outrage. At least more of the media is reporting the carnival that this Red Assed Baboon has going on.

[Boomchild]

Am I the only one who sees nothing wrong with what the IRS was doing? I just wish they would have been fair and went after liberal groups too, giving tax exempt status to any political group is fucking wrong.

It's wrong because according to the law, organizations such as the ones targeted are permitted to obtain tax exempt status. One may not agree with it but this would not be the way to handle it. This was all for gaining a political advantage over groups that oppose the current administration. It's a blatant misuse of power and sends up a red flag. This is why our founding fathers and many of us today are against big government. Obama should be impeached for such an action but we all know everyone else will fall on the sword in order to protect their Messiah. I'm wiling to bet that this is just the tip of the ice berg on what this administration has been up to. You can be sure they will be more careful in the future on the cover up and I am sure the paper shredders are running around the clock.

[Boomchild]

Just got done watching a youtube vid of Syrian rebels executing a number of prisoner's of war blind folded and hands tied behind their backs. Wonder if this will be another "game changer" for BO and his clown posse administration in regards to how they appoach this issue in Syria.

Nope the rebels are "freedom fighters" in Obama's eyes. So are the terrorists.

[Memorex]

Am I the only one who sees nothing wrong with what the IRS was doing? I just wish they would have been fair and went after liberal groups too, giving tax exempt status to any political group is fucking wrong.

My guess is you'd be the only one, unless people believe that our government should treat one group of people differently and less fair than another.

I think you need to dig in beyond the top level here. The IRS gave confidential applications to other organizations in order to help that organization learn about their "enemy". This wasn't just about extra scrutiny, it was about compromising confidential documents for political gain.

To specifically target any political group, whether you agree with their politics or not, is exactly the opposite of what this country stands for and was born from. Nobody should be threatened by the government based on their political beliefs. Or their religious beliefs. We all get to play in the same sandbox, with the same toys. Period.

[steveo777]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05 ... -nominees/

A national labor board which has long been accused of making union-friendly decisions was dealt another blow Thursday, after a second federal appeals court found President Obama exceeded his power when he bypassed the Senate to appoint its members.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05 ... z2TXDhUgmL

How much more evidence do we need?

[ebake02]

Gotta love the republicans, they're screaming about a White House cover up while doctoring white house emails to fit into their narrative. There is also a video in the link.
http://theweek.com/article/index/244363 ... azi-emails

WATCH: CBS' Major Garrett calls out GOP over doctored Benghazi emails
The former Fox News correspondent takes the rare step of chastising partisan sources on air

When it emerged that ABC News had been handed misleading summaries of internal Obama administration emails hashing out post–Benghazi attack talking points, we asked who burned the network's White House correspondent, Jonathan Karl. Somewhat unexpectedly, Karl's CBS News counterpart, Major Garrett, provided us an answer: Congressional Republicans. (Watch above.)

Karl had strongly suggested that he was quoting actual emails from White House official Ben Rhodes and State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland that he had personally reviewed, instead of summaries passed on by partisan sources. According to Garrett, that's because "Republicans leaked what they said was a quote from Rhodes" and "also provided what they said was a quote from an email written... by Nuland."

Whoa, says Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo. Garrett just "did something I don't feel like I've seen in a really long time or maybe ever on a network news cast." Reporters are fed leaks from "partisan, tendentious sources" all the time, and for a host of reasons — "some good or somewhat understandable, mostly bad" — nothing is ever done about it. Well, Garrett just did something.

Passing off the doctored quotes "was typical GOP overreach," says Kevin Drum at Mother Jones.

Here's what happened. Republicans in Congress saw copies of these emails two months ago and did nothing with them. It was obvious that they showed little more than routine interagency haggling. Then, riding high after last week's Benghazi hearings, someone got the bright idea of leaking two isolated tidbits and mischaracterizing them in an effort to make the State Department look bad. Apparently they figured it was a twofer: They could stick a shiv into the belly of the White House and they could then badger them to release the entire email chain, knowing they never would.... To their surprise, the White House took Republicans up on their demand to make the entire email chain public, thus making it clear to the press that they had been burned. And now reporters are letting us all know who was behind it. [Mother Jones]

That doesn't mean this is the last we've heard about the deadly September 2012 attacks in Benghazi, says The Associated Press' Donna Cassata. "Eight months after the attack, the issue remains a political winner with the Republican base as conservatives have been ferocious in assailing Obama." No fewer than five House committees are pursuing separate Benghazi inquiries, and they all pledge to hold hearings.

The next big show should be public testimony before Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-Calif.) House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from retired Ambassador Thomas Pickering and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen, who led an independent review of what went wrong in Benghazi. And if the 100 emails the White House released didn't work out, Republicans are unfazed. "Why not release all of the unclassified documents?" says Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).

[conversationpc]

Gotta love the republicans, they're screaming about a White House cover up while doctoring white house emails to fit into their narrative.

I haven't checked it out but it's not surprising if true.

[The_Noble_Cause]

you have to understand TNC.. for him its an all or nothing thing.... as long as you're not a Democrat..

And just what part of "great general and POTUS" don't you understand? The quote I referenced, whoever said it, (can't really keep track of every generic right wing loser on here), didn't claim that Ike was only great for speaking out against the military industrial machine. The person said he was a great POTUS - period. And his progressive views are a big part of that.

I love it! You mention one good thing about a Republican President and it must mean that you support everything that President ever did. Kind of like how I believe that Bush was a terrible President but because, at some point in the past, I said something positive about him, there are still folks who just swear up and down that I must be a George Bush apologist. "Well, Bush had a good haircut at one time" now equates to "George Bush is the greatest President ever!"

Umm, saying that Ike was "a great general and great POTUS" equates to, well, Ike was a great president. That's the problem with modern Tea Partiers. They get all their info from their AM transistor garage radios and forget how to read and write. So sad. The well-composed right wing spam chain emails I get are obviously ghost-written by bisexual Madison Avenue liberals.

[Memorex]

I'm not sure why people always have to look at issues in a Republican VS Democrat lens. I mean, take the IRS issue. Can't anyone simply look at something that is happening and determine whether it is right or wrong without any politics?

Benghazi. It's very basic. Did our President and our Secretary of State come out and lie to the American people for one reason or another? Yes they did. Any Democrat or Republican should be able to answer that without spinning. Why do party members always have to throw cover for each other? If you are a politician and your job depends on it, sure - there is reason for spin. But if your just a normal ol citizen like us, what's the difficulty?

We treat our politicians like our favorite sports teams, only more idealistic. It's really quite stupid. What does it matter to anyone if Obama lied, as far as needing to protect him? Why is it so hard for both sides to admit that both sides are corrupt and greedy and at times sinister?

Usually, the first thing out of someone's mouth when their guy is blamed is, "Yea, but look what your guy did." Like the whole nation has become 2 years old.

Why do I care that people feel that way? Easy. This mentality has allowed both parties to properly fuck us, while millions of us defend the wrong. And it's just flat out a dishonest way to live. It helps no one.

Does anyone here honestly think the President didn't intend to deflect the issue and did so by lying? Anyone?

Does anyone think the IRS issue was not partisan? And though it hasn't come out yet, I am pretty sure this was at the very least encouraged by the campaign.

Does anyone believe for one single second that the White House Counsel, and in turn the President, were not notified that the AP records would be gathered?

If so, you are simply not being honest. And it does not make a difference what Republicans try to do to exploit that. Your job is to see through that and just focus on the facts.

[The Sushi Hunter]

I'm not sure why people always have to look at issues in a Republican VS Democrat lens. I mean, take the IRS issue. Can't anyone simply look at something that is happening and determine whether it is right or wrong without any politics?

Ask the IRS why they specifically and exclusively targetted the republicans. You will then get your answer. Obviously to them it mattered who was dem and who was republican. Make no mistake about it, it's not just a deal with the IRS, it's with the entire BOzo and clown posse administration, along with all of their followers and supporters. Really, has any outspoken dems even on this site said that what the IRS did or the ap phone records grab was morally and ethically wrong? Not a peep cause they're happy and supportive of it....period!

[Memorex]

Obviously the IRS thing was every bit Republican vs Democrat and those workers and whoever was behind that was doing ti for political reasons. So why would a Democrat look at that situation and even come close to defending it? In the IG report it says it wasn't partisan. How can anyone say that with a straight face? That's like Bush saying that firing all those Judges wasn't partisan. I mean, actions speak louder than words, don't they? Not anymore, I guess.

I'm not sure why people always have to look at issues in a Republican VS Democrat lens. I mean, take the IRS issue. Can't anyone simply look at something that is happening and determine whether it is right or wrong without any politics?

Ask the IRS why they specifically and exclusively targetted the republicans. You will then get your answer. Obviously to them it mattered who was dem and who was republican. Make no mistake about it, it's not just a deal with the IRS, it's with the entire BOzo and clown posse administration, along with all of their followers and supporters. Really, has any outspoken dems even on this site said that what the IRS did or the ap phone records grab was morally and ethically wrong? Not a peep cause they're happy and supportive of it....period!

[Memorex]

Amid sequester and scandal in Washington, the White House announced Friday that the president and first lady will be hosting another concert as part of their “In Performance at the White House” later this month.

“Carole King: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance at the White House” will be the eleventh “In Performance at the White House” program that the Barack and Michelle Obama have hosted.

Eleventh? Seriously? That's just crazy when so many people are out of work. It's so completely disconnected.

[Memorex]

This should tell us all we need to know about the seriousness of the charges.

Lois G. Lerner, who managed the IRS exempt organizations unit that approved applications for nonprofit status, is in Montreal, according to her attorney, a congressional source said, and has not yet said if she will come to Washington for testimony next week. Lerner has hired William W. Taylor III, the lawyer who represented Dominique Strauss Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund head accused of sexual assault by a New York hotel housekeeper, the source said.

Wow.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Heard on the radio just a little bit ago that BOzo's about to take off the gloves and give a blistering address that people need to start leaving him and his administration alone. This should be good.....real good.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Reminds me of how it is when you lift up a piece of cardboard and the cockroaches scatter. Someone's going to get pissed for getting fired and spill the beans, I know it's coming. Or someone will end up dead or missing first. It's coming.

[conversationpc]

I love it! You mention one good thing about a Republican President and it must mean that you support everything that President ever did. Kind of like how I believe that Bush was a terrible President but because, at some point in the past, I said something positive about him, there are still folks who just swear up and down that I must be a George Bush apologist. "Well, Bush had a good haircut at one time" now equates to "George Bush is the greatest President ever!"

Umm, saying that Ike was "a great general and great POTUS" equates to, well, Ike was a great president. That's the problem with modern Tea Partiers. They get all their info from their AM transistor garage radios and forget how to read and write. So sad. The well-composed right wing spam chain emails I get are obviously ghost-written by bisexual Madison Avenue liberals.

Since your brain apparently isn't able to transition from one cogent thought to another without a little shock therapy, I'll try to expand a little for you...

I wasn't defending the original comment. I was making the transition from what he said to what I've seen all over this board and Facebook, which is the fact that with some idealogues, any positive comment towards a conservative and/or Republican President, in their mind, equates to unvarnished goose-stepping, complete talking points-swallowing, support.

It might surprise you to know that I'm not a Tea Party fan and would never join that organization nor participate in one of those group-think get together, masturbatory orgies. Makes me shudder to even think of it. Sorry to burst your bubble but it's all in the interest of keeping the pot stirred.



(Note: That was especially for Rick. )

[The Sushi Hunter]

Reminds me of how it is when you lift up a piece of cardboard and the cockroaches scatter. Someone's going to get pissed for getting fired and spill the beans, I know it's coming. Or someone will end up dead or missing first. It's coming.

Yep, and isn't it amazing that those two low level IRS dudes in Cincinnati had enough pull to get the BATF and FBI involved? Amazing indeed!

They should also check IRS employee pay records to see who got the bonus's, raises and promotions. That may indicate who was being paid off to do this and that.

[The Sushi Hunter]

We still don’t know for sure what the President knew or when he knew it, but this does confirm that the Administration was aware of the fact that Obama's political enemies were under fire by the IRS and covered that fact up during an election year.

Many already suspected this was happening, now we have actual proof that it was in fact happening. Heads need to fucking roll!

[Boomchild]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/16/senate-committee-approves-3-judicial-nominees/

A national labor board which has long been accused of making union-friendly decisions was dealt another blow Thursday, after a second federal appeals court found President Obama exceeded his power when he bypassed the Senate to appoint its members.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05 ... z2TXDhUgmL

How much more evidence do we need?

The court has done nothing other then tell the B.O. he over stepped. Those he appointed are still in their positions. So what does it really matter if nothing is done about it?

[Boomchild]

Senior Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, who recently slapped Obamacare as a "train wreck," believes that the IRS scandal is just beginning and that "a lot more" damaging information will be revealed, likely at congressional hearings.

"I have a hunch that a lot more is going to come out, frankly," Baucus, whose pending retirement seems to have freed him up to speak bluntly, told Bloomberg Government's " Capitol Gains " TV show.

"It's broader than the current focus. And I think it's important that we have the hearings, and I think that will encourage other information to come out that has not yet come out. I suspect that we will learn more in the next several days, maybe the next couple three weeks which adds more context to all of this," added Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

I heard a report on the radio this morning that the guarantee of coverage of those with preexisting conditions was deleted from Obamacare. "Affordable coverage for everyone" yeh right, as long as your not sick already. Between that and the "death panels" that should thin the herd.

[steveo777]

It seems right now that there is more determination that people be held accountable for all these lies and cover ups. It's all pointing to the fact that many things have been known for a long time but suppressed by the BO adminstration to not risk his reelection. This is just heinous. Corruption and incompetence at it's best. As I've stated before, the speed of the leader is the speed of the team. Who's in the driver's seat? Obama needs to be impeached and to keep Biden from becoming president, so does he.

[Boomchild]

It seems right now that there is more determination that people be held accountable for all these lies and cover ups. It's all pointing to the fact that many things have been known for a long time but suppressed by the BO adminstration to not risk his reelection. This is just heinous. Corruption and incompetence at it's best. As I've stated before, the speed of the leader is the speed of the team. Who's in the driver's seat? Obama needs to be impeached and to keep Biden from becoming president, so does he.

There getting these scandals and cover ups out of the way early in his second term. That way the dust will settle and voters will have forgotten about them by the time the next election rolls around. You can cry for impeachment till the cows come home but it ain't happening. You have to have both the press and public be outraged and hate Obama like when Nixon got the boot. That is not the case here.

[slucero]

Some more interesting background on this IRS scandal...

IRS HAD ENEMIES LIST IN 2010 & 2012
Written by Chriss W. Street
http://www.chrissstreetandcompany.com/2 ... 2010-2012/

The Internal Revenue Service admitted on May 10th that “low level” staff in their Cincinnati office, supposedly “not motivated by political bias,” targeted 75 conservative tax exempt organizations for audit and investigation, because they used the names “Tea Party” and “Patriot.” I have obtained a copy of a hand signed memorandum (here) from Steven T. Miller, IRS Acting Commissioner, dated July 7, 2011 revealing that he officially ordered similar activity terminated on March 23, 2011 while serving as Department of Treasury Deputy Commissioner for IRS Services and Enforcement. Coupled with the resignation of IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman the day after the 2012 election, IRS agents may have “knowing and willfully” retaliated against a conservative “Enemies List” during the 2010 Congressional election and continuing through the 2012 Presidential election.

Lois G. Lerner, IRS Director of Exempt Organizations, apologized for the “inappropriate” targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to “see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.” Ms. Lerner stated that IRS agents singled out dozens of organizations for additional reviews, because they included the words “tea party” or “patriot” in their exemption applications. She also stated in some cases, groups were asked for lists of donors, which violates IRS policy in most cases. Ms. Lerner blamed low-level employees, saying no high-level officials were aware.

But prior to being appointed to her current position on August 15, 2012, Ms. Lerner served since 2005 as the Director of the Exempt Organizations Rulings & Agreements Division where she managed the “determinations letter program” for Exempt Organization, public guidance, and technical assistance for IRS agents conducting examinations of tax-exempt organizations. Steven T. Miller’s “Guidance Memo” was sent directly to IRS TE/GE (Tax Exempt and Government Exempt) management. As the head of “Tax Exempt” determinations, Ms. Lerner was the prime recipient of the hand signed July 7, 2011 memorandum (here) that reiterated the March 23, 2011 suspension of IRS examinations of applications for 501(c)(4) tax exempt entities.

IRS Commissioner Miller’s guidance memo clearly warned:

“This is a difficult area with significant legal, administrative, and policy implications with respect to which we have little enforcement history. My office will be coordinating with the Office of Chief Counsel to determine whether there is a need for further guidance in this area.”

The memo states the IRS: “should not expend examination resources initiating referrals or developing audits.” This was meant to be a klaxon horn going-off in every IRS office across the nation screaming no IRS agent is allowed to be involved in this activity.

The IRS is wildly sensitive regarding the use of its powers to intimidate political opponents. Despite a substantial lead in the 1972 polls, Richard Nixon’s Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP) created what became known as the “Enemies List” of 576 supporters of Democrat George McGovern’s 1972 Presidential campaign. John W. Dean III, Counsel to President Nixon forwarded the list to the IRS for action:

“This memorandum addresses the matter of how we can maximize the fact of our incumbency in dealing with persons known to be active in their opposition to our Administration; stated a bit more bluntly—how we can use the available federal machinery to
screw our political enemies.”

Donald C. Alexander later refused to use tax audits and investigations to punish the Enemies List. No evidence indicated that President Nixon was personally involved, but the combination of the IRS activity and a break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters became the “Watergate Scandal”. Tape recordings later demonstrated President Nixon knowingly and willfully tried to conceal and cover-up wrong doing. Facing impeachment, President Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974.

Ms. Lerner told an American Bar Association conference the IRS practice was initiated by low-level workers in Cincinnati and was not motivated by political bias. Ms. Lerner said that Agency officials found out about the practice last year and moved to correct it:

“That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate. That’s not how we go about selecting cases for further review … The IRS would like to apologize for that.”

But the hand signed July 7, 2011 from now IRS Commissioner Steven T. Miller indicates Ms. Lerner was directed on March 23, 2011, just four months after the 2010 Congressional elections, to suspend the examinations of typically conservative SB/SE (Small Business and Self-Employed). Based on this memo, IRS agents and their senior management appear to have retaliated against an Enemies Lists in 2010 and 2012.