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.