Catsup&Liquor

Barack Obama and Jimmy Fallon Team Up To Slow Jam The News

The previous quote about education, in an alternate form…

“Aw Pellllllll no.”

POTUS with the Mostest f/ Jimmy Fallon and The Roots

For the first eight years of our marriage, [Michelle and I] were paying more in student loans than what we were paying for our mortgage. So we know what this is about.

And we were lucky to land good jobs with a steady income. But we only finished paying off our student loans—check this out, all right, I’m the President of the United States—we only finished paying off our student loans about eight years ago.

—President Obama in North Carolina today on why Congress has to act to prevent interest rates on student loans from doubling (via barackobama)

That awkward moment when the president’s call to action made every student present go, “Shit. We’re screwed.”

(via andyweezy)

CNN: Obama says health care law is constitutional →

Following this issue as closely as I can. (Note to self: You won’t be better informed by listening to a recording of court proceedings, because hearing the justices citing every article/section and court ruling known to law makes you sleepy. There’s a reason you aren’t studying constitutional law.)

Along with the CNN news article above, here are a few others:

Interesting opinion by one Ronald Dworkin, not just on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, but why challenging it is wrong.
Pew Poll findings on how the hearings have shaped public perception of both the law and the court with most “reaching for a middle ground.” (Polling will always sort of mess with my head.)
Talking Points Memo (politico blog) discusses the Supreme Court Justices’ struggle with key health care policy points and reveal a misunderstanding of insurance markets— which, scarily, could skew the ruling.

(Currently looking for a reliably conservative and interesting blog/article to post the counterargument.)

Occupy Breakfast: Obama’s Toast?

Each time an election draws near, politicians, pundits and political advisers run around like headless chickens trying to cast predictions based on precedence… or, inversely, postulate that trends won’t hold like they used to, that there is something different about this cycle and this data that caters to their candidate/issue.

A year away from the next presidential election, I’m already feeling the election fatigue. Didn’t we just do this? Bah.

*This is partially a response after reading the article, “Is Obama Toast? Handicapping the 2012 Election” published by the NY Times late last week. The article is rather lengthy, but an interesting read. It is also my response to a canceled morning class. You’re welcome.

The Tale of Obama and The Perfect Storm

In many ways candidate Barack Obama entered the U.S. Presidential race in a perfect storm— after eight years, what we had on our hands was a costly war (that’s an understatement), a flailing economy, and just a general film of discontent that blanketed the nation. Even staunch Christian ideology, aggressive smearing, and a middle-to-right leaning electorate were not enough for U.S. voters to veer into the conservative lane in 2008. It might be presenting things too simplistically, but I truly believe that any liberal would’ve stood up against John McCain after George W. Bush’s presidency. There was also nothing special about McCain to set him apart. The stake in the heart turned out to be the Sarah Palin media circus. (Though people can argue his running mate was beloved by the GOP, she fumbled too much to be taken seriously.) Hate her all you want, she had a hand in polarizing the left. Throw on the historic nature of Obama’s potential presidency, his pragmatic demeanor and charismatic speech-giving skills that roused the youth… well, it was no surprise to see even traditionally red states turn blue on election night.

I venture to say that the President could be entering yet another perfect storm— except one where the winds won’t blow in his favor.