BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
And your point being?
If you don't think there was a blind alligience pact going on then you might just be blind yourself.
Obama General Discussion II
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And your point being?
If you don't think there was a blind alligience pact going on then you might just be blind yourself.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
it's very difficult to be the *only* 2 of your party -- just ask the ladies from Maine -- to go with the other party.
having more Republicans in the Senate will probably make it easier for Obama to get things passed. there will be more coverage for Republicans to defect, like we saw with DADT and START.
Let's not focus too strongly on the vote count, because time can be an equally important factor in delay and obstruction. According to Senate rules, when a majority tries to end a filibuster they must file, wait 2 days, and then be locked into debate for 30 hours, during which time the Senate can do nothing else. This is done twice, first on the motion to proceed (they can filibuster the attempt to have debate!) and then on the actual bill itself. If Harry Reid wants to pass a particular bill or nominees, he has to decide if it's worth carving out a week of Senate time in order to do so. And once the filibusters start piling up, the legislative calendar starts looking extremely crowded.
Judge Denny Chin was subject to a filibuster threat by Senate Republicans when Obama tried appointing him to the Second Circuit of Appeals. Earlier this year the Democrats sat down and carved out a chunk of time in order to process held up nominees.
He was appointed on a 98-0 vote. But the Republicans delayed his appointment for months, and kept the Democrats from considering other bills. So, good work on that.
Judge Denny Chin was subject to a filibuster threat by Senate Republicans when Obama tried appointing him to the Second Circuit of Appeals. Earlier this year the Democrats sat down and carved out a chunk of time in order to process held up nominees.
He was appointed on a 98-0 vote. But the Republicans delayed his appointment for months, and kept the Democrats from considering other bills. So, good work on that.
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
That makes me extremely happy. Like you said, pretty much a friggin' NO DUH, but hey...
Wow. DADT repealed, START treaty, and this all in one week
. Not too shabby.Angela
Don't knock it. If Obama supported a bill to abolish puppy clubbing, the Republicans would work hard to convince the American people that clubbing puppies was a right protected by the Constitution and valued by "real Americans."
deep
Blue Crack Addict
clubbing puppies??
would fall under the 'pursuit of happiness' part of the constitution
I think puppies should have the right to go clubbing.
would fall under the 'pursuit of happiness' part of the constitution
I think puppies should have the right to go clubbing.
Well, the new congress was not seated for DADT and START and won't be until sometime in January. Getting DADT and START through the Senate proves that there is not some invincible wall of 42 Republicans that say no to everything.
PhilsFan
Blue Crack Addict
The political climate now is different than it was then, simply put. You really can't compare someone going across the aisle than to going across the aisle now. It's just harder to do as president. These Republicans are irrationally anti-Obama, in ways unseen in the past three decades.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
I'm just going to assume you are being willfully ignorant on this one, I can't see any other reason as to why one couldn't see what was going on.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
LA Times
Reporting from Washington and Honolulu —
A standout season has done plenty to calm the controversy surrounding quarterback Michael Vick. But President Obama's praise of the Philadelphia Eagles for giving the convicted dogfighter a second chance has brought new energy to an old firestorm.
"This is a nation of football lovers," said Lisa Lange, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She also said Obama was underestimating the negative reaction his comments would provoke. "It is also a nation of dog lovers."
The subject of Vick, whose signing by the National Football League team in August 2009 sparked protests from animal lovers across the U.S., came up in a recent phone call between Obama and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie as the president praised the team's ambitious plans to power its stadium with alternative energy.
While discussing Lurie's November announcement to add hundreds of wind turbines and solar panels to Lincoln Financial Field, Obama also commended him for giving Vick a second chance, according to Peter King of NBC and Sports Illustrated.
In August 2007, Vick pleaded guilty to running a dogfighting operation, in a case that included graphic descriptions of dogs being hanged and tortured to death. He served 19 months in prison and was suspended by the NFL.
Upon his release in May 2009, Vick was mentored by former NFL head coach Tony Dungy, who ultimately testified to Vick's changed ways. The Eagles signed Vick to a one-year contract, then exercised an option for this season.
A White House statement Tuesday cast Obama's comments as consistent with the president's view that "individuals who have paid for their crimes should have an opportunity to contribute to society again."
But Bill Smith, the founder of Main Line Animal Rescue in the Philadelphia area, bristled at Obama's characterization that the Eagles' signing of Vick was motivated by wanting to give a convicted felon a second chance.
"If he couldn't throw a football, he wouldn't have had a second chance," said Smith, who organized a campaign last season to collect food for animal shelters every time Vick was sacked on the field. "This isn't about giving anyone a second chance; it's about who can make the Eagles organization more money."
Once the NFL's highest-paid player, Vick played the last two seasons under a court-approved bankruptcy agreement brought on by his legal woes. He has led the Eagles to a playoff berth and the NFC East division title and is having the best season of his career. On Tuesday, he was selected for the Pro Bowl.
He also has spent the last 17 months doing volunteer work for the Humane Society and various Philadelphia animal rights groups, but critics say the story of redemption being portrayed in the City of Brotherly Love is more about Vick's play than his efforts to rehabilitate himself.
"If the president truly believed in second chances, he would have adopted a dog from a shelter," Smith said.
In a statement, White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton acknowledged that Obama and Lurie discussed "other issues" beyond the green initiatives.
"He of course condemns the crimes that Michael Vick was convicted of," Burton said.
As part of his probation, Vick has volunteered with the Humane Society and spoken to children about the evils of animal abuse. The Eagles also have donated money to animal shelters in the Philadelphia area.
Those efforts gave Vick a reprieve from some animal rights groups.
"As long as [Vick] is focusing on playing football and not abusing animals, we will focus our attention on those who are being cruel to animals," said Lange, the PETA spokeswoman.
But Vick's detractors have not forgotten the viciousness of his crimes. He riled activists this month when he told NBC News that he "would love to get another dog in the future. I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process."
Vick is not allowed to own a dog while he is on probation, and PETA wants the restriction extended when he is up for review in 2012. In the same way convicted pedophiles are not allowed to be alone with children, PETA's board says, it believes convicted animal abusers should be denied unsupervised access to pets.
"Children and animals are completely defenseless to an abuser," Lange said.
Reporting from Washington and Honolulu —
A standout season has done plenty to calm the controversy surrounding quarterback Michael Vick. But President Obama's praise of the Philadelphia Eagles for giving the convicted dogfighter a second chance has brought new energy to an old firestorm.
"This is a nation of football lovers," said Lisa Lange, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She also said Obama was underestimating the negative reaction his comments would provoke. "It is also a nation of dog lovers."
The subject of Vick, whose signing by the National Football League team in August 2009 sparked protests from animal lovers across the U.S., came up in a recent phone call between Obama and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie as the president praised the team's ambitious plans to power its stadium with alternative energy.
While discussing Lurie's November announcement to add hundreds of wind turbines and solar panels to Lincoln Financial Field, Obama also commended him for giving Vick a second chance, according to Peter King of NBC and Sports Illustrated.
In August 2007, Vick pleaded guilty to running a dogfighting operation, in a case that included graphic descriptions of dogs being hanged and tortured to death. He served 19 months in prison and was suspended by the NFL.
Upon his release in May 2009, Vick was mentored by former NFL head coach Tony Dungy, who ultimately testified to Vick's changed ways. The Eagles signed Vick to a one-year contract, then exercised an option for this season.
A White House statement Tuesday cast Obama's comments as consistent with the president's view that "individuals who have paid for their crimes should have an opportunity to contribute to society again."
But Bill Smith, the founder of Main Line Animal Rescue in the Philadelphia area, bristled at Obama's characterization that the Eagles' signing of Vick was motivated by wanting to give a convicted felon a second chance.
"If he couldn't throw a football, he wouldn't have had a second chance," said Smith, who organized a campaign last season to collect food for animal shelters every time Vick was sacked on the field. "This isn't about giving anyone a second chance; it's about who can make the Eagles organization more money."
Once the NFL's highest-paid player, Vick played the last two seasons under a court-approved bankruptcy agreement brought on by his legal woes. He has led the Eagles to a playoff berth and the NFC East division title and is having the best season of his career. On Tuesday, he was selected for the Pro Bowl.
He also has spent the last 17 months doing volunteer work for the Humane Society and various Philadelphia animal rights groups, but critics say the story of redemption being portrayed in the City of Brotherly Love is more about Vick's play than his efforts to rehabilitate himself.
"If the president truly believed in second chances, he would have adopted a dog from a shelter," Smith said.
In a statement, White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton acknowledged that Obama and Lurie discussed "other issues" beyond the green initiatives.
"He of course condemns the crimes that Michael Vick was convicted of," Burton said.
As part of his probation, Vick has volunteered with the Humane Society and spoken to children about the evils of animal abuse. The Eagles also have donated money to animal shelters in the Philadelphia area.
Those efforts gave Vick a reprieve from some animal rights groups.
"As long as [Vick] is focusing on playing football and not abusing animals, we will focus our attention on those who are being cruel to animals," said Lange, the PETA spokeswoman.
But Vick's detractors have not forgotten the viciousness of his crimes. He riled activists this month when he told NBC News that he "would love to get another dog in the future. I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process."
Vick is not allowed to own a dog while he is on probation, and PETA wants the restriction extended when he is up for review in 2012. In the same way convicted pedophiles are not allowed to be alone with children, PETA's board says, it believes convicted animal abusers should be denied unsupervised access to pets.
"Children and animals are completely defenseless to an abuser," Lange said.
Canadiens1131
ONE love, blood, life
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On one hand I like football, but on the other hand I hate animal abuse. On the other, other hand, I hate PETA.
So if we even it out by combining all terms, then it seems like it comes out that I like Michael Vick.
So if we even it out by combining all terms, then it seems like it comes out that I like Michael Vick.
maycocksean
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Personally, I think Obama making that phone call in the first place was kinda stupid.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
I think so too-ill advised.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Yeah, I think he should have just stayed out of it...
As the president he should believe in the system, and the man paid his debt to society so all these American Exceptionalism types should be praising Obama... but really he should have just stayed out of it.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
President Barack Obama is solidifying support among Democrats for their 2012 nomination, even as Sarah Palin is losing ground to other Republican candidates, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released on Tuesday.
CNN reports on the results:
In the battle for the GOP presidential nomination, the survey suggests Palin may have some work to do if she throws her hat in the ring. Only 49 percent of Republicans say that they are likely to support Sen. John McCain's running mate in 2008 for the Republican nomination in 2012.
"That's a huge 18-point drop since December of 2008, when two-thirds of GOPers said they were likely to support Palin," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland explained. "It also puts her well behind potential rivals Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, and a bit behind Newt Gingrich as well."
The lack of Republican support for a potential presidential run from Palin underscores an earlier Public Policy Polling survey, which found that the former Alaska governor is widely unpopular in her home state, not to mention in a variety of other key swing states.
HuffPost's Sam Stein argues that the poll results should be reassuring to the president, who has fielded some heavy criticism from progressives this year.
According to a CNN/Opinion Research survey, a full 78 percent of Democrats want Obama to win the nomination for a second term in office -- up five percent from late October. At roughly the same point in his presidency, only 57 percent of Democrats wanted Clinton to be re-nominated.
But if all the negative polling data dissuades Palin from running, the Democrats could be the ones to take the hit. In November, Vice President Joe Biden contended that a Palin challenge would leave Obama in "good shape."
CNN reports on the results:
In the battle for the GOP presidential nomination, the survey suggests Palin may have some work to do if she throws her hat in the ring. Only 49 percent of Republicans say that they are likely to support Sen. John McCain's running mate in 2008 for the Republican nomination in 2012.
"That's a huge 18-point drop since December of 2008, when two-thirds of GOPers said they were likely to support Palin," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland explained. "It also puts her well behind potential rivals Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, and a bit behind Newt Gingrich as well."
The lack of Republican support for a potential presidential run from Palin underscores an earlier Public Policy Polling survey, which found that the former Alaska governor is widely unpopular in her home state, not to mention in a variety of other key swing states.
HuffPost's Sam Stein argues that the poll results should be reassuring to the president, who has fielded some heavy criticism from progressives this year.
According to a CNN/Opinion Research survey, a full 78 percent of Democrats want Obama to win the nomination for a second term in office -- up five percent from late October. At roughly the same point in his presidency, only 57 percent of Democrats wanted Clinton to be re-nominated.
But if all the negative polling data dissuades Palin from running, the Democrats could be the ones to take the hit. In November, Vice President Joe Biden contended that a Palin challenge would leave Obama in "good shape."
Vincent Vega
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Barack Obama - Either Doing His Best In One of The Most Difficult Times In American History, Or Hitler | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
Quite accurate reporting, me thinks.
Quite accurate reporting, me thinks.
So how did START and DADT make it through then?
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
BINGO.
It's no surprise this is causing controversy, I had a feeling it probably would. I too am rather confused as to why Obama felt the need to step in and say something on that matter. Especially since I happen to strongly disagree with Vick even being allowed to still play at all. I fully understand and agree with Obama's belief that people deserve second chances, but when it comes to crimes like the kind Vick committed, I'm pretty skeptical/hesitant. Obama's heart's in the right place, but he had to know this was going to stir some people up.
Anywho...comforting to know that Democrats are starting to band together again (granted, the reason as to why is pretty obvious, but still, they need to be a strong unit nonetheless). I just hope they do toughen up more, that they learn from this last election and everything, because Biden's right. A Palin opposition would definitely help them in the next presidential election, but if she doesn't get that nod, and another Republican does, they're going to have to really fight hard, because some Republicans out there, regardless of how good or bad their platform is, know how to get the public support. The Democrats have two years to plan out their strategy for 2012, let's hope to God they have a good one in mind.
And that summary of Obama is amusing. It's just bizarre the extreme actions/beliefs he's being associated with, it floors me that people out there honestly believe such things.
Angela
PhilsFan
Blue Crack Addict
... What? What does that have to do with my point?
Well, if the Republicans in the Senate are the party of no, and out to prevent Obama from passing anything, START and DADT would not have made through. Their passage proves that you can pick up two Republican Senators, in fact more than two!
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
two major things in two years, one of which was essentially a human rights issue, and the other one having it's foundations back with the tea parties messiah?
that isn't a supporting argument, buddy.
that isn't a supporting argument, buddy.
Well, perhaps thats because there can't be any argument against the idea that "Obama is a great leader who has been blocked by the evil "party of no" Republicans at ever turn. LOL
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Is your world really this black and white?
Have you never understood nuance in your life?
Canadiens1131
ONE love, blood, life
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Nuance has a known liberal bias.
kramwest1
has a
Well, you should be asking yourself these questions. Afterall, I'm not the one suggesting that its impossible for Obama to get two Republican Senators to go along with him on any issue. I'm not the one claiming that the Republicans are just the party of NO.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
No, but I'm the one that understands that no other minority congress has acted like this in our country's history...
PhilsFan
Blue Crack Addict
We're not saying impossible, just really fucking difficult.
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