Personal life[edit]
On June 25, 1983, Washington married Pauletta Pearson, whom he met on the set of his first screen work, the television film Wilma. The couple have four children: John David (b. July 28, 1984), a football player who signed with the St. Louis Rams in May 2006, after playing with the United Football League’s Sacramento Mountain Lions (and before that, college football at Morehouse);[30] Katia (b. November 27, 1986) who graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2010; and twins Olivia and Malcolm (b. April 10, 1991). Malcolm graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in film studies, and Olivia played a role in Lee Daniels’s film The Butler. In 1995, Denzel and Pauletta renewed their wedding vows in South Africa with Archbishop Desmond Tutu officiating.[31]
Washington is a devout Christian,[32] and has considered becoming a preacher. He stated in 1999, “A part of me still says, ‘Maybe, Denzel, you’re supposed to preach. Maybe you’re still compromising.’ I’ve had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. I take what talent I’ve been given seriously, and I want to use it for good.”[33] In 1995, he donated $2.5 million to help build the new West Angeles Church of God in Christ facility in Los Angeles.[34][35] Washington says he reads the Bible daily.[36]
Washington has served as the national spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1993[37] and has appeared in public service announcements and awareness campaigns for the organization.[38] In addition, he has served as a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1995.[citation needed]
In mid-2004, Washington visited Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston, where he participated in a Purple Heart ceremony, presenting medals to three Army soldiers recovering from wounds they received while stationed in Iraq. He also visited the fort’s Fisher House facilities, and after learning that it had exceeded its capacity, made a substantial donation to the Fisher House Foundation. Washington’s other charitable contributions include $1 million to the Children’s Fund of South Africa[35] and $1 million to Wiley College to resuscitate the college’s debate team.[39]
Washington is an Independent voter. He supported Barack Obama in 2008.[40]
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia named Washington as one of three people (the others being directors Oliver Stone and Michael Moore) with whom they were willing to negotiate for the release of three defense contractors the group had held captive from 2003 to 2008.[41]
On May 18, 1991, Washington was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Fordham University, for having “impressively succeeded in exploring the edge of his multifaceted talent”.[42] In 2011, he donated $2 million to Fordham for an endowed chair of the theater department, as well as $250,000 to establish a theater-specific scholarship at the school. He also received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Morehouse College on May 20, 2007.[43] and an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania on May 16, 2011.[44]
In 2008, Washington visited Israel with a delegation of African-American artists in honor of the state’s 60th birthday.[45]
In April 2014, Washington presented at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition with Bryan Cranston, Idina Menzel and Fran Drescher, after raising donations at his Broadway show Raisin in the Sun.[46]
A Note to Future Black Presidents
Dear Future Black Presidents,
First of all…congratulations! You are following in some mighty impressive footsteps.
But I wanted to write to you in order to let you know that there are some unwritten rules that apply to you. This might be a bit confusing because they haven’t applied to the white guys who preceded you. So I just wanted to give you a heads up. Here ya go…
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-note-to-future-black-presidents.html
https://twitter.com/KaytheBrave/status/558093095729127425/photo/1
https://twitter.com/EmpireFOX/status/558092728534577155/photo/1
https://twitter.com/yurivictor/status/557731156054274048/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Kennymack1971/status/557927246833283072/photo/1
LOL THIS
this is what they fear. two little White boys being happy at seeing Air Force One with Barack Obama as President.
https://twitter.com/IdahoStatesman/status/558015407529787392/photo/1
https://twitter.com/TheObamaDiary/status/558070062507393027/photo/1
This is an awesome photo.
https://twitter.com/dcbigjohn/status/557711849610039297/photo/1
https://twitter.com/tvonetv/status/558078424657707008/photo/1
https://twitter.com/thinkprogress/status/557905529939718145/photo/1
another gif
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–6pFS0GH_–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/sm8ed6tqtch48uhn124i.gif
You handsome man, Barack Obama!
Whooooo chile!
Vitamin, we’re not ever going to have another Potus so fine with swagger sitting on 100.
I haz a sad.
Southern, don’t be sad. We must just enjoy him in the moment. Also, after he leaves he will be more relaxed and we may have better opportunity to meet him. The first one is always most memorable. (smile)
OK!
https://twitter.com/BoiseDailyPhoto/status/558006172763295745/photo/1
Thanks Rikyrah, and all, for this post on one of my favorite actors and for the fact-filled information and links. I visit everyday, and although I don’t always post a comment, I want you guys to know how much I appreciate and enjoy 3ChicsPolitico. It’s one of my favorite bookmarked sites.
Glad you enjoy this week and the site. We try and bring information forth.
We’re happy to have your fonts grace our blog. Much obliged, Majiir.
https://twitter.com/meaghansgood/status/557327594899898370/photo/1
https://twitter.com/reuterspictures/status/557745430843645955/photo/1
Now he loves that woman!
An Open Letter to My Sister, Ava DuVernay
By Robert Jones, Jr. | Shadow and Act
January 21, 2015 at 2:11PM
Dear Ava,
I feel somewhat self-conscious about writing this letter to you, about this particular subject matter, as bombs are strapped to little black girls and detonated in town squares; as men of color are pushed from rooftops, real and figurative, because they dared to love other men; as black transgender women are bludgeoned to death in broad daylight, in front of unmoved spectators, in streets all over the country; as black disabled people are scapegoated and executed as regular cultural practice; as American police forces, much like the paddy rollers and Klansmen before them, don’t possess the necessary humanity required to distinguish black people from shooting targets. These are hurried and complex times.
Some would say that now, in the midst of this mayhem, is not the time to center art, that the artist, for the present moment, must necessarily recede into the background in order to make room for the revolutionary—as though those two states of being, those two approaches to the matters at hand, are mutually exclusive; as though they couldn’t exist simultaneously, even within the same person. The conventional wisdom asks why devote time to the public defense of a filmmaker when my energy could be better spent in the streets (as though multitasking is outside the realm of possibility).
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/an-open-letter-to-my-sister-ava-duvernay-20150121
Spike Lee to Receive President’s Award at 46th NAACP Image Awards
By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act
January 21, 2015 at 1:13PM
Spike Lee will be presented with the NAACP President’s Award at the 46th NAACP Image Awards.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/spike-lee-to-receive-presidents-award-at-46th-naacp-image-awards-20150121
AMERICAN LUTHER?
UMMMM…
I don’t know about this.
………………
American ‘Luther’ Gets Official Pilot Order at Fox, But Contingent on Cast. Let’s Help Them Out…
By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act
January 21, 2015 at 10:21AM
Following last fall’s reveal that FOX was considering an American version of the hit BBC detective drama “Luther,” which Idris Elba starred in, the network announced this morning that it has now officially ordered a pilot for the proposed series, created by Neil Cross, who will work with Fox on the USA adaptation. But, the pilot order is CONTINGENT on whether the show’s producers are able to put together a solid cast to match the British original.
So, I thought, let’s help them out, and give them some ideas. First, you should know that Idris Elba is on board to executive produce, NOT to star in the American version, so you may as well cross him off your list of considerations. The good news is that this vacancy opens the door for a new actor to take on the title role – we can only assume he’ll also be black; although the original series wasn’t written specifically for a black man, so anything is possible.
However, assuming a black actor is cast as Luther in the American version, who’d be your choice for the part? I also have to wonder if the main cast of characters will also transfer, and if so, who would you cast as Alice Morgan, the nutty character played by Ruth Wilson, who was a significant part of the first season of the original?
The starring role could be a career-making role for the right actor – especially if it’s a fresh face. Has American television ever seen a specifically black character like John Luther? The genius, emotionally-impulsive detective tormented by humanity’s darker side, complicatedly-drawn and incisively brought to life on screen as by Mr Elba.
I can’t think of anything close to what “Luther” brings – what those of us who are fans of the series (especially here in the USA), really appreciate about it, since that kind of a complex character (who also happens to be black) in a detective series, is painfully lacking on American television, and has been for a long time. And we have to look across the pond to find him.
