TGIF Open Thread [8.30.13]

Filed in National, Open Thread by on August 30, 2013

Seriously, how is it the end of August already? So we have another entry in the credit where credit is due department. As you may know, during the celebrations and speeches on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday, not a single Republican was president. Not either Presidents Bush. Not any of the Congressional Republican leadership. Not any representative of the Bush, Ford, Reagan or Nixon families. Not a single GOP elected official. Bill O’Reilly assumed that no Republican was invited and went on air Wednesday night with that charge, because it is embarrassing for a national party to not have a single representative speaking in favor of equality and Dr. King.

The truth is, all the aforementioned where invited. Some had better excuses than others for declining the invitation. For example, both Presidents Bush have health problems. The elder Bush is probably not going to appear any more for events such as this, given his immobility and age. The younger Bush just had heart surgery. Both are good excuses. Other had scheduling conflicts, such that all important meeting with oil lobbyists for Eric Cantor and yet another fundraiser for Speaker Boehner. But whatever, they were invited.

So Bill O’Reilly, in a rare display of humility, admitted that he was, in fact, wrong.

“The mistake? Entirely on me,” he said. “I simply assumed … Republicans were excluded.”

Want proof that Hillary is running? The New York Times:

The Democratic National Committee summer meeting “was a sedate gathering where routine party business was conducted routinely,” the reports.

But when Harold Ickes walked into the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile raised her eyebrows: “He predated the Clinton era, but when I saw Harold reappointed to the D.N.C., he surely, in my judgment, symbolizes the return of the Clintons.”

Ickes was put back on the committee by chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and acknowledged that he “actively sought” the seat as the “most important committee at the D.N.C. because of its role in shaping the nomination process. The goal is to design rules to nominate the strongest candidate for the general election.”

NATIONAL–SYRIA–NBC News poll: 80% of Americans believe President Obama should receive congressional approval before using force in Syria. 80% of Americans cannot agree on anything, Mr. President. They agree on this. This is a no-fucking-brainer, Mr. President. You want a way out of that fucking corner you painted yourself into, this is it. Seek Congressional Authorization. If you don’t get it, your hands have been tied by Congress just as David Cameron’s were.

50% believe the United States should not intervene in the wake of suspected chemical weapons attacks by Syrian President Bashar Assad. But the public is more supportive of military action when it’s limited to launching cruise missiles from U.S. naval ships – 50% favor that kind of intervention, while 44% oppose it.

MAINE–GOVERNOR–Public Policy Polling: Rep. Mike Michaud (D) 39, Gov. Paul LePage (R) 35, Eliot Cutler (I) 18.

In a two way contest, Michaud would blow LePage out, 54% to 39%.

NATIONAL–OBAMACARE–Kaiser: 57% of Americans disapprove of cutting off funding for Obamacare while just 36% say they would approve such a move.

Please proceed, Mr. Speaker.

TENNESSEE–US SENATE–REPUBLICAN PRIMARY–North Star Opinion Research (R): Sen. Lamar Alexander (R) 64, Joe Carr (R) 22.

NEW YORK CITY–MAYOR–Quinnipiac : Bill de Blasio (D) 36, Christine Quinn 21, Bill Thompson 20, Anthony Weiner 8% and John Liu 6.

De Blasio is very close to the 40% threshold needed to avoid a runoff. Adds pollster Maurice Carroll: “If there is a runoff, he clobbers Christine Quinn or William Thompson.”

NEW YORK CITY–MAYOR–New York Times-Siena College Poll: Bill de Blasio 32, Bill Thompson 18, Christine Quinn 17, Anthony Weiner 11 and John Liu 3.

NEW YORK CITY–MAYOR–amNewYork-News 12 poll: de Blasio 29, Thompson 24, Quinn 17, Weiner 10 and Liu 5.

NEW JERSEY–US SENATE–Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind: Cory Booker (D) 50, Steve Lonegan (R) 22

PENNSYLVANIA–GOVERNOR–Philadelphia Daily News/Franklin & Marshall College Poll: “Just one in five registered voters think [Republican Governor Tom] Corbett, who faces challengers from his own political party but no primary-election opponent, deserves a second term. It comes as little surprise that just 7% of Democrats want a second term for Corbett. It’s a problem for Corbett that just 22% of independents want him re-elected. It is potentially disastrous that just 38% of Republican voters support his re-election.”

