African American Political Slugfest

NEGRO: Did Harry Reid Call Pres. Obama "The Magical Negro"

2010-01-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

Special Post: So is Harry Reid a color aroused bigot? Did he say "code words" which we would expect out of Republicans, skinheads, and birthers? Is he bringing up memories of Jim Crow and slavery? Why is he using the word ""Negro" ? Why is the word negro becoming in vogue by whites, and the Obama administration. Read more HERE

No Harry Reid didn't say, Obama “light-skinned” and has “no Negro dialect" that's why he could be President.

Damn, did the Senate President just call the President of the United States, a light skinned house negro, who knows how to talk with whites? Did the president of the United States, just say, "that's OK Boss." ?

Now we have a former black man, who some blacks consider the next generation "uncle tom," in the name of Al Sharpton - who is now standing with Reid. I guess "The magical negro" is the operative word in 2010.

Damon Winter/The New York Times

The NY Times, Washington Post, Politico, Huffington Post, Chicago Sun Times are reporting that Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, apologized on Saturday for saying that he believed Barack Obama could become the country’s first black president because he was “light-skinned” and had the advantage of carrying “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” More HERE

Get this, as reported by the NY Times, the apology was prompted by the release of a new book on the 2008 presidential campaign, which reported that Mr. Reid privately urged Mr. Obama to seek the presidency more than three years ago despite his limited experience and the historical obstacles to making a successful bid for the White House.

Harry Reid response:

I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words,” Mr. Reid said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments.”

The remarks from Mr. Reid were the latest in a long-running series of statements that several political figures have made about Mr. Obama, which have underscored the uneasy evolution of race and politics in the United States. Mr. Reid telephoned Mr. Obama on Saturday to apologize.

AAPP: "That apology is not accepted, not by this African American Political Pundit (AAPP). You should resign Senator Reid. What are you saying, black folks that are dark skin should not be President? Black Folks who have dark skin should pass the harry reid "bag test?"

And what is this word "Negro" and "Negro dialect."

Question No. 9 on this year's census form asks about race, with one of the answers listed as "black, African-Am. or Negro."

New 'Miranda Rights' against taser abuse,"

2010-01-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

"These are new 'Miranda Rights' against taser abuse,"
says Atty. Francis L. Holland

There's been a ground-breaking decision by the 9th Circuit US Federal Court of Appeals against taser abuse, entitled Bryan v. McPherson. This decision was announced on December 29th, between Christmas and New Years holidays but it deserves our immediate attention and dissemination via our EasyWidgets:

The decision writes into federal caselaw many of the arguments and advocacy that we afrosphere bloggers have been making at our Days (months and years) of Blogging for Justice Against Police Pre-Trial, Extra-Judicial "Taser" Shock, Electrocution and Execution devices. The Easy-Widget HTML code below enables us to educate the public of their newly announced rights.

The 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals agreed with us that:

". . . we must “balance the amount of force applied against the need for that force.” Bryan v. McPherson, 9th Cir. Fd. Ct. App., December 29, 2009.

This decision has direct legal effect throughout the 9th Circuit, consisting of populous California, Alaska, Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Hawaii and Guam, and influential in other parts of the country. Nearly 20% of America's population is within the jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit. The Court announced what we have long insisted:

"A reasonable police officer . . . would have foreseen these physical injuries when confronting a shirtless individual standing on asphalt. We have held that force can be unreasonable even without physical blows or injuries." Bryan v. McPherson

We've got widgets up at 123 afrosphere blogs telling the public that, in many cases, when "Tasers" are used, "The price is too high". Now, lets post Easy-Widgets to inform the public that one of the most influential federal circuit courts of appeal in the country agrees with us that:

"The presence of non-minor physical injuries like those suffered by Bryan, however, is certainly relevant in evaluating the degree of the Fourth Amendment intrusion." Bryan v. McPherson

Let's celebrate! Here's a new EasyWidget that takes readers to our anti-electrocution blogs. This Easy-Widget HTML (immediately below) links to Electrocuted While Black, but there are visibly identical widgets below that lead to Tasered While Black and the Police Brutality Blog.

The result is better than that for which many of us had hoped. Instead of arguing locally for changes to voluntarily enforced police taser policy, Bryan's lawyers in this case, and bloggers making similar arguments, convinced the 9th Circuit Federal Appeals Court to write these requirements and limitations into Federal caselaw, which is probably faster, better and politically safer than having the restrictions enacted into law by the US Congress.

Afrosphere bloggers and the Ninth Circuit encourage other circuits to follow this example by observing that:

"We, along with our sister circuits, have held that tasers and stun guns fall into the category of non-lethal force. Non-lethal, however, is not synonymous with non-excessive; all force—lethal and non-lethal—must be justified by the need for the specific level of force employed." Bryan v. McPherson

Not everyone -- blogger or reader -- has had a chance to read the whole Bryan v. McPherson case. So, the Easy-Widget quotes the most powerful language of the decision and links to our afrosphere blogs for more information.

In Bryan v. McPherson, the 9th Circuit Federal Appeals Court basically wrote into federal caselaw many of the arguments that we taser opponents have been arguing. But this is better than what many of us had sought, because instead of it being a change in local optionally enforced "guidelines," it's a change in obligatorily obeyed federal case law for the states in the 9th Circuit, and also, as the decision alludes, the 9th Circuit has enormous influence on other "sister" circuits courts.

Please join Electrocuted While Black in celebrating this decision by posting a widget that tells readers their rights and takes them to a blog where they can learn more, be it Electrocuted While Black or the Police Brutality Blog. Installation of the Easy-Widget below is a quick and easy way to quote some of the best parts of the case for your readers.

References:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/81381.html

http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2009/12/28/08-55622.pdf

http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/content/view.php?pk_id=0000000135

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/stop-the-electrocutions-and-executions-175px

http://police-brutality-blog.blogspot.com/2009/12/important-taser-case-is-must-read-for.html

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14353/stop-taser-torture-blogging-for-justice-day

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/13151/taser-abuse-how-many-have-to-die-before-something-is-done-about-it

http://francislholland.blogspot.com/2009/12/important-taser-case-is-must-read-for.html

http://stoptasertorture.wordpress.com/about/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=taser+abuse&btnG=Google+Search

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Day+of+Blogging+for+Justice%22+taser&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Tasered+While+Black%22&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Congressional Black Caucus Members Under Investigation

2009-10-30T02:50:00.000-07:00

The Washington Post is reporting that House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry

Ellen Nakashima and Paul Kane staff writers with the Washington Post are reporting the a number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus are being investigated for defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

Rep. Charles Rangel . (AP Photo)

The document also disclosed that ethics committee staff members have interviewed House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) about one element of the complex investigation of his personal finances, as well as the lawmaker's top aide and his son.

Rangel said he spoke with ethics committee staff members regarding a conference that he and four other members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended last November in St. Martin. The trip initially was said to be sponsored by a nonprofit foundation run by a newspaper. But the three-day event, at a luxury resort, was underwritten by major corporations such as Citigroup, Pfizer and AT&T. Rules passed in 2007, shortly after Democrats reclaimed the majority following a wave of corruption cases against Republicans, bar private companies from paying for congressional travel.

According to Wapo Rangel said he has not discussed other parts of the investigation of his finances with the committee. "I'm waiting for that, anxiously," he said.

There is more.. According to Wapo, Politico, and The LA Times, the committee did not detail the two newly disclosed investigations. However, according to the July document, Rep. Maxine Waters, a high-ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, came under scrutiny because of activities involving OneUnited Bank of Massachusetts, in which her husband owns at least $250,000 in stock. Waters arranged a September 2008 meeting at the Treasury Department where OneUnited executives asked for government money. In December, Treasury selected OneUnited as an early participant in the bank bailout program, injecting $12.1 million.

AAPP: Voters in their congressional districts need to take a hard look at these Corrupt Congressional Black Caucus members. It just may be time to throw these folks out of office. I know if any of them were representing me, I would vote them out of office in a heartbeat. I guess Cathy Hughes would do the same thing. If I were Obama I would not m eet with the Congressional Black Caucus until they stop standing up for crooks, get there act together and purged those who bring the group into disgrace.

I'm also getting a bit tired of these Congressional ethics inquiries, that have been dragging on for sometime despite vows to end corruption.

I guess I can understand why some democrats are worried that one of their own could cost them their jobs.

Tasers, Taser International and messages of the Heart

2009-10-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like Taser International has said Uncle. The Makers of TASER devices say don't aim at chest. As reported by many bloggers, including the Electronic Village, news outlets and internet sources, Taser maker Taser International is advising police agencies across the nation to avoid aiming the devices at a suspect’s chest. The Arizona-based company says such action poses an “extremely low” risk of an “adverse cardiac event.” The Atlanta Journal reports that Law enforcement in Atlanta, Gwinnett and Clayton County said they are in the process of scheduling training for their officers who carry Tasers.

“It won’t be a huge change. It’s a difference of a few inches,” said Sgt. Tony Kessler, a training officer for the Clayton County Sheriff. “We still have the back and other parts of the body.”

Gwinnett Police spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli said the Taser manufacturer only “recommended aiming lower towards the abdominal region,” but said the 279 officers who have Tasers will be retrained.

Cobb County Police are already ahead of the game, spokesman Officer Joe Hernandez said. Cobb’s 100 Tasers are carried by only veteran patrol officers, the Tactical Team, Burglary Apprehension Team and robbery interdiction squad. More HERE

The advisory, issued in an Oct. 12 training bulletin, marks the first time that Taser has suggested any risk of ill effects on the heart from the use of its 50,000-volt stun guns. More HERE

Electronic Village reports, Taser International, the maker of taser guns is advising police officers to avoid shooting suspects in the chest with the 50,000-volt weapon, saying that it could pose an extremely low risk of an "adverse cardiac event."

The advisory, issued in an Oct. 12 training bulletin, marks the first time that Taser has suggested any risk of ill effects on the heart from the use of its 50,000-volt taser guns.

Electronic Village goes on to report that critics, including civil-rights lawyers and human-rights advocates, called the training bulletin an admission by Taser that its guns could cause cardiac arrest. For years, Taser officials have said in interviews, court cases and government hearings that the stun gun is incapable of inducing ventricular fibrillation, the chaotic heart rhythm characteristic of a heart attack. More HERE There have been more than 400 deaths in the U.S. and 26 in Canada since 2001, according to a study by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Tasers have contributed to more than 30 of those deaths, according to medical examiners.

Three of those occurred in the Gwinnett County jail after deputies used a Taser on combative inmates. Autopsies showed two of those deaths were the result of heart attacks, but did not cite what caused the cardiac arrest. The other death was ruled the result of “excited delirium” – a combination of cocaine, alcohol and physical exertion that excited his heart too much, according to the medical examiner.

A spokeswoman for the Gwinnett sheriff said Taser International's training bulletin has already been sent out to all of the deputies who carry Tasers. More HERE

"All future training will have it incorporated too," sheriff's spokeswoman Stacey Bourbonnais said Thursday.

The Publisher of the Tasered While Black Blog said: "Well it looks like this announcement by Taser International is having major impact on law enforcement standard operating procedures. Let's see if it make any difference on the streets of Amderica, or will cops actually aim at the chest in the future, as a way of killing people."

Boulder, Colorado ACLU wants Tasers holstered

New Guidelines For APD On Taser Gun Use - Albuquerque News Story

Metro Police Change Taser Policy

Police rethink stun-gun policy

Read more on tasering at the following blogs.

The lack of a "black agenda" in America

2009-08-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

There is a great article in the LA Times regarding the The lack of a black agenda.

The writer, Erin Aubry Kaplan writes about how Barack Obama finally showed up.

Erin Aubry Kaplan writes; On the centennial anniversary of the NAACP last month, the president took the microphone at the organization's convention in New York and, for the first time since his inauguration, spoke directly to black Americans.

Noting that it was "good to be among friends," he went on to deliver a clear, sometimes informal and impassioned speech on the state of the race -- his race. He unselfconsciously used the terms "us" and "we." He charted the victories of the black past and described the present as much more paradoxical: Civil rights was the battle of the previous generation, he said, but persistent inequality is the fight of the present one. He even said that American society suffers from "structural inequality," a phrase loathed by conservatives and plenty of liberals too.

The appreciative audience shouted amens and hooted with pride. It was in part because of the work of the NAACP, Obama acknowledged, that he was able to stand before the organization on its 100th birthday as the 44th president of the United States, an astonishing development.

And yet, today, the fate of black folk is far from certain and is in some ways less secure than at any time in the last 100 years. Why? Blacks don't have an agenda. They have no lobby. More HERE

AAPP:
I have been talking about this issue on my Blog Talk Radio Program and on this blog for some time. But I'm not the only one. The Black Agenda Report has been addressing the need for a Black Agenda for some time. I urge all of my readers to take visit and read The Black Agenda Report. They address many of the issues, Erin Aubry Kaplan writes about in his article.

Check out these other articles:

Post-racial America? Dream on|guardian.co.uk
President Obama on what black America needs|cnn.com
Jackson: Black Leaders Want To Engage More With Obama|huffingtonpost.com

Join African American Political Pundit's BlogLog

You can always check out what I have to say about current political issues on my Blog Talk Radio Program.

Barack Obama, Gates, Police and Black Folk

2009-07-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

When the President ran for the Presidency he invoked his dear white mother and grandparents to get into power. Threw his former pastor under the bus, and made no commitments to black Americans for their collective vote. Now the president has pissed off the white cops. Instead of Barack Obama pissing them off for a good reason, like shooting black people in the back or tasering black folks while black, he had to say something about his Harvard Buddy.

As reported by MSNBC, many police officers across the country have a message for President Barack Obama: Get all the facts before criticizing one of our own.

Obama's public criticism that Cambridge officers "acted stupidly" when they arrested black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. could make it harder for police to work with people of color, some officers said Thursday. It could even set back the progress in race relations that helped Obama become the nation's first African-American president, they said.

"What we don't need is public safety officials across the country second-guessing themselves," said David Holway, president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, which represents 15,000 public safety officials around the country. "The president's alienated public safety officers across the country with his comments." More HERE

AAPP: Many in the Brotherhood of Police Officers have alienated and abused black folks for years. Whites have wanted to politically dig into Obama for some time, he has given them the opportunity with his support of Louis Gates over police in this issue. Here is what Barack obama had to say:

Obama was asked about Gates' arrest at the end of a nationally televised news conference on health care Wednesday night and began his response by saying Gates was a friend and he didn't have all the facts.

"But I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry," Obama said. "No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. And No. 3 — what I think we know separate and apart from this incident — is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that's just a fact."

AAPP: Why can't Barack Obama ever talk about black people, without including some other group? Why don't Gates and Obama get it? Just because you have a Doctorate degree or Law degree from Harvard "your still black in America." Maybe, just maybe, The President should be supporting the "voiceless" blacks who have been abused, shot, tasered and killed by police, rather than supporting a man who already has a voice, and get's paid well, to express his opinion on how he feels white police act towards black people. It's interesting how black elitist Louis Gates and President Barack Obama, are all of a sudden one of us common black folk.

When do we begin to hold people accountable? Who should be held accountable? Should it be the Police who are seeking an Obama apology? I guess Obama's honeymoon period with the American people is over. What do you think?

More about this issue on African American Political Pundit.com

Louis Gates, Barack Obama, Black Nationalism and Black Elitism

2009-07-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

My first reaction when I heard about the incident about Louis Gates was you got to be kidding me. I like many bloggers were not a happy campers. I like many was feeling sorry for Henry Louis Gates. I thought like many black folks that the Cambridge Police had gone over the line. There were a number of bloggers who raised questions early about Louis Gates motives.

Some Black conservatives and conservative bloggers are decoding the Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrest and asking...Why did Louis Gates have to yell, "Why, because I'm a black man in America?

For me, I respected Louis Gates until I read my own home town newspaper, The Boston Globe, and read how Louis Gates, 58, the director of Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research attacked black nationalism and is now into the black us (Harvard Educated) vs them (Black Nationalist) politics.

Now his "Harvard University buddy, President Barack Obama is coming out regarding his arrest in Cambridge, Mass. More HERE

I have lost a tad bit of respect for Gates and Obama. They only talk "Black" when the "black Harvard crowd" get what average black folks with no "Haravrd degrees" get everyday. If you have a dregree from a lowly HBCU, State College or heaven forbid no degree, you get no respect in "President Obama's Fantasy Post Racial America."

I wish Barack Obama showed Outrage when black folks got murdered by police, like the 73-year-old black.. and everyone knows race was a factor in the police shooting of unarmed elderly grandfather who what shot in cold blood in that small town in Homer Louisiana. Or the black guy that got shot in the back by the Oakland Transit Authority? Let's not even talk about black man that get shot and killed by police and was shot 12 times from behind. No that crime by police was not the Harvard type of crime, it was not politically sexy, Oh, has President Barack Obama even been down to New Orleans? Don't get me started...

Get this, Gates said that as a man who is “half white,’’ who was married to a white woman for more than two decades, and whose children are part white, “I don’t walk around calling white people racist. . . . Nobody knows me as some lunatic black nationalist who’s walking around beating up on white people. This is just not my profile.’’

AAPP: WTF! "Half White" WTF! Married to a white woman for more than two decades, and whose children are part white! What lunatic black nationalist who’s walking around beating up on white people is this guy talking about? Why is Louis Gates creating (as blogtalkradio host Black Achievement noted, a boogie men for whites? Black nationalist are bad, I'm one of you. Why you treating me like this? I Married a white woman for more than two decades, and my children are part white, why would you do this to me? I'm one of you.

Negro Please!

Why is Gates and and President Barack Obama playing this elitist black thing?

Ask yourself why Barack Obama is sticking up from his Harvard buddy, but cannot say one damn thing about a black man who got shot in the back in Oakland or black folks who get tasered to death while black. I don't get how President Obama, could be weighing in on the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr but cannot even speak about the attack on black America since he has been elected.

Get this Barack Obama said last night that Cambridge police “acted stupidly’’ when they handcuffed Gates even after he showed proof that he lived in the house. Obama scolds Cambridge police.

Police acted 'stupidly' in Gates arrest, Obama says - sounds like black elitism to me ... Now all of a sudden, Henry Louis Gates Jr is one of the “1 Million Black Men In Jail. Whatever!

There are a lot of thoughts from all corners from the blog theBlack Snob to many others.

What are do you think? What are your thoughts?

African American Political Slugfest On BlogTalk Radio

2009-07-21T03:51:00.000-07:00

African American Political Pundit ™

African American Political Pundit and his co-host Ms. Antoinette, talk about current political and social events from a black perspective. All political opinions are welcome.

Check out our African American "Political Slugfest" on BlogTalkRadio Archives

Dallas Police Officer Should Be Fired!

2009-03-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

AAPP: More heartless bullying of black men by police, again ... caught on tape. This time it's Police delaying an NFL player from seeing his dying mother-In-Law. The NY Times says it best when they said, a Dallas police officer makes death even worse. The Dallas News is also on point when they write, Editorial: Dallas cop doesn't deserve his badge.

As reported by the Associated Press, A Dallas police officer was put on desk duty after pulling over an NFL player rushing to see his dying mother-in-law in the hospital and holding him in the hospital parking lot as she died. Dallas Police Officer Robert Powell stopped Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center during the early hours of March 18 after Moats rolled through a red light.

The Dallas Morning News provides an unedited Dallas police dashboard camera video shows traffic stop of NFL player Ryan Moats. The Dallas Morning News provides the nearly 17-minute video shows the entire incident involving Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats and Dallas police officer Robert Powell. Moats was rushing his wife and two of her family members to a hospital, where his mother-in-law lay dying. She died while Moats and his wife's grandfather waited outside the hospital for the officer to issue a ticket. Edited

Moats and his family had gotten a call saying his mother-in-law was dying.
Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.
He ordered Moats' wife, Tamishia Moats, to get back in the SUV, but she ignored him and rushed inside the hospital to see her mother, Jonetta Collinsworth, 45, and was by her side when she died a short time later. She had breast cancer.

"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at 27-year-old Tamishia Moats, as she exited the car. "Let me see your hands!"

"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"

Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light and that his mother-in-law was dying, right then.

Moats couldn't find his insurance paperwork, and was desperate to leave.
"Listen, if I can't verify you have insurance...," Officer Powell said. "My mother-in-law is dying," Moats interrupted.

As they argued, the officer got irritated. "Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."
By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, 25, at least 13 minutes had passed.

When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead, The Dallas Morning News reported in today's editions.
The Moatses, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in how Powell, who is white, treated them.

"I think he should lose his job," said Ryan Moats, a Dallas native.

Powell was placed on disptach duty pending an investigation. The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Lt. Andy Harvey told WFAA-TV.

"There were some things that were said that were disturbing, to say the least," he told the Dallas Morning News.

Powell told police officials he believed he was doing his job, said Dallas Police Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson.

AAPP: What do you think should happen to this cops job? Should he be fired? Was he just doing his job?

Cross posted at African American Political Pundit.com

Is Massachusetts Ready To Steal The Stimulus Money?

2009-02-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

AAPP: In my home town, of Boston, Massachusetts, the crooks and liars are ready to steal the stimulus money. As reported by The Boston Globe, The real estate developer chosen by Governor Deval Patrick to distribute billions of dollars in federal stimulus money has been receiving a state pension ever since he was fired from his job at a state development agency in 1995, according to state records.

Jeffrey A. Simon, 58, was tapped by the governor on Wednesday to the newly created job of director of infrastructure investment, which will pay him $150,000 a year. The governor promptly posted a summary of Simon's résumé on his website after the appointment, listing a distinguished career as a real estate specialist in government and the private sector, with expertise in redeveloping military bases.

But what the résumé posting did not say was that Simon was terminated in 1995 from his state job overseeing the redevelopment of Fort Devens.

The governor and his staff also did not disclose that, under a Massachusetts pension law intended to protect patronage hires from retribution, his firing entitled him to begin collecting an enhanced state pension while he was in his mid-40s.

Simon could not be reached for comment. His retirement records do not include a reason for his dismissal from the agency where he worked in the mid-1990s, the Massachusetts Government Land Bank. His official résumé suggests he left the Land Bank because he was recruited for a similar job by the government of Bermuda.

A spokesman for Patrick, Joe Landolfi, provided a statement last night that said the administration knew Simon had departed state government. The statement did not address the questions of Simon's pension or his dismissal from the agency, however.

"Mr. Simon was fully vetted prior to being offered the position of director of infrastructure investment. He disclosed that he retired from state service more than a decade ago," Landolfi said. "He is eminently qualified to serve in this critical role, and we are confident he will successfully ensure federal stimulus funds are invested responsibly and transparently."

State retirement records show that Simon has been paid $29,000 to $32,000 a year since December 1995 with his enhanced, early pension. He has collected $403,751.84 in all, according to state records.

Simon will forgo the pension payments while he serves in his new state job, according to administration officials. More HERE

I guess Black Agenda Report was right. Black Folks will get the short end regarding the Stimulus Package. As The Black Agenda Report noted, Obama's economic stimulus plan is built around "shovel-ready" projects already vetted by the states. That means "Mississippi will be enabled to do more of what Mississippi always does." More HERE

Note: Let's include northern Mississippi in the equation, Massachusetts.

More political report and discussion at: African American Political Pundit.com

Who will hold Governor Deval Patrick accountable?

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

2008-11-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

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

Boston Political Corruption, Black Political Corruption

2008-11-21T11:31:00.002-08:00

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

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

2008-11-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

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

List of 60 Influential Black Political and Social Action Bloggers.

2008-11-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

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

The New Faces of Republican Bigotry, Intolerance and Ignorance

2008-10-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

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

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.

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

2008-10-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2008-10-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

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

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

2008-10-04T09:10:00.001-07:00

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

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

2008-08-16T02:01:00.000-07:00

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

Political Bloggers ooVoo to the next level of high tech blogging/conferencing

2008-07-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sign Up and Join Me and Other Political Bloggers starting Monday July 28, 2008

I'm joining leading political bloggers, including a number of afrospear bloggers, covering the entire spectrum of belief and persuasion enabled by ooVoo.com the leader in face-to-face multi-person video chat. Join me on one of My ooVoo Day Political online conferencing.

Sign up and speak out!

Click on the preview ooVoo video to to get a full explanation of the event, how it works and out-takes from the previous My ooVoo Day which brought together 25 technology bloggers and their communities for dynamic sessions focusing on social media and the changing face of communications.

It's is an eight day online video conferencing event. You will find all the information you need here to participate. Search the list of participating bloggers here. Review the calendar and participate in a live, six-way web-based video conference. Pick a blogger whose political views match your own, or enter into a lively conversation with someone from “the other side of the aisle!”

Meet the 2008 My ooVoo Day Political Bloggers. Get to know each host through their welcome video or simply click through to their blog. Find a host participant you want to meet on ooVoo and sign up. Remember you can join in or more than one ooVoo enabled video conference! Register to talk with me and some of your favorite bloggers. See partial list below. Don't forget to download ooVoo.com so we can conference.

Sign Up and join African American Political Pundit

Topic: Elections issues

Session 1: The Politics of Race In America
Monday, July 28th 9 - 9:30pm EST

Session 2: White, Black, Latino and Indian bloggers - United or divided?
Tuesday, July 29th 9 - 9:30pm EST

Session 3: Are Black bloggers really shut out of the DNC Convention?
Wednesday, July 30th 9 - 9:30pm EST

Session 4: Should Hillary be the next V.P. ?
Thursday, July 31st 9 - 9:30pm EST

Session 5: Why are Black Women Angry?
Friday, August 1st 9 - 9:30pm EST

Session 6: Can a black man be President?
Saturday, August 2nd 9 - 9:30pm EST

Session 7: Should blacks join the Republican Party?
Sunday, August 3rd 9 - 9:30pm EST

Session 8: Are black bloggers preaching to the choir?
Monday, August 4th 9 - 9:30pm EST

Check out Afrospear/Afrosphere members:

Arlene Fenton

Black Women Vote!

Black women in the media

Baratunde Thurston

goodCRIMETHINK

Political brown folks online

Liza Sabater

culturekitchen

Diversity, Conventions and Bush's Exit

Don't forget to check out other great bloggers like my Latino sisters and brother:

Marisa Treviño, Adriana Maestas & Edmundo Rocha

Latina Lista, Latino Politics Blog & XicanoPwr

Latino Bloggers not getting answers from presidential candidates regarding the issue of Latino leadership.

There's More...

Did Jesse Jackson Diss African American Bloggers

2008-06-15T23:53:00.001-07:00

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

Color Divide - Democratic National Convention and black bloggers

2008-05-20T21:16:00.001-07:00

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.

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

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

2008-05-17T04:13:00.000-07:00

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.

Handkerchief Head? Maya Angelou

2008-05-06T05:11:00.000-07:00

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.

God Damn The Black Community

2008-05-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

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

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

2008-04-25T04:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Martin Luther King April 4, 1968

2008-04-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Today we mark the 40th Anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr Assassination
Dr. King was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Democratic contender Hillary Clinton will be in Memphis Friday, to mark the anniversary. It's interesting that Hillary Clinton is using this day to politicize this moment. It's to bad that she was a card carrying Barry Goldwater supporter when Martin Luther King was working to end segregation. OK, enough politics, lets listen to Martin Luther King:

In His Own Words

The NAACP, Dunbar Village and Black Women

2008-04-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

AAPP: I listened in pure amazement and disgust last night to a broadcast over at one of the best bloggers in America, (also from Texas) Gina McCauley from the blog What About Our Daughters. She was joined by her roundtable, along with Adora Obi Nweze, President, Fl State Conference NAACP and a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors and Richard "We Will Not Be Blamed" McIntire, the NAACP national spokesperson.

The NAACP was invited to speak about their decision to support the bail request for the release of black boys who are alleged to have brutally raped, sodomized and beat a mother and son on June 18.

This is a case, as reported by MSNBC a mother and son huddled together, battered and beaten, in the bathroom — sobbing, wondering why no one came to help. For three hours, the pair say, they endured sheer terror as the 35-year-old Haitian immigrant was raped and sodomized by up to 10 masked teenagers and her 12-year-old son was beaten in another room. hen, mother and son were reunited to endure the unspeakable: At gunpoint, the woman was forced to perform oral sex on the boy, she later told a TV station. Afterward, they were doused with household cleansers, perhaps in a haphazard attempt to scrub the crime scene, or maybe simply to torture the victims even more. The solutions burned the boy’s eyes. The thugs then fled, taking with them a couple of hundred dollars’ worth of cash, jewelry and cell phones. In the interview with WPTV, the mother described how she and her son sobbed in the bathroom, too shocked to move. Then, in the dark of night, they walked a mile to the hospital because they had no phone to call for help. More HERE

AAPP: After listening to the state and national NAACP representatives make fools out of themselves, I came to the same conclusion that Lee Walker and others have about this disgraceful national organization. As Lee walker wrote, " It is neither the powerful organization of my youth nor the courageous and dignified body I identify with Roy Wilkins. After Mr. Wilkins died, he was succeeded by Ben Hooks, a former judge from Tennessee. After Mr. Hook stepped down, the bottom fell out and the NAACP lost touch with black America. A survey taken in 1992 by the Detroit News revealed that 94 percent of black Americans thought the NAACP was out of touch with the everyday problems of most blacks, and the poor in particular.

One glaring problem with the NAACP is the enormous board of directors, over 60 at last count. Mr. Wilkins once advised me over lunch never to run an organization with too many board members. From the statements of former CEO Ben Gordon, it appears that the board’s meddling played a significant role in his decision to step down. Unless the absurdly large board contributes significant amounts of money or brings in new members, the board will be more of a hindrance than a help. And at the moment, it looks to be doing neither."

Read more of Lee Walkers thoughts in the post below:

NAACP Needs New Leadership

Written By: Lee Walker
Published In: Chicago Defender
Publication Date: March 9, 2007
Publisher: Chicago Defender

This Op-Ed originally appeared in the Chicago Defender on March 9, 2007

The current leadership crisis at the NAACP raises an interesting question, did black folks win or lose when Booker T. Washington died in 1915 of high blood pressure and overwork? At the age of only 59, Washington could have led the black race for many years had his health not deteriorated. His untimely death allowed the NAACP, founded and run by northern white liberals, to take over leadership of black America.

Washington was never a fan of the NAACP, and the feeling was quite mutual. Washington was, however, a trustee of the National Urban League, an organization that stimulated black business development and facilitated educational progress for blacks. Sadly, it was unable to stay the course. Although the National Urban league also had white leaders, they encouraged the blacks running it to buy a building for the organization. Due to their paternalistic attitude towards blacks, the white NAACP leaders never encouraged blacks to take this step. The result of course was that high rent prices forced the NAACP to leave Manhattan in the mid 1980's. Today, the NAACP is the oldest surviving civil rights organization in the country. Unfortunately, though it is the oldest tree in the forest, it is also the deadest.

To make clear my long-standing relationship with the NAACP, I should disclose that I was vice president of the Brooklyn Chapter in the 1970's. I was a personal friend of Roy Wilkins, the national executive secretary, and I keep a picture of us, decked out in three bottoms vest and suit ensemble, in my office. The dignified Mr. Wilkins actually wore that three bottoms vest to work every day. During my years at the Brooklyn NAACP he became my role model.

I had dreamed of volunteering for the NAACP ever since high school. When George Wallace banned the organization from the state during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, I knew I needed to be a member. Since the group was banned, however, blacks had to send their membership forms to individuals at the 42nd street address in Manhattan without referencing the NAACP directly. Additionally, the NAACP could not send us the Crisis Magazine in the standard organizational package lest white postal workers identify us as members.

Unfortunately, I no longer recognize the once great NAACP. It is neither the powerful organization of my youth nor the courageous and dignified body I identify with Roy Wilkins. After Mr. Wilkins died, he was succeeded by Ben Hooks, a former judge from Tennessee. After Mr. Hook stepped down, the bottom fell out and the NAACP lost touch with black America. A survey taken in 1992 by the Detroit News revealed that 94 percent of black Americans thought the NAACP was out of touch with the everyday problems of most blacks, and the poor in particular.

Leadership has been the central problem for the NAACP since the 1990's and Ben Gordon’s departure shouldn’t encourage any of us that these problems are being solved. It is now time for Chairman Julian Bond to step down. It was mentioned recently that Ben Gordon did not have a civil rights background and was therefore unqualified to serve as CEO. However, it is worth remembering that neither Roy Wilkins nor Martin Luther King Jr. had extensive civil rights experience before assuming the mantle of leadership. Indeed, King had only recently earned his Ph.D. when the Montgomery Bus Boycott thrust him into a national leadership role.

Regardless of who leads the NAACP, there is no dispute that the organization is still needed. Whether it will ever again be the force for change it once was, will depend on its ability to refocus and develop new leadership.

As one New Yorker said in a NY Times article in 1994 "I don't see the N.A.A.C.P. as an organization for the masses of black people, and that's the problem," said Mr. Rhymes, who lives in a city housing project named after an early civil rights crusader, Ida B. Wells. "They're looking for that mainstream, middle-class person who doesn't need half as much help as the people I know. The N.A.A.C.P. is lost on the Yellow Brick Road somewhere."

AAPP: Now the question is WHEN.

When will black folks hold the NAACP Accountable? When will the NAACP hold itself accountable? When will black folks as the NAACP Board Chair to resign, and take that 60 Member Board with him? When will black women start a national organization that really fights for black women and their families? WHEN?

UPDATE: Maybe once organized, a new national black womans organization can get the blacks in the media to highlight important issues like not allowing bail for alleged rapist. Oh, but that's right black media, like white media, seem to be more concerned about Naomi Campbell being released on bail.

Dunbar Village Justice, Old School Civil Rights vs New School Black Internet Activism, Black Leadership Accountability

2008-03-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

On March 11, 2008 Gina at the blog, What About Our Daughters wrote, Black Folks Get Ready to FIGHT! AL Sharpton to Speak Out in Defense of Dunbar Village Gang Rapist. She went on to write, you know how all these months we couldn't get anyone in the Black Elite Establishment or the Civil Rights Industrial Complex to speak out about the Dunbar Village gang rape? How we pointed out the sick mental illness of Black leaders who will speak out on behalf of criminals, but never on behalf of the victims of Black on Black crime? Well it has happened again! Now Al Sharpton couldn't be bothered to speak out about the RAPE, but apparently he has no problem speaking out on behalf of the alleged gang rapists! Read More HERE.

Check out these flyer's passed out from NAACP/Al Sharpton press conference. H/T Dunbar Village blog

--------

Villager, from the blog, Electronic Village recently posted on the situation urging members of his blogging community at Electronic Village and others to Stop NAACP Support of Rapists. He wrote, in the past week, a rapidly-moving viral email campaign was launched, and thousands of concerned Black citizens spread the word about crimes against nature committed in the Dunbar Village complex against a Black woman and her 12 year old son.

“Stop Al Sharpton and the NAACP from endangering Black Women,” described a stunning betrayal in which the NAACP and Al Sharpton held a press conference and demanded bail consideration for three suspects in custody for the crime.

Concerned Black citizens all around the country were outraged by the actions of the NAACP and Al Sharpton, and many vowed to withdraw volunteering and financial support from these agencies “until they make the safety of Black women and children a priority.”

On March 24, 2008 an NAACP memo that attempted to defend this betrayal was sent to Beverly Neal, who is the Director of the NAACP’s Florida State Conference. The memo claims that the NAACP was brought into this fray by Rev. Al Sharpton. Moreover, the memo was written by Maude Ford Lee, who is President of the West Palm Beach Branch of the NAACP Read More HERE

Well the battle lines have been drawn, black bloggers are outraged. Check out these blogs who have posted on the issue (H/T Electronic Village for the link).

Aunt Jemima's Revenge

Black Fire, White Fire

Never Say Never to Your Traveling Self

Privy Concepts

Ravenelven Lady

Roslyn Holcomb's Blog

The Sowing Circle

Tribute to Black Women

What About Our Daughters

What Tami Said

Yanmommasaid

Something Within

Now Howard Witt of the Chicago tribune is following the case and calls it, a case that puts civil rights blocs at odds. Howard Witt reports on how Web-based activists and old-guard leadership not Seeing Eye to eye on Florida assaults. Read More below:

Case puts civil rights blocs at odds

By Howard Witt

A 35-year-old Haitian immigrant and her 12-year-old son were forced into their home at gunpoint in the bleak Dunbar Village housing project in West Palm Beach, Fla. The woman was beaten, raped and sodomized for hours, allegedly by a gang of African-American teenagers, then forced to abuse her son. Finally the attackers doused the victims with household chemicals—pouring them directly into the boy's eyes—and attempted to set the two on fire before fleeing.

Yet outside South Florida, the attack last June largely escaped notice, and it scarcely registered on the radar of national civil rights leaders because it involved the awkward topic of black-on-black crime.

Three weeks ago, however, Al Sharpton and local representatives of the NAACP Boca Raton were freed on bail. held a news conference in West Palm Beach where they declared that four black teenagers arrested for the Dunbar Village attack are being treated unfairly because they remain incarcerated without bond, while five white teenagers recently accused of sexually assaulting two white girls in nearby

Triggering dual outrage

"You cannot have one set of rules for acts that are wrong and horrific in Boca and another set in Dunbar Village," Sharpton said, as parents of some of the Dunbar defendants nodded behind him. "You must have equal protection under the law."

It was, for Sharpton and the NAACP, a familiar situation and a routine news conference: Contrasting the treatment of blacks and whites in the criminal justice system and calling for fairness.

But Sharpton's remarks—and his apparent call for the Dunbar Village suspects to be released on bail—triggered outrage on dozens of blogs devoted to civil rights, feminism and the interests of African-American crime victims. Now the Dunbar Village case is deepening a growing schism between traditional civil rights organizations and a new, Internet-driven generation of younger activists who take a more nuanced view of many issues. More HERE

AAPP: Go ahead, please read the rest of the links and articles share your opinions on the blogs and articles. Stop back by here too. Give us you thoughts. Get involved write the NAACP and Al Sharpton let them know what you’re thinking.

Election 08, Blogging For Voter Justice, Concede Now Hillary

2008-03-25T04:06:00.001-07:00

Blogging for Voter Justice

On this day I proudly join The Afrosphere Action Coalition and its Coordinating Committee members (Francis L. Holland, Wayne Hicks, Daz Wilson and Yobachi Boswell) to impress upon the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Senator Hillary Clinton, that the Junior Senator from New York should immediately concede the election. I join the call for like minds to sign the petition and email/call/postal mail a statement of their choosing to the Democratic party bosses let them know that acting like Republicans and stealing the vote will not be excepted. I agree with blogger, brother PeaceMaker, Not Every American Is Ready For President Obama but the question is are we ready for total chaos at the Democratic National Convention and a Republican win in November 2008 ?

On this day of Blogging For Voter Justice Tuesday (March 25th), I could put up one of those ugly pictures on the internet of Hillary Clinton, but I won't do that. You know how ugly Hillary Clinton and her surrogates have been during this political season. I could easily agree with Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen of Politico.com and point out five reasons why Hillary should be worried, but I won't do that today, I already agreed with them two days ago. The fact is folks, you probably already know dozens of reasons why she should be worried.

I could list the 14 reason Time Magazine's, Mark Halperin list as: Painful Things Hillary Clinton Knows — but I won't I will only post the top 3:

1. She can’t win the nomination without overturning the will of the elected delegates, which will alienate many Democrats.

2. She can’t win the nomination without a bloody convention battle — after which, even if she won, history and many Democrats would cast her as a villain.

3. Catching up in the popular vote is not out of the question — but without re-votes in Florida and Michigan it will be almost as impossible as catching up in elected delegates.

The others you can read HERE.

I could give her (Hillary Clinton) some advice on how to bow out gracefully but she has already received plenty of that. I could talk about Team Clinton's color aroused tactics of "darkening the tone of Barack Obamas skin in TV attack ads, but you know about that too. I could also talk about how Lenora Fulani is running for President as an independent and has charged Hillary with color aroused campaigning, but I won't I could talk about how Team Clinton have swift boated Barack more than any republican thus far, but you know that as well.

So... What can I really talk about. I can't talk about Hillary Clinton's real problems? Pam over at Pam's House Blend has that covered. Should I talk about Hillary Clinton's "Bosnia Sniper fire" Lie, probably not plenty bloggers are talking about her getting caught Up In Her Own Lies:.
So what should I talk about to prove that Hillary should concede? Should I talk about her lies about military contracts? Should I talk about her throw the kitchen at him, The Politics of Fear? Or should I just talk about her Politics as ususal?

Well, folks I'm not going to talk about any of those things. as they have already have been talked about. forget about Team Clinton's New Math, It's just time for people to grow up and realize the Story behind the story, as Politico writers, Jim Vandehei & Mike Allen recently noted, Hillary Rodham Clinton has virtually no chance of winning. More HERE. It's time for Hillary to Concede Now! it is time to stop this disaster.

AAPP

The Blogger Racial Divide and Blogger Color Arousal

2008-03-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

A national conversation about race. When will bloggers as a group address the issue?

Tears flow down the face of supporter Marty Nesbitt as Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., speaks about race during a news conference in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 18, 2008.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

wow, I just had the same conversation with Francis L. Holland last night. But the conversation we both thought about was more a national conversation about Color Arousal and bloggers.

As part of that national conversation on race and color arousal, lets include a national conversation on blogger color arousal and the digital blogger divide.

You see what Barack Obama is talking about in the video below, has a lot to do with what is going on in America's blogger community as well. I'm reminded that much of the conversation about race in the presidential election is based on comments made by Hillary and Bill Clinton and their surrogates. I'm also reminded that Bill Clinton and white bloggers met a year ago in Harlem NY without including black folks in the conversation. How interesting. Is there a "connection." ?

I'm reminded about a post a year or so ago, by Liza at the culture Kitchen when she wrote: "These are the 20 liberal bloggers that met with Bill Clinton in Harlem. As you can see, not one of them is black or latino.

Via Republic of T.

This photo proves that It's official : Hillary to run for President, so she kills the Liberal Blogosphere first.

I am just shocked at the glee with which Peter Daou has shown his disrespect for Pam Spaulding, Steve Gilliard, Louis Pagan, Chris Rabb, Earl Dunovant and me when he decided to not invite neither of us, or for that matter, any other black or latino bloggers.

Yes, Steve Gilliard, Pam Spaulding, and me have been vocal about Hillary's run for the presidency. You'd think though our opinions would be given the weight they deserve within the blogosphere itself --let's not even talk about the Clintonites or Washington.

Which is why I stand by what I said : In order for Hillary Clinton to run for president, she will do anything and everything to squash the voices of dissent raised through the progressive netroots. Stuffing their faces with lunch is one tasty way to go about it.

The more pressing question remains :

What does it mean though that there are 20 bloggers invited to this lunch and not one is black or latino? What does it mean for this group of bloggers to be patting themselves on the backs for being with Clinton when they are all in Harlem and not one of them is a person of color? What does it mean for these people to be there and have not one of them raise this issue in their blogs?" More HERE

Has Anything change? Yes, The Afrospear was created because other bloggers did not want to have a discussion regarding color arousal politics, or a national conversation on blogger color arousal and the continuing blogger divide. I Guess francis Holland is in many ways right.

The New Organizing Institutes' Blogger Summit has begun a real national conversation with bloggers about the blogger divide. Leading in that conversation included black bloggers like Pam Spaulding from Pam's House Blend, Citizen Journalist, Faye Anderson of Anderson at Large. Barantunde from Jack and Jill Politics, Gabriel from the Color of Change , Brandon Q, from The Super Spade, Field Negro, and Kevin Myles, president of the Wichita Branch of the NAACP.

Now the question is whether the Pseudo-Progressive 'A list' bloggers like DailyKos, MYDD, and others will continue the conversation started by Pam Spaulding, Steve Gilliard, Louis Pagan, Chris Rabb, Earl Dunovant, Francis L. Holland and others. Recently continued by The New Organizing Institutes' Blogger Summit. The engagement in a national conversation on Color arousal/Race and the Blogger Divide is a critical conversation. Or will this just be allowed to fester, because we can't handle the truth?

Hat Tip to all the bloggers who held it down, and worked to address the issue of the continuing blogger divide. Folks like, Liza, Francis L. Holland, Louis Pagan, Chris Rabb, and Earl Dunovant.

Geraldine Ferraro Is Trying to Divide Democrats Along Color Lines

2008-03-12T09:52:00.001-07:00

AAPP: Well the former closet bigot, now out of the closet bigot, racist Surrogate and Fox News contributor, former 1984 vice presidential candidate who helped Walter Mondale lose 49 states, Geraldine Ferraro stood by her controversial and racist comments about Sen. Barack Obama's presidential candidacy today. to this AAPPundit It appears that Ferraro and Hillary are working to divide the Democratic party along racial lines.

"I am sorry that people think this was a racist comment," Ferraro said in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America."

The white female Affirmative Action candidate of the 1980's declined to apologize for the firestorm she created when she told a newspaper last week that "if Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position."

Get this, She told Sawyer she was "absolutely not" sorry for what she said.

(Getty Images/AP Photo)

Hillary Clinton and her token negro has ignored Geraldine Ferraro's bigoted and racist statements saying to a reporter in an interview with ABC News affiliate WHTM, "Well, I don't agree with that and I think it's important that we try to stay focused on issues that matter to the American people."

I guess racial hatred and bigotry within her campaign organization is not important to Hillary Clinton. I'm in agreement with Pam Spaulding, when she wrote, has the Clinton team gone stark raving mad? I also wonder Since When Has It Been Lucky To Be Black In America? get this now Ferraro says: “They’re attacking me because I’m white!” Hey, I'm also beginning to wonder why do (some) feminists hate Barack Obama? But, guess what, one of my favorite bloggers just might be right when he wrote, Oh, She Just Hates Black Men. Ferraro's has a long history of this crap.

Speaking of long history, Look at the long campaign history of Hillary and Company playing the race card through racial hatred towards Obama specifically and black folks in general:

Shuck and Jive

Clinton Supporter Andrew Cuomo, Referring To Obama, Said "You Can't Shuck
And Jive At A Press Conference. All Those Moves You Can Make With The Press
Don't Work When You're In Someone's Living Room." Clinton-supporting New
York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said the thing that's great about New
Hampshire is that you have to go out and meet people rather than "shuck and
jive" through press conferences there. Cuomo said of New Hampshire on an
Albany radio station: "It's not a TV-crazed race. Frankly, you can't buy
your way into it. You can't shuck and jive at a press conference. All those
moves you can make with the press don't work when you're in someone's living
room." [Newsday, 1/11/08]

Martin Luther King/Lydon Johnson Comparsion

Clinton, Criticizing Obama For Promising "False Hope" Said That While MLK Jr. Spoke On Behalf Of Civil Rights, President Lyndon Johnson Was The One Who Got Legislation Passed: "It Took A President To Get It Done." Clinton rejoined the running argument over hope and "false hope" in an interview in Dover this afternoon, reminding Fox's Major Garrett that while Martin Luther King Jr. spoke on behalf of civil rights, President Lyndon Johnson was the one who got the legislation passed. Hillary was asked about Obama's rejoinder that there's something vaguely un-American about dismissing hopes as false, and that it doesn't jibe with the careers of figures like John F. Kennedy and King. "Dr. King's dream began to be realized when President
Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act," Clinton said. "It took a president to get it done." [Politico, 1/7/08; Video]

Clinton Introducer Said JFK Gave Hope, But Was Assassinated. Clinton introducer: "If you look back, some people have been comparing one of the other candidates to JFK and he was a wonderful leader, he gave us a lot of hope but he was assassinated and Lyndon Baines Johnson actually did all his work and got the republicans to pass all those measures." [HRC, Dover, NH,
1/7/08] AUDIO ATTACHED

Nelson Mandela

Bill Clinton Implied Hillary Clinton Is Stronger Than Nelson Mandela. "I have been blessed in my life to know some of the greatest figures of the last hundred years. [...] 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 wouldpick Hillary.'" [ABC News, 1/7/08; Audio]

Drug Use

Clinton's NH Campaign Chair Raised The Youthful Drug Use Of Obama And Said It Would "Open The Door To Further Queries On The Matter." Clinton's Campaign Issued A Statement Distancing Themselves From Shaheen's Comments And Shaheen Issued A Statement Saying That He "Deeply Regret[s] The Comments." The Democratic presidential race took on a decidedly nasty and personal turn, with the New Hampshire co-chair for Clinton, raising the
youthful drug use of Obama. Shaheen said Obama's having been so open -- as opposed to then-Gov. George W. Bush, who refused to detail his past drug use during his 2000 presidential campaign -- will "open the door to further queries on the matter. It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome." By the end of the day, Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer had issued a statement asserting that "these comments were not authorized or condoned by the campaign in any way." And Shaheen himself issued a statement: "I deeply regret the comments I made today and they were not authorized by the
campaign in any way." [ABC News, 12/12/07]

Mark Penn, In Trying To Defend His Campaign Over Bill Shaheen's Obama Drug Use Comments, Used The Word "Cocaine," Drawing A Rebuke From Edwards Adviser Joe Trippi. Mark Penn, defending the Clinton campaign in light of Bill Shaheen's comments about Obama's drug use, repeatedly referenced Obama's cocaine use. Edwards adviser Joe Trippi accused Penn of dropping the word "cocaine" deliberately. Mark Penn said "Well, I think we have made clear
that the -- the issue related to cocaine use is not something that the campaign was in any way raising. And I think that has been made clear. I think this kindergarten thing was a joke after Senator." Joe Trippie responded and said "I think he just did it again. He just did it again. ...
This guy's been filibustering on this. He just said cocaine again." [Politico, 12/13/07; Video]

Fairy Tale

Donna Brazile Lashed Into Bill Clinton For Comparing Obama To A "Fairy Tale" And Said "It's An Insult... As An African-American" And That His Tone And Words Are "Very Depressing." Donna Brazile lit into Bill Clinton over his insulting comments of Obama, where he called him a "fairy tale" and said "I could understand his frustration at this moment. But, look, he shouldn't
take out all his pain on Barack Obama. It's time that they regroup. Figure out what Hillary needs to do to get her campaign back on track. It sounds like sour grapes coming from the former commander in chief. Someone that many Democrats hold in high esteem. For him to go after Obama, using a fairy tale, calling him as he did last week. It's an insult. And I will tell you, as an African-American, I find his tone and his words to be very depressing. ... I think his tone, I think calling Barack Obama a kid, he is a United States senator." [Politico, 1/8/08]

Cross posted on African American Political Pundit

More HERE

Hillary Clinton is a Color Aroused, Ignorant, Arrogant, Illogical and Condescending Race Baiter

2008-03-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

AAPP: I get what Hillary Clinton and her surrogates, including, NBC are doing and saying to Obama: Get on the back of the bus! Boy!

Hillary and company are saying, Black folks have not payed their dues. Obama, you may be leading in the number of delegates, the number of votes, and the number of state primaries won, but your only able to be Vice President Obama, and I Hillary Clinton, make the decision if you will be President of these here United States - Not The American People! I am so glad Obama is not hearing that get to the back of the bus conversation. She is illogical.

Check out the article by Mike Downing on How Clinton camp justifies Obama as VP

Does Hillary Clinton believe Barack Obama is good enough to be a heartbeat away from the presidency but still a second-rate choice for commander-in-chief?

As Clinton’s campaign simultaneously questions Obama’s readiness to be commander-in-chief and enthusiastically promotes him as a vice-presidential choice should she win the nomination, a Clinton surrogate this morning made the unusual argument that Obama is “qualified” to be a heartbeat away from the presidency but still falls far short of Clinton’s readiness for the job.

Tim Russert, moderator for “Meet the Press,” bored in on the seeming inconsistency in questioning Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, a surrogate who appeared on behalf of the Clinton campaign.

While the Clinton campaign’s recent rhetoric suggests that Obama may not meet the standard of readiness voters would expect in a commander-in-chief, Rendell argued that Obama is in fact “ready” for the job.

Still, according to Rendell, his candidate’s "dream" vice-presidential pick is “not nearly as ready as Hillary Clinton is, there's no question about that.”

Here is the exchange:

RUSSERT: Would--do you think that Barack Obama would be acceptable as vice president?

RENDELL: Acceptable? I think it would be a dream to Democrats all over this country. Personally, for me, it would be a great ticket. I mean, I'm going to fight hard for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, whoever the candidate is. But put them together and I think it would give America a rare opportunity to experience something just incredibly wonderful.

RUSSERT: So, if you believe he's acceptable as vice president, one heartbeat away from the presidency, you believe that Barack Obama is qualified to be commander in chief.

RENDELL: I think he's qualified. I don't think he's as good a potential commander in chief right now as Hillary Clinton is. But I certainly think he's qualified. And I will work my heart out for him if he's our nominee, just as I know Tom will work his heart out for Senator Clinton if she's our nominee.

RUSSERT: It--that seems to be in conflict with some things that you have said and what Hillary Clinton has said. On Wednesday you sent out a statement from the Clinton campaign that says, "We want a president who's ready, not one we hope will one day be ready," suggesting Barack Obama is not ready. Hillary Clinton said this on Monday. Let's listen.

(Videotape)

CLINTON: I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.

(End videotape)
RUSSERT: And she went on to offer these observations about a threshold for commander in chief. Let's listen.

(Videotape, Thursday)

CLINTON: I think it's imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander in chief threshold, and I believe that I've done that. Certainly Senator McCain has done that. And, and you'll have to ask Senator Obama with respect to his candidacy.

(End videotape)

RUSSERT: So, Governor Rendell, if Barack Obama's qualified to be vice president, he has crossed the commander in chief threshold. Correct?

RENDELL: Well, I, I think he's ready. He's not nearly as ready as Hillary Clinton is, there's no question about that. But, look, make no mistake about it, he's a talented, dynamic politician and, and a, and a good senator, and I think he would make a fine president. Again, is he as experienced and as ready as Hillary Clinton? Nobody is. Tim, I've been talking to Democratic candidates since 1980, and Hillary Clinton is the best-prepared candidate I've ever talked to. Far better prepared than Bill Clinton was in 1992.

RUSSERT: But if, in fact, there's a possibility Obama may be the Democratic nominee, would it be better, in the interest of the Democratic Party, that the Clintons not suggest that he hasn't passed the threshold to be commander in chief?

RENDELL: Well, sure. Look, there, there's rhetoric in a campaign on all, on all sides, and I, I think the, the issue should be framed as ready compared to Hillary Clinton. And, and that's the way I would frame the issue going forward. To me, there's no contest. I don't think--it's not Barack Obama's fault. I think almost any of the other candidates would have fallen into the same category, ready but not as ready as Hillary
Clinton.

AAPP: No matter how many votes a black man has, Hillary would rather have us get to the back of the bus. Thank God Obama is having none of this color aroused nonsense and has told Hillary to dream on.

Link: sevenload.com

Personally I seriously wonder why Hillary and her surrogates seem to want America to go back to this period in American history (pictured below).

Ku Klux Klansmen beat black bystander George Webb in the Birmingham Trailways bus station, May 14, 1961. The man with his back to the camera (center right) is FBI undercover agent Gary Thomas Rowe. Oxford University Press

Saturday Night LIVE, SNL, Barack on SNL, Hillary on SNL, Racist Saturday Night Live, Color Arousal, and Barack Obams' Blueprint To Win The Nomination

2008-03-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Look out Barack Obama, NBC and MSNBC are "coming at you" with Saturday Night Live (SNL), creating Sambo-Obama skits, Cartoons, and other negative articles.This is the second time in which SNL have run negative skits on Barack obama, and there will be some who will watch the recent weeks of fairly brutal comedy skits towards Barack Obama, and love it. There are others that see SNL as hitting a new low, as a Hillary Media Puppet.

The fact of the matter is SNL saved Clinton's campaign. 'Saturday Night Live' has been stumping for Hillary for a third week in a Row.

It would be great to see how many of the NBC writers contributed to Hillary Clinton.

I'm thankful that Billary's Saturday Night Live (SNL) Strategy didn't work in Wyoming as Barack Obama kicked team Billary's butt in the Wyoming Democratic presidential caucuses.

As reported in The Washington Post, the Clinton campaign painted the Wyoming results as a better-than-expected showing for the New York senator.

Check out Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post. He has it down on a Obama's Blueprint for Victory. Earlier in the week, he laid out the blueprint Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) could follow to win the nomination. Today he offered a nomination-winning blueprint for Sen. Barack Obama. I Agree with his assessment.

The Obama Blueprint

1. Math Matters: The stark reality of the remaining contests is unless Clinton can win 60 plus percent of the vote in each, she is unlikely to overtake Obama in the battle for pledged delegates. That means that at the end of the nominating season (Montana and South Dakota on June 3 now that Puerto Rico has moved to June 1), it will take a significant majority of the superdelegates for Clinton to wind up as the nominee. Those are the hard numbers and they ain't likely to change. The mistake the Obama campaign made in the runup to the Ohio-Texas Two-Step is mistaking the math for a message. The math can be a compelling argument when it comes to superdelegates ("To choose Clinton is to subvert the will of voters") but average people are not swayed by the fact that the Illinois Senator has a nearly impenetrable lead among pledged delegates.

2. Fight Back (Politely): Although Obama said on Tuesday that he was happy with his campaign's strategy leading into the Ohio-Texas elections, it's clear that Clinton's decision to hit him hard on national security paid dividends. While Obama's message of hope and transformational politics has served him well to date, the endgame in the Ohio-Texas Two-Step suggests that it may be time to fight more of a trench warfare battle from here on out. The issue for Obama, of course, is that he has promised a different sort of campaign and runs the risk, if he is perceived as going negative, of losing some of the support he has built to date. The solution? Fight back in the most polite terms possible -- praising Clinton as an able public servant and the questions being raised as legitimate avenues of inquiry that Obama himself has had to answer. Asked about the campaign's new strategy on a conference call earlier this week, chief Obama strategist David Axelrod said: "This is not a decision to go negative. This is an attempt to see to it that both campaigns are held to the same yardstick."

3. What Are You Hiding?: The first e-mail from the Obama campaign that arrived in The Fix inbox following the Ohio-Texas Two-Step called on Clinton to release her tax returns. But, on a conference call later Wednesday, Axelrod broadened the argument -- and in the process provided a window into the wider Obama strategy in the race. Axelrod called Clinton a "habitual non-discloser" and then later said that she has a "history on non-disclosure." Axelrod never mentioned Whitewater, the controversy over the Clinton White House travel office or the behind-closed-doors health care commission that Clinton chaired in the 1990s. He didn't have to. Expect Obama and his surrogates to trumpet the message of Clinton as secretive over the coming weeks -- using her unwillingness to release her tax returns as a symbol of a broader pattern of non-disclosure during her years in political life. Clinton's campaign has effectively leveraged the good times of her husband's presidency to their benefit; Obama will now seek to convince voters that not everything was rosy during the 1990s.

4. Guilt the Press: Clinton effectively argued with the press over the final week before March 4, repeatedly suggesting that Fourth Estate was going easy on Obama. In politics, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; by Wednesday, the Obama campaign was urging the media to more closely examine the claims of the Clinton campaign. "We are going to ask you guys to do your jobs," said Axelrod. Will this reverse-guilt tripping of the press work for Obama in the coming months?

5. Electability is Essential: With Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) as the official Republican nominee, Obama and his campaign will urge voters to think about the remainder of the primary race through the frame of the November election. In his speech on Tuesday night, Obama briefly congratulated Clinton but then devoted a considerable chunk of his speech to the differences between him and McCain -- a subtle signal that Obama is still preparing for a general election race. In the days following Tuesday's votes, his campaign also sought to re-invigorate the storyline that Republicans so hate Clinton that they will be motivated -- regardless of the national political environment -- to turn out and vote against her in the fall. "There's a reason Rush Limbaugh was urging Republicans to cross over and vote for Hillary Clinton in Texas," said Axelrod earlier this week.

As we wrote in the Clinton blueprint, the greatest fear among Democrats is that they will somehow miss a golden opportunity to take back the White House in 2008. Clinton is pushing hard on the idea that Obama's relative dearth of foreign policy experience makes him a risk. Obama will counter with the idea that Clinton is so divisive that nominating her represents the far greater risk.

AAPP: Sounds like a winning blueprint for Barack Obama to me. I had some of the same thoughts in my recent post, An Open Letter To Barack Obama What do you think? Is it a good blueprint?

From One Black Man to Another, An Open Letter to Brack Obama

2008-03-06T05:43:00.001-08:00

Dear Senator Obama, Don't Let Hillary paint you into a box.

Don't act Like Al Gore, and those two other Democrats from my home town of Massachusetts, who showed no balls and just sat back and let the Republicans beat them to pieces. Do you want the Presidency or not? If you do, you will have to fight for it. Nice guys in politics finish last. stop being Mr. Nice guy and go after Hillary and her corn-ball husband, color aroused husband, and her ignorant black supporters.

Her husband (Bill) created that NAFTA mess and she is running from her own voting past. She voted for Bush’s war on Iraq, she voted for Bush’s USA Patriot Act, she voted to reauthorize Bush’s USA Patriot Act, she opposed the international treaty to ban land mines, and she supported Israel’s massive military assault on the civilian infrastructure of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip which took the lives of over 1,000 civilians, half of whom were children. And get this, Hillary Clinton couldn’t be bothered to read the NIE before casting her pro-Iraq war vote. Enough is enough - Don't let the King pins of the democratic party steal this one from you.

As blogger, John K Wilson noted in his post, The Case Against Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee appears to be the primary hope Republicans have left to win in November. Rush Limbaugh declared, "Most of our guys want to run against Hillary....it’s a gold mine."(October 22, 2007) Michael Reagan wrote, "let her cruise her way to the nomination so we Republicans can have the pleasure of dissecting her in the general election campaign." If Hillary is the nominee, millions of conservatives and independents who hate her will donate money and come out to vote, people who otherwise might stay home out of disgust with the Republican Party. A Hillary nomination might cost Democrats the presidency, but even if she wins, these reverse coattails will almost certainly cost Democrats several House and Senate seats. In the current political environment, Democrats should easily win the presidency in a landslide and gain a strong majority in Congress. But if Hillary Clinton is nominated, Democrats will be rolling the dice and hoping that she can overcome the tidal wave of hatred against her."

I agree with John. Senator Obama, Get busy and fight hard. They have slung some mud, and they have only begun. The question is, what will you do?

AAPP

Election 08, Daivid Pompeii, Black Folks, Black Voters.Barack Obama

2008-03-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

Check out this video (below) by David Pompeii. He is a LA based comic who has many TV and Film credits. He works with a group called Election08. They created a video called "John.he.is" that received over 1,460,000 hits on Youtube as of today. They have been featured on CNN, Nightline, Huffington Post, Newsweek and more. This brother creates Afrocenetric, satirical, politically slanted videos in support of the Black community.

Also check out his website at:

www.davidpompeii.com

Speaking of Tavis Smiley, and other negroes, black self hating, sell outs, and color aroused traitors

2008-02-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

It's the Tavis Smiley Show, or better stated Attack Obama in support of Hillary Clinton Show. Your program host, who else ...Tavis Smiley.

It's all over the media, Black Journalist Tavis Smiley is under attack for criticizing Obama.

Just because Tavis Smiley says he has received death threats does not mean it is true. I take his comments with a grain of salt.

Quite candidly, someone may have been trying to get in touch with him and called his moms house. He may have also got insulted with that, and is now saying even his mother is getting phone calls. I take what Tavis says at face value. Tavis is a book seller, and is proving himself to be a Clinton kiss up. His "Executive Decision" to not allow Sen. Barack Obama's wife to speak at "HIS" event, shows me that it is "His" event."

If Tavis had reached out to previous participants of "his event, " or did an on-line survey on "His" website, I'm sure that the overwhelming majority of participants would say, Let Michelle Obama speak on behalf of her husband. But that is not what his self serving, black self hating, echo told him to do. He wanted Barack to come kiss his ring, just like so many other alleged black leaders want him to do. I'm glad that there are many non-politically correct sisters and brothers that are calling Tavis on it.

Yes, I personally call some self hating blacks - negroes, black self haters, wannabes, traitors and other things too. The fact of the matter is blacks in America have a history of having negroes, wannabes, haters, traitors, and people who have sold out our communities.

Ask any former Black Panther, ask any black political prisoner in America or abroad, ask any black folk who where forced out of major cities throughout America, if they were sold a bill of goods, many times self appointed black leaders, like Tavis who sold them down the drain, yes, black self haters, wannabes, haters and traitors. While at the same time most people stayed quiet because it was politically correct to challenge.

Robert Johnson of BET fame is a self hating, traitor, sell-out, negro. Anyone who says Bob Johnson is a great man, is a negro that is out of his or her mind. Bob Johnson is the ultimate sell out. Former UN Ambassador Andrew Young is a Walmart lackey, who has also has turned out to to be a disgrace. The way he disrespected black women by saying Bill Clinton has had sex with more black woman than Obama. Ouch! Is anyone listening? Tavis Smiley like Julian Bond is becoming just another lackey for the Clinton's. Yes I said it.

Through our history there have been Negroes who are nothing less that black self hating traitors, who have joined others by sucking the life blood of our communities. Whether it be political traitors (acting black and working with others on the gentrification of urban communities through gentrification initiatives). Self haters who could care less about their own people. Yes, there have been revolutionaries who joined the fight for freedom even before the Boston Massacre. From Jamestown to black wall Street, there were blacks that fought the good fight, build education systems and economic opportunities for our own, then there were black folks who were stripped of their identity and self and disgraced themselves and there people.

This blogger, will call out political traitors, haters, and Negroes who are more interested in self promotion than self uplift. I have paid my dues 50 times over to be able to do this. I have never been politically correct, and candidly could care less if someone disagrees with my opinion or observations. Maybe it's time for Tavis smiley to start hating on Obama. Maybe it's time to Celebrate African-American history now in the making. But that would be to easy for Tavis, he wants Obama to kiss his ring first. Check out what other bloggers are saying.

Audio: Tavis Smiley Calls Out Barack Obama
Tavis to Michelle Obama: Thanks, But No Thanks
Screw A Tavis Smiley - Boycott That Negro

Black Leadership Self Hatred and The Obama Campaign

2008-02-17T14:51:00.001-08:00

I Just finished reading an article by Darryl Fears in the washingtonpost.com. In the article he talks about Tavis Smiley, the bestselling author of the "Covenant With Black America," and how Tavis is being "hammered," "barbecued," and is "catching hell" from black Americans for suggesting that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made a major mistake by declining to speak at the State of the Black Union event that Smiley plans to host next week in New Orleans.

Here is the article and my thoughts, highlighted in red. Based on what I'm reading and hearing, Tavis is another Black Crab hating on Obama.

Black Commenter, Criticizing Obama, Causes Firestorm
By Darryl Fears, The Washington Post

Photo of Tavis Smiley

"There's all this talk of hater, sellout and traitor," Smiley said to me in a telephone interview. Smiley even mentioned getting death threats, but wouldn't elaborate. He said his office has been flooded with angry e-mails. "I have family in Indianapolis. They are harassing my momma, harassing my brother. It's getting to be crazy," Smiley said.

AAPP: If this is true, this regretful, inappropriate and unlawful.

Smiley's problems started early this month after he invited Obama to speak at the State of the Black Union, an event Smiley founded nine years ago. Held annually during Black History Month and broadcast by C-Span, the event gathers a Who's Who of black intellectuals, pundits, activists, entertainers and politicians to discuss and brainstorm about where black America is and where it is headed. This year's topic is "Reclaiming Our Democracy, Deciding Our Future."

The State of the Black Union has grown into a key event for black people since its start, but as Smiley has discovered, Obama's presidential run is far more highly regarded.

As the first black person to have a legitimate shot at a presidential nomination, defeating Sen. Hillary Clinton's rich campaign juggernaut, Obama is virtually a third civil rights movement, the manifestation of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. His candidacy has produced a fervor in black America born of centuries of wanting. Nearly every black vote that Clinton thought was hers at the beginning of the race has been siphoned by Obama.

Each of the presidential candidates were invited to speak, but only Sen. Hillary Clinton accepted. Clinton is desperate to bolster her flagging campaign with a larger share of the black vote after losing all but a small percent to Obama. Smiley said he wants the candidates to focus on the issues that black Americans care about.

AAPP: Hillary is the only candidate who needs to convince black voters to stop voting for Obama and vote for her. Hillary will be glad take a few pictures with you Tavis. I'm sure Bill Clinton will be willing to show up too. He sure would be glad to tell some black jokes and make some more color aroused statements against Barack Obama. Maybe Hillary will bring out some other surrogates like Robert Johnson or Andrew Young. I'm also sure Hillary will also bring her new black female campaign manager around. If that won't work, maybe Hillary can dig up some family members of Lyndon B. Johnson to let black folks know how unimportant MLK was to the Civil rights movement. But then again, with Hillary in the house, talking black, giving her southern drawl, and a few photo ops, maybe you can get some photo ops for a new book. "Hating on Barack - My 11th hour effort to create discourse with black folks and Brack Obama."

If the blogosphere is any reflection, however, black America believes Smiley should check his ego. Commenters would much rather see Obama campaigning against Clinton in Texas and Ohio than at Smiley's confab in Louisiana, a state he's already won. Critics burned up Internet chat rooms, taking turns at denouncing Smiley. Pundit Melissa Harris-Lacewell, an Obama supporter, authored a biting anti-Smiley opinion on TheRoot.com (which is owned by Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive), entitled, "Who Died and Made Him King?"

AAPP: I agree, smiley appears to be involved in a little bit of old school self-hatred as far as I am concerned.

A fan of Smiley commented on one blog, saying, "Tavis, Ya Killin' Me, Man." An angrier writer headlined his comment, "This is just dumb." "This man is involved in the fight of his life for the presidency of the UNITED STATES, not black states," he wrote of Obama. "I don't know if Tavis got the memo, but Hillary is leading in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the governor said that his white folks won't vote for a black." Other comments would likely be blocked by Net Nanny and can't be printed on the Web pages of a family newspaper.

For Smiley, the tumult is a major turnabout. Until now he was a darling commentator in black America. His passion for the people endeared him to many. People listened to his commentaries on the popular Tom Joyner Morning Show, and snapped up so many copies of the "Covenant" that it made the top ten lists of the both the New York Times and the Washington Post. When Smiley talked, black people listened.

AAPP: I agree, at this point Tavis seems to be more to be interested in selling books, and being the "Journalism king of Black America." Although Obama may change his mind and attend, I'm with Obama on this one. Obama needs to continue to get busy and campaign where he need to get undecided votes. Don't listen to the self-hating black folk, even those who sell a lot of books and talk the talk.

"One of my friends said, 'you are being barbecued in the blogosphere,'" Smiley said. He told Black America Web writer Michael Cottman's that "I'm catching hell." In our interview, Smiley said: "This is the first time in my entire career that I have found myself in this kind of relationship with some folk in black America. I now know what it feels like to have the weight of the Internet world bearing down on you. Man, it's an eye opener when you get caught in the middle of it."

AAPP: look in the mirror Tavis, this election is bigger than you!

Obama's campaign said he called Smiley twice on his cell and office phones. Smiley said he returned the calls but got no response.

On the Tom Joyner Morning Show recently, Joyner brought up the controversy during an interview with Obama, relating how Smiley was taking heat for saying he thinks Obama doesn't want to talk about issues black people care about.

Obama chastised Smiley, but spoke as if the two were friends. "I'm going to have to call Tavis up and straighten him out on this," Obama said. He said he's addressed issues that Smiley cares about, such as health care and eliminating the legal sentencing disparity that allows judges to send mostly black crack cocaine offenders to prison with sentences that are five times longer than powder cocaine offenders who are mostly white and Latino.

Obama followed up with a letter to Smiley, dated Feb. 13. In it, Obama explained why he declined the invitation, saying that he needed to campaign in states that Clinton must win to in order to topple her candidacy.

AAPP: Hey Tavis, Obama is right, get over it!

"I will be on the campaign trail every day in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly to voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum such as affordable housing, economic opportunity, civil rights and foreign policy," Obama said in his letter. He had offered to have his wife, Michelle, speak in his stead at the State of the Black Union, but Smiley had declined. "I ask that you reconsider," Obama wrote. "Michelle is a powerful voice for the type of reach change America is hungry for."

Smiley responded in a commentary on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, condemning Obama's decision with his usual strong, passionate, rapid-fire delivery. He recounted the gist of his statement in the interview. "I think it is a miscalculation on his part not to appear and a missed opportunity."

AAPP: Hey Tavis Smiley, there you go with that, "I'm more important" than the people of America that Obama needs to convince to vote for him stuff. In the big picture of this campaign, your not as important, this time around. No photo op for you and Obama this time.

"I love Barack Obama and I love black people," Smiley said. "I celebrate his past accomplishments and I celebrate his future aspirations. I never wanted to stand in the path of his growth."

However, he said, "My job is to ask the critical question, to raise these issues and keep these guys focused. There are some people who are disappointed that I'm not jumping up and down saying, 'Vote for Barack Obama.' That's not my role as a journalist. That's not what I do."

AAPP: Whatever! Enjoy the kiss up and photo op with Team Clinton. This is nothing more than old school, black leadership self hatred against Barack Obama. Just another Crab in the basket.

Note: I will be discussing this tonight (Sunday) on:
African American Political Pundit's - "Late Night Black Political Slugfest"

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

Join me for my "Late Night Black Political Slugfest.
Every Sunday night at 11:00 p.m. ET.

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

It's a late night black political slugfest for grown folks,
Bloggers and Internet political junkies.

Hillary to Black Men, Black Women, and Democratic Activist "You Don't Matter"

2008-02-12T00:44:00.000-08:00

AAPP: I watched CNN in amazement yesterday afternoon as Hillary Clinton dismissed her weekend losses. It's clear that Hillary Clinton has a strategy of continuing her color aroused campaign. She continues to bring up at every opportunity that Obama is Black, as he beats her and Bill in more states with large white populations.

AAPP: " Hillary is truly becoming a modern day American political campaigning disgrace, saying essentially that 'Democratic activists' and black voters don't matter. Hillary and Bill are truly showing their deep down color aroused feelings regarding black America. It truly seems to be deep rooted and just plain angry."

Both John Aravosis (DC) from the blog America Blogs and the Daily Kos are covering the story.

Here is what Hillary had to say today about you 'activists' and blacks who vote in the Democratic primaries. You see, you don't really count.

Hillary Clinton on Monday explained away Barack Obama's clean sweep of the weekend's caucuses and primaries as a product of a caucus system that favors "activists" and, in the case of the Louisiana primary, an energized African-American community.

She told reporters who had gathered to watch her tour a General Motors plant here that "everybody knew, you all knew, what the likely outcome of these recent contests were."...

Noting that "my husband never did well in caucus states either," Clinton argued that caucuses are "primarily dominated by activists" and that "they don't represent the electorate, we know that."

The DailyKos notes:

One of the hilarious side-effects of every Obama victory is the spin from Clinton quarters and its surrogates and supporters explaining why said victories "don't matter".

Iowa didn't matter because it was a caucus state, and it's undemocratic. Same goes for every other caucus state including Maine. The only caucus state that mattered was Nevada.

Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Alaska, and Utah don't matter because they're small Red states that Democrats won't carry in November.

Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana don't matter because they have black people. Expect the same spin out of DC this Tuesday. Black people don't apparently count.

Washington and Minnesota don't matter because they have educated white people.

In any case, Washington, Nebraska, and Louisiana didn't matter on Saturday because everyone expected Obama to win them anyway.

Virginia and Maryland, assuming they're won by Obama, will be a combination of the "black people" and "educated people" rationalizations. Throw a little of "Obama was expected to win anyway", and you've got the trifecta.

Illinois doesn't matter because that's Obama's home state. Expect the same spin when Obama wins Hawaii by double-digit margins in two weeks.

Missouri doesn't matter because Clinton sent out a press release claiming she won it.

Colorado was a caucus state, so that leaves Delaware and Connecticut. Those are the only two states that apparently matter, giving Hillary Clinton a commanding 10-2 lead among states that matter.

One final line of attack used to minimize Obama's victories is the notion that "he can't win states without his base", his base of course being African Americans, white yuppies, and Red state Democrats. More HERE

AAPP: It has become more and more obvious that Billary has color arousal issues with a black man running against her and winning. It's also obvious to this African American Political Pundit that Hillary supports her own political abortion when she makes statements like she did yesterday. I guess the Obama/Hillary ticket won't happen. And that may just be a good thing for the Democrats. If Hillary wins the nomination, blacks may just stay home."

The Tipping Point, Superdelegates, Obama, Billary and Democracy in America

2008-02-08T02:28:00.001-08:00

AAPP: The Democratic Party and/or its Superdelegates, just may try to shut Barack Obama out of the Presidency. It's the color scheme stupid.

The writing is on the wall. Denver may be the scene of another 1968 like Democratic National Convention. That's if superdelegates, party leaders, members of congress and other VIP's get an automatic vote on the Democratic Convention floor for a brokered convention. Meaning the winner of the pledged delegates who represent the popular votes across America (which will probably be Obama) loses to the candidate who has the most superdelegates (which will probably be Billary Clinton). So, America, it would appear the Fix just might be in. The Democratic Party and/or its Superdelegates, just may try to shut Obama out of the Presidency. This should alarm the American Democratic electorate. It just may cause a Revolt against the Democratic Party rules not seen since the days of Fanny Lou Hammer and Hubert Humphrey.

This has the makings of ugly Democratic Politics that may destroy allegiances of progressive voters to the Democratic Party. The question many black bloggers, including the blog What About Our Daughters is asking; Will Barack Obama pull a "Fannie Lou Hamer" or Will he take ne for the team?

But it's just not black bloggers, as John DeSio writes in the Village Voice "Barack Obama’s is locked in a virtual tie for convention delegates with slim delegate lead over Hillary Clinton, but Democratic Party rules could still shut him out of the presidential nomination despite his strong performance in the primaries."

John Desio goes on to write, "At issue are so-called “superdelegates,” former and current elected officials and other Democratic power-players who are appointed as delegates to the party’s national convention and can choose their preferred candidate with no regard for how their state has voted. New York’s superdelegates include, among others, former President Bill Clinton, United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and every Democratic member of the State’s congressional delegation.

Within the primary voting system Obama has put together a small lead over Clinton, with 635 delegates compared to her 630, according to CNN, though other counts vary. But Clinton has maintained a strong majority of those superdelegates that have made their official pledge, and leads Obama 783-709 when those numbers are factored in (other superdelegate counts give Clinton a larger lead.)

Obama is well aware of the disparity and has sent a message to the Democratic establishment on those superdelegates, stating that they "would have to think long and hard about how they approach the nomination when the people they claim to represent have said, 'Obama's our guy.'" Obama’s message is clear: do not subvert the will of the people.

The superdelegate system used by the Democrats was put into effect during the 1970’s, as a means for party officials to maintain their influence in the face of reforms that arose from the 1972 presidential campaign of former senator and liberal stalwart George McGovern, said Tom De Luca ,a professor of political science at Fordham University.

The superdelegates are bound to nothing but their own opinions, said De Luca, and make up a strong 20 percent of the total Democratic delegate count of 4,049. Should Clinton’s lead among superdelegates vault her to the nomination, despite her defeat to Obama at the hands of the people, it could mean trouble for Democrats in November.

“I think it would be very, very bad for the Democrats,” said De Luca. “It might really demobilize some of the Obama constituency in the November election, which could well be very close.”

Harlem State Senator Bill Perkins was the first New York elected official to forsake his hometown senator and endorse Obama’s campaign, and he too is concerned that the will of the people could be cast aside at the convention, all in the name of party politics. Obama’s campaign is one of hope, said Perkins, and those hopes could be dashed by the superdelegate system, shutting Obama out of his rightful nomination “not on the basis of merit.” More here

I agree with David Sirota and his Huffington post article, A Short-Term Solution to the Potential Superdelegate Problem, Americans need to find out who their Superdelegates are in their state, and then start putting pressure on them. As David said, We've got to get ahead of this thing before the horse-trading and backroom dealing starts. We have to watch out and make sure Billary Clinton does not try to buy or steal the election. The message needs to be sent out. Superdelegates: We Are Watching You

AAPP: Here is more historic information on the Superdelegates.

Superdelegates

Who: A superdelegate is a Democratic Party representative who carries an independent vote going into a national convention. He or she can be a former elected, or party, official or a current officeholder. A superdelegate is not bound to vote in line with party primary elections or caucus decisions.

How many: The Democratic Party has just fewer than 800 superdelegates headed to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The exact number of superdelegates is fluid until March 1. They will account for about 20 percent of delegate voting at the convention.

The GOP: The Republicans give each state and protectorate three unpledged delegates: the state party chair, a committeeman and a committeewoman. Also, there are some GOP state parties, such as Colorado's, whose primaries or caucuses are meant to guide pledged delegates but do not bind them to the popular vote.

History: In 1984, Walter Mondale persuaded the Democratic Party to create superdelegates while running as the party's establishment candidate. The Republican system evolved after reforms in both parties in 1972.

Why: Democrats banned winner- takes-all contests in the 1980s to apportion support so that underdog candidates had a fighting chance. But the invention also shelters party front-runners from being overwhelmed by unknown candidates who surge from behind. The real aim is to head off protracted fights on the convention floor, keeping some power for party insiders.

Source: DenverPost.com

Black Super Delegates

2008-02-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

Black SuperDelegates: If your voting constituency in your district voted for Barrack Obama, you owe it to your voting constituency to vote for Barack Obama at the National Convention. We know who you endorsed. Have no doubt we are watching your vote! PS: White and Latino SuperDelegates representing black constituencies should do the same. We know who you are too. You will be held politically accountable for your actions

AAPP: Today I received a comment on my blog by one of my readers, wrote: "Black politicians who have pledged their super delegates to Hillary over Obama amounts to a smack in the face to the black electorates. Black super delegates must vote in accordance with the aspirations of their black electorate which has overwhelming decided that they prefer Obama over Hillary. I for one will not vote for any black elected official who casts their super delegate for Hillary when the overwhelming aspiration in my congressional district is for Obama. Black people across the country should put their black leaders on notice. : Black Super Delegates belong to the people black officials represent. Siddhi Shonibare, whoSiddhi Shonibare's remarks were as timely as the article by Judge Greg Mathis who noted in his recent commentary: As the Candidates Cross the U.S. Seeking Votes, Keep your eyes on the super delegates.

Judge Mathis also noted in BlackAmericaWeb Superdelegates are elected officials -- members of the House, senators and others -- who cast votes at the party conventions. Because of their positions as government leaders, they are not bound by the votes of their constituents; they are free to cast a vote for whomever they choose. If a particular candidate can win their support, they can also win the nomination, no matter what that state’s voters decided in their primary elections.

For example, a candidate could come in second in a large state but, if they have enough superdelegates on their side, they could lock up that state’s nomination.

How does this affect African-Americans? The fight for the Democratic nomination is especially tight and, historically, blacks have voted Democratic because the party generally supports social justice issues that affect our day-to-day lives. If, as a voter, you’ve selected one candidate over another, and so have the rest of the voters in your state, you’d rightly expect them to receive the state’s votes for the nomination. It will be an insult to your sensibilities to learn that, because of behind-the-scenes politicking, the votes instead went to the second place finisher.

The nation’s democratic process will only work if the votes of its citizens truly count. Both the 2000 and 2004 elections have proven to this country what can happen when the voices of the people are ignored.

How can you make sure your state’s superdelegates reflect your interests at the Democratic National Convention in August? Call them. Write them a letter. Send them an email. Let them know you expect them to do their job, which is to reflect your interests as a constituent.

---

Judge Greg Mathis is national vice president of Rainbow PUSH and a national board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The Black Vote: "Super Tuesday" Live Blogging with African American Political Pundit

2008-02-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

This Historic Super Tuesday has Black voters, young and old fired up.

There is plenty of coverage and Live Blogging from across the afrospear
and across America.

You can join African American Political Pundit

As he calls it the way he sees it!

You can also call it the way you see it too!

Join his LIVE Blog discussion starting at 6:00 pm EST

One Night! Super Tuesday!
4 Live Blogging Events

Event
Live Blogging starting at 6PM on Super Tuesday HERE!
(See Broadcast above)

Event

Super Tuesday Rap Up with
African American Political Pundit

Live event: 2/5/2008 11:00 p.m. E.T.

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

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Event
You can also Join
What About Our Daughters
2-hour Super Tuesday podcast beginning at 8:30CST.

Join outstanding journalist, AM McReynolds from the blog, Backyard Beacon as they keep you up to date on the returns as well as offer some unique stories from their prospective as African American women. Make sure you check out Ann's blog. She's a journalist, not a rabble rouser so we should make an interesting pairing.

WAOD Super Tuesday Podcast
Special Edition of the Black Women's Roundtable
8:30PM (CST)- 10:30PM
blogtalkradio.com/blackwomen
Chat, Email or Call: 646-478-4750

***********************************

Event
Dallas South Blog - Super Tuesday Live Blogging

The live blogging on Dallas South blog will start at 8:00 p.m. CST on Super Tuesday.

Link to:
Dallas South Blog - Super Tuesday Live Blog 8:00 p.m. CST

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Black Voters - Super Tuesday Rap Up with African American Political Pundit

2008-02-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

Calling it the way I see it!

Calling it the way You See it!

Two Events on One Night! Super Tuesday!

First Event
Live Blogging starting at 6PM on Super Tuesday HERE!

2nd Event

Super Tuesday Rap Up with African American Political Pundit

Live event: 2/5/2008 11:00 p.m. E.T.

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

African American Political Pundit

Late Night Black Political Slugfest

2008-02-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

Join me for my "Late Night Black Political Slugfest. Every Sunday night at 11:00 p.m. ET.

I'm from Boston, so this week we will even talk about the Superbowl win by the Patriots.

Join in on the conversation. It's a late night black political slugfest for Bloggers and Internet political junkies".

Date / Time: 2/3/2008 11:00 PM

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

Super Tuesday - Live Blogging with African American Political Pundit

2008-01-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

Mark your outlook, blackberry, treo, palm, or plain old calender, Join the conversation. Don't just sit at home watching the results, go to a mall, go to a sports bar, a grille, a family members house, bring your lap top and join our live blog conversation.

Black, Whites, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, join together in South Carolina - Pick Obama

2008-01-27T06:16:00.000-08:00

'Yes we can!'

White Voters and Black Voters joined together in South Carolina last night to smack down the color arousal campaign of Team Clinton in support of the institutional change message of Barack Obama.

In his Victory Speech Obama questioned “the assumption that African-Americans s can’t support the white candidate; whites can’t support the African-America candidate; blacks and Latinos cant come together. He answered: But we are here tonight to say that this is not the America we believe in.

Although Hillary tried to high jack the Obama change message, black, white, latino, and native American voters in South Carolina were not buying the Hillary and Bill Clinton color Arousal politics.

Of course the team Clinton campaign has downplayed the Obama win spinning with their sick color arousal politics of days gone by, discounting the Obama Victory.

Check out the infamous and alleged first wannabe black President Bill Clinton's racist spin: "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in 84 and 88," the former President Bill Clinton told reporters outside a polling station in Columbia. "Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here." Translation? As blogger Mia T noted, The Clintons want people to believe Obama is simply this year's Jesse Jackson. This as Obama gains the endorsement of the Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, Inquirer, and the daughter of former U.S. President John F. Kenndy, Caroline Kennedy.

I can't wait to read the spin of alleged liberal blogs at Mydd, My Left Wing and DailyKos and others who have all been generally supporting Billary Clinton, and refuse to link to black political bloggers.

But then again, I'd rather read Afrospear bloggers take on Barack Obama. The folks at Mydd, My Left Wing and DailyKos pretty much hate on black folks anyway.

Here is a link to Barack Obama’s South Carolina Primary Speech.