Granted, Luther wasn’t originally scripted as a black man. Luther could’ve been any race, color, ethnicity, etc. Idris just happens to be black, and his *blackness* doesn’t really have any influence on the individual story strands of the series, or overall episodes – something that I think also adds to its appeal.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/american-luther-gets-official-pilot-order-at-fox-but-contingent-on-cast-lets-help-them-out-20150121
Found this at POU:
https://twitter.com/docrocktex26/status/557769635832270849/photo/1
HuffPost BlackVoices ✔ @blackvoices
Follow
Obama to visit Selma for 50th anniversary of Civil Rights marches http://huff.to/1J8zMRx
11:00 AM – 21 Jan 2015
https://twitter.com/RawStory/status/557984269541199872/photo/1
Monday, January 19, 2015
“If Reagan is Not Risen…
……………
But because he is a better person than I am, like many Liberals, Dr. Krugman shies away from following his own chain of comprehensively incriminating proofs all the way to their logical conclusion. Leading to to an explanation — that Conservative are reactionary —
And why this hatred of government in the public interest? Well, the political scientist Corey Robin argues that most self-proclaimed conservatives are actually reactionaries. That is, they’re defenders of traditional hierarchy — the kind of hierarchy that is threatened by any expansion of government, even (or perhaps especially) when that expansion makes the lives of ordinary citizens better and more secure. I’m partial to that story, partly because it helps explain why climate science and health economics inspire so much rage.
— which is necessary but sadly insufficient.
Because no tactical analysis of Conservatism will ever be be sufficient, and no strategy to dismantle its electoral and media machinery will ever work, until we all get it through our heads that Conservatism is not merely reactionary, but a full blown religious cult.
A cult with with a totalizing vision of reality that rejects science, causality, history, Christianity and democracy in favor of the pronouncements of its Leadership Caste.
A cult which believes with raging, messianic fervor that since all of America’s problems were caused by the Original Sin of Big Gummint, the only way to restore their White Christian Nation to it’s Righteous and pre-Fallen state (which they have only glimpsed every now and then in certain John Wayne movies) is to destroy the federal government and drive all of Jesusland’s scheming, God-hating Liberals and parasitic minorities into the sea.
A cult of giddy fascism….wrapped in the American flag, carrying the bible, with a Toby Keith soundtrack.
A cult in harness to the loathsome agenda of evil men.
A cult which will stab itself in its collective belly over and over again on the orders of its Leadership Caste…just so it can spend another glorious day bitching about how Big Gummint Liberals are making their tummy hurt.
http://driftglass.blogspot.com/2015/01/if-reagan-is-not-risen.html
Ben Carson: Congress Should Remove Judges Who Rule For Gay Marriage
ByBrendan James
PublishedJanuary 21, 2015, 12:30 PM EST 1283 views
Former pediatric neurosurgeon and possible 2016 presidential candidate Ben Carson explained to an Iowa broadcaster on Tuesday that Congress can and should eject judges who rule in favor of gay marriage.
On the conservative Steve Deace Show podcast (“Fear God. Tell The Truth. Make Money”) Carson said most Americans are unaware of this authority “because they don’t know the Constitution.”
“When judges do not carry out their duties in an appropriate way, our Congress actually has the right to reprimand or remove them,” Carson said. Any law on marriage should be decided by a popular referendum, and any decisions made by courts are “unconstitutional,” justifying dismissal of judges, he added.
Later on in the interview, Carson agreed with Deace that ongoing spread of legalized gay marriage would make it “open season on Christians.”
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ben-carson-remove-judges-gay-marriage
here’s another gif
https://38.media.tumblr.com/b93bca78729b167e4bb393fa967bf4b7/tumblr_ngi7i2Rnud1qcluu2o1_400.gif
New GOP abortion ban is dividing the party
01/21/15 12:31 PM
By Steve Benen
It hasn’t exactly been subtle. Congressional Republicans, thrilled to be in the majority in both chamber, have tried to get this Congress off to the most far-right start possible. It’s included aggressive pushes on gutting health care, weakening Wall Street safeguards, and making Social Security susceptible to important cuts.
But just two weeks into the session, Republicans also haven’t forgotten about the culture war.
House Republican leadership is planning to move forward with a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks, despite opposition from female lawmakers who fear the legislation is too harsh and could turn off young voters.
The bill, sponsored by Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), would exempt rape victims from the abortion restrictions, but only if they report the attack to police – a clause multiple GOP staffers said could further discourage victims of sexual assault from seeking medical help.
As the Politico report noted, Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), a former nurse and an opponent of abortion rights, urged GOP leaders to alter the legislation – a point she emphasized to her GOP colleagues at the party’s retreat last week. Party leaders nevertheless refused, prompting Ellmers and Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) to withdraw their support from the bill.
The result is a rare sight: a controversial culture war bill that’s not only dividing Republicans against Democrats, but also Republicans against Republicans.
The vote on the bill is expected tomorrow, timed by GOP leaders specifically to coincide with the annual March for Life, held on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.
Despite Ellmers’ concerns, the bill is likely to pass in the Republican-dominated House, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has spent months trying to rally support for the same bill in the Senate.
If it passes, President Obama has already vowed to veto the bill.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/new-gop-abortion-ban-dividing-the-party
love this
http://youtu.be/LTp9c9bsY_Q
White ‘vigilante’ puts 62-year-old black man in chokehold for legally carrying gun in Florida Walmart
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/01/white-vigilante-puts-62-year-old-black-man-in-chokehold-for-legally-carrying-gun-in-florida-walmart/
he Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has asked vigilantes to please be careful about which gun owners they choose to attack after a black concealed carry permit holder was wrongly assaulted at a Florida Walmart.
According to the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office, 62-year-old Clarence Daniels was entering Walmart with his legally concealed firearm to buy coffee creamer on Tuesday when he was spotted by 43-year-old vigilante Michael Foster.
Foster, who is white, had observed Daniels conceal the weapon under his coat before he came into the store. When Daniels crossed the threshold, Foster tackled him and placed him in a chokehold, Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Larry McKinnon explained.
“He’s got a gun!” Foster reportedly exclaimed.
“I have a permit!” Daniels repeatedly shouted back.
After a struggle, the men were separated. Deputies later arrived and Foster was charged with battery.
“Unfortunately he tackled a guy that was a law-abiding citizen,” McKinnon noted. “We understand it’s alarming for people to see other people with guns, but Florida has a large population of concealed weapons permit holders.”
“The Sheriff’s Office recommends that vigilante-inclined citizens refrain from taking matters into their own hands, especially when an incident is gun-related,” the Tampa Bay Times reported.
McKinnon said that vigilantes should “make sure there’s a good reason” before tackling gun owners.
uh huh
uh huh
Did you notice how they used the word “OTHER” implying “Black”?
This to me is about racism….and the race of the gun owner. Scary vigilantes out there!
Yes indeed. Shameless.
That ‘s what all that crying about second amendment rights is all about. These white hillbilies don’t think this applies to:
BLACK PEOPLE=Other
White House says Netanyahu ‘departing from protocol’ with US visit
By MICHAEL WILNER
01/21/2015
WASHINGTON — The White House
expressed displeasure with the handling of an upcoming visit by Prime
Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to the United States on Wednesday, after the
Israeli premier received an invitation by House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner to address a joint session of Congress next month.
Boehner told reporters he did not inform the White House of his plans to
invite Netanyahu to the US. Neither did the prime minister’s office.
Aboard Air Force One en route to Idaho, US President Barack Obama’s
press secretary said that typical protocol for the visit of a national
figurehead had been breached somewhere along the way.
“The protocol would suggest that the leader of one country would contact
the leader of another country when he’s traveling there,” press
secretary Josh Earnest told reporters traveling with Obama aboard Air
Force One.
“This particular event seems to be a departure from that protocol,” Earnest said.
The White House declined to comment on whether the president will receive Netanyahu during his visit.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/White-House-says-Netanyahu-departing-from-protocol-with-US-visit-388482
Fucked in the South
Posted by Richard Mayhew at 7:04 am Jan 212015
Harold Pollack at Same Facts has a great map that shows where making Medicaid expansion optional is hurting people.
We know the upper Mountain West is looking for ways to tweak and twist their Medicaid programs to align with both conservative policy goals and liberal coverage expansion. We know Maine has an asshole for a governor but a non-veto proof majority in the Legislature that is pushing for Expansion. We know Virginia has a split political elite that is slightly tilted against expansion. But the Deep South is where there is a wide spread elite political consensus that it is best for their political leaders to stand in the hospital doors to prevent poor people from getting healthcare. Arkansas is looking to regress from its expensive and convoluted but successful private option implementation to either nothing or far less for its poor citizens.
This was predictable, reactionary states that run on extraction economies and have a political history of nullification would nullify laws that threaten elite privilege however they could. And the Roberts Court narrowly but consistently is providing a set of tools for nullification to work.
Don’t like black people voting, well the sovereign dignity of the states is offended for the usual repeat offenders from being supervised despite there being a bail-out provision for good behavior.
Don’t like poor people people living productive lives and not genuflecting to their betters — well Medicaid expansion is optional as the deal is coercive and insulting to the dignity of the states.
Don’t like middle class people getting help to live productive and healthy lives while not genuflecting to their betters — well of course the language in the law authorizing subsidies is so clear that the CBO never even had to model what would happen if a state elected not to establish an exchange.
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2015/01/21/fucked-in-the-south/
https://twitter.com/thinkprogress/status/557966213230657536
WHAT KIND OF EVIL IS THIS??!?
PUT THEM UNDER.THE.JAIL.
……………
Homeless Man Sleeping On Beach Doused In Lighter Fluid And Set On Fire
ByTracy Walsh
Published January 21, 2015, 12:08 PM EST
Police in Ventura, Calif., were seeking three white men with shaved heads who allegedly doused a homeless man with lighter fluid before setting him ablaze late Saturday night, according to Los Angeles television station KTLA.
John Frazier, 58, was sleeping on the beach when he was awakened by three individuals pouring accelerant on his sleeping bag, the Los Angeles Times reported. The men then set Frazier on fire.
An unidentified person who came across the scene shortly afterwards used sand to extinguish the flames, which reached heights of five to six feet, according to the Times.
Frazier was taken to a local hospital, where he was recovering from burns on up to 40 percent of his extremities and torso, according to KCBS. The television station reported that he is expected to survive.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/john-frazier-homeless-beach-fire
White House: Boehner invite to Netanyahu breach of protocol
http://linkis.com/bigstory.ap.org/arti/Wm2ES
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — The White House says House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation for Israel’s prime minister to come to Washington is a breach of normal diplomatic protocol.
President Barack Obama’s press secretary, Josh Earnest, says the White House has not heard from Israelis about whether Benjamin Netanyahu plans to speak to Congress Feb. 11. Earnest says they are reserving judgment about the invitation until they’ve had a chance to speak to the Israelis about what Netanyahu might say.
Earnest says typical protocol is that a country’s leader would contact the White House before planning to visit the United States. But Earnest says they didn’t hear about Boehner’s invitation until Wednesday morning, shortly before the speaker announced it publicly.
Karl Frisch @KarlFrisch
Forget #BreadBags. If Obama/Dems hadn’t straightened out the mess left by Bush/GOP we’d all be using the hashtag #BreadLines instead.
another gif for 3CHICS
http://i.imgur.com/3txX0wI.gif
BWA HAAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE IT!
bwa ha ha ha ha
100-year-old woman waits hours for ticket to see Obama
Jan 21, 2015 8:46 AM EST
LAWRENCE, KS (KCTV) – Fern Coffin is very partial to former President Woodrow Wilson. After all, that was the year she was born.
And after all these years and 17 different presidents in her lifetime, the 100-year-old Olathe resident says she has never met a single one of them.
However, that will not be the case after Thursday.
Coffin waited in line with her daughter, granddaughter and hundreds of others on Tuesday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds for tickets to see another president she feels passionate about – President Barack Obama.
“I be thrilled to tell my grandchildren how we waited in line all day long with grandma and mom,” said Jessica Mitchell, Coffin’s granddaughter.
The president is scheduled to deliver his speech about 11:20 a.m. Thursday at the Anchutz Sports Pavilion, 1575 Irving Hill Rd., at the University of Kansas. The doors will open at 8:30 a.m
http://www.kctv5.com/story/27896371/100-year-old-woman-waits-hours-for-ticket-to-see-obama#ixzz3PTXDlzRt
‘I won both of them’
01/21/15 10:25 AM—UPDATED 01/21/15 11:19 AM
By Steve Benen
The substance of a presidential address always matters more than the theatrics. That said, I imagine most observers would agree one specific moment from President Obama’s speech last night was one of the more memorable of any recent State of the Union address.
Towards the end of his remarks, Obama took an almost contemplative turn, telling the audience, “I have no more campaigns to run.” Some Republicans responded with derisive applause, prompting the president to depart from his prepared remarks.
“I know, because I won both of them,” Obama said with a sly smile.
For a few moments, I felt like I was watching a “Key & Peele” sketch and the president briefly became Luther, his “anger translator.”
Not surprisingly, the moment garnered quite a bit of attention.
Facebook’s policy team provided msnbc with data on the most talked-about topics and moments during the Obama’s oratory. The most viral moment of the State of the Union address, according to Facebook? That moment when President Obama said “I have no more campaigns to run,” was interrupted by partisan cheers, and shot back: “I know, because I won both of them.”
TPM’s Sahil Kapur was on Capitol Hill last night, and apparently, congressional Republicans didn’t appreciate the president’s not-so-subtle jab.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/i-won-both-them
https://twitter.com/lafemagres/status/557771821974847490/photo/1
First Lady Michelle Obama Hosts Local Students for a Special Reading of Dr. Seuss
https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/557932607108030464
https://twitter.com/MrDanZak/status/557910258312835072/photo/1
Ms. Boynton’s still STANDING! and those AL cops, prolly 6 ft. under.
https://twitter.com/dougmillsnyt/status/557928086902439936
Defiant MOFOS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation to address Congress on February 11, a congressional source tells CNN’s Dana Bash.
Boehner invited Netanyahu to speak on the issue of Iran. Congressional leaders are considering a proposal to increase sanctions while international negotiators try to reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said he would veto any new sanctions bill
EMPIRE FANS, A PROMO
http://youtu.be/LQmW3aSm4Hk
The internet is forever Senator Cruz
https://vine.co/#/v/OIqaAQwlDYL
Agence France-Presse ✔ @AFP
Follow
#BREAKING US and Cuba open historic talks in Havana
7:58 AM – 21 Jan 2015
Tue Jan 20, 2015 at 07:33 PM PST.
Republicans are a tough crowd
by Hunter for Daily Kos
Things the Republican Party could not bring themselves to clap for tonight, a (much) condensed list. An improving economy
A soaring stock market
Americans getting health insurance
Mention of “solar power”
Tax cuts for working families (A tax cut Republicans don’t like?)”
Affordable childcare
Tax cuts for families with children (Another one?)
Equal pay for women
“America has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and all advanced economies combined.”
A “free and open internet”
Rewarding companies that “invest in America” (C’mon, really?)
“Working Americans”
A resolution for the use of the force against ISIL
“Trying something new” with Cuba
Acknowledging that climate change exists
Prohibiting Torture
Not persecuting “people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.”
Closing Gitmo
Making “voting easier for every single American”
To be fair, many of those are controversial. Those working Americans are probably up to something.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/20/1359111/-Republicans-are-a-tough-crowd#
Sundance Trailer Exclusive: Stanley Nelson’s Timely ‘The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution’
By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act
January 20, 2015 at 3:46PM
Promising a definitive portrait of the Black Panther Party – its rise and fall – acclaimed veteran director Stanley Nelson aims to paint a complete and accurate account of the revolutionary black nationalist organization, in his very timely new documentary “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,” a film that should act as a reminder, as well as an education (especially for the uninitiated, unaware of those whose shoulders they stand on).
As Nelson himself states, the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party is a story “that hasn’t been told,” adding that, “the Panthers have been part of other films, or there have been stories about individual Panthers. But there’s never been a really great movie about the Black Panther Party.”
The documentary will not only look at the rise and fall of the Party, but also its influence on how African Americans consider themselves today, especially in consideration of recent (and ongoing) collective action within communities nationwide, in response to multiple incidents of police brutality that led to fatalities. A key Panther practice was its monitoring of police officers, and challenges of police brutality.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/sundance-trailer-exclusive-stanley-nelsons-timely-the-black-panthers-vanguard-of-the-revolution-20150120
They are STILL mad that POTUS isn’t cowering because of the November 2014 elections.
………………..
The remarkable confidence of Barack Obama
By Chris Cillizza January 20 at 10:46 PM
Seventy seven days ago, Barack Obama’s party lost control of Congress — largely due to his unpopularity nationwide. You’d have never known it watching the president deliver his sixth State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.
From start to finish, Obama was supremely confident, challenging — and mocking — Republicans at every turn. Touting the turnaround of the economy, Obama turned to Republicans, who, in classic State of the Union symbolism, had refused to deliver a standing ovation, and joked “That’s good news, people.” On Cuba, Obama challenged those who disagreed with his Administration policies; “When what you’re doing doesn’t work for fifty years, it’s time to try something new,” he said.
But more than the words on the page, it was Obama’s tone and overall demeanor that absolutely oozed confidence. He winked. He laughed at his own jokes. And he ad-libbed. Repeating his “I’ve run my last campaign” line, Obama was clearly irked by the sarcastic applause from Republicans in the audience. “I know because I won both of them,” he added, in a rare moment of candor.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/01/20/the-remarkable-confidence-of-barack-obama/
http://youtu.be/Z8LqG_Ld0Dw
Republicans stumble in SOTU responses
01/21/15 08:48 AM—UPDATED 01/21/15 08:58 AM
By Steve Benen
In a way, it may not have been entirely fair of Republicans to ask Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) to deliver the party’s response to the State of the Union. It’s a very tough gig for anyone, but it’s especially challenging for a right-wing rookie whose entire congressional career has spanned a few weeks.
Ernst fans hoping for a breakthrough moment for the radical senator will have to wait for some other opportunity. The Republican’s delivery was stilted and her substance was much worse.
“Americans have been hurting, but when we demanded solutions, too often Washington responded with the same stale mindset that led to failed policies like Obamacare. It’s a mindset that gave us political talking points, not serious solutions.”
Ironically, while she was awkwardly reading these words, Ernst was delivering political talking points, not serious solutions. For anyone who cares at all about policy details or reality, Affordable Care Act obviously hasn’t “failed,” and if it’s borne of a “stale mindset,” that may be because the blueprint for the law was drafted by Ernst’s Republican allies.
Her speech went on to refer to the “Keystone jobs bill” – total number of permanent jobs created: 35 – while saying Washington can get working again “with a little cooperation from the president.”
Said the senator who called Obama a “dictator” whom she’d like to impeach.
Of course, Ernst wasn’t the only Republican to deliver a SOTU response last night. On the contrary, she was one of five.
Just like last year, President Obama’s State of the Union was soon followed by a GOP quintuplet: an official response, an official response in Spanish, a Tea Party response, a Rand Paul response, and a Ted Cruz response.
It was that last one that seemed to provide the most entertainment.
A video of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) messing up his response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address was uploaded to YouTube and quickly removed Tuesday night.
In the video, Cruz spoke for just under a minute before pausing to try again. “Eh, lemme start over,” Cruz said before the video cut to the beginning of his remarks for a second time.
The senator’s office removed the YouTube clip, but not before plenty of folks made copies.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/republicans-stumble-sotu-responses
A president rediscovers his audacity
01/21/15 08:00 AM—UPDATED 01/21/15 08:16 AM
By Steve Benen
About a year ago, one of the more common criticisms from President Obama’s detractors was that he’d become “disengaged.” A frustrated president, the argument went, had grown listless and cynical. Fox News actually fielded a national poll asking respondents if they thought Obama still wanted to be president.
After last night’s State of the Union address, it’s a safe bet we won’t hear those criticisms again for quite a while.
Love him or hate him, President Obama has rediscovered his audacity. Last night, Americans saw a bold president celebrating his accomplishments, chiding his rivals, and presenting an ambitious agenda built on a foundation of “middle-class economics” (a phrase he referenced six times in his remarks).
In some progressive circles, it’s not uncommon to hear the left long for the Obama they loved in 2004, when he burst onto the national stage at the Democratic convention in Boston. The president signaled that he’s still very much that guy by repeating the very language he used at the time:
“[J]ust over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I said there wasn’t a liberal America, or a conservative America; a black America or a white America – but a United States of America…. I know how tempting such cynicism may be. But I still think the cynics are wrong.
“I still believe that we are one people. I still believe that together, we can do great things, even when the odds are long. I believe this because over and over in my six years in office, I have seen America at its best…. I know the good, and optimistic, and big-hearted generosity of the American people who, every day, live the idea that we are our brother’s keeper, and our sister’s keeper. And I know they expect those of us who serve here to set a better example.”
I half expected Obama to start a “Fired up, ready to go” call-and-response with Democrats in the chamber. (It was not the only callback: towards the end of the SOTU, Obama said, “Fifteen years into this new century, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and begun again the work of remaking America.” It was phrasing direct from his first inaugural address in 2009.)
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/president-rediscovers-his-audacity
They can stay phucking mad
That moment was priceless.
Right up there with ‘Please proceed, Governor.’
………………..
Republicans Irked By Obama Zinger In State Of The Union Address
BySahil Kapur
PublishedJanuary 21, 2015, 12:15 AM EST
Republicans were irked by President Barack Obama’s caustic reminder in his State of the Union speech that he defeated them twice.
“I’ve run my last campaign,” Obama said toward the end of the nationally televised address. Republicans in the chamber applauded derisively, which prompted the president to ad-lib a zinger which wasn’t in his prepared remarks: “I know because I won both of them.”
Democrats erupted with applause.
In the Capitol after the speech, Republicans expressed displeasure at being jabbed by the president in the same speech where he asked for their cooperation.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/republicans-obama-jab-state-of-the-union?utm_content=buffer8a83a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
#BlackTwitter Responds to The State of The UnionBy Danielle Belton
A nationally televised event always brings out the best from social media and the 2015 State of the Union was no exception. African American Twitter users took to the 140-character giant to voice their opinions on what President Obama did — and didn’t say — in real time.
His plan for free community college was met with both praise and head scratches on how to pay for it. There was great disappointment in his failure to address the protests that have happened across the country in response to police overreach and brutality. And there was love, as always, for what first lady Michelle Obama wore. This was the chatter surrounding the State of the Union on #BlackTwitter:
#BlackTwitter Pauses When Michelle O. Enters The Room
As the president prepared to make his entrance, the focus shifted to who was wearing what. Eyes were mostly on Michelle Obama, but there were hair and fashion shout-outs for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as well as Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s famous braid.
‘Orange Is the New Black?’
If the fashion got pluses, the tans got minuses… Namely the infamous tan of Speaker of the House John Boehner.
But Boehner wasn’t the only one called out on twitter for having an “Orange Is the New Black” moment. Many expressed bewilderment at the fact that the president seemed a shade too tangerine.
And YOU Get to Go to Community College! And YOU Get to Go to Community College!
Responding like the president was Oprah and there was a free car under their tweets, there was a lot of praise for Obama’s plans around minimum wage, the gender pay gap and maternity leave.
But when it came to the free community college proposal, discussion turned to how the government would foot the bill.
And that lead to some general frustration that this rhetoric from President Obama has been heard before, is unlikely to pass through the GOP majority Congress and, for some, is just plain garbage
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/blacktwitter-responds-state-union-n290111
Good morning 3Chics,
So The Black Snob is now a paid spy? I’m wondering (I’m not on Twitter) who was doing all this handwringing on who would pay? They/she missed the part on taxing the rich?
Good Morning, Everyone :)
Morning, everyone
HUMP day with Denzel! Morning, Everyone. :-)
I see what you did there Mrs. Ametia :)
bwa ha ha ha ha