Solo again, Sign “O” the Times and spiritual rebirth: 1987–91
Prior to the disbanding of The Revolution, Prince was working on two separate projects, The Revolution album Dream Factory and a solo effort, Camille.[39] Unlike the three previous band albums, Dream Factory included significant input from the band members and even featured a number of songs with lead vocals by Wendy & Lisa,[39] while the Camille project saw Prince create a new persona primarily singing in a sped up, female-sounding voice. With the dismissal of The Revolution, Prince consolidated material from both shelved albums, along with some new songs, into a three-LP album to be titled Crystal Ball.[40] However, Warner Bros. forced Prince to trim the triple album to a double album and Sign “O” the Times was released on March 31, 1987.[41]
The album peaked at No.6 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[41] The first single, “Sign o’ the Times”, would chart at No.3 on the Hot 100.[42] The follow-up single, “If I Was Your Girlfriend” charted poorly at No.67 on the Hot 100, but went to No.12 on R&B chart.[42] The third single, a duet with Sheena Easton, “U Got the Look” charted at No.2 on the Hot 100, No.11 on the R&B chart,[42] and the final single “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” finished at No.10 on Hot 100 and No.14 on the R&B chart.[42]
Despite receiving the greatest critical acclaim of any album in Prince’s career, including being named the top album of the year by the Pazz & Jop critics’ poll, and eventually selling 3.2 million copies, album sales steadily declined.[43] In Europe, however, it performed well and Prince promoted the album overseas with a lengthy tour. Putting together a new backing band from the remnants of The Revolution, Prince added bassist Levi Seacer, Jr., Boni Boyer on keyboards, and dancer/choreographer Cat Glover to go with new drummer Sheila E. and holdovers Miko Weaver, Doctor Fink, Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, and the Bodyguards (Jerome, Wally Safford, and Greg Brooks) for the Sign o’ the Times Tour.
The tour was a success overseas, with Warner Bros. and Prince’s managers wanting to bring it to the U.S. to resuscitate sagging sales of Sign “O” the Times[44][45]; however, Prince balked at a full U.S. tour, as he was ready to produce a new album.[44] As a compromise the last two nights of the tour were filmed for release in movie theaters. The film quality was deemed subpar and reshoots were performed at his Paisley Park studios.[44] The film Sign o’ the Times was released on November 20, 1987. Much like the album, the film garnered more critical praise than the previous year’s Under the Cherry Moon; however, its box office receipts were minimal, and it quickly left theaters.[45]
The next album intended for release was to be The Black Album.[46] More instrumental and funk and R&B themed than recent releases,[47] The Black Album also saw Prince experiment with hip hop music on the songs “Bob George” and “Dead on It.” Prince was set to release the album with a monochromatic black cover with only the catalog number printed, but after 500,000 copies had been pressed,[48] Prince had a spiritual epiphany that the album was evil and had it recalled.[49] It would later be released by Warner Bros. as a limited edition album in 1994. Prince went back in the studio for eight weeks and recorded Lovesexy.
Released on May 10, 1988, Lovesexy serves as a spiritual opposite to the dark The Black Album.[50] Every song is a solo effort by Prince, with exception of “Eye No” which was recorded with his backing band at the time, dubbed the “Lovesexy Band” by fans. Lovesexy would reach No.11 on the Billboard 200 and No.5 on the R&B albums chart.[51] The lead single, “Alphabet St.”, peaked at No.8 on the Hot 100 and No.3 on the R&B chart,[41] but finished with only selling 750,000 copies.[52]
Prince again took his post-Revolution backing band (minus the Bodyguards) on a three leg, 84-show Lovesexy World Tour; although the shows were well received by huge crowds, they lost money due to the expensive sets and incorporated props.[53][54]
Prince performing during his Nude Tour in 1990
In 1989, Prince appeared on Madonna’s studio album Like a Prayer, co-writing and singing the duet “Love Song” and playing electric guitar (uncredited) on the songs “Like a Prayer”, “Keep It Together”, and “Act of Contrition”. He also began work on a number of musical projects, including Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic and early drafts of his Graffiti Bridge film,[55][56] but both were put on hold when he was asked by Batman director Tim Burton to record several songs for the upcoming live-action adaptation. Prince went into the studio and produced an entire nine-track album that Warner Bros. released on June 20, 1989. Batman peaked at No.1 on the Billboard 200,[57] selling 4.3 million copies.[58] The single “Batdance” topped the Billboard and R&B charts.
Additionally, the single “The Arms of Orion” with Sheena Easton charted at No. 36, and “Partyman” (also featuring the vocals of Prince’s then-girlfriend, nicknamed Anna Fantastic) charted at No.18 on the Hot 100 and at No.5 on the R&B chart, while the love ballad “Scandalous!” went to No.5 on the R&B chart.[41] However, he did have to sign away all publishing rights to the songs on the album to Warner Bros. as part of the deal to do the soundtrack.
In 1990, Prince went back on tour with a revamped band for his stripped down, back-to-basics Nude Tour. With the departures of Boni Boyer, Sheila E., the horns, and Cat, Prince brought in Rosie Gaines on keys, drummer Michael Bland, and dancing trio The Game Boyz (Tony M., Kirky J., and Damon Dickson). The European and Japanese tour was a financial success with its short, greatest hits setlist.[59] As the year progressed, Prince finished production on his fourth film, Graffiti Bridge, and the album of the same name. Initially, Warner Bros. was reluctant to fund the film, but with Prince’s assurances it would be a sequel to Purple Rain as well as the involvement of the original members of The Time, the studio greenlit the project.[60] Released on August 20, 1990, the album reached No.6 on the Billboard 200 and R&B albums chart.[61] The single “Thieves in the Temple” reaching No.6 on the Hot 100 and No.1 on the R&B chart.[41] Also from that album, “Round and Round” placed at number 12 on the U.S. charts and Number 2 on the R&B charts. The song featured the teenage Tevin Campbell (who also had a role in the film) on lead vocals. The film, released on November 20, 1990, was a critical and box office flop, grossing just $4.2 million.[62] After the release of the film and album, the last remaining members of The Revolution, Miko Weaver and Doctor Fink, left Prince’s band.
The New Power Generation, Diamonds and Pearls and name change: 1991–94
Prince’s Yellow Cloud Guitar at the Smithsonian Castle. Prince can be seen playing this guitar in the “Gett Off” video.
1991 marked the debut of Prince’s new band, the New Power Generation. With guitarist Miko Weaver and long-time keyboardist Doctor Fink gone, Prince added bass player Sonny T., Tommy Barbarella on keyboards, and a brass section known as the Hornheads to go along with Levi Seacer (taking over on guitar), Rosie Gaines, Michael Bland, and the Game Boyz. With significant input from his band members, Diamonds and Pearls was released on October 1, 1991. Reaching No.3 on the Billboard 200 album chart,[63] Diamonds and Pearls saw 4 hit singles released in the United States. “Gett Off” peaked at No.21 on the Hot 100 and No.6 on the R&B charts, followed by “Cream” which gave Prince his fifth U.S. number one single. The title track “Diamonds and Pearls” became the album’s third single, reaching No.3 on the Hot 100 and the top spot on the R&B charts. “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night” peaked at No.23 and No.14 on the Hot 100 and R&B charts respectively.[64]
1992 saw Prince and The New Power Generation release his twelfth album, ‘Love Symbol Album’,[65] bearing only an unpronounceable symbol on the cover (later copyrighted as Love Symbol #2).[66] The album, generally referred to as the Love Symbol Album, would peak at No.5 on the Billboard 200.[67] While the label wanted “7” to be the first single, Prince fought to have “My Name Is Prince” as he “felt that the song’s more hip-hoppery would appeal to the same audience” that had purchased the previous album.[68] Prince got his way but “My Name Is Prince” only managed to reach No.36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.23 on the R&B chart. The follow-up single “Sexy MF” fared worse, charting at No.66 on the Hot 100 and No.76 on the R&B chart. The label’s preferred lead single choice “7” would be the album’s lone top ten hit, reaching #7.[64] ‘Love Symbol Album’ would go on to sell 2.8 million copies worldwide.[68]
Logo. Hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar
The unpronounceable symbol (later dubbed “Love Symbol #2”)
After two failed attempts in 1990 and 1991,[69] Warner Bros. finally released a greatest hits compilation with the three-disc The Hits/The B-Sides in 1993. The first two discs were also sold separately as The Hits 1 and The Hits 2. In addition to featuring the majority of Prince’s hit singles (with the exception of “Batdance” and other songs that appeared on the Batman soundtrack), The Hits includes an array of previously hard-to-find recordings, notably B-sides spanning the majority of Prince’s career, as well as a handful of previously unreleased tracks such as the Revolution-recorded “Power Fantastic” and a live recording of “Nothing Compares 2 U” with Rosie Gaines. Two new songs, “Pink Cashmere” and “Peach”, were chosen as promotional singles to accompany the compilation album.
1993 also marked the year in which Prince changed his stage name to the Love Symbol (see left), which was explained as a combination of the symbols for male (♂) and female (♀).[66] In order to use the symbol in print media, Warner Bros. had to organize a mass mailing of floppy disks with a custom font.[70] Because the symbol had no stated pronunciation, he was often referred to as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince”, as well as “The Artist”.
Prince you are the best in the world love you #1fan Lafayette Love Compton CA 90222 Lafayettelove@gmail.com
R. I.P you are king Prince of the music industry..
.love you so much for ever
Guess who came to visit his Mom after he got off work? Josh! And he bought me some Fried Catfish! I love this kid! :)
Yummy; I want some fried catfish!
It was so delicious. Seasoned to perfection.
Go Josh…a visit AND food!!!
what a good son
Where’s ya girl Luvvie? Tin Foil hatted Gladiators wanna know.
aaw…what a great son Josh is! So dear.
Thank you. He’s so loveable. I hope he finds a good wife someday. He’ll make a very good husband & father.
You are blessed to have such wonderful son, SG2!
TYSM!
And, he is blessed to have you!
Live Updates: Shooting on Capitol Hill
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/03/live-updates-shooting-at-capitol-hill.html
The New Haven Register reports: “A law enforcement source identified the woman to the New Haven Register as Miriam Carey, a 34-year-old dental hygienist.”
Kerry’s gorgeous. Damn shame she didn’t win that Emmy Award.
She is stunning!
https://twitter.com/ReignOfApril/status/385564390940233728/photo/1
That is the child. CNN is not showing that picture anymore.
Ah hell naw; look at that precious little girl. This all loks and sounds confusing. What actually happened. they killed the mother Did she shoot a gun?
I read no weapon in the car.
What I just heard on TV
She had been at a White House checkpoint, had exchanged words and then backed out. As she headed away, she saw lots of police cars following her, and so she start speeding away, hit a police car and continue at high speed to the Capitol area.
Police were given the go ahead to shoot at her.
Now, someone said that the police car hit a security pole…..that the woman did not hit the police car with her car. Just confusion gradually being cleared up.
More footage. This is a HOT MESS.
http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2013/10/03/lead-video-of-car-chase-capitol-hill-shots.cnn#/video/us/2013/10/03/lead-video-of-car-chase-capitol-hill-shots.cnn
ABC News source: Female suspect dead at Capitol after report of shots.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/national_world&id=9272736
WASHINGTON – October 3, 2013 (WPVI) — ABC News, citing a source, said a female was dead at the U.S. Capitol after reports of shots fired on Thursday afternoon.
ABC News also reports that a lockdown of the Capitol complex, put in place after the report of shots fired, has been lifted.
OMG!
ABC News: child found unhurt in car of possible suspect in US Capitol shooting.
I saw the child being carried away by a police officer.
Lots of TV cameras on scene.
The policeman was not shot. He was injured when women’s car hit his.
Folks need to hit the street and demand that CONGRESS FULLY OPEN THE GOVERNMENT. This is another distraction and a reason our government should have never be shutdown.
What in the HELL is going on?
I have a sick feeling that the police over reacted. See my latest post above.
She rammed the white house barricade and police shot her dead.
The first news conference with police spokesman made no mention of her ramming the white house barricade. There are a lot of wild stories and confusion being exchanged.
The whole thing took place in 3 minutes.
@Yahtc. You-Me eye-eye on this. My spidey senses are on high alert.
Take our government out of shutdown. Enough already.
Shutting down the government makes the nation vulnerable!!!!!
TRUTH
Sleepy Hollow Fans…Good News!!
………
October 3, 2013 10:15 AM PDT
Fox Renews Sleepy Hollow For Second Season
by Kimberly Roots
Sleepy Hollow Season 2Now Sleepy Hollow‘s Ichabod has to get some new clothes — after all, he’s going to be around for at least another year.
In the fall’s first renewal, Fox on Thursday picked up its new supernatural hit for a 13-episode second season.
The drama’s premiere episode grabbed a total audience of 10.1 million and scored a 3.5 rating in the demo, making it Fox’s best fall debut since 2006′s Standoff. (Wait, 2006 was seven years ago… and Abbie and Ichabod are on a seven-year quest to take down the Headless Horseman and other agents of darkness… Did anyone else just get the chills?)
The renewal means Fox will forego a back nine for Sleepy Hollow and stick to its original, cable-like, 13-episode-per-season plan.
http://tvline.com/2013/10/03/sleepy-hollow-renewed-season-2-fox/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spoilerscastingsscoopsalert
U.S. Capitol Is Locked Down After Reports of Gunfire
http://www.nytimes.com/news/fiscal-crisis/2013/10/03/reports-of-shooter-outside-capitol/?_r=0
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots outside the Capitol after 2 p.m., sparking a huge police response and heightened security inside the Capitol, which was already tense during shutdown negotiations. Members not near their own offices were asked to the nearest office, and shelter there.
http://youtu.be/eYK_JhQDM7k
The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self
By RUTH LA FERLA
Published: October 2, 2013
Dante de Blasio’s towering Afro, a supporting player in his father’s mayoral campaign, riveted attention once more last week when it caught the eye of President Obama. Introducing Bill de Blasio at a Democratic fund-raiser in Midtown, Mr. Obama digressed to point out, “Dante has the same hairdo as I had in 1978. Although I have to confess my Afro was never that good.”
Nor was it as voluminous, or as apparently devoid of a political charge. As 16-year-old Dante implied in an interview with DNAInfo.com, an online local news source, hair is just hair. “Some people want to take photos and I’m really just happy,” he said. Others want to reach out and touch it, and some did at last week’s fund-raiser, their enthusiastic petting prompting the elder de Blasio to joke that he might have to call security.
The mayoral candidate was doubtless aware that Dante’s outsize hair placed him in a league with a current generation that has adopted what once was a badge of revolt as an emblem of style’s cutting edge. Resurgent in films and television and the streets, inspired by a galaxy of pop culture idols, the Afro today seems friendly enough, even downright disarming — a kinder, gentler “natural” pretty much shorn of its militancy.
Images like those of Halle Berry’s tightly coiled halo or Nicki Minaj’s poodly pink Glamfro on the cover of Allure last year have played a part in resurrecting the hallmark style. Hoping to stand apart from her more famous sister, Solange Knowles last year chopped her chemically processed hair to reveal the wedge-shaped Afro that has since become her signature. And the actress Viola Davis showed off her natural curls at the Oscar ceremonies a year ago after walking most of the red carpet season in a wig; Prince poses regally in his Afro on the August issue of V magazine.
Even the customarily conventional Oprah Winfrey stepped out to front the September issue of O, the Oprah magazine, in a 3.5-pound wig that spanned its cover nearly edge to edge above the cover line: “Let’s talk about HAIR!”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all&
Hair we go again…. *SIGH*
The Charter School Mistake
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ravitch-charters-school-reform-20131001,0,6358122.story
Portside Date:
October 1, 2013.
Author:
Diane Ravitch.
Date of Source:
Tuesday, October 1, 2013.
Los Angeles Times
– See more at: http://portside.org/print/2013-10-01/charter-school-mistake#sthash.kWWpRlb5.ZhqyBXUs.dpuf
Los Angeles has more charter schools than any other school district in the nation, and it’s a very bad idea. Billionaires like privately managed schools. Parents are lured with glittering promises of getting their kids a sure ticket to college. Politicians want to appear to be champions of “school reform” with charters. But charters will not end the poverty at the root of low academic performance or transform our nation’s schools into a high-performing system. The world’s top-performing systems – Finland and Korea, for example – do not have charter schools. They have strong public school programs with well-prepared, experienced teachers and administrators. Charters and that other faux reform, vouchers, transform schooling into a consumer good, in which choice is the highest value. The original purpose of charters, when they first opened in 1990 (and when I was a charter proponent), was to collaborate with public schools, not to compete with them or undermine them. They were supposed to recruit the weakest students, the dropouts, and identify methods to help public schools do a better job with those who had lost interest in schooling. This should be their goal now as well. Instead, the charter industry is aggressive and entrepreneurial. Charters want high test scores, so many purposely enroll minimal numbers of English-language learners and students with disabilities. Some push out students who threaten their test averages. Last year, the federal General Accountability Office issued a report chastising charters for avoiding students with disabilities, and the ACLU is suing charters in New Orleans for that reason. Because they are loosely regulated, charter schools are often neither accountable nor transparent.
In 2013, the founders of an L.A. charter with 1,200 students were convicted of misappropriating more than $200,000 in public funds. In Oakland, an audit at the highest-performing charter schools in the state found that $3.8 million may have been misused when the founder hired his other businesses to do work for his charters. Charter schools are “public” when it is time to claim public funding, but they have claimed in federal court and before the National Labor Relations Board to be private corporations when their employees seek the protection of state labor laws. In Los Altos, a group of wealthy people opened a boutique charter school for their own children. Parents are asked to donate $5,000 per child each year. Local public school parents consider the charter to be an elite private school, albeit one primarily funded with public dollars. Of course there are honorable, well-run charter schools that provide an excellent education. This newspaper’s editorial board cites independent research that shows students in L.A. charters do better than they would in L.A. Unified schools. But many other studies show that charters in general are no more successful at the task of educating children than public schools if they enroll the same kinds of students.
As large as the gulf can be between charter cheerleading and charter reality, it doesn’t represent the greatest danger of these schools. They have become the leading edge of a long-cherished ideological crusade by the far right to turn education into a consumer choice rather than a civic obligation. Abandoning public schools for a free-market system eviscerates our basic obligation to support them whether our own children are in public schools, private schools or religious schools, and even if we have no children at all. The campaign to “reform” schools by turning public money over to private corporations is a great distraction from our system’s real problems: Academic performance is low where poverty and racial segregation are high. Sadly, the U.S. leads other advanced nations of the world in the proportion of children living in poverty. And income inequality in our nation is larger than at any point in the last century. We should do what works to strengthen our schools: Provide universal early childhood education (the U.S. ranks 24th among 45 nations, according to the Economist); make sure poor women get good prenatal care so their babies are healthy (we are 131st among 185 nations surveyed, according to the March of Dimes and the United Nations); reduce class size (to fewer than 20 students) in schools where students are struggling; insist that all schools have an excellent curriculum that includes the arts and daily physical education, as well as history, civics, science, mathematics and foreign languages; ensure that the schools attended by poor children have guidance counselors, libraries and librarians, social workers, psychologists, after-school programs and summer programs. Schools should abandon the use of annual standardized tests; we are the only nation that spends billions testing every child every year. We need high standards for those who enter teaching, and we need to trust them as professionals and let them teach and write their own tests to determine what their students have learned and what extra help they need.
Our nation is heading in a perilous direction, toward privatization of education, which will increase social stratification and racial segregation. Our civic commitment to education for all is eroding. But like police protection, fire protection, public beaches, public parks and public roads, the public schools are a public responsibility, not a consumer good. –
What!?
Comment under NBC article about shooting:
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/03/20805397-us-capitol-placed-on-lockdown#c79417363
I read on Twitter 10 to 15 rapid shots were fired and an officer is injured.
We need a fully functioning government NEVER in shutdown. Is there enough personnel to protect people outside the capitol where this took place. What has the shutdown done
as far as protecting citizenry??
Look at this article to see what I mean about our government should never be allowed to shut down:
http://www.kansas.com/2013/10/03/3036190/fema-workers-recalled-from-furlough.html#storylink=cpy
Shutting down the government is stupid and makes the nation vulnerable to these types of things!!
This is so very wrong!!!!!!
Sesaon 3 SCANDAL premiers tonight!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_ZPobz2Uyg
BWA HA HA HA
Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell caught on hot mic talking shutdown strategy
Hee Hee!
Bagged them!
So McTurtle says he’s wired and then proceeds to fake their scheme.
So they knew they were getting this message out?
Sometimes, I’m kinda slow.
That’s how slick these MOFOs really are, Yahtc. How are you going to say “I’m wired, and then start talking in front of a rolling camera, and not expect to be taped? Mitch & Rand knew exactly what they were doing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8tg19NJKJso
Aren’t they great!?
Just wait until the 2014 election!
Americans then will show just how pissed they are!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Feeling The Heat, Boys?
Posted by Zandar
More and more increasingly vulnerable House Republicans are looking for the lifeboats to escape from the sinking ship that is the S.S. GOP Shutdown, and I’m thinking it’s not going to be too much longer before they team up with Democrats to deliver a clean CR back to the Senate, and throw the Tea Party overboard.
Some House Republicans facing perilous paths to reelection in 2014 are beginning to budge on the government shutdown, calling for the party to compromise and move on from its fight over defunding Obamacare.
“Republicans fought the good fight. The fight continues but is not advanced by a government shutdown that damages our economy and harms our military,” Virginia Rep. Scott Rigell said in a statement. “The time has come to pass a clean CR to reopen the government.”
And Pennsylvania Rep. Pat Meehan said: “I came to Washington to fix government, not shut it down. At this point, I believe it’s time for the House to vote for a clean, short-term funding bill to bring the Senate to the table and negotiate a responsible compromise.”
New Jersey Rep. Jon Runyan said: “Enough is enough. Put a clean (continuing resolution) on the floor and let’s gets on with the business we were sent to do.”
Of course these are the same House Republicans who voted for the shutdown in the first place and voted 40+ times to defund and repeal Obamacare. They want you to feel sorry for them, and they want your forgiveness. The only thing these opportunists care about is saving their own asses now that it’s quite possible that somebody other than those people might be the ones hurt by the GOP.
Don’t fall for it, folks. All the Republicans have to go. They own this disaster together, and together, they can be voted out in 2014.
http://zandarvts.blogspot.com/2013/10/feeling-heat-boys.html
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Please Proceed, GOP
Posted by Zandar
The shutdown is already hurting the GOP and will continue to do so.
Voters will remember in 2014. But will they actually vote? A nine point generic ballot lead for the Dems would be a nightmare for the Republicans, and they know it. Stay tuned. Sanity may break out very, very quickly.
http://zandarvts.blogspot.com/2013/10/please-proceed-gop.html
TPM Livewire
Poll Confirms Americans Blame GOP For Shutdown
Tom Kludt – October 3, 2013, 8:24 AM EDT
A poll released Thursday provided confirmation of what’s long been anticipated: more Americans blame Republicans — not President Barack Obama and Democrats — for the first government shutdown since 1996.
According to the latest CBS News poll, 44 percent said they blame the shutdown on Republicans in Congress, compared with 35 percent who said they blame Obama and Democrats. Seventeen percent said they blame both sides.
Those numbers mirror the findings in a CBS poll last week and are consistent with other pre-shutdown surveys.
A CNN/ORC International poll released on Monday showed that Americans would be more inclined to blame congressional Republicans for a shutdown than Obama.
The CBS poll showed that 72 percent of Americans disapprove of shutting down the government over differences related to the Affordable Care Act, comparable to findings in a Quinnipiac University poll on Tuesday.
But the gambit has plenty of support from the tea party.
Fifty-seven percent of supporters of the conservative movement said they support a shutdown over the health care law, according to the CBS survey. Republicans were split on the question — 48 percent said they approve a shutdown over the law, while 49 percent said they disapprove. Eighty-six percent of Democrats said they disapprove.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/poll-confirms-americans-blame-gop-for-shutdown
Mastering the art of shiny objects
By Steve Benen
Thu Oct 3, 2013 8:36 AM EDT.
When there’s a major political fight underway, it’s wise to keep your eye on which side of the divide wants to talk about the substance and which side wants to shine a light on shiny objects. As a rule, it’s the latter that’s losing.
As Day 3 of the government shutdown gets underway, we’re now averaging one sideshow per day, which does not bode well for a protracted crisis. The first spectacle was watching the same Republicans who shut down the government express outrage over the closure of the World War II Memorial in D.C. The second was this.
The right could barely contain its glee. “OMG! Reid hates children with cancer! We knew it!”
This was unusually stupid for two main reasons. The first, obviously, has to do with context and the point Reid was trying to make. As Dylan Byers explained, “The problem with separating quotes from context is that the effort usually comes back to bite you. Before you know it, you end up being depicted as someone who has to invent controversy because you’re no longer capable of debating on substance.”
Quite right.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/10/03/20800952-mastering-the-art-of-shiny-objects?lite
Just Where Is The Center of Gravity Here?
Josh Marshall – October 2, 2013, 2:30 PM EDT
Byron York and I don’t agree on many things politically. But he’s a rock solid reporter and simply essential at times like these when the real story is buried in the most conservative reaches of the House and Senate GOP caucuses. This article from this morning is a good example. It comes as little surprise that John Boehner could break through virtually all the stalemates if he brought, for instance, a clean ‘continuing resolution’ (aka CR) to the House floor and passed it mainly on Democratic votes.
Of course, he’d likely be ending his tenure as Speaker, or so the thinking goes. But what York suggests, on talking to Republican members in the House, is that he could probably put a lot of these bills up for votes and still get a majority of his own caucus to vote for them. Perhaps a large majority. In other words, the so-called Hastert Rule isn’t even the hold up.
Here’s a key part of York’s piece …
York and his interlocutor go on to suggest that there are likely only between 30 and 50 House members who are really committed to the current course – well under a quarter of the House GOP caucus. A high estimate is 80. By process of elimination, they think Boehner just thinks that if he crosses those folks they’ll trigger a Speaker election and unseat him.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/just-where-is-the-center-of-gravity-here
Marlin Stutzman and post-policy nihilism
By Steve Benen
Thu Oct 3, 2013 9:03 AM EDT.
For many of us, to remember the last time Republicans shut down the federal government is to think of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich. Specifically, the far-right Georgian admitted in November 1995 that he closed the government in part because President Clinton hurt his feelings on Air Force One — the president didn’t chat with Gingrich during an overseas flight and then made the Speaker exit at the rear of the plane.
It was a moment that captured the entire fiasco quite beautifully. A petulant, out-of-control Republican leader shut down the government largely to spite the president who made him feel bad.
We don’t yet know if a similar moment will come to define this Republican shutdown, but I’d like to nominate this gem as an early contender.
Go ahead, Republicans, tell us another one about how the shutdown is Democrats’ fault.
I’ve long argued that congressional Republicans are now defined by a post-policy nihilism, but even I’m surprised an elected GOP member of Congress would say this out loud, on purpose, and on the record.
The quote is just … perfect. “We’re not going to be disrespected” helps capture the extent to which Republican lawmakers are acting like a street gang, hurting the country deliberately out of some twisted sense of self-serving pride. “We have to get something out of this” reinforces the way in which GOP officials are holding the country hostage, expecting a ransom to be paid.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/10/03/20801266-marlin-stutzman-and-post-policy-nihilism?lite
I don’t wanna hear another word about Black people being gangsters. Here’s a 2520 congressman from Redneckville Indiana holding his sack, talking about he’s been disrespected, holding his gun to the country’s head and taking hostages.
Wall Street and Chamber of Commerce Turn on the Tea Party
Wednesday, October 02, 2013 | Posted by Spandan C at 3:51 PM
Today, President Obama is meeting with Congressional leadership to tell them face-to-face what he has already said numerous times: you don’t get to exact a ransom for doing your job, keeping the government open and paying America’s bills. But that meeting follows another meeting the president had today – with CEOs of major financial institutions. And the captains of industry were none-too-pleased with the insanity their boys in Congress are displaying.
Bankers aren’t the only ones putting the squeeze on their pet project (sometimes known as Congressional Republicans). Today, the Chamber of Commerce sent House Republicans a letter telling them to get their sh.. act together.
But the Chamber and Wall Street created this monster. Big business and big banks – with money disclosed and undisclosed – funded the Tea Party insurgency. No one – not even the Tea Party itself – is as responsible for the extremist influence that is now controlling the Republican as Wall Street and the Chamber. This is their monster. They need to fix it.
The Republican party has always been the party of big business. But never before in modern history have they been so beholden to extremists. In their zeal to try to beat Obama (which they utterly failed at), the Republican party and its benefactors backed candidates who weren’t simply doing Wall Street’s bidding but were true believers in a vision of America that didn’t just go back on health care and financial regulations but on women’s rights, racial equality, gay rights and everything else the country was moving away from. They did it because they thought these true believers would do their bidding regardless of what else they were doing. They thought that hatred of Obama would drive them to do just that
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2013/10/wall-street-and-chamber-of-commerce.html
ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jon Karl spent several minutes repeatedly asking Jay Carney variations on the question of apportioning blame for the government shutdown to President Obama.
“Does the President bear any responsibility whatsoever for what’s going on, for this mess?” Karl began.
“Well, I’m not sure what you mean,” Carney replied. “I mean, the President..”
“Does he have any blame for the government shutdown? Any at all?” Karl repeated.
Carney replied, “Look, the President is President of the United States and it is his responsibility to try to work with Congress in a spirit of compromise…”
“And that hasn’t…” Karl began.
“Well, he’s… look, has he or has he not put forward a compromise budget proposal?” Carney asked. “The answer is yes.”
“But does he bear any responsibility?” Karl persisted. “It’s a simple question. Does he bear any responsibility for this mess?”
“He certainly did not vote to shut the government down,” Carney answered. “And if that’s what you’re asking, no, he did not vote to shut the government down. The Republicans did.”
“No, I’m asking if he bears any responsibility,” Karl repeated.
“Jon, he did not… Republicans in Congress chose to shut the government down,” Carney said. “The option to keep it open was available to them. It’s an option that a majority of the House of Representatives supports, a bipartisan majority…”
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http://www.mediaite.com/online/carney-to-jon-karl-you-can-do-an-essay-on-obamas-share-of-blame-for-shutdown/#disqus_thread
But hasn’t the President failed to create an environment where this stuff doesn’t happen?” Karl asked, adding “I mean, I’m asking.”
“No. He’s had multiple meetings and dinners…” Carney began.
“So he’s done nothing wrong in all of this?” Karl asked. “This is all the Republicans’ doing on their own, that the President…”
With impatient amusement, Carney said, “Well, Jon, you can do an essay, or decide for yourself, and make those judgments. What I’m telling you is that this year, the President, in a very public way, reported on by all of you, reached out to Republicans and offered to find common ground on budget issues — and didn’t just talk about it; put…”
“But…” Karl said.
“Hold on,” Carney continued, ”put those ideas in a concrete budget, causing a lot of consternation in his own party, because some of the choices he made and some of the decisions he was willing to embrace were not popular among all Democrats, or Democrat support groups. But he was willing to do it because he knew that that’s what it would take to reach a compromise with Republicans who are also willing to compromise. And he had very good conversations with a number of Republican senators and members of Congress. He had Paul Ryan in here at one point during that process.”
“What we haven’t seen, unfortunately, is a commensurate willingness by the Republicans to put on paper a proposal that represents a compromise, that moves off their insistence that — represented by the Ryan budget.,” Carney added. “But the President is open to doing that. He’s open to having those conversations.”
Having a ‘grand’ old time
By Steve Benen
Thu Oct 3, 2013 8:00 AM EDT.
A few things about House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) have become clear in recent weeks. We’ve learned, for example, that he’ll take orders from far-right extremists in his caucus. We’ve also learned he’s willing to shut the federal government down in the hopes of taking away health care benefits from millions of Americans.
What’s been far less clear is where, exactly, the flailing House Speaker intends to go with all of this. Does he have an end-game in mind? Is there any strategy at all?
Following up on a segment from last night’s show, the answer is: maybe. Robert Costa reported late yesterday, Boehner apparently has a “grand” idea.
As part of this process, Boehner has reportedly recruited leading Republican committee chairs, Paul Ryan and Dave Camp, to help persuade GOP lawmakers (who don’t seem especially interested in what the Speaker has to say).
Let’s pause to note the significance of this microcosm: there are budget discussions underway behind closed doors, with conservative Republicans hoping to reach an agreement with extremely conservative Republicans.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/10/03/20800539-having-a-grand-old-time?lite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wVpRt1sxaM8
“Maya Angelou: Finding My Voice”
“The 2013 African American Literary Awards celebrates black authors in NYC”
http://rollingout.com/books/the-2013-african-american-literary-awards-celebrates-black-authors-in-nyc/#_
“Toward Creating Political Power”
http://baystatebanner.com/news/2013/oct/02/toward-creating-political-power/
Excerpt:
Good Morning Everybody!
Good morning, Everyone :)
Good Morning, Everyone @ 3 Chics! :-)))))
Good morning, Yahtc & everyone!