Jimmy Fallon: Emmys Host

UPDATE, August 29, 2010: Jimmy Fallon and the Emmys were born to have fun

Fallon was a terrific host. Very entertaining!
______________

Jimmy Fallon will be hosting the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards on NBC, August 29.

Fallon has a goal: Not to offend.

"I want the TV Academy to be happy, I want (producer) Don Mischner to be happy," Fallon said of his upcoming Emmy stint, adding that "I don't want to make anybody uncomfortable" with his jokes.

"You have to relate to different people as well," Fallon said about appealing to the wider Emmy audience. "I gotta get you to laugh and you to laugh and you to laugh -- they don't all laugh at the same thing."

A host aiming not to offend -- How refreshing!

TIME: Aisha and Afghanistan

TIME magazine (now more of a pamphlet) was in the stack of yesterday's mail. I quickly flipped through the pile of envelopes as I routinely do. Then I caught sight of TIME's cover image. It delivered a jolt. What did I just see? I looked more closely.

I put the magazine face down on the counter, not wanting anyone else in the house to be blindsided by it the way I had. It was too late for me to wipe the image from my mind. I can't unsee it.

I guess that's the point.



To view a larger image of the cover, click here.

From Richard Stengel, TIME's Managing Editor:

Our cover image this week is powerful, shocking and disturbing. It is a portrait of Aisha, a shy 18-year-old Afghan woman who was sentenced by a Taliban commander to have her nose and ears cut off for fleeing her abusive in-laws. Aisha posed for the picture and says she wants the world to see the effect a Taliban resurgence would have on the women of Afghanistan, many of whom have flourished in the past few years. Her picture is accompanied by a powerful story by our own Aryn Baker on how Afghan women have embraced the freedoms that have come from the defeat of the Taliban — and how they fear a Taliban revival.

I thought long and hard about whether to put this image on the cover of TIME. First, I wanted to make sure of Aisha's safety and that she understood what it would mean to be on the cover. She knows that she will become a symbol of the price Afghan women have had to pay for the repressive ideology of the Taliban. We also confirmed that she is in a secret location protected by armed guards and sponsored by the NGO Women for Afghan Women. Aisha will head to the U.S. for reconstructive surgery sponsored by the Grossman Burn Foundation, a humanitarian organization in California. We are supporting that effort.

I'm acutely aware that this image will be seen by children, who will undoubtedly find it distressing. We have consulted with a number of child psychologists about its potential impact. Some think children are so used to seeing violence in the media that the image will have little effect, but others believe that children will find it very scary and distressing — that they will see it, as Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston, said, as "a symbol of bad things that can happen to people." I showed it to my two young sons, 9 and 12, who both immediately felt sorry for Aisha and asked why anyone would have done such harm to her. I apologize to readers who find the image too strong, and I invite you to comment on the image's impact.

I think TIME's editors are aware that this cover image will bring the dying and increasingly marginalized magazine much needed attention.

The image will definitely get people talking.

Any attention is better than no attention I suppose.

Stengel continues:

But bad things do happen to people, and it is part of our job to confront and explain them. In the end, I felt that the image is a window into the reality of what is happening — and what can happen — in a war that affects and involves all of us. I would rather confront readers with the Taliban's treatment of women than ignore it. I would rather people know that reality as they make up their minds about what the U.S. and its allies should do in Afghanistan.

The much publicized release of classified documents by WikiLeaks has already ratcheted up the debate about the war. Our story and the haunting cover image by the distinguished South African photographer Jodi Bieber are meant to contribute to that debate. We do not run this story or show this image either in support of the U.S. war effort or in opposition to it. We do it to illuminate what is actually happening on the ground. As lawmakers and citizens begin to sort through the information about the war and make up their minds, our job is to provide context and perspective on one of the most difficult foreign policy issues of our time. What you see in these pictures and our story is something that you cannot find in those 91,000 documents: a combination of emotional truth and insight into the way life is lived in that difficult land and the consequences of the important decisions that lie ahead.

Yeah, whatever.

There's no question that TIME has become a Left-wing rag.

What really motivated the editors to select the graphic image for the cover? What's the agenda?

Personally, I don't care. That's an issue I'm not interested in analyzing at the moment. Libs do what libs do.

The more compelling issue is the significance of the photo itself, out of the magazine's context.

I really didn't need to see the photo to know the horrors of the Taliban, but it was a slap in the face, a terrifying reminder of the unspeakable brutality.

If a husband will cut off his young wife's nose and ears, what would that evil, twisted man be willing, even anxious, to do to an infidel?

If this is how people in Afghanistan are treated under the Taliban, what would those savages do to us? Think of what they would do to their enemies.

The plight of the women of Afghanistan is of immediate concern. Do we just turn away and act as if we don't know? How can we unsee this?

Obama and Snooki

Does Obama know who Snooki is or not? That is the question.



From Gawker:

Barack Obama has been caught in a contradiction. Asked about Jersey Shore star Snooki on The View today, the President replied, "I don't know who that is." But two months ago he knew who she was! Nitpicky video analysis ahead.

Asked for his opinion on Snooki (who voted for John McCain) the president claimed ignorance. But two months ago he dropped Snooki's name in a White House Press Correspondents Dinner punchline about a health care provision named in honor of the hit MTV show. "It [the provision] reads, 'The following individuals shall be excluded from the indoor tanning tax within this bill: Snooki, JWOWW, The Situation and House minority leader John Boehner.'" So which is it, Obama? Do you know Snooki, or don't you? Clearly, this is the Watergate of our time, and America demands an answer.

If you can't trust Obama to be honest about something silly like knowing Snooki, you can't trust him on the big stuff.

Now, Obama does get confused. It's possible that he forgets what he says, considering so often he's reading words that aren't his own.

But good grief, Obama can't remember how many states there are in the U.S.



Can we really expect the brilliant Obama to remember Snooki?

That's too much to ask.

Steny Hoyer - Bush Tax Cuts

Democrats and taxes - They're a dangerous mix.

Listen to Steny Hoyer explain that allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire amounts to a Republican tax increase on the middle class.

Video.


More, from CNSNews:

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Wednesday that the expiration built into the Bush tax cuts is a “Republican tax increase” for “working Americans” and the Democrats have “no intention” of allowing it to go into effect.

“We have no intention of allowing the Republican tax increase — that their policies would lead to — to go into effect for working Americans. Period,” he said. “We’re going to act and make sure that the Republican phase out and increase in taxes does not end as they provided for in the laws they passed.”

Hoyer’s press secretary told CNSNews.com in an e-mail that the Democratic Majority Leader was referring to the “middle class” when he said “working Americans.”