VIRGINIA–GOVERNOR–Public Policy Polling: Terry McAuliffe (D) 44, Ken Cuccinelli (R) 37

VIRGINIA–GOVERNOR–Emerson College Poll: McAuliffe 45, Cuccinelli 35

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  1. Delaware Dem says:

    I made it a Featured Article, so now it is at the top of the page again.

  2. fightingbluehen says:

    Congress? When has Obama ever needed Congress? Coalition? He doesn’t need no stinking coalition. UN approval?…….Ha

  3. jason330 says:

    You are thinking of GWB, or that comment is some kind of conservative humor that I don’t get. Here in reality Obama doesn’t take a piss without checking with Congress.

  4. Jason330 says:

    How come nobody told me about this wingnut jamboree in little ol’ Wilmington? I would have given DeMint a few bucks to thank him for the work he is doing to help demolish the GOP.

    Jim DeMint: Providing Health Care For Seniors And Veterans Is ‘Un-American’ And Grounded In ‘Socialism’

    By Igor Volsky on August 30, 2013 at 8:55 am

    JimDemintHeritage Foundation president and former Senator Jim DeMint suggested to a town hall audience in Wilmington, Delaware Thursday that health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid are “un-American” and built on the principles of “socialism and collectivism.”

    “I cannot think of anything that’s more un-American than national government-run health care,” DeMint said. “Those who believe in those principles of socialism and collectivism we’ve seen over the centuries, they see as their holy grail taking control of the health care system.”

  5. Liberal Elite says:

    No mention of the WaPo articles on the Black Budget? The sheer size and the wealth of evidence of blatant and unsupervised “corruption” is just stunning.

    “corruption” — Legal, but still corrupt to the core. It’s a money sucking machine providing precious little in value back to the average American.

    Isn’t this exactly what Eisenhower warned us about?

    Change? Contractors should not have access to most top secret material. Reserve that for Federal employees only.

  6. fightingbluehen says:

    “Here in reality Obama doesn’t take a piss without checking with Congress.”

    You must have missed the past few years where Obama has been bypassing Congress for sport.

  7. Jason330 says:

    Oh, recess appointments. Well it wasn’t like the congress didn’t have a six year opportunity to take part in the process.

  8. Tom McKenney says:

    here’s a look at recess appointments

    FACT CHECK: Who Made the Most Political Recess Appointments?
    Here’s another interesting political fact for people who think that President Obama has the corner of the market on making recess appointments. If you don’t believe it, fact check it and let me know- I’ll print it.
    President Obama and President Clinton made a total of 26 Recess Appointments. President Reagan ALONE made 30 Recess Appointments. Add that with Bush Senior’s19 Appointments, and the younger Bush’s 22 recess appointments. Since 1980, Republicans made 51 Recess Appointments, Democrats made 26.
    To Conservatives Screeching About Obama’s Recess Appointments:

  9. fightingbluehen says:

    Jesus Christ, just google “Obama bypasses Congress”, and add what you like. Immigration, taxes, gun control, bailouts , climate change, etc. etc.
    I’m not even talking about recess appointments.

  10. Tom McKenney says:

    Just google anything and see how many hits you get. Presidents have been avoiding congress for years. Where was the outrage when Republican presidents were doing it?

  11. Truth Teller says:

    If congress were serious about Syria they would have returned to DC on their own already,but the truth of the matter is they do not want to go on record with a vote.they prefer to sit on the side lines and carp.

  12. Perry says:

    DD speaks:

    “NATIONAL–SYRIA–NBC News poll: 80% of Americans believe President Obama should receive congressional approval before using force in Syria. 80% of Americans cannot agree on anything, Mr. President. They agree on this. This is a no-fucking-brainer, Mr. President. You want a way out of that fucking corner you painted yourself into, this is it. Seek Congressional Authorization. If you don’t get it, your hands have been tied by Congress just as David Cameron’s were.”

    Obama replies:

    Thanks DD, that is exactly what I have decided to do!

  13. Nuttingham says:

    LePage came in to do an anti-Markell event for the Delaware GOP last cycle. Glad to see he’s at 35 percent at home. That’s about what the GOP candidates he stumped for here got, too.