DNC Day 2 Highlights

See Politifacts for fact-checking of statements made by Obama and others
at last night's convention.

One month ago today, President Biden announced he would not seek the Democratic nomination this year.  What a difference a month makes!  From the doldrums of something like despair, the Democratic Party is now "fired up and ready to go," in a phrase made famous by former President Obama 16 years ago.  Your Head Trucker's political memory stretches back to the election of JFK in 1960, but I've never seen such an electrifying turnaround before.  

As Michelle Obama said in her speech tonight, "there's magic in the air."  It all makes for a grand show, a political spectacle, though substance is a bit lacking.  But that's American politics:  who would choose to study for a test when there's such a great pep rally going on?

PBS provides highlights from the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

 

NBC gives provides the full speeches by Doug Emmhof, Michelle Obama, and Barack Obama.

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Newsbites 7/26/24

There are 103 days left until the election, November 5th.  Check your voter registration, and be sure it's up to date.

What a difference a week makes - from depression to elation!  I Hope the Dems keep the campaign train fired up and steaming right on to victory - not just for the good of the party, but also for the country and the world, and all us little people who live and love and work in it.

Here are a few news clips worth watching.  First, the Obamas endorse Kamala: 

 

Governor Walz on the "he-man woman haters" in the Republican party:

 

Secretary Pete on Trump's fear of debating Kamala:

 

Former Ambassador Susan Rice on Kamala's creds to be Commander-in-Chief:

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MIchelle Obama: Vote Like Our LIves Depend on It

The former First Lady gave an impassioned keynote speech yesterday on the first night of the (virtual() Democratic National Convention, and while it might have sounded a bit less scripted before a live audience, her message was right on target. Excerpt:

So what do we do now? What's our strategy? Over the past four years, a lot of people have asked me, "When others are going so low, does going high still really work?" My answer: going high is the only thing that works, because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that's drowning out everything else. We degrade ourselves. We degrade the very causes for which we fight.

But let's be clear: going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we've got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences.

And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth.

So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.

Now, I understand that my message won't be heard by some people. We live in a nation that is deeply divided, and I am a Black woman speaking at the Democratic Convention. But enough of you know me by now. You know that I tell you exactly what I'm feeling. You know I hate politics. But you also know that I care about this nation. You know how much I care about all of our children.

So if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don't make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.

What I Say:  All my truckbuddies, take heed.  There is no reason to fear that Trump will start a dictatorship if he wins this election.  The dictatorship has already begun.  It's here.  It's real.  This is happening.



Trump says, If I lose, it means the election is rigged.  Or to put that another way:  No election is valid unless I win.  If that is not the declaration of a dictatorship over these United States, what the hell is?  You waiting for a nice, polite little ceremony in the Rose Garden or something?

It's no longer a question of if or when: he has the Constitution in one hand, and a lighted match in the other. What are you going to do about it?

I'll tell you what, boys: your Head Trucker is old and infirm, and can barely make a circuit around the grocery aisles anymore, much less stand all day and night in a voting line, but with God's help, he is going to do all he can to make sure his vote counts on November 3rd.

I hope you will, too. Or else you might never get to vote again. Don't think it can't happen here. It already has.

Merry Christmas from the President and First Lady, 2016

In typical upbeat style, the Obamas send the nation their Christmas greetings from the White House for the last time with a message of hope, compassion, and service:

Christmas Messages from the President and the Queen

The President and the First Lady filmed their Christmas message last Saturday:



And Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee year culminates with this poignant message from the Queen, whose theme is strikingly similar to that of the Obamas:

Thanking the Troops

In a video posted last week on whitehouse.gov, the President and the First Lady (who are now enjoying a little R&R in Hawaii) offer their gratitude and holiday greetings to American forces around the world:




And another interesting video from the White House, on the remarkable menorah used there this year:

Michelle's Marilyn Moment

During the Queen's welcome for the Obamas at Buckingham Palace today, a strong gust of wind had the Queen reaching for her hat, and nearly embarrassed the First Lady.

Otherwise, the reception went very nicely.  More pictures here.

Dancing with the Stars, Indian Style

Okay, I've posted some heavy-duty stuff lately, now it's time for something lighter.  The President and First Lady were a smash hit during their three-day visit to India over the weekend.  This clip of Michelle dancing with some schoolchildren made me smile this morning, big time.  And then her husband gets into the act, to everyone's delight.



More photos of the First Couple's tour, and Michelle's "fashion diplomacy," here.

Wow

Michelle done us all proud at the Obamas' first state dinner Tuesday, in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur.

Nice to see the First Lady in something besides basic black.  Even as a gay man, I have to say fellas - she's a knockout.  Don't you agree?

BTW, a sign of the times:  among other prominent Indian-Americans invited to the dinner were lesbian activist Urvashi Vaid and her partner, comedian Kate Clinton.

Date Night

A certain sexy couple slip away from the house and kids

for an intimate night on the town.

The President has made good on one campaign promise: to take the wife to dinner and a Broadway show if he got elected. And considering the sheer hell the lady must have gone through supporting him in a two-year campaign, I would say she earned it.

Naturally, the Republicans were bitching and moaning about it before the First Couple even got out of D.C. - but who the fuck cares, huh boys?

Brick House in the White House

The White House has just released the official portrait of the First Lady. Looking mighty fine there, Michelle, doing us proud.

That sleeveless look reminds me a lot of Jackie Kennedy; for those who care about such things, here's a Washington Post story on the two women and their role as fashion leaders, with some more pictures.

Stylin'!

The President and the First Lady at their first State Dinner in the White House, held Sunday evening for the nation's governors. Click the photo to enlarge.

Today in the White House

It seems CHANGE is coming along smoothly, and I'm proud of the new President and First Lady.

Unlike the Howie Long jackass bullies of this world - and there have been some even in the White House as recently as last week - who throw their weight around, hurt and humiliate people just because they can, a real man protects, helps, rewards, and encourages the people around him. And saves the shame and blame for the bad guys who deserve it.

Now fellas, in case you aren't quite sure what I'm talking about, this is what a real man looks like in action:

Meanwhile, the First Lady did her part to reward and encourage good people by hosting a reception for Lily Ledbetter, whose name is attached to a new equal pay act, the first bill the President has signed into law:

Together, the Obamas are setting a refreshing new tone on Pennyslvania Avenue. As the Associated Press reports,

The new president, a man who says he never sweats, has seemed uncowed by his new job and the majestic trappings of his new workplace.

When the White House released its first picture of the president at work in the Oval Office, there he was in his shirt sleeves.

Bush, by contrast, made it a point to be in coat-and-tie whenever he entered the Oval Office.

Obama opened a bill-signing ceremony in the East Room on Thursday with the White House equivalent of a "wassup," casually calling out, "What's going on?"

The night before, trying to build support for his economic stimulus package, Obama invited House and Senate leaders over to the White House for cocktails.

Cocktails? The previous president was a teetotaler.

I'll drink to that, and make mine a screwdriver please.

In Today's News

Also online, a wonderful family picture from First Sister Maya's 2003 wedding.

On Day 2 in the ObamaNation, as reported by the New York Times:

* At the White House, the President was sworn in again by the Chief Justice "out of an abundance of caution" following yesterday's tongue-twister on the steps of the Capitol. White House legal counsel thought the re-do was unneccesary, but this should silence the mad-dog rightwing nuts, who've been foaming at the mouth about it.

* Ted Kennedy was released from hospital with apparently no ill effects from the seizure he suffered yesterday at the Capitol during the Inaugural luncheon.

* His niece, Caroline Kennedy, announced she was withdrawing herself from consideration for being appointed to Hillary Clinton's vacated Senate seat, citing concerns about her uncle's health.

* Hillary was confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of State, and resigned her Senate seat (D-NY), which she has held for the past 8 years.

* The President ordered a halt to prosecutions at Gitmo while the new administration reviews the system of war-crimes trials held there.

* The stock market bounced back up after about a 4 percent dip on Inauguration Day.

* The Obamas, Bidens, and Clintons maintained post-Inaugural tradition by attending a morning prayer service at Washington National Cathedral, with 20 interfaith ministers, including women leaders of the Muslim and Hindu faiths, and featuring a sermon by a woman, the president of the Disciples of Christ church. "The service featured a gospel choir of African-American children in crisp white shirts and black pants and dresses, many of whom broke into smiles as they glimpsed the new president when they filed in. They sang a rocking rendition of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” as if giving a commentary not only on the Almighty, but on the new president’s job description. Mr. Obama sang along, and the First Lady clapped. "

* And the NYT had a feature article on the extended First Family:

For well over two centuries, the United States has been vastly more diverse than its ruling families. Now the Obama family has flipped that around, with a Technicolor cast that looks almost nothing like their overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly Protestant predecessors in the role. The family that produced Barack and Michelle Obama is black and white and Asian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish. They speak English; Indonesian; French; Cantonese; German; Hebrew; African languages including Swahili, Luo and Igbo; and even a few phrases of Gullah, the Creole dialect of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Very few are wealthy, and some — like Sarah Obama, the stepgrandmother who only recently got electricity and running water in her metal-roofed shack — are quite poor.

“Our family is new in terms of the White House, but I don’t think it’s new in terms of the country,” Maya Soetoro-Ng, the president’s younger half-sister, said last week. “I don’t think the White House has always reflected the textures and flavors of this country.”

It does now. All in all, a very good day in America. I'm so glad we finally got here.

Last Dance

The Obamas strike me as being realists, not romantics. You know, the early-to-bed, early-to-rise type, putting nose to the grindstone and homework before playtime. And for goodness' sake, they've been married for years and have two school-age children. Hardly a fairytale prince and princess; but tonight they gave a good-enough imitation as the President danced "with the one who brung me" at each of the nine inaugural balls they visited briefly, each time to the tune of "At Last."

Said Barack about Michelle: "She does everything I do, only backwards and in high heels." A gallant compliment, a lovely evening; a wonderful beginning.

In time, our romance with the new President will wear off too and be replaced by something less illusory and more practical, workable, clear-sighted, grounded. As with every successful marriage. I know that, and maybe you do too.

But this is a night for dancing - and dreaming. So let us enjoy love's ardours while they last. How often do we get the chance?

And your Head Trucker is turning in uncharacteristically early here, at the end of this long, joyous, historic day. I'm whipped boys, all wrung out; got to hit the hay now. Tomorrow, like the man said, we go to work to change America, and the world. So from away out on the Texas prairie, good night and God bless.

Update, 1/22: Found a video of Beyonce channeling Etta James and serenading the Obamas - who look as sweetly lovey-dovey as any young couple at the senior prom - at the Neighborhood Ball, their first dance of the evening. What a memory they made for us there.

And despite the Vice-President's protest that he can't dance, the Bidens didn't look too shabby, either.

Inaugural Parade Album 5

Well somehow in the uploading to blogger, these last sets got out of order, but I'm too tired now to try to fix it. Guess it don't matter too much anyway. The first two up there are actually the last two. I had another really great shot, the last one, of them walking up the steps to the door of the White House, hand in hand, but fumblefingers here accidently deleted it, damn.

The parade had already started by 2:45 my time, and the announcer declared it officially ended at 5:57, at which point the Obamas promptly turned and headed for the house. They dutifully stood there the whole three hours and smiled/saluted/danced/waved to every contingent, long after all the other VIP's had snuck out to go change into evening gowns and tuxes. I'm sure the Obamas must have been dead tired by then, but they've got all those inaugural balls to go to tonight as well. God bless 'em.

It was a grand parade and a grand day. And I am so very glad I am here to see it. One of my favorite moments: when the Obamas first entered the reviewing stand, as Michelle paused to hug a friend, she could be clearly heard saying "We're here, we're home!"

WELCOME HOME.