African American Political Slugfest: 2008

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Congressional Black Caucus V Barack Obama... why can't they just get along?

AAPP says: I have been trying to understand why the Congressional Black Caucus and Barack Obama seem not to get along. Candidly, this appears to be a case of "old USA negro self -hatred vs new black political thinking and doing."

The Congressional Black Caucus announced new leaders without mentioning President-elect Barack Obama until asked. Members disputed the notion that his historic presidency would affect their profile or their role. Read more at African American Political Pundit.com

Friday, November 21, 2008

Boston Political Corruption, Black Political Corruption

More black political corruption.

First it was, Massachusetts State Senator Diane Wilkerson "BUSTED" by FBI

This time again in Boston. Get this Chuck Turner, a Boston City Councilman, whom this AAPP has known for years is caught taking silly $1,000 dollar from federal agents. Damn, this brotha is going down for a $1,000 ??? Silly man. I guess he will be going to Federal prison for taking a silly bribe instead of just doing his work. He gets paid enough as a city councilman, why is he disgracing himself and black folks like this? Now i understand why he defended Diane Wilkerson, who got caught on tape by the FBI as well. He has turned out to be just like her, a two-bit crook, who attacked Latino Leadership in Boston to cover himself and Dianne Wilkerson. I feel sorry for my old home of Roxbury, Massachusettts, as they come to grips with the fact that black leadership in Boston has sold them out, If I lived in Boston I would run for his seat.

By Shelley Murphy, Jonathan Saltzman, John C. Drake, and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

As reported by the Boston Globe The FBI arrested Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner this morning on charges he accepted a $1,000 bribe and then lied about taking the money in a widening federal corruption probe.

Chuck Turner

A 12-page affidavit filed this morning in US District Court alleges that Turner was surreptitiously videotaped accepting the cash in his district office on Aug. 3, 2007, in exchange for pushing for a liquor license of the Roxbury nightclub Dejavu. Included with the affidavit are two photographs of Turner allegedly accepting the bribe. In one image, Turner's trademark white goatee is clearly visible as folded green bills are pressed into his hand.

Turner was arrested at 7 a.m. at City Hall on charges stemming from the undercover probe, which lead to the arrest on Oct. 28 of state Senator Dianne Wilkerson on allegations she accepted eight bribes worth $23,500. The day of Wilkerson's arrest, two FBI agents visited Turner at his City Hall office and he "repeatedly denied ever being offered the money," according to the affidavit. During the interview, however, Turner rued the pervasiveness of corruption among politicians.

"If you took out all the corrupt politicians, you take out 90 % and be left with us 10 %," Turner said, according to the affidavit.

The five-term city councilor is expected to make his initial appearance today in US District Court in Worcester before Magistrate Judge Timothy Hillman, who is handling Wilkerson's case. Turner's alleged crimes took place in Boston, but Hillman ordinarily sits in Worcester.

“The public deserves, and should expect, honest services from our public officials,” US Attorney Michael Sullivan said in a statement. “Public officials who line their pockets with cash while claiming to act in the public interest, violate our laws and the trust and confidence of the public we serve." More HERE

H/T BlogTalkRadio Host/and activist, Seventies Soul Child for the link.

Read more Political Opinion at: African American Political Pundit.com

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Hillary Clinton For Sec. of State? Keep Your Enemies Closer?

Tell me it's not true. No Hillary Rodham Clinton has not emerged as a top contender to be Secretary of State. I know it is said, keep your friends close but your enemies closer, but why keep a color aroused bigot so close? but here is the challenge folks, if chosen by Barack, won't Hillary just gain international experience for two or three years, create on diversion, disagree with Obama on a policy issue, resign as Secretary of State, and run against him in 2012? The PUMA group would love it. One also has to wonder why Barack obama would nominate Clinton, who voted to authorize the war in Iraq? Would she be able to send the message of change throughout America and around the world?

I guess some have forgotten the racial tensions and disgraceful bigoted campaigning caused by Hillary. I'm reminded of Doug Thompson and his blog post on the blog, Capitol Hill Blue, in April of this year, when he wrote, "Hillary Clinton won Pennsylvania because she pandered to the overt racism that exists among blue collar whites as well as the latent racism in too many others. She won because the bulk of her appeal comes from the less-educated, the less-tolerant and the less-intelligent among us. If you're a stupid, illiterate, gun-totin' white hick you probably voted for Hillary. And so did your ignorant, baby-popping, big-haired wife as well as that bleached-blond bar maid that you're seeing on the side." More HERE

Get this folks, as reported by the LA Times, she flew into Chicago to meet privately with President-elect Barack Obama, former advisors to the senator from New York said. More HERE

I wonder if Hillary was coming clean with Barack obama about her lies during the primaries about her coming under sniper fire in Bosnia?

If Obama is going to select her, he probably needs to watch the television footage showing otherwise. The fact of the matter is Hillary Clinton has no foreign policy experience. She traveled with her husband, shaking hands and smiling.

Lisa Lerer at Politico.com reports many Women's groups are worried with the early indications that men might dominate the hierarchy of Obama administration. There is a growing chorus, as reported by Politico, who are pushing for Hillary Rodham Clinton for Secretary of State post.

“There’s definitely been a reaction to the few groups that have been named so far,” said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. “I agree with those who are concerned that it would have been nice to see more women.”

Politico also notes that women’s rights advocates acknowledge it’s still early in the transition process, but they say early staff picks and the lists of rumored Cabinet nominees send the wrong signal.

“It’s appropriate that Obama’s vetting Clinton, but she’s one women,” said Amy Siskind, co-founder of The New Agenda, a nonpartisan women's rights group founded by former Clinton supporters. “We want to see parity in the representation of women in the Cabinet.”

AAPP: Speaking of growing Chorus line, get this folks, after Hillary and Bill Clinton's massive color aroused campaigning, now Francis L. Holland, who was a former early supporter of Hillary Clinton, turned Barack Obama supporter, is now supporting Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State. Holland, who first wrote that he agreed with Latino leaders that Bill Richardson would make an "excellent pick," now says, Sen. Clinton would make a "good" leader in that position.

Hmmm... Read More HERE

Sunday, November 2, 2008

List of 60 Influential Black Political and Social Action Bloggers.

African American Political Pundit 's list of 60 Influential Black Political and Social Action Bloggers. I'm providing this list for those who would like to read what black Americans have to say about the upcoming Presidential elections. Although the list is numbered it is only numbered to help me count to 60.

Note: There are a number of bloggers included in this list who don't blog only about political issues. I didn't include black church organizations or local NAACP chapters.

More of the list HERE at African American Political Pundit.com

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The New Faces of Republican Bigotry, Intolerance and Ignorance

The Palin/McCain team continue to support their audiences who shout 'Socialist!', 'Kill him!', 'Traitor!', 'Treason!', 'Terrorist!', 'Off with his head!', and 'Bomb Obama!'

Now get this, Here is the new face of Republican bigotry.

As reported by The Washington Post, the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party has compared Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden because of the Illinois senator's past association with Bill Ayers, who has confessed to domestic bombings as a member of the Vietnam War-era Weather Underground.

According to a report in this week's Time magazine, the Virginia party chairman, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (R-Prince William), told Virginia volunteers working for GOP nominee John McCain that Obama and bin Laden "both have friends that bombed the Pentagon. More HERE and HERE:

"[Frederick] climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points -- for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: 'Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon,' he said. 'That is scary.' It is also not exactly true -- though that distorted reference to Obama's controversial association with William Ayers, a former 60s radical, was enough to get the volunteers stoked. 'And he won't salute the flag,' one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, 'We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born.' Actually, we do; it's Hawaii."

Now get this, Frederick (below) stood by his remarks, even though the McCain camp called them "not appropriate."

AAPP: Not appropriate? that's it Mr. McCain?

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick heads Virginia's GOP.

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick

This is not the first time the "Palin/McCain" ticket had to address internal bigotry and color arousal within the Republican Party. Check this out, as reported by The Chicago Tribune, Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign has ousted a prominent Virginia GOP figure who wrote a newspaper column mocking a potential Barack Obama administration. A McCain spokeswoman said Bobby May was dropped this week from his job as McCain's Buchanan County campaign chairman.

May wrote in his column, "The (clarified) platform of Barack Hussein Obama," that if the Democratic senator were elected he would hire rapper Ludacris to paint the White House black and change the national anthem to the "Black National Anthem." More HERE

AAPP: We should not be surprised with the rise of bigotry with the Republican Party. Both Palin and McCain have attacked Obama with every bigoted and color aroused reference they could. Now we learn the Washington Post/ABC News poll indicates that the color aroused and bigoted campaign style just has not worked, and just may have worked against the palin/McCain ticket. Maybe Palin and McCain are getting good faith guidance.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Lynch Mob Mccain, And His Sidekick Sarah Palin = Bigotry and Racism

Enough is Enough!

Mark Karlin's Editor's Blog over at buzzflash.com says it best, It's a John McCain/Sarah Palin Lynch Mob politics.

As Mark writes, "There was the raw smell of scary stupid ignorance in the air, and even Jon Stewart could barely conceal his disgust with what was supposed to be a comic sketch.

Palin has been going around the nation inciting mobs with the kind of emotional appeals (although in a more coded form) that one used to find at segregationist rallies. A video of some rabidly ignorant crowd at a Palin speech in Ohio has gone viral on the Internet, and it’s a brief and scary insight into the reality that the ugly, bigoted heart of America’s dark underside is still beating strong – and has just gotten a second life with the incendiary direction of the McCain campaign.

Given that the mainstream media has still not picked up on the video of Sarah Palin welcoming, this year in 2008, the Alaskan Independence Party to their yearly meeting –- which we have posted on BuzzFlash several times -– it is hard to understand how the irony of a governor who has clearly documented close ties to a group that regards the United States as an "occupying force" gets away with the ugly farce of basically calling Obama a terrorist. (Yes, it’s in coded language, but that is what Palin and McCain are doing, inciting the fears of the "dark other," the man with the middle name of "Hussein.") One of the bigots at the Palin Ohio rally said that terrorism was in Obama’s "bloodline." This is the kind of talk that brought Hitler to power.

In 2008, the McCain campaign has decided to use the Salem Witch Trials as its model for running for the highest office in our great land."

More HERE

Meanwile, The head of the nation's biggest labor federation is joining the chorus of voices warning about the increasingly angry crowds coming to John McCain's campaign events. This as reported by the Boston Globe.

At rallies this week, McCain's criticisms of Democrat Barack Obama have been met with shouts of "terrorist," "liar," and other harsh words.

"Sen. John McCain, Gov. Sarah Palin and the leadership of the Republican party have a fundamental moral responsibility to denounce the violent rhetoric that has pervaded recent McCain and Palin political rallies," said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, which has endorsed Obama. "When rally attendees shout out such attacks as 'terrorist' or 'kill him' about Sen. Barack Obama, when they are cheered on by crowds incited by McCain-Palin rhetoric -- it is chilling that McCain and Palin do nothing to object.

AAPP: Lets not forget how this all started. People throughout America have been tracking it on Youtube. It all started when McCain and Palin incited almost a color and idealogical war.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Is John McCain a bigot? Trying To Rise Up The Bigots In America?

Is john McCain a color aroused bigot? This AAPP thinks so. There are many other people who feel that John McCain's bigoted remarks are troubling. Remember, this is a guy who voted against MLK Day at almost 50 years of age. But the again, what’d you expect from someone who voted against the MLK holiday?

There are many other reasons why many in America have concluded that John McCain is a bigot, take for example what he recently said on his campaign bus. John McCain told reporters, "I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live." Although McCain said he was referring only to his prison guards, there are many reasons why his use of the word "gook" is offensive and alarming.

As Katie Honk noted in her recent article, 'It is offensive because by using a racial epithet that has historically been used to demean all Asians to describe his captors, McCain failed to make a distinction between his torturers and an entire racial group" More HERE

The fact of the matter is John McCain is a troubled man. He seems to hate the fact that a black man stands in between him and the presidency. This guy is an old school bigot.

It gets me that during last night's debate, John McCain said we need "a cool hand at the tiller," but McCain has proven to be a loose cannon. He has accosted his Congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle on everything from the federal budget to diplomatic relations. He is known for hurling profanities rather than settling disagreements calmly. His belligerence is legendary. Even conservative Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi has said, "He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

When someone earns the nickname "Senator Hothead," the public ought to call his character into question. McCain's propensity to explode undermines his abilities as a rational decision maker, particularly on national security issues -- which could prove disastrous considering our country is already involved in two wars.

As reported by Doug thompson at the blog Capitol Blue, "John McCain, a member of the House of Representatives in the mid-1980s, often held court at a table near the bar at Bullfeathers, a popular Capitol Hill watering hole, telling jokes and matching hangers-on drink by drink.

As a Capitol Hill chief of staff, I often drank at Bullfeathers and was invited to join the throng at McCain's table one evening. A few minutes listening to the racism, bigotry and homophobia of the Arizona Congressman told me all I needed to know.

McCain loved to tell jokes about lesbians, blacks, Hispanics and the Vietnamese community that occupied a large section of Arlington County, Virginia, just south of the District of Columbia."

Of course, McCain didn't use polite language in the jokes: He used names like "fags" or "queers" or "dykes" or "niggers" or "spics" or "wetbacks" or "gooks."

A typical McCain joke (overheard at Bullfeathers):

Two dykes are talking at a bar and one leaves. As she walks toward the door, the other watches her leave and says out loud: "God, I've love to eat her out."

Two men are standing near by and one turns to the other and says: "I'd like to do the same. Guess that makes me a dyke."

Or another (also overheard at Bullfeathers):

Question: Why does Mexican beer have two "X's" on the label?

Answer: Because wetbacks always need a co-signer.

(McCain has a documented history of lesbian jokes. He's also come under fire for other jokes about rape.)

Exampe:

Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?

Because Janet Reno is her father.

Another example:

Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, ‘Where is that marvelous ape?’

When he ran for the Senate, I attended a gathering of GOP operatives at the National Republican Senatorial Committee where McCain outlined his campaign strategy:

I play to win. I do whatever it takes to win. If I have to fuck my opponent to win I'll do it. If I have to destroy my opponent I won't give it a second thought.

McCain's so-called sense of humor has no limits when it comes to simple human decency. Shortly after former President Ronald Reagan announced he had Alzheimer's Disease, McCain told this joke at a GOP Fundraiser:

Do you know the best thing about having Alzheimer's?

You get to hide your own Easter eggs.

Even his wife is not immune. Writes Cliff Schecter in his book, The Real John McCain:

Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain's intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.

This is the man the Republican Party thinks should be the next President of the United States. What else should we expect from a party that promotes racism, homophobia and discrimination against anyone with a different skin color, sexual orientation or ethnic origin? More HERE

I guess I understand why John McCain refused to shake Barack Obama's hand. He is a true old school... bigot. So is his running mate, Sarah Palin. He is a bigot, still stuck in Vietnam.

McCain referred to Americans as his "fellow prisoners." Watch:

Yes, Bigots, who even the NY Times are questioning when they wrote, "Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember. They have gone far beyond the usual fare of quotes taken out of context and distortions of an opponent’s record — into the dark territory of race-baiting and xenophobia. Senator Barack Obama has taken some cheap shots at Mr. McCain, but there is no comparison." More HERE

Saturday, October 4, 2008

The Congressional Black Caucus should be renamed - "The Congressional Black Cowards"

AAPP says: Well, it appear that the Congressional Black Caucus are a bunch of bought off cowards and traitors. Yes, Skeptical Brother is right. The Congressional Black Caucus are "selling us out."

First Key Congressional Black Caucus Members Actually Stopped The Bailout Then they fall in line and follow Nancy Pelosiand George W. Bush. Folks the Congressional Black Caucus sold us down the drain. As reported by the Daily Voice, and Skeptical Brother members of the Congressional Black Caucus voted 31-8 in favor of the financial rescue bill that passed the House of Representatives on Friday, with several members swtching their votes. The vote was a dramatic turnaround for the Caucus from Monday, when most members of the group voted against the plan.

The bill passed the full House of Representatives 263 to 171, just one day after the Senate approved the measure, 74 to 25. Senator Barack Obama personally called members of the CBC, some of whom credited him for changing their minds in favor of the bill, according to the Associated Press.

Thirteen CBC members -- Andre Carson (IN), Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Elijah Cummings (MD), Donna Edwards (MD), Al Green (TX), Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL), Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX), Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI), Barbara Lee (CA), John Lewis (GA), Bobby Rush (IL), David Scott (GA) and Diane Watson (CA) -- who had voted against the bill on Monday switched their votes in favor of it on Friday. Many who switched their votes cited the changes in the proposal made since the Senate passed the measure on Thursday.

Despite tremendous pressure from House Democratic leadership, eight members of the Caucus -- Reps. G.K. Butterfield, William Clay, John Conyers, William Jefferson, Hank Johnson, Donald Payne, Robert Scott and Bennie Thompson -- voted against the final bill on Friday.

Rep. Elijah Cummings and Donna Edwards, both of Maryland, told AP that Senator Obama had contacted them and pledged to help homeowners facing foreclosure on their mortgages if he wins the White House and promised to support changes in the bankruptcy law to help consumers. More HERE

AAPP: Lets call it the 700 Billion dollar fleecing of America, without any protections or direct help for homeowners facing foreclosure on their mortgages. Now I read my own Maryland congressional delegation, including of all people Rep. Elijah Cummings and Donna Edwards, both of Maryland, told AP that Senator Obama had contacted them and pledged to help homeowners facing foreclosure on their mortgages if he wins the White House and promised to support changes in the bankruptcy law to help consumers. As bigbaby says, WTF

There are also some four dozen small provisions. Among them, with projected costs over 10 years:

_Extending an expired provision that gives Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands a rebate against excise taxes charged on imported rum. The rebate, at $13.50 per proof gallon, helps finance local infrastructure projects. The cost is $192 million.

_Establishing a new tax credit ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 for purchasers of plug-in electric-drive vehicles. Cost: $758 million.

_Extending tax credits that expired at the end of 2007 for certain domestic corporations involved in American Samoa economic development. Cost: $33 million.

_Extending a credit of up to $10,000 for the training of mine rescue team members. The credit expires at the end of this year and the one-year extension costs $4 million.

_Enacting President Bush's proposal to erase the debt of the black lung disability trust fund at a cost of $1.3 billion.

_Extending for one year a seven-year depreciation timetable that NASCAR and other motorsport racing facilities have had for some years, the same tax break that amusement parks enjoy. Without the extension, the tracks would have to depreciate the cost of their improvements over 15 years, raising their taxes by $100 million.

_Extending for five years a program that reduces import duties on some wool fabrics. The tariff relief benefits U.S. worsted wool fabric producers that use imported fibers and yarns. Cost: $148 million.

_Increasing the single-year deduction in production costs, from $15 million to $20 million, that film and TV productions may take if the costs are incurred in economically depressed areas. In an effort to keep film and TV productions in the U.S., it also allows more companies to use a domestic production deduction. Cost: $478 million.

_Allowing commercial fishermen and others hurt by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska to average out damage awards over three years rather than taking a one-year hit from the IRS. Cost: $49 million.

_Extending two programs that fund rural schools and rural communities that have been relying on declining income from logging on federal land or have low property tax bases because they are located on or next to federal lands. This is a major issue in the West. Cost: $3.3 billion.

_Exempting wooden practice arrows used by children from an excise tax of 39 cents per arrow. Oregon's two senators and two Wisconsin representatives previously introduced legislation calling for the action, saying the tax was meant for more expensive archery arrows and is untenable for makers of toy arrows that may cost only about 30 cents apiece. The bill would affect about a half-dozen manufacturers nationwide, including one in Oregon; the Oregon senators said they didn't seek its addition to the bailout, however. Cost: $2 million.

_Allowing employers to exempt from taxation what they spend on some fringe benefits for workers who commute to work by bicycle, for example reimbursing the cost of parking the bikes. Cost: $2 million. More HERE

H/Tip Bygbaby and Soul Cast

The Congressional are truly a bunch of bought off cowards and traitors. We need to throw all of them out of office, and get a new group of members.I must say I expected more out the new member Donna Edwards, I guess she is not the new breed of leader I thought she would be.

Cross posted on African American political Pundit.com

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Hillary, The NY Mag, Liberals and Snakes on the plane

Barack Obama and his handlers have to really watch his political back, now that he has agreed to provide Hillary with the opportunity for a floor vote. But it is not only Hillary he has to watch out for. He also has to watch out for liberal rags like the NY Mag.com as so-called liberal magazine that is dogging out Obama with outragious statements like, "The description of the Obamas’ life together displays no evidence of their connections to black culture."

AAPP: OK, here we go again with Barack Obama and his wife are not "black enough" bull. This time with an academic twist.

This rag, the New York Mag.com went out to find anyone they could to lend credibility to the story. They found someone to degrade the 21st century black bourgeoisie involved in U.S. politics. Yes, Gayle Pemberton was dug up from some academic cave to say as much silly garbage about obama as possible. asking questions like, "And what does the white world know about black people like the Obamas, really? “The black middle class is the most invisible, unknown group in the country,” said Gayle Pemberton, a professor of African-American studies at Wesleyan University.

“There are millions and millions of people in it, and yet we know nothing about them.”

AAPP: Them? Them says, Gayle Pemberton? we already know where she is coming from.

Here are some more excerpts from the article:

One would think that the Obamas enjoy being called the black Kennedys, but maybe they don’t. “This Camelot myth has formed around Barack and Michelle, but they come from almost the opposite place in the world from the Kennedys,” says Obama’s friend Kenneth Mack, a law professor at Harvard University. “If you saw Barack on a yacht, that would be pretty unseemly. He’s the guy from the basketball court who used to go around in jeans and a leather jacket. In law school, he was really uncomfortable with the markers of elitism, like even dressing in a suit.”

It’s a sitcom, this miscommunication between black and white people: In fact, a manager in Hollywood told me that he’s getting calls from producers searching for TV writers to work on All in the Family–style shows for next year—they know the country will be hungry for this type of comedy if Obama is elected.

While Michelle hasn’t made many interesting statements in public—it’s a very small canon of comments, over the course of almost two years of campaigning—they’ve taken on enormous meaning. She’s not quite as smooth a political player as Barack: “Whenever Obama enters the room, there’s a sense of calm and satisfaction,” says a former campaign aide. “Michelle can get a little more tense. Before she goes on-camera for interviews, we’d have to give her a couple of minutes to compose herself. She’ll sit down, raise her hands over her head, and go, ‘Ugh, God!’ ” That’s a mask she’s wearing in public, most of the time, and we aren’t sure what is underneath. When she uttered her fateful words about how, for “the first time in my adult life, I’m really proud of my country,” she unleashed an explosion of emotion, because everyone who’s awake could read between the lines—she was angry about the treatment of black people in America. And anger will not do. Besides, what does she have to be angry about, with her Ivy education and Hyde Park mansion? Isn’t she herself an example of the fact that racism is over in America? More HERE

All of this as Barack Obama's plane was forced to endure an emergency landing after the Democratic presidential candidate's aircraft suffered mechanical problems over Missouri.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Authority confirmed to The Times that there had been an emergency landing in St Louis last month after the pilot notified air traffic control of problems. It is understood that the pilot of Mr Obama's plane had warned that he was having problems controlling the "pitch" of the plane and requested emergency assistance.

A controversy has erupted over the landing. According to a US news channel, control tower tapes show that the pilot of Mr Obama's plane demanded an emergency landing. At the time, both the FAA and Midwest Airlines insisted that there was no emergency.

But Laura Brown, a spokesman for the FAA said that she had said minutes after the incident happened that there had been no emergency because of what she had been told by the agency's public affairs staff for air traffic control. More HERE

AAPP: Right! Something seems just a bit fishy with this story. I wonder what Samuel L. Jackson would say:

I guess Barack has to look out for Hillary, The NY Mag, Liberals and Snakes on the planes.

African American Political Pundit is a 2008 DNCC Credentialed blogger and blogs at African American Political Pundit.com

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Did Jesse Jackson Diss African American Bloggers

jesse jackson

Hat Tip: The Strange Death of Liberal America.com who wrote: White folks should probably stay out of internal disputes in the African American community, but the latest controversy over the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s opinions about blogs reminded me so much of another dispute from the past that I had to comment. More HERE

Here is what Jackson said to Howard Witt of the Chicago Tribune

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Color Divide - Democratic National Convention and black bloggers

AAPP says: Karen Brooks of The Dallas Morning News is reporting on the problems involving the selection of Democratic National Convention bloggers. Check out the link to her article below. Ms. Brooks provides a great overview on the issues involving the Democratic Party and how they are treating black bloggers. I know Native Americans and the Angry Indian must be wondering why Native Americans seem to be excluded by the DNC as well.

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/images/colored-only-sign.jpg

Racial make-up of Democratic convention bloggers criticized
By Karen Brooks, The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN — Democrats consider affirmative action a cornerstone of their national agenda, but some minority bloggers say the party isn’t practicing what it preaches.

Last week, the national Democratic Party announced that 55 online writers had been chosen for the “State Blogger Corps,” to cover the convention in Denver in September.

But some members of the self-titled “afrosphere” — blogs written or published by African Americans — are angry that the “State Blogger Corps” appears to be mostly white, particularly since the party appears poise to nominate a black candidate, Barack Obama, for president.

“OK, folks, black bloggers to the back of the bus,” read the headline on the African American Political Pundit blog.

Party leaders said the factors in determining state bloggers were readership, Internet ratings and focus on local and state politics, not race. The Texas representative, the Burnt Orange Report, has several writers, including at least one Hispanic contributor.

A second round of blog credentials will be announced before the end of the month, party leaders said, and minority bloggers will be purposely included in that selection.

It’s unclear exactly how many of the state bloggers are white and how many are minorities because the bloggers weren’t required to identify their race when they applied.

But the blogs don’t appear to be self-identified as written or owned by African Americans, as opposed to blogs like the African American Political Pundit or attorney Francis L. Holland’s numerous blogs, which feature his picture. More HERE

Contact Karen brooks at: kmbrooks@dallasnews.com

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Kevin Myles, NAACP Branch Prez. On African American Political Pundit Radio Program

Kevin Myles, President
Wichita Branch NAACP

Kevin Myles who serves as the President of the Wichita Branch NAACP and the Political Affairs Chairman for the Kansas State Conference of the NAACP. Will be the guest of African American Political Pundit on his BlogTalkRadio program Political Slugfest on Sunday May 18th. Mr. Myles is also a former member of the National Board of Directors for American Mensa, a former Mensa Regional Chairman, and was a four-term President of the Wichita Chapter of Mensa.

Join me and Mr. Myles on African American Political Pundit this Sunday May 18, 2008 as we discuss social issues, voter registration and other issues impacting black America.

We will also discuss the relevance of the NAACP in the 21st Century.

You all know I have said a few things about the NAACP including my opinion that the NAACP has been missing in action on issues involving black women and the poor.

Yes, I have even called the National NAACP's 65-member board "the board of the living dead." Read the story here.

This should be an exciting, if not controversial program. Join in the conversation.

Don't forget to Join us on African American Political Pundit's Political Slugfest program this Sunday May 18, 2008. 10 PM EST. Call in # (718) 508-9867.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Handkerchief Head? Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Race Traitor?

AAPP: I'm with Brown Sugar who says:

"Sigh. I'm done. I'm so tired of Black folk with slave mentality's I don't know what to do. This is just ridiculous. I supposed if Clinton had called her a Nigger to her face she'd still be talking about, "She is able to look through complexion and see community."

AAPP: Yes, Maya Angelou is a great poet and a aging house negro icon who feels her new calling is to be a 21st Century Handkerchief Head for Hillary and Bill.

OK, she is 80 years old, Icon in the black cultural movement, but I know some 80 year old woman who will not disgrace our people, and they are not Icon's.

Yes, she has a right to endorse anyone she wants too. I only wish she used the common sense of Tom Hanks.

Monday, May 5, 2008

God Damn The Black Community

AAPP: H/T Brother Peace Maker - Check out afrospear member Brother Peace Maker's most recent post of the Afrospear's blog. He has a lot to say about the Rev. Wright situation and what black folks should be saying and doing. He has an interesting perspective that needs to be part of the conversation. Check out his post:

God Damn The Black Community

by brotherpeacemaker

“God helps those who help themselves!” – Benjamin Franklin

Reverend Jeremiah Wright is in the news again and is said to be a distraction to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, by far his most famous former parishioner. Reverend Wright has spent the last week or so giving his side of the story. Mr. Wright feels that he has been personally attacked and also feels that the institution of the black church has been attacked by the dominant American culture. He’s been referred to as a kook and described as trying to knee cap Mr. Obama’s presidential bid. Mr. Obama tried to minimize his relationship with his former pastor. But when that didn’t put the issue to rest, Mr. Wright conveniently comes back on the scene to give Mr. Obama a second chance to sever the relationship cleanly in the public’s eye.

The overwhelming majority of America never knew Mr. Wright prior to the networks airing of the infamous recording of Mr. Wright saying that god should be damning America instead of blessing America. People refer to Mr. Wright as a blatant racist although he never once said white people were the problem. Mr. Wright said black and white people are different with neither one being better than the other. But this is too racist a concept for most. White and black people are actually saying that Jeremiah Wright is the problem. No one of any prominence has given Mr. Wright any understanding or support, with the possible exception of Bill Moyers when he hosted Mr. Wright on his PBS show Bill Moyers Journal and allowed the former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ to defend himself without adding fuel to the fire of controversy. Mr. Moyers doesn’t have a political agenda to push so it is no surprise that he isn’t condemning Mr. Wright the way that the typical network pundit would.

But nevertheless, for the most part, when it comes to the black community, Mr. Wright is standing alone. Other than Mr. Moyers, I have yet to see any high profile support. Where are the leaders of the black community? Where are the people who claim to the welfare of the black community a top priority? It is a given that white people would want take the five or ten minutes of Mr. Wright’s sermons that have captured America’s attention. When Mr. Wright says god should damn America white people take this personally for America is white America. America is baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet. America is the corporate environment where white people rule the upper management, white people make up the vast majority of middle workers, and black people make up the bottom rung of the corporate ladder in janitorial services and the mailroom. To say America is messing up is to say that white people are messing up since they are the ones in control of 98% of America’s institutions. And these corporate institutions are using their resources to pick Mr. Wright apart and make him an example of what happens when you bad mouth America.

And with an election coming, and with the chance that a black man could actually obtain the highest office in America’s land, America will push with all of its corrupt corporate capitalist might to find anything and emphasize anything to keep Mr. Obama from obtaining the title of President of the United States. It is truly understandable why the dominant community would work so hard to keep the status quo of white only from being broken. Black man might become president and try do something positive for the black community. White America just can’t take that chance. So I can understand why the Tucker Carlsons and Sean Hanitys and Pat Buchanans of the world to persecute Mr. Wright, and therefore Mr. Obama by association. These are the type of people who would be content to see the despair of the black community continue without end. But where are the people who say that they have a vested interest in the uplift of the black community?

Where are the people who are more likely to defend Mr. Wright? Barack Obama tried to distance himself from Mr. Wright without outright rejecting him and it nearly cost him his lead in the presidential nomination race. There is too much to lose. So regardless of what Mr. Obama says to the contrary it is relatively easy to see how his highly visible divorce from Mr. Wright can be considered politically advantageous. So it doesn’t take much of a brain to see that there will be no comfort there. Where are the other high profile blacks who sit in black churches on a weekly basis and can relate to what Mr. Wright says about being black in America? Are we in the black community are supposed to believe that Jeremiah Wright is a lone exception with a totally unique perspective of the relationship between America and what she has done for and what she has done to the black community? Are we to believe that no other black high profile black celebrity has any idea what he is referring to? Comment and Read More HERE

Friday, April 25, 2008

Obama Needs To Take Off The Gloves and Float Like A Butterfly and Sting Like An Obama Bee."

The Clinton Negative Campaigning is Working - Take off The Gloves Obama!

The Media has jumped ship from Obama to Clinton. "It's time to float Like a Butterfly and Sting like an Obama Bee."

AAPP: OK, "Obama you have been Mr. Nice Guy, Mr. Cool, and Smooth. But at this point The Media and Billary redefining you to the electorate, you are no longer defining yourself." As an example it's crazy that Bill Clinton is sayiing that the Obama campaign played 'race card' on him. Bill Clinton is doing the rope a dope on you. The Clinton campaign along with the media are playing up "Color aroused" questions. You know the script they have been using. Bill Clinton saying about Barack Obama's campaign, "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen..." Remarks made by Sen. Clinton, insulting one of the greatest Americans of our time, Martin Luther King, Jr, and the hundreds of thousands of black and other Americans who fought for civil rights in our country, when she said in regards to civil rights legislation, "It took a (white) president [Lyndon Johnson] to get it done."

Sam Stien has reported that the Obama campaign is aware of the color aroused strategy. From Clinton supporter and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo insulting, "you can't shuck and jive at a press conference." To Bill Clinton implying that Hillary Clinton Is Stronger Than Nelson Mandela, when the former president declared, "I go to Nelson Mandela's birthday party every year and we're still very close. But if you said to me, 'You've got one last job for your country but it's hazardous and you may not get out with life and limb intact and you have to do it alone except I'll let you take one other person, and I had to pick one person whom I knew who would never blink, who would never turn back, who would make great decisions, I would pick Hillary.'" The Color Aroused campaigning should not go without a response.

I agree with Thomas B. Edsall when he wrote in Huffington Post that the Media has jumped ship from Obama to Clinton. He is right, as he wrote, "In a blink of an eye, the media has jumped ship from the Obama campaign and become a crucial Clinton ally, pressing just the message -- that Obama is a likely loser in the general election -- that Hillary and her allies have been promoting for the past six weeks. The new tenor of media coverage is visible almost everywhere, from Politico, Time and The New Republic to The Washington Post and The New York Times."

He is also right when he write, "For Hillary, the shift is a potential lifesaver as she struggles to keep her head above water; without it, she would, metaphorically, drown. Until now, she, her husband, and her campaign aides have been trying, with little success, to make the case that Obama has potentially fatal flaws. For the first time, reporters working for magazines, newspapers and web sites have abruptly decided that she might well be right, and the results for Obama have been brutal: The first hard punch was thrown by my friend and colleague John Judis in a widely distributed piece on The New Republic web site, filed sometime around 3AM Wednesday, seven hours after polls closed in Pennsylvania. In the article titled, "The Next McGovern." Read More HERE

Now we learn from the Washington Post's Perry Bacon, Jr that she also repeated her challenge to Obama to debate her in this state, after the senator from Illinois would not commit to a previously scheduled one. "I've said I will debate anytime, anywhere," Clinton told a crowd of several hundred in Fayetteville. "I think you deserve your own debate."

AAPP: Hell no, don't debate her, we have had over 20 debates. Enough of the debates. We don't need to see more debates with media attacking. Enough is enough.

AAPP: I agree Perry Bacon, Jr. Clinton's Hopes May Lie With N.C. As he reported, North Carolina, with its large African American population, has long been seen as a firewall for Obama after contests in Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere that favored Clinton. A win here and in Indiana, which also votes May 6, could cement his status as the front-runner.

AAPP: I say, "It's time to end this color aroused camapign by the Clinton's once and for all." It's time to float Like a Butterfly and Sting like an Obama Bee. Now the question is, What are you going to do? Do you want to win this or what? I truly want you to win this with the style and grace of Ali and Jackie Robinson. Not the disgrace of Hillary and Bill Clinton.

African American Political Slugfest