Virginia Foxx Needs To Step Down! Criticizes Obama But Gets Autograph

On the heels of Pres. Obama extending an Olive Branch to Republicans in hopes of building positive bi-partisan communication between GOP and Democrat Congressional members, as always Rep. Virginia Foxx finds a way to screw things up.

In fact U.S. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC)never ceases to amaze me with her frequent foolish, snide, foot-in-mouth comments.

Why would she seek to sabotage yesterday's historic efforts for Unity by posting a negative Twitter Comment about Pres. Obama?

"Pres. Obama gave us another lecture. Our guys asked great questions. Need Independent Fact Checker for his comments. Got Autograph."

How Stupid are those statements??

What's even more bizarre is that she gets his autograph!

Now why would you want to obtain the autograph of someone whom you obviously don't respect?

Is it so you can sell it on Ebay??

Rep. Foxx's behavior consistently makes the Republican Party appear Illiterate and Stupid, thus scaring away anyone considering looking to Republicans for constructive Solutions.

This includes: Black Voters, Independent Voters, Gay Voters, etc.,

How can someone so narrow-minded represent her constituents well?

Although I'm not a Republican, I'd say its high time she stepped down.

Elected Incumbents like Rep. Foxx only help to divide Republicans and Democrats thus creating continued Capitol Hill Gridlock on issues important to the American people.

Politicians (especially Incumbents) need to frequently search within themselves and ask why they sought a role in Public Office.

If they aren't there for Voters or Constructive Progress, than GET OUT and make room for people who are!

We all understand Politicians are still Human Beings who possess their own perspectives on everyday life issues, however it wouldn't hurt to use a little tact or to hold one's tongue versus spewing out whatever comes to mind.

To Rep. Virginia Foxx I repeat "Its Time For You To Step Down" or....

Cease making foolish remarks which hurts your party, causes Southern Politicians to look Stupid and makes Congress appear even more dysfunctional.

North Carolina can do better. So much better.







Virginia Foxx Slams Obama, Gets Autograph


North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx criticized President Obama after his address to House Republicans but had no qualms about walking away with a souvenir.

"Pres gave us another lecture. Our guys asked great questions. Need independent fact checker for his comments. Got autograph," the Republican congresswoman tweeted Friday afternoon at the House Republican retreat.

A follow up tweet she sent shortly after read, "Am concerned that Pres thinks health care bill is centrist. He did not accept the scalpel and it is a great tool."

Her remarks followed a rare question-and-answer session with the president and the GOP caucus.

About 300 lawmakers, family members and aides attended the meeting, which was broadcast live. The event was for the most part civil, with a few moments of heated discussion.

Obama accused Republicans of frequently mischaracterizing his policy proposals, particularly in the health care debate. Republicans, in turn, complained that the White House and congressional Democrats had ignored their ideas, locked them out of the policy-making process, and unfairly labeled them as obstructionists.

"Both sides can take some blame for a sour climate on Capitol Hill," Obama said, adding that Democrats and Republicans "need to be careful" in choosing their rhetoric. "A tone of civility instead of slash and burn would be helpful."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Virginia Foxx: Matthew Shepard's Murder Not a Hate Crime


Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) has done it again. Earlier this month she dropped the racially charged term "tar baby" on the House floor. Today, she said the murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard in 1998 was not a hate crime.

"It's really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing [hate crimes] bills," Foxx said on the House floor during debate on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Foxx opposes a bill being considered that would extend federal hate crimes protections to cover crimes committed because of a person's gender, sexual orientation or disability.

She called Shepard's murder a "very unfortunate incident" but said "we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay."

And guess who was in the House gallery to hear Foxx say this? Matthew Shepard's mother, Judy, according to Democratic sources.

To refresh your memory on what happened to her son> two men tied the University of Wyoming college freshman to a fence and savagely pistol whipped and beat him to death. Before doing it, one of the killers tauntingly said to Shepard, "It's Gay Awareness Week."

Ironically, Foxx is part of a GOP leadership team tasked with finding embarrassing, "You-Tube worthy moments" of vulnerable Democratic freshmen and sophomores.

Here's what gay liberal blogger John Arivosis has to say about Foxx's comments. Stay tuned: there will be plenty more outrage from the gay rights community.

UPDATE: The Human Rights Campaign, a leading Washington based gay-rights group, is furious with Congresswoman Foxx.

"Vile lies, like the one spread by Rep. Foxx today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives about Matthew's brutal hate-fueled murder, continues to underscore how extreme anti-LGBT opponents have become," says Brad Luna, a spokesman for HRC. "It is no longer acceptable in this day and age to just come right out and say you don't like gay people. Instead, extremist opponents of equality must resort to these types of malicious and twisted lies. Rep. Foxx should be ashamed of herself."

HRC also notes the following groups have endorsed the hate-crimes bill opposed by Foxx: the National Sheriffs Association; International Association of Chiefs of Police; 26 state Attorneys General; the National District Attorneys Association; the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; the Anti-Defamation League; the NAACP; the National Council of La Raza; the Presbyterian Church; the Episcopal Church; and the National Disability Rights Network.



View Larger Map


Sources: CNN, MSNBC, Washington Post, Rachel Maddow Show, Google Maps

Jackson Memorial Tickets Already On Ebay...Colin Powell, Major Networks Prepare, Investigation Continues

MSNBC----

(TODAY’s Meredith Vieira talks with Rob O’Sullivan, who is one of only 8,750 people to win tickets to Michael Jackson’s memorial service in Los Angeles.)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

(As many as 750,000 people are expected to turn out in Los Angeles tomorrow for a public memorial service honoring Michael Jackson. Only 17,500 tickets are being distributed for the event. NBC’s Jeff Rossen reports.)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

LOS ANGELES - Listings for tickets to the Michael Jackson memorial service at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Tuesday appeared on eBay and Craigslist as soon as winners were notified on Sunday.

One eBay listing asked for a Buy It Now price of $20,000, while other prices varied. Buyers and sellers must act fast, as ticket winners received a unique code and instructions to pick up their tickets Monday at Dodger Stadium.

When they pick up their tickets, a wristband will be placed on each person’s wrist. Organizers will check IDs to make sure those picking up wristbands are the same people who originally applied online, said Staples Center spokesman Michael Roth.

Fans must have both the ticket and the wristband to enter Staples Center on Tuesday. Wristbands that have been ripped, taped or tampered with will be voided.

But winners were permitted to give anyone their second bracelet, so “theoretically, the second wrist band can be sold,” Roth said.

Organizers were considering how to distribute any unclaimed seats, but had not immediately decided on a plan, Roth said.

Meanwhile, former Jackson business associate Marc Schaffel told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that Debbie Rowe, the mother of Jackson’s two oldest children, was confirmed for VIP seats at the memorial service on Tuesday.

OMG OMG OMG!

On Sunday evening, fans around the world started posting Twitter messages about receiving tickets.

“I’m in shock that it has happened,” said Deka Motanya, 27, of San Francisco. “It’s surreal.” She received an e-mail message at 4:35 p.m. notifying her, “Congratulations, your application was successful.”

She immediately Twittered: “OMG OMG OMG OMG i got tickets to the michael jackson memorial service!!!”

Soon after receiving his invitation, David Gobaud, 25, who studies computer science at Stanford University, was scrambling to find his way down to Los Angeles.

“It’s amazing. It’s quite a surprise. I didn’t believe it was real in the beginning,” he said. “It’s Michael Jackson, one of the greatest musical stars of all time.”

Another winner was Zach Moss, a 21-year-old Chicagoan working for the summer as a DJ in Las Vegas. He said clubgoers have responded strongly to Jackson’s music since his death.

“You can play two, three Michael Jackson songs back to back and people are going to have this huge jubilation celebration,” he said. “Everyone throws their drinks up and shouts, ’MJ!’ It’s extremely powerful.” More than 1.6 million fans registered online for free in the random drawing of only 8,750 names. Each person selected will receive two tickets. The odds of getting a ticket were about 1 in 183.

No ticket? Stay away:

The tickets will admit 11,000 people to the Staples Center plus 6,500 in the Nokia Theater overflow section next door. The streets around the stadium will be closed to prevent those without tickets from trying to attend, police said Sunday.

The ceremony will not be shown on Staples' giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city. No details were available about the actual memorial events.

Assistant Police Chief Jim McDonnell warned people without tickets to stay away: “You’ll be standing in the hot sun on a city street with a lot of other people ... but not within eyeshot of Staples.”

At the Wilshire Grand Los Angeles hotel about a half mile from the Staples Center, more than 90 percent of the hotel’s 1,000 rooms were booked for Monday and Tuesday night, up from about 60 percent last week.

“There’s a lot of demand right now,” said spokesman Marc Loge. “We are going to sell out.”

Investigation into singer’s death continues:

Jackson died at age 50 on June 25 after going into cardiac arrest in the bedroom of his rented mansion. The cause of Jackson’s death has not been determined. Autopsy results are not expected for several weeks.

Also Sunday, a judge signed search warrants connected to the investigation of Jackson’s death, Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini said. The warrants were sealed and Parachini would not discuss any details.

Authorities are investigating allegations that Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. The powerful sedative Diprivan, which is usually administered by anesthesiologists in hospitals, was found in his home. It was not known what drugs, if any, Jackson obtained from doctors.

Jackson’s family was planning a private ceremony at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills, McDonnell said. He did not provide further details.

More than a week after his death, tributes and accolades keep coming. Madonna had a Jackson impersonator dance to “Wanna Be Starting Something” at her concert Saturday in the same London arena where he was to stage his comeback.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called for nationwide “love vigils” for Jackson, asking people to gather in schools, community centers and churches to watch the memorial service and talk about the pop star’s “message” instead of the “mess” surrounding his death.

Colin Powell said in an interview aired Sunday that Jackson had controversy in his life, but in death his art should be celebrated.

“Yes, there were some challenges in his life,” the former secretary of state told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Yes, there was a great deal of controversy about him. But he’s now passed on. Let’s celebrate his art.”

Service will be broadcast live:

The memorial service will be broadcast on five television networks, after NBC executives changed their minds Sunday and decided to air the service live. NBC joins ABC, CNN, MSNBC and E! Entertainment.

City officials are preparing for huge crowds. McDonnell, the assistant police chief, would not say how many police would be on the job, but alluded to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the recent championship celebration for the Los Angeles Lakers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.


View Larger Map

Sources: MSNBC, Google Maps