Graham on Republican Goal of Repealing Healthcare

Lindsey Graham starts off by blaming the economy on Obama's policies. That's just a ridiculous notion and I'm surprised that David Gregory just let it slide. The economy went off track because Wall Street took advantage of American lust for home ownership. That happened way before Obama took office. The economy has only been improving since Obama took office. The recession technically ended in 2009. The number of jobs has grown for the past several months and most economists say we're in an economic recovery.
Republicans have been masterful at blaming the Obama administration for the economy largely because Americans want someone to blame -- the government, Wall Street. Americans have been receptive to the republican message because they have been reluctant to face up to their own responsibility in the economic downturn.
Frankly, it ticks me off that as folks across the nation used their houses as ATM machines, I was sacking away my money away at 4% interest. Then when the bubble burst, their paper houses fell down and my interest rate fell to 1%. The mistakes of the masses -- the middle class aspiring -- affected those of us who were responsible. The mistakes of the middle class as they aspired to be rich hurt the poorest most of all. Americans have yet to own up to anything, which means eventually, regardless of who the president is and how many new regulations there are, we'll be back in the same boat. Wall Street will always find a way to make money. That's my New Year's rant.

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Plouffe on Meet the Press Sept. 5 Video

Erin Burnett is spot on. The stimulus worked but the recession is the recession. It's the greatest downturn in the economy since the Great Depression. It's going to be a slow recovery. Therefore, Obama isn't going to win re-election on jobs.

We're not going to have the economy we used to. Home equity lines of credit are gone. People are saving and paying down debt. Structurally, our economy is transitioning from one that depends on consumers buying stuff on credit into another.

David Plouffe also is spot on. He's got great instincts.

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Obama: Climate Legislation This Year

Take that Lindsey Graham.

I applaud Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman for their tireless work in drafting this important legislation. This legislation will put America on the path to a clean energy economy that will create American jobs building the solar panels, wind blades and the car batteries of the future. It will strengthen our national security by beginning to break our dependence on foreign oil. And it will protect our environment for our children and grandchildren.

Americans know what's at stake by continuing our dependence on fossil fuels. But the challenges we face -- underscored by the immense tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico -- are reason to redouble our efforts to reform our nation's energy policies. For too long, Washington has kicked this challenge to the next generation. This time, the status quo is no longer acceptable to Americans. Now is the time for America to take control of our energy future and jumpstart American innovation in clean energy technology that will allow us to create jobs, compete, and win in the global economy.

The House of Representatives has already taken historic action with passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. I look forward to engaging with Senators from both sides of the aisle and ultimately passing a bill this year.

Kerry and Lieberman, minus Graham, introduced the bill today

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said the energy and climate bill he is unveiling Wednesday would block offshore oil-and-gas drilling while the Gulf of Mexico rig explosion and oil spill is investigated.
The Hill

Browner Says Climate Legislation This Year

Since Lindsey Graham threw a fit the other day, there's been talk that climate legislation is going to be put on the back burner while the democrats take up immigration reform. Carol Browner, director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, says the legislation will happen this year:

Browner’s full statement: "We believe the only way to make progress on these priorities is to continue working as we have thus far in a bipartisan manner to build more support for both comprehensive energy independence and immigration reform legislation. "We commend Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman for the tremendous work they have done to date to seize this moment and build a new coalition of business and environmental leaders and their efforts to craft a bill that will garner the votes to pass the Senate. Politico

Graham Threatening Once Again To Take His Toys Home

CNN's headline reads: "Graham move imperils Obama agenda," which is really funny. Graham is threatening not to cooperate on climate change if democrats take up immigration reform (I don't know why they can't do both). CNN's dramatic flair:

In a stunning move that could throw a major roadblock in front of two of President Obama's biggest legislative initiatives, Sen. Lindsey Graham abruptly declared Saturday he's abandoning talks on climate change legislation because he believes Democratic efforts to bring up a separate immigration reform package is undermining the legislative process.

"Moving forward on immigration - in this hurried, panicked manner - is nothing more than a cynical political ploy," the South Carolina Republican wrote in a sharply-worded letter obtained by CNN. cnn

Here Graham is in March, threatening that if healthcare passes, immigration is dead.

That's Lindsey Graham. He's childish in that regard. He doesn't imperil Obama's agenda. But it sure did make for a dramatic headline on CNN's part.

Graham Takes His Toys and Goes Home

Lindsey Graham makes good on his threat that if healthcare passes, he's not playing anymore:

Immigration reform legislation is "dead" in the Senate this year, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday.

Graham, who's sought to work with some Democrats on the controversial issues, said that healthcare efforts had "poisoned the well" for bipartisan cooperation going forward.

"When I say immigration's dead in the Senate, risk-aversion abounds," Graham said during a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday. "Some of my colleagues will lose over healthcare. The consequences of this vote are going to be long-lasting politically." The Hill

Then he sticks out his tongue and tells Obama to play by himself:

The senator issued a challenge to Obama, too: write your own bill.

"To the president: If you want to deliver on your unwavering commitment to immigration reform, write a bill," he said. "You write the bill, send it to the House. See what happens, because I don't think you have much of a chance of getting it through the Senate."

Graham Slams Obama on Immigration

Every day I hate politics more.
On This Week, Lindsey Graham acted like a 12 year old boy, threatening that immigration reform could not be passed if the healthcare bill passed. He went further, saying Obama has been paying lip service to immigration reform, essentially blaming Obama for the lack of progress on immigration reform. Sorry Lindsey, that doesn't pass the smell test.

Graham laughed off the president's claim that he's been "unwavering" in his support for immigration overhaul.

"This idea that the president has been unwavering on immigration doesn't really pass the smell test," Graham said on ABC's "This Week." The Hill

Watch it here.

Why immigration reform is politically advantageous to Obama, in addition to being the right thing to do.

The Obamas Host International Women's Day at White House

Updated with video:

Obama and the First Lady will speak at the reception (live streamed here) at 4:30 pm:

he president and First Lady Michelle Obama will host an event at the White House this afternoon in honor of International Women’s Day. Actress Kerry Washington will emcee, and guests include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Afghani singer Mozdah Jamalzadah and singer Katharine McPhee. WSJ

After the event, Obama meets with Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham on immigration reform.

Bayh and Graham on Plight of Washington

Kerry, Lieberman, Graham Work Together on Climate Change

John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham are an odd trio but it seems that small groups of republicans, democrats and independents dedicated to an issue can get stuff done.

I'm loving what the 5 liberal and 5 moderate democrats did with healthcare (let's hope it sticks) and Susan Collins and Ron Wyden have teamed on amendments to the Senate healthcare bill.

The very odd duo of Al Sharpton, Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton have teamed on education and seem to be making strides.

Also working on climate change are Maria Cantwell and Susan Collins:

Also Thursday, Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced a climate bill using a model in which the government would auction off pollution permits and funnel three-quarters of the money back to every American in monthly payments.

"You've got to buy people's confidence that you can make this transition off carbon in a predictable fashion," Cantwell said. "We're going to protect consumers by giving them a check back." WaPo

Read the trio's outline for climate action here.
The Washington Post, which yesterday published Sarah Palin's climate change denying foolishness, puts a negative spin on the trio's climate change framework. Lighten up WaPo. It's a start.

As far as the climate change deniers, there comes a time when we have to turn our backs on ignorance. Climate change deniers are entertaining and annoying but we should be tackling the issue, not listening to dimwits.

An update on the Copenhagen summit and more expectations from Obama:

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Obama Meets With Bayh and Graham Dec. 2

Today, Obama lunched with political writers and tomorrow, Obama has a series of meetings. He'll meet with Robert Gates and senior advisors. He'll meet with Nobel Laureates and he also has Sens. Evan Bayh and Lindsey Graham slated for meetings. Healthcare? Afghanistan? Obama will also lunch with Joe, who's meeting with Dick Lugar, Gary Locke and Tom Vilsack. On today's lunch:

On the day of his major Afghanistan speech, President Obama had lunch with a group of top political writers at the White House, according to a source familiar with the lunch.

There were some attendees today who write extensively on foreign policy, such as Joe Klein (Time), Fareed Zakaria (Newsweek/ CNN), and Tom Friedman (NY Times).

But it wasn't the only time that the White House reached out to leading opinion-makers before Obama outlined the administration's strategy at West Point. As I reported earlier, senior administration officials held a background briefing with nearly a dozen top writers and pundits, including Ron Brownstein, Eugene Robinson, Al Hunt and Judy Woodruff. Politico

Office of Budget and Management director Peter Orszag will speak at 8:30 am tomorrow (Dec. 2) on healthcare at the National Press Club.

Obama is Forcing Accountability on Afghanistan

Bob Woodward said something interesting on Meet the Press this morning. He said the deliberate Afghanistan strategy meetings are forcing everyone to dig in, which will have the effect of accountability.
On the Nobel Peace Prize, Lindsey Graham says Obama will earn it if he sends more troops to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, democrats are saying he'll earn it if he pulls troops out of Afghanistan.
It's pretty clear that the Peace Prize has become just another obstacle thrown in Obama's way.
It's also pretty clear that no one knows what they're talking about when it comes to Afghanistan. Everyone just has an opinion. No one seems to know the hearts and minds of the Afghanistan people. No one knows what's the best path for Afghanistan.

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Full episode:

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Lindsey Graham Calls Obama's Speech a Disaster

Obviously, Lindsey Graham attended a speech in his mind:

Grassley Explains His Vote Against Sotomayor

Lindsey Graham was the only republican to vote for Sonia Sotomayor.

Sotomayor on Constitution's Living and Breathing Status

The Constitution has not changed except for amendments, she said. It doesn't live. It's timeless. What changes is society, she said. Lindsey Graham asks if judges have changed society? He gets at Roe v. Wade and rights of unborn.

More questioning from Graham, who says "I like you for whatever that matters:"

Sotomayor Shows How Wise She is

Judge Sonia Sotomayor showed just how wise she is by keeping her opening remarks short and sweet:

Lindsey Graham pretty much sums up the hearings--Unless Sotomayor has a meltdown, she's confirmed:

Everyone seemed to be interested what Sen. Al Franken might say:

Romney: We've Got Ideas

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Obama Gives Speech on Guantanamo May 21

Update 5-21: See the full video and read the transcript here.  

Other than talking about the importance of closing Guantanamo, Obama's speech content is under wraps. (The speech starts at 10:10 eastern and will likely be live streamed at cnn.com and msnbc.) The Senate has blocked funding for closing Gitmo until Obama has a detailed plan, which is not expected to be announced tomorrow, according to the NYT. See what Robert Gibbs had to say here.
But could Obama have something else up his sleeve? Perhaps a few countries have decided to take the prisoners? Hmmmmm.
Obama will speak at the National Archives, where historic documents such as the original United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence are displayed.
Obama has an ally in Lindsey Graham.

Despite being rebuffed overwhelmingly by the Senate on financing to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, President Obama will not provide lawmakers the kind of detail they are demanding when he addresses that and other national security issues on Thursday, the White House said.

“I don’t expect that he’s going to hand out a 100-page plan that will have every decision made,’’ Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said at his daily briefing Wednesday. Instead, he said, Mr. Obama will discuss the decisions that must be made before the prison can be closed, and will make the case that Guantanamo “has hurt our image in the world and our reputation, and it’s hurt our national security.’’....

“I think the president’s going to have to reassure people that he has not lost sight of who we are dealing with at Guantanamo,’’ said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who favors closing the prison and has been consulting with Mr. Obama. “He needs to convince people that he’s got a game plan that will protect us as well as be fair to the detainees. If he can do that, then we’re back on track. But if he doesn’t make that case, then we’ve lost control of this debate.’’
NYT

More Gruesome Prisoner Abuse Photos to be Released

When the Cheney-Bush administration was torturing, they should've then considered the wider effects of their deeds. It wouldn't surprise me if Cheney personally participated in torture since he seems to be fiercely defending himself.
I believe the man is twisted. Admitting he'd choose Rush Limbaugh, who does nothing but hate and antagonize others to follow along, over Colin Powell shows his sickness.
The new photos are expected to be released before the end of the month. They are being released as the result of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. Lindsey Graham, Joe Lieberman and obviously the Dark One are fighting the release, saying that it will hurt U.S. soldiers and empower al-Qaeda. My question is: Why are there so many photos? Was there a detainee photo day or something?

But now a new batch of photographs, perhaps hundreds of images, of prisoners being abused is about to be made public. It comes at a time when the debate over prisoner mistreatment is still roiling America's political and public conscience. The new photographs are being made public in a victory for the American Civil Liberties Union. And the Pentagon, after fighting, and losing, three federal court reviews of the matter, has waved the white flag and is now preparing to release the pictures. Some of the photographs are official; some, like the original Abu Ghraib collection, taken informally by soldiers. "We know this could make things tougher for our troops," a senior Pentagon official says, "but the court decisions really don't leave us with any other option." Read more at Time

Lindsey Graham Open to Nationalizing Banks

Wowsa. The scary part isn't the nationalization of banks, which simply means the government owns and runs them. The scary part is that our banking system is that much in the muck. It kind of means that all the bank executives were complicit in their greed. 

In this video, Graham complains about bipartisanship: