Blame and Shame & Scumbags January 30, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Animal Videos, Photography, Politics, Videos, Zoos, wildlife.Tags: Blagojevich, Giant baby Anteater, Karl Rove, Keith Olbermann, Michael Isikoff, Rachel Maddow
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Bla-gone-jevich! I am not sorry to see this wacko leave center stage. He had way more than his 15 minutes of infamy. Next! ‘Shame on you’, says President Obama to the Wall Streeters and Bankers who have taken all of their bonus’ on the backs of the poor people. How come the politicians are the last ones to realize that nothing has changed. We gave billions of dollars to the very same people who caused the mess without any strings attached. Well, look out New Yorkers, AG Andrew Cuomo is coming after you. Hope you have not spent all of that bonus money just yet. Maureen Dowd had a great column on the subject in yesterday’s paper too.
- Obama takes on the fat cats… with a little doors music thrown in and few pictures of who we are talking about. They are James Dimon from JPMorgan Chase, Ken Lewis from Bank of America, John Thaine was used to work at Merrill Lynch, Richard Fuld from Wells Fargo… and Richard Fuld who ran Lehman Brothers into the ground.
- Karl Rove: doesn’t the name send shivers up and down your spine?
- Here is Rachel Maddow and Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff on the same subject and a preemptive immunity from the ex-thug-in-chief. This will curl your hair:
- Check out this adorable Giant baby anteater:
Stimulate Me! January 29, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Photography, Politics, Videos, Zoos, wildlife.Tags: Dick Armey, Eric Cantor, Joan Nation, Jonathan Turley, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Russ Feingold, Stimulus Bill
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So after all of the bleating, bloviating, foot stamping and whining from the Repugnants, what happens? Not one of the House Repugnants voted for the Stimulus Bill. It now goes to the Senate for some more sculpting and one only hopes there is some resemblance to a Stimulus Bill when it gets bounced back to the House in its final form. Yes, it will pass. And yes, I think some of the 188 House Repugnants will ultimately vote for it, but right now, they look mighty foolish. So much for reaching across the aisle. The bailout bill passed 244 – 188 – 1. Eleven Democrats voted AGAINST the bill. These are the Dreadfulcrats who chose to vote ‘Nay’.
Allen Boyd (FL -2)
Bobby Bright (AL – 2)
Jim Cooper (TN – 5)
Brad Ellsworth (IN – 
Parker Griffith (AL – 5)
Paul Kanjorski (PA -11)
Frank Kratovil (MD – 1)
Walt Minnick (ID – 1)
Collin Peterson (MN – 7)
Heath Shuler (NC – 11)
Gene Taylor (MS – 4)
The NY Times has a cover story about how this money will begin to trickle into the economy. An interesting read. “At first, it will trickle into paychecks in small, barely perceptible amounts: perhaps $12 or $13 a week for many American workers, in the form of lower tax withholding. For the growing ranks of the unemployed, it will be more noticeable: benefit checks due to stop will keep coming, along with an extra $25 a week. At the grocery store, a family of four on food stamps could find up to $79 more a month on their government-issued debit card. And far bigger sums will appear, courtesy of Washington, on budget ledgers in state capitals nationwide: billions of dollars for health care, schools and public works. There is no doubt that the impact of the $819 billion economic stimulus package advanced by President Obama and approved by the House on Wednesday will start to be felt within weeks once the final version becomes law.
- Dick Armey To Joan Walsh: ‘I Am Glad That You Can Never Be My Wife’ on Chris Matthew’s Hardball. Gasp!
- Don’t forget to look at today’s truth-o-meter. It covers topics like, “In Chicago, school is never canceled” because of winter weather (Barack Obama). Democrats compare the infrastructure programs in the stimulus to the Eisenhower interstate program, “but he proposed a $500 billion highway system, and they’re going to put $30 billion” into roads and bridges (Eric Cantor).
- Rachel talks to Russ Feingold about investigations of the Bush administration, Congressional oversight, the Eric Holder nomination and his proposal to amend the Constitution so that Governors cannot appoint Senators any more.
- File this under ’shit happens.’ In Fecal Delicto’ : Californian Man Assaults Lawyer and Jury With Feces in Court. These are the types of dangers that law school simply does not prepare you for. Weusi McGowan, 37, wanted San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Fraser to replace his public defender Deputy Alternate Public Defender Jeffrey Martin. Fraser refused, so after a break McGowan returned to court and promptly produced a plastic baggie with fecal matter and smeared in on the face and hair of Martin. He then tossed the waste at the jury. The home-invasion robbery suspect got a new trial, a new lawyer, and presumably a new assault charge. It appears that feces is a common form of expression for McGowan who previously wiped feces on himself.
- Campbell Brown asks about Obama’s transparency and his new rules over lobbyists:
- Yes, my interest in torture has not abated. Neither has Keith’s nor my guy, Jonathan Turley:
- January 28, 2009: The Day in 100 Seconds thanks to Talking Points Memo.
- This cracked me up:
Hump Day January 28, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Animal Stories, Animal Videos, Links, Photography, Politics, Videos, Zoos, wildlife.Tags: Chip Saltsman, Eric Cantor, Forrest Gump and Benjamin Button, giraffe birth, Jonathan Turley, Karl Rove, Keith Olbermann, Kirsten Gillibrand, Rachel Maddow, Sarah Palin
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It is another wintry snow day in NYC. It looked pretty this morning while walking little Benny. Today the House votes on the Bailout bill. My guess it will pass with almost no Repugnant support and be sent up to the Senate for more sculpting. The Repugnants once again, found that part of the stimulus bill to object to loudly from the rooftops, keeping their base happy. Family planning is out. The provision within the stimulus that would allocate money for contraceptive programs through Medicaid will be pulled out of the package. We are doomed. Rachel Maddow’s entire show last night was devoted to her one on one interview with Blogojevich. Personally, I am tiring of this story. I am not tiring, however, over the Kirsten Gillibrand story. The New York Observer has a piece on the practices and personality of Ms Gillibrand in today’s issue. “She is a leviathan—a Schumer-esque fund-raising monster with a political pedigree; a careerist overachiever who has studiously cultivated ties to a surprising number of the most powerful Democrats in the state and the country; a fearsome campaigner who, despite her wholesome appearance, is comfortable in the mud. Ms. Gillibrand is the pure, unadulterated political creature that a state like New York demands.”
- PS – You knew it was coming, and here it is. Sarah Palin has a PAC. Is the 2012 campaigning beginning so soon? For those who cannot tire of Sarah Palin, relief is at hand. SarahPac is a new political action committee that will be seeking to elect officials around the country who are mavericky enough to be allies of the Alaskan governor.Aurgh!
- PPS – Don’t forget to continue to check out the truth-o-meter each day. It is on my blogroll on the right. Eric Cantor’s pants are on fire!
- Karl Rove Subpoenaed. How sweet does that sound to you. This is going to be very interesting. Stay tuned. Ramifications, galore.
- Check out this very funny video about the similarities between Forrest Gump and Benjamin Button.
- The rule of law means different things to different people. Why is that? After revelations of exactly who was wiretapped have emerged from former NSA analyst Russel Tice, we know that journalists, soldiers, politicians, and everyone else were listened into, Jonathan Turley discusses the legal paths ahead with Keith, birthday boy, Olbermann.
- What a jerk! RNC Chair Candidate Chip Saltsman Unapologetic For Sending Around “Barack The Magic Negro” Song
- January 27, 2009: The Day in 100 Seconds thanks to Talking Points memo.
