Victor Kotsev
Nicholas Kristoff
Dana Milbank
Top Ten Surprises On Barack Obama's Birth Certificate
10.Was born at a luau
9.Parents crossed out original choice for first name, "Gary"
8.Is a triplet, born with sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Obama
7.Also released as an audiobook read by John Lithgow
6.It's covered in poi stains
5.Claims he's a baby when Obama is clearly an adult -- It's a forgery!
4.Under "Conspiracy"? They checked "No"
3.Document notarized by Magnum P.I.
2.Note reads "To be released only at the request of crazy-haired blowhard billionaires"
1.Fine print at bottom: Not an actual birth certificate
Barack Obama went on television yesterday to show reporters his long form birth certificate from Hawaii, supposedly to shut up Donald Trump. Instead of eating crow, Mr Trump loudly took credit for helping to solve the birth certificate debate, and in the next breath wondered how Mr Obama ever got into Harvard... If 15 states are trying to pass birther bills, where candidates have to prove that they were born in the USA, then shouldn't it be that the candidate's wife also should have been born in the US?
The birther phenomena, besides being a magnet for seriously disturbed and ignorant individuals, was a planned guerilla political tactic designed to puncture Barack Obama's legitimacy and authority as president. Just like the town hall protests, and the protests during John McCain rallies, it has its roots in both the minds of some Southern good-old boys, Karl Rove, and Grover Nordquist, who, in his college days, was enamored with Communism and their political tactics. Nordquist updated these tactics for modern times and people like Newt Gingrich and Haley Barbour provided the white racist overtones.
Another argument being thrown at Obama like feces from a monkey, is that he has a radical, left-wing, Socialistic agenda, notably to be found in Obamacare, which is full of such horrendous ideas that many states are wanting to opt out of the system. Nothing of course, is farther from the truth, especially noted by members of the left-wing. Obama is a middle of the roader, sometimes liberal, and many times leaning conservatively. He is enamored by all things military, and supports clandestine operations and the hiring of mercenaries, the use of drones... I don't know why, that everyone who works in Washington, sooner or later imagines themselves as Mitch Rapp, taking no prisoners and yelling at Congressmen, you dismissive little pricks...
But still, the feces get thrown... The intensity of these attacks bother me, because they seem like their authors are about to jump through the newspaper and attack me, mouth foaming and eyes gleaming like Charlie Sheen... This morning, Mike Rosen, who is a local Rush Limbaugh wannabee, transcribed one of his radio shows into a column for the Denver Post, saying: "The Obama administration and its "czars," demagogic Democrats in Congress, progressive activists, media liberals, obstructionist labor unions and corrupt business executives seeking government favors all seem to have stepped right out of the pages of "Atlas Shrugged." They echo the language and agenda of Rand's 1950s villains, waging class warfare and inciting the masses to hobble the productive and loot the rich.
They vilify the very notion of competition as unkind and unfair to those who can't compete. Profits are evil. Individual excellence is penalized and subordinated to the interests of the collective. Dependence is rewarded. And risk-taking is deemed too hazardous to public safety..." This feels like Mike used a template supplied by Mr Nordquist and he merely had to fill in the blanks, down to the Orwellian imagery, like a good little clone... You are to hate the government employees, because they are "demagogic," "progressive," "obstructionist," and "corrupt," whose sole job it is to "incite the masses to hobble the productive and loot the rich." Helluva way to make a paycheck. Mike is one of those people who is too busy coming up with negative things to say, so that you can never have an actual conversation with him, unless you can bully him into submission. Come to think of it, it's also the same way to handle an out of control Donald Trump...
And still, there's no jobs. Colorado lost the most jobs in the last few years, and it looks like we are still spiraling downhill. Now that Pueblo nixed building that nuclear reactor facility, there's not much construction jobs happening, and you can't make a living filling in pot holes. We screw around over budget cuts that make no sense, that have nothing to do getting people back at work. 45,000 people die each year because they didn't get to a doctor in time. I almost died a couple of weeks ago, so I can attest to this. As we get more hopeless, we will see more petty theft, bank robberies, house invasions, and domestic violence, as our options get fewer, and their is no hiding place left... Or, as Bruce Springsteen said:
Barack Obama announced his new security team, after Robert Gates retires. Leon Paneeta, current head of the CIA, will move over to become Secretary of Defense. He is the most capable bureaucrat and will do a good job. General David Petraeus will then move into Leon's spot as head of the CIA. This shows how badly Stanley McChrystal screwed up, because the CIA post would have gone to him, as he loves cloak and dagger work more than anybody else...
But the most momentous event that happened this week is the meeting in Egypt and subsequent agreement between Fatah and Hamas. They have agreed to join as one governing body and hold an election within a year. This is bold for Hamas, who probably will loose most of their influence. This is good news because now the Palestinians can have one united voice whenever they do go back into negotiating.
Israel hates this, and the propaganda machines have begun to diss the two factions, dragging the US into saying how much Hamas is a terrorist organization. Yes, they were a few years ago, but now they've been forced to grow up, what with the responsibility of administering Gaza. That they've done so poorly at this task is the main reason they will loose in an election. Seeking to break up this new friendship, Benjamin Netanyahu went on Israeli tv and said bluntly: “The Palestinian Authority has to choose between peace with Israel and peace with Hamas...”
But it looks like Israel is becoming more extraneous to the peace process, as Arabs are dropping their silly feuds and working with each other. OK, unless you are an Arabian or Chinese dictator, then you nurture your feuds and fantasies, as the world passes you by. And the direct influence of Egypt led to the inspiration and possibilites that some old politicians can change their ways: "A desire for unity has been one goal that ordinary Palestinians in both areas have consistently said they sought. Until now it has proved elusive and leaders of the two factions have spoken of each other in vicious terms and jailed each other’s activists.
But with the Palestinians seeking international recognition of statehood at the United Nations by September, Mr. Abbas has repeatedly said that unity must be restored for a credible case to be made. Other recent developments also played a role.
As Mr. Ahmad said after the news conference in Cairo: “The changes in the Arab region and the political upheaval contributed to reducing the pressure on the Palestinian factions, and by pressure I mean the negative kind of pressure.” He said that he was referring to “the changing rules of the game in the region.”
The next step is to go before the UN and ask to be recognized as an independent state. If they can achieve this, then throw out the old militant people for ones who want to build businesses and an economy, like Salam Fayyad has done, then Palestine may have a chance to survive as a homeland for Palestinians... It's another small step in showing the region they can turn things around by themselves. Expect Turkey to become a major trading partner, as their economy is booming right now. They have had a history of booms and busts, twice over the last 20 years, so folks are watching the current boom a bit nervously.
Nicholas Kristoff
Dana Milbank
"A study found Americans spend $1.2 trillion every year on stuff they don’t need. Or as Republicans call it, health care." – Jimmy Fallon
"They have to put Trump on every program, spewing his crazy ideas, because his poll numbers are so high. And his poll numbers are so high because they put him on every program, spewing his crazy ideas." – Jon Stewart
"Donald Trump says he's President Obama's worst nightmare. That's not true. Having to make a decision is Obama's worst nightmare." – Jay Leno
Top Ten Surprises On Barack Obama's Birth Certificate
10.Was born at a luau
9.Parents crossed out original choice for first name, "Gary"
8.Is a triplet, born with sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Obama
7.Also released as an audiobook read by John Lithgow
6.It's covered in poi stains
5.Claims he's a baby when Obama is clearly an adult -- It's a forgery!
4.Under "Conspiracy"? They checked "No"
3.Document notarized by Magnum P.I.
2.Note reads "To be released only at the request of crazy-haired blowhard billionaires"
1.Fine print at bottom: Not an actual birth certificate
The birther phenomena, besides being a magnet for seriously disturbed and ignorant individuals, was a planned guerilla political tactic designed to puncture Barack Obama's legitimacy and authority as president. Just like the town hall protests, and the protests during John McCain rallies, it has its roots in both the minds of some Southern good-old boys, Karl Rove, and Grover Nordquist, who, in his college days, was enamored with Communism and their political tactics. Nordquist updated these tactics for modern times and people like Newt Gingrich and Haley Barbour provided the white racist overtones.
They vilify the very notion of competition as unkind and unfair to those who can't compete. Profits are evil. Individual excellence is penalized and subordinated to the interests of the collective. Dependence is rewarded. And risk-taking is deemed too hazardous to public safety..." This feels like Mike used a template supplied by Mr Nordquist and he merely had to fill in the blanks, down to the Orwellian imagery, like a good little clone... You are to hate the government employees, because they are "demagogic," "progressive," "obstructionist," and "corrupt," whose sole job it is to "incite the masses to hobble the productive and loot the rich." Helluva way to make a paycheck. Mike is one of those people who is too busy coming up with negative things to say, so that you can never have an actual conversation with him, unless you can bully him into submission. Come to think of it, it's also the same way to handle an out of control Donald Trump...
And still, there's no jobs. Colorado lost the most jobs in the last few years, and it looks like we are still spiraling downhill. Now that Pueblo nixed building that nuclear reactor facility, there's not much construction jobs happening, and you can't make a living filling in pot holes. We screw around over budget cuts that make no sense, that have nothing to do getting people back at work. 45,000 people die each year because they didn't get to a doctor in time. I almost died a couple of weeks ago, so I can attest to this. As we get more hopeless, we will see more petty theft, bank robberies, house invasions, and domestic violence, as our options get fewer, and their is no hiding place left... Or, as Bruce Springsteen said:
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
Born in the U.S.A...
Barack Obama announced his new security team, after Robert Gates retires. Leon Paneeta, current head of the CIA, will move over to become Secretary of Defense. He is the most capable bureaucrat and will do a good job. General David Petraeus will then move into Leon's spot as head of the CIA. This shows how badly Stanley McChrystal screwed up, because the CIA post would have gone to him, as he loves cloak and dagger work more than anybody else...
Israel hates this, and the propaganda machines have begun to diss the two factions, dragging the US into saying how much Hamas is a terrorist organization. Yes, they were a few years ago, but now they've been forced to grow up, what with the responsibility of administering Gaza. That they've done so poorly at this task is the main reason they will loose in an election. Seeking to break up this new friendship, Benjamin Netanyahu went on Israeli tv and said bluntly: “The Palestinian Authority has to choose between peace with Israel and peace with Hamas...”
But it looks like Israel is becoming more extraneous to the peace process, as Arabs are dropping their silly feuds and working with each other. OK, unless you are an Arabian or Chinese dictator, then you nurture your feuds and fantasies, as the world passes you by. And the direct influence of Egypt led to the inspiration and possibilites that some old politicians can change their ways: "A desire for unity has been one goal that ordinary Palestinians in both areas have consistently said they sought. Until now it has proved elusive and leaders of the two factions have spoken of each other in vicious terms and jailed each other’s activists.
But with the Palestinians seeking international recognition of statehood at the United Nations by September, Mr. Abbas has repeatedly said that unity must be restored for a credible case to be made. Other recent developments also played a role.
As Mr. Ahmad said after the news conference in Cairo: “The changes in the Arab region and the political upheaval contributed to reducing the pressure on the Palestinian factions, and by pressure I mean the negative kind of pressure.” He said that he was referring to “the changing rules of the game in the region.”
The next step is to go before the UN and ask to be recognized as an independent state. If they can achieve this, then throw out the old militant people for ones who want to build businesses and an economy, like Salam Fayyad has done, then Palestine may have a chance to survive as a homeland for Palestinians... It's another small step in showing the region they can turn things around by themselves. Expect Turkey to become a major trading partner, as their economy is booming right now. They have had a history of booms and busts, twice over the last 20 years, so folks are watching the current boom a bit nervously.
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