NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll Numbers

Flip/Flop games of Romney on Healthcare (Video)

This is a great back and forth from Hardball with Chris Matthews. It begins with the riveting FDR 1936 take down of the Republicans.

The Gulf Coast, its beaches, life is just a hot mess

I wrote a diary last week about Pensacola, Florida beaches smelling like a gas station, well on Hardball today Chris Matthews asked MSNBC's Science and Environment Expert, Jeff Corwin does it smell like that? Corwin replied, "...it smells like a gas station...."



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Hurricane Alex is wrecking havoc winds and surge in the Gulf. Alex is now poised at category 2 and dumping all that oil from the gulf onto Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.



In the above report a couple of things are thrown out, first, the government is saying the dispersant is less toxic than oil. Remember, more than 1.47M gallons of this dispersant has been dumped in the Gulf of Mexico. I am here to say, I don't believe that, look at all the dead marine life on the gulf shores daily and how was this conclusion (WITH TESTING) determined. Also, notice how the loop current is now being mentioned and the possible affects. My question is this, "When will the government, BP, NOAA, all powers that be tell the public that after all this time, of course the oil is in the loop current?" I state this because, how can it not be? This oil is pumping non-stop and is a horrific sight to see. If this oil gets to the Tampa/St. Pete area, of course it is in the loop current. And experts state it IS in the loop current:

Some oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill is "increasingly likely" to be dragged into a strong current that hugs Florida's coasts, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials said today.

But other experts say that the oil is already there—satellite images show oil caught up in one of the eddies, or powerful whorls, attached to the Loop Current, a high-speed stream that pulses north into the Gulf of Mexico and travels in a clockwise pattern toward Florida.

Now the oil spill and its damage on families in the Gulf Coast:



What can you or I say about that....sigh....

And these beaches, with the faux perception that it is OK to go and get in the water? Read what the CDC says, especially for pregnant women:

Swimming in water affected by the oil spill will be unpleasant and could cause harm. For now, pregnant women should avoid zones where there are reports of oil reaching the shore. It is important to stay away from any oil that reaches the shore because coming into close contact with the oil for long periods of time could cause harm. Avoid touching any of the oil you find, as well as oil-stained water and sand. If some of the oil gets on your skin, wash it off as soon as you can with soap and water. If you notice rashes or dark sticky spots on your skin even after you’ve washed the area of skin that came in contact with the oil, consult your doctor or other health care professional.

I ask that you all read what CDC says about this oil from the link provided, including the possibility that you may need a N95 respirator to combat the smell. And for children? I bring this back up because of that video in my previous diary that showed kids just frolicking through the oil in sand and oily water, well, read this from The American Academy of Pediatrics:

Oil is a complex mixture of chemicals and metals that can be toxic depending upon the amount and duration of exposure and the susceptibility of the exposed person. Children are especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of certain substances due to factors like higher respiratory and metabolic rates and systems that are still developing, like the nervous system. Because some agents are heavier than air, they accumulate close to the ground, right in the breathing zone of children. Some agents can also be absorbed through a child’s skin. Children are in a critical period of development when toxic exposures can have profound negative effects, and their exploratory behavior often places them in direct contact with materials that adults would avoid.

After reading that, why would any parent take their children to any of these toxic gulf coast beaches. YES, TOXIC!!!

And from Keith Olbermann:



and John Wathen documents this devastation and states it is worse than BP has told us...YOU MUST LISTEN TO HIM.....and bookmark his website......



I pray for the people in the Gulf Coast. My father lives in Pensacola and the community is angry, overwhelmed and desperate. While all this is going on parents need to be responsible and put their families first in safety, which means stay away from the Gulf Coast Beaches, period.

Finally, all of these horror stories will continue for weeks, months and years to come. The next step after the well is capped is what will BP really do. After all this time, trust is not an option with this company. Why ask? Because everyone here KNOWS 20B is not enough to clean all this up, make folks whole, bring the Gulf back next year. It is just not. But for right now, pray that the damage from Hurricane Alex will not be as bad as anticipated.

The floor is now open....

Update [2010-6-30 21:48:16 by icebergslim]:

Great pictures, up close by jeff in nyc on Pensacola Beach

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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"President Obama Doesn't Care About Bayou People?"

OUCH. That from Charles Blow of the New York Times.

Barack Obama going to California for fundraisers and then going to son of J. Paul Getty's home for a fundraiser in San Francisco, California was just a NO-NO in my book. While the Gulf Coast is bleeding and BP continues to LIE, Obama was in California away from it all.

I am sorry, he deserves to get blasted. I know that raising money is critical but in the middle of a massive catastrophe, the American Public does not want to see you raising money, yet alone at a former OIL BARON son's home in California.

