Whether he is a US Citizen or not is still a matter of question. What is clear that in his HEART, Obama does not THINK like an American. He is some kind of “Post-American World Citizen”–but American, he is not.

Happy Birthday, Jane !

May your every day be filled with joy, good health and excitement … ’specially when you’re smacking around these enemies of the people !

Seems almost fitting that the first comment would be from a troll who also happens to be a birther.

Hey, Petro.

Namaste

moron day at the lake mboutot ?

Obama is always apologizing for his country. Doesn’t sound like he loves his country very well at all. I’m agnostic on the Birth Certificate …it would have seemed he could have resolved it by producing the official copy.

Namaste SD !

Ya mean this guy has found the Lake and is using an alias? Imagine that.

Hawaii cannot “produce” the original. They no longer use that method – all on computers now. Besides that you wouldn’t believe it anyway. What a sick bunch the birthers are.

gd I love Mike Stark !

although patently predictable, it’s funny as hell.

there was a hilarious youtube of the birthers last week that included comments from some of them – some of this crowd was maintaining that swine flu was created at Ft Dietrick from “baby juice & monkey kidneys!”

I kid you not.

I guess our troll would be upset if s/he asked for a copy of his/her birth certificate and got a computer printout instead of a Xerox copy. Boo fuckin’ hoo.

Ya know, I spent 20 years treating people just like this. Totally detached from reality.

Obama does not THINK like an American.

Aparently, if one does not:
think America should wage endless war against whoever it dislikes at the moment;
hate unions;
believe God personally chose GWB;
think women should stay home and download babies on demand;
believe all means are justified;
worship Lynyrd Skynyrd and Charlie Daniels;

well then, he/she is obviously un-American.

“swine flu was created at Ft Dietrick from “baby juice & monkey kidneys!””

Xtian baby juices that is. And they left out the eye of Newt. Maybe next time.

Ignore the trolls. They have nothing productive or of interest to contribute.

Great post,Jane. Now I must give my congressman, Trent Franks, my grudging thanks for once, for standing up and telling the truth, which is more than can be said of many of his colleagues. I haven’t agreed with anything else he’s done in Congress, so, I guess, at least there’s this.

I do believe we must defeat the terrorists and whatever Deity there is put George W. Bush in to face the terrorists of 9/11. About abortion, the English “quickening” rule is good enough for me…and Charlie Daniels and Lee Greenwood are GREAT!

I’m reminded of when the gropinator became California’s Governor and the GOP was all about amending the Constitution so that foreign born former body builders could run for President. Maybe Mike can ask the birthers if they support Ahnold for President in 2016!

The “Birthers” are a political gift to Obama. Can you think of a better foil?

Somewhere there is a certified copy that is attested to. All legal documents are in computers but they can be certified.

what is the 10-year figure on profits for the health care insurers and contributions to Congress?
can we have the CBO release that figure. Maybe the Blue Dogs want to talk about that.

Great video!

So the Arizona Repub who was honest about the Birth Cert then goes on to say Obama is spreading “jihad” around the world? THIS is their one sane one? Jeezus….

Well, don’t cut him too much slack… He does accuse Obama of helping out Jihad and turning America into a socialist state…

I agree. We’ve grown accustomed to generally insightful and intelligent conversation here at the Lake, but now the trolls seem to have set their sights on ruining this blog like their ideas ruin society. I’ve engaged them here in recent days, but I think a better policy would be simply: Do Not Feed The Trolls.

They’re not here for a serious debate, they just want to disrupt. If we don’t feed them, maybe they’ll go away – like an unwanted barn cat.

Oh, I know, but pushing ‘em down in their own shit is so much fun.

And that is literally the truth. He is publicly praising Muslims and attempting to pass redistributionist measures. If that’s not helping Jihad and socialistic, I don’t know what is.

HIs mom is a citizen it does not matter where he was born.

Hey, hey, ain’t no such thing as an unwanted cat in my book. *g*

But now that we’re getting more trolls than usual, and of less intellect than in days of old, not feeding them really is the best idea.

It is so tempting though … still I agree that it is better to

S
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I know the material preached here is all eco-friendly and therefore can never be referred to by the four letter word. That’s what makes you so elite and superior. You think.

My theory is trolls come out in force when the GOP is scared. I think the GOP is nervous about the healthcare debate we had one blue dog cross over I expect more to as the ads ramp up.

Mike! Ya da man, fo shizzle! That’s one way to stay in shape, huh?

So Thad “Welcome Back” McCotter was too busy for ya since he was “focused on healthcare.” Guess he forgot to mention he ALSO was focused on Gatesgate and trying to score some points on the hyper-important issue in this time of crisis:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..45287.html

Thad is actually introducing a bill saying the President Barack Hussein Obama should apologize to that cop in Cambridge. Last I heard Michigan has some pretty big employment problems right now, and this is what WelcomeBack is spending time on?!?! Pathetic.

Mike, are you hearing anything on the Hill, WRT to the Senate and any movement on health care this week ?

Hi Mike, you ROCK

Hey Mike, how are you doing with holding the Dems together on the “public plan” option?

The trolls are Dumber because the GOP is dumber Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin are the future of the GOP? Being a GOP troll these days is like volunteering to serve under Gen Custer.

Yeah well, you can’t have everything.

I come here to monitor the debate, participate and report.

whatever Deity there is put George W. Bush in to face the terrorists of 9/11.

Well, then, he must be on their side, since GWB did more damage to this country than al-Qaeda ever could…The way to defeat terrorists is to deny them the ability to effect the changes they want, unlike Bush, who, in response, gave us the Patriot Act, warrantless surveillance, officially-sanctioned torture, bankruptcy, and the demise of the rule of law, just for a start..if that was God’s choice to face the terrorists of 9/11, then God needs to be fired and replaced with a half-assed competent HR Department.

Thad is channeling John Travolta’s Vinnie … “I say the Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba Bin Laden, the Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba Bin Laden …”

That’s because Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindahl speak to AMERICANS about things AMERICANs care about. And yeah, we serve to protect the Republic.

There are people who are paid to hang around places like here when there are big votes afoot.

Obviously, can’t say for sure about some of the current infestation, but there certainly are a whole bunch of new names around here all of sudden, and spending hours here in many threads offering nothing but talking points. Sure seems likely.

George W. Bush left America with more jobs, and far less a deficit than Barack HUSSEIN Obama has run up in the first six months of office. We have killed or put out of action 3/4 of the Al Qaeda leadership and have prevented attack on the Homeland. The surveillance and other National Security measures are measures necessary to stop the Jihadists from surprising us again. Unlike the current and Clinton administrations, Bush properly treated these as actions of war, not judicial criminal proceedings. You win hearts and minds my making the enemy know what will happen to him if he attacks you.

He also gave us Senator Inhofe, who agrees the Birthers have a valid point – from HuffPo

The GOP is spending a lot of time fluffing controversy of all kinds they are OUTRAGED over Everything they are acting like hateful older gossip moms ready to trash anybody.
We need a list of every gossip/hate bill the GOP has brought up since Obama became President. We need to show that while Democrats where working the GOP was goofing off.

hey Mike Stark !

Orly Taitz is the Alpha Birther – Eric Cantor and Mary Bono Mack befriended her on Facebook

BREAKING: Howard Dean to fill in for Keif, on Tuesday & Wednesday !

Someone needs to give mboutot a compass. He/she’s obviously lost. Little Green footballs is off to the far right.

Report to whom? Participate we are talking about GOPers not wanting to answer if Obama was born in America on Camera. We are not debating that fact.
Sure your crazies can run with the story but your moderates they don’t want to be anywhere near it. Yet they don’t want to offend the crazies.
Report this there are a lot of Moderate Voters we want them we can get them we think because we want healthcare, and to end the wars, we want more jobs in the Stimulus Plan and no more bailouts.
Ideas will get us votes we win when elections are about ideas.
GOPers win when elections are about gossip and outrage.

Agreed one day we need to send spies in and report on this. I wonder if Karl’s missing White House e mails might show something.

they don’t get back until late this afternoon. I’ll know more by this evening I hope.

Thanks for all that you are doing !

You always raise such interesting points that I’ve never heard before, and in the spirit of strengthening America, which we’re both here to do, let me offer some points as well.

If you look at this chart of top marginal tax rates from 1913-2003, you can learn from history and see what effect tax policy has on our economy:
http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php

Note that 1925-1931, the top rate was 25% which is one of lowest rates through that entire century. What happened right after that? The top tax rate was in one year bumped up 40% to over 60%, and stayed there and above until 1987, when it was slashed to the level we’re used to now.

So in recent history, every period of big tax cutting on the upper income earners has lead to a Depression or severe Recession. Then, the periods that were considered our Golden years run by the Greatest Generation, the top tax rate was often over 90%. Were these heroes that stopped Hitler and made America into the Superpower “redistributionists” like Obama?

History seems to show that high tax rates on the upper incomes strengthens America. Maybe you could mull that over a little, and perhaps conclude that “redistribution” of wealth isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

you know… I won’t know until they vote. All I know is that I can make it harder for them to let us down. And I’m committed to doing that.

They Speak in tongues about Exorcisms and Python Spirits that is when you can understand them at all. Bobby was sad answering Obama he mocks volcano monitoring and then a volcano goes off in Alaska.
Sarah can’t handle questions from Katie Couric? Katie was mean to her (pout)! Katie Ambushed her (stomps feet)! If Sarah can’t handle Katie bring back Newt he at least could talk in front of a camera.

Just remembered – say yesterday that Karl’s DC house is on the market. Guess he’s heading back to Texas where the folks are friendly.

Just remember folks, the lunatic fringe may be a crazy minority, but they are useful to the oligarchy who control the media and sadly our government through their $$$.

When people say things like “I hope Sarah Palin is their nominee in 2012″ I get a very uneasy feeling. Remember the admonition, “be careful what you wish for, you may get it.”

As the GOP pushes out what passes for their moderates these days and cater solely to the extreme nutcases, they become much more dangerous. Combine that with social and economic turmoil and any student of history can tell you there is a recipe for disaster.

I’m not saying this to cause despair, but to encourage all of us not to underestimate the dark forces stirring in America today. It will take extreme vigilance to keep those forces at bay.

Dude Classic Reality over Belief burn! The government I guess can spend money more efficiently than the private sector. Bwahahaha!
Milton Friedman was wrong.

Great video. Spain has it’s running with the bulls. Perhaps the U.S. has a variation on a peculiar “sport” or rite of passage, running with the Republicans.

He wants to be closer to the border in case Democrats get a Spine and start investigating him.

Thanks for your efforts, Mike. We really do appreciate it.

In fact, it says that, right here on my job description…

These right wing neo-fascists have popped up at other times in U.S. history most notably during the Depression when fascism had many followers and sympathizers on the right. Hitler and Mussolini were both admired by many Republicans and neo-fascists of the day.

I think we’re being way too hard on Tim Murphy. After all, it takes a long time to find just the right pen. There’s the ink color, the length, the width, the size of the tip, how the ink applies to the paper, and much more. So let’s cut the poor little twit some slack. And one more thing:

Go Mike Stark! And when you’re making your rounds, can you please do me a personal favor? Go after Ken Calvert, Idiot Congressman from the 44nd district. I’m guessing that, not only does he believe BO is not a citizen of the US, but that he might very well be a space alien (or the anti-christ)…or at least a card-carrying member of al-queda. Calvert is a most egregious buffoon…

No doubt you are thinking of Prescott Bush…a fascist to the bone.

Even Joe Kennedy, IIRC.

And we’ve been lucky in the past that American embraced decency over fear, hatred and fascism, but it is by no means a given that we will prevail every time. It’s going to take the effort of decent people to reign in the factions that appeal to the darker impulses of our nature.

That’s all I’m sayin’. Overconfidence can lead to a letting down of our guard. We need to take the threat of a Sarah Palin seriously, just because she’s a bigoted, incurious imbecile, doesn’t mean she can’t be sworn in as president (I carefully avoided using the term “elected”). Look at W.

Hitler and Mussolini were both admired by many Republicans and neo-fascists of the day.

Nothing has changed in 75 years.

“monitor the debate and report”?

Report to whom, exactly? And for what purpose? Do tell.

Right, the U.S. dealt with the fascists in Europe but forgot about the fascists in the U.S..

Maybe there is a minimal tax rate needed to keep us out of a recession? Maybe for an economic boom to occur that helps raise everyones living standards taxes have to be at a higher rate? These ideas all rest on the idea that government spends money better than the public.
The facts are there let the GOP dispute them but if none of their disputes are Creditable and thanks to Bush they got no Cred on the economy.
Then the conclusion is obvious Thanks troll by pissing us off I think you just created our new fact based attack on the GOP!
Who says talking to a Troll can’t be productive?

When Clinton was president, the right wing fundamentalists accepted as proven fact that the Clintons were guilty of every debunked charge leveled against them–ergo, Bill Clinton was a felon and therefore not qualified to be president of the U.S. Now the birthers, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, believe Obama is an alien–therefore, not legally president of the U.S.

Given that Fundies believe all power comes from God, that God grants power to specially chosen men because they serve His purpose, and that obedience to authority is the same as obeying God’s will, then it follows that Fundamentalists should willingly support (obey) the president, regardless of party. The only way they can avoid doing so is to declare Obama illegitimate. And that is what all this birther nonsense is about.

to the skull and bone ;)

Thom Hartmann speaks very well on this subject on his radio show. It’s a way to keep money flowing within the system as whole, instead of being vacuumed to the upper 1%, who then hoard it and pass it on to their heirs and so on.

Now 90% seems harsh to me, but hard to argue with the history. Just saw some report showing that if it was raised to 45% over $350,000 income, all fiscal problems would be solved, including most of the debt over the next few years. If my take-home pay is $975,000/year, and if my tax rate rises and I only take home $910,000, I hardly think I’m going to stop working hard. In fact, it’ll make people work harder and try to earn more to make up that difference, it seems to me.

Just a wild guess, but I’d put money that he won’t be settling down in Spain…however much we all wish he (and Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Yoo, and a host of others) would do just exactly that. Or at least go vacationing there…

We have killed or put out of action 3/4 of the Al Qaeda leadership and have prevented attack on the Homeland

Ossama is still alive we took troops away from hunting him so we could invaded Iraq because Bush FORGOT 9/11 and decided he wanted some more oil wells!

Don’t forget “Saddam tried to kill my daddy” – W is a twit.

He can get to Mexico from Texas quick and from there to Paraguay where the Bush family is buying land. I’m sure Ollie North knows some old Cocaine smugglers who could fly him in.

I don’t get to listen to Thom as often as I’d like any more, but I agree he does a great job explaining this stuff.

And 90 percent seems harsh, but I don’t think you pay 90 percent on the whole income, just the income over a certain amount – like say $1 million. It’s an effort to discourage the obscene wealth we’ve seen burgeoning in recent years. Even the founding fathers recognized the threat to our democratic republic by entrenched wealth.

Their fears have been realized a number of times in our nation’s history from our current times to the Roaring Twenties and the Robber Barons of the late 19th century.

It’s a constant fight (to quote Yes).

Yeah Bush the failure at college Gentlemen’s C where his dad was an academic an sports star, Dad and Ossama’s family keep bailing out his failed attempts at business. His Dad’s friends steal him the Presidency.
Bush most likely was pissed because he needs to beat his Dad at something and nobody better take that away from him. .

Agreed great talking point we need to cover this more!

The troll did take the thread off track a bit but in a very productive direction I wonder if his bosses monitor him?
I don’t think that they will like what he started today.

Iraq was the greater threat. When the surge started to work, it was President Bush who authorized and kept authorizing the Predator runs and the troop increases in Afghanistan.

You’ll send all the productive people off shore. Investment will occur in Singapore and Bahrain and places which encourage investment with low taxes.

The minimal tax rate to keep us out of recession is 0. Obama could have saved stimulus money by declaring a year long tax holiday. That would have immediately improved everyone’s financial situation and got the economy moving instantly. That should be future policy. Heck, even Russia’s got a lower tax rate than we do now.

This comment is so exquisitely stupid on so many levels that it almost defies categorization.

So who is paying you, or are you just [modnote: edited]?

[Modnote: direct insults are counter to the FDL way, and to FDL policy]

Thank you Mike! Hilarious.

I am totally calling Tim Murphy’s (R-PA idiot) office to ask him if he believes the birthers – I have family in his district. Murphy makes for great video – when confronted with campaign violations – he grabs the evidence from the KDKA reporter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwh-OCFCOTc

This statement is also just breathtakingly stupid. It is really quite difficult for me to understand how anyone can be this unconscious.

So what medical plan authorized your lobotomy, anyway? Sounds like elective surgery to me.

Bush and Cheney f*cked Afghanistan to go on their Iraq adventure. The military was expecting more men and materials to come into Afghanistan but the Bushies started diverting the materials and personnel to Kuwait. So now I have a nephew doing his second tour to Afghanistan thanks to your heros Bush and Cheney.

Iraq was the greater threat Iraq never crashed planes into American cities! The Surge started to work? We won WW2 in less time than we have been in Iraq the Surge never worked if it had the troops would be home.

The military had the al-queda brass cornered in Tora Bora and Bush called it off to go on his Iraq adventure. As for Iraq being the greater threat, that is just simply false. Iraq was a stabilizing force in the region, however ugly the asshole who ran the place might have been. This war of choice has been a complete disaster…and my personal opinion is that it ain’t over yet. The fact that it’s somewhat quiet right now indicates to me that the players are laying low and keeping their powder dry – for the time being.

Thanks for the link! It’s wasted on our reality-challenged troll, but I can use it for ammo against some free-market ideologue I’m arguing with.

Nice try Iceland and Ireland the flat tax countries in Eastern Europe all attracted investment from people feeling the US I read Forbes too. To bad their economies all went into a pit. Singapore and Bahrain well sure if you think the financial sector will come back before manufacturing and consumer spending does.
I bet your buying real estate now cause its so cheap. 5 years it should start going up again just like finance however they both ride up on manufacturing and consumer spending.
Pick what will be the products bought by Americans in the future and you will be rich.

I appreciate your thoughtful and original response, and your consideration that history doesn’t bear out you theory, since other tax policy and trade policies can be used to minimize what you suggest.

Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.

Have you ever read how FDR got us out of the Great Depression? Did you look at bonker’s link how about some facts to go with your claims? A link is a start historical facts and economic numbers we can all agree on is good.
Chicago School Economics talking points well No do you read the Lake? Google FireDogLake and Chicago School Economics and see how many hits you get.
Then read and please don’t come back until you do.

I hope Stark’s interviews come out as a movie.

Yeah thanks to us taking out Sadaam we now worry about Iran taking over the entire Middle East after we leave.
Sadaam committed war crimes he killed and tortured people well so did Bush. And the Iraqi’s had nothing to do with 9/11.

How much are they paying? Me thinks its too much…

mboutot, what facts do you have that his Birth is in Question? Is John McCain’s birth in question because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone?

As for the rest of your pointless babblings, it is apparent you have no clue about reality. W grew the deficit by $5T dollars, the only President to come close to that deficit growth is Reagan, who grew the deficit by $2.4T!

Obama signed into law a Stimulus Bill for AMERICANS to the tune of $700B…W signed into law a Stimulus Bill for WALL STREET to the tune of $700B!! W helps Wall Street and that’s all good, Obama helps Main Street and that’s “un American”?????

As we see now with the increase in bombings as our troops move out of the cities in Iraq, the “surge” didn’t work, it was just a temporary solution that involved Martial law, setting up 12 ft walls around neighborhoods and allowing for ethnic cleansing to put Sunni’s with Sunni’s and Shia with Shia…

Under Saddam not only did all these people live together, over 1 MILLION Chirstians lived and worshipped openly in Iraq! Now there are but a handful. Not to mention the obvious facts that no Iraqi participated in 9/11 and as a Secular leader, Saddam was in FEAR of Osama Bin Laden because the first phase of the AQ Caliphate is to remove all Secular rule in the Middle East!!!

But stick to your ridiculous Birther rants and let those of us interested in bringing America back to it’s rightful position.

Just where do the GOPers think they can get a safer and higher return on their cash than America if they want to leave let them its better they take their ponzai schemes on how to run an economy out of here.
Maybe we can send them to Saudi Arabia they can invest in the economy that supports Ossama!
Yes unleash our Financial Weapons of Mass Destruction! John Gault!

Obama signed the Stimulus bill to get America working after Bush destroyed the economy you have to prime the pump as Keynes put it to get the economy started after it stops. The Government is the spender of last resort.
If the Government does not spend in a Depression we get President Hoover’s economy.

That is the most ridiculous accusation I have ever heard. Typical US vs THEM mentality that has been destroying this country’s credibility for the past decade.

No amount of evidence will satisfy narrow minds. That is why we still battle with creationists. They never think critically about their own theories.

‘George W. Bush left America with more jobs, and far less a deficit than Barack HUSSEIN Obama has run up in the first six months of office. We have killed or put out of action 3/4 of the Al Qaeda leadership and have prevented attack on the Homeland. The surveillance and other National Security measures are measures necessary to stop the Jihadists from surprising us again. Unlike the current and Clinton administrations, Bush properly treated these as actions of war, not judicial criminal proceedings. You win hearts and minds my making the enemy know what will happen to him if he attacks’
You worked/kneeled at/for the Bush WH didn’t you?

Kudos to Mike Stark for getting his work on Hardball!!!

I only wish they had shown you running with that guy. That was the best!

Wow Jane, this is funny and scary at the same time! These guys are also charter members of the astronauts for the flat earth society too, I bet.