Republican lies are why Obama's bump in the polls may last a while

A Washington Post/Pew Research Center poll released today showed that President Obama's approval ratings jumped 9 percentage points to 56% in the immediate aftermath of the attack that killed Osama bin Laden. According to the Post this is his highest approval rating since 2009.

Conventional wisdom suggests this bump might be temporary. I am challenging conventional wisdom for two simple reasons, the American people are waking up to the lies being told about our nation's first African American president and he is distinguishing himself as a mature, calm, cool and confident leader.

Two significant developments last week, the bin Laden raid and the release of the long form birth certificate, made many Americans look at Obama differently. Additionally Obama supporters, like myself, are encouraged by the swagger he has displayed since he gave his budget speech on April 13, in which he took Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and the House Republicans to task.

A PARTIAL list of the lies include:

1. He is a socialist
2. He is a Muslim
3. He was not born here and has no birth certificate
4. He is not serious about the war on terrorism
5. He is weak on national security
   
6. He wants to raise taxes on all Americans
7. He doesn't lead
8. He was going to kill granny with death panels
   

Republicans/conservatives/teabaggers can only lie about Obama so much, and when those lies are proven to be false those doing the lying will pay a price, the subject of those lies, Obama, begins to reap benefits.

While the economy continues to struggle and unemployment remains high, the lies being told about him have played a significant role in his low approval ratings. As time goes on Americans are beginning to and will continue to view him differently.

Many people who have been in the "disapprove" column voted for him, they genuinely like him, but they had concerns about him. These concerns have been reinforced by the lies being told. Many of those folks started to believe the lies, but the events of the last few weeks have given him the opportunity to answer his critics and show America he is not the man that the Republicans/conservative/teabaggers make him out to be. Hell, even 70% of teabaggers are beginning to wake up and realize that is the House Republicans who are the enemy of Medicare, not Obama.

They have taken their best shots at Obama and they have done some damage, but he didn't loose his head, he just kept going. His pushback on Ryan's budget, chastising the press for focusing on the birth certificate, comforting of Alabama residents, calling Trump out to his face, while planning to take bin Laden out and succeeding, gave many of his detractors a reason to look at him differently and his supporters a reason to hope again.

The bump might be temporary but even if his normals drop a bit he continue to trend up, Obama is back and America is falling in love with him again.

Teabagger Mark Williams proves his racism in interview with Tamron Hall

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I’m getting sick and tired of politicians, the media and other leaders having to tip toe around calling the teabaggers,* bigots. To quote John Wayne this is getting “rigoddamndiculous.”

Today during an interview with Tamron Hall on MSNBC, Mark Williams, who is a spokesperson for a teabagger group, defended an offensive letter he posted on the internet yesterday. Even though it was meant to be satirical, his use of the word “colored” just crossed so many lines and reinforces the meme that his group is in fact racist.

He defended the use of the word by pointing to the fact the actual name of the NAACP, is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In doing so he shows his absolute ignorance of this nation’s history as well as the circumstances that lead to the NAACP’s creation. The word is dated and in most cases it is meant to be offensive to African Americans, however when it comes to the NAACP it is accepted and to many of us it serves as a reminder of how far this nation has come since the organization’s founding.

Williams used the word to attempt to attack the credibility of NAACP president Ben Jealous, fortunately Hall was not having it, push backed on him wanting to call out the NAACP for its use of the word “colored” and told him “we are not even going to go there.”

Regardless Williams kept on saying “colored” this, “colored” that, “colored,” “colored,” “colored.”

He also went on to accuse the NAACP and other groups of being agent provocateurs, responsible for any racism on display at there events.

Teabaggers and others on the right who use race, ethnic background, religion and/or sexual orientation to divide us, have gotten away with this crap for too long and it needs to stop.

Since the Reagan administration whenever anyone calls out bigotry, the accused bigots push back and accuse those calling them out on their bigotry as being bigots. Unfortunately in this day and age of talk radio, the Internet and cable news networks the bigots have managed to change the conversation and force folks to tread carefully when calling them out.

You think I’m imagining this? Think about what happens and the reaction whenever our nation’s first African American president, Barack Obama addresses the issue of race.

Its a sad state of affairs.

EDITORS' NOTE: Join the Color of Change in demanding that the teabaggers choose to denounce Williams or admit they're a haven for bigots.

*I refuse to defame a special moment in American history but comparing this ignorant band of blithering idiots to the true patriots who took part in the Boston Tea Party.

Sarah Palin calls Obama "half white or half Black," wants him to "refudiate" NAACP

During a recent appearance on Sean Hannity’s show on FOX NEWS, in which she was pushing back at the NAACP’s resolution on teabagger* bigotry, Sarah Palin claimed that they didn’t care if President Obama is “half white or half Black.”

While Obama embraces his mixed parentage, he identifies himself as African American, not biracial, not “half white or half Black,” but African American. Folks who are biracial or of mixed heritage have every right to declare how they want to be identified and everyone else should respect their choice.

Make no mistake Palin meant this as a diss, a racial dog whistle, intended to defend teabaggers against charges of racism and other forms of bigotry, while at the same time reminding her like minded audience that he is not like them, he is different.

She is implying that white folks can’t be racist against some one who is “half white,” while at the same time reminding folks he is “half Black.” Let’s not forget that Palin’s buddy, radio host and pill popping bigot Rush Limbaugh refers to Obama as a “Halfrican American.” These references have a purpose and its not a celebration of Obama’s diverse background.

In the same interview Palin called on Obama to “refudiate,” (yeah the crazy lady made up the word “refudiate”) the NAACP for its resolution condemning the teabagger movement for the bigotry that is directed at Obama as well as others.

Think about that now, Palin wants Obama to “refudiate” (I guess that means repudiate) folks who are speaking out against the bigotry directed at him. Seriously?

Whenever the teabaggers get together the bigoted signs and rhetoric are not far behind. Lets not forget the time they called Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights hero, the “n-word,” spit on Congressman Emanuel Clever and called Congressman Barney Frank the “f-word,” all in one day.

The racially charged atmosphere that surrounds the teabaggers’ protest is just sickening. Whether its the picture of Obama dressed up like a witch doctor, Tea Party leader Dale Robertson carrying a sign with the “n-word” on it or the kid carrying a sign that says “Obamanomics: Monkey See/Monkey Spend,” its not surprising that many African Americans, including yours truly, as well as decent people of all backgrounds are alarmed by the overt racism on display at these events.

Rather than Palin pandering to her fellow teabaggers she needs to call them out, “refudiate” their bigotry, accept the NAACP’s resolution and challenge her friends to be above the bigotry that has defined their movement. Anything short of that is unacceptable, but sadly expected.
*I refuse to defame a special moment in American history but comparing this ignorant band of blithering idiots to the true patriots who took part in the Boston Tea Party.

Instead of violent rhetoric all Teabaggers & Freepers should make entertaining music videos instead

Enough with the violence all Teabaggers & Freepers should make entertaining music videos to voice their opposition to health care reform. Why?

1) We need less violent rhetoric in this world.

2) We can always use more YouTubes of Teabaggers & Freepers making fools of themselves

3) Even though the kids are equating Congress to monkeys the are adorable.

From YouTube user TheCharityAngel

ENJOY!

Fire Congress (sung to the music of "Jingle Bells")
This was made awhile ago, the lyrics were by Deb Wells, and we made this for her, but I thought that I would repost it since it applies even more today. Hope you enjoy it. We only went through it a couple times before recording it, so it is what it is LOL.



I'm Dreaming of a Free Republic (sung to the music of "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas")
This was created for my friend Deb Wells awhile ago, but I thought that I would put it back up for her and anyone else's enjoyment. This is what happens when you sing at 2 am LOL yes I spun around LOL

Elisabeth Hasselbeck attempts to justify teabagger racism & homophobia

Elisabeth Hasselbeck tried to explain the appalling behavior of the teabaggers who called John Lewis the n-word, Barney Frank the F-word and spit on Emanuel Cleaver, but the ladies of THE VIEW weren't having it. At one point Whoopi told her to just breath.

"Afro-Leninism?" Really? As man screams that ton CNN Convince me the tea baggers aren't racist, go ahead I dare you.

Watch this CNN video and at :49 in, a visibly angry and deranged man screams the following into the camera:

"This is AFRO-LENINISM!
Coming to you in a silver platter!!
By Barack Hussein Obama!!!
He ain't my president, people!!!"



There is a venom and an anger that has been directed towards President Barack Obama since the election that oozes with racism and the folks reinforce that. The tea baggers and their tea party movement is all about racism. The tea party movement is nothing but a modern version of the lynch mobs of the Jim Crow era.

Hat tip to Julius Civitatus @ DU