December 19, 2012

Year of Obama

December 19, 2012 Buck Banks

When he won re-election, the message was clear —
The nation wants Obama at the wheel, to steer.
He already has the Nobel,
So hey, what the hell,
Have Time Magazine name him Person of the Year!

Is Newtown Obama’s Birmingham?

December 19, 2012 Buck Banks

I can’t help wondering if the bullets of Sandy Hook Elementary will be for Obama what the snarling dogs and high-pressure fire hoses of Birmingham, Alabama, were for John F. Kennedy in 1963: the human tragedy that will force him to take a political risk, simply because it is right.

— Todd Purdum, in Vanity Fair.

Rick Scott Is Winning His Unpopularity Contest

December 19, 2012 Buck Banks

36% to 45%

Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) with an upside-down approval rating, according to a new Quinnipiac poll, with a majority of Floridians saying he doesn’t deserve a second term. Key finding: 53% of Republicans would like another candidate for governor in 2014.

Obama: Re-Election the More Satisfying Victory

December 19, 2012 Buck Banks

I think it was easy to think that maybe 2008 was the anomaly, and I think 2012 was an indication that, no, this is not an anomaly.

— President Obama, in an interview with Time, on his re-election being a more satisfying victory than four years ago.

Manchin Doubles Down on Need for Gun Control Dialogue

December 19, 2012 Buck Banks

If we can’t keep our children safe, and I’m afraid to have a dialogue because I’m afraid someone might vote against me, I don’t have a right to be here.

— Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), quoted by ABC News, on changing his mind about stricter gun control laws.

Republicans’ Life Ratings Fall, Democrats’ Rise

December 19, 2012 Buck Banks

From 47.0 to 40.3

Amount Republicans’collective Life Evaluation Index score dropped in November from October. Independents’ life ratings also declined last month, but to a lesser degree. Democrats became slightly more upbeat — their Life Evaluation Index score climbed to 56.9, from 53.7 in October, according to Gallup.

Day: December 19, 2012

Year of Obama

Is Newtown Obama’s Birmingham?

I can’t help wondering if the bullets of Sandy Hook Elementary will be for Obama what the snarling dogs and high-pressure fire hoses of Birmingham, Alabama, were for John F. Kennedy in 1963: the human tragedy that will force him to take a political risk, simply because it is right.

— Todd Purdum, in Vanity Fair.

Rick Scott Is Winning His Unpopularity Contest

36% to 45%

Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) with an upside-down approval rating, according to a new Quinnipiac poll, with a majority of Floridians saying he doesn’t deserve a second term. Key finding: 53% of Republicans would like another candidate for governor in 2014.

Obama: Re-Election the More Satisfying Victory

I think it was easy to think that maybe 2008 was the anomaly, and I think 2012 was an indication that, no, this is not an anomaly.

— President Obama, in an interview with Time, on his re-election being a more satisfying victory than four years ago.

Manchin Doubles Down on Need for Gun Control Dialogue

If we can’t keep our children safe, and I’m afraid to have a dialogue because I’m afraid someone might vote against me, I don’t have a right to be here.

— Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), quoted by ABC News, on changing his mind about stricter gun control laws.

Republicans’ Life Ratings Fall, Democrats’ Rise

From 47.0 to 40.3

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“The man is afraid of the voice of the people and that the people understand and know what he’s doing. He’s trying to stifle the ability of journalists to let the people of America know what’s really going on with their government.”

— “Kamala Harris called President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House ‘absolutely abhorrent,’” The Wrap reports.

“Not one of them is trained in technical skills. Not one research PhD, as opposed to China, where half the cabinet is science and technology PhDs. We’re led by grifters and fools.”

— Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs, on X, on President Trump’s 35-person cabinet.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far… The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

— Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), breaking with President Trump in a direct-to-camera video.

Numerati

1,000

10%

“The unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed the congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans and significantly altered the makeup of at least one-fifth of districts, according to a new study,” the Associated Press reports.

71%

A new Fox News Poll finds 71% of voters think the Trump administration lacks a clear strategy for ending the Iran War, including 95% of Democrats, 83% of independents, and 43% of Republicans. Sixty percent say U.S. military action against Iran was the wrong decision, while just 37% say it was right.

$9.5 billion

“The Trump administration last year spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money, according to a new estimate by a congressional watchdog,” CNN reports.

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.