- Zarafas Giraffe Birth at Safari West in Santa Rosa:
Consensus, Conshmensus! January 27, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Animal Videos, Links, Photography, Politics, Videos, Zoos, wildlife.Tags: Al Franken, confirmation updates, economy, Gillibrand, Karl Rove Subpoena, obstructionists, otters, Peter King, Rachel Maddow
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Consensus, Conshmensus! Who cares what they think? Don’t the bloviated, ass stubborn, Republicans remember that they got trounced back in November? The American people booted them out of office because we wanted something new. We, yes, wanted change. If John ‘tanning bed’ Boehner does not get out of those klieg lights we will begin to fry. The economy is tanking more each day. More people are losing their jobs each week. The only thing the Republicans know about is tax cuts and they are sticking to that mantra no matter what. I say, shut them down. We do not need to win a popularity contest with those fools. We need to start working on this sinking ship. Read Bob Herbert today. He says it best when he writes “When the G.O.P. talks, nobody should listen”.
PS. Yesterday was Bill Kristol’s last column in the New York Times. Buh Bye, Bill. Guess your opinions were not ‘fit to print’.
- Watch Rachel as she reports on the GOP’s opposition to the stimulus package and debunks some of their recent talking points about the nonexistent CBO report.
- Confirmation hearing updates. Yes, Timothy Geithner was confirmed yesterday and now he needs to get his Superman costume out of the attic. He has a lot of work to do. But what is up with Tom Daschle’s hearing? It has been 46 days and he still is on hold as is Hilda Solis, Labor Secretary-designee, who had her committee hearing on Jan 9, but her confirmation remains on hold by an anonymous Republican. Hmmm – who could that be? And then there is Leon Panetta? What’s up with that? Do the Repugnants want to be known as the Obstructionist Party?
- Whoa! FIle this under, ‘it’s about time’. The House Judiciary Committee chairman subpoenaed former White House adviser Karl Rove on Monday to testify about the Bush administration’s firing of U.S. attorneys and prosecution of a former Democratic governor. Will he show? Will he fight? Stay tuned.
- Meanwhile, up in Minnesota: By the end of the day yesterday, the first official day of the trial, the 3-judge panel threw out the tainted evidence — photocopies of rejected absentee ballots where the Norm Coleman camp had either removed written comments from election officials as to why they were rejected, or left in text added by the campaign itself — and allowed Coleman’s team to subpoena and then re-submit the actual ballot envelopes. Hang in there, Al.
- I know I said that I would not obsess on this, however:
- NY is losing a Congressional seat in 2010. It could get very very interesting. Gov. David Paterson’s appointment of Kirsten Gillibrand to the Senate could have the unintended consequence of dissuading one of the leading statewide Republicans from challenging her in 2010. Rep. Peter King’s Long Island seat was rumored to be on the chopping block. Stay tuned.
- January 26, 2009: The Day in 100 Seconds
- This is what the Repugnants sound like to me:
Movie Review: Last Chance Harvey January 27, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Movie Reviews, Movie Trailer.Tags: Movie Review: Last Chance Harvey
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 Movie Review: Last Chance Harvey
Alternate Title: Act Three Story: I know that older people move slower and tend to be less animated than younger folk, but the characters in this film seem, at times, to be catatonic. Written and directed by Joel Hopkins, the movie takes its sweet time for the two main characters to actually meet. Hapless, aging, New Yorker, Harvey Shine does not have a lot going for him these days. He is a jingle composer, whose career is being taken over by digital technology. On top of that, his daughter is getting married in London and has asked her step-father to give her away. Poor Harvey. Then there is 40 something, Londoner, Kate. She is single, has an unrewarding customer service job at Heathrow, an annoying, needy Mother and seems to have accepted the fact that this is her life. Poor Kate. Harvey and Kate finally meet, there is a lot of witty banter, some goofball antics, long walks and love finds Harvey Shine. So what is my complaint? This TV movie type film does not explain a bunch of thing about Harvey. Why is he so alienated from his family? What has he done to make him such a reject? Why is such an intelligent, witty, life-enhanced woman like Kate unhappy? The film did not have a pulse. It flat-lined even though we are watching two terrific actors doing what they do best. This movie would be perfect to watch for a three hour flight. It is mindless and totally forgettable. Watch the trailer and remember that all of the funny parts are seen in this 2 minutes: Acting: Dustin Hoffman as Harvey Shine, does adorable like no one else. He still has it but I wish the material were better. Emma Thompson as Kate is a formidable screen presence and always a delight to watch despite this material. Eileen Atkins as Maggie, Kate’s needy Mother was typecast perfectly. Liane Balaban as daughter Susan, left me cold. James Brolin as the step-father and Kathy Baker as the Mother were fine in their limited roles. Trivia: Emma Thompson attended Cambridge University. She was initially cast as the lead in Basic Instinct (1992), but refused later on and the part went to Sharon Stone. She is the only person to have won Academy awards for both acting and writing. She won Best Actress for Howards End (1992), and Best Adapted Screenplay for Sense and Sensibility (1995). She keeps her Oscar statuettes in her bathroom. Dustin Hoffman was a neighbor of Mel Brooks in New York and was set to play the role of Franz Liebkind in Brooks’ first film, The Producers (1968). Just before production was to commence, Hoffman was offered the role of Ben Braddock in The Graduate (1967), co-starring Brooks’ wife Anne Bancroft, and asked to be let out of his contract. The role of Liebkind eventually went to Kenneth Mars. He was so boyish looking at age 30 that he played a generation younger than Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967), even though she is only six years older than him. Predilection: None Food: Airport and wedding fare. Sex Spectrum: None Blatant Product Placement: Marriott Hotel Soundtrack: I cannot remember one tune. Opening Titles: Other than the title of the film, all credits are at the end. Visual Art: London always looks good. Theater Audience: Five other women of a certain age, like me. Weather: It was lovely in London. Sappy Factor: 2 Quirky Meter: 0 Drift Factor: I looked at my watch a lot. Predictability Level: High Tissue Usage: 0 Oscar Worthy: No Big Screen or Rental: If you are stuck in an airplane and it is a free film, watch it. Length: 100 minutes. LOBO HOWLS: 5 |
Movie Review: California Dreamin’ January 26, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Movie Reviews, Movie Trailer.Tags: Movie Review: California Dreamin'
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| Movie Review: California Dreamin’
Alternate Title: Culture Clash Story: Had 27 year old first time director and writer Cristian Nemescu not died in a car accident during the editing portion of this film I am sure that it would have been 10 times better than it is in its present form. Its 155 minute length does not do it justice. That said, if you have the patience to sit through the rambling parts you will find much to appreciate. It is 1999 during the Kosovo War. In a small Romanian village, ‘that is stuck in the fold of a map,’ a NATO train transporting secret military equipment gets waylaid by a corrupt, stubborn station master who holds a long time grudge against Americans. The two American officers lack official documents for their journey and due to a combination of bumbling, often funny events, they ultimately have to spend five days in the town . The arrival of this small group of Marines dramatically changes everything in the town. The film has dozens of characters and most have back stories of general interest. The young girls in the town go wild with desire to be with these Marines and needless to say, the young boys in the town are not happy. The film is often funny, and I repeat that had an hour of the flab been edited out, it would have rated several more Lobo Howls. Watch the trailer (sorry I could not find one with English subtitles)
Acting: Armand Assante as Capt. Doug Jones, does a fine job in his role as Captain of the unit. Jamie Elman as Sgt. David McLaren, could have a career ahead of him. Razvan Vasilescu as Doiaru, the corrupt station master is perfect as is his angry sullen young daughter, Maria Dinulescu as Monica. Trivia: For a small country there have been some impressive films coming out of Romania, including: 12:08 East of Bucharest, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu Predilection: This film won an award at Cannes and I like to see award winning foreign films. Critters: Lots and lots of livestock, cats and dogs. Food: Cabbage, ham, potatoes. Sex Spectrum: The young town girls cannot wait to bed down with the Marines and some sure do oblige. Opening Titles: An explanation of the time and place and a notice about the directors death. Theater Audience: Packed Weather: The summer is hot in Romania. Drift Factor: I looked at my watch often. Predictability Level: The film takes a violent surprising turn towards the end of the film. Tissue Usage: 0 Oscar Worthy: No Big Screen or Rental: Rental would be fine. Length: 155 long minutes. LOBO HOWLS: 6
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Monday Mix January 26, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Film Awards, Photography, Politics, Videos, Zoos.Tags: financial meltdown, Joe Biden on Gitmo, John Thain, Let them eat McDonalds, Russ Feingold, SAG winners, Truth-0-Meter, Year of the Ox, Yo Quiero Taco Bell
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The beginning of the week sees stories across the board. I am going to try not to obsess over Kirsten Gillibrand and let he pieces fall where they may. There is a lot going on today. Check out some of the stories that caught my eye as we start week two of President Obama’s administration.
- New York Magazine has a juicy article, The zany adventures of Caroline Kennedy, about the behind the scenes machinations of the Caroline Kennedy, David Paterson debacle.
- The Muckraker has an article about John Thain’s Top Ten Greatest Moments. Thud.
- The Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out last night. Oscar predictor? Hmmmm.
Ensemble Cast: Slumdog Millionaire
Lead Actress: Meryl Streep, Doubt
Lead Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
- Gasp! George Will: Let Them Eat McDonald’s! George Will argues that the rising consumption of cheap fast food during the Bush Recession shows the market works, saying the boost in quarterly profits at McDonald’s is a perfect example of “the market sorting this out.”
- If you missed this piece on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, check it out.
- Politifact.com has a cool page all about truth. A scorecard separating fact from fiction.
- Watch Joe Biden on Face the Nation speak about Gitmo:
- Feingold to introduce constutional amendment to require Senate special elections. File this under another good idea from U.S. Senator Russ Feingold. Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, issued the following statement today on plans to introduce an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to end appointments to the Senate by state governors and require special elections in the event of a Senate seat vacancy. “The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it painfully clear that such appointments are an anachronism that must end. In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators. They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people. I plan to introduce a constitutional amendment this week to require special elections when a Senate seat is vacant, as the Constitution mandates for the House, and as my own state of Wisconsin already requires by statute. As the Chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee, I will hold a hearing on this important topic soon.” -(demconwatch)
- “¡Yo Quiero Taco Bell Dinero!”: Restaurant Chain Loses Case Over Talking Chihuahua. Taco Bell must pay the entirely of a $42 million in breach-of-contract award to the two Michigan men who created the idea of a taco-selling Chihuahua.
- Let’s point fingers and fix blame. The Guardian has come out with a list of the 25 people they think are at the heart of the financial meltdown. “The worst economic turmoil since the Great Depression is not a natural phenomenon but a man-made disaster in which we all played a part”.
- Happy New Year. China Welcomes Year of the Ox
Sunday Scramble January 25, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Animal Stories, Animal Videos, Dogs and cats, Film Awards, Links, Photography, Politics, Videos.Tags: football, Gillibrand, John Boehner, Mickey Rourke, Northern Lights, PETA, Producer's Guild Awards, SAG awards, Tracy Flick, webcams, Yes Pecan
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Ben and Jerry’s “Yes Pecan!” is a buttery flavor of ice cream filled with roasted non-partisan pecans. Get it while it’s hot…er, cold, because all proceeds will be donated to the Common Cause Education Fund. Common Cause is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process.
- Senator Gillibrand, Part Two. So what happened you ask? We will most likely never know for sure why Gov. David Paterson chose Kirsten Gillibrand and in the process, pissed off lots of people. “He’s managed to anger, in one fell swoop, the Kennedys, the Cuomos and the Clintons,” the consultant said, arguing that Ms. Kennedy’s family would be furious at the governor over the leaks against her, Mr. Cuomo at being passed over for the job, and Mrs. Clinton at the governor’s willingness to consider Ms. Kennedy in the first place after she endorsed Barack Obama in the presidential race last year”. Let us also not forget that he pissed off Mayor Mike Bloomberg too. Bloomberg’s signature issue is gun control. It probably is not good idea to piss off the cash cow known as Mike Bloomberg. All I know for sure is that I am ready to write some checks for both Andrew Cuomo in his bid to run in the primary in 2010 against David Paterson and will also send Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy some money to run against Gillibrand. Am I being too critical of a woman that I do not know? Probably. But her start in the job got off in a very messy fashion and my gut instinct tells me she is one perky handful of trouble. Apparently her nickname is ‘Tracy Flick’. Who is Tracy Flick you ask? Reese Witherspoon played that character in the film’ Election‘, based on the book by Tom Perotta. You might recall she is one zealous, conniving, perky, manipulating overachiever with tendencies towards vindictiveness. OY! Stay tuned. Here is a selection of her voting record in Congress. Maureen Dowd pipes in with similar thoughts in today’s column.
- Democrat Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy reiterates her opposition to the appointment of the NRA-endorsed Kirsten Gillibrand in 2010 for the New York Senate seat.
- President Obama has had a reputation for not being exactly welcoming to the photographers that have been covering him for the past two years. They have been handled with a very guarded, hands off policy. Now that he is in the Oval office, apparently that management style is continuing and the press is pissed. “Three news agencies refused to distribute White House-provided photos of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on Wednesday, arguing that access should have been provided to news photographers. The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse said the White House was breaking with long-standing tradition in not allowing news photographers to capture the president at work in the Oval Office on his first day.” “We are not distributing what are, in effect, visual press releases,” said Michael Oreskes, managing editor for U.S. news at the AP. Me thinks the White House had better work something out lickety split. I would imagine that very soon the White House will allow the wire services in and say it was all a misunderstanding. Oh, those misunderstandings. Stay tuned.
- Love those northern lights? Check out the beauty here.
- Interested in webcams? Check out this fascinating time waster. The site’s attractions include 42 live webcams from around the world, nine constantly updated weather graphics, and a large, ominous-looking infrared satellite image of North America.
- How many think that Congressman John Boehner of Ohio needs to send a little less time in a tanning bed? Besides saying idiotic things, he looks plain stupid. Good grief.
- Enjoy some Late Night jokes of the week.
- The Screen Actors Guild awards are tonight. Read the nominees and some predicted winners here. By the way, last night the Producer’s Guild Awards were handed out. Slumdog took Best Picture, Wall-E, animated and Man on Wire, documentary.
- In this video essay by my friend, AP Photographer Amy Sancetta, the employees of the Wilson factory in tiny Ada, Ohio work around the clock to prepare the footballs to be used in Super Bowl XLIII by the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. Fun.
- Oops! I’ll bet ABC’s Terry Moran will pay more attention to the teleprompter next time.
- Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) talks to PETA about the importance of spaying and neutering, the pet shop industry, and the commitment required in caring for animal companions. The little blonde dog looks just like my rescue dog, Benny.
Junior Senator Who? January 24, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Politics, Videos.Tags: Cuomo, D'Amato, Gillibrand, Mukasey, Obamater, Paterson, Political Irony, Schumer
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My initial skepticism over yesterday’s choice of Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton by the ever wavering Governor David Paterson was confirmed last night when I watched the news coverage of the announcement. Standing oh so close to Ms Gillibrand was the bloated image of former NY Senator Al D’amato (he even shoved Chuck Schumer out of camera range). It turns out that Ms Gillibrand was a summer intern for D’amato while in college and D’Amato, is an old family friend. Gillibrand’s ftather, Doug Rutnik once lived with former D’Amato aide Zenia Mucha. Being that close to Al D’amato is a very negative thing in my book.
My Gillibrand does not represent any urban thought process that I know about. Yes, we are a big state and I do recognize that up-staters have needs too. However, we down-staters are a vocal, cash-cow, voting group with serious political issues that cannot be overlooked. I think Paterson’s choice was a terrible one and his trashing of Caroline Kennedy does not bode well for his re-election campaign in 2010. Andrew Cuomo? Where are you?
Now, about Chuck Schumer – word has it that he was campaigning hard for Ms Gillibrand. I am still angry at him for pushing fromer Attorney Geneneral Michael Mukasey down our throats and now I find that he might be responsible for this choice as well. Chuck, you are disappointing us. AP Photo/Mike Groll above.
More tomorrow on Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy’s outrage over this selection and plan.
- In the good news department: ‘President Barack Obama on Friday struck down the Bush administration’s ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information _ an inflammatory policy that has bounced in and out of law for the past quarter-century. The ban has been a political football between Democratic and Republican administrations since GOP President Ronald Reagan first adopted it 1984. Democrat Bill Clinton ended the ban in 1993, but Republican George W. Bush re-instituted it in 2001 as one of his first acts in office’.
- Great new site to bookmark. PolitiFact has compiled about 500 promises that Barack Obama made during the campaign and is tracking their progress on their Obameter. They rate their status as No Action, In the Works or Stalled. Once they find action is completed, they rate them Promise Kept, Compromise or Promise Broken.
- In the funny column: Political Irony - In honor of our new president, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream recently announced a new flavor called “Yes Pecan!“. Here is a list of some more flavors including, Heck of a Job, Brownie! imPeachmint, Abu Grape, Grammar Cracker S’moron, Guantanmallow, Chock ‘n Awe, Grape Depression and Cluster Fudge.
- January 23, 2009: The Day in 100 Seconds
- In his first weekly address since being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, President Barack Obama discussed how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will jump-start the economy.
Diplomacy Returns to our Arsenal January 23, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Blogroll, Photography, Politics, Videos.Tags: Cheney, HIllary, Kirsten Gillibrand, obama, Obamicon
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Day Two for President Obama was another full day. Lots to undo. The promise to close Guantanamo within one year is big. Introducing the State Department to Hillary Clinton was joyful. She was treated as a liberator to that much oppressed group. George Mitchell and Hal Holbrooke have their respective work cut out for them in Gaza, Israel and Afghanistan, Pakistan. Yesterday also saw more confirmations including, Rice (UN), Jackson (EPA), Sutley (Enviro Quality), Donovan (HUD), Schapiro (SEC), LaHood (Transportation).
Want to make an Obamicon image in the style inspired by Shepard Fairey’s iconic poster like the LoboRants on the left? Have some fun with this site.
We don’t torture. Doesn’t that sound good to you?
- Who? Gov. David A. Paterson has selected Representative moderate, pro-gun, Kirsten Gillibrand, a 42-year-old congresswoman from upstate New York who is known for bold political moves and centrist policy positions, to fill the United States Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Stay tuned. Here is her official bio.
- Dick Cheney is grumbling that Bush did not pardon Scooter Libby. That makes me smile.
- File this under huh?: Former French President Jacques Chirac was rushed to a hospital after being bitten by his white Maltese poodle, Sumo. Sumo has been under care for clinical depression, including treatment with anti-depressants.
- Thought you might like to look at this panorama picture take by AP Photographer Susan Walsh and put together by an AP editor in NYC. Susan was up behind the podium.
- On January 22, 1973, 36 years ago yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of Roe v. Wade, establishing the legal right to abortion for women in America.
- January 22 in 100 seconds from Talking Points memo:
Finally for a Friday finish to a glorious week. My friend and longtime Lobo Rant reader, Erica and her husband Kirk were lucky to get two fabulous tickets tot he inauguration. They sent me a few of their location shots and I put it into a montage for you to enjoy as well.
