Obama: Romney Is Worse Than John McCain

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MANDEL NGAN / Getty Images

US President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign fundraiser May 14, 2012 at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City.

President Barack Obama told an audience in New York tonight that Mitt Romney is worse than his 2008 opponent Sen. John McCain.

“We have a very clear contrast this time. John McCain believed in climate change and believed in immigration reform,” Obama told an audience of about 200 donors who paid at least $5000 for a ticket to the event. “What we have this time out a candidate who said he would rubber stamp a Republican Congress that wants us to go backward, not forward.”

For months — and only in private — Obama campaign staffers in Chicago have said they have little respect for Romney because of his shifting positions, while John McCain was the type of principled Republican most like them. Obama has now made those private asides very public.

Obama has attempted to tie Romney to the GOP Congress, a task made easier by tax warrior Grover Norquist’s remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference in February:

All we have to do is replace Obama. … We are not auditioning for fearless leader. We don’t need a president to tell us in what direction to go. We know what direction to go. We want the Ryan budget. … We just need a president to sign this stuff. We don’t need someone to think it up or design it. The leadership now for the modern conservative movement for the next 20 years will be coming out of the House and the Senate.

“This is going to be a tough election,” Obama remarked. “Sometimes when I come to New York, people say, ‘I don’t know anybody who’s not supporting you, Barack. I say, ‘You live in Manhattan.’”

“Their message will be, ‘You’re upset, you’re unsatisfied. It’s Obama’s fault,’” Obama added. “But I’m not worried. The reason I’m not worried is because of you.”

Read more: http://buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/obama-romney-is-worse-than-john-mccain

Obama: Romney Is Worse Than John McCain

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Can We Break These Stereotypes Already? Muslim Women Everywhere Deserve Better.

This infographic woke me up. I’d pondered the prevalence of Muslim stereotypes before, but not necessarily stereotypes of Muslim women. The good news is we can all speak up about it and make some brand spankin’ new change! I love it when my world opens up a little bit more each day.

Read more: http://upworthy.com/can-we-break-these-stereotypes-already-muslim-women-everywhere-deserve-better

Can We Break These Stereotypes Already? Muslim Women Everywhere Deserve Better.

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Career Confidential: The Elementary School Teacher Who Wanted To Change The World When Students Were Calling Her A B*tch

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Via shutterstock.com

I worked for five years at two different public elementary schools in downtown Manhattan. I taught kids up to third grade. I came out of graduate school, with my masters in education, and I felt like it was looked down upon to go work at a private school. (Also, the pay is better at public school than it is at private school.) You get inspired and you think you can fix all these problems with education.

There were kids who threatened to kill each other. There was once a kid who lit a bulletin board on fire. We had to evacuate the building. There was a kid who stole a pair of scissors from the drawer and cut up another kid’s jacket.

I felt like I was a part-time teacher and a part-time therapist. That’s what the kids needed. All I wanted to do was help, but you’re not really given the opportunity to help, because you just have to fill out paperwork all the time. There was so little time to give them social and emotional help, because the administrators were breathing down my back.

This one girl stole money from me. I left money for a field trip on my desk, and she stole it. She’d been a kleptomaniac since she was in Pre-K. You need help for that kind of problem. And her parents weren’t going to help, because her mother stole too, from the PTA.

The kids called me a bitch a lot. And I had a combination lock for the closet where I would keep my things. They watched over my shoulder so they could see the combination lock and break in. They went through my stuff. A lot of these things aren’t reportable. If I saw there was definitely a serious problem in a child’s home, I would report it.

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Via shutterstock.com

Elementary school is tough, but middle school is the worst to deal with. The middle schoolers have sex in the basement. I’d find condoms around the school, because the elementary and middle schools are connected. That was pretty gross. The elementary school kids just talk about sex. They don’t actually have it.

Of course, the majority of the kids weren’t like that — most just needed someone to talk to. A lot of the parents work late, or don’t speak English. The kids would beg to go down to talk to the social workers, but they’re so busy doing emergency interventions for the more serious cases. They’re dealing with kids who are having meltdowns and throwing desks at teachers or lighting bulletin boards on fire. They don’t have time for the kids who just need a checkup every now and then, who just need to talk to someone about what’s going on in their life.

Out of grad school, I thought I was going to change the world. One of the big struggles is that you’re constantly filling out paperwork to appease the administrators, who have to appease the superintendents. We had to write out day-by-day lesson plans to show that we were doing our jobs. We had to prove the school was being well-run. But by the time you finish writing up all these reports, there isn’t much time left to help the kids who really need help.

There was also pressure around the fact that I had kids who were testing two or three years behind grade level. It was expected that the kids would pass 3rd grade reading tests, when they started the year at kindergarten level. I’d be held accountable for that.

One thing I’ll say is that the other teachers are actually really great. Sometimes administrators pit teachers against each other to try to get them to one-up each other. And teachers get a bad rap — people think they’re lazy and just want to run out the door at the end of the day. But I never met a teacher like that.

As told to Hillary Reinsberg.

Wan to talk to BuzzFeed Shift anonymously about your job? Write the editors at Shift@buzzfeed.com.

Read more: http://buzzfeed.com/buzzfeedshift/career-confidential-the-elementary-school-teacher

Career Confidential: The Elementary School Teacher Who Wanted To Change The World When Students Were Calling Her A B*tch

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Michael Moore slams public schools; ‘200 former classmates for Obama’

http://twitter.com/#!/MMFlint/status/244699411362484224

Precious. Just precious! Michael Moore attended his class reunion last night.

Best reunion ever. I was lucky to be part of an amazing class.

— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) September 9, 2012

And he was all aflutter: All 200 of his former classmates are totally voting for Obama. For reals! May as well not even bother with an election and all. Because, 200 people! Oh, and guess why? Public school.

@MMFlint so, #publicschools were in bad shape way back then too huh?

— GeauxinUp (@Dustin_Barber) September 9, 2012

Why all the hate for public schools, Michael? Why embarrass them so and admit they cause delusional indoctrination? For shame!

Other Twitter users explain a little something about, you know, life to Mr. Moore.

@MMFlint That may change now that they"re safely behind their keyboards.

— Scott Anderson (@ScottAnderson54) September 9, 2012

@MMFlint footnote in class reunion invite: whatever you do, don"t tell Michael you"re voting republican! Talk about religion instead ;c)

— Swampdonkey (@swampdonkeyzz) September 9, 2012

@MMFlint repubs go about things a little quieter than liberals. Libs are like Deion Sanders repubs are like Barry Sanders.

— Kyle Miller (@HANSOLOSMRTGRID) September 9, 2012

https://twitter.com/MCatanoso/status/244716498151677952

MM you"re part of the problem; we need a POTUS, not prom king. #RomneyRyan2012 MT @MMFlint: 200 former classmates, no one voting Romney.

— B Morton (@bteacher99) September 9, 2012

But he promised Pizza Day every Friday! And vending machines in study hall!

.@MMFlint I attended #publicschools, received a Master"s from one, and taught in one. I know who"s better for America: #RomneyRyan2012

— B Morton (@bteacher99) September 9, 2012

@MMFlint They were probably afraid you"d end up chasing them in your next documentary.2 scariest sights comin at ya: 60 Minutes or @MMFlint

— Steve O (@Matrix_Traveler) September 9, 2012

@MMFlint What"s truly amazing is that anybody could stomach talking to you in the first place. Did you tell em how you got your millions?

— Mr. Filexican (@MrFilexican) September 9, 2012

Even supporters aren’t as delusional as Michael Moore.

@MMFlint why would they tell you? I like you, but your soapbox is pretty tall Mike

— don mcdougald (@donmcdougald) September 9, 2012

@MMFlint Maybe because they didn"t want to have that "Why I back Ronmey" debate with Michael Moore. I hope they were being honest though.

— Sonia Dawson (@sogood79) September 9, 2012

And more teachable moments.

@MMFlint What…did you think everyone there would line up to tell you who they"re voting for…way to spin it!! #spinmaster

— Tom Stapp (@Stapper3) September 9, 2012

@MMFlint would they TELL you?

— susannyc (@susannyc) September 9, 2012

@MMFlint it"s amazing no one kicked your ass in the parking lot #publicschools

— Alex Pazzo (@AlexPazzo11) September 9, 2012

Science! RT @MMFlint: 200 former classmates there and no one told me they were voting for Romney. That was amazing. #publicschools

— Sisyphus (@PoliSisyphus) September 9, 2012

Michael Moore is a science-denier. Why do you hate science and public schools, Michael?

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2012/09/09/michael-moore-200-former-classmates-are-totally-voting-for-obama-blames-public-schools/

Michael Moore slams public schools; ‘200 former classmates for Obama’

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Meet The Dude Who Might Just Have The Poorest Judgment In America. Bless His Dead-Inside Heart.

John Oliver is on a hot streak of publicly shaming people who deserve public shaming. This week, he set his sights on the owner of a football team.

The U.S. Patent Office just announced the Washington team would be losing its trademark for being disparaging to Native Americans. That’s a step in the right direction.

Now if only more people would share this so people could know why it’s a really good idea for a change. Maybe the public scrutiny would teach the Washington team’s owner that he needs a little bit more compassion in his life. (And besides, he could milk the hell out of the rebranding and get lots of good press.)

Read more: http://upworthy.com/meet-the-dude-who-might-just-have-the-poorest-judgment-in-america-bless-his-dead-inside-heart

Meet The Dude Who Might Just Have The Poorest Judgment In America. Bless His Dead-Inside Heart.