Hoyer also said at the press conference, “If we left the Republican policies in place, their [working Americans] taxes would be increased next year. We’re not going to let that happen.”

...He added, “With respect to upper-income folks, we believe that the tax rate at the rate they were paying when our economy was growing very quickly -- and they were doing very well -- will not in any way harm the economy.”

Hey, Steny!

Define "middle class" and "working Americans" and "upper-income folks."

Anthony Weiner: House Floor

Anthony Weiner is out of control. He's also confused, blaming Republicans rather than his Democrat colleagues. The Dems can pass anything they want.

Watch the meltdown.

Video.

Tom Barrett, Cecile Richards, and Jim Doyle

Last night, Tom Barrett wasn't talking to constituents tired from cleaning their sewage-soaked homes. He wasn't pressing FEMA for swift action to assist victims.

Barrett had becoming Wisconsin's next governor on his mind.

Team Tosa Blog notes that Barrett was fundraising, hanging out with the disastrous Gov. Jim Doyle, Wisconsin's version of Jimmy Carter. Barrett also was cozying up to Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA).

Richards tweets about it and provides a photo.

A wonderful evening with Tom Barrett and Governor Doyle!


Tom Barrett, Cecile Richards, and Jim Doyle

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Team Tosa points out:

Tom Barrett has reportedly been at a number of fundraisers with Jim Doyle. At this particular event, held last night, Barrett spent the evening with the governor whose legacy he hopes to continue and the head of an organization which, like Tom Barrett, believes taxpayers should fund abortions.

Obama - Barrett Luncheon

UPDATE: Event Information

Description:
Event - Barrett for Wisconsin - Special Luncheon Reception
Location:
US Cellular Arena
Date & Time:
8/16/2010 at 10:00 AM
Address:
400 West Kilbourn Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203

As of 12:30 PM, August 13, tickets are still available.
_________________

Tom Barrett's campaign has more details available on his fundraiser featuring the unpopular and divisive Obama.

Tickets purchased below are for the luncheon only. Individual tickets start at $250* each. For pre-reception tickets, the following options are available for purchase by calling Patrick Guarasci at 414-271-8050:

---Chair ($14,800*: photo and name recognition included)

---Sponsor ($10,000*: photo included)

Event Information

Description:
Event - Barrett for Wisconsin - Special Luncheon Reception
Location:
TBD
Date & Time:
8/16/2010 at 12:30 PM
Address:
TBD

Tickets
Description and Price

$250.00 - Individual Luncheon Ticket (If purchasing multiple tickets, please add guest names above) * Only 50 available

$500.00 - Individual Luncheon Ticket; Preferred Seating (If purchasing multiple tickets, please add guest names above)* Only 50 available

$1,000.00 - Individual Luncheon Ticket; Premiere Seating (If purchasing multiple tickets, please add guest names above) * Only 50 available

$2,400.00 - Table (Includes 10 Luncheon Tickets; please add known guest names above)

Personally, I wouldn't want to commit until I know what's for lunch.

Dinner with Obama: Enter to Win (LEGAL Residents Only)

UPDATE, July 30, 2010: Paul Begala urges participation in the contest.

Dear Mary,

You're running out of time! You've only got until midnight Sunday to enter the DSCC contest for a chance to meet (and have your photo taken with) President Obama on August 9 in my beautiful home state of Texas. I know what you're thinking: Dallas in the summer? Of course! We've got the best air conditioning around!

Click here to enter for a chance to win* dinner and a photo with President Obama in Dallas. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. All you'll have to do is choose a friend to tag along!

So shine up your boots and get ready to meet the president on August 9. Somebody's gonna win. Why not you?

Paul Begala

Shine up my boots?
_________________

Enter to win dinner with Obama in Dallas on August 9th!

It's the chance of a lifetime!

Dear Mary,

Here's the chance of a lifetime: Have dinner - and get your photo taken - with President Obama!

They say everything's bigger in Texas, and this evening is no exception. On August 9, you and a friend could be in Dallas, meeting President Obama. You'll even get your photo taken together. Just imagine how good that will look sitting on your desk.

Click here to enter for a chance to win* dinner and a photo with President Obama in Dallas. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. All you'll have to do is choose a friend to tag along!

This dinner couldn't come at a better time. Democrats will need to come together if we're going to weather the assault Republicans are planning. GOP-aligned third-party groups are planning on spending at least $300 million on the midterm elections - $136 million more than ALL outside groups spent on the 2008 presidential election. Their singular goal is to win control of Congress and make President Obama fail.

We're proud to stand with our president, and there's no better time than now to show it.

Click here to enter for a chance to win* dinner and a photo with President Obama in Dallas. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. You just need to choose which friend to take with you!

Meet the President of the United States? What could be better for a true blue Democrat? Enter today, and we hope to see you on August 9!

Sincerely,


J.B. Poersch

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will even pay for airfare and a hotel. Of course, a photo with Obama costs $10,000 and dinner must be at least $250.

That's quite a prize.

Check out the complete rules and restrictions, DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE "DINNER WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA IN DALLAS, TX" SWEEPSTAKES OFFICIAL RULES.

Here's a summary of the official rules:

No purchase, payment, or contribution necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. Promotion open only to U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent U.S. residents, who are legal residents of 50 United States and District of Columbia and 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law). Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on August 2, 2010.

You may enter by contributing. Alternatively, click here to enter without contributing. One winner will receive the following price package: two round-trip tickets within the continental U.S. to Dallas, TX; hotel accommodations for two; and dinner with President Obama (approximate retail value $2,300). Winner's guest must be 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law) and meet other requirements described in the Official Rules. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Promotion subject to Official Rules.

Sponsor: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Inc., 120 Maryland Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002

Note that the promotion is open only to U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent U.S. residents, who are legal residents of 50 United States and District of Columbia and 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law).

Only legal residents? Huh? What's that about?

In other words, ILLEGALS need not apply. That rule runs counter to the position currently being pushed by Obama, Eric Holder, and the Democrats.

I think this means someone will have to determine if the winner is a U.S. citizen. How? I thought that was a civil rights violation.

What about people in Arizona? Do they have to prove that they're a legal resident of the U.S. to win?

What would Judge Susan Bolton say about that?

Photo with Obama: $10,000

How much would you pay to have your picture taken with Obama?

It's an easy question for me to answer. NOTHING. I wouldn't pay a dime.

If you want a photo with Obama when he comes to Milwaukee in August, it'll cost you $10,000!

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Obama is appearing at a fund-raiser for Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. His campaign sent an e-mail to supporters on Thursday saying that getting a picture taken with the president can be done with a simple $10,000 donation.

Want a picture and name recognition?

That's going to take $14,800 in donations.

No location has been named yet for the Aug. 16 fund-raising lunch. Barrett or Obama supporters who want to get in on the cheap can buy a ticket now for a mere $250.

Obama also plans to hold an event that same day related to the economy.

Obama has the audacity to charge $10,000 for a picture and $14,800 for a pic and name recognition.

Lunch will cost you $250.

That's why they call it a fundraiser.

What's sick is that on the very day Obama will be raking in the dough for Barrett, he's going to be holding an event on the economy.

Let's face it. The economy sucks. Forget about recovery. Where's the hope?

So Obama will be addressing those touched by his horrible economy. He'll act as if he's feeling their pain on the same day that he's smiling for the camera with rich donors for $10,000 a pop.

He'll probably be yapping his usual class warfare crap while he hauls in mountains of cash. Obama will exploit others' misfortune to benefit himself and his political allies.

The worlds of the haves and have-nots will collide. And Obama will smile. Say "cheese," Obama!
_________________

Here's the invite:


_________________

UPDATE, July 30, 2010: More details.

Tickets purchased below are for the luncheon only. Individual tickets start at $250* each. For pre-reception tickets, the following options are available for purchase by calling Patrick Guarasci at 414-271-8050:

---Chair ($14,800*: photo and name recognition included)

---Sponsor ($10,000*: photo included)

Event Information

Description:
Event - Barrett for Wisconsin - Special Luncheon Reception
Location:
TBD
Date & Time:
8/16/2010 at 12:30 PM
Address:
TBD

Tickets
Description and Price

$250.00 - Individual Luncheon Ticket (If purchasing multiple tickets, please add guest names above) * Only 50 available

$500.00 - Individual Luncheon Ticket; Preferred Seating (If purchasing multiple tickets, please add guest names above)* Only 50 available

$1,000.00 - Individual Luncheon Ticket; Premiere Seating (If purchasing multiple tickets, please add guest names above) * Only 50 available

$2,400.00 - Table (Includes 10 Luncheon Tickets; please add known guest names above)

__________________

UPDATE: Event Information

Description:
Event - Barrett for Wisconsin - Special Luncheon Reception
Location:
US Cellular Arena
Date & Time:
8/16/2010 at 10:00 AM
Address:
400 West Kilbourn Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203

As of 12:30 PM, August 13, tickets are still available.

Obama: Milwaukee Federal Disaster Declaration

UPDATE, August 11, 2010: No FEMA Aid for Milwaukee County for Flood Victims

Thanks, Obama, for nothing!
_________________

People are still reeling from the torrential rain that caused at least $46.5 million in damage in Milwaukee County.

Flooded basements resulted in the loss of appliances, including furnaces and water heaters. Flooded streets and parking lots resulted in vehicles being totaled. The flooding washed away foundations. Some people are likely to lose their homes.

If all that doesn't qualify as a disaster, then what would?

We keep hearing that FEMA is downplaying the damage.

Why?

So Obama can ride in and save the day by making a federal disaster declaration?

So Tom Barrett can claim victory in securing federal funds?

If that kind of political game-playing is happening, it's a disgrace. People who've lost so much and suffered so greatly shouldn't be used as pawns in some sleazy political game.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The growing list of municipalities looking for help from a state disaster fund would leave little money to help the Milwaukee area if President Barack Obama declines to issue a federal disaster declaration, according to figures detailed Thursday.

At best, the $800,000 put into the Wisconsin Disaster Fund would cover a fraction of the flood damage in Milwaukee County, now estimated to exceed $50 million.

Wisconsin Emergency Management draws money from the fund to help municipalities that are ineligible for federal disaster relief.

Local officials and residents are banking on federal dollars to help repair the homes and public infrastructure washed out in the near-record rains July 22 and 23.

Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are assessing the storm and flood damage in Milwaukee County this week, and Gov. Jim Doyle is expected to request a federal disaster declaration based on their findings.

The damage estimate compiled by Milwaukee County Emergency Management reached $46.5 million on Wednesday. The figure includes flooded homes and businesses and destroyed public properties. A report from Milwaukee Public Schools added an additional $6.5 million to the total.

Local officials say they think the damage has been overwhelming enough for the area to qualify for federal assistance.

...Getter noted that if FEMA does not declare a federal emergency, victims will have trouble getting any government funding for damages.

"Unless there is a federal declaration, there will be few options for individuals," Getter said.

That would include the nearly 9,000 Milwaukee residents who reported water backed up in their basements. In the city, the Department of Neighborhood Services has ordered that four houses be razed immediately and declared that an additional 14 are not fit for habitation.

...With federal assistance weeks - if not months - away, local officials are asking for volunteers to help clean the flood-damaged homes of elderly and disabled individuals in Milwaukee.

In sum, if Obama does decide to make a federal disaster declaration, assistance still would be weeks or months away.

For flood victims, that's agonizingly slow, unacceptably slow.

It seems like a disaster declaration should be a no-brainer. Federal assistance is in order, but I suppose the money has to be rationed. FEMA has the power to deny. Citizens, taxpayers, are powerless.

You're suffering, but will the federal government decide you deserve help and assist you in a timely fashion?

Maybe, maybe not. You're at the mercy of the government.

Yeah, let's have the federal government control health care. Great idea!

Bob Donovan and TRUE Skool

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's art and architecture critic Mary Louise Schumacher believes Alderman Bob Donovan owes TRUE Skool an apology.

Schumacher writes:

Political theater is one thing. It’s what Milwaukeeans have come to expect from Ald. Robert G. Donovan. But to look a group of young people in the eye and call their art and their efforts at bettering the community and themselves “crap” is something else altogether.

This is what Donovan did when he called a press conference and released statements last week attacking TRUE Skool, a non-profit group that works with at-risk young people through neighborhood cleanups and public art projects.

What prompted Donovan to point his finger toward the group, which has been around since 2004, was a temporary mural that a police captain told him would “give him a stroke” and which was created by an artist and a few students during TRUE Skool’s annual block party in Walker’s Point.

What’s the alderman’s beef? He’s concerned about illegal tagging and the toll it takes on neighborhoods and property values — legitimate issues, certainly.

But the perfectly legal mural that Donovan found offensive — for no particular reason other than its general style and look — has little to do with any of that.

Obviously, Schumacher has not been battling graffiti in her neighborhood.

Did Donovan lash out and exhibit a lack of control? Yes, but he's fighting to protect and defend the rights of the individuals in his district.

A mural, "RAW LOVE," goes up and so does a slew of illegal tagging nearby. That's a problem. There's a problem when "artists" create victims.

Legitimate artists don't express themselves on others' property without permission. They don't express themselves illegally. People who do that are vandals. They're destructive, not creative.

Schumacher doesn't get that.

Public art and murals have been around forever; but graffiti that reflects gang-related activity and a criminal lifestyle isn't something to be encouraged.

Yes, Donovan became very animated in his opposition to TRUE Skool's mural. Could he have been more reserved as he relayed his concerns about its impact on the neighborhood? Yes.

However, I think it's wrong for Schumacher to dismiss the reality of what graffiti means to a neighborhood. It means decline. It means a decline in property values and quality of life. It means crime. It means feelings of insecurity and danger.

That's not art.

It's easy for elitists to celebrate graffiti as art because they're detached from what it really means.

Neil Young: 'Double Rainbow'

On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, "Neil Young" sings "Double Rainbow."



Neil was obviously inspired by the double rainbow guy.


________________

More from "Neil Young":

"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"

"Pants on the Ground"
________________

On a somewhat related note:

"Neil Young brings his solo tour to the Riverside in Milwaukee."

NEIL YOUNG solo acoustic & electric w/ special guest BERT JANSCH

Neil Young solo, acoustic + electric. A once in a lifetime opportunity to experience his spellbinding serenade up close and intimate. This shape-shifting troubadour has spent his career timelessly cultivating a body of work as diverse as it is sprawling.

Friday, July 30 • 08:00PM :: The Riverside Theater


Tickets:
$95, $125, $150, $195

reserved seating • all ages • non-smoking • handicap accessible • doors 7pm

Pricey.

Beer Summit - First Anniversary

On this day in history, July 30, 2009: The Beer Summit.

Let's look back, as it happened, one year ago today.

The Obama presidency is indeed historic.

UPDATE: Jul 30 06:23 PM US/Eastern

The beer is flowing. President Barack Obama has begun his chat with the two men he joined last week at the center of an uproar over race in America: Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley. Obama invited both men to have a beer and listen to each other.

Vice President Joe Biden joined them as they all sat outside near the Rose Garden.

Oh, no!

Not Biden!

What's he going to say?


President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Joe Biden, left, have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., second from left, and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Note: They're drinking beer out of mugs. I understand that the White House probably doesn't want to provide the chosen beers with more free publicity than they've already been given. That said, these four don't look like regular guys having a beer.

Where are the bottles?

Sgt. Crowley appears to have the orange slice garnish in his Blue Moon.

What's Biden drinking? It looks very light. Maybe it's iced tea. Get a little beer in Biden and that could lead to a real disaster.
________________

UDPATE: AP ALERT

Jul 30 06:14 PM US/Eastern
WASHINGTON (AP) - Obama starts White House meeting with professor, policeman at center of racial uproar.

The Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 30, 2009, where President Barack Obama, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Sgt. James Crowley are expected to have a beer later Thursday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Unbelievable.
_________________

Forget about the audacity of hope.

Today is about the idiocy of beer.

This is so lame.

CHUCK TODD: Tonight at the White House, the president sits down with Harvard professor Henry Gates and Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley for what may be the most anticipated beer ever.

Some are calling it the "picnic table summit," because the three men will be drinking their beer at the same table where the president has huddled with Secretary of State Clinton.

Todd isn't kidding. His report is not tongue-in-cheek.

The media have lost it.

The story should be about why Obama hasn't met with Special Olympics athletes. Why have the media allowed Obama to get away with his stupidity on that?

Apparently, it's OK for Obama to mock the Special Olympics with impunity.

Maybe at least Obama can ask Gates and Crowley to join him in a toast to honor the efforts of the Special Olympics participants, those he dissed on The Tonight Show.

Here's to acting stupidly! Cheers!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

More:

And so it was, the Beer Summit, this thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

This had to be one of the lamest events in American history.

From the Washington Post:

Two weeks after a noted black scholar accused a white police sergeant of racial profiling for arresting him at his home near Harvard University, the men hoisted mugs of beer Thursday evening at the White House with President Obama and Vice President Biden.

Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. and Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley sat at a round table in the Rose Garden with Biden and Obama talking, sipping beer and munching peanuts and pretzels out of silver bowls. News cameras and reporters were kept 50 feet away and allowed to view the meeting for less than a minute before being shooed away as the men began their conversation.

They sat at a round table.

As with other historic meetings, I wonder if there was a lot of negotiating about the shape of the table that would be used at the summit.

Silver bowls for the pretzels and peanuts -- How very weird!

Is it just me or did this meeting look like an episode of Punk'd?

Where was Ashton Kutcher?

Tell me it was all a joke.

It was an extraordinary scene that Obama's aides hoped would convey a hopeful message about race relations and end a controversy that has ballooned into a major distraction for a president pushing an ambitious agenda.

I agree. It was an extraordinary scene, extraordinarily goofy.

After the meeting, Crowley and a lawyer speaking for Gates said the two men were satisfied with the tone of the discussion. Speaking to reporters at a brief news conference, Crowley said that while there was "no tension" at the meeting, no apologies were offered either. "Two gentlemen agreed to disagree on a particular issue," he said.

I didn't expect apologies, but I do think at least one was definitely in order. Obama should have apologized to Crowely for saying the "Cambridge police acted stupidly" when he acknowledged that he didn't know the facts of the case.

Nonetheless, it sounds like progress was made, but more could have been achieved.

Frankly, I think they should have played Beer Pong.

Here are some photos:


President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Joe Biden, left, reach for the snacks as they have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., second from left, and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

I think this is really a photo of Obama and Biden about to do a fist bump.


Glasses of beer sit on the table as President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

This is not your average array of beer and snacks. It looks like Martha Stewart set it up, taking something simple and wrecking it by overdoing it, making the comfortable stuffy and uncomfortable.


Police Sergeant James Crowley (2nd R) of Cambridge, Massachusetts, speaks with Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. (2nd L), alongside US President Barack Obama (R) and US Vice President Joe Biden (L) as they share beers on the South Lawn near the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP/Saul Loeb)

Look at Obama. Check out the body language. What's with that pose?

Is he trying to look relaxed?

Is he trying to look cool?

He kind of looks like a junior high kid serving detention.

Obama seems to be trying to project that he's too cool for school.

In reality, he looks like a doofus because this Beer Summit was an unbelievably silly photo op.


A beer is brought to the table as President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Joe Biden, left, have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., second from left, and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

This thing was so staged. Look at them acting as if a photographer isn't in their faces. Photographer? What photographer?

