Usa Thread

[Flashermac]

Same with Vietnam. The South was doing fine until after I left.

 

p.s. I'd better not leave Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

[Flashermac]

Biden thrills the crowd The Talk Of NAACP

[Flashermac]

Obama's Absence The Talk Of NAACP Convention

 

 

HOUSTON, Texas — The black leaders that attended the NAACP Convention here Thursday heaped praise on Vice President Joe Biden for a heated morning speech, but one question quietly pervaded the gathering: Where was President Obama?

 

Obama's decision to skip the annual convention in the heat of his re-election bid has been a point of constant speculation here in recent days, providing a sort of microcosm for how the black community views the nation's first African-American president as he nears the end of his first term.

 

"The people here overwhelmingly supported President Obama, would have loved to have President Obama here. So there's definitely some disappointment about that," said Dedrick Muhammad, director of the NAACP's Economic Department.

 

Convention organizers said the president's office cited a "scheduling conflict" as the reason he couldn't attend. (Obama spent today in Washington D.C., and has no major public events.) And the president did make an effort to ensure the convention that he hadn't forgotten them, appearing in a brief, pre-taped video praising the organization that aired before Biden's address.

 

But one former Obama administration official noted to BuzzFeed that the move looked like a snub.

 

"Even considering the politics here, it seems odd that the first African-American President is sending his white vice president to address the NAACP national convention in an election year," the official said.

 

Most of the convention's audience, comprised of black civic leaders, business owners, and community activists, were reluctant to criticize Obama to the press, even as they complained about his neglect off the record — a reflection of a sense of protectiveness among many African-Americans, and an understanding that Obama must at times disappoint.

 

But theories abound as to why Obama skipped the convention, with rumors being passed around over dinner buffets and in Starbucks lines. Several attendees claimed that a rift had recently formed between the NAACP board and the First Lady's office (though no one had firsthand knowledge of the supposed breaking point). Others speculated that conservatives would have used the president's presence at the convention to appeal to racist voters. And one prominent civil rights leader was still holding out hope minutes before Biden's speech was scheduled to begin that the president would surprise the convention and show up.

 

Alvin Chambliss, a retired law professor at Texas Southern University and lifelong members of the NAACP, blamed Obama's advisers — particularly Valerie Jarrett — for his decision not to show up, echoing a common complaint here about the people in the president's inner circle. Chambliss, who called the president's absence "a downer," said Jarrett is too afraid of Obama becoming defined by his race, and has led him to take his African-American supporters for granted.

 

"I don't think there's anyone around the president who's really, truly from the black community," Chambliss said. "We have to re-elect him, but I pray that his second term will be different from his first term."

Chambliss went on to say he "long[ed] for the day when the NAACP will be an organization where every president, whether Republican or Democrat, would come because there would be punitive damages for not coming. But today is obviously not that day."

 

"We can give him a pass," Chambliss concluded. "But to say it was a scheduling conflict, that's bull. At the end of the day, it's the NAACP; you schedule stuff around them. You're supposed to know when there's a convention, and you're supposed to come."

 

My link

[kamui]

Is Obama swiftboating Romney?

Anyway, I have no pity with Romney and the GOP, since swiftboating comes straight from the GOP storybook, and different to the original swiftboating campaign which sunk John Kerry then, Obama's campaign seems to be based on some facts...

 

Bain barrage worries Republicans

By: Ginger Gibson

July 12, 2012 05:56 PM EDT

 

On the facts, nothing terribly new was added to the Bain equation by the Boston Globe story charging that Mitt Romney controlled the company for three years longer than he previously claimed. Several fact-checking organizations said the charges aren’t exactly breaking news and Romney’s denials have some validity.

 

The problem for the Romney campaign, when it comes to the Bain issue, is that things are reaching the point where the facts don’t really matter. The bigger problem is that the Bain cloud now hanging over the former Massachusetts governor is growing daily, and the Romney campaign still hasn’t found a compelling way to respond to what’s becoming the driving narrative, fairly or unfairly, of the 2012 campaign.

