Like all of you, I’ve seen probably every speech and every interview and every press conference Barack Obama ever gave. Multiple times. And still, his press conference yesterday – especially the last 4 minutes - blew my mind to pieces. It was riveting. Astonishing. Beautiful beyond words. Off the cuff, from the stomach, with so much passion and anger and heart. Damn, what heart he’s got. Those final 4 minutes will go with me all the way to November 2012, and I hope that with you too.
*
Morning guys,
Welcome to another day of drama…
Weekly Address (Which I suspect was taped BEFORE last night…)
*
And the *real* Weekly Address 
*****************************************************************************************
The Republican refusal to countenance any way to raise revenues to tackle the massive debt incurred largely on their watch and from a recession which started under Obama’s predecessor makes one thing clear. They are not a political party in government; they are a radical faction that refuses to participate meaningfully in the give and take the Founders firmly believed should be at the center of American government. They are not conservatives in this sense. They are anarchists.
// snip
Coming from abroad, this country seems as if it is beyond dysfunctional. It looks like a banana republic on the verge of economic collapse. Now that Nixon’s dream has come true and the GOP is fundamentally the party of the Confederacy, it was perhaps naive to think they could ever accept the legitimacy of this president, or treat him with respect or act as adults in the governing process.
But this is who they are. I longed for Obama to bridge this gulf in ideology. But he cannot bridge it alone, especially when the GOP is determined to burn the bridge entirely, even when presented with a deal so tilted to the right only true fanatics could possibly walk away from it. And so the very republic is being plunged into crisis and possible depression by a single, implacable, fanatical faction. Until they are defeated, the country remains in more peril than we know.
****************************************************************************************
*
Great thing happened yesterday, and was basically ignored, but here’s PBO signing the certification stating the statutory requirements for repeal of DADT.
**************************************************************************************************
*
Finally, there was a really awesome Twitter party last night, under #beforeblackpresidents. Some of the best tweets:
The debt ceiling was raised SEVENTY-FOUR times without incident. SEVENTY-FOUR TIMES.
Silly women from the secretarial pool wearing cheap clothes weren’t considered presidential.
It was ok to be casual in the Oval Office
No-nothing representatives didn’t make videos calling the President a liar.
A POTUS could tax the rich at 91% and be called a Republican–not a socialist!”
middle names were irrelevant.
DADT was law & pre-existing condition exclusions were here to stay.
Deliberately sabotaging economic recovery was not considered a legitimate option 4 the opposition party.
The President would get the credit he deserved for killing Bin Laden and rescuing the economy.
The Democratic party actually had the president’s back.
A President wasn’t attacked by GOP, Professional Far Left and Teahadists.
NO ONE screamed ‘you lie’ at the president during a state of the union address.
Congress would throw a parade to honor Pres. who took down Osama bin Laden. Now they scorn him!
people with 3rd grade educations didn’t constitute a political movement.
Losing 1 point in a poll wasn’t considered a sharp decline in approval ratings and losing your base.
Being a pirate was a safe, lucrative occupation.
Being a community organizer was noble and honorable.
Osama bin Laden could sit around & watch videos of himself.
if you tried to bring the US to it’s knees you were a terrorist. Now you’re just republican.
A President Could Make A Courageous Deal With The GOP & Not Be Called A Sell Out.
filibusters were the exception. not the rule.
Children didn’t run to hug POTUS and FLOTUS.
GOP wanted to change the Constitution to allow foreign-born citizens to run for POTUS.
The President’s Performance Approval Polls wouldn’t be conducted everyday by the media.
A POTUS Could Have His Phone calls Returned By An Alcoholic House Speaker.
Liberal blogs spent more time attacking Republicans than Democrats
exercise was good and we got medals for it but now exercise is an evil, socialist plot.
We never had to ask parents permission to hear a message from the President.
We Would Cheer A President Who Created 2.2 Million New Jobs After the Worst 30 Years of GOP Economic Terrorism.
we didn’t have every news organization itching to bring the President down.
Presidents did not have to show the their birth certificate to Donald Trump.
nobody needed to “take their country back””.
A President Could Enjoy His NCAA Bracket Pool Without A right Wing Frenzy.
We didn’t consider “defunding” the Pres. teleprompter.
And the best:
#beforeblackpresidents Presidents were ugly!!!!
