NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The number of Americans filing for their first week of unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in nearly six months, possibly signaling slight improvement in the job market.

There were 391,000 initial unemployment claims filed in the week ended Sept. 24, the Labor Department said Thursday, down 37,000 from the prior week's revised 428,000.

Washington (CNN) -- The sweeping health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama was upheld as constitutional by another federal appeals court Tuesday.

The decision is not part of a half-dozen other appeals pending at the Supreme Court. The justices could decide this week whether to take on one or more of those legal challenges to the law. Those suits were brought by more than a two dozen states and a coalition of private groups and individuals.

Tuesday's 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is a victory for the administration and its congressional supporters, but only adds to the divide among a range of federal courts over whether the law should be tossed out or severely trimmed in its scope. Three appeals court have upheld the law, while one has ruled it unconstitutional.

Is it really wise for a fat white guy with four chins to tell Michelle Obama that she has a big ass?

I mean, don't the Republicans have more important things to do, like, I dunno, finding a candidate who isn't a complete buffoon?

Jim Sensenbrenner, Wisconsin Congressman, Says Michelle Obama Has A 'Large Posterior'

The Huffington Post---Ellie Krupnick

In today's edition of Outrageous And Unfounded Insults, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has decided to question Michelle Obama's body shape.

MediaBistro reports that Sensenbrenner was overheard talking on the phone, retelling an incident in which he said about Michelle Obama:

"She lectures us on eating right while she has a large posterior herself."

The most bothersome issue here is the conflation of two entirely separate matters: the First Lady's (natural) physique and her campaign for healthy eating and physical fitness.

Michelle has traveled the country for her "Let's Move!" campaign for over a year, talking about healthy eating, promoting a more user-friendly pyramid graphic, getting stores like Walmart to stock their shelves with nutritious items and playing sports with kids.

Although she has been called out for indulging in the occasional hamburger and fries, Michelle Obama has practiced what she preaches: she stays fit (those arms are still toned after all these years) and maintains an enviably healthy body, both inside and out.

Yet some conservative critics don't see it that way. Before Representative Sensenbrenner spoke out, Rush Limbaugh was on the case, disparaging Michelle Obama's body as a way to critique her healthy eating campaign. The radio host said in February:

"The problem is, and dare I say this, it doesn't look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutritionary, dietary advice...I'm trying to say that our First Lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue or of a woman Alex Rodriguez might date every six months or what have you."

With comments like these, Limbaugh and Sensenbrenner not only blatantly insult the first lady. They also invoke the specious notion that skinny equals healthy, that women with shapely curves can't possibly lead active, mindful lifestyles.

In fact, Michelle Obama and her fabulous physique are an ideal example for women -- and men -- of what an active, balanced, healthy lifestyle looks like. Posterior and all.

Read more about Rep. Sensenbrenner's comments at Mediabistro.com.

UPDATE: Rep. Sensenbrenner's spokesperson has responded to the Daily Mail's report on the subject, saying:

"Mr. Sensenbrenner was referring to the First Lady’s healthy food initiative. He doesn’t think the government should be telling Americans what to eat. While he may not agree with all of her initiatives, he plans to contact the First Lady’s office to apologize for his comments."

Every time President Obama is at a restaurant he eats a greasy cheeseburger! They show it on tv all the time, yet everyone else has to eat healthy.

No they don't.

Maybe it's time you stop watching that Faux News Network and watch some REAL news.

Those "guidelines" never stopped anybody, much less the POTUS. Or especially me.

What the fuck?? Are you kidding me? That fat pig Rush is going to comment on Michelle Obama's body? That's just disgusting. I guess you have nothing else to criticize but the size of the First Lady's ass or when the President eats a cheeseburger, you must be looking really hard for something to criticize.

Believe me, I am not a Rush fan at all. Personally think that he is a bit off the wall. However, with that said, I don't think that he or Don Smitty were looking for something really hard to criticize. They didn't have to look very hard or far because in my opinion she brought it on herself! She was the one who attacked companies like McDonald's stating that the food that they were selling, especially the happy meals, were bad. God forbid the President and the First Lady look at a company like McDonald's in a positive light. A company who’s continuing to hire and have success even in the worst business climate ever. Here we are with unemployment at it's highest, and the President and his wife attack a company that provided something like 64,000 jobs in the first half of 2011! President Obama would much rather praise the Occupy wall Street protesters and vilify a company like McDonald's (who has done nothing but contribute to the economy by creating so many jobs) for selling Happy Meals?

WTF? ...or as you said What The Fuck?


You cannot go out there, like The First Lady has, make "Healthy Eating" your platform...talk out against eating fast food...and then go out there yourself, with your family, and get caught doing this :





Do I think that they should not be able to eat fast food! Absolutely not! They are normal people, like you and I, who should enjoy the kinds of treats that we all do from time to time. But when you are in a position that they are in, and in the public eye, you cannot go out there and preach that the American people should not treat themselves or their children to fast foods and then sit down yourself and indulge in what you just spoke out against!

Hats off to her for going out there and influencing companies like Wal-Mart and Wal-Greens to bring affordable fresh food to areas of the country that do not have access to affordable, nutritious food options. Nothing wrong with her asking companies like McDonald's to offer some healthier options on their menu. I applaud her for that too. But once she started to talk out against eating fast food and at the same time continued to do so with her family, she opened herself up to the criticism that she has been getting.

But I don't agree with the name calling. it's disgusting! Rush is disgusting!

With that being said, who the FUCK is the government to tell me what I should or should not eat?

Talk about the "slippery slope!"

Got one thing to say to the O !

And that is FU !

Great contribution to this topic! Very insightful and intelligent reply!

TY, And yes it is along with all the others setting on in thar leather ass chairs, while folks are living in the desert with there kids, because of house payments and such. You fricken A Very insightful and Iintelleigent repy at least I have the Balls to say the coruptuion of this Shit !

It was Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) who made that comment about Mrs. Obama, not Rush.

Yes, and Rush as well.

As far as I know, the First Lady is not part of the government. Sure, she has her own agenda, but whatever she does, it has no legal consequences. So, you're free to ignore to whatever she says. But, honestly, the US do have a problem with overweight. And since legal restrictions can't help so much, some propaganda for healthy nutrition doesn't do no harm.

Well Obama finally grew a pair and stuffed it up the GOP's arse with the tax break. Boehner is toast.

Boehner is the Republican version of Pelosi. In short, a loudmouth clown, who represents the worst his party has to offer.

But at least he didn't cry this time.

Why would the government tell you what to eat? Are there food police in your supermarket or local restaurants? I can't believe that people really want to criticize the President and First Lady for advising people to eat healthy. Let's ask Bill Clinton, who ate fast food all the time as President and then had bypass surgery, if he would like to see McDonald's offer alternatives.

Sometimes you get a look into people's id. And then you wish they hadn't offered that look.

But that's life. 2012 is going to be very ugly, politically speaking.

Exactly. But such criticism is directed at the President (not toward government) for political or emotional reasons. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has been advising Americans about what to eat at least all my life. The Five Food Groups goes back to the late 19th century. It's all good advice. Indirectly, the FDA has been telling people what to consume through its regulation of food additives, etc.

In the end, there are people who don't like the President for whatever reason or who buy into the right-wing myth about the nefarious government out there just buying up all the black helicopters it can get its hands on (and with borrowed money no less)

I'm sick of all of this nonsense. There are REAL ISSUES. Let's worry about them and forget about this BS. It's so insulting.

Because if we had to discuss "real" issues, we would have to debate the validity of repeating Iraq with Iran. And we can't have that. Not till after the election, when such public debate will not have impact.

http://verdict.justia.com/2012/01/02/the-ndaa-explained
"When future historians inquire into how the practice of indefinite military detention without trial became formally entrenched in a country with such strong constitutional safeguards and stringent criminal justice guarantees, they will find that it did not happen all at once, but rather via a series of incremental steps. President Obama is now responsible for three of them. The first was to justify indefinite detention in litigation opposing the release of detainees held at Guantanamo; the second was to issue an executive order on indefinite detention, and the third was to sign the NDAA."

About time he is showing he has cojones.

I gotta say when I heard this I was like "yes! yes"

To DT, Oli or anyone who knows, do the Republicans actually have any kind of "legal" legitimate bitch? Considering how long they've blocked this guy with everyone, on both sides, acknowledging he's qualified/capable, it seems like more of their typical obstruction to anything this President does/wants.

That being said, even IF they have legitimate bitch I still wanna see the President fight them tooth and nail.

TIS

TIS, the Constitution only mentions adjournment and recess, but does not define them. It's a real gray area and a political one. It was intended to allow the President to maintain the continuty of government when the Senate was not available to fulfill its Constitutional advise and consent power regarding his appointments. While Repblicans may object, it is more properly the role of the entire Senate to object.

Thanks Oli

I kind of knew it was a gray area but then hear the "spin" of outrage by the Right and then the Left listing how many times other presidents have done this (with Obama actually doing it less) to indicate it's nothing new. The president must feel confident of his decision (as been indicated) to make such a move.



TIS