January 21, 2013

What He Saw

January 21, 2013January 21, 2013 Jon Ponder

When Pres. Obama took a last look at the crowd at his inauguration today, this is what he saw.

— @WestWingReport on Twitter

We weren’t so excited about Obama’s second inaugural, we confess,
But the president took the opportunity some wrongs to redress.
There is no mistaking,
The speech was ground-breaking —
Obama is the first president to mention gay rights in his inaugural address.

Obama Takes a Last Look

January 21, 2013January 21, 2013 Trish

Andrew Kacynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) at Buzzfeed tweeted this bittersweet snippet of film, just after Pres. Obama’s inauguration today.

The president stops as he leaves the reviewing stand and looks back at the capacity crowd gathered to celebrate the start of his second term, and explains to those around him, “I want to look out one more time. I’ll never see this again.” After Kacynski tweeted the moment, @BarackObama himself retweeted it.

Take a moment and watch.

Obama Has a Lot of Fight Left in Him. We Need to Be Equal to the Job Ahead.

January 21, 2013January 21, 2013 Trish

No matter how unhappy it makes Rep. John Boehner (at least that’s how he looks in this great picture from The Atlantic), Pres. Obama is in Day Two of his second term. His address to the inaugural crowd included the first explicit reference to gay Americans during an inaugural speech. The Washington Post has the full transcript.

He also promised to address climate change, but only with the help of those of us who support that, and reminded us that our help didn’t end when we voted for him. If you haven’t signed up for Organizing for Action yet, hurry. There’s no time to waste.

We are a Nation of Conspiracy Theorists

January 21, 2013 Buck Banks

63%

Of registered voters buy into at least one political conspiracy theory, a new Fairleigh Dickinson University poll finds. The nationwide survey asked Americans to evaluate four political conspiracy theories: 56% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans say that at least one is likely true. That includes 36% who think President Obama is hiding information about his background and early life, 25% who think the government knew about 9/11 in advance, and 19% who think the 2012 Presidential election was stolen.

Americans are Down on the Republican Party

January 21, 2013 Buck Banks

49%

Of Americans hold a negative view of the Republican Party while 26% have a positive view, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. By comparison, the Democratic Party has a net positive rating, with 44% holding a favorable view of the party and 38% holding an unfavorable one.

God Gave Us Guns

January 21, 2013 Buck Banks

They are used to defend our property and our families and our faith and our freedom, and they are absolutely essential to living the way God intended for us to live.

— California Rep. Tim Donnelly (R), talking about guns on The Bottom Line.

Third Oath of Office Is a Charm

January 21, 2013 Buck Banks

Day: January 21, 2013

What He Saw

Whoo-Hoo!

All you Fashionistas may want to know that Mrs. O tonight is wearing a gown from Jason Wu. Who? Wu. And shoes by Choo.

— @WestWingReport on Twitter

An Honorable Mention

Obama Takes a Last Look

Obama Has a Lot of Fight Left in Him. We Need to Be Equal to the Job Ahead.

We are a Nation of Conspiracy Theorists

63%

Americans are Down on the Republican Party

49%

Of Americans hold a negative view of the Republican Party while 26% have a positive view, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. By comparison, the Democratic Party has a net positive rating, with 44% holding a favorable view of the party and 38% holding an unfavorable one.

God Gave Us Guns

They are used to defend our property and our families and our faith and our freedom, and they are absolutely essential to living the way God intended for us to live.

— California Rep. Tim Donnelly (R), talking about guns on The Bottom Line.

Third Oath of Office Is a Charm

You didn’t mess up.

— Sasha Obama, quoted by NBC News, whispering to her father after he took the oath of office yesterday.

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.