 

After the Globe reported that Romney formally led Bain longer than he’d previously acknowledged — an allegation that Team Romney adamantly contests — Republicans worried that their soon-to-be nominee hasn’t sufficiently answered numerous questions swirling around his Bain tenure.

 

(Also on POLITICO: Obama camp wages war over Bain 'cloud')

 

A senior Romney strategist said Thursday that the campaign had a plan and wouldn’t be distracted from implementing it, despite pressure from outsiders. The strategist called the new charges part of an old line of attack that had already been thoroughly aired.

 

“We went through this in the primary,†the adviser said. “You have a lot of people inside the Beltway, who like to sit back and be armchair quarterbacks, strategists who talk to you and don’t go on the record. We have a plan. We know what the plan is, and we’re going to implement the plan.â€

 

The adviser added: “We aren’t reacting to what the Obama campaign does. … We aren’t reacting to what Republican strategists do. We’ve got a plan to win. We know what it takes and that’s what we’re going to do. All of this hew and cry, you know, from the bedwetters who get to sit on the sidelines, aren’t going to affect what we’re going to do and our plan.â€

 

In many ways, the Globe story didn’t break a lot of new ground, as several truth squad reportspointed out. It simply renewed focus on the fact that Romney has always stated that he technically left Bain in 1999 to run the Salt Lake City Olympics, while maintaining legal and financial ties to the company that didn’t include actively managing its affairs or investments.

 

There was no evidence that the newest allegations had changed that, although Romney’s campaign sought a correction from the Globe, a move they’ve tried with similar stories at other publications in the past. The Globe stood by its story.

 

The campaign released its first television ad responding to the claims that Romney outsourced jobs on Thursday morning, which pointed to fact-checking reports and used a four-year old video of Hillary Clinton admonishing Obama during the primary.

 

Fortune published a story on Thursday afternoon detailing confidential reports from Bain that were “obtained†by the magazine and countered the Globe’s timeline. [Fortune belongs to Murdoch... ]

 

But Republicans warned that none of that would make Bain go away as a political issue.

 

“Mitt Romney had an opportunity to answer these questions during the primary,†said Rick Tyler, who ran the pro-Gingrich super PAC that spent millions attacking Romney on the Bain issue. “ He did not answer these questions and now they’re coming up again.â€

 

Tyler warned that the newest Bain twist has the potential to inflict real harm if Romney doesn’t start providing answers.

 

“I saw Andrea Saul’s robotic response, which was the same as it’s always been,†Tyler said, referring to Romney’s press secretary. “That doesn’t comport with documents that have his name on it after 1999 that list him as CEO who was making money off of transactions. If he wasn’t making money from Bain, then his tax returns from the period in question would reveal that.â€

 

Tyler said Romney needs to be frank and provide all the details necessary to explain his role in the company after 1999. He hypothesized that there could be more documents to come.

.....

http://www.politico....0712/78459.html

[Flashermac]

The Swiftboaters were based on fact, though exaggerated. I met a Navy vet who served in the same unit as Kerry and confirmed some things. This may be too ... but too soon to know. Tells you what kind of a person Obama is, if he allows it. JWB caught flak over the swiftboaters. Obie should for this too. Also, he should realise that two can play the game. Is he up for it?

 

 

 

 

 

[kamui]

The Swiftboaters were based on fact, though exaggerated. I met a Navy vet who served in the same unit as Kerry and confirmed some things. This may be too ... but too soon to know. Tells you what kind of a person Obama is, if he allows it. JWB caught flak over the swiftboaters. Obie should for this too. Also, he should realise that two can play the game. Is he up for it?

 

 

The interesting thing is, that Obama is using the GOP playbook from the GOP presidential nomination process.

 

And Obama is def. up for it. The right wingers + Fox and co. try to smear him since years.

The difference: The Bain stuff seems to play well for a large number of the electorate. While the racist anti Obama stuff is putting off the center and independents needed to win the election for both sides.

[gobbledonk]

Here's a wonderful story from Minnesota:

 

Vodka Mom and self-appointed executioner

 

Gotta love your media commentators.

[Steve]

Obama has turned out to be a masterful politician. I say that not in admiration but a bit of sadness beacause I was hoping he wouldn't be a typical politician. He is doing what Republicans have perfected as Kamui said. He got elected in the same manner as Reagan. Reagan preached hope and change as well. Republicans get re-elected preaching fear. Negative ads and fear. They basically say 'the other guys sucks way more'. Ignore our faults because the other guy really sucks.

Republicans have also been far, far more organized than Dems typically. Its been said their campaigns are run with Prussian effeciency. Obama has outdone them. His team are the best organized by any standard. They analyze a state down to not only small niches that are under the radar but also neighborhoods.

He gets the most out of any state. He won Ohio and virginia by targeting small groups. Groups and niches that most campaign managers would consider a waste of time and resources to go after.

 

As for the NAACP, two things. First, as sad as it sounds Obama feels he has to distance himselves from most Black organizations. He has to be seen as a President for ALL the people and unfortunately, even in this day and age as well as the misbeliefs about his religion, he may be seen by some whites as a 'Black president'. A Presdient for Blacks. He wants to appear presidential, inclusive. I can't say I disagree. He's always surrounded by whites. His spokesman, the public face around him is white.

Second thing is he simply doesn't get along with the NAACP. I've written a long time ago that Obama and the Black power elite (Politicians) have NEVER gotten along. He's been described by some Republicans as part of the Chicago democratic machine but he was NEVER part of that club. They never liked him. When he ran for local office Black opponents said he was not of 'us' meaning black american who grew up in a black community which was true ironically. He was chastised for speaking 'white' and being a 'nerd'. His 'street cred' was questioned.

He ran against a popular woman and was told it was 'not his turn'. Every major black organizaton as well as the Congressiona Black Caucus backed Hillary in '08. Jackson Sr. and Sharpton were opposed to him, the latter publicly. He was the first black Dem, its own member that the CBC did NOT support. Unprecedented. The black masses loved him but their elected officials didn't and they backed him kicking and scratching and held out till the last minute when there was no other choice.

So, no suprise he did not go. He never got along with them and I think in some ways its a good thing. He wasn't beholden to them so wasn't gonna coddle the Sharptons of the world.

Black enterainment loves him though. Jesse Jackson Jr was pretty much the only black Pol of note that supported him from the start. His father didn't.

 

Speaking of the younger Jackson he's been on leave and the rumor is that he suffered an emotional breakdown.

[Flashermac]

U.S. Olympic Uniforms: Made in China by Democratic Donor’s company

 

Lawmakers were livid to discover that the United States’ Olympic team uniforms were made in China. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) even suggested “they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again.â€

 

The company who designed the uniforms, Ralph Lauren, has received less scrutiny. Few outlets have noted that Ralph Lauren himself is a prominent contributor to President Obama and the Democratic Party.

 

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Lauren has given $7,300 to Obama since 2008, and more than $35,000 to the Democratic National Committee.

 

Obama’s own ties to outsourcing have come under scrutiny of late. His much-vaunted green energy loan program awarded billions of taxpayer dollars to foreign-owned companies and firms that manufacture their products overseas.

 

It is unclear whether the DNC will be returning Lauren’s donation. DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse did not immediately return a request for comment.

 

My link

 

 

[Bangkoktraveler]

U.S. Olympic Uniforms: Made in China by Democratic Donor’s company

 

Lawmakers were livid to discover that the United States’ Olympic team uniforms were made in China. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) even suggested “they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again.â€

 

The company who designed the uniforms, Ralph Lauren, has received less scrutiny. Few outlets have noted that Ralph Lauren himself is a prominent contributor to President Obama and the Democratic Party.

 

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Lauren has given $7,300 to Obama since 2008, and more than $35,000 to the Democratic National Committee.

 

Obama’s own ties to outsourcing have come under scrutiny of late. His much-vaunted green energy loan program awarded billions of taxpayer dollars to foreign-owned companies and firms that manufacture their products overseas.

 

It is unclear whether the DNC will be returning Lauren’s donation. DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse did not immediately return a request for comment.

 

My link

 

 

 

The US Border Patrol was getting their uniforms from Mexico.