Barack Obama is playing catch up. That is catch up in perception, but as I wrote earlier, "Did the perception train leave on the Obama White House? Were they just too slow to actually get it?" All I can write is that it is going to be a long, hot summer.

From Hardball:



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I guess someone in this country MUST take a bullet before GOP leadership find a clue

This right wing horrible hate rhetoric:



Let's be clear, this is not about any health care passage. This is about using the Tea Party, Republican Party and any issue from Barack Obama to spew this hate, period. The deafening silence from the Republican Party, for me, says it is "A-OK" and continue the course. Republican Party, "Where is your leadership?" Also, this bigot was on the GOP talking points about the health insurance bill, which is now law, which every point is inaccurate from his hate speech.

Death threats to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA):

Federal prosecutors have charged a Washington state man, Charles Alan Wilson, with repeatedly making threatening calls to Sen. Patty Murray's Seattle office, threatening to kill her because of her support for the health care bill.

FBI agents say they arrested Wilson after getting telephone records and calling him to confirm that his voice matched the one left on voicemail in Sen. Murray's office.

And does ANYONE believe this is about health care? Please.

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GOP, control your "Tea-Klux-Klan members", America don't like ugly (Video)

What will it take? Someone getting killed by these nut cases and the deafening silence of the Republican Party for their leadership to reign their people in?

From Dylan Ratigan:



From Hardball:





From The Ed Show:

Video coming.....

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Obama's greatest failure was to explain health care insurance reform to all of us (Video)

"....looking for people to blame because they don't want to blame Obama himself...."

That is the problem. Who put the Obama White House together? Who hired all these people? Barack Obama. In the end, if the Democrats lose in November, it will all be laid at his feet and to keep it real, it should be. Barack Obama wasted all his political capital and 2009 on doing nothing in regards to health care, jobs. He has saved everyone but us, the people out here with no jobs, health insurance, etc. Wall Street and the banks made more money from our money than ever before, but they sure as hell are not hiring or lending to us, are they? This is a real problem out here and why many independents are very skeptical about Barack Obama right now, and they should be.



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Republicans don't believe in covering anyone for health care (Video)

No surprise, this strategist just came out and said it. Democrats, why are you wasting your time trying to work with the other side when they will have NOTHING to do with you or this health insurance bill. How many times does, "WAKE UP" have to be written. And those on Medicare/Medicaid do you think the Republicans will have you continue on this program if they could get away with it? They would dump you like yesterday's news. People need to vote their life situation when it comes to these politicians.



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This is why Sarah Palin is not credible (Video)

and crib notes to answers questions? are you kidding me? and she aspires to be President? sorry, she is an utter joke.



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He loves prostitutes, a dead beat dad, a woman beater, steroid user...the Democratic Illinois Lt. Governor nominee (Video)

You could not make this shit up, for real, Scott Lee Cohen....from Hardball



The Full Cohen Interview from Chicago Tonight



The Scott Lee Cohen Trainwreck

[UPDATE]

Cohen drops out of IL LT GOV position

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Out of touch, the far right on DADT from Hardball (Video)

Who gives a mickey-fickey if gays or lesbians serve in the military? Do people realize that we have a major shortage of boots on the ground to fight two wars? Gays and lesbians have every right to serve as heterosexuals. The far right is not only out of touch on this issue but out right WRONG.

Unbelievable video from Hardball:



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This report from a Washington Post reporter in Haiti (Video)

His description is daunting and ROUGH, more dead than anyone can ever imagine...From Hardball...



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Sarah Palin IS that dumb (Video)

Again, just listening to her, I just shake my head. We dodged a bullet by not electing her to be a heart beat away from the presidency.



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The political book "Game Change" and all the political gossip around it (Video)

First the Democrats....



Now the Republicans and the pick of the obviously DUMB, Sarah Palin...



Sounds like a great gossip read, to me. Especially about John and Elizabeth Edwards, oh my, read it here.

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Howard Dean, "A Fly in Barack Obama's Ointment"

Former Vermont Governor, Dr. Howard Dean is the man who showed Democrats how to win across the board. This is the formula that Barack Obama's campaign used and expanded on, which allowed Barack Obama to win 9 Bush States, including Indiana and Virginia, two states that have not been won by Democrats in over 40 years.

Now the chickens have come home to ROOST for Barack Obama and his White House, including Rahm Emanuel. We all worked our asses off for Barack Obama and the Democrats. We gave them a mandate, landslide, a healthy number of members of congress. Yes, we did that, because these politicians surely DID NOT. We donated money, blogged, knocked on doors, made phone calls, went to states on "our dime" to volunteer, we did it all because we were fucking fed up!!! Yes, fed up after the 8 years of the Bush Administration and their continuous lies to us, yes we kicked the bums OUT.

Now the chickens are coming home....

When President Obama took office he had a bold agenda and health care was on top. This handling of health care by this president and his White House has been atrocious and if you want to grade anything he gets an "F". It is time to look at this the way it is. We all want President Obama to do well, we want him to be historic down the road, but if this health care insurance reform is one for the books, the historians will also give him a C- to a F. His handling or non-handling has been the most confusing piece in all of this. The continued question of WHY he did practically NOTHING over the summer of the crazed right winged fringe will go down in history and will also be remembered as the "chickens who started to march".

People in this country look to Presidents for leadership, being in-charge, for this issue Barack Obama has been missing in action. There is a reason that he is falling in the polls, it is not just for health care, but for this issue he never conclusively said, "There must be a government run public option. This is the only way to keep your premiums down. This is the only way for real competition." He never said that. And for all his nuance speak, he is paying a price. If President Obama can not say what he means and mean what he says, what good is his words? That is something we all need to think about because we did not vote for this.

Barack Obama campaigned for 2 years saying, "the American Public deserves health care like congress." Wow, what words. Words that resonated with the public. But the fact is that the minute he got into office those words were immediately tossed aside. We watched and found out that this White House made deals in the heat of the night with the pharmaceutical companies and then tried to LIE ABOUT IT, but had to admit it. Barack Obama is doing what George W. Bush did in this instance, that this country is not allowed to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. This point is one Barack Obama campaigned on and chastised George W. Bush on.

Barack Obama's polling numbers are under 50%, you can cherry pick polls but only go to pollster.com, a non partisan polling site that adds all the polling numbers together and you will get that Obama has been under 50 for a while. The new NBC/WSJ poll, confirms it as the ABC/WAPO poll which came out yesterday, also confirms it.

Now, Howard Dean is out saying, "Kill the Bill". I agree, but not on board totally. Why? Because it will be disastrous to the Democratic Party, but if this bill currently in place goes forward, the party will be disastrous anyway.

People are angry with Barack Obama and they have every right to be. He spent all his political capital on this and got nothing out of it. We wanted this to be his spectacular moment, one remembered, but it will be remembered as the most craptacular bill that was ever sold!! Mr. Obama did this to himself. We can argue about "the people around him", but who put "the people around him". Barack Obama got to take this one and own it.

Pissing your base off has proven in these current poll numbers. Some are saying the left is the netroots, but polling agencies don't have my phone number and that argument is silly. What is happening is that the Democratic Base is angry at Barack Obama for doing a 180 on practically everything he campaigned on. Bailing out banks and not helping Main Street gets you an immediate F. Not showing you care and understand people losing jobs but still chummy with bank CEOs gets you an F. Pretending you wanted a public option but waited for the Baucus Bill and standing behind this bill because you must since you cut those DEALS prior, really gets you an F. Stating that this bill brings costs cuts, when in fact the cost cuts are by the American Public purchasing on MANDATE health insurance by these bogus companies, an F. And losing the Democratic base in a record number, F, please.

Barack Obama, wake up. You have the wrong people around you shilling you bullshit. Wake up. People out here are mad at you for their hurt, wake up. You wasted time, energy on a bogus bill that will drag you and the party down further, wake up. If you don't November 2010 will be bloodied and it will all be blamed on you.

WAKE UP.

Dr. Howard Dean on Hardball with that Senator from Louisiana Mary Landrieu:



Dr. Howard Dean on Good Morning America



And Dr. Howard Dean's op-ed in the Washington Post, Health-care bill wouldn't bring real reform

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Ron Reagan kicked Ron Christie's ASS on Hardball (Video)

This is a barn burner, one to see....



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Desiree Rogers lack of doing her job, continues..... (Video)

Again, the Desiree Rogers story continues.....

The White House says its social secretary will not testify at a congressional hearing into the security lapse that mistakenly allowed a couple into last week's state dinner.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Desiree Rogers will not testify before the House Homeland Security Committee. The panel has scheduled a hearing Thursday and Rogers had been invited to testify. Gibbs cited the separation of powers and a history of White House staff not testifying before Congress.

The Secret Service has acknowledged that Michaele and Tareq Salahi got into the Nov. 24 dinner because its security procedures at a checkpoint were not followed. Rogers also has acknowledged that no one from her office was at the checkpoint to help identify guests.

This is the problem with Rogers, for DECADES the Social Secretary's office worked in TANDEM with the Secret Service in verifying guests at every entrance to the White House. Rogers needs to focus on doing her job and not worry about being in the society columns, social columns, fashion magazines, stop walking red carpets and being announced for any White House duties and stop trying to one up the First Lady. It took Robert Gibbs to tell her to get out of the picture with VOGUE magazine. I have never heard of a Social Secretary doing all that she is doing. In fact, the Social Secretary is to be invisible to the President and First Lady, but I guess she wants everyone to know who she is. Well, we certainly do NOW, after this major security breach.

And this scathing piece on Rogers....

On the night of the Obamas' first state dinner, White House social secretary Desirée Rogers glided past the rope line of press and photographers at 6:53 p.m., pausing to boast, "We are very excited . . . everything looks great." Little did she know that the evening would end up tarnishing her vaunted reputation as an overachieving perfectionist.

[snip]

On Thursday, a House committee wants answers from her about how this could happen. A key question: Was anyone from Rogers's office staffing the front gate? Even though Secret Service has accepted full responsibility for the security lapse, Rogers also has indicated that none of her staff was present when the Salahis arrived. As a result, her managerial style is under scrutiny. And her Hollywood persona, fairly or unfairly, could prove to be the most damning evidence of all.

Rogers -- the point person for the high-profile, high-security, high-stakes diplomatic gala for the Indian prime minister -- was dressed in a pale peach gown from the avant-garde Japanese design house Comme des Garcons. It was the sort of attention-getting dress, with its translucent sleeves and strands of pearls encased in layers of tulle, that proclaimed the wearer a fashion savant.

"Just because she has this job, it's not going to make her a worker bee," says a friend who did not want to be identified in order not to offend. "She's glamorous."

Barack and Michelle Obama, she may be your very good friend, but not only does she need to step in the background and try to do her job, maybe, you should replace her with someone who KNOWS how to do the job.

From the White House on NEW procedures for State Dinners



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White House protecting Desiree Rogers on her LACK of understanding her job (Video)

Desiree Rogers, Social Secretary has been under much warranted scrutiny for the Virginia couple who got into the State Dinner, uninvited. Obviously, the proper protocol was not followed by her office to verify guests on the list, along with the Secret Service. It is all broken down, here.

On Hardball with Chris Matthews today, Congressman Bennie Thompson was questioned by Matthews on why this embarrassment is just being thrown on the Secret Service when two persons from the East Wing was TOLD that these individuals was not on the list and they did NOTHING. Rogers was even quick to state, "We were not at the door", like that is supposed to EXCUSE her office for not doing their job, when they WERE supposed to be at all doors verifying the list.

So, the representative to EXPLAIN Ms. Rogers confusion of not doing her job to congress is none other than, Melody Barnes. Ms. Barnes is the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, for the President of the United States. She has NOTHING to do with the East Wing, or Desiree Rogers job.

It is clear the White House want to move on past this, I certainly do, but Desiree Rogers clearly did not follow proper protocol on verifying individuals coming into the White House. I am on this because Barack Obama is the only sitting President with over 400% death threats against him. Folks, that is a record and Rogers is busy walking down the red carpet, being seen on television, getting up close to the powerful and famous, while neglecting her primary job.

Rogers has made Michelle Obama's office look inefficient and she needs to resign.

From Hardball:



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Desiree Rogers, Social Secretary of the White House, needs to resign (Video)

We know the Secret Service is being called on the carpet now, as it should be, but Desiree Rogers the Social Secretary of the White House needs to be called on the carpet, too.

During the 2008 Democratic Primaries, we watched how the Hillary Clinton Campaign (inevitable) perform a complete meltdown. Why? One primary reason was because she had friends in positions of her campaign who were NOT qualified for their job, thus we saw the unraveling of an inevitable campaign struggle with money, message to the end.

Thus, Desiree Rogers a friend of the Obamas is totally not qualified for this job. Watch these videos from Hardball and ask yourself, why did the First Lady's Social Secretary NOT have anyone to verify these names of the party crashers at the door of the White House. In the past, the Social Secretary's office ALWAYS had someone from her office to verify the names on the LIST. Why was Rogers or anyone from her office not doing this? And Rogers, who attempted to throw this all in the Secret Service's lap stated, "We had no one at the door." Ms. Rogers, bad mistake.

I don't want to see the Obamas go down the drain with more major security issues by having people in positions who are not qualified. Rogers showed that from the State Dinner. President Barack Obama has gotten the most death threats for any sitting president. Just for knowing this security and scrutiny to anyone who walks through the White House doors should be the most IMPORTANT job there is. The Secret Security failed and Ms. Rogers failed. Neither performed their jobs accurately, thus we saw President Obama get punked by uninvited guests who are taping for the reality show, The Real Housewives of D.C.

Do you think the White House is laughing now? Ms. Rogers you need to resign, end of story. And the Obamas? It is about competence, remember that.

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Sarah Palin "dog whistlin'" away.... (Video)

Sarah Palin is definitely for that hard, radical right and thankfully, that is not the MAJORITY of this country.

From Chris Matthews on Hardball with Michael Smerconish and Cynthia Tucker....

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