Obama gives $1.4 million Nobel prize to 10 charities: The List

By GottaLaff

President Obama kept a promise. He said he'd donate his Nobel Prize money to charities, and he did exactly that.

You know what that makes him, don't you?

That's right.

A socialist.

Here is the breakdown of who got what:

- $250,000 to Fisher House, a national nonprofit organization providing accommodation for families of patients receiving medical care at military and Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

- $200,000 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, which was set up in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake to help survivors.

- $125,000 to College Summit, a national nonprofit organization to increase college enrollment rates.

- $125,000 to the Posse Foundation, which awards scholarships to promising public high school students.

- $125,000 to the United Negro College Fund.

- $125,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

_ $125,000 to the American Indian College Fund.

- $125,000 to the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation.

- $100,000 to AfriCare, which promotes health, food security and access to water primarily in Africa.

- $100,000 to the Central Asia Institute, which education and literacy, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Spreading the wealth. What kind of evil person does that? Impeach now!

Quickie: Obama Will Give Nobel Peace Prize Money to Charity

By GottaLaff

Today's Quickie:

I guess Limpdong, Iran and the Taliban would agree on objecting to this, too, huh?

The White House has confirmed to CBS News that President Obama will give all of the roughly $1.4 million that comes with the Nobel Peace Prize to charity.

That was today's Quickie. Was it good for you?

Spending billion$, but our troops in Aghanistan have no socks

By GottaLaff

I work at a high school. On a regular basis, we get military representatives coming into the classrooms asking, begging for donations of the most basic items... exactly like these:

CU tshirts - see original post for sizes and quanitities

Waterproof winter gloves (dark colors)

Balaclavas

Socks - white and winter wool for hiking

12 pairs of shower shoes

Pillows

Towels and wash clothes

PT clothes - winter and summer

Cash donations towards the purchase of athlectic shoes for PT [...]

On another note, my great friend and troop support partner, Bob Connolly and I have been in direct contact with the unit's CSM after learning that the base was destroyed and the men lost all of their belongs except the clothes on their backs. The Army is working to replace uniforms for the men. But they need assistance with other personal items. And they NEED TO KNOW that we are thinking about them over here, too.

Please contact me IMMEDIATELY to help fill their "needs" list below.

Socks (both white socks and winter wool hiking socks)

MED - 24
LG - 22
XL - 10

Underwear (boxers and boxer briefs

SM - 3
MED - 30
LG - 21
XL - 2

tshirts (must be Army ACU tshirts - Army will issue for immediate need but extras are always helpful)

SM - 3
MED - 30
LG - 21
XL - 2

PT shorts (or long pants) and shirts

SM - 3
MED - 30
LG - 21
XL - 2

Shower shoes

MED - 24
LG - 22
XL - 10

Towels, wash clothes, twin sheet sets, pillows, blankets (fleece)- Need 56 sets

Razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream - Need enough for 56 men

Running shoes - we are awaiting specific sizes

The above items are the "immediate" needs.

Other suggestions are:

balaclavas, knit caps to fit under helmets (dark colors), winter gloves (dark colors and preferably water proof)

iPods, DVDs, MP3 players and movies, batteries, digital cameras.

Please contact me ASAP via emial tankerbabelc@gmail.com.

John Cole is as appalled as I am:

What exactly is going on in this damned country? This can not be for real. We have two damned wars running, spend over a half a trillion annually on defense, and that is before the supplemental bills for hundreds of billions every year, and we need to pass the fucking hat to buy our troops socks? Seriously. What is going on? I’m seriously about to blow a damned gasket. I bet the lads working for Xe/Blackwater don’t need donations for socks.

Support the troops! Yeah, right.

H/t: Joeyess

Firedoglake has raised $17,589 to fight for Public Option

By GottaLaff

Firedoglake is mounting a major campaign to fight for the public option. If you're interested in helping them out:

Next week Obama will speak to Congress to outline his plan for health care reform. We hear that his plan may not include a strong public health insurance option. Incredibly, Obama may advocate for passing a bill with a "trigger."

What's a trigger? It means they'll wait for our health care crisis to get even worse before implementing a public health insurance option. And even then, a public option may never see the light of day.

We need to get ready for this monumental moment. But we need resources for our campaign team to prepare.

Please go here to donate. Compare and contrast a public option plan to Senator Baucus' brilliant public optionless plan to tax insurance companies.

VIDEO: Health-care debate overlooks free clinics' struggles

By GottaLaff

Health care at Mission of Mercy, a mobile charity.

Health care without the politics, the screams, threats, Hitler references, lethal weapons, or that persistent death panel lunacy. Just plain old health care... provided the donations hold out:

At the check-in table, new patients were asked one question: "Are you insured?"

The Mission of Mercy, a group of traveling clinics that circulate through towns in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas and Arizona, is one of more than 1,200 free clinics across the nation that are feeling the effects of the economic downturn.

Their patient lists are growing as Americans lose their jobs and their health insurance, but as demand grows with rising unemployment, their donations are dwindling. This year, Mission of Mercy has $350,000 less than it did last year; it takes no government funds for its services. [...]

Over the past year, free clinics across the country have seen a 20 percent decrease in donations and a 40 percent to 50 percent increase in patients, said Nicole D. Lamoureux, the executive director of the National Association of Free Clinics. Last year, the clinics the association represents — which largely have been excluded from the health care debate — treated 4 million people. This year, Lamoureux expects, they'll serve some 8 million, 83 percent of whom come from homes in which at least one person works full time. [...]

Many who come to Mission of Mercy and the Muslim Community Center clinic work 40 hours a week or more, but still can't afford health care.

In the waiting areas of these clinics, most of the patients had no strong opinions on proposed health care changes; they don't have the time or desire to rage at protests. They want to see a doctor without bill collectors showing up at their doors demanding thousands of dollars or having loan officers denying them car and home loans because of their bad credit, they said.

As a doctor in the video said, "We need compassion, we need more volunteers... They pay their taxes... social security... but they'll never ever be able to take advantage of it... I think every person is entitled to health care."

A personal thank you to our readers

By GottaLaff

The three hour time difference always makes me late to the party, but, well, better late than never:

A big, fat, sincere, heartfelt thank you to all our generous, sweet, selfless, kind readers who were able to donate to TPC. I know that wasn't easy. I know the economy sucks and many of you are deeply affected by it, as are Paddy and me. So, I am more than aware that it couldn't have been easy to come up with even five dollars at a time like this.

That makes your generosity even more meaningful.

We have the best readers in the Blogosphere. Those of you who couldn't add to the pot have added something just as important: Your readership and input in Comments. To Paddy and me, that is just as important as a monetary donation.

Big hugs to all of you. Thank you so, so much.

Love, Laffy

Texas evangelicals helped effort to stop Palin TrooperGate probe

By GottaLaff

Look who donated the big bucks in an attempt to save Interview-Me Palin's abuse-of-powery little keester-- none other than James Dobson:

New state gift disclosures show it cost Liberty Legal Institute and the two law firms working with it $185,000 to represent six Alaska legislators in an unsuccessful lawsuit to halt their colleagues' "troopergate" investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin acted improperly in firing the state's public safety director.

The legislators listed a $25,000 gift of services from the Texas-based Liberty Legal Institute. Liberty is the legal arm of the Free Market Foundation, which is associated with evangelical leader James Dobson's Focus on the Family, and lists its guiding principles as limited government and promotion of Judeo-Christian values.

The lawmakers also disclosed a $120,000 gift of services from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, a national firm that appeared at hearings on behalf of Liberty Legal.

Anchorage attorney Kevin Clarkson represented the six legislators in the case as well, and turned to Liberty Legal for its constitutional expertise. The lawmakers reported a $40,000 gift of services from Clarkson's firm.

That brings the total bill for their lawsuit to $185,000. [...]

The six legislators who filed the suit are Wes Keller, Mike Kelly, Fred Dyson, Tom Wagoner, Carl Gatto and Bob Lynn. All are Republicans.

It's nice to have rich friends in low places.

VIDEO ADDED: Thanks(for)Giving: Obama family hands out food at a Chicago church

By GottaLaff

UPDATE: Here's the video...

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama (R) greets a patron at a food bank at St. Columbanus school and parish in Chicago, November 26, 2008.

The more I know the Obamas, the more I admire them:

President-elect Barack Obama and the soon-to-be first family handed out food to the needy at a Chicago church on the day before Thanksgiving.

Obama, his wife Michelle and their two daughters shook hands and gave holiday wishes as they handed wrapped chickens to people who had been lined up for hours at the food bank.

President-elect Obama was calling out "happy thanksgiving" and telling people "you can call me Barack." Yes. You read right.

What, you don't remember Jenna and Not-Jenna joining Babs "So Many of the People in the Arena Here, You Know, Were Underprivileged Anyway, So This--This [she chuckles slightly] is Working Very Well for Them." Bush, mixing with the little people?

Or Mr. Babs saying, "You can call me George"?

Neither do I.

UPDATE:

The family later entered the auditorium of the church's school, where they were greeted by a screaming crowd of students in Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. And the shrieking only skyrocketed when Obama started rattling off Thanksgiving food staples.

"How about mac & cheese," he asked as the kids roared.

"How about green beans?" he continued. "How about sweet potato fries?"

Then :

"How many people like to read?" he asked. "Everybody likes math?"

If they studied hard, Obama told the kids, "You guys might even end up being the president someday."

One sixth-grader asked Obama what it's like to be president.

"I'm not president yet. I've only been elected president. I'm gonna be sworn in as president on January 20th," Obama replied, as the crowd erupted in applause once again. "Once I'm president, I'll let you know what it's like."

Next, Michelle charmed everyone, and Obama continued to do the same:

"Secret Service, wave your hands!" Michelle asked the onlooking officers, drawing loud laughter from the crowd.

"Sometimes it's kind of strange where you kinda just want to go to Walgreens and pick something up," noted the President-elect. [...]

"I just want you to know that what I'm thankful for is my family and my friends and my community," he concluded. "That's the most important things."

As he departed, the kids serenaded him with chants of "O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!"

Just like the Bushes. Yeah. Sure.

Happy Pictures with strings attached

By GottaLaff

Oh boyoboyoboy!

It's Blog Reader Survey time!!! Please take our Blog Reader Project survey. "Why?" you ask. Because it helps Paddy and me get ads. And just think of the fun you'll have. Honest to goodness Blog Reader Project survey fun!

On a housekeeping note, we have a new ad so click thru and check it out. You can also always make a donation thru the PayPal button to the right, and if you are thinking of buying anything from Amazon, if you use the links over to the right (for all the books we know you've already bought), just using one of our links to buy anything gets us a couple pennies a transaction. Time to stock up for Christmas!!

Just to reward you for putting in your time and effort, here are some pretty pictures:

In this Jan. 3, 2008, file photo, now President-elect Barack Obama, waves to supporters at a caucus rally in Des Moines, Iowa, after winning the Iowa Democratic presidential caucus. Surrounding him is wife Michelle, right, and daughters Malia and Sasha, bottom center. As the first family prepares to move to Washington, a team of friends and relatives will make sure the transition happens smoothly.

(AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)

US President-elect Barack Obama speaks to the press on November 7, 2008 in Chicago. Barack Obama is looking to reverse executive orders on oil drilling and stem cell research implemented by President George W. Bush, the president-elect's transition team said Sunday.

(AFP/File/Stan Honda)

Palin Payback: Give to Planned Parenthood in Sarah's name

By GottaLaff

As you may have heard here and elsewhere, Sarah Palin made rape victim's pay for their own forensic rape kits. What a compassionate woman, always thinking of her fellow females. We here at TPC are a tad more accommodating than that, although it's hard to top Palin. We're spreading the word about a brand spankin' new idea that will actually benefit women and help protect their health.

First, a little backstory:

When Eric Croft, a Democrat Legislator from Anchorage, learned of Wasilla’s policy, he drafted HB 270, which Governor Tony Knowles signed into law. The new law made it illegal for any law enforcement agency to bill victims or victims’ insurance companies for the costs of examinations to collect evidence of a sexual assault or determine if a sexual assault actually occurred. Upon signing the law, Governor Knowles said, “We would never bill the victim of a burglary for the cost of gathering evidence, nor should we bill rape victims just because the crime scene happens to be their bodies.”

Wasilla Police Chief Fannon protested the new law stating it would require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams. Really? Are the true costs of sexual assault and forcible rape in a community only measured and reflected in the dollars spent on the forensic rape kit?

Now the solution:

Per an email I received last night (and also noted here):

Instead of us all sending around more emails about how horrible Sarah Palin is, let's all make a donation to Planned Parenthood.

In Sarah Palin's name.

And here's the good part: when you make a donation to PP in her name, they'll send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her honor.

Here's the link to the Planned Parenthood website

You'll need to fill in the address to let PP know where to send the "in Sarah Palin's honor" card. I suggest you use the address for the McCain campaign headquarters, which is:

McCain for President
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor
Arlington , VA 22202

PS make sure you use that link above or choose the pulldown of Donate--Honorary or Memorial Donations, not the regular "Donate Online"

The minimum donation is $5 ...and did I mention that it's tax deductible?

Go. Do. Now.

What are you waiting for? Pay it forward.