team-joebama: President Obama & Israel’s PM Netanyahu yesterday day in Jerusalem
Yahoo! News: Obama was awarded Israel’s Medal of Distinction Thursday night during a lavish dinner. He is the first sitting U.S. president to receive Israel’s highest civilian honor.
The Jerusalem Post: Anyone who believes that there is no chemistry between Netanyahu and Obama should have watched them whispering to each other with big grins on their faces and laughing together when Peres said something amusing.
Feds spend $7 on THE ELDERLY for every $1 on KIDS: Funny how the blame is always on the (nonexistent) welfare moms who keep pumping out kids for more government cheese. (via) »»»»»» SENIORS TAKE NOTE: it’s impossible for the GOP to draft a budget that balances in 10 years without eating into entitlement benefits for people older than 55. »»»»»» House GOP leaders want Obama to own the automatic cuts — the sequester (the OBAMAQUESTER) — but their budget chief, PAUL RYAN, is expected to count those cuts toward his 10 year plan.
Kerry: Budget cuts may force reduction in aid to ISRAEL: Some $3 billion goes to Israel annually in US military aid, 74 percent of which must be spent in the US. »»»»»» Incomes rose more than 11 percent for the TOP 1 PERCENT of earners during the economic recovery and declined by 0.4 percent for everyone else.
After a METEOR struck RUSSIA, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology announced Friday that it will hold a hearing over asteroids – that committee is chaired by THIS GUY, so maybe they’ll try to pray them away. »»»»»» ”The REPUBLICAN PARTY was always an uneasy marriage between the Jesus freaks and the plutocrats.” »»»»»» Why a $9.00 MINIMUM WAGE would NOT lead employers to shed jobs or increase prices and pass the costs onto consumers.
The NRA says regular Americans can’t protect themselves without high-capacity magazines. »»»»»» We’re at war, but… why did Senator JOHN MCCAIN claim he wouldn’t filibuster CHUCK HAGEL, then go ahead and do so anyway? Because Hagel hurt his feelings over five years ago. »»»»»» SEAN HANNITY: “It’s the first time a filibuster of a cabinet nominee has been used. And needless to say, this marks a major win for the GOP, and pretty embarrassing defeat for the president.” »»»»»» FreedomWorks produced a video of a fake GIANT PANDA having sex with a fake HILLARY CLINTON. Seriously.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Travel to the Middle East
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 20, 2012
Secretary Clinton will depart today on travel to Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Cairo, leaving from the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She will meet with regional leaders, starting with our Israeli partners, to consult on the situation in Gaza.
Her visits will build on American engagement with regional leaders over the past days – including intensive engagement by President Obama with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Morsi – to support de-escalation of violence and a durable outcome that ends the rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns and restores a broader calm. As President Obama noted in his conversations with President Morsi, we commend Egypt’s efforts to de-escalate the situation and are hopeful that these efforts will be successful.
She will emphasize the United States’ interest in a peaceful outcome that protects and enhances Israel’s security and regional stability; that can lead to improved conditions for the civilian residents of Gaza; and that can reopen the path to fulfill the aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis for two states living in peace and security. She will continue to express U.S. concern for the loss of civilian life on both sides.
Source: state.gov
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Mother Jones: UPDATE 11, 7:00 a.m. PST, Tuesday, November 20: The United States is no longer standing on the sidelines of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Today, President Obama sent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to assist with negotiations. The United Nations secretary general is also expected to arrive today. According to The New York Times: “Mrs. Clinton will not meet with Hamas representatives on her trip, but with the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, which is at odds with the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip. “We do not engage directly with Hamas” White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben] Rhodes said.”
“Red lines don’t lead to war; red lines prevent war.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exhorted the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday to draw “a clear red line” to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In a theatrical gesture, Netanyahu held up a cartoon-like drawing of a spherical bomb and drew a red line below the fuse, “before Iran completes the second stage of nuclear enrichment to make a bomb,” he said. ”It’s not a question of whether Iran will get the bomb. The question is at what stage can we stop Iran from getting the bomb,” said Netanyahu, who also accused Iran of aggression.
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And a meme was born:
via: cynicalidealism
via: sirkowski
via: unabrow
via: communism-kills
via: dagseoul
via: churchill1874
via: joemande
via: roxygen
via: krister
via: ghamidh: “About here, there’s no more chips. It’s just air.”
via: antizionism
via: newwavecrashing
“I’m not going to be drawn into the American election. And what’s guiding my statements is not the American political calendar, but the Iranian nuclear calendar. I’m talking to [President Obama]. I just talked to him the other day. We are in close consultation. We’re trying to prevent that. It’s really not a partisan issue. It’s a policy issue, not a partisan issue.” — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
“According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Netanyahu sent his defense minister, Ehud Barak, to deliver a goodwill message to Chicago mayor and former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel on Thursday afternoon.
“An aide to Israeli leader said “no comment” when questioned about nature of the meeting and a spokeswoman for Emanuel would only confirm that Barak met with the Chicago mayor Thursday afternoon.
“This marks the second time in six days the Israeli leader has sought, either personally or through back channels — Barak and Emanuel are friends — to distance himself from the perception he is agitating for the president’s defeat in November.”
— Netanyahu To Obama: I’m Not Backing Romney – ABC News
Bibi has, apparently, “snapped out of it.” Good for him. The neocon bromance for political gain sputters to an end.
Remember Romney’s Gafftastic World Tour? Mitt Romney meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before a meeting at the Prime Minister’s office, July 29, 2012 in Jerusalem, Israel. (Avi Ohayon/Getty Images)
Romney’s immigration plan: If you go into military service, and presumably, come out alive, you can stay. You won’t get actual “citizenship” — you’d earn “permanent residency” — but, hey, you won’t have to leave.
Other thoughts on Mitt Romney and the wars and military service he champions:
“The good news is that we have a volunteer Army and that’s the way we’re going to keep it. My sons are all adults and they’ve made decisions about their careers and they’ve chosen not to serve in the military and active duty and I respect their decision in that regard. One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I’d be a great president.” — Mitt Romney, August 8 2007 in Iowa
image: communism-kills
The Republican Party either needs to get itself some warmongers who aren’t chickenhawks, or it should stop relying on war profiteering to line the pockets of its benefactors. It’s an ugly business when certain men want to send other people’s children to war and call it patriotic. It’s uglier that ordinary people approve.
Nicholas Kristof: “DIPLOMACY is a minefield, and Mitt Romney spent the last week blowing up his foreign policy credentials to be president. He raised doubts about his capacity to deal with global crises, and we were left hoping that if that 3 a.m. call ever went to him, he’d have set up call forwarding.
“The essential problem is that every time Romney touches foreign policy, he breaks things. He went on a friendly trip to Britain — the easiest possible test for a candidate, akin to rolling off a log — and endeared himself by questioning London’s readiness to host the Olympic Games. In the resulting firestorm, one newspaper, The Sun, denounced “Mitt the Twit.”
“[...] Then there was the Romney trip to Israel, where he insulted Palestinians and left some Jews uncomfortable with stereotyping by praising Jewish culture in the context of making money. Hmm.
“[...] Yet with the Middle East exploding in recent days because of a video insulting the Prophet Muhammad, Romney dived in with a statement that hit a trifecta: it was erroneous, inflammatory and offensive.”
And let’s not forget how Romney recently broke things with Vladimir Putin and Russia…
Josh Marshall: “The cauldron of Israeli politics has been swirling of late with the notion that Defense Minister Ehud Barak has put his chips (both for the future and with respect to Iran) on Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu has put his on Mitt Romney. And as the Prime Minister increasingly works to unseat President Obama, opposition leaders have started to ask who Bibi is more intent on ousting, Ahmadinejad or Obama?
“Now comes word that Netanyahu will give an exclusive interview this weekend to Meet The Press, which gives you your answer. Netanyahu is tripling down on a Romney presidency and will do whatever he can to make it happen.”
