Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

President Barack Obama shows Washington, D.C. area students, who were featured in the Washington Post, the valet button on his desk during their visit to the Oval Office, Feb. 5, 2010.
——Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

Good Afternoon.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day

You haven’t uttered a word so far. Why now?
I feel comfortable talking now, because Johnny went public and made a statement admitting paternity. I didn’t feel like I could ever speak until he did that. Because had I spoken, I would have emasculated him. And I could not emasculate him. Also, it is not my desire to teach my daughter that when Mommy’s upset with Daddy, you take matters into your own hands and fix Daddy’s mistakes. Which I view as one of the biggest problems in all female-and-male relationships.

We’ll get to that. But first, we should make it clear: You’re not making a penny from this interview.
[laughs] I am not making a penny from this interview!

I would imagine you could have sold out a hundred times.
I could have cashed out big. But that’s not what I’m about. I love Johnny and I love my daughter more than anything in the world, and I don’t want to ever do anything to hurt them or hurt their relationship.

Adorable.

Good Morning.

As you begin a new week, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

In case y’all didn’t know, the good Reverend and head of “Focus on the Family” got pink-slipped from the organization he founded.  From the Wall Street Journal:

DENVER—Focus on the Family, the evangelical radio ministry that grew into a powerhouse of the religious right, enters a new era this month as founder James Dobson steps down, ceding his microphone to a leader with a markedly different style and set of priorities.

Mr. Dobson, a 73-year-old child psychologist, will record the last of his daily radio broadcasts for the Colorado Springs-based ministry this month.

But, he’s not really gone from the airwaves – he will get another gig, but it can’t be linked to the Focus on the Family Brand:

It is unclear whether the organization will retain its political clout and loyal base once Mr. Dobson leaves. The transition is further complicated because Mr. Dobson plans to launch a new radio show, “James Dobson on the Family,” to address what he called “a moral decline of shocking dimensions” in American culture.

John Aravosis at AmericaBlog ain’t buying it:

I had heard a while back that Dobson appeared to be losing his empire, but this appears to be confirmation.

Dobson is – was – THE leader of the religious right. They didn’t come any badder than him. I remember a Republican friend telling me, only a few years back, that the GOP tended to think of the religious right as nutballs, other than Dobson. Dobson they feared.

Not any more.

A prominent friend and supporter of James Dobson believes Dobson was pushed aside by the new leadership of Focus on the Family, who want the powerhouse evangelical ministry to project a softer image on issues ranging from abortion to gay marriage to relations with President Obama.

“[T]the board of directors voted privately on Wednesday — before we got there — to ask for my resignation, although their request was made with kindness and respect. We can only guess the reason for their decision because frankly I don’t fully know,” Dobson said. “But it apparently has to do with the desire for closure on my tenure and the beginning of another.”

The “friend” quoted in the article is another arch-homophobe mega-Pastor Ken Hutcherson, whom Aravosis gave a beat down regarding MicroSoft and gay rights a few months back.  However, Aravosis is arguing for voting out the Democrats in 2010 and beyond, which raises my ReThug meter, because he tends to forget that the Democrats didn’t usher in deregulation legislation which has lead to the shyt pile now facing the government; St. Ronnie Raygun and his GOP Thugs did that and continued to do it with the help of Bill Clinton and GeeShrubya for the past 30+ years.  I do, however, agree with his assessment that the Democrats cave in all the doggone time, even in opportunities when they can mop up the Republicans with their own petards.

I guess when Pastor Dobson was praying for “Deliverance from the Evil One” he didn’t realize that God heard his prayers and decided the best thing for Focus on the Family was for Dobson to get a pink-slip.

Oh, the irony….

Good Morning.

As you go through your weekend with family and friends, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

Taking a break from the health care debate, President Obama discussed the topic of education in his latest Weekly Address. Specifically, President Obama outlined his administration’s plans to make changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (otherwise known as “No Child Left Behind”).

“[O]n Monday, my administration will send to Congress our blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind. What this plan recognizes is that while the federal government can play a leading role in encouraging the reforms and high standards we need, the impetus for that change will come from states, and from local schools and school districts. So, yes, we set a high bar – but we also provide educators the flexibility to reach it. Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down. For the majority of schools that fall in between – schools that do well but could do better – we will encourage continuous improvement to help keep our young people on track for a bright future: prepared for the jobs of the 21st Century. And because the most important factor in a child’s success is the person standing at the front of the classroom, we will better prepare teachers, support teachers, and encourage teachers to stay in the field. In short, we’ll treat the people who educate our sons and daughters like the professionals they are.”

The House Committee on Labor and Education reports that Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, March 17, to further discuss changes to No Child Left Behind.

Obama at Yellowstone National Park Video Footage

Good Morning.

As you go through your weekend with family and friends, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

A Little Four Page Bill Cure-All
by Steven D
Wed Mar 10th, 2010 at 05:32:25 PM EST

It’s a bill introduced by Rep. Alan Grayson to allow any American to buy in to Medicare buy at cost. I know I’m dreaming, but wouldn’t it be nice to see it passed?

Please, if you can, tell me what’s wrong with a bill that would increase competition, increase health care coverage and is not mandatory? No one would have to get rid of their old insurance coverage if that’s what they preferred, but neither would anyone be forced to stay at a bad job to keep their health insurance, or pay ridiculous rate hikes every year, or risk losing their insurance coverage if they lost their job, or have their claims for treatment denied at the whim of an insurance company executive. Aren’t we a nation that believes in the market? Well why don’t we let the market work? In my neck of the woods (lot’s of woods actually) we have basically two health care providers. The rates they charge are effectively the same. You can pay a lot for really crappy coverage or you can pay a lot more for somewhat better coverage.

Good Afternoon.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day

If you did not commit a crime, don’t plead guilty and sign a plea bargain unless, of course, you’re trying to protect someone. You should be especially mindful of not doing this in any circumstance involving the federal government.

Once you put your signature on a plea agreement in which you are willing to accept a reduced sentence in exchange for not getting a lot more time, your sentencing before the judge is not the point at which you should object to what is taking place. The sentencing is where you sniffle tearfully while apologizing to people and appreciating the court’s mercy and all that other stuff.

Monica Conyers appears to have missed this memo, but I figured maybe some other wayward soul could find it useful

Conyers, who is married to U.S. Rep. John Conyers — who was not in court and did not comment — pleaded guilty last summer for her role in a bribery scheme involving a $1.2-billion sludge hauling contract between the city and Texas-based Synagro Technologies.

Conyers is to report to prison July 1.

But, later Wednesday, Conyers filed a notice to appeal and was appointed representation by the Federal Defender’s Office.

Although defendants often are allowed to appeal rulings, there is a question if that applies to Conyers in this case because she signed a plea agreement as part of her admission of guilt on June 22 that indicates if the sentence imposed falls at 60 months or less, “defendant waives any right to appeal her conviction or sentence.”

…What did she think was going to happen? A free pass for having the courage to admit to bribery charges?

FYI, Mrs Conyers: The plea deal is the pass.

Here, Jon Stewart confronts that sadistic hypocrite Marc Theissen on torture. Yes, it’s shocking that this interview had to take place on a comedy network, but that’s the world we inhabit:

Lawrence O’Donnell also handed Thiessen his lunch on Morning Joke.

Good Morning.

TGIF and spend some of it at JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

From The Seattle Times

Boy who lost mom takes health-care story to D.C.
By Kyung M. Song

WASHINGTON — Marcelas Owens may be the only health-care lobbyist around here who needs an excused absence from school.

The fifth-grader at Seattle’s Orca K-8 school has been campaigning for changes in the health-care system since his mother died after she fell ill and lost her job and insurance coverage. He was 7 at the time.

Owens has told his story to Sen. Patty Murray, who, in turn, has retold it on the Senate floor as well as to President Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden.

On Tuesday, Marcelas is taking part in a protest rally in Washington, D.C., against insurance companies organized by Health Care for America Now, a nationwide lobbying campaign. He also is planning to buttonhole lawmakers, speak at a hearing and wage a sit-in as the yearlong congressional debate on health care approaches what may be a final showdown.

Health Care for America Now paid to take the boy and his grandmother to D.C.

Good Afternoon.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day

Even more importantly given the state of our economy, the legislation is projected to create 168,000 local jobs in communities all across the country. That, more than anything else, is what Americans urgently want, particularly the people who have been hardest hit by the tough economic times – poor people and people of color.

While job creation is the consensus number one national priority at the moment, global climate change threatens not only the long-term health of the planet but our economic viability as well. We believe that the solution to both these crucial problems is a clean energy economy that creates million of green jobs that do not harm the planet. Home Star moves us in the right direction. And it is exactly the kind of innovative thinking and leadership that the American people want.

That was evident this week in the results of a survey by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies which found that African Americans — who as a group were disproportionately impacted by the recession — said they were willing to pay more for clean energy in order to combat global warming.

During the last three weeks of November 2009, The Joint Center, a Washington think tank focused on African American issues, surveyed 500 black adults in each of four states — Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and South Carolina. By considerable majorities in each state [See Table 6 of Survey], they said global warming was a major or moderate problem and that they were willing to pay an extra $10 each month on their electric bill if it would help fight global warming.

All we need now is leadership. Home Star is a small but significant step in the right direction.

Washington these days is spending a lot of time obsessing over its own gridlock, with each party blaming the other for the lack of action on issues critical to the American people. The completely broken process on health care reform stands as the prime example.

Outside of Washington however, the only concern is the ragged state of the job market and what is being done to fix it. Congress needs to pass a comprehensive jobs bill in order to further stimulate the economy, and that bill needs to include provisions that direct both investments and hiring to the people and communities where they are most needed. As we continue to debate the size and shape of such a jobs bill, Home Star is a good first step that can quickly generate jobs, many of them in low-income neighborhoods, and boost appliance sales.

Home Star, and the larger question of job creation, gives Washington a chance to break out of the current cycle of gridlock, recrimination and failure and do something for the American people at a time when we urgently need the government to be aggressively working on our most urgent interests.

Home Star will help three million American families retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient, and will save those consumers as much as $9.5 billion over ten years. The program dedicates $200 million to provide access to low-interest financing for homeowners to weatherize their homes or buy new, more energy efficient appliances.

In addition, the majority of the goods used for home weatherization are made in the U.S., and as a result the program will also boost domestic production in the building materials manufacturing sector. This sector is operating at less than 60 percent of capacity today, with an unemployment rate of almost 25 percent.

The country needs the economic jolt that Home Star can provide and Congress needs to rise to the occasion and pass it as soon as possible. If it gets to the President’s desk he is sure to sign it. Last week in Georgia he laid out the stakes around Home Star: “We know it will make our economy less dependent on fossil fuels, helping to protect the planet for future generations,” he said. “But I want to emphasize that Home Star will also create business and spur hiring up and down the economy.”

We are for that.

Really, Xeni Jardin says everything I could better over at Boing Boing and notes the food-related irony… Maybe all the crazy conservatives are just secretly jealous of Michelle Obama’s super-cool organic vegetable garden at the White House but can’t admit it.  I actually saw this commercial while watching Beck’s show (which is per his promise, classic this week although perhaps not in the way he hoped it would be). It’s way funnier and yet more pathetic than you might imagine. Oliver Willis posted the whole thing at Media Matters and I’ve embedded it above for your viewing pleasure.

I say, let all the freaked out racists build “socialist-free” (i.e. nigger-free) backyard bunkers for themselves with Glenn Beck and go hide in them to wait for the Rapture/Apocalypse/Meltdown/Totalitarian Takeover. It would give the rest of us more time to work on making America great again if we don’t have to worry about them anymore! We’ll let them know when it’s safe to come out.

Oh and btw Xeni got the deets from @Baratunde/Jack Turner from tha twitter. From one of the world’s most popular blogs, Boing Boing:

The Survival Seed Bank is advertising on Glenn Beck’s television show. They offer “survival seeds” for growing your own “crisis garden” amid “emerging totalitarianism.”

As Media Matters points out, the brand identity meshes well with the host’s apocalyptic visions of the future. “More valuable than silver or gold in a real meltdown,” the website reads.

They may quote WorldNetDaily as a news source, fine, but I really like the sound of the heirloom varieties they offer: Jacob’s Cattle Bean, Yellow Dent Corn, and non-hybrid varieties of tomato and leafy greens. I’d eat that!

“You’ll have confidence knowing that you and your family will be able to eat if the Insiders trigger some huge meltdown,” reads the promotional copy. Perhaps (and who are these “Insiders?”), but I’m not convinced $149 is such a great deal for a couple dozen packets of seeds and a little plant food, even if it’s enough for “a full acre Crisis Garden.” But hey, when the jackbooted Obama-thugs destroy all the grocery stores with their black helicopters, it does look like we may be going extreme vegan locavore for a while.

Make sure to listen to the audio testimonials from happy customers. (via Baratunde)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Good Morning.

As you go through your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

Ezra Klein comments on healthcare.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rachel Maddow investigates Bart Stupak some more.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The First Lady attended a soccer clinic in Washington on Friday that was designed to help promote healthy activities among the nation’s young people. (March 5)

Good Afternoon.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.

Even still, some of the speakers on this call really took things to a new level. Here’s what went down.

Meagan Ortiz from VivirLatino, who also listened in, writes:

One particular participant on the call wanted to raise the issue of women, specifically how Mexican women were the new “welfare queens” with their “anchor babies”, taking an old stereotype waged against African-American women in the age of Reagan and revamping it to use against Latina women. This caller was not dismissed but rather praised for his message and told to use the word “dependents” instead of “babies” or “children” because that word was emotional for “them”, meaning Latinos and other immigrants. “We have children, they have dependents”, another caller guided.

Divide and conquer politics seemed to be the name of the game on the call. When talking about jobs, one caller asked why the African-American community wasn’t angrier at immigration.

Erin Rosa from Campus Progress listened in, too, and took down a transcript:

CALLER 1:I would like to speak out on something. I feel the new welfare queen in America today is women coming from Mexico with a bunch of babies. So I feel they’re all coming over here and having all these babies, they are the new welfare queen in America….

New people in America today with a lot of babies, ’cause they coming from Mexico having a bunch of babies. And our tax dollars is taking care of them babies, ’cause the mothers are illegal. So to me, we need to speak out about letting them know they’re the new welfare queens in America.

CALLER 2: That was well said brother!

MACDONALD (the NumbersUSA staffer leading the call): We will make a note of that. Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

‘Nuff said.

When it comes to scapegoating women of color, looks like brown is the new black.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we see this ugly divide-and-conquer strategy at the next Tea Fiesta.

Cross-Posted at America’s Voice and Daily Kos.

I’m sure Limbaugh chose Costa Rica for its sunny weather & tropical resort living. It’s popular with wealthy retirees in part not only because of the sunshine but also for its affordable, socialized medicine. Costa Rica, unlike the United States, has near universal, nationalized, high quality & affordable healthcare that is available to citizens and immigrants/foreigners alike. Yes, that’s right, Rush believes apparently that Costa Rica has a lot to offer besides being yet another tropical location where he can get high. It just shows how cruel, ignorant and selfish the Republicans who oppose healthcare reform here in the U.S. Sarah Palin’s family crossed the border to patronize the national healthcare system in Canada when she was a girl since it was superior to what was available locally in Alaska. Guess it must be a different set of rules if you’re Republican. Most Americans aren’t able to choose whether they get healthcare in this country or another country that does it cheaper and/or better.

From International Living which caters to rich Americans like Racist Rush looking for places to retire (emphasis mine):

Costa Rica has universal health care, one of the best health systems in Latin America. As always with nationalized health care, expect red tape and long waits, but the quality of Costa Rica’s health care is excellent. Private health care is also available, very affordable, and high quality. Many doctors speak English and have received training in Europe, Canada, or the U.S. There are three large, private hospitals that most expatriates use: CIMA hospital in Escazú, Clinica Biblica in San José, and Clinica Católica in San José-Guadalupe.

Statistics from the World Health Organization frequently place Costa Rica in the top country rankings in the world for long life expectancy, often even ahead of Great Britain and the United States, even though the per-capita income of Costa Ricans is about one-tenth that of the U.S. and the U.K. Arguably, one reason for this is the slower pace of living in Costa Rica. And, of course, the healthy, fresh, non-preservative-laden foods found there, and the welcoming tropical climate. Costa Rica just seems to be a healthy place to live.

With a government-sponsored network of more than 30 hospitals and more than 250 clinics throughout the country, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) has primary responsibility for providing low-cost health care services to the Costa Rican populace. Although sometimes overburdened, this system has worked well for Costa Ricans for the past 60 or so years. Open not just to Costa Rican residents, the CCSS provides affordable medical service to any foreign resident or visitor. Foreigners living in Costa Rica can join the CCSS by paying a small monthly fee–based on income–or they can buy health insurance from the state monopoly Instituto de Seguro Nacional (INS), valid with over 200 affiliated doctors, hospitals, labs, and pharmacies in the private sector.

Despite being a much smaller, poorer country than the U.S. everyone in Costa Rica — no matter how poor and no matter where they are from — has access to affordable healthcare. And just so we’re all clear, due to the many compromises in the current healthcare reform bill, I’m not sure their healthcare system won’t still have some advantages over ours in terms of access and affordability — even after healthcare reform is finally passed here in America.

Costa Rica Has Had a Public Health Care System for 65 Years – System Spends $6,000 Less Per Capita Than the U.S. but Boasts a Longer Life Expectancy and an Infant Mortality Rate Nearly Equal to the U.S. – 86.8 Percent of Costa Ricans Are Covered: “It’s been more than 65 years since this small country of 4.6 million people introduced a public health care system. Spending $6,000 less per capita than the United States on health today, Costa Rica boasts a longer life expectancy and an infant mortality rate nearly equal to that of the U.S. With a reputation for high quality and low prices, the country has even fashioned an industry out of health care, attracting hundreds of visitors each year who take advantage of medical tourism. ‘What we don’t understand is how we are able to work with this,’ said Rosa Climent, medical director of the Costa Rican Social Security System, pointing to a chart that shows employers pay 9.25 percent and workers pay 5.50 percent of their salaries into the system, which covers ‘all our health needs. And how the U.S. pays so much more and doesn’t cover its citizens.’ Not only do Costa Ricans have an 86.8 percent coverage rate, but the public health system serves residents who live miles from cities.”

[...]

“Climent, director of the day-to-day operation of Costa Rica’s Social Security System, said she almost was turned away from the door when she sought emergency services for her daughter in the United States. She said her family wasn’t allowed to see a doctor at a hospital in Florida before presenting $600. ‘In our system, the people who earn the most, pay the most, and the people who earn less, pay less,’ she said. ‘But everyone has the right to the same services. The people who earn more pay more so that everyone has access to healthcare.’”

[Tico Times, 8/21/09]

8 = The number of people every minute who are denied coverage, charged a higher rate, or otherwise discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition. [Source: HealthReform.gov]

8 = The number of lobbyists hired by special interests to influence health reform for every member of Congress in 2009. [Source: Center for Public Integrity]

This is pretty simple stuff — change gonna come & change gotta come. We’re talking about the right we should all hold dear to ensure we all have healthy lives.

As The Prez said: If not now, then when? If not us, then who?

(courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov)