"We Want Our Money Back, and We're Going to Get It" (VIDEO)

My commitment is to recover every single dime the American people are owed. And my determination to achieve this goal is only heightened when I see reports of massive profits and obscene bonuses at some of the very firms who owe their continued existence to the American people -- folks who have not been made whole, and who continue to face real hardship in this recession.

We want our money back, and we're going to get it. And that's why I'm proposing a Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee to be imposed on major financial firms until the American people are fully compensated for the extraordinary assistance they provided to Wall Street. If these companies are in good enough shape to afford massive bonuses, they are surely in good enough shape to afford paying back every penny to taxpayers.

The Fireside chat for January 15, 2010

As the President continues to work on immediate job creation, he discusses his proposal for a new fee on the largest financial institutions to ensure that every cent of taxpayer assistance gets paid back. Saying that, “we’re not going to let Wall Street take the money and run,” he goes on to discuss the ongoing push to make sure banks can never put our economy at risk again.

In case you somehow missed it... (VIDEO)

I have long thought of Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson as garden-variety racists, given their past histories and statements. It's always nice to be provided with fresh proof.



So, a bunch of slaves rise up and kick the hell out of Napoleon's 80,000 Man Army, and run (God forbid) their own country for themselves. It couldn't have possibly been the fact that they (the French) had imported a bunch of West Africans, enslaved them, then massacred them at the drop of a hat. Oh no, the only way we could be beaten by a bunch of slaves was that the Devil gave them help.

And when Haiti is driven into poverty, it's not the fact that the White Nations of the world who previously benefited from having Haiti as a colony were sabotaging them in any way. Oh no, that's the Devil, too.

And now onto Rush Limbaugh:

I want you to remember it took [Obama] three days -- three days -- to respond to the Christmas Day Fruit of Kaboom bomber. Three days. And when he came out after those three days, he was clearly irritated that he had to do it. He didn't want to do it. He comes out here in less than 24 hours to speak about Haiti.

...

Yes, I think in the Haiti earthquake, ladies and gentlemen -- in the words of Rahm Emanuel, we have another crisis simply too good to waste. This will play right into Obama's hands -- humanitarian, compassionate. They'll use this to burnish their -- shall we say -- credibility with the black community, in the both light-skinned and dark-skinned black community, in this country. It's made-to-order for 'em. That's why he couldn't wait to get out there. Could not wait to get out there.

...

Oh, this is what he lives for. He lives for serving those in misery. Now don't misunderstand here, folks. See, this is -- I wonder -- I don't have the whole press conference, but I wonder: Did he apologize for America before acknowledging we are the only people on Earth that can possibly help them out down there in any significant way?

I'm sorry, but...light and dark skinned communities?? Last I checked...and I'm only black and everything so it's not like I'd know or anything like that, but I'm decently sure that there isn't one.

Hell, wasn't it people like Rush that instituted the one drop rule in the first place?

Fox is apparently barely covering the disaster in Haiti.

Fortunately, one member of the Fox Team Team still has a soul.

The people of Haiti have been used and abused by their governments over the years. They have dealt with unthinkable tragedy day in and day out. And we’re in the middle of a crisis the Western Hemisphere has not seen in my lifetime, and 700 miles east of Miami, hundreds of thousands of desperate human beings need our help, our support, our money, and our love. And they don’t need...that.

We shouldn't have to live in a world where this is necessary, or to thank Shep Smith for basic human decency...still, thank you nonetheless.

UPDATE 2:30pm Pacific: The White House, needless to say, wasn't amused by Robertson's remarks.



No word on what they think of Limbaugh. Maybe it's self-evident.

Lay it on 'em, Mr. President. (VIDEO)

That being said, the latest poll has Coakley up by 8. But still...

OUCH!!!

From the Daily Kos. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)...laying the smackdown on Harold Ford.

“If he thinks that its an appealing argument to position yourself as being somebody who will stand up to Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer, well I don’t think we need another Joe Lieberman,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who has long eyed a mayoral run.

Given that Ford’s candidacy was all but hatched on the Manhattan set of “Morning Joe,” and among the borough’s elite, New York Democrats wonder how Ford could run as a man of the people.

“Maybe when his helicopter lands in Queens next I can ask him,” cracked Weiner, alluding to Ford’s off-key revelation in a New York Times story Wednesday that he has only seen New York City’s five boroughs from a helicopter.

Does Harold not understand that nobody likes this idea??

Why Halperin remains scum and a hack... (VIDEO)

Fast forward to about 6:04 in the video to see what I mean.

Chris asks a simple question. "Did Harry Reid know he was going to be quoted when you interviewed him?"



Watch their answers. To paraphrase Andrew this morning, if you thought politicians could twist, turn and spin their way out of answers, they've got nothing on these guys.

A Second Look...

Looking at the extended cut of the John Yoo interview, Jon Stewart did way better than I originally thought, particularly in parts 2 and 3.

There was no hammer moment, like with Cramer, but he did put it to him. Yoo had some intelligent things to say (though I still think they're still wrong).

That being said, it would have helped if Jon Stewart had started off with the basic question: "Do you think Torture or any of the methods you describe are a reliable means of collecting Intelligence?"

You probably would have answered: "It's not up to me. I'm not a strategtist. I was asked a legal question by the Bush White House, and I provided a legal answer."

Even though that question, to me and a lot of Legal scholars, had been answered by the drafting of the Geneva Conventions.

What the @#$% was that?!?!? (VIDEO)

Watching the interview with John Yoo, I was looking forward to a Jon Stewart skewering. But it wasn't meant to be...

There's a part of me that believes, John Yoo was doing this @#$% on purpose. Clearly, it was making Jon's head hurt. Hell, it was making my head hurt. Maybe Yoo was dropped as a kid or something. I'm really starting to figure that these arguments make sense only to him, and the Bush Administration just say "Hell, go with it!"

Part 1:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Daily Show: Exclusive - John Yoo Extended Interview Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Part 2:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - John Yoo Extended Interview Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Part 3:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - John Yoo Extended Interview Pt. 3
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis