January 19, 2013

One more time, as posted on alp's thread by Tx4obama:

My rebuttal to claim obama "had two years of total control with the Senate and House"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021643154

Here ya go ...

We didn't have a majority in congress for two years - more like TWO MONTHS

The meme that the “Democrats had control of the House and Senate” is a myth and here’s why: people keep forgetting that you need 60 to have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

January 20, 2009 – Edward Kennedy suffered a seizure during Barack Obama's inaugural luncheon, and his health forced him to retreat to Massachusetts. Also, Senator Al Franken of Minnesota had not been seated because the previous Senator, Norm Coleman challenged the election results. So on his inauguration Obama had 57 elected Democratic Senators… 55 Democrats and 2 Independents.

April 28, 2009 – Arlan Specter switches parties from Republican to Democratic. This gives the Democrats 58… 56 seated Democrats, 2 Independents. Al Franken still hasn’t been sworn in and Kennedy is sick. Still no 60 member majority.

May 15, 2009 – Senator Robert Byrd is admitted to the hospital reducing the number of Democratic votes to 57… 55 Democrats, 2 Independents.

July 7, 2009 – Senator Al Franken is sworn in bringing the Democratic votes back up to 58… 56 sitting Democrats, 2 Independents. No Senator Kennedy or Byrd due to illness.

July 21, 2009 – Senator Byrd Returns to the Senate making the count 59 seats – Still no Kennedy.

August 25, 2009 – Senator Kennedy dies and the seat remains vacant (for one full month) until…

September 24, 2009 – Interim Senator Paul Kirk is sworn in to fill Kennedy’s seat bringing the total Democratic votes to a filibuster proof majority of 60.

Remember to subtract the time/weeks (which total over a month) for the Senate's fall recess, Thanksgiving break, Christmas/NewYears break, etc.

February 4, 2010 - Scott Brown (R-MA) is sworn in taking over Senator Kennedy's seat.

So really the Democrats only had a little more than two months (total time when Senate was in session) of a majority in the Senate – not 2 years (even less when you consider that Senator Lieberman sided with the Republicans most of the time). Because they didn’t have a majority, nothing could be automatically pushed through the Senate and concessions had to be made on the healthcare legislation in order for the bill to pass.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021643154#post3

And Tx4obama credits Bluebelle:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021292150#post94

But here's the link for all of that:

President Obama DID NOT control Congress for Two Years!

Here: http://www.thepragmaticpundit.com/2011/12/obama-did-not-control-congress-for-two.html

The page/link above is a GREAT page to bookmark.

It pretty much has all the things that I've been typing out the past couple of years, but it includes a full timeline, photos, and a chart

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021643154#post17

Obama protected what remains of those programs and had all of his initiatives to expand them voted down, not just in that time frame in congress, but by the media and the voters in 2010.

January 18, 2013

Nichelle Nichols on how Dr. MLK, Jr. dissuaded her from quitting Star Trek

When she met President Obama...




They gave us the Vulcan salute.

As the lovely Lt. Uhura:



What we thought then that the world would be and now know it will be!

Cross-posted from the BOG.

January 17, 2013

You're right, Sheshe

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

~ Luke 6:38

January 17, 2013

He shows 'the love you give is equal to the love you get...'

This was my desktop last summer:



Favorites from the Obama Diary.

January 17, 2013

Oh, I wasn't talking about DU. I'm sure it was better in 2008. When I got here in 2010 it was...

a breath of fresh air.

Now it's pretty much like where I left - that was founded just before DU was - except DU has turned more hurtful than the other places ever were.

Some old time DUers that don't post here anymore, only lurk, have seen my posts and thanked me. It's great to have you and a few others to say hello to here.

January 17, 2013

Always guilty first. Same attitude I dealt with repubs, libertarian and conspiracy folks in 2008.

The energy is exactly same. Whether they were ever Democrats or voted for Obama or other Democrats, I doubt. They don't need or want what most people who voted for Obama needed or wanted. They have no gratitude for anything they've ever recieved (I'm not talking about Obama) from anyone and no humility. They want this torn down for something else. To me they're trolls, no matter what they label themselves as. When it gets down to it, they hate all the things we need and want, they look down on us as something to spit on. Anyway, I can see why people left.

January 17, 2013

Don't make me post the article by Tim Wise, but it kinda ends like this:

In short, if you’re still disappointed in Barack Obama, it’s only because you never understood whose job it was to produce change in the first place. But don’t take out your own failings in this regard on the rest of us...

January 17, 2013

Is this the one?

January 16, 2013

I was brought up that way, Depression era family. They were union, felt it was a gift to have job.

How many of our fellow citizens, do not have honest work to see them through, or are too old to work, disabled or living where there is no work.

I was told to be 'proud to have a job and enough money to pay taxes.' I never, ever regretted my contributions to my fellow citizens. My thoughts were, there are so many people I don't know that need help - I can't help them - paying my taxes very least that anyone can do. If one gets the chance to do more in their community, great.

Where I used to live, grocery stores had a big barrel at the end of the check out lines. Everyone was encouraged to separate groceries on the line. The clerk put what we donated in bags into the barrel. Then hand what we were taking home in our own bags. It was normal, not a word said, just do it.

If you are in the prime of life and have little time off to do things, that is the least you can do. I've been down and out a number of times and didn't ask for help, and it's not an easy thing to do at any time.

But there are people who can't make do, people with other mouths to feed, and we are their kindred and that's the American way, or I think so.

January 13, 2013

We'll move to Glennbeckistan and be safe. Ready to convert?

I'm not sure I can handle that particular version of reality, though. That's just me.



It might work for some of us. Since the Democrats favor this now. I never saw this coming, though. Really.

Wait, no, there's hope for us yet. The new map will look like this:



I feel so much better. I won't have to move.