Republicans Doctor Obama Photo for Propaganda Purposes

I have always thought the photo in the video below of Obama smoking, which has been used on anti-Obama sites since the campaign, was a real photo. It's an unflattering photo but it never bothered me--until now.

Now that I've learned it is a doctored photo, I hope the republicans go down in flames on healthcare.

A Financial Times columnist Niall Ferguson writes:

President Barack Obama reminds me of Felix the Cat. One of the best-loved cartoon characters of the 1920s, Felix was not only black. He was also very, very lucky. And that pretty much sums up the 44th president of the US as he takes a well-earned summer break after just over six months in the world’s biggest and toughest job. FT

What is wrong with these people? The stream of hate rhetoric is constant. Republicans seem to only represent the fringe. I'm not seeing any mainstream republican voices coming through. I know there are decent republicans in the mix but I can't hear them.

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Rahm says the evidence is in--republicans don't seem to want to work on reform:

Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority’s cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks.

Top Democrats said Tuesday that their go-it-alone view was being shaped by what they saw as Republicans’ purposely strident tone against health care legislation during this month’s Congressional recess, as well as remarks by leading Republicans that current proposals were flawed beyond repair.

Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, said the heated opposition was evidence that Republicans had made a political calculation to draw a line against any health care changes, the latest in a string of major administration proposals that Republicans have opposed.

“The Republican leadership,” Mr. Emanuel said, “has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama’s health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face every day.” NYT

Obama Speaks on Anti-Smoking Bill

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Obama Speaks on Tobacco Legislation

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Landmark tobacco regulation legislation cleared Congress on Friday, granting the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority over the marketing of cigarettes with a mandate to improve health warnings and curb teenage smoking.

The final 307-97 House vote followed Thursday’s 79-17 roll call in the Senate, and President Barack Obama has promised to quickly sign the measure into law.

The action reflects a dramatic shift in public opinion against the once powerful industry, which successfully held back the waters under Republican rule but has seemed overwhelmed since Democrats regained control of Washington last November.

Just months ago, Congress enacted a nearly 62-cents-per-pack increase in federal cigarette taxes to help finance expanded health care coverage for millions of working-class children. And Democrats were so eager Friday to pin down the victory on FDA regulation that the House opted to forgo its own bill on the subject and instead sent a freshly minted Senate version onto the president. Politico

Obama's Melting Some Conservatives

Conservative Bill Kristol, a big fan of Sarah Palin, has some kind words to say about Obama but not without a slap to the left.

NYT: But I also have to admit that I look forward to Obama’s inauguration with a surprising degree of hope and good cheer.

For one thing, there will be the invocation, delivered by Rick Warren. I suspect he’ll be careful to say nothing pro-life or pro-traditional-marriage — but we conservatives have already gotten more than enough pleasure from the hysterical reaction to his selection by the tribunes of the intolerant left. And having Warren there will, in fact, be a welcome reminder of the strides the evangelical movement and religious conservatives (broadly speaking) have made in recent decades.

On the inaugural poet, Elizabeth Alexander, he says this:

I’ve looked at some of Alexander’s poetry, and am confident she’ll be a big improvement on Angelou. It makes me think our culture isn’t necessarily getting worse. It may even be getting better.

And on Obama using Lincoln's Bible to swear in:

But my (generous) interpretation of Obama’s choice of the Lincoln Bible is this: It’s an homage to Lincoln, not a claim to be like him. Obama intends to look back to Lincoln for guidance and to look up to him as a model. Lincoln, our greatest president and statesman, had a deep understanding of American exceptionalism. He thought long and hard about the relationship of American founding principles to political practice, and in his actions exemplified the prudent and skillful pursuit of a principled end. He was also a great war president. Obama could do a lot worse than study Lincoln and learn from him.

And on Obama's hard habit to kick:

Bah, humbug. Those of us who dislike finger-wagging nanny-state-nagging liberalism relish the prospect of President Barack Obama sneaking a cigarette on the second floor of the White House while rereading Harry V. Jaffa’s great work on Lincoln, “Crisis of the House Divided,” then taking a break to stroll over to take a look at the White House’s copy of Emanuel Leutze’s painting “Washington Crossing the Delaware,” then going back to the family quarters to tell his kids to get back to memorizing some patriotic poetry, all of this interrupted occasionally by calls from Gen. David Petraeus and Gen. Ray Odierno — his Ulysses Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman — to discuss progress in the wars we’re fighting, or from Rick Warren to discuss their joint efforts to fight AIDS in Africa and to reduce the number of abortions in the U.S. Read it all.