President Obama Makes a Statement on Iraq, 7 August 2014; Cease Fire Broken in Gaza by Hamas, 8 August

To read full statement of President Obama, please click here.

Next question is if Republicans are on board or are they as usual supporting the President while at the same time saying he didn't go far enough.  A lot of us have seen McCain in action enough to know this has been his SOP for years.  Politicususa had the answer to that question:

Breaking news. Not every single Republican elected to office took to the TV to decry President Obama last night or this morning after he announced authorizing targeted strikes in Iraq in what looks to be a perpetual clean-up of former President Bush’s misguided invasion. 

McCain is bitter and wants more war, Boehner is confused and walking both sides of the fence, but a few Republicans have managed to hold onto their sanity and are not using a crisis as an opportunity to explore their bitterness. All in all, Republicans managed to look like they were supporting action they obviously support, while still sticking the knife in and blaming the President for Bush’s actions. 

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FLA) said it was the right decision, tweeting, “Action against ISIL in #Iraq to save #IraqiChristians is the right decision. http://1.usa.gov/1r3Qc3B.”
Representative Pete King (R-NY) tweeted, “It is essential that we support President’s decision to authorize air strikes”. 

Both Boehner and McConnell’s offices admitted that the President had told them of the decision prior to the announcement, so the inevitable hearing on Obama’s use of his executive power may be delayed. Josh Lederman of the AP tweeted, “Aides to Boehner, McConnell tell me the White House notified them of Obama’s decision before he announced it today”. 

But there is always room for criticism, so Lederman summed it up in a tweet, “Reaction from most Republicans to Obama Iraq decision so far seems to be ‘Yes please, but not enough’”. 

Read more from Sarah Jones at Politicususa

When I watched the President make his speech to the Country, noted that he talked about notifying both Houses of Congress who are on a five-week recess about his proposed action.  That didn't stop McCain from getting in his two cents worth as usual but he has a slight problem that Wonkette pointed out:

So here’s a heck of a thing: Back in May 2013, Forever Warmonger John McCain was really excited about the prospects of arming the Syrian moderates who were fighting to free that country from the iron grip of Bashar al-Assad. He even sneaked into the country to meet with the head of the Free Syrian Army, Gen. Salim Idris, the fellow in the striped shirt there (Idris was ousted in February of this year). 

Only one small problem with the little photo-op: In addition to Idris, some of the other guys in the pic are apparently members of a slightly less “moderate” group: ISIS, the guys who are currently bringing down Iraq, and the photo is reportedly being circulated by ISIS as proof of their legitimacy. Oops.

Read more at Wonkette

Think OOPS sums it up nicely.  McCain should have remembered he met with ISIS (ISIL) when criticizing the President for doing nothing while Obama was meetings with advisers to plan a strategy.  Shame on Obama in the Republican World for not rushing to the nearest microphone to spout rhetoric but actually taking time to make a rational decision unlike the grandstander McCain and others whose best friend is a microphone.

Only Republicans like McCain seem to want troops back in Iraq just like the first time and forget Iraq is the Bush/Cheney war they lied to get us to invade Iraq and totally blew the peace after with appointing a civilian, Paul Bremer, to head reconstruction who was out of league and made one big mess of the situation.  Does McCain forget that this is still the Bush/Cheney mess as he rewrites history?  Read his statement and thought vintage McCain who is nothing but a bitter old man who needs to retire from the Senate like years ago with the statement he released:

In a statement, McCain wrote, “A policy of containment will not work against ISIS. It is inherently expansionist and must be stopped. The longer we wait to act, the worse this threat will become, as recent events clearly show. 

“We need to get beyond a policy of half measures. The President needs to devise a comprehensive strategy to degrade ISIS. This should include the provision of military and other assistance to our Kurdish, Iraqi, and Syrian partners who are fighting ISIS. It should include U.S. air strikes against ISIS leaders, forces, and positions both in Iraq and Syria. It should include support to Sunni Iraqis who seek to resist ISIS. And none of this should be contingent on the formation of a new government in Baghdad. 

And by the way, this is all Obama’s fault for ever trying to leave Iraq, “If ever there were a time to reevaluate our disastrous policy in the Middle East, this is it. Because of the President’s hands-off approach, the threats in the region have grown and now directly threaten the United States. We are already paying a very heavy price for our inaction, and if we do not change course, the costs of our inaction will only grow.”

If McCain wants ground soldiers in Iraq, let him and the rest of the neo-cons lead the way.  Too many Americans died in Iraq because of lies told to the American people by Bush/Cheney and we don't need any more soldiers killed on the ground.

For all the people yelling why don't we do something about Gaza, there is a key element in the President's speech that some people forget and it is protecting Americans which the US Government is doing in Iraq.  The United States does not have an embassy or an official presence in Gaza which is controlled by Hamas who is on our terrorism list.  It is a humanitarian disaster of huge proportions which is what the United Nations is for and not a US problem except as a member of the UN.  We have people in Baghdad representing the US Government and Americans working in Iraq we need to protect and thus the airstrikes on convoys of ISIS if they move toward where Americans are located.

The other part of the equation in Iraq that the Iraqi Government asked for United States help including humanitarian aid to a religious group that ISIS has surrounded on a mountain top without food and water where the US is dropping them food and water to stay alive.  The Iraqi Government which is reforming wants our help but the Hamas Government in Gaza is a totally different story.

Looks like an extended cease fire effort in Gaza led by Egypt is going to be set back again as after three days of calm in Gaza, Hamas starts shelling again.  Does Hamas not care if they get their own people killed?  At the same time Israeli doesn't seem to mind killing civilians even children as collateral damage. What a horrible situation it is right now in Gaza with so many killed including children with their Government run by Hamas who are on the US terrorist list not seeming to care.

Israeli's seem to be swatting flies with a shovel as they bomb UN facilities in Gaza.  Bibi, the neo-cons dream leader, was not the person to put in charge again IMO.  Saw a spokesman on TV trying to spin Bibi is actually a moderate and thought to myself, this guy would fit in perfectly with the American press that spins rather then reports facts so many times.

We have two very dangerous situations in the Middle East, Russians saber rattling on the border with Ukraine, and Congress on a five-week recess once against abdicating their duties while McCain and other Republicans add nothing meaningful to the discourse just more saber rattling.

House Republicans Vote to Sue My President -- I Pledge to Donate/Volunteer/Vote to Oust the GOP from Leadership at all Levels

Been a busy summer and decided to take some time off from all the negativity of Republican politics against the President, Democrats, and all the American people.  Still have been posting on Twitter.  

Today I am back as the Republicans in the House chose to set a new precedent and low mark in politics even for Republicans by suing MY President and theirs even though they refuse to admit that President Obama is the President of all Americans.  Is it because he is black or a Democrat or both?  The 'my way or no way' Koch Bros Republican Party is the absolute worst I have ever witnessed and the biggest do nothings who get paid with our tax dollars.  Republicans vote to sue the President and then only work 14 days between now and the election so the taxpayers are paying for their campaigning.

I gladly have donated several times today to the Democrat Congressional Committee to oust the lowlife Koch Bros Republicans from leadership of the House so the Country can be moved forward rather than be stuck on the wayback machine where women and minorities didn't have the right to vote.  Please join me in giving whatever you can afford.

Years ago I was told my longtime Congressman in Ohio while I was in my teens that as a candidate you can get a few wealthy people to donate to your campaign and buy all the ads you want but if you want to make sure you win then asks everyone to donate even if they can only afford pennies as they have the same vote as a wealthy donor and people who contribute what they can no matter how small are going to go vote and vastly outnumber the wealthy donors.  That was Cong McCullough from the 4th District of Ohio -- last of a breed of honest Congressmen who put their constituents first.

Now that district of farmers and small towns is represented by Speaker Boehner as a family member said wouldn't know a steer from a bull.  My hometown is 90 miles from where Speaker Boehner resides and is part of a district in the western part of SW Ohio Republicans made sure did not cross into any major cities.  Perfect example of gerrymandering and the person elected not understanding the district although I can point out a couple of local bars in my home town if he hasn't found them already.

Was going to write my Congressman Tom Cole and tell him what I thought about the vote to sue but I did that earlier on campaign financing and the reply back was garbage not answering my comments same with the Sen Inhofe's response.  Now I am sending the link to this blog.  The only response I received back on campaign financing that made sense came from Senator (Dr) Tom Coburn my other Senator who wants every donation online immediately no matter how much was donated and also called for term limits for Congress.  I appreciated Dr. Tom's comments.  He treats his constituents like we have brains even if we don't always agree with him.  The other two -- Cole and Inhofe are arrogant with most of the replies coming from their staff.

Here are my comments to Congressman Cole that I decided to make public on the blog instead of wasting my time filling out his form and getting back a reply from an aide that made no sense to what I submitted.  Instead I will send this link to my blog post to hid office:

Casting a vote to sue my President and yours too even if you won't admit he won twice, makes me roll up my sleeves and open my checkbook to Democrats from this day forward. 

You spineless Koch Bros Republican puppets of the wealthy and Tea Party have no backbone to stand up and tell the truth. 

Cannot wait to get a House that will move the Country forward not backward which means ousting Boehner from the Speaker and the GOP from the majority.  The racist attitude of the GOP is the worst I have ever seen and beyond disgusting. 

You all made your bed, now you can lie in it.  Women I know throughout this country, military, minorities, young people all want nothing to do with the Neanderthal thinking of today's GOP!   

Enjoy being the party of the biggest bunch of do nothings this Country has ever seen that have trouble with the truth but the internet catches all of you in your lies including on impeachment.  Suing the President for a bill signed by President Bush has reached a new low even for Republicans 

Shame on all of you worthless Republicans in Congress and frankly in Oklahoma where oil/gas run the state and regular people are told to get lost.  Going to catch up with the GOP even here before it is through.  There will be a day when the hard right tells the rest of you to shove it because you didn't go far enough right and a lot of us are going to be laughing. 

Really dumb move!

The first link has a list of Republican incumbents and candidates calling for impeachment that flies in the face of Boehner/Rove lies while the second link shows how fast a Republican can change their mind on impeachment.  Simply unbelievable Koch Bros GOP is this stupid even for a Party that has done stupid things in the past -- this one is one of the dumbest ever for a Republican Leadership Group who has a rating in single digits and have cost the American taxpayers millions with their votes to repeal ACA and obstruction on veterans jobs bills, job bills, infrastructure, and the list goes on.  

From Politicususa:  Crushing The GOP Lie: Here Is a List of Republican Incumbents Who Support Impeachment From Think Progress:   House Republican Insists He’s Not Considering Impeaching Obama, Then Admits He Is, All In Less Than 60 Seconds

Time to oust the Republicans from any leadership at the Federal level or at state level as some of us have some of the worst governors we have ever seen -- more on that in the days ahead.  

Russian President Putin Blinked -- Calls President Obama on Ukraine

According to Bloomberg, Russia was already starting to feel the effects of the sanctions.  During this week's G-7 Conference, leaders of the European Union discussed even tougher sanctions against Russia which seems to have sparked President Putin to reconsider his saber rattling at least for now. Did Putin believe the loudmouthed Republicans that President Obama was weak?   If he did, he found out they like talk to hear themselves talk and espouse a narrative since they have a problem with facts. Best to ignore what they have to say because most of the time recently it has added little to the conversation.  When President Obama does something the Republicans want they then decide it is not such a good idea and go the opposite direction.  The credibility of Republicans in Congress is rapidly going into a black hole. So happy that today the President seems to just laugh it off as you cannot please these Republicans.  Today he once again is showing he can get the job done without their support.  

The President is proving to the neocons that diplomacy does work which is something they cannot seem to understand as today another Bush Administration official, Former Secretary of State Condi Rice joined Former Sec of Defense Rumsfeld and Former VP Cheney talking about being tough and trying to rally Americans to support another war.  Takes a lot of nerve from the trio that got us into Iraq on false pretenses to say anything at all.  Arrogance of former Republican leaders from the Bush Administration knows no bounds as we are seeing on an almost a daily basis.  Extremely happy that President Obama doesn't seem to pay the saber rattlers much attention.  Smart man!

The White House readout on the call is telling (Note: Russian Pravda has still not reported the call):

Readout of the call by Russian President Putin to President Obama from the White House: 

President Putin called President Obama today to discuss the U.S. proposal for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, which Secretary Kerry had again presented to Foreign Minister Lavrov at the meeting at the Hague earlier this week, and which we developed following U.S. consultations with our Ukrainian and European partners. President Obama suggested that Russia put a concrete response in writing and the presidents agreed that Kerry and Lavrov would meet to discuss next steps. 

President Obama noted that the Ukrainian government continues to take a restrained and de-escalatory approach to the crisis and is moving ahead with constitutional reform and democratic elections, and urged Russia to support this process and avoid further provocations, including the buildup of forces on its border with Ukraine. 

President Obama underscored to President Putin that the United States continues to support a diplomatic path in close consultation with the Government of Ukraine and in support of the Ukrainian people with the aim of de-escalation of the crisis. President Obama made clear that this remains possible only if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. President Obama reiterated that the United States has strongly opposed the actions that Russia has already taken to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The comments by Jason Easley, Politicususa, made my afternoon:

Bloomberg reported that the sanctions are pushing Russia’s economy towards a recession and that current sanctions will already hurt Russia’s economic growth for two quarters. Experts also suggest that the energy sector of the Russian economy could take a big hit if the sanctions are expanded. 

All of the Republicans who suggested that sanctions have been a pointless failure are wrong. The sanctions are doing what they are supposed to do. Putin is coming to the table, and he suggesting that he is ready to solve this crisis diplomatically. 

President Obama hasn’t needed troops or to threaten militarily. His administration has clearly targeted Putin and the oligarchs that control the Russian economy. Republicans have been like fanboys with their praise of Putin’s strength, but it turns out their new hero has been being brought to his knees by the intelligent and determined foreign policy of Barack Obama.

Imagine that -- sanctions are starting to work and there is zero need to even consider going to war. What do Republicans have to say now their hero, Putin, blinked?

The call from President Putin was made to President Obama while he was in Saudi Arabia today  on a formal visit with Saudi King Abdullah.   Wonder what made President Putin pick today while the President was meeting with Saudi leaders after yesterday when he met with Pope Francis?  Is Putin feeling world opinion turning against him?  Time will tell!

President Obama Bids Farewell to Pope Francis

President Obama Calls for a Recommitment to Peace in Europe During his Visit to Flanders Field Cemetery in Belgium to Honor of Our WWI Soldiers

President Obama visits Flanders Field Cemetery with Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo of Belgium and His Majesty King Phillipe to participate in a wreath laying and tour the grounds. 
Following the tour, the President, Prime Minister Di Rupo and His Majesty King Phillipe delivered statements at Flanders Field Cemetery. Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War I cemetery on the southeast edge of the town of Waregem, Belgium. This is the only American World War I cemetery in Belgium and 411 American servicemen are buried or commemorated there.

My Grandfather on Dad's side was one of the soldier's gased in WWI and died from that gasing when my Dad was five years old.  I have a vase that he had engraved to my Grandmother that sits on our old German buffet that reads from Orie to Helen 1919 with roses on the vase.  The very idea that the Germans used chemical weapons in WWI and were allowed to come back under Hitler in the 30's shows a reckless disregard for lives of our military from all nations who refused to stand up to Hitler. There is a huge difference between appeasement they did to Hitler and negotiations/sanctions being imposed by Europe and the United States on Russia.  Shame some loud mouth Republicans cannot see the difference.  How much money was made in Europe from Hitlter by Americans before WWII and was that a reason not to stand up to Hitler?  Koch Bros Father was right at the top of that food chain from Hitler but so were others.  
Unfortunately some of that mentality to rush into war still exists in the Republican Party with comments being made about Ukraine from McCain, Graham, and now Rumsfeld who takes the cake for sleaze since he was part of the rush to war in Iraq knowing a lot of the evidence they were using was false.  He, along with Cheney, could have cared less they were sending young men and women to die in a phony war.

Former Bush Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld wasn’t content with disagreeing with President Obama’s foreign policy. He felt the need to compare the first African American president to an ape.

Today's Republicans have the class of a gnat or less.  The crickets on the Republican side when remarks are made like Rumsfeld's paint a terrible picture of the lack of integrity in the Republican Party even today when we honor the men who gave their lives to defend the Belgian people.  Shame on the so-called leaders of the Republican Party to allow these crass comments to go unchallenged.  No wonder the Republican Party is beginning to show signs of disinergration with their lack of empathy and white males only matter mentality where they feel free to say anything they want no matter who gets harmed in the process.  There are no repercussions for bad manners/lies in the GOP today -- everything is fair game.

Our family proudly stands with President Obama and his stance that you only send in your men and women to fight when you are left with no other option.  Applaud the leaders of the G-7 who chose to not meet in Sochi, Russia, but meet in Brussels, Belgium, making it a G-7 not a G-8 meeting after Putin moved Russian troops into part of Ukraine.  G-7 leaders standing together give me hope for the future they will put diplomacy over rush to war and use sanctions not weapons.

As our dead and wounded from WWI are honored today, we need to remember in war more then just the solder feels the pain as it extends to families and friends.  My Dad grew up without a Father because of war.  This Nation has paid a terrible price over the years when it has rushed into war and escalated when there was no need.  We have to elect leaders like President Obama who will not be goaded into going into a war that could be catastrophic no matter how many names the Republicans choose to call him.  President Obama is the adult in the group not the name callers!

President Obama invoked Canadian poem "In Flanders Fields" as a call for a recommitment to peace in Europe.

Can Republicans in Congress get any Dumber with their Comments?

The answer to that question is yes!  A short time ago, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), made a fool of himself once again which seems to be happening more and more since being challenged for his Senate seat by the left and right.  What more can he ask for, he has Rand Paul on his side now. McConnell better not turn his back.  His comments about ACA made me almost laugh they are so ludicrous.  What a waste of floor time to grandstand and show America your loony agenda.

Mitch McConnell had the nerve today to demand on the Senate floor that President Obama use the State Of The Union to announce that he is ditching Obamacare:

Actually, Mitch, this isn’t the kind of reform that Kentuckians want. The Republican proposal that McConnell is touting as bipartisan reform would take away healthcare from 116,000 Kentuckians. A new poll by the Foundation For A Healthy Kentucky found that nearly 80% of Kentuckians favor the Medicaid expansion that the Republican healthcare bill would end. 60% of Kentucky Republicans support the Medicaid expansion that McConnell is trying to end. 

Mitch McConnell’s ridiculous demand that President Obama uses his State Of The Union address to announce that he is killing Obamacare is what happens when a desperate incumbent senator who is fighting for his political life puts all of his eggs in the repeal Obamacare basket. 

The Republican alternative to the ACA would raise taxes on the 150 million Americans who get their health insurance from their employer while throwing nearly 10M people off of their current health insurance.

Not to be outdone by the Minority Leader, Speaker Boehner had his moment in the limelight today which also did not go as planned:

On Tuesday morning, at a breakfast discussing the State of the Union address later in the evening, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) told reporters that President Obama is on dangerous ground on his use of executive orders. Essentially, Boehner issued a veiled threat stating that if the President thinks he can enact more change by circumventing Congress and utilizing executive orders, then Obama could be facing a backlash from Congressional Republicans. While he did not overtly state it, it seemed pretty clear he was talking about impeachment. 

“We’re just not going to sit here and let the President trample all over us. This idea that he’s just going to go it alone, I have to remind him we do have a constitution. And the Congress writes the laws, and the President’s job is to execute the laws faithfully. And if he tries to ignore this he’s going to run into a brick wall.” 

The new talking point among Republicans now seems to be that the President is mad with power and is looking to trample on the Constitution by ignoring Congress. Nevermind that the President is well within his rights to issue certain executive orders. Or that House Republicans have pretty much refused to work with the President since he was elected to his first term. It doesn’t matter. If the President has the audacity to try to get something done without the express written approval of the Party of No, then it is time for him to truly pay. 

Also at the breakfast, Boehner made an embarrassing gaffe and said that he felt that the President’s executive order that was issued earlier in the day raising the minimum wage for federal contract workers would help nobody. After the meeting with reporters, Boehner’s aides had to clarify to the press that Boehner really meant that it would not help anyone right away, as this was only for new hires and would go into effect in 2015. Of course, it seems abundantly clear that House Republicans want nothing to do with raising the minimum wage for all workers anyway, so Boehner doesn’t really care if it helps anyone or not.

For the rest of the day, Boehner has been dealing with his gaffe which a lot of people like me say it is what he really believes.  Guess Boehner forgets all the Executive Orders signed by President Bush because he was a Republican and that's okay.  Not being able to function as the President with full powers seems to only apply to Democrat Presidents.

Question is whether the GOP members of Congress will be rude to President Obama like they have in the past or will they at least treat the Office of President with respect.  My guess is that the GOP will sit there like bumps on a log or make a fool of themselves.  GOP already looks petty with the three State of Union replies they have for the President's speech.  One isn't good enough as they need three. GOP can have 50 for all I care as you couldn't pay me to watch one GOP response.  It is not hard to see they operate on narrative not on facts so why would anyone expect them to change for their Response?

At the White House Day in the Life, Dan Pfeiffer has taken over the White House Instagram account for today with the State of the Union Speech tonight:

A Day in the Life: Inside the State of the Union with Dan Pfeiffer:

Dan PfeifferJanuary 28, 2014
09:47 AM EST

After months of meetings, piles of memos and dozens of drafts, it’s gameday — and I'm taking over the White House Instagram to give you a look inside the West Wing as the President gets ready for his 5th State of the Union. Thanks for following, and be sure to watch the speech tonight at 9pm ET on WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU. 

My favorite picture from the Day in the White House for the State of the Union needs no introduction -- speaks for itself:

The cutest little bundles of fur are set for a walk!  Priorities!  Follow along at Instagram to see more pictures from the day.  Partial to pets who love you with all their heart and only asks you to love them back and if like our dog Chewie, wants spoiled all the time.

Looking at tonight's State of the Union is like our Sooner basketball game last night against our pesky rival OSU -- OU won big even though the media has over ranked and overhyped OSU.  Kind of what the inside the beltway media has done to the GOP in Congress -- overhyped their ideas and almost everything they say against this President.  Predicting the President is going to dunk on the GOP tonight and win the end game!  Will be sitting here cheering the President on and booing the GOP if they decide to be rude.   Once a sports fan always a sports fan.

President Obama and Family at Robben Island, South Africa, 2013

This past June, the Obama Family visited the prison that housed former South African President Nelson Mandela as apartheid reigned in South Africa.  The 1986 Apartheid Act was opposed by President Ronald Reagan, Dick Cheney,  Strom Thurmond,  Jesse Helms and others.  President Reagan went so far as to veto the bill.  Guess many of us should not be shocked today at what we are seeing out of the Republican Party when you realize that in 1986,  Reagan opposed the end of Apartheid.
President Obama's Remarks on Death of Nelson Mandela, 5 December 2013 Background on the Reagan and Republican Opposition to the Apartheid Act:

1985:  Democrats in the Senate initially tried to pass the Anti-Apartheid Act in September 1985 -- could not overcome a Republican filibuster. Reagan viewed the act as an intrusion on his authority to conduct foreign policy and issued his own set of sanctions. 

1986:  Bill was re-introduced in 1986 and brought up for a vote despite Republican efforts to block it in order to give President Reagan's sanctions time to work. Passed unexpectedly in the House in June 1986 after Republicans agreed to a voice vote in the hopes that the bill would die later on in the process.  President Reagan publicly opposed the bill.  Viewed too extreme to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate.  In August 1986, Senate passed a version of the Anti-Apartheid Act with weaker sanctions by a margin of 84- 14.  

Democratic leaders in the House agreed to accept the weaker Senate version of the bill in order for it to have sufficient bipartisan support to avert a possible veto which didn't work.
Reagan vetoed the compromised bill on September 26, calling it "economic warfare" and alleging that it would mostly hurt the impoverished black majority and lead to more civil strife.  He again offered to impose sanctions via executive order, while also working with Senate Republicans on concessions to avoid them overriding his veto. Reagan's veto was attacked harshly by anti-Apartheid leaders like Desmond Tutu who said Reagan would be "judged harshly by history".  In the week leading up to the subsequent vote, President Reagan enlisted South African foreign minister Pik Botha to call Republicans on the fence, though this was seen to backfire.

Reagan's veto was overridden by Congress (by the Senate 78 to 21, the House by 313 to 83) on October 2. This override marked the first time in the twentieth century that a president had a foreign policy veto overridden. Apartheid opponents in America and South Africa applauded the vote, while critics argued that it would be either ineffectual or lead to more violence. 

President Reagan made the following statement after the override:

"Today's Senate vote should not be viewed as the final chapter in America's efforts, along with our allies, to address the plight of the people of South Africa. Instead, it underscores that America—and that means all of us—opposes apartheid, a malevolent and archaic system totally alien to our ideals. The debate, which culminated in today's vote, was not whether or not to oppose apartheid but, instead, how best to oppose it and how best to bring freedom to that troubled country. 

I deeply regret that Congress has seen fit to override my veto of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986. Punitive sanctions, I believe, are not the best course of action; they hurt the very people they are intended to help. My hope is that these punitive sanctions do not lead to more violence and more repression. Our administration will, nevertheless, implement the law. It must be recognized, however, that this will not solve the serious problems that plague that country. The United States must also move forward with positive measures to encourage peaceful change and advance the cause of democracy in South Africa. 

Now is the time for South Africa's Government to act with courage and good sense to avert a crisis. Moderate black leaders who are committed to democracy and oppose revolutionary violence are ready to work for peaceful change. They should not be kept waiting. It would be tragic to lose this opportunity to create a truly free society which respects the rights of the majority, the minority, and the individual. There is still time for orderly change and peaceful reform. South Africans of good will, black and white, should seize the moment."

The override was seen as a major defeat for Reagan, coming at the hands of his fellow Republicans in Congress. It was subsequently revealed that there was significant debate within the White House between Reagan's political advisors advocating more compromise and those like Pat Buchanan and Donald Regan who supported Reagan's hard line against sanctions.

After 2 years of sanctions under President Reagan, the sanctions were seen as having little effect in hurting South Africa or moving them away from apartheid. In 1989, the General Accounting Office said in a report that the sanctions against South Africa had been only partially enforced by the Reagan administration.  In 1989, the newly elected President George H.W. Bush committed to "full enforcement" of the Anti-Apartheid Act, a departure from the Reagan administration`s policy.

When I was reading this from Wikipedia and following the sources, it was like I was reading it for the first time and then I remembered during this time our family made two moves in less than 10 months with two young children being in three different schools and a toddler at home.  Moving from the west coast to New England and nine months later to Ohio didn't leave a lot of time to know what was  going on in the world especially since we lived in Groton, MA, after moving from NH with NO cable and poor reception.  We could get the news out of NH where one guy reported everything or out of CT. We had one Boston station we could get a night yet we kept hearing how progressive Massachusetts was -- not where we lived.

Tomorrow President and Mrs. Obama accompanied by former President and Mrs. Bush will be attending the funeral of a man who never gave up and who will be remembered for the ages -- Nelson Mandela who with others ended apartheid in South Africa and started a movement heard round the world.

God speed President Mandela and thank you for opening the eyes of the world.  

Thank You President Obama for Standing for the American People!

This President speaks for me today.

Brookings is now saying that the Republicans in Congress are more of a threat to this Country then Al Qaeda which I happen to agree. There has been $24B taken out of our economy because of the hard right Koch Bros Tea Party 'my way or no way' group in the House and Senate. The so-called leadership had to wait 16 days before they would tell the Tea Party faction to shove it and work with Democrats.  Shows lack of spine on the part of House Leadership!

Only 1 in 3 of the House GOP Conference voted to end the shutdown and avoid default by working with Democrats to end the stalemate. Is January going to be another replay of this crap?

This also shows that there are more then 30-40 hard right Tea Party holding up reopening of Government as only 87 Republicans voted to reopen and avoid default.  We had one Representative Tom Cole here in Oklahoma vote to reopen/avoid default but the other four hard right voted to keep Government shut. Not one Texas Republican voted to open the Government and avoid default.  It shows Texas GOP is firmly following Ted Cruz, the Freshman Senator who is so arrogant that he is scary, yet the hard right loves him.  He doesn't care about the America people only the fact that he brought in a lot of money in campaign donations and now has a much larger email list - might as well have said "To He** with the American people!"

President Obama thanks the Federal Workers while the GOP attacks them.  Says all you need to know as a Federal Employee, current and retired, who stands for us -- it is the President!

President Obama's Week in Review

This was the President and First Lady's week.  What did Republicans in Congress accomplish?  All I hear from the House Republicans is they want to shut down the Government if Obama doesn't give in on Obamacare and delay for a year which is not happening.  That's their plan and threat to stop Government in its tracks to get him to agree to their agenda.  Are Republicans dumb or what?  
Some Republican office holders even agreed with Putin from Russia when he attacked Obama for his words on Syria about American Exceptionlism.  Suggested on Twitter that they pick up and move to Russia since they loved Putin so much.  Looks like there is no common sense left in the GOP when they had the hard right Senator, Rand Paul, give a counter to the President's speech.  That's scrapping the bottom of the barrel.
The President did an outstanding job with his speech and now the diplomatic channels are open to end chemical weapons in Syria without firing a missle or bombing.  Now can we get rid of chemical weapons from Israel?  No chemical weapons should be in the volatile Middle East for some rogue group to get their hands on them.   Neither Syria nor Israel ratified the ban on use of chemical weapons treaty.  Israel did sign unlike Syria but yet refused to ratify.  
Enjoy this synopsis of the week of the President and First Lady:

Alicia Oken

September 13, 2013 

06:06 PM EDT

Syria: On Tuesday, the President traveled to the Capitol to meet with the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Senate Republican Conference to discuss the situation in Syria.

A little after 9:00 PM that night, President Obama addressed the nation on the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons.

America is not the world’s policeman.  Terrible things happen across the globe, and it is beyond our means to right every wrong.  But when, with modest effort and risk, we can stop children from being gassed to death, and thereby make our own children safer over the long run, I believe we should act.  That’s what makes America different.  That’s what makes us exceptional.  With humility, but with resolve, let us never lose sight of that essential truth. 

During his address, he explained his reasons behind calling for a military strike, laid out his reasons for asking Congress to authorize the use of force, and described how the threat of U.S. action has created the potential for a diplomatic breakthrough. See the President’s remarks on Syria here.

Remembering September 11^th: On Wednesday, the First and Second Families honored those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. At 8:46 AM, President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden were joined by White House staff to observe a moment of silence on the South Lawn—marking the moment the first plane hit the World Trade Center twelve years ago.

The President then traveled to the Pentagon Memorial for the September 11^th Observance ceremony, where he laid a wreath at the Zero Age Line and observed a moment of silence for the 184 victims of the attack at the Pentagon. “They left this Earth. They slipped from our grasp.  But it was written, ‘What the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose,’” the President said. Read the President’s full remarks here.

President Obama then volunteered at Food & Friends, a D.C. service organization that provides meals to people with serious illnesses, to commemorate the September 11^th National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Meanwhile, First Lady Michelle Obama visited the USO Warrior and Family Center and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Fort Belvoir, VA. The First Lady started her visit crafting with military children before touring the NICoE and meeting with recovering military personnel.

Later that evening, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a BBQ at their home to honor Wounded Warriors and their families.

Drink More Water: The First Lady traveled to Watertown, WI to launch a nationwide effort to encourage Americans to drink more water. “Drink just one more glass of water a day and you can make a real difference for your health, for your energy, and the way that you feel,” she said.

Meeting with the Cabinet: On Thursday, President Obama met with his Cabinet for the third time this year. They discussed steps to improve education, how to put people back to work, along with other issues going on with the government. Check out his full remarks here.

President Obama Spoke for All Americans in Hornoring the 50th Anniversary of Dr. King's March on Washington

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.  (Dr. Martin Luther King, 28 August, 1963, from his speech at the Lincoln Memorial)

This speech by President Obama at the Lincoln Memorial yesterday honoring the 50th Anniversary of Dr. King's March on Washington where he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech makes me proud of the vote I cast as a Republican for Barack Obama for President on November 6th, 2012.  He truly is a man of all the people in this Country no matter what the hard right has to say which includes most Republican members of Congress.

Not one Republican member of the Congress showed up to the event yesterday even though they all received invitations from the organizing group who also asked Republican Congressional leadership to talk at the event.  The new black South Carolina Senator Scott's office had the audacity to say he didn't receive an invite, then it was lost in the mail, but the real reason is that no Republicans showed up and he refused to attend for IMO fear of the hard right constituents.  That's sad out of a Party that talks about a restart with the minority community when they won't even attend the 50th Anniversary March on Washington by Dr. King and thousands of Americans across the Country.

Shame on Congressional Republicans.  GOP doesn't need to ask for my vote in November 2014 because my vote goes to the people who truly stand for "We the People" meaning every last person no matter race or nationality or gender.

This speech by President Obama sent chills up my spine when he talks about We the People are marching.  He has my full support!


Watch: President Obama's speech from the Lincoln Memorial

50 Years of American Heroes

Valerie Jarrett

August 28, 2013 

07:52 PM EDT 

Read his full remarks 

Fifty years ago, the heroic voice of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. rang out across our capital, our country, and the world, and called on us to become the more perfect union he believed we were destined to be. A country which endows every man, woman and child with unalienable rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  

These are words which we repeat so often, that their depth and relevance today can easily be missed. 

Any nation which pledges to honor its citizen’s right to “life” should enact and protect laws which ensure high quality and affordable access to the doctors, treatment, and preventative care we need to live full and healthy lives.   

Any country committed to defending “liberty” should protect our fundamental right as Americans; the right to vote. Our liberty is dependent upon free and inclusive elections, and our ability to peacefully hold our leaders accountable, while directing the course of our country. Dr. King was the first to tell us that the “arc of the moral universe is long, but that it bends toward justice.” President Obama went further today, to remind us all that "the arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it doesn't bend on its own." 

The right to “pursue happiness” is most secure when we put the education of all of our children, the growth of our economy, the health of our businesses, the creation of jobs, and the stability of our markets ahead of self-interest, and political posturing. Every American deserves to feel the pride of a hard-earned paycheck, and the opportunity to achieve their dreams, regardless of who they are, or the zip code of their birth. 

As we reflect on the tremendous progress made over the past half-century, we honor those brave leaders who paved the way, and upon whose shoulders we all stand, by recognizing our responsibility to undertake the immense job still at hand. This is a time to reaffirm our commitment to the ideals on which America was founded, and to help ensure this country continues to “rise up,” as Dr. King declared 50 years ago, and “live out the true meaning of its creed.”  

As President Obama traced the steps of giants today, let us also remember the extraordinary things accomplished by the countless ordinary people, who President Obama often calls America’s “quiet heroes.” They are our parents and grandparents; our coworkers, classmates, and neighbors. They are the men and women in this country who have rolled up their sleeves, and laced up their work boots every day over the past five decades to move this country forward. Some who marched – others who simply took the early shift, year after year, so they would be home in time to cook dinner for their families before heading to a second job. Let us remember the many who have faced down violence, despair, and incredible odds, just to give their children a chance at a better life, and our country the chance to live up to its full potential.  

Today we salute the heroes who inspired us 50 years ago, and we honor the millions more whose blood, sweat, and divine strength have served to define our nation. We honor them with our reverence, and our willingness to sacrifice for the greater good, and march on.  We honor them with our urgent action to deliver all Americans the rights and opportunities they deserve.    

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."  (Martin Luther King Jr., 16 April 1963, Birmingham, AL)

This picture of President Barack and Michelle Obama from in front of the statute of Abraham Lincoln shows how far we have come as a Nation - we cannot retreat now but must move forward to ensure that all people have the same rights including the Right to Vote without suppression.  Not all Republicans support the hard right voter suppression laws being passed and are starting to speak out like General Colin Powell and Cong James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) who believes the Voting Rights Act portion the SCOTUS threw out was wrong and needs rewritten to make sure all have an equal right to vote.   As Head of the House Judiciary, he intends to get the job done in rewriting the law and getting it passed and signed by the President.  The big question is whether GOP leadership will allow his bill to come for a vote.   It is up to all of us to make sure our elected Representatives know we want the Voting Rights Act fully restored and fully implemented.

God Bless this President who is standing tall in the face of chaos created by Congressional Republicans with their hard right stances and refusal to compromise in order not to see the President win a fight.   The 'my way or no way' hard right is going to find out when they return to DC after their boondoggle for five weeks that this President is in no mood for their antics.  As time has passed, we have witnessed this President grow in the job.  Am proud to say that I stand with President Obama on the debt ceiling and budget fights against the shenanigans on the hard right of the House and Senate who do not have the best interests of the American people and this Country at Heart.

Time to move American forward by passing a new Voting Rights Act,  Immigration, Gun Registration, a budget, and most importantly the increase in the debt ceiling without any strings attached.  The American people deserve no less!

Affordable Care Act (ACA) is Working to the Dismay of the GOP and Koch Bros

Koch Bros launch disinformation campaign using their Americans for Prosperity (AFP) against the Affordable Care Act (ACT) with support from Republicans

President Obama Speaks on the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

July 18, 2013 | 15:49 | Public Domain

President Obama explains how the Affordable Care Act is putting money back into the pockets of millions of Americans thanks to a provision in the health reform law that requires insurance companies spend 80 percent of its customers premiums on medical care, rather than administrative costs.

You have the facts on what is happening with the ACA from the President along with studies that have been done like those from Kaiser Family Foundation that back the Administration versus the disinformation campaign of the Koch Bros.  Makes you wonder why the Koch Bros are leading the fight against a health care program that is working.   Do the Koch Bros hate the President that much to spend millions through Americans for Prosperity (AFP) in a disinformation campaign for Republicans or is it their bottom line as they are cheapskates when it comes to their employees or is it both?  Are they afraid ACA will be successful and they will have to provide the coverage for their employees?  Do the Koch Bros currently provide second rate health care coverage to employees?   

From Think Progress comes the video of their first ad by their mouthpiece group Americans for Prosperity which is actually a lie but guess that is what a disinformation campaign is all about -- lies.  Even the Wall Street Journal which AFP spokesman gave as a link to substantiate their claim actually undermines the AFP ad:

Americans for Prosperity — a conservative group funded by the Koch brothers — is spending millions on ads that aim to turn Americans against the Affordable Care Act, just as government officials prepare to enroll the uninsured in the law’s new health care exchanges beginning on October 1. The campaign will eschew attacks on President Obama in favor of a new non-ideological tone that could appeal “young women” who watch the Food Network, “Law & Order,” and “Good Morning America.” 

The goal is to “start softening the ground” ahead of implementation, Tim Phillips, the group’s president told the New York Times. “Too often we fell into a broad-based ideological argument, and I think we failed to get at ‘Look at what they’re doing and how it impacts you,’ ” he said. “I think where we win is on the impact of a specific policy.” 

But if the group’s first TV ad, titled “Questions,” is any indication the new spots are no more honest than the partisan advertisements from 2012. The commercial opens with “Julie,” a mother of two, who tells the camera that she “has some questions about Obamacare,” but is then quick to offer false answers about the effects of reform: 

JULIE: If we can’t pick our own doctor, how do I know our family is going to get the care they need? And what am I getting in exchange for higher premiums and a smaller paycheck? Can I really try the folks in Washington with my family’s health care? I think we all deserve some answers.

Nothing in the law prevents patients from choosing their own doctors — uninsured patients who seek coverage through the exchanges will have access to the doctors who accept the private insurers that participate in the new marketplaces and individuals and families with employer-based coverage probably won’t see any changes at all. 

Asked to substantiate Julie’s claim, AFP spokesperson Levi Russell pointed to a Wall Street Journal article from March of 2013, which actually seems to undermine the ad’s argument.

Have conservatives forgotten how to tell the truth?  Yesterday the House GOP took another vote against ACA this time to delay individual implementation which they know full well will never get through the Senate and would be vetoed by the President.  Are they that stupid or do they want to make sure they are still supported by the Koch Bros and their organizations for their campaigns?  Actually I think they are both stupid and bought and paid for by the Koch Bros.  Voters need to take notice House Republicans could care less about the American people and refuse to work with anyone who doesn't subscribe to their agenda.  Their oath means nothing to this group of do-nothing House Republicans as they continue to obstruct.

Looks like Republicans are having a meltdown because the facts are coming out on how the ACA is saving money.  There is a catch that most likey bothers Republicans and some donors -- insurance companies have to pay 80 to 85 percent of premium dollars on actual health care instead of administrative costs.  Is this why some insurance companies are giving big donations to Republicans?  Are some insurance companies opposed to spending money they collect from premiums on better health care instead of more bureaucracy? 

According to a new report, Americans buying individual market health insurance saved $1.2 billion in 2011 and $2.1 billion in 2012 because law has begun to hold insurance companies accountable. 

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are required to spend 80 to 85 percent of premium dollars on medical care and health care quality improvement, rather than on administrative costs. If they don’t, the insurance companies must provide a rebate to their customers. Last year, over 13 million consumers received $1.1 billion in rebates – the average consumer rebate was around $151. 

Today a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation provides the most complete look yet at the benefits of the policy. In addition to rebates from insurers who are charging more for overhead than care (those with medical loss ratios below 80 percent), the report estimates the savings that resulted from insurers exceeding 80 percent, who provided more value for each consumer dollar than history shows they otherwise would have. 

The study found that the average medical loss ratio went from 78 percent in the individual market in 2010 to 83 percent in 2012 in the individual market. Had medical loss ratios remained at 2010 levels, premiums would have been much higher than they actually were. Combining these savings from better medical loss ratios with rebates, the Kaiser analysis estimates that the 80 / 20 rule yielded $3.2 billion in lower health care costs to consumers – not counting savings to employers’ health plans. 

And the 2012 rebates for consumers are on their way. While final rebate totals are still being tallied, some States are reporting early results. According to the Los Angeles Times, so far, insurers in California will provide rebates totaling $44.5 million by August. For example, Blue Shield of California will provide $24.5 million in rebates to 29,000 small businesses with 90,000 enrollees. Kaiser Permanente will provide $2.7 million to 66,000 enrollees in the individual market.

Welcome to Oklahoma one of the Red States owned by ALEC and the Koch Brothers who are fighting the Affordable Care Act:

Thousands to lose health coverage if changes not made to “Insure Oklahoma” 

Posted on: 11:28 am, July 18, 2013, by KFOR-TV 

OKLAHOMA CITY–Thousands of Oklahomans who relay on the state to help with affordable health care could soon be losing their coverage. 

The state was warned in May that if changes were not made to the “Insure Oklahoma” program to comply with the Affordable Care Act, federal funding for the program would end. 

Recently, two senators attempted to make changes to Senate Bill 640. 

However, it was not brought up before the end of the session. 

Now, some lawmakers are wanting to call a special session to address the deadline. 

They say if the Legislature does not act, more than 30,000 residents would lose their coverage.

Because of the stubbornness of the Oklahoma legislature in not taking care of Oklahomans, over 30,000 residents could lose their health care coverage.   It is quite obvious that at all levels the new hard right Republicans don't care about people or who they hurt as long as they keep their hard right base happy along with wealthy donors.

For a state that is so quick to offer help to their neighbors in an emergency, it is ludicrous to have a legislature who is against the Affordable Care Act which will help people because it comes from a Democrat President.  That is just flat out childish on the part of Republicans and their hard right followers.

Will Oklahoma residents wake up to what has happened to our State since Republicans took full control of the State Legislature and now Statewide offices?  Will Oklahoma voters rebel in November 2014?   Oklahoma Democrats need leadership that will take on the hard right and go toe to toe with them.  Right now that State leadership seems to be missing.

It is not healthy for any one party to control a state IMO - you need checks and balances.  We have none in Oklahoma.  Time for change!

President Obama's Plan for Climate Change Charts a Path for the Future

Wherever somone stands on climate change, I have never figured out why they would not want to do more to help our environment.  Why take a chance?  
Climate skeptics diss science and yet want us to believe they are on the right side of the debate?   Would much rather air on the side of the people who are doing things to help our environment not on the side of business as usual and it is all junk science like Sen Inhofe (R-OK) likes to tell us all.   May was the oddest month, we have experienced since moving to Oklahoma - huge tornadoes within a couple of days of each other, cooler temperatures and broke records for amount of rain and cold.  Latest I have planted my garden since moving to Oklahoma.   Yet conservatives still deny there is any climate change as they morph into pretzels trying to convince people they have all the answers but don't believe in science.  
The President gave a very speech on Climate Change and the White House website at the link below has some really good information. You can view the President's Plan on Climate Change at the White House website. Part of his plan includes wind and solar energy.  I whole heartedly support both.  We had solar hot water when we lived in SoCal and it was great.  In the summer, spring, and fall, the backup gas hotwater tank never came on.  In fact, we turned it off.  Wouldn't mind having solar hot water again.   Living in Norman, it has been easy to help the environment.  Signed up for 100% windpower from OGE along with their smart grid and smart meter.  Get price alert signal for weekdays so from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, I agree not to use as much energy or the cost is higher.   It is very simple and every week when I get a summary of energy used, I love being at the low end.  Saved a lot of money last summer and intend to save even more this summer with being careful of using big appliances during key times.   Also recycle everything I can at the huge recycle bins in Norman about every two weeks.  We also have curbside recycling but it is easier to gather everything up and take it to the recycling area.  Then I can always stop and get a custard on the way home.   President Obama made the right decision in turning down the northern Keystone Pipeline.   Tar Sands is the last thing we want running through pipes.  Let the Canadians send it to Vancouver instead of down through the states with a huge possibility of a spill which would devastate the environment.   This is not the type of oil we want flowing through any pipeline in the United States.  Wish he would end fracking as well that is using so much of the water supply and then contaminating water because of the chemicals that are used.   Water is a precious resource not to messed with my oil and gas companies who put greed before the environment especially when fracking.  Guess I go back to being a Teddy Roosevelt Republican who believed in preserving our land for future generations which is lost on today's Republicans.   Minority Leader McConnell came out trashing the President's plan before the plan was released.  The Congress probably has the worst GOP leadership in the House and Senate ever.  Hard to believe they are even Senators the way they talk and act.  They are like little puppets for oil and gas, NRA, and wealthy donors starting with the Koch's.  IMHO, the Senate Republicans only got on board the Immigration bill as they know it is DOA in the House.  That was easy to figure out as everything is DOA in the House except for anti-abortion and anti-gay bills.   Social conservatives rule the Republican Party today which includes the deniers of climate change.  Not shocking when you discover they believe man roamed the earth with the dinosaurs  6,000 - 9,000 years ago because that is when the earth was formed.  Forgot real science as the evangelicals of this Country have their own version we are supposed to follow.   President Obama laid out a plan which is a great start to getting a handle on improving our environment with the air we breath and the water we drink.   Let's move America forward by becoming more energy efficient and help the world at the same time.  Plant a tree, drive less, recycle, and cut back on energy you use for starters.  If everyone does that, it will make a difference.   Oklahoma, an oil and gas state, is leading the way with windpower and smart grid with smart meters.  Governors Fallin (R-OK) and Hickenlooper (D-CO) have launched an intiataive for state vehicles to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).  Here in Norman the University of Oklahoma was the first to start converting their fleet of vehicles to CNG including their buses and now the City of Norman is even ordering garbage trucks that run on CNG.  When I see $1.03 per gallon for CNG versus my $3.39 makes me want to switch. Key to success of the President's Agenda for Climate change is ousting hard right Republicans from the House to return some common sense to the dicussion.

