gop4obama's Comments (210)

“It seems the Brazilian judge that heard the Hague treaty issues found that while the child had been illegally abducted from the US, the judge also found ( a loophole you can drive a truck through) that the boy had adjusted to the Brazilian environment and that his emotional status would be upset by another change. In other words, if you illegally abduct a child, you need to spend the next year integrating the child into the culture of the harboring country. Terrible decision. This Brazilian judge facilitated an end run around the Hague Treaty regarding international custody abductions.

I am a family lawyer in Illinois. Whether the case involves a custodial parent leaving the United States for a Hague or non-Hague treaty country, or involves a custodial parent leaving Illinois, or even (under Illinois' antiquated relocation rules) moving from Chicago to Cairo, Illinois with the children, when a custodial parent removes the children from the life of the non-custodial parent, it is an act of parental alienation.

Too many custodial parents want to cut the connection between child and non-custodial parent. Who does this damage? Both the parent and the child, severely. What happens in many cases is that the alienated child grows older, and begins to understand that he or she was robbed of a developmental life with a loving, dedicated parent. The alienating parent is then viewed with contempt by the child.

www.illinoisdivorcelawyerblog.com”

“The evangelicals worked their way into the pro sports locker rooms for the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks....because that's where the money is.

I knew some years ago a pro player in Charlotte, NC. His Panther paycheck was subject to tithing, and he, along with a select group of other athletes, helped build a mega church in Charlotte. If ego and gluttony was an architect, he would have designed this church. The mega pastor built for himself a mega home/mansion, and drove around in Bentleys. The Bentley was bigger than a camel, and could not be driven through the eye of a needle.

I don't understand intelligent people's attraction to evangelical Christianity any more than I understand why people believe in and attend Star Trek conventions. I do understand why the money seeking evangelicals are attracted to the sports stars, especially the ones who suffer the head trauma every Sunday.”

“For those not yet familiar with Sharon Salzberg and her teachings on vipassana meditation and the cultivation of compassion and lovingkindness :

"Without the rigidity of concepts, the world becomes transparent
and illuminated, as though lit from within. With this understanding,
the interconnectedness of all that lives becomes very clear. We
see that nothing is stagnant and nothing is fully separate, that who
we are, what we are, is intimately woven into the nature of life itself.
Out of this sense of connection, love and compassion arise."

From: 'Loving-Kindness - The Revolutionary Art of Happiness'
by Sharon Salzberg”

“The Tiger Woods story is amazing, as it proves soemthing that no one suspected for all of these years.

He's human. Who would'a thunk it? Completely imperfect.

He's human. Complete with ego, a false sense of being bulletproof, and a dose of narcissism such that he felt the rules of life maybe didn't apply to him.

How does he fix this? He needs to devote the rest of his life to being the best father and husband that he can be. That's all that he can do, and that has to be enough. This is a completely private matter.

Now, let's tee it up.”

“Musta been a townie.....”

“Compassion, or Karuna as it is called in Sanskrit, is translated to mean any action that is taken to diminish the suffering of others and could also be translated as "compassionate action." As we help others, all of us benefit. Because of the oneness of all beings, it is understood that karuna is not only extended to others out of compassion, but also because it is an entirely logical thing to do. In the same way that you would want to limit your own suffering, you would also want the suffering of others to end. It is also stated that karuna must be accompanied by prajna, or wisdom, in order to have the right effect.

The Middle Way might suggest that any action taken by the US with respect to Tibet must be not only compassionate, but wise. For Pres. Obama to publicly denounce China for its Tibet policy would be harmful to the relationship, and would only further Tibet's troubles. Financially, China has the US by the short hairs of its white beard.

I trust that Pres. Obama's approach to China is as balanced and mindful as the Dalai Lama's, each seeking proper resolution to the Tibet violence and Tibetan national concerns.”

“I have said it before, and I'll say it again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INOeZnfUuIY”

“Jay Cutler is a smart athlete, a talented QB, and he is doing what he can to be a leader for this team.

He has a relatively high number of picks, but so did B Favre at the same point in his career. Cutler brings high reward, but with a limited receiver corps and a haphazard O line, the risks are going to be higher. Half of his picks can be attributed to poor receiver routes, and poor pocket protection. Were Cutler to have a competent corp around him (save the TE and RB positions) he would be a Pro Bowl candidate.

Jay Cutler is presently one of the few leaders this team has. The head coach lacks competence, and though he's by all accounts a nice man and a good person, he is not competent to be a head coach. His supporting staff is a group of dysfunctional yes men.

Cutler signed an extension for less money than he would otherwise have commanded (a selfless act) , in order to free up money for other positions. He wants to be part of a rebuilding effort for the Bears, a team he followed growing up in Indiana.

All of you Cutler critics can sit on your wide bums and pound the keyboard. Cutler is a winner and a fighter, one of the few left on the team. I'll take him any day to lead this team, once some coaching and personnel changes are made in 2010.”

“Father Bush vomits dinner
Lap of Minister soiled
Better product than Son”

“There is an old and respected tradition in Japanese culture. The Zen master Dogen declared that whenever a king or president barfs on a Japanese prime minister, successive generations of Presidents must bow in order to demonstrate regret and atonement.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Bush-japanese-pm.jpeg”

“There is an old and respected tradition in Japanese culture. The Zen master Dogen declared that whenever a king or president barfs on a Japanese prime minister, successive generations of Presidents much bow in order to demonstrate regret and atonement.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Bush-japanese-pm.jpeg”

“Muhammad got off easy. When will this country understand the death penalty is not just immoral, but a wrongheaded strategy?

Better that he would have spent his life is a solitary cell, contemplating the anguish he has caused his victims. Better that society could have had a chance to study the psychology of such a man that would hunt and execute innocent victims.

Better that society should understand that the penalty for capital crimes is to spend the remainder of your life isolated, neutralized, punished. He could further be ordered to clean the prison toilets the rest of his life. He could be required to make bandages for medical care for others. This would have tortured him.

Many of these men have no regard for life, including their own. One reason he may have been so defiant, so lacking remorse. He didn't care. Being put to death was for him a victory.

This country sees the death penalty as a punishment and a deterrent. It's not. Never will be.”

“Of course LBJ was worried. For anyone to believe the JFK assassination was a single gun, does not understand the complexities of our society.

Men will kill others to get what they want. I there is money, power or control at stake, men will kill, no matter who the victim may be.

Are there rogue elements in our own government? Of course, there have been, and likely will always be. There's just too much money, power and greed operating in this country to think otherwise.

Any President elected understands that behind the veil of civilized society, there are rogue elements that will do what is needed to change the flow of money and the exchange of power.”

“What this moment represents to me is the President's awareness, his compassion, karuna, prajna.

All of his decisions have consequences. A decision to escalate a conflict will result in a death, death of a mother's child, somewhere on a dusty road in Afghanistan.

I measure this President's wisdom against the abject insensitivity, fraud, and criminal negligence of Bush/Cheney. I recall GWBush laughing at a press dinner aside his video of him looking behind the drapes in the Oval office for WMD's. Such a funny moment. :( "They're not under the desk!" Hah.

And so many handsome, young, promising soldiers died in a fraudulent, misguided war.

After so may years, we have a President this Country can be proud of. One that has the wisdom and compassion to make all efforts to do the right thing, even when the right thing is an uncertain concept.

Last thought: I consider his virulent critics traitors, quislings. Anyone who still supports Cheney or cares what he thinks really must be deluded, the same way so many were deluded by Hitler. It's shocking this country produces such men, and such a belief system.”

“All progressives who suggest that they regret voting for Pres. Obama, my question is: what exactly was your plan B? McCain/Palin? Doh! see http://www.palinbycomparison.net/

What is happening with the health care bill is politics. It ain't pretty, or easy. We're making sausage here, not cupcakes. Compromise is the foundation upon which most landmark legislation is passed. Is compromise half a loaf? Well, yes, but this is how legislation is passed.

The President is a skillful politician. Don't ask him to be a crusader. That's Michael Moore's job. Crusaders in public office end up getting their heads handed to them.

I give the President enormous credit for taking this issue on. He could have set it to the side for 2011, claiming the Bush deficits made health policy change impossible But, he didn't. So, give the Pres. some time, patience, and credit.”

“All progressives who suggest that they regret voting for Pres. Obama, my question is: what exactly was your plan B? McCain/Palin?

What is happening with the health care bill is politics. It ain't pretty, or easy. We're making sausage here, not cupcakes. Compromise is the foundation upon which most landmark legislation is passed. Is compromise half a loaf? Well, yes, but this is how legislation is passed.

The President is a skillful politician. Don't ask him to be a crusader. That's Michael Moore's job. Crusaders in public office end up getting their heads handed to them.

I give the President enormous credit for taking this issue on. He could have set it to the side for 2011, claiming the Bush deficits made health policy change impossible But, he didn't. So, give the Pres. some time, patience, and credit.”

“The Chief sounds like a law and order guy, with high ethical and personal standards. That's probably what got him into trouble in Arizona...police can't accept free coffee? No doughnuts? Can't wear non-regulation bolo ties? Off with his head!

If I were a parent sending my child to NIU, I'd be thrilled with having this guy supervising the campus security. So often, security for the campus police means taking steps after the fact. Remember, doing real police work cuts into coffee and doughnut time.

Maybe the Chief needs some EQ skill development (who doesn't?) , but his police IQ sounds beyond reproach.

If NIU lets him go, watch his successor be someone the campus cops and local force will appreciate: the former manager of the DeKalb Krispy Kreme.

And your kids will be less safe.”

“Answer to previous comment:

Except that they're not godless (Russian Orthodox and other churches are back in full swing), or commies (Moscow and Russia have many of the world's richest men and women.)

I've been to Russia. Russians really do like Americans. Once you get to know Russian people, they are very friendly, welcoming, and loyal.

If god did have a sphincter, it might have opened up over Glen Beck's show, which I was forced to watch today in a waiting area. I'm glad I'm not a Samurai, as I was looking for the short sword while being forced to listen to this Foxputz.”

“Except that they're not godless (Russian Orthodox and other churches are back in full swing), or commies (Moscow and Russia have many of the world's richest men and women.)

I've been to Russia. Russians really do like Americans. Once you get to know Russian people, they are very friendly, welcoming, and loyal.

If god did have a sphincter, it might have opened up over Glen Beck's show, which I was forced to watch today in a waiting area. I'm glad I'm not a Samurai, as I was looking for the short sword while being forced to listen to this Foxputz.”

“I remember visiting France as a student and seeing dogs in the cafes. I thought the French were a little crazy.

Now, I appreciate that this Country is a lot crazy. I'm sure much of the world sees us as having lost our common sense and compass.

You cannot allow the level of unfettered access to guns that we have in this country and not have the gun violence that we have.

Guns don't kill people, we're killing each other. With all of the guns that we've allowed on the streets. Better dogs in the cafes and the occasional poopie on the doorstep, than to expose ourselves to this kind of lunatic violence.”

“This would seem to be a violation of HIPAA, as a dissemination of private medical information without the consent and release of the patient. Even if the name of the patient is not published, the dissemination of the information to the website or others associated with the website is a violation.

It's likely an effort by misguided evangelicals in OK to punish women for obtaining legal medical care.

I have one other comment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INOeZnfUuIY”

“This would seem to be a violation of HIPPA, as a dissemination of private medical information without the consent and release of the patient. Even if the name of the patient is not published, it's likely the dissemination of the information to the website or others associated with the website is a violation.

It's likely an effort by misguided evangelicals in OK to punish women for obtaining legal medical care.

I have one other comment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INOeZnfUuIY”

“We're a looney country. Most of the developed, educated world restricts the use of firearms in society. No surprise that their violence and homicide rates are dramatically lower than the US'

It's sheer folly to connect the 2nd Amendment to permit today the virtually unrestricted sale of firearms. We no longer need militias to protect our towns from invading foreigners.

Last time I looked, most of the shooting in my town was being done by drug warriors and gang members, many of them teenagers. Additionally, if I was a patrol officer, I would pull over every speeding vehicle nearly assuming the driver has a loaded handgun in the car, waiting to shoot instead of being ticketed or arrested.

How many innocent people/law enforcement would be alive today had we gun laws akin to that of western Europe or Japan?

We've allowed the gun industry to change this country from being possibly one of the most progressive, into one of the most depressive. Guns, guns, everywhere. It's crazy.”

“My guess is that the IOC community wanted Rio, badly. In order to make that happen, the primary challenger needed to be knocked out of the box in the first round. That's how the IOC selection process works.

Chicago losing in the first round is really only validation that it was the primary contender to Rio.

The IOC is a very political body. And, while Chicago may have proven to be the best candidate, the IOC was clearly aligned with making a South American Olympics happen. We've had, in recent history, Atlanta and LA. It was Rio's time.

Thanks, President Obama, for showing leadership and enthusiasm. I try to teach my kids that it's important to try your best at everything, even if failure is a possibility, and like Abe Lincoln, you will have some failures along the way. The idea is to keep trying, keep moving forward. Barack, you did us proud.”

“A tip of the hat to President Obama for making the effort to lobby for the 2016 games.

The odds in the weeks prior to the IOC vote, the odds had swung hard in favor of Rio. In spite of that, the Pres. decided to go and push for Chicago. This is no ordinary politician.

Most politicians are cowards. This President has courage, enough to go into a process that was uncertain, and that might not yield any benefits if the bid was lost.

This President is a leader. I give him a lot of credit for the way he tackles problems, knowing that the political payback may not be there. This is what great leaders do. Never be afraid to fail. And when you fail, get back on your horse, and keep riding.”