What an embarrassment -- everything about it!

Obama: 'Mongrel People'

When Obama is off the teleprompter, something bad always happens.

Last summer, there was the disastrous prime time press conference when Obama declared:

Now, I've -- I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home.

That stupid comment really blew up in Obama's face.

Then there was Obama's infamous Tonight Show appearance on March 19, 2009.

Here's the very, very uncool exchange Obama had with Leno:

MR. LENO: Now, are they going to put a basketball –- I imagine the bowling alley has been just burned and closed down.

MR. OBAMA: No, no. I have been practicing all –- (laughter.)

MR. LENO: Really? Really?

MR. OBAMA: I bowled a 129. (Laughter and applause.)

MR. LENO: No, that's very good. Yes. That's very good, Mr. President.

MR. OBAMA: It's like -- it was like Special Olympics, or something. (Laughter.)

MR. LENO: No, that's very good.

MR. OBAMA: No, listen, I'm making progress on the bowling, yes.

That was absolutely disgraceful.

Of all Obama's many gaffes, I think that one stands as his worst, albeit most revealing.

Today on The View, Obama made another "unfortunate" comment.

From The Hill:

President Obama waded into the national race debate in an unlikely setting and with an unusual choice of words: telling daytime talk show hosts that African-Americans are “sort of a mongrel people.”

The president appeared on ABC’s morning talk show “The View” Thursday, where he talked about the forced resignation of Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod, his experience with race and his roots.

When asked about his background, which includes a black father and white mother, Obama said of African-Americans: "We are sort of a mongrel people."

"I mean we're all kinds of mixed up," Obama said. "That's actually true of white people as well, but we just know more about it."

The president did not appear to be making an inflammatory remark with his statement. The definition of mongrel as an adjective is defined as "of mixed breed, nature, or origin," according to dictionary.com.

Good grief.

He DID make an inflammatory remark.

Who cares what Dictionary.com says?

"Mongrel" has a negative connotation when referring to dogs. It certainly has a negative vibe when talking about people.

You know that if a white politician had called African-Americans a "mongrel people" the liberal usual suspects would get out their pitchforks and demand that the person apologize and resign and be tarred and feathered. The outcry would be deafening. You know it.

What does Obama mean when he says, "I mean we're all kinds of mixed up. That's actually true of white people as well, but we just know more about it"?

What the hell is that?

First, in terms of his family tree, Obama is as white as he is black. I think he disrespects his mother when he dismisses his white background. Being a mother, that bugs me.

Second, on what basis does he assert that blacks "just know more about" having a mixed heritage?

That's false. It also sounds racist. He's making a ridiculous generalization based on skin color.

"Mongrel people."

That's awful.

Can I say, "African-Americans are a mongrel people"? As a white person, am I allowed to say that with impunity?

I don't think so.

Obama on 'The View' - Video

Obama appears on The View this morning.

Maybe next week he'll be on The Price is Right.

"Barack Obama! Come on down!"

Here's a little video tease from ABC News:



Obama greeted each View lady with a kiss before taking his seat on the set. All that kissing was like Richard Dawson on Family Feud. Very strange.

Obama began by delivering an obviously rehearsed line: "I was trying to find a show that Michelle actually watched, and so I thought that this is it, right here. All those new shows, she's like, 'eh, let me get the clicker.'"

The "clicker"?

Like, is that really what Michelle does and says?

Here's another video snippet, a typical Barbara Walters question:



Every rose has its thorn.

In an exclusive preview clip that aired on "World News" tonight, Barbara Walters asked the president what the recent high and low points of his time in office had been.

"In the last month what has been the rose and what has been the thorn?" she asked, referring to an Obama family tradition of taking stock of their lives.

"In the last month the rose has to be a couple of days we took in Maine with Michelle, Sasha and Malia," he said. "They're full of opinions and ideas and observations and it's just a great age ... Malia just turned 12 and Sasha 9. Couldn't been a better couple of days."

Asked what the "thorn" had been, the president answered with his own question.

"Where do I begin?" he asked, getting a laugh from the audience.

"Obviously the country has gone through a tough stretch. Since I took office when I was sworn in ... the last 20 months have been a nonstop effort to restart the economy, to stabilize the financial system, to make sure we are creating jobs and not losing them."

Obama also cited the BP oil spill and battling the H1N1 swine flu "pandemic" as recent thorns.

H1N1?

What an odd thing for Obama to bring up, especially since the government bungled that so badly! Anyway, that was hardly a recent "thorn."

It's one thing for a candidate to go on The View, but a sitting U.S. President?

Embarrassing.

_____________________

More video.

Critics comment on Obama's appearance on The View.



_____________________

Clips, from TV Squad:

Chris Matthews and Rick Murphy

What can you say about MSNBC and its line-up of boorish, liberal hosts?

It's a freak show.

Chris Matthews' performance on Wednesday was an embarrassment.

Video.


Transcript

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Let me ask you this: Do you want a reliable ID card that prevents people from being hired illegally in this country... right now?

RICK MURPHY, ARIZONA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I'm not in favor of a national ID if that's what you're talking about.

MATTHEWS: Of course, you're not because you're one of the BS artists in this world...

MURPHY: No, absolutely not.

MATTHEWS: OK. Let me ask you this: What's the chief reason people come to this country? Isn't it to get a job?

MURPHY: It's either to get employment or it's to get the free benefits that we provide. We have way too big of a welfare state, and we need to crack down on that as well.

MATTHEWS: OK, you're a hopeless Right-winger. You're hopeless, because the reason people come to this country is to get a job, and the first thing they do is try to get a job. And as long as there's a way to get one illegally, they're going to come to this country. You don't agree with that. Everybody listening knows that's the reason.

MURPHY: Well, Chris, the reality is there are lots of reasons people come here. And one of the reasons is because we haven't secured our border, and we are allowing the drug cartels free access to the southern half of our state.

MATTHEWS: OK. Change the subject. OK, OK. But here's the problem: You're not serious. Thank you, Congressman, for joining us. Congressman Grijalva, thank you for joining us. You're serious. Mr. Murphy is not.

That sort of attack from Matthews is terribly inappropriate. It's unacceptable and reflects poorly on MSNBC and NBC News.

States Rights and the Arizona Ruling

In the Wall Street Journal, Evan Perez writes "States Dealt Blow in Battle for Power."

A judge's ruling blocking major portions of Arizona's immigration law strengthened the Obama administration's hand in a battle over states rights that appears destined for the Supreme Court.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton in Phoenix sided with the Justice Department on the most important federal arguments accusing the state of crossing a constitutional line with a law aimed at curbing illegal immigration.

...The ruling went beyond what even Obama administration officials were expecting after a recent hearing in which the judge appeared skeptical of some federal arguments. Federal officials said U.S. government lawyers were preparing for a ruling that would recognize the federal government had legitimate arguments to offer at a trial but would allow much of the law to take effect in the meantime.

Instead, the judge ruled that the federal government's lawsuit was likely to succeed on multiple fronts. She ruled that the law was "likely to burden legally-present aliens" and quoted a Supreme Court directive that aliens should be free from "the possibility of inquisitorial practices and police surveillance."

She also ruled that because federal agencies would be required to complete immigration checks requested by state law-enforcement officials, the state was infringing on federal authority.

...John Eastman, a professor at Chapman University Law School who recently made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination as California attorney general, said the judge "made a number of errors in law" including making a broader ruling than precedents allow.

"The claim that just simply having your law enforcement enforce federal law is a violation of federal law, that's just ludicrous," Mr. Eastman said.

That's the ruling in a nutshell - ludicrous.

JournoList

Links:

JournoList

Roger Simon: Journolist veers out of bounds

Heroes of Journolist: Dan Froomkin, James Surowiecki, Jeffrey Toobin, Michael Tomasky — and founder Ezra Klein

Journolist debates making its coordination with Obama explicit

Journolisters offended by Keith Olbermann's 'misogynistic, predictable, and pompous' show

Fred Barnes: The Vast Left-Wing Media Conspiracy

When McCain picked Palin, liberal journalists coordinated the best line of attack

JournoLister who bashed Fox News is on board that determines who gets White House briefing room seat

Meet the new JournoList, smaller than the old JournoList - Cabalist

Obama wins! And Journolisters rejoice

A few excerpts from JournoList journalists

Liberal journalists suggest government shut down FOX News

Documents show media plotting to kill stories about Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Mark Levin, Arizona Ruling: 'An Abominable Decision'

Mark Levin, president of Landmark Legal Foundation, best-selling author, and radio talk show host, explains why U.S District Judge Susan Bolton's ruling is an abomination.

Read Levin's http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YjU3MDA5ZmU1NzAzZTJhNTIyYWQxZjEzMzdiMGE2Y2Y%3D">"An Abominable Decision."

Scott Walker Statement: Arizona Ruling

Scott Walker released the following statement on U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's ruling blocking parts of Arizona's illegal immigration law:

"I am disappointed by the federal judge's ruling to block Arizona's right to enforce the rule of law without interference from the federal government. As governor, I will sign similar legislation to the Arizona Law to ensure the taxpayers of Wisconsin are not paying for benefits like Badger Care and in state college tuition for people who are here illegally."

Jan Brewer: Ruling 'Temporary Bump'

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer reacts to U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's decision.

PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer calls a federal judge's ruling on the state's controversial immigration law "a temporary bump in the road."

The judge put most of the law cracking down on illegal immigration on hold Wednesday just hours before it was to go into effect.

Brewer told The Associated Press that she expects that the state will appeal the ruling.

Brewer's lawyers argued that Arizona shouldn't have to suffer from America's broken immigration system when it has 15,000 police officers who can arrest illegal immigrants.

Republican Rep. John Kavanagh, 1 of the law's top supporters, said he was disappointed by the ruling and that he expects it to ultimately end up being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

I suspect the case will go to the Supreme Court.

In the meantime, law-abiding Americans in Arizona will suffer.

Supposedly we're a "country of laws, not men."

What happens when the law, including immigration law, is not enforced?

The foundation of the country crumbles.

Video.

________________

Read the Arizona ruling.

Jon Stewart: Shirley Sherrod, Andrew Breitbart

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Lost in Race
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

JOHN OLIVER: This administration will fire anybody. I'm telling you, President Obama is like the Donald Trump of governance. All he needs is a bad toupee and to dip Air Force One in gold.

Whitefish Bay Residents and Sewage Signs

FOX 6 News offers a photo gallery of signs made by Whitefish Bay residents frustrated with MMSD.

Examples:

Somewhere beyond the sea
There's a turd in the basement
Waiting for me

Thanks MMSD

Deep Tunnel WTF!


 

2 Billion Gallons of Sewage

Millions. Billions.



674 million gallons is an enormous amount.

That massive dump was dwarfed by the 2 BILLION gallons of sewage that was poured into Lake Michgan and local waterways after last week's storm.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

More than 2 billion gallons of untreated sewage and storm water spilled out of urban sewers into local waterways after last Thursday's torrential rain storm, but even those overflows could not adequately relieve the sewers and prevent basement backups, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District says in a report to state environmental officials.

"The relief points could not get excess rain and flood water out of overburdened sewers fast enough," the district says in a report released Tuesday to the state Department of Natural Resources. Three district rain gauges on Milwaukee's north side recorded total rainfall of more than 8 inches Thursday and Friday.

MMSD estimates total overflows of 2.1 billion gallons - more than four times the total capacity of the district's deep tunnel storage system - from regional sewers between Thursday evening and Sunday evening, said Peter Topczewski, the district's director of water quality protection. The volume does not include overflows from sanitary sewers in Milwaukee and nine other communities in the metropolitan area that had acknowledged problems last week.

Combined sanitary and storm sewers in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood spilled a total of 1.985 billion gallons of a sewage and storm water mix to rivers and Lake Michigan, the report says. District-controlled separate sanitary sewers spilled an additional 171 million gallons.

Most of the wastewater in sewers continues to flow to treatment plants during overflows. The district estimates that the deep tunnels and its Jones Island and South Shore sewage treatment plants will have stored and treated more than 3.2 billion gallons of wastewater from Thursday's storm, according to the report.

Even so, local communities reported thousands of sewage backups into residential basements caused by the storm, in addition to property damage from aboveground flooding.

MMSD, you have a problem.

Of course, MMSD isn't hauling sewage-soaked belongings out of homes or dealing with a car that's totaled. But MMSD definitely has a problem.

And Tom Barrett has a problem. During his 2004 campaign for mayor of Milwaukee, Barrett pinned the blame for overflows and the inadequate sewer system on his opponent, Marvin Pratt.

Barrett made it a campaign issue then. He can't wash his hands of the sewage now.

2 BILLION gallons!

Obama in Milwaukee, August 16

UPDATE: Event Information

Description:
Event - Barrett for Wisconsin - Special Luncheon Reception
Location:
US Cellular Arena
Date & Time:
8/16/2010 at 10:00 AM
Address:
400 West Kilbourn Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203

As of 12:30 PM, August 13, tickets are still available.
____________________

Obama is fitting in some campaigning and fundraising in between his August vacations.

From the Martha's Vineyard Times:

The White House press office issued the following statement, Friday evening, July 23:

On Saturday, August 14, the First Family will travel to Florida's Gulf Coast, where they will spend the weekend.

...On the 19th, the Obama family will travel to Martha's Vineyard. After a busy and productive July, they are looking forward to returning to Martha's Vineyard to spend time together as a family before heading back to Washington on August 29.

After the Gulf Coast photo-op and before the 10 days on Martha's Vineyard, Obama will be doing some business in the Milwaukee area.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

President Obama is planning a trip to the Milwaukee area Aug. 16, a White House official said Tuesday.

The president is expected to talk about the economy and headline a fundraiser for the Wisconsin Democratic Party and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's campaign for governor.

Obama last visited Wisconsin June 30 when he traveled to Racine. Wisconsin is shaping up to be a major battleground this fall, with competitive contests for governor, US Senator, Congress and control of the state Legislature.

Terrific.

Obama is going to talk about the economy.

Poor Obama and the family have suffered financially, too. Obama feels our pain between jetting to the Gulf Coast and then heading for 10 days on Martha's Vineyard.

What a crock!

I understand that Barrett and the Democrats need to raise money but they really are giving Republicans a gift by bringing in Obama to campaign.

He doesn't have a very good record when it comes to helping Dems get elected.

I suppose they're safe from the Obama curse given that there will be a buffer of months before the election. Still, cozy images of Obama and Barrett aren't a good thing.

Jimmy Fallon: Obama's Vacation

JIMMY FALLON: President Obama is going on a ten-day vacation to Martha's Vineyard in August. Obama was like, 'This is my longest vacation ever.' And voters were like, 'Wait till you see the one we're planning for you.'

NEWSFLASH: Nude Photo for Girlfriend Seen by Mom

BIG NEWS!

Yesterday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted this important story online.

TMJ4 ran this report last night on its 10:00PM newscast.

From BrookfieldNOW:

Note to all you lovebirds out there:

If you decide to send a risqué picture of yourself to your girlfriend, make sure she doesn't share her cell phone with her mother first.

An 18-year-old Glendale man got in trouble last week after he sent a nude picture of himself to his 17-year-old girlfriend in Brookfield.

The problem is, the girl shares her phone with her mother, who was the one who first saw the picture.

Brookfield cops cited the man for disorderly conduct.

Why would the Journal Sentinel pick this up?

Why would TMJ4 mention the story?

It's so trivial.

What's next? "Glendale man spotted with his fly down"?

I also think it's creepy that reporter Alan Hamari would begin his scoop with "Note to all you lovebirds out there."

I don't think of sending a nude photo to one's girlfriend's phone as "lovebird" behavior. That's not a romantic gesture in my opinion.

The media's handling of this story is really weird.

What rates as newsworthy is pathetic.

Scott Walker and Free Phones

Scott Walker has a plan to save Wisconsin taxpayers over a million dollars immediately, and potentially over five million.

From the Walker campaign:

Walker Plan to Save Wisconsin up to $5.4 Million in Phone Costs

Wauwatosa – Scott Walker, Milwaukee County executive and candidate for governor, today at a Brown Bag Lunch at Monterey Mills in Janesville, announced his plan to save up to $5.4 million for taxpayers by ending the state subsidy for free phones for welfare recipients. Scott’s plan is the latest in a series of “Brown Bag Ideas” that Scott is announcing across the state to cut Wisconsin taxes and spending.

“Smaller government is better government, and it’s time our leaders in Madison found ways to do more, with less,” said Walker. “It’s not right that hard working Wisconsin families who are struggling to pay their bills are also forced to pay the phone bill for someone else. We’ve got to account for every penny of taxpayer money we spend, and giving away free phones to as many as 500,000 people has the potential to rack up a $5.4 million cell phone bill to the taxpayers. That’s just unacceptable.”

Walker explained that currently the federal government’s free phone program allows low-income individuals to apply for discounted phones and $15 a month phone use, but the State of Wisconsin goes further than other states by supplementing the additional costs of the phones. With this additional money, taxpayers foot the bill for approximately $10 a month per person in additional charges. Eliminating this program saves an immediate $1.4 million per year for the taxpayers and averts spending as much as $5.4 million. Under Walker’s proposal, low-income Wisconsin residents can still apply for the discounted phones, but the state will no longer provide the additional funding to make them completely free.

Walker concluded, “It’s time we brought a little of what I call ‘brown bag common sense’ to Madison when it comes to what we’re spending."

Scott’s Plan:
· With the state facing a $2.5 billion budget deficit, we have to tighten our belts everywhere we can.
· With so many people looking for work, we simply cannot afford to be handing out free cell phones to as many as 500,000 Wisconsinites.
· There are currently 72,000 people enrolled in the Lifeline program for landlines, and there are more than 500,000 Wisconsinites eligible.
· Now that the program is being expanded to cell phones, enrollment is likely to increase significantly.
· Eliminating this program saves an immediate $1.4 million per year and averts spending as much as $5.4 million if all eligible customers applied.

Background
· SafeLink Wireless service will provide eligible recipients a free cell phone, mobile access to emergency services and free 60 minutes of airtime monthly for one year. The cell phone offers in-demand features like voicemail, text, call-waiting, caller ID, and international calling to over 60 destinations.[1] · This is part of a federal program called Lifeline, begun in 1984 by the FCC.
· Wisconsin pays the portion of telephone service charges exceeding $15 per month for low-income individuals.[2]
· Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission estimates that it will have to provide $8.50 to $10 per month for eligible persons.[3]
· SafeLink estimates that 547,349 customers are eligible in Wisconsin.
· If all eligible recipients sign-up, the cost to taxpayers will be $4.6 to $5.4 million.
· There are 72,000 current enrollees for land lines costing $1.4 million per year.[4]

[1] SafeLink Press Release, August 24, 2009
[2] WI Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Taxation and Regulation of Public Utilities Informational Paper, p. 19
[3] Wisconsin Public Service Commission, Lifeline & Link-Up

[4] WI Public Service Commission, Universal Service Fund Report, p. 27

FEMA and Milwaukee Flood and Jim Doyle

Governor Jim Doyle, the lamest of ducks, is willing to take the hit for FEMA's slow response to last week's flood in Milwaukee.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A Federal Emergency Management Agency team will be in Milwaukee on Wednesday to tally damage from last week's flooding, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department.

The FEMA team will visit homes, businesses and public buildings to examine damage from flooding last Thursday and see whether it meets the criteria for a federal flood disaster declaration, the sheriff's department said. Such a declaration would allow federal officials to provide financial assistance for flood victims.

The team will also examine roads, bridges and utilities to see whether local governments can get help in repairing damaged infrastructure, according to the sheriff's department.

The announcement comes a day after local officials said Gov. Jim Doyle's administration was taking too long in seeking federal help for flood victims. County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett were among the local leaders who said the state was holding up the process.

Are we really supposed to believe that Doyle's dawdling is solely responsible for this inexcusably slow federal response to the devastation?

Why would the state "hold up" the process? What would be the point of that?

Do we just blame the incompetence of the Doyle Democrats in Madison for failing to get FEMA to Milwaukee and the federal ball rolling?

Federal officials won't be seeing as many residential streets lined with sewage-soaked belongings at the curb waiting for pick-up. The clean-up has been going on for a week.

Here's Jim Doyle's statement on federal flood assistance:

Governor Jim Doyle today issued the following statement regarding federal assistance following last week’s storms that caused flooding in areas across the state.

“State and local officials have been moving quickly since Thursday evening to respond to the damage caused by a string of severe storms. In that time Wisconsin Emergency Management has been working closely with FEMA and local officials to ensure a speedy response.

“On Friday evening, Milwaukee County submitted a preliminary damage assessment to the state, and continued working through the weekend to complete the damage assessment as quickly as possible. As of tonight the state has received updated damage assessments for Milwaukee and Grant counties, and Wisconsin Emergency Management is completing an application for federal assistance from FEMA. The application will be submitted first thing in the morning and FEMA has already indicated that they will be in Wisconsin early next week.

“I want to thank Milwaukee and Grant counties for their prompt response to this disaster. This is a top priority for everyone involved, and with a lot of people’s hard work the counties’ damage assessments were completed quicker than normal. Emergency Management will update the state’s application as damage assessments from other counties are finalized.”

It's too late for a speedy response from FEMA.

Why wasn't Tom Barrett pressuring Doyle to move more quickly from the beginning?

Federal assistance for flood victims and local governments should be a no-brainer.

Obama: Finances Have Suffered, Too

Obama feels our pain?

Give me a break!

Video.


From the Chicago Sun-Times:

President Obama says he can relate to the plight of Americans striving in the struggling economy to pay bills while saving for their kids' education.

He says he and first lady Michelle Obama took a hit like everybody else when the economy nearly collapsed, telling ABC that a college fund for daughters Malia and Sasha has gone "up and down" with the stock market.

Obama says the first couple is "not that far removed from what most Americans are going through." He tells the network "it was just a few years ago that we had high credit card balances, we had two kids, thinking about college. We had our own retirement accounts, wondering if we were going to be able to get enough assets in there."

What a load!

Obama has no financial worries.

This "we're like everybody else" stuff is crap.

It's an insult to Americans struggling financially.

Bugs Bunny - Happy Birthday!

Bugs Bunny is 70 years old.

Milwaukee: Food Stamps for Flood Victims

Another flood in Milwaukee, another food stamp stampede.

Actually, the 2010 version of food assistance for FLOOD VICTIMS was much more orderly than the 2008 situation.

Then, it was a free-for-all in every sense of the term, drawing thousands of people, resulting in a dangerous and chaotic scene.

The chaos that erupted outside Milwaukee County's main welfare office Monday over disaster-related food aid had more to do with a weak economy and crushing poverty in parts of this community than the devastating floods that swept through the state earlier this month, local government and food relief officials said.

About 3,000 people turned out for the assistance beginning at 3 a.m. Monday, creating a line that stretched several blocks around the Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center at 1220 W. Vliet St. At least one woman said she was trampled when a crowd rushed the doors as they opened around 7:30 a.m., and dozens of Milwaukee police officers and sheriff's deputies were called to quell the scene.

"The food crisis in Milwaukee and throughout the United States is worse than many of us have realized," said Milwaukee Common Council President Willie Hines, who with other elected officials called on the community to support local food pantries.

"We expect long lines for free food in Third World countries," Hines said. "We don't expect a line of 2,500 people waiting for food vouchers" in Milwaukee. No one was seriously injured, and there were no arrests Monday, but those in line described the scene as chaotic. Many thought they would receive vouchers immediately, and frustration mounted when some learned that was not the case.

"They just went crazy down there, just totally crazy," said Charline Britt of Milwaukee, who said she was trampled when about 200 people surged forward as the doors opened.

"They kicked me in my back, stepped over my shoes," said Britt, who'd come to the center about 4:30 a.m. because her basement flooded in the recent rains.

"I fainted when I got through the door."

In 2008, people showed up for what they believed was a hand-out, free food. The "gimme" mentality and the subsequent unruliness were on display. Police were needed to control the mob. People feared for their lives.

In 2010, the scene was dramatically different. Supposedly, an effort is being made to verify that the people applying for benefits did, in fact, lose food in the flood. And this time, there was no expectation that people would receive benefits immediately.

From WISN:

Hundreds stood in a line that wrapped around the Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center Monday morning.

The Milwaukee residents came because of the damage caused by Thursday's hard and heavy rain.

...Everyone in line is a current FoodShare member. They waited outside, almost two hours before offices opened to get replacement benefits for food destroyed by the storm.

Milwaukee Police and officers with the sheriff's department were also on hand directing traffic and controlling the crowds.

The Director of Milwaukee Enrollment Services for the state said officials had planned for the large turnout.

"We've actually started working on this about midnight Thursday, understanding that this could happen," said Ed Kamin. "We've had people mobilized here in Milwaukee and in Madison working on this over the weekend."

Obviously, steps were taken to prevent the near riot that occurred in 2008. Milwaukee police and the sheriff's department were there controlling the crowd.

This time, only people already getting food stamps were eligible to apply. This is about replacement benefits for food losses due to the storm.

..."There's no guarantee that you're going to get benefits either because it's a replacement benefit on what you lost due to the flooding," said Kamin.

Due to the volume, Kamin said it could take 10 days before the loss is verified.

A thorough verification process is impossible. Government employees would have to go door-to-door and investigate to find out if people actually lost food due to the flood. That's definitely not going to happen.

Bottom line: Some people genuinely need assistance. Others are committing fraud and need to get a conscience.

Some people are truly hurting. Others are just jerks.

What I don't understand is why there isn't better communication. There was no need for people to stand in line at all.

There's also no need to stand in line. FoodShares members should call 888-947-6583 or visit https://access.wisconsin.gov/.

Why spend hours standing in line when it's totally unnecessary?