House Negro

Honestly, I have to say that I'm not so much disturbed by Barack Obama being called a house negro from somebody halfway around the world. The race baiting and name calling is inevitable. Sticks and stones will be hurled from many different directions.

What bothers me about this is that our forensic scientists can find a carpet fiber in the middle of a field and trace it back to a van that's 10 feet under water and the driver who murdered a stray cat four years earlier and buried it in the back yard. WHY IS IT that we keep getting videos from Al-Qaida, yet no one can seem to track down a 7 foot diabetic Muslim in the hills of Afghanistan? Isn't he ordering insulin from somewhere? You mean to tell me they're hanging out in caves, with a Sony camcorder and the Adobe editing suite, making videos and transmitting them to Al Jazeera tv without a trace? Come on. OnStar can unlock a car from space, but we're supposed to believe that these dudes are undetectable.

Smells like camel poop to me. I thought this article from Newsweek.com was interesting.

How the World Views the US post-Obama

Throughout the election season, Obama was largely well received across the globe.

More than 200,000 people came to watch his speech in Berlin, Germany, in July, according to police estimates -- and it wasn't because they'd read his book or memorized his policies. It was because they all felt that he was the incarnation of change and they admired him. They had an emotional connection.

When Americans voted for Obama on November 4, citizens around the world celebrated his resounding win. People in cities and villages danced and cheered in the streets, and Kenya declared the day after the election a national holiday.

In China -- where the media is state-run and domestic stories are almost always the top stories -- newspaper headlines read "First Black President of the United States."

When President Bush was elected for his second term, the cover on the U.K.'s Daily Mirror read, "How can 59,054,087 people be so dumb?" The day after Obama's victory, the paper's cover read, "GOBAMA!"

Read full article on CNN.com.

...and they said racism was dead

We all know that there are a few people who aren't planning to go to the inauguration in January. They're just not feelin' the whole black-president-history thing. Here's what a few of them have been up to since Obama won. (source)

1. Yesterday, Tommy Christopher detailed the story of a bus load of Idaho elementary school tots chanting "Assassinate Obama! Assassinate Obama!"

2. In a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a high school teacher's aide berated a bi-racial 16-year-old Obama supporter, with the following predictions:

"...[the aide] said that Obama was going to be shot and killed," Mara Gilligan told KDKA News. " And that our flag is going to be the KFC [Kentucky Fried Chicken] flag and that the new national anthem will be 'Moving On Up'--and that all my daughter's beliefs were wrong and her children's lives were going to be ruined because Obama was elected."

3. The Associated Press reports several cars in Long Island, New York, vandalized with anti-Obama messages, including promises to kill the president-elect.

4. At North Carolina State University, four students face expulsion for spray painting the phrases, "Let's shoot that (N-word) in the head" and "Hang Obama by a noose."

5. In Texas, Baylor University students awoke the morning after Obama's victory to find a noose hanging from a tree in front of Morrison Hall.

6. In Maine, several black figures were found hanging from nooses on Mount Desert Island the day after Obama won.

7. California vandals went on a spray painting binge in Torrance, targeting cars with Obama bumper stickers. On one house the words "Go Back to Africa" were inscribed.

8. Of course, we all know of the Tennessee skinhead plot to kill random African Americans, and, with a wing and a prayer, Obama himself.

9. In Pennsylvania's Apolacon Township, situated in an area known for KKK activity, an interracial couple looked out their front window to find the remnants of a burned cross.

10. Two men in the ironically named Friendsville, Pennsylvania were arrested for "racial intimidation and trespassing."

Obama Taps Eric Holder for Attorney General

CNN.com reports that, former Clinton Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder is President-elect Barack Obama's choice for the position of attorney general, according to two prominent Democrats involved in transition matters.

Holder, who is still being vetted, has indicated he will accept the job if it is offered, the sources said.

If confirmed, Holder would be the first African-American to lead the Justice Department.

According to the article, Holder is very well qualified for the job, but of course it will be interesting to hear how right-wing America will spin it. I'm sure they're all getting passports in fear that the White House is surely going black...lol!

Malia & Sasha Tour Their New Home with Jenna & Barbara

Malia and Sasha Obama got a tour of their new White House digs from Jenna and Barbara Bush on Tuesday and checked out potential schools, capping a busy few days looking into their new life in the nation's capital.

President George W. Bush's twin daughters showed their rooms to Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, as they toured the residential areas of the White House with their mother at the invitation of first lady Laura Bush. The Obamas spent about an hour at the mansion, said Sally McDonough, a spokeswoman for Laura Bush. (source)

The jury's still out on what school the Obamas will select for their girls or whether or not grandma (Mrs. Robinson) will move into the White House.

The Family Guy

President-elect Obama said he is enjoying being at home every day and having his daughters come into his room in the morning and jump into their parents' bed.

Giving their daughters a sense of normalcy in their new high-profile lives is something President-elect Obama said he and his wife often discuss.

"Right now they're not self conscious. They don't have an attitude," Barack Obama said. "At the end of four years, if we can say they are who they are and this hasn't created a whole bunch of problems for them then I think we're going to feel pretty good."

President-elect Obama talked about his mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, moving to D.C. with the family, saying she is "one of the unsung heroes of this campaign." He also said Robinson is welcome to live in the White House with them, but didn't sound convinced that she would take him up on the offer. "She likes her own space," he said.

President-elect Obama said of his wife, "I think Michelle is going to design her own role" as first lady.

View video of the interview and read more here.

Obamas Reflect On Election

Check out these clips of Barack & Michelle Obama on 60 Minutes.

Bill May Hinder Hillary from Sec of State Appointment

Reportedly, Sen. Hillary Clinton is being vetted for possible Secretary of State for the Obama Administration. The buzz has really picked up over the last few days, but both sides are tight-lipped.

The biggest stumbling block for Hillary may not be the infamous "3am" ads that she ran against Obama in the primaries nor their bitter battle for the Democratic nomination. Hillary might be hindered from the cabinet post because of her own husband.

Two officials with President-elect Barack Obama's transition team confirm to CNN that it is investigating Bill Clinton's finances and post-presidential dealings. As part of the early vetting process, the team is looking for any negative information that could throw the prospect of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state into jeopardy.

A particular issue could be the donor list of Bill Clinton's global foundation, which might show connections to international figures who push policies that might conflict with those of the new Obama administration. (full article)

Obama and McCain Sit and Chat

For the first time since the final debate between then Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, the two presidential rivals sat down in the same room today, only this time Obama was clearly the alpha male...relaxed, laid back, dominant... while McCain looked like he wanted to disappear under his chair.

The meeting was clearly uncomfortable. Just by observing McCain's posture, he did not seem to be overly enthusiatic about being subject to Barack Obama.

They chatted about football then kicked the press out and got down to business.

"At this defining moment in history, we believe that Americans of all parties want and need their leaders to come together and change the bad habits of Washington so that we can solve the common and urgent challenges of our time," the statement said.

"It is in this spirit that we had a productive conversation today about the need to launch a new era of reform where we take on government waste and bitter partisanship in Washington in order to restore trust in government, and bring back prosperity and opportunity for every hardworking American family," they said. (source)


Check out the video footage from CNN here.

Catholic Priest Asks Parishoners to Repent for Voting Obama

There is a great divide in the world of religion over the election of Barack Obama. Due to his pro-choice stance, a Catholic priest in Greenville, SC has asked his parishoners to repent for voting for Obama or risk not receiving holy communion.

Maybe they could compromise and say 'my bad' and just drink the wine.

Obama Headed to Rehab for CrackBerry Addiction

President-elect Barack Obama may have to give up his BlackBerry. Well, not the entire phone, just the email. According to a CNN.com report:

The president's e-mail can be subpoenaed by Congress and courts and may be subject to public records laws, so if a president doesn't want his e-mail public, he shouldn't e-mail, experts said. And there may be security issues about carrying around trackable cell phones.

Obama transition officials haven't made a decision on what the new president will or will not carry, but those who have been there say it's unlikely he'll carry his BlackBerry and he may be in for some withdrawal pains. Users who constantly check their devices often call themselves crackberry addicts.

Maybe he could go to rehab with Lindsay Lohan and while there, give her the memo that 'colored' is so last season.

Inauguration 2009 - Hot Tix!

The hottest ticket in the country is...

...free?

Yep, the January 20, 2009 swearing in of President-elect Barack Obama has ignited a firestorm of constitutent hopeful to get a first hand glimpse of history.

More than 1 million people are expected to descend upon Washington, D.C., for the Jan. 20 event -- but there are just 240,000 tickets available.

Thousands upon thousands of people have requested the tickets from members of Congress, forcing some lawmakers to tell constituents to stop calling. And those are just requests to be admitted somewhere within four blocks of the Capitol when Obama raises his right hand and takes the oath of office.

West of the Capitol complex, the unticketed masses will gather the length of the National Mall with next to no chance of seeing Obama sworn in with their own eyes. Jumbotrons are expected to relay the images.

I don't care if I get a ticket or not. I'll be in DC regardless!!!

Obama T-shirts

EbonyJet.com published its top 19 hottest Obama t-shirts. #12 & #14 work for me. Check out the slideshow here. I'll take the tank in a small and the tee in a medium. Thanks.

EbonyJet picked a few cool ones IMHO, but there are hundreds of other designs all over the web. I would be perfectly okay with receiving one as a Christmas gift.

Everybody Hates Barack

Well, as to be expected, not everyone is overjoyed about the President-elect.

Kimberly Chapman of Picayune, Mississippi, says that her 13-year-old son was paddled in school last week for saying the name "Barack Obama." According to Chapman, Picayune Junior High School has enacted a policy prohibiting students from talking about the president-elect.

Wow.

Check out the entire article at Essence.com.

Jarrett Named Sr. Advisor to Obama

From the Roland Report:

Valerie Jarrett, longtime friend and confidant of President-elect Barack Obama, will be joining him in the White House.

Jarrett confirmed to me a few moments ago that she has been named senior advisor to the president and assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and public liaison.

The Chicago business executive has long been a friend and mentor of the Obamas. She once hired Michelle Obama when she served as chief of staff to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

President-elect Obama has often said that Jarrett is often the first person he turns to for advice and counsel on critical issues.

She is currently president and CEO of The Habitat Company, a Chicago real estate firm.

Threats Against Obama on the Rise

Earlier this week, the Secret Service looked into the case of a sign posted on a tree in Vay, Idaho, with Obama's name and the offer of a "free public hanging." In North Carolina, civil rights officials complained of threatening racist graffiti targeting Obama found in a tunnel near the North Carolina State University campus.

And in a Maine convenience store, an Associated Press reporter saw a sign inviting customers to join a betting pool on when Obama might fall victim to an assassin. The sign solicited $1 entries into "The Osama Obama Shotgun Pool," saying the money would go to the person picking the date closest to when Obama was attacked. "Let's hope we have a winner," said the sign, since taken down.

Too much foolishness. Read more here.

Obama's Picky Palete

Former President George H.W. Bush famously disliked broccoli. His son, the outgoing president, is a Texas meat-eater. President-elect Barack Obama loves chili and shuns beets.

The White House chef will have his work cut out for him. President-elect Barack Obama and his family are foodies with wide-ranging palates. "They are totally adventurous people ... they enjoy food," said chef Rick Bayless of Topolobampo, an upscale restaurant in downtown Chicago that's a favorite with the next first family.

The Obama daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, have a few favorites of their own. When they stay over at close family friend Yvonne Davila's house they often request her fried chicken and macaroni and cheese.

Another family friend, Kaye "Mama Kaye" Wilson, said Malia is a fan of her lemon meringue pie and Sasha enjoys her cobbler.

Read entire article here.

106 Year Old Anne Nixon Cooper: Living Legend

When President-elect Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech at Grant Park in Chicago, he specifically thanked the actions of one woman who took special pains to make her voice heard. That woman, Anne Nixon Cooper, is 106 years old. As Obama pointed out, she was born but one generation past slavery, in the days before cars, computers or cell phones. She was also born in the days before women, particularly Black women, had obtained the right to vote. Despite her age and all the physical ailments that come with it, Nixon Cooper left the Atlanta home she has lived in since 1937 to vote for Barack Obama.

"It's just great!" Nixon Cooper says about the publicity she's received since casting her ballot. "I may be sitting in my chair but there is always something on my mind." Read entire story at Essence.com.

She said that she would be "very proud to meet and shake his [Obama's] hand." Watch her CNN interview below:

New White House Pup Search

President-elect Barack Obama has promised daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, a new pet for the White House. But Malia is allergic to most breeds, he said Friday as speculation swirled about the dog the family would choose.

Peruvians have offered their national dog as a solution.

Sure it's a lttle strange looking, but I have to admit, I saw a hairless cat for the first time in my life a few months ago and I actualy found it fascinating! I too have allergies, so I can related to Malia's desire for a fur-free house.

Here's the full article on AOL News.

The Bushes Host the Obamas at the White House

President George W. and First Lady Laura Bush hosted President-elect Barack and Mom-in-Chief Michelle Obama to the White House. The men met in the Oval Office and had what was reported to be a pleasant, but serious conversation about the transition of power. The First Ladies toured the estate.

Check out the coverage on AOL News.

Yes We Did!

The 44th President of the United States: Barack Hussein Obama

Check out the victory speech (in it's entirety) given on election night from Chicago's Grant Park:

Obama's Grandmother Madelyn Dunham Passes Away

Tragically, just a day before Barack Obama could win the presidential election, it was announced that his grandmother passed away early this morning in Hawaii. Obama left the campaign trail for a couple a days a week or so ago, to go to Hawaii to visit with her. He has spoken of her much over the course of the campaign. Our hearts are heavy. If he wins tomorrow, it will certainly be bittersweet.

Here's a clip of him speaking about it in North Carolina today.

I VOTED TODAY!!!

I am TOO EXCITED! No, it wasn't my first time voting early, but it was the first time that voting meant so much more. As I approached the early voting location, the thought hit me (Divinely I believe) to document the moments so that they would be savored forever. I sent a series of emails to my friends each step along the way. I probably wasn't supposed to be taking pictures, but since I didn't get caught...here it is!

2:30 PM:
So, here I am in line at the State Archives bldg. It's 2:30 and there are at least 100 people in line ahead of me and 50 more behind me. Not sure what happens after we make it into the auditorium or how many more people are in there!

2:52 PM:
After an 8 min coaching session on the 7 amendments from one of my fav advisors, I've made it into the auditorium. [I'm very ashamed to admit that I'd been too busy MANAGING A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN to notice that there were going to be 7 constitutional amendments also on the ballot. When I got to the voting location I was completely caught off guard and had to get some insight on them at the last minute!] There are 10 voting stations and about 3 ID verifiers/check in stations [actually there were 4]. The line is moving quickly. It's very fluid.

In about 5 mins, I will cast my history changing vote. What an awesome moment!!!

3:13 PM:

Okay, I'm in my car and I have to admit, I walked out a little emotional as the reality of what I've just done sinks in. I just voted for a brilliant, qualified, young, energetic, community serving, Spirit led, BLACK MAN to be President of the United States of America!!! I am sitting in my car in tears as if I can hear the voice of Harriett Tubman saying "don't turn back!" and MLK saying "I have a dream that someday..." and Langston Hughes writing "what happens to a dream deferred...". I hear my ancestors finally exhaling in relief. I hear my slave foreparents resting now, knowing that their labor was not in vain....and the chorus singing "...we shall overcome someday."

My heart is full of joy and I am completely overwhelmed, knowing that this moment will be shared for generations to come. In the words of Maya Angelou, "Barack Obama, we speak your name."

Now I'm drying my face and going to find something to eat.

Wow, what a day. Yes We Can...and Yes I Did!

Colin Powell Endorses Obama

“It isn’t easy for me to disappoint Senator McCain as I have this morning, but we need a president who will not just continue the policies of the last few years. We need a transformational figure. We need generational change."

New Obama Ad Rips McCain

I like this. Quite entertaining. I wonder if this is Barack Obama's official exit from "silly season" and grand entrance into "pimp slap" season.



What do you think about it?

Barack-star in Berlin

Barack Obama is on tour in the east. On a stop in Berlin, Germany, he made a speech before an estimated crowd of 200,000.

“I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before,” Obama told the crowd. “Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for president, but as a citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.”



Here's the speech in its entirety:

Once You Go Barack...

This afternoon on the radio, I heard some rumblings about an offensive Barack Obama Assassination exhibit that was in New York across the street from the New York Times entrance. I did a little investigating and if you haven't heard or seen it here's what it's all about:

[On June 4th] A Boston-born performance artist, Yazmany Arboleda, tried to set up a provocative art exhibition in a vacant storefront on West 40th St. in Midtown Manhattan with the title, “The Assassination of Hillary Clinton/The Assassination of Barack Obama,” in neatly stenciled letters on the plate glass windows at street level. By 9:30 a.m., New York City police detectives and Secret Service agents had shut down the exhibition, and building workers had quickly covered over the inflammatory title with large sheets of brown paper and blue masking tape. The gallery is across the street from the southern entrance to The New York Times building.

Arboleda, who is 27, said in an interview: “It’s art. It’s not supposed to be harmful. It’s about character assassination — about how Obama and Hillary have been portrayed by the media.” He added, “It’s about the media.” “The exhibition is supposed to be about character assassination. It’s philosophical and metaphorical.” (source)

Check it out. What do you think about "art" imitating life?

The Assassination of Barack Obama

The Assassination of Hillary Clinton

Obama's Father's Day Sermon

If you haven't watched the Father's Day speech, here's the video in it's entirety. It's about 23 minutes long. Good message.



According to CNN.com:

The issue adds to his family values credentials and lets voters see him delivering a stern message to black voters.

"We can't simply write these problems off to past injustices," Obama said Sunday. "Those injustices are real. There's a reason our families are in disrepair ... but we can't keep using that as an excuse."

Obama urged black parents to demand the best from themselves and their children.

He compared it to his own presidential campaign and early comments from black voters who said they liked him but didn't think a black man could ever be elected president. He said they were admitting defeat before the competition had even begun.

"That was when I wasn't black enough. Now I'm too black," he said in a joking aside.

The next holiday on my calendar is Independence Day. John McCain's camp has got to be all over that one. I can't wait to see him under a tent somewhere with fireworks poppin' in the background, weighed down by flag pins, with a really confused look trying to figure out who mistaked his request for a little boost (of Geritol) for Lil' Boosie (...I-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t do you know what that means?...).

Obama's Kenyan Family Celebrates His Nomination

This is a pretty cool news clip on the reaction to Obama's candidacy by his grandmother's [Sarah Obama] village in Kenya. The village has very high expectations of it's offspring when he becomes the US President. No doubt the Republican machine will try to use this against him in some form. Just watch.

Anyway, the clip is about 4 minutes long. I would love to sit and talk to his grandmother. I bet she has some stories to tell. She has been keeping a close eye on this campaign and I am sure that she has shared wisdom with him that would fill up a book. Click here to read a blog post I did a few months ago about her.

A Terrorist Fist Jab?

Fox News needs to be held accountable for the reckless, inflammatory nature of their reporting under the guise of "fair & balanced." On Friday, an anchor at Fox News teased an upcoming segment on:

"the gesture everyone seems to interpret differently," Fox News' E.D. Hill said: "A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? ... We'll show you some interesting body communication and find out what it really says."

In the ensuing discussion with a "body language expert," Hill referred to the "Michelle and Barack Obama fist bump or fist pound," but at no point did she explain her earlier reference to "a terrorist fist jab." (source)

During the segment, Hill hosted Janine Driver to facilitate a discussion on the meaning or the message behind the pound. All this as if to suggest that the Obamas are communicating in some underground, sinister language that only they can decipher and if elected, the United States will be held captive by the terrorist fist jabbers led by Barack and Michelle Obama.

Why would a network waste time and money hiring a "body language expert" to come on the air and analyze a commonly practiced gesture? Because they are continually trying to plant fear into the minds of people and I believe that the network and the anchor should be held accountable for continual blatant abuse of first amendment privileges. Insinuating that a presidential candidate and his wife are terrorists is not an off-the-cuff remark nor is it a teleprompter typo. It was well thought out and purposely used to reel people's attention into the frivolous and baseless segment. This was a despicable display of the lowest form of journalism. I hope that people can finally see what Fox News is all about.

Fox News and E.D. Hill need to be charged with terrorism (the systematic use of fear especially as a means of coercion). This is completely unacceptable.

Click here to sign a petition to demand an apology. You can also send emails and call them here:

Roger Ailes Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,FOX News Channel
1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 301-3000Fax: (212) 301-4229 (Newsroom)
E-mail: roger.ailes@foxnews.com

E.D. Hill Anchor, FOX News Live
Tel: (212) 301-3000Fax: (212) 301-8274
Email: e.d.hill@foxnews.com

Obama Clinches Democratic Nomination

Watch the full acceptance speech:

Who Knew that Catholic Priests Cussed in Church?

I would have turned Catholic long ago if I would have known that they cuss and get you out of church in 20 minutes! I'm just playing, but seriously, Rev. Michael Pfleger delivered a sermon at Barack Obama's church (Trinity United Church of Christ) in Chicago on Sunday and boy, did he have a lot on his mind! They must have some "make you act a fool" mist that they spray on that microphone.

Pfleger is a Catholic priest at predominately black St. Sabina Roman Catholic Church on Chicago's southwest side. Commenting on the campaign, Pfleger very candidly spoke on the subject of 'white entitlement', using Sen. Hillary Clinton as his example. He said Clinton's eyes welled with tears before the New Hampshire primary because she felt "entitled" to the Democratic nomination and because "there's a black man stealing my show." He then went on to parody Clinton, sobbing and wiping his face with a handkerchief.

"She wasn't the only one crying," he said. "There was a whole lot of white people crying." (source)

What will be interesting is to see how the media handles this as opposed to the handling of Rev. Wright. Why? Because Pfleger is white and Wright is black. They referred to Wright in headlines as a 'preacher', never as Dr. Wright. I wonder if they will take the same tone of belittling and disrespect with Father Pfleger and if they will set out to personally attack him like they did Wright. Just watch and listen.

Watch the video below for yourself.


Of course, you know the rest - Clinton denounced. Obama condemned. Pfleger apologized.

I predict Obama will make his exodus from Trinity in 5...4...3...2...

Obama '08 Monkey T-Shirt - UPDATE

In Marietta, Ga, the owner of Mulligan's Bar and Grill is selling an Obama '08 t-shirt with the likeness of Curious George, the monkey, on it. The owner claims that the shirt was not meant to be seen as a racial reference. He said he did it because he saw a resemblance between Barack Obama and Curious George.

According to AJC.com,
Rick Blake, a spokesman for publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which owns the Curious George image, said Wednesday that the company didn't authorize the use of the character's image, but hasn't been in touch with anybody selling or manufacturing the shirts.

"We find it offensive and obviously utterly out of keeping with the value Curious George represents," Blake said. "We're monitoring the situation and weighing our options with respect to legal action."

Marietta bar owner Mike Norman has said he got the T-shirts from someone in Arkansas. He started selling them at his bar -- known for the provocative, ultra-conservative political slogans often posted on signs out front -- in April but said he has no plans to mass market them.

Norman acknowledged the imagery's Jim Crow roots but said he sees nothing wrong with depicting a prominent African-American as a monkey. "We're not living in the (19)40's," he said. "Look at him . . . the hairline, the ears -- he looks just like Curious George."

You make the call. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Superdelegates are Getting Off the Fence

Just as I predicted last night, the superdelegate hornets' nest is stirring. Already today, three supers have pledged support for Obama and one for Clinton.

Obama is ahead of Clinton in total delegates: 1,842 to 1,686. Only 217 pledged delegates are up for grabs in the remaining six contests: West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota. Neither Sen. Barack Obama nor Clinton is expected to win the 2,025 delegates needed to capture the nomination during the remaining contests. That means the superdelegates -- party and elected officials who are allowed to vote during the national convention -- will probably decide who becomes the nominee.


Here are some of the SD's perspectives: (source)


Former North Dakota Sen. George McGovern -- who had supported Clinton -- called on her to drop out of the race. He said he's supporting Obama. "I think mathematically the race is all but won by Barack Obama and the time has come for all of us to unite and get ready for the general election in the fall."


Rep John Lewis, D-Georgia, who originally supported Clinton but later threw his support to Obama, said "there are quite a few people who are having what I call an 'executive session' with themselves. People see the end is near."


Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California and a superdelegate, said she wants to talk to Clinton to "see what her view is on the rest of the race. What the strategy is."


Several SDs are still sitting on the fence:


Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, said he wants to "wait a little more time" before announcing his endorsement


Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colorado, has remained undecided "I think if we get this thing settled in the first 10 days of June we'll be fine," he added.


Rep. Brad Miller, who represents the 13th Congressional District in North Carolina, said he will announce who he's supporting soon. "I'm going to let the dust settle for a few days," he said.


This will get more interesting over the next few days. It's time to make a decision and the SDs know it. As the old folks say "Pee or get off the pot."

Clinton Wins Indiana in Triple Overtime

Talk about coming down to the wire. I have literally been on the phone with one of my friends for the past 3 and 1/2 hours watching and waiting for the Indiana results to come in. We're watching the numbers change and calculating votes and listening to the analysts like it's the NBA playoffs! You know it's serious when you get cut off from telling a story so that you can be updated on the latest precinct numbers...LOL! I love this game!

Anyway, in a hard fought battle Clinton has come away in a nail biter as the victor in my former state of residence, Indiana (I lived in Kokomo off and on over the course of 3 years). Indiana held 72 delegates of which Obama and Clinton will almost split down the middle, so basically Senator Clinton will only net 3 or 4 delegates (Obama netted 8 delegates with a win in NC, so overall he profits about 4 additional delegates...[gotta love that fuzzy math]). Clinton won with a 2% margin of victory. You can't get much closer than that (read more on CNN.com)

The hilariously frustrating part was listening to the dialogue between Wolf Blitzer, the mayor of Hammond, IN and the mayor of Gary, IN. Everybody was tired and mad because it was taking so long to count the votes in Gary. The Gary mayor kept saying over and over that it was taking a long time because they had just gotten 11,000 absentee ballots in on Monday and regular voting was Tuesday and that they wanted to take their time and count all of the votes properly, so as not to disenfranchise the voters. (Whatever dude. Ya'll took way too long with that.) The Hammond mayor made very overt suggestions that impropriety must have been taking place in Gary to cause such a delay. Now let me point out that the mayor of Gary is black and an Obama supporter and the mayor of Hammond is white and a Hillary supporter. After the results came in, the Hammond mayor hurried up and shut up about 'hanky panky' after CNN called Clinton the winner.

Anyway, Obama currently leads in pledged delegates and in states won, and he is ahead in the popular vote, if Florida and Michigan are not factored into the equation. Those states are being penalized for moving their primaries up in violation of party rules.

With neither candidate expected to win the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination by June 3, the end of the primary season, the final decision will most likely fall to the 796 superdelegates: Democratic governors, members of Congress and party officials.

I predict that super delegates will start to take sides now. Everybody's getting tired of this race. It's time to move on to something more productive.

....and North Carolina goes to (the envelope please)...

Barack Obama wins North Carolina and nets about 8 delegates.

He's baaack! After a much maligned few weeks, filled with questions regarding flag pins, pastors, and gas tax - Barack Obama is once again walking tall and carrying a big stick. At a time where polls suggested that he was losing support and popularity among voters due to the media's weapons of mass distraction, the supporters of the Obama campaign have shown up en masse to prove that they are interested in issues, not all that other foolishness.

Obama has claimed a huge victory in North Carolina. It was the last big state left with 115 delegates up for grabs. Of course the naysayers would love to make the point that he only won North Carolina because of the black vote (as if the black vote is somehow insignificant and blacks are not capable of making rational, well-thought out decisions. Did anyone question the judgement of black voters when the candidate was Bill Clinton?) ...but, i digress.

Turnout in the North Carolina Democratic primary was expected to reach 50 percent, according to Gary Bartlett, executive director for the North Carolina Board of Elections. That figure would far exceed the 15 percent to 30 percent that usually turn out for a primary, he said.

Now, here's the problem (see CNN.com for in depth coverage):

According to early exit polls, half of Clinton's supporters in Indiana would not vote for Obama in a general election match up with Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

A third of Clinton voters said they would pick McCain over Obama, while 17 percent said they would not vote at all. Forty-eight percent of Clinton supporters said they would back Obama in November.

Obama got even less support from Clinton backers in North Carolina where 45
percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for him over McCain. Thirty-eight percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for McCain while 12 percent said they would not vote. Obama voters appear to be more willing to support Clinton in November. In Indiana, 59 percent of Obama backers said they'd vote for Clinton, and 70 percent of Obama backers in North Carolina said vote for her against McCain.

Okay, I've been hanging around for the past hour and a half waiting for them to call Indiana. This is better than watching game 7 of the playoffs. I'll get back to you when the updates are in.

Now That the Smoke Has Cleared...

Barack Obama showed up at high noon in the center of town. He turned and walked 20 paces. As the people braced for what was about to happen, he reached for his weapon and fired. *POW* A thick cloud of smoke makes it difficult to see who got hit...

After yesterday's events I was left feeling deflated, despondent, discouraged, in disbelief, dismayed and downright dissed. Over the last 24 hours I've received irate phone calls, traded emails, read blog sites and analysis, listened to national radio commentary, and pondered the question "Where do we go from here?" I was emotional when it first happened. I and many in my circle were disappointed. We were numb, not able to comprehend what we had just heard.

Psalm 46:10 is one of my favorite, favorite scriptures and I have learned over the years to "Be still...". Sometimes we need to stop, take a deep breath and just be still. Let the dust settle and the smoke clear. Never make an emotional decision.

Roland Martin, CNN commentator has eloquently put this whole situation into perspective.

Now, let's refocus. Let's take back our agenda. Let's put the issues back on the table and not be duped by a cleverly constructed smoke screen. Jeremiah Wright is not running for President. He is not responsible for the state we are in and he will not create the policies that will change our course. YES, Barack Obama is a politician, but let us not buy into the subtle distrust that is feeding the division. We are not choosing between Obama and Wright.

To quote the song my mama used to sing around the house when times were hard, "Nobody told me that the road would be easy...I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me." Listen folks, we've come too far as a people to have this page in history re-written before it even makes it into the book. We need to finish this and not allow them to use fear to run us back into the house and into the fields.

I referred to the Willie Lynch letter yesterday and it bears repeating:

"...I take these differences and make them bigger. I use FEAR, DISTRUST and ENVY for control purposes. Don’t forget, you must pitch the OLD black male vs. the YOUNG black male, and the YOUNG black male against the OLD black male....BEING A FOOL IS ONE OF THE BASIC INGREDIENTS OF ANY INCIDENTS TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SLAVERY SYSTEM."

Don't be fooled. On BOTH sides of the table, Republican and Democratic, they are all sitting together in the back rooms smoking cigars, drinking brandy, and slapping high fives. Amused at how after hundreds of years, it's still working like a charm. Meanwhile, we're distracted, fighting, arguing, bickering, and assassinating one another's character for the sake of posturing and looking good in front of "them". They want us to turn on him. They want us to despise and distrust him. They want us to do the dirty work of tearing him down. In no way am I suggesting that we not hold him accountable as we should do with ANY and EVERY elected official. What I am saying is that we need to STAY FOCUSED on November. STAY FOCUSED on January. STAY FOCUSED on healthcare, education, economy, foreign policy, supreme court appointments, and all the other issues that will affect our children's children. As one of my good friends always says - don't fall for the banana in the tailpipe. IT'S A TRICK, A DISTRACTION, SMOKE & MIRRORS!!!

The Civil War ended over 140 years ago. North and South pitted brother against brother and they shed the blood of their fathers. Now it's time to get on the same side despite our differences and despite our disagreements. This time we know what we're fighting for, and we know who our enemy is. Turn the page. Change the subject.

Yes We [Still] Can.

Obama vs. Wright: Divide and Conquer

"...I HAVE OUTLINED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENCES AMONG THE SLAVES; AND I TAKE THESE DIFFERENCES AND MAKE THEM BIGGER. I USE FEAR, DISTRUST AND ENVY FOR CONTROL PURPOSES. ...DISTRUST IS STRONGER THAN TRUST AND ENVY STRONGER THAN ADULATION, RESPECT OR ADMIRATION. The Black slaves after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generating for HUNDREDS of years, maybe THOUSANDS. Don’t forget, you must pitch the OLD black male vs. the YOUNG black male, and the YOUNG black male against the OLD black male.

...BEING A FOOL IS ONE OF THE BASIC INGREDIENTS OF ANY INCIDENTS TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SLAVERY SYSTEM."

Excerpts from the "Willie Lynch letter: The Making of a Slave".

I got a call while I was out at lunch from my girlfriend Tiffany. Sounding alarmed and excited, she wanted to know if I was watching CNN. She mentioned that she was in a restaurant or something and could see the picture but not hear the what was being said. Barak Obama was on and the words she was reading did not sound so good. As I turned on CNN for myself, I was in total shock at the words splattered across the screen. Barak Obama was standing at a podium at a press conference, visibly ticked-off, disclaiming everything (see Obama 'outraged' by Wright's remarks article at CNN.com) that Rev. Jeremiah Wright said yesterday during the National Press Club appearance.

Obama took questions from the press and was clear to brand Wright's appearance before the National Press Club yesterday (see video here) as a "performance" saying "yesterday was a bunch of rants not grounded in truth." "It was a show of disrespect to me...she [Michelle] was similarly angered." Obama also stated that everything that Rev. Wright said contradicts who he is and what he believes and that Wright didn't show consideration for him or his campaign.

Now, the question that the media has posed for weeks is how will Rev. Wright affect Barak Obama's electability? Prior to today, I would have said that it wouldn't have had much of an effect, but now I'm not so sure. Is Barak getting caught playing politics? Is Rev. Wright insensitive to Barak's campaign and speaking out at the wrong time? Should Barak have stood strong in defense of his pastor? Should Wright have backed out of the spotlight to let Obama shine?

The bible says that a house divided against itself cannot stand. The Willie Lynch letter (whether fictional or not) proves that division can be institutionalized and used for generations to control people. I believe that we are in the midst of watching that theory try to play itself out. Pitting old black man against the young black man and the young black man against the old black man. Now, we are taking sides. We either agree with the old black man or the young black man. We are deciding to vote for Obama or against him based on whether or not we perceive that he is standing up for his "house". We have watched the media create a frenzy around Rev. Wright and Obama. They have injected distrust and anger, fears and vocabulary words that most of us have now incorporated into our normal lexicon. We are now standing on two sides. Divided by our desire to see history made and our desire to make a sound decision that will impact our generations. Divided by our desire to hear Obama stand up for Rev. Wright and our knowing that he has to play the political game. Divided by the feeling that Barak sold Wright out for political gain and that Wright sold Obama out for the purpose of pontification.

Karl Rove recently published an article giving some "advice" to Barak Obama and I hate to say I saw it coming, but his #2 pointer was:

When you get into trouble, pick one, simple explanation. And stay with it. Take the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. You said you weren't sitting in church when he said those ugly things. Two days later, you excused him, saying his comments didn't give "a well-rounded portrait" of him. Two days after that, you condemned his statements as "not only wrong but divisive" but still couldn't "disavow him" any more than you could your grandmother. Ten days later, you implied if Wright hadn't retired, you might have left his church. It would have been better to say from the start that Wright's words were wrong and offensive and you should have spoken out earlier. The applause would have been deafening.

Is Obama buckling under the pressure to conform to Washington politics? I wonder if we will see his campaign strategy conform to Rove's advice. I'll be watching closely. You should too.

These recent developments beg us to revisit the question, "What is the Prize?"

Public Enemy #1

I have to admit that before today, I had never purposed to read one of Dr. Martin Luther King's speeches. The "I Have a Dream Speech" runs every year in January and again in February for Black History Month. People of various backgrounds - conservative, liberal, black, white, male, female - all seemly have acquiesced to the notion that MLK is the greatest example of a black American to have ever lived. I'm amused when I read comments on blogs and hear media pundits exclaiming that MLK was a great American and that he taught love and tolerance. He was never divisive or anti-American.

The idea here is to contrast Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the profound pastor who has recently been thrust into the international spotlight (not of his own choice), with Dr. Martin Luther King who is the "American standard" by which the black church and black preachers are to be measured.

In reading an article in Time.com (excerpt below), my thirst for knowing more about MLK heightened.

Many Americans who were shocked by the clips of Wright's sermons have only known a Disney-fied version of the black church. We know about the good music,
but don't listen to the lyrics of pain and suffering. We praise the rousing preaching without paying attention to the words. Civil rights leaders have become aging wise men revered for their inspirational sayings, not radical activists who preached truth to power. "There is so much more going on in black churches than gospel music," says Emilie Townes, professor of African American religion at Yale Divinity School.

The poster boy of the reimagined black church is Martin Luther King, Jr. "King said America suffered from a 'congenital disease' and that disease is racism," notes Eddie Glaude, Princeton professor of religion. He says that King's speech against the Vietnam War, delivered at Riverside Church in April 1967, was not a feel-good speech. "It was a passionate cry to speak to these enormous problems that were linked to America's imperialism and militarism, and what he saw as the evils of capitalism." By that point int his career, King had been banned from Lyndon Johnson's White House. The New York Times condemned his speech, running an editorial calling it "Dr. King's Error." And Barry Goldwater said King "bordered a little bit on treason."

Everybody wants to have the race conversation, but no one wants to hear what's being said. Rev. Wright has been nothing if not consistent in his cry for unification despite our differences in race, faith, education, social class, or political preference. The media is on a daily mission to parse out certain statements that Rev. Wright has made and spin them into a series of whacked-out, hate-spewing, race-baiting rants of an angry black man stuck in a 1960s mentality. He has become the poster child for everything that's wrong in America. Rev. Jeremiah Wright is public enemy #1. This has nothing to do with Barack Obama. It has everything to do with the a sense of entitlement that tells certain people that they have a valid voice and that others who do not meet the media's approval or makes the status quo uncomfortable need to disappear or be exiled to outer darkness.

This episode in our history is riveting, stimulating, and infuriating all at the same time. The lack of objective reporting in the media is being revealed and exposed like never before. The accessibility of the internet is allowing us to seek out the truth for ourselves and make our own intelligent decisions. The media would have you believe that "mainstream America" is so outraged over Rev. Wright's remarks and ready to burn him at the stake, but I believe that is the furthest from the truth. They want us to think that he is wrong and they are right. They want us to believe that he is an elitist who is dividing this great nation and that poor and disenfranchised blacks now have an excuse to be uneducated, angry, and violent because Wright is stirring the pot. They would have you believe that he is a media hungry, arrogant, anti-Christian heretic. They are afraid that this intelligent, black, scholar who speaks 5 languages has 2 masters degrees and has influence beyond their control - will raise blacks and whites to a higher level of consciousness. Don't allow television to brainwash you into thinking that the FoxNews and CNN analysts are right and everyone else is wrong.

It's time to turn the tables on the media. Talk about it, blog about it, email about it, comment about it. Go on CNN.com, FoxNews.com, MSNBC.com, Time.com and any other site you come across and let your voices be heard. Gone are the days of objective journalism. There is no such thing as fair and balanced. Turn the tables on the media who is pushing their agenda on you and PUSH BACK! The time for silence is over. This is a call for change.

The Time is WRIGHT!

To quote CNN anchor Rick Sanchez, "an unbelievable speech!" The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. delivered in Detroit at the NAACP's Freedom Fund Dinner. (read CNN article here)

See the speech in its entirety in four parts here.

I have heard many people, black and white, ponder why Rev. Jeremiah Wright did not just slink away into the shadows and disappear for the sake of Barack Obama's campaign. The assumption is that he should be so ashamed and live in isolation and condemnation for remarks that were taken out of context. Oh, how they miscalculated and underestimated this Man of God.

My friend Daniel and I were trading text messages as his address to the NAACP was progressing and Daniel mentioned that he liked the mix of "Christ and justice." My response was that it was not a mix. One cannot exist without the other. Rev. Wright's voice has been exposed to the world for an express purpose. The bible says that if hell and satan's demons had known who Jesus was, they would have never crucified him. I venture to say that if FoxNews, and the media lynch mob who propagated their agenda against Obama by continually blowing up sound bites, had known who Jeremiah Wright was, they would have NEVER given him the platform that he has been catapulted to today.

The time is right for Jeremiah Wright. He has the ears of the world hanging on his every word. The theme of his speech was that African Americans are "different, not deficient" and that a change is gonna come. It was funny, it was serious, it was responsible, it was honest, it was enlightening, it was thought provoking, and it was convicting. Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech on race in America may have been been a spark, but Rev. Wright's speech was a like fire from heaven.

UPDATE: Controversial North Carolina Republican Ad

Check out the ad below. These people are crazy for real.

To voice your disgust with this ad email the N.C. Republican Party at mailto:email@ncgop.org.

By now you've heard the rumbling about the television ad that is set to run in North Carolina on Monday. It was created by the N.C. Republican Party and John McCain has called it despicable and not a reflection of the tone of his campaign, yet the party chairwoman Linda Daves has refused to pull the ad.

The ad is an attack against two North Carolina Democratic gubernatorial candidates, but the punchline is an association that they try to draw between the two candidates endorsement of Barack Obama, and the controversial remarks made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. This ad is such a stretch and absolutely manufactures a theory that because Obama's former pastor is controversial and the state's democratic candidates endorse Obama, then somehow the judgement of the candidates needs to be questioned because of Obama's past affiliation with Wright. (...WTH?)

I got the opportunity to hear Ms. Daves give a live interview with Michael Baisden and Roland Martin this afternoon, and I tell you, she is in another world (check out Roland's blog on essence.com for his perspective). To hear her condescending tone and race baiting was infuriating. She tried to insinuate that Roland was an angry black man. She talked down to both Michael and Roland like they were third graders. Daves sounded like one of those people who is finally the head of something and now is drunk with power. She constantly reiterated that she was the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and it was her duty to ensure that the people of North Carolina questioned the judgement of the two candidates and that they issue a "denounce and reject" type statement of Jeremiah Wright (who has absolutely nothing to do with politics in North Carolina!).

To top it all, John McCain has "asked" that the ad be pulled as it is not a reflection of the kind of campaign that he wants to run. Daves has refused to do so and will run the ad starting Monday. Obama campaign spokesman, Hari Sevugan, just released this statement: “The fact that Senator McCain can’t get his own party to take down this misleading, personal attack ad raises serious questions about his promise to the American people that he will run a civil, respectful campaign.”

Rev. Jeremiah Wright Speaks

After much character assassination and condemnation by the media, Rev. Jeremiah Wright has finally emerged and is ready to talk. In an interview with PBS that will air Friday, Wright expressed frustration with how his sermons had been portrayed by the news media and critics of Obama's White House bid. (source)

“I felt it was unfair,” he told PBS' Bill Moyers according to released excerpts. “I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue. I felt that those who were doing that, were doing it for some very devious reasons.” Speaking to PBS, Wright did not recant his past sermons. "The persons who have heard the entire sermon understand the communication perfectly," he said.

"The message that is being communicated by the sound bites is exactly what those pushing those sound bites want to communicate," he said, adding later, “I think they wanted to communicate that I am unpatriotic, that I am un-American, that I am filled with hate speech, that I have a cult at Trinity United Church of Christ — and by the way, guess who goes to his church, hint, hint, hint? That’s what they wanted to communicate.”

Wright also said he has never discussed politics with Obama. “He goes out as a politician and says what he has to say as a politician. I continue to be a pastor who speaks to the people of God about the things of God.”

I don't know about you, but I am tired of hearing about this. Apparently, this is the only ammunition that anyone has on Obama and most of it was manufactured and sensationalized for dramatic effect. Here are several reasons why this is not important:

1. gas costs $4/gal

2. teenagers have STDs, are planning bombings and attacks, and beating each other up on video

3. people are losing their homes to foreclosure

4. jobs are shutting down or laying off

5. rice is being rationed at Sams and Costco

6. 8-year olds are being abused and working in slave sweatshops to produce shrimp

We seriously need to start boycotting the news organizations for keeping this mess alive. Enough is enough.

Michelle Obama on The Colbert Report

If you missed The Colbert Report on Tuesday when Michelle Obama was on, check out the clip below. It's about 7 minutes long, but it's an easy watch. Stephen Colbert is funny as usual and Mrs. Obama certainly holds her own. She is sharp!

Highlights of Obama/Clinton Debate in Philly

Democratic Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama squared off in what was the 21st debate of the campaign season. Prior to tonight, the last debate was in late February. Let's recap everything that has happened with these two since the last debate:

BARAK OBAMA
~ Photo of Obama in native Kenyan garb. Accusations of secret Muslim agenda.
~ Michelle Obama's 'proud to be an American' comment.
~ Geraldine Ferraro's comments.
~ Rev. Jeremiah Wright firestorm.
~ Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech on race in America.
~ Gov. Bill Richardson endorsement.
~ Obama's 'bitter' comment.

HILLARY CLINTON
~ '3 a.m.' ad campaign
~ Clinton refuses to concede defeat
~ Won Texas and Ohio
~ Clinton's ex-pastor agrees with Rev. Wright
~ Chelsea's 'Lewinsky' response
~ Clinton likens herself to Rocky Balboa
~ Bosnia sniper fire fiasco
~ Clinton releases tax returns (made $109M from 2000-2007)
~ Hillary asks Bill Clinton to shut up about Bosnia.

Anyway, the Philadelphia debate aired tonight and with all that has happened since the last debate, there was much to be discussed. The question is, will they get beyond rehashing the same old sticky subjects and talk about the real issues? Here are the highlights:

The first 45 minutes were about silly stuff that won't go away in the news. The remaining 45 minutes were about the issues. Hillary Rodham Clinton hammered away at Barack Obama while an annoyed Obama accused her of turning off voters by pouncing on gaffes instead of discussing grave problems like the economy and Iraq.

Q1: Will either candidate consider the other for VP?
A1: No...we need to figure out who the Presidential nominee is first

Each candidate acknowledged that the other was capable of winning.

Q2: Sen. Obama - Explain the 'bitter' remarks
A2: He acknowledged that it is not the first time he has mangled a statement. Obama went on to say that people who feel that they are not being heard will rely on what they know, such as religion and traditions.

He said he was attempting to say that because voters feel ignored by government, "they end up being much more concerned about votes around things like guns where traditions have been passed on from generation to generation. And those are incredibly important to them." "People don't cling to their traditions on hunting and guns" out of frustration with their government, Clinton said. She added that Obama had a fundamental misunderstanding on the role of religion and faith.

Both pledged not to raise taxes on individuals making less than $200,000, and said they would respond forcefully if Iran obtains nuclear weapons and uses them against Israel.

They differed over Social Security when Obama said he favored raising payroll taxes on higher-income individuals. Clinton said she was opposed, her rival quickly cut in and countered that she had said earlier in the campaign she was open to the idea.

Clinton issued a first-ever public apology for having claimed erroneously that she landed in Bosnia under sniper fire in 1996 as first lady. "I may be a lot of things but I am not dumb," she said, "I wrote about going to Bosnia in my book in 2004. I laid it all out there. ... On a couple of occasions in the last weeks, I just said some things that weren't in keeping with what I knew to be the case. ... I'm embarrassed by it. I have apologized for it." She previously had explained her incorrect comments by saying she had misspoken.

Obama later erred by saying he had never favored a ban on handguns even though as a state Senate candidate in 1996 he filled out a questionnaire from an Illinois voter group saying he would support such a ban."My writing wasn't on that particular questionnaire ... as I said, I have never favored an all-out ban on handguns," Obama said, even though his handwritten notes did appear on its front page. The response to the question about guns was typed.

Neither rival was willing to say they would ask President Bush to serve in any capacity after he leaves office. Obama volunteered he would be "more likely to ask the advice of the current president's father. He said, that as president, George H. W. Bush had presided over a "wise foreign policy" at the time the Cold War was ending.

Of course the Rev. Wright issue came up and they also debated some of the issues, but for the most part, it was much of the same.

On a side-note, I always enjoy the buzzwords and phrases that are tossed around by every news organization and pundit when certain topics become hot. Remember these: Hussein, patriotism, ready on day one, experienced, reject, denounce, incendiary, inflammatory, divisive, historic, race conversation, bitter-gate, elitist, shame on you.

Read election coverage at Newsday.com, AOL or CNN.com

Open Letter To Mortimer B. Zuckerman of U.S. News & World Report

After reading an article written in the opinion column of today's U.S. News & World Report, I decided to write the author a letter giving a more balanced perspective on the ongoing Rev. Wright controversy. The article didn't give the option of commenting, so I had to send a letter thru the 'Contact Us' link. Hopefully he'll get it and read it. In the meantime, I thought I'd share. Sorry it's long, but I think it's worth the read.

------------------

Hi - this letter is to Mortimer Zuckerman. I just finished reading the article published today "Obama's Double Standard on Reverend Wright" and although it is a very well written piece, I have concerns about some of the pointed and inflammatory descriptions included.

You mentioned that Rev. Wright's sermons were "hate-filled, paranoid, and anti-American." May I offer you a different perspective to ponder? The bible tells us in Hebrews 12:6 that "...whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth." What good is a father who never corrects his son or never points out the things that the child is doing wrong so that they can be corrected? We have to be frank and admit that America has done some despicable things in the name of democracy. Many nations and people have suffered at our hands, yet we take a stand of arrogance as if America has been the shining example of honesty and integrity in the world. We all know that is just not so. Because Rev. Wright or anyone else is honest about our country's sins, does that make them anti-American? Open rebuke is actually a greater form of love that one who sits by and says nothing.

Jesus was not a popular man in his country. He used incendiary and inflammatory speech. He was divisive and was probably accused of being hate-filled, paranoid, and anti-Jerusalem. Yet, last week our nation celebrated his death, burial, and resurrection as Holy Week. He is the one most of us follow as our example of living a perfect life. He was hated and subsequently executed because they accused him of being a heretic and a blasphemer. Consequently, he was the greatest lover of his country. He loved Jerusalem, but spoke out against it because they were doing wrong things and wanted to correct the error of their ways.

I'm not in any way suggesting that Rev. Wright is Jesus. I'm not intimately familiar with the doctrine of his church. That's not the point. The point is, is it possible that Rev. Wright loves America?

Yes, he is a flawed man just like the rest of us, but just because he speaks publicly about the injustices that America has committed, does that really make him anti-American? In any of his sermons, did he ever tell his congregation not to love their fellow American or to commit violence towards someone who wronged them, or to hold grudges and refuse to forgive? Did he ever tell them to hate the government, white people, Asians, Latinos, etc.? Is it fair to call him paranoid? Didn't American settlers nearly wipe out the Native American population for the sole purpose of taking their land? Didn't the American government allow black men to be unknowingly injected with syphilis as an experiment? Didn't America take black slaves, strip them of their names, dignity, and heritage all in the name of free enterprise? Based on history, is it really so far fetched to suggest that the government invented AIDS? I'm not saying that it's true, but even Pat Buchanan suggested that HIV/AIDS was punishment for homosexuality. Both positions sound very plausible or very ignorant depending on your life experience and which side of the ditch you stand.

When people say things that hurt us, we often interpret that as them hating us. I can remember being scorned or chastised as a child and feeling like my parents hated me. As I matured, I understood that they didn't hate me at all. Actually, they loved me so much more than the people who said nothing while I did the wrong thing. The fact of the matter is, the truth hurts. If we all had to justify our lives and relationships based on a few :30 second sound bites taken out of context, we all would be cut off from society and banished into solitude. You and I both have said stupid things over the course of our lives, but that doesn't make us hate mongers, or paranoid, or anti-American. It makes us human beings who at any given point in time may say something that we believe is true, but others strongly take issue with.

If Sen. Obama's judgement is to be questioned based on his 20 year relationship with Rev. Wright (whom we know of solely from those clips which only represent snapshots in time as opposed to the totality of his 40 year career in ministry), then can't we also question Sen. Clinton's judgement for remaining married to her husband for over 30 years? And we all saw the clips on the news of his lapse in judgement. She could have chosen to divorce him and the whole world would have backed her up, just like Sen. Obama could have made the choice to leave his church, but neither of them chose that option. I submit to you that Sen. Clinton made a choice of her own free will to remain committed to her husband based on her historical knowledge and understanding of who he really is and not based on his moments of reprehensible, sinful, bad judgement. Why is it incomprehensible and unacceptable that Sen. Obama made the same choice?

I hope that someone in the media will be have enough backbone to look past emotions and knee-jerk reactions and really examine what Rev. Wright has said in context. This whole business of mass marketing fear and profiting off of half-truths is getting old. America is better than that.

"Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." - Proverbs 27:5-6