President Obama Puts Americans First in Disasters Over Politics

Thank you President Obama for caring about all Americans.  Oklahomans with the recent tornadoes saw it first hand with the President's visit on Sunday.  FEMA was on the ground in Moore rapidly with search and rescue and then other resources as President Obama signed the emergency declaration right away.

Tears: Obama wipes away tears after hugging Plaza Tower Elementary School
 Principal Amy Simpson in Moore, Oklahoma, May 26, 2013
Read More at Daily Mail.co.uk

When I joined Republicans for Obama last summer it was because I saw what had been accomplished by President Obama and his Team on a wide variety of issues.  There was one issue that stood out in disaster after disaster which has been the quick response from FEMA to the communities who have suffered a natural disaster. What a contrast to FEMA under the Bush Administration which was a nightmare not only with Katrina but other natural disasters.  FEMA didn't get their act together until Barack Obama became President and appointed Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security and  Craig Fugate as Director of FEMA.  There is no politics with his visits - this is about him as President and his looking out for all Americans.

Good morning -- On Sunday, I was in Moore, Oklahoma. Today, I'm headed to the Jersey Shore. Those two communities are separated by half a continent but united by a common sense of purpose. Like Joplin, Tuscaloosa, and New Orleans, they are home to people who've seen nature at its worst and humanity at its best. And they're filled with those who have made the choice to rebuild after disaster, to come back stronger than ever. The scene on the ground this weekend was one we all know too well: homes wrecked and neighborhoods devastated. But the memories I'll take away from Moore will be of people standing tall, of neighbor helping neighbor, of survivors working to ensure that no one suffers through tragedy alone. And that too, was strikingly familiar. I could have been back in Brigantine Beach after Hurricane Sandy. I could have been in Joplin in 2011. It's because of those past experiences in places like New Jersey and Missouri that I have faith that Moore will emerge from the wreckage of this tornado stronger than ever. And that's in part because I know that they won't undertake the road to recovery alone. This was a national tragedy, and that demands a national response. If you want to help, the best way to support those affected by this storm is to make a financial contribution to the voluntary organization of your choice. The best way to volunteer is to affiliate with an organization that is already providing support to survivors. We've set up a page to help steer you in the right direction. Check it out to get started: http://www.whitehouse.gov/oklahoma Thank you, President Barack Obama

President Obama set the right tone for Oklahomans in his speech following his tour of Moore.  Natural disasters like Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina or tornadoes that hit Joplin, MO, and now Moore for the third time are too much for states to handle as the Federal Government can mobilize so many more resources.  I was one of the ones ready to do away with FEMA after their mismanagement on Katrina, but now under Obama they have shown what a tremendous resource they are in times of disaster in the states.
Was proud of Obama and Governor Christie of New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy destroyed so much of New Jersey as they put politics on the back burner even as Romney and Republicans got mad at Christie for hosting the President.  Today Obama is back in New Jersey with Governor Christie to tour the Jersey Shore and other places to see the progress that has been made.  Jersey Shore is now open for the summer and the State of New Jersey will be seeing the results in their tax revenue.  There is still a lot of rebuilding to do but they are making great progress in New Jersey.  This picture of the two is from the Jersey Shore today:

Obama is not meeting with the most likely Democrat for Governor to oppose Christie today because this is about him being President and meeting with the Governor of New Jersey on recovery efforts not as a Democrat.  That is something I have admired in the President for a long time and one reason why I supported him in 2012.  If I had it to do over again, I would have supported him in 2008 but I swallowed the GOP koolaid which has turned to vinegar now.
The response of the Oklahoma delegation toward President Obama has been beyond disgusting since the night of the Inauguration in 2009 when Sen Coburn met with other Republicans to map out how to obstruct the President.  We witnessed Sen Inhofe make a fool of himself over Secretary of Defense Hagel's confirmation and then Benghazi.  Just days before the tornado hit, Tom Cole was infuriated over the IRS scandal which turned out to be a joke BTW only 1/3 of conservative groups have been scrutinized while  2/3's of liberal groups were put under the microscope of IRS.  Cole is friends with Issa who has a real sketchy background and should have never been named to investigate anything. 
On the night of the Moore tornado, President Obama called Cong Cole after he had talked to Governor Fallin asking how Cole was doing since he lives in Moore.  He promised that FEMA would be there to help out - that was an understatement as they moved in rapidly and now have dump trucks removing debris.  With all the knowledge of the attacks against the President by the whole Oklahoma delegation, he shoved that to the side to come to Oklahoma Sunday as the President of ALL the people to see first hand the devastation and what needed to be done.  Then he promised the people of Oklahoma that the Federal Government will be helping out for the long haul.  
Some people in Oklahoma are slowly waking up the reality that Obama is standing with Oklahomans while part of our delegation led by Coburn sees no need for the Federal Government to be involved.  Some of the hard right legislators used the Baptist Prayer Service Sunday night for photo ops for their campaigns.  Guess the Baptists forgot that not all of Oklahoma are Baptists.  
Time for Oklahoma to fully wake up and realize that the hard right agenda is not good for the State or the Federal Government and vote for common sense candidates for office.  Time to throw out anyone associated with the Tea Party.