Mitt is Bibi’s bitch. Another reason I will vote Obama.
Republicans are very serious about Israel and holy sites. Except when they’re drunk. We know how Republicans act when people are actually watching and listening *cough*Todd Akin*cough* but have you ever wondered how they conduct themselves when no one is watching? Wonder no more:
During a fact-finding congressional trip to the Holy Land last summer, Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) took off his clothes and jumped into the [Sea of Galilee, a Christian holy site], joining a number of members, their families and GOP staff during a night out in Israel, the sources told POLITICO. Other participants, including the daughter of another congressman, swam fully clothed, while some lawmakers partially disrobed. More than 20 people took part in the late-night dip in the sea, according to sources who were participants in the trip.
[...] These GOP sources confirmed the following freshmen lawmakers also went swimming that night: Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) and his daughter; Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) and his wife; Reps. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.). Many of the lawmakers who ventured into the lake said they did so because of the religious significance of the waters. Others said they were simply cooling off after a long day. Several privately admitted that alcohol may have played a role in why some of those present decided to jump in.
Who didn’t stick around after dinner to drunk skinny dip in the Sea of Galilee?
But Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who was the senior most GOP lawmaker in Israel on the trip, was so upset about the antics that he rebuked the 30 lawmakers the morning after the Aug. 18, 2011, incident, saying they were distracting from the mission of the trip.
Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was also on the privately funded excursion, which means two of the three top House Republicans were a part of this trip. Neither Cantor nor McCarthy went swimming that night, the sources said. Some of their staff did.
What happened? A dressing down, that’s what!
A Cantor spokesman confirmed that the majority leader dressed down his Republican colleagues and that a staffer was later interviewed by FBI agents. “Twelve months ago, [Cantor] dealt with this immediately and effectively to ensure such activities would not take place in the future,” said Doug Heye, Cantor’s deputy chief of staff.
[...] On the night in question, the GOP group checked into Scots Hotel, where rooms could run up to $1,000 each night. At 8:45 p.m., they headed to Decks, a popular restaurant located on the sea, according to an itinerary filed with the House Ethics Committee.
As dinner was winding down, Cantor and McCarthy left the restaurant, but the most of the other lawmakers and staff stayed behind, and the drinking continued, according to several sources who attended the dinner.
After what they describe as a “long, hot day,” more than 20 lawmakers and senior aides decided to jump into the sea, sources said. Some went in wearing all their clothes, although others partially undressed.
Yoder removed all his clothes, the only person to do so, according to multiple sources.
Senior aides also jumped into the Sea of Galilee. They included Steve Stombres, Cantor’s chief of staff; Tim Berry, McCarthy’s chief of staff; Laena Fallon, Cantor’s former communications director and Emily Murray, McCarthy’s top health care aide. Kristi Way, a top Cantor staffer, was also on the trip.
Who paid for these shenanigans?
The American Israel Educational Foundation, a group related to AIPAC, the prominent pro-Israel advocacy group, sponsored the trip, which ran from Aug. 13 to Aug. 21, 2011. The trip cost AIEF upwards of $10,000 per person, according to records filed with the House Ethics Committee. More than 60 people took part in this AIEF trip.
It was hot and I was drunk.. oh! and religiously significant — I felt closer to Jesus! What else is there to say? It’s very likely that any excursion by a group of Republicans where they have the opportunity to be themselves and let their hair down, so to speak, frequently winds up looking like the morning after a frat party in Vegas.
Next month’s convention is the next scheduled party. Hope they all decide to pack swimsuits.
“I don’t know how he’ll handle the head of state job. He’s made a mess of being a tourist.” — Rahm Emanuel (via)
image: gop-circus
Hopefully never coming to the White House near you!
“It is no small thing to suggest you view one group as culturally inferior. It is no small thing to suggest that God plays favorites.”
Joshua Greenman discusses the serious mistake Mitt Romney made yesterday in Jerusalem:
Mideast gaffe could cost Mitt Romney in GOP hopeful’s run for the White House:
“Romney, speaking to a group of donors, meant to praise Israel’s success. In the process, he demeaned Palestinians — pointing to “a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality” between the Jewish state and the occupied territories. His diagnosis: “Culture makes all the difference.” Then, among other factors playing to Israel’s favor, he cited “the hand of providence.” Yikes. If Romney becomes President, he will have to work with both sides. It is no small thing to suggest you view one group as culturally inferior. It is no small thing to suggest that God plays favorites.
“Obviously culture matters. It has helped make Israel a global engine of innovation. For years, Arab nations have been soul-searching about why they’ve struggled to keep up; that’s part of what fuels the Arab Spring.
“But in the delicate context of the Mideast, it is tone-deaf to bring this up with no recognition of the legitimate gripes of Palestinians. [...] For Romney to attribute Israel’s success partially to providence is damn near dangerous. Imagine how it’ll play in translation in Muslim-majority countries: The would-be President thinks the Lord made Israel rich. Nevermind the logical fallacy. Is it also God’s will that the Arabs got most of the oil, which is why Qatar and Brunei are far richer than Israel per capita? If they’re twice as wealthy as mostly Catholic Poland, is that because Allah made them so?”
Mitt Romney – seen here talking to the media – complains that US media coverage of his overseas trip has focused on his gaffes. Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters
THE RETROACTIVE WORLD TOUR BEGINS: For some reason, Mitt seems to want to quickly change the subject from his Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad World Tour and suddenly focus on the economy? Romney thinks it’s a shame the lamestream media won’t report what’s best for his campaign, like Fox “News” does:
Mitt Romney Blames Press For Overseas Controversies: “Romney told Fox News today that the controversies were the result of the press “trying to find anything else” to write about. “I realize that there will be some in the fourth estate or whatever estate who are far more interested in finding something to write about that is unrelated to the economy, to geopolitics, to the threat of war, to the reality of conflict in Afghanistan today, to a nuclearization of Iran,” Romney said. “They are instead trying to find anything else to divert from the fact that these last four years have been tough years for our country,” he said.”
Romney denies criticizing Palestinian culture: “Mitt Romney insisted Tuesday he was not specifically talking about Palestinian culture at a fundraiser in Israel on Monday when he was quoted suggesting culture was the reason for the economic disparity between Israel and Palestine. “That’s an interesting topic that deserves scholarly analysis, but I actually didn’t address that,” Romney told Fox News’s Carl Cameron, adding he didn’t “intend” to talk about the subject in his campaign. “Instead, I will point out… that the choices a society makes have a profound impact on the economy and vitality of that society.”“
Actual words in Jerusalem: “As I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things.”
Cultural remarks aside, he also thinks that “the choices a society makes have a profound impact on the economy and vitality of that society.” And clearly, he said yesterday, Israel is winning economically. So Palestine isn’t making the right choices — but no offense? Here’s something else he said yesterday, when he totally WASN’T discussing whose culture was better:
”I am overwhelmingly impressed with the hand of providence, whenever it chooses to apply itself, and also the greatness of the human spirit, and how individuals who reach for greatness and have purpose above themselves are able to build and accomplish things that could only be done by a species created in the image of God.”
Mitt forgot to talk about “the hand of providence” today and who God loves better. It’s funny how he was all over that yesterday in Jerusalem, when there was money involved.
Xinhua News Agency: “Romney told the CNN on Sunday that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and he thought the U.S. embassy should be moved to Jerusalem from the current location in the city of Tel Aviv. The U.S. presidential hopeful’s dangerous words should be carefully watched out. Jerusalem is a holy city to the three major Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and its future status has always been a critical issue in the current stagnant Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, as they both declared Jerusalem to be their own capital. The status of Jerusalem is highly sensitive, which involves the religious sentiments and dignity of most Arab people. Until now, all the nations that have established diplomatic relations with Israel have set up their embassies in Tel Aviv or other cities, instead of in Jerusalem, due to the later’s uncertain status. [...] Romney’s remarks totally neglect historical facts and are actually irresponsible if he just meant to appeal to voters at home.”
