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Community organizers, derided by the Republican ticket during the election, now have the incoming administration's ear: Senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett will host a meeting Thursday in Washington with community organizers to solicit ideas on urban issues, according to a participant planning to attend. Obama, a former community organizer, often pledged during the campaign to include them in White House decision making.
http://www.politico.com/politico44/
He is TRUE to HIS WORD!! He is "da man!" [RESPECTFULLY!] :>)
President=Elect Obama ! :>)
My attempt to get a November 5th newspaper was an utter fail
Thanks!!
and, email me with an address - maybe I can help with some Obama 'porn', as Jill Tubman calls it.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/...
This was Crouch's money shot:
Any black person from anywhere in this country has always known intelligent, studious, disciplined black people recognized by almost one and all for their cool mastery of their surroundings, their careers, and the responsibilities that life has placed upon them. They know these people, male and female, heterosexual and homosexual, religious or not, possessed of as much individuality as made possible by their sensibilities as their DNA. Any black person who defiantly says otherwise is in desperate need of a rhetorical diaper change.
And as glad as I am that he delivered this to the brotha lacking knowledge, I hope that he delivers it to White Media. Because if anyone doesn't know who we are, it's them.
There were a few in the blogsphere ready to revoke his Black Card for that one.
CPL, "what had happened was, I didn't know black folks were decent, kind, intelligent, human beings until Barack Obama! " LOL!!
It would have knocked somebody out in the nosebleed section of the Yankee Stadium.
The coonservative collection has had their relevance liquidated by the election of Obama, and the Pale-inization of the right who no longer need or want buckdancin' kneegrow opportunistic Uncles to apologize for their racism like Steele et al.
Quite simply, the hankie-headed crew servicing the guilt of white conservative racists...
Is in need of honest jobs in a market where buckdancing for Massa is about as useful as a 8 track in an IPOD.
http://racerelations.about.com/od/stereotypesme...
I pulled these stats: VERY revealing regarding OTHER PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS of Blacks and the inculcation of "stereotypes."
While Black actors are now more visible in films, it is an open question as to how well they are being represented. Compare, for example, how Blacks and Whites are portrayed in the top movies of 1996.
* Black female movie characters shown using vulgar profanity: 89%
* White female movie characters shown using vulgar profanity: 17%
* Black female movie characters shown being physically violent: 56%
* White female movie characters shown being physically violent: 11%
* Black female movie characters shown being restrained: 55%
* White female movie characters shown being restrained: 6%
Hmmmmm! Never saw these B 4. Thanks! :>)
TV shows like "Brett's Rock of Love" "Flavor of Love," and "I Love New York" are classic examples of the crap being televised that's so demeaning and detrimental to our images.
Next, as for links, I offer my own (with a leg up from Aunt Jemima's Revenge, b/c I want to start a dialog on the state of the US media.
http://natturnersrevenge.blogspot.com/2008/12/g...
Tim Russert wasn't God, his son Luke is a joke, and Gwen Ifill, not cremepuff David Greogory, should be running Meet the Press. But we only have ourselves to blame...
Meet The Press has officially become Meet the Joke.
Rape Victims - Protect all women
It is articles like the above that validate why we, as a country, are far, FAR from a 'post-racial America' (whatever the hell that means...)
So I say to all the folks that say "they don't see color" -- I hope they get to an opthamologist with a quickness. They need to get that condition checked out.
I'm looking at this piece.
At least one external injury, such as abrasions and swelling, was found in 68 percent of the white women, but in only 43 percent of the darker-skinned women. The study did not indicate whether injuries were present that weren't detected by the medical examination.
When I first heard the term "white knuckle phenomenon/event", I kept looking at my knuckles to see IFFFF I ever experienced it!! -Uhhhhh - NOPE!
Then the matter of "blushing." NOPE!
Then the statement "blonds have more fun!" ABSENT "LADY CLAIROL", I guessed that I would never have FUN in this life! :>)
"BLUE EYES"? -Errrr, -um NOPE! [I have cousins with "green eyes", though. :>) :>)]
How about having a "BLACK & BLUE" injury? Kinda NOPE!!
And now the article reports that "my abrasions" would not be visible!!!!
We got some work ta do in this area!! This article exposes some of the areas where the WORK can begin!!
Again, Thank you! :>)
1. WORD(s) fo the DAY: TRANSITIONAL TRAIL- 1 APPOINTMENT
2. HEADLINE(s):
Press Conference In Chicago Today
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 09:18am EST
President-elect Barack Obama is in Chicago today and will speak to the press at 10:40 a.m. CT.
We'll have pictures and video shortly after the event.
ALSO: Bill Richardson Day: President-elect Obama is scheduled to announce his choice of the New Mexico governor for Commerce at an 11:40 press conference.
From the Politico 44: http://www.politico.com/politico44/
b) Obama to name Richardson for Commerce on Wednesday
President-elect Barack Obama is ready to name New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as his choice for commerce secretary after passing over his vanquished Democratic rival for secretary of state.
Democratic officials say the two would appear at a news conference together in Chicago on Wednesday.
Richardson’s nomination as commerce secretary has been all-but-announced for several weeks.
One of the nation’s most prominent Hispanic politicians, he will become the latest former Democratic primary opponent to join Obama’s Cabinet. The incoming chief executive has chosen another adversary-turned-ally, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to be his secretary of state. Obama also chose former rival Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate.
New Mexico’s Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, a Democrat will become the state’s first female governor when Richardson leaves to assume his new post. Denish will take over for the remainder of Richardson’s term, which runs through 2010.
In neighboring Arizona, the ascension of a Democratic governor will put the state in the hands of a Republican governor.
Under Arizona state law, the move of Gov. Janet Napolitano to secretary of Homeland Security will mean a Republican, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer, will assume the reins there.
The president-elect has moved quickly to fill out his Cabinet, having named more than half of it in the month since he was elected the country’s 44th president.
An energy secretary and United Nations ambassador in President Bill Clinton’s administration, Richardson was a contender for the State Department job, but Obama offered him the post as commerce secretary after choosing the former first lady as his top diplomat.
Richardson sought the Democratic presidential nomination this year but eventually dropped out and endorsed Obama.
On Monday, Obama announced his foreign and national security team, led by Clinton and current Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a Republican. A week ago, Obama named his economic team, led by Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary. In the coming weeks if not days, he plans to announce former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as health and human services secretary.
The upper echelon on his Cabinet now is in place.
Among those posts yet to be disclosed if not chosen: the heads of the Interior, Transportation, Labor, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs departments. Obama also has yet to name his intelligence team, including his director of national intelligence and CIA chief.
LIZ SIDOTI, AP
3. OTHER TRANSITION ACTIVITIES:
Also today, Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be briefed by the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, according to a Biden spokeswoman. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, future Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, will also be at the 2 p.m. meeting.
From the same Politico 44:
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW!!
President-Elect Obama! :>) LARGE and IN CHARGE! :>)
But it also has to do with poverty, education and lack of access to health care. Northeastern states are richer, have more social services and public health infrastructure than Southeastern ones. The healthiest poor black person in the SE will still be pretty bad in comparison to junk food eating middle class black person in the NE.
Having said that, a few urban outdoor farmers markets have been doing booming business here in southern NJ for a couple of years. Since the produce is local and there is no overhead it really keeps the prices down. More places like that are definitely needed in our communities.
And dont get me started on food policy and this country.
http://thebottomofheaven.com/
Oh yes, and go Sonia Sanchez! One of my favorite BAM poets!
GREAT PERSPECTIVE on "materialism!" A few years ago, I started "cutting back" on the cost/size of my gifts. I have given of my "KITCHEN" - with "baked items" like cakes/pies/etc. They have been well received. :>) :>)
Thanks for the reminder. :>) God Bless.
In my family we decided a few years back to only buy gifts for the kids because we're all usually strapped for cash at one point or another. Has made the holidays much less stressful for all of us.
Great synopsis on "Mercy" It's on my reading list.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miXQ265dMZM
Civil rights beacon Odetta dead at 77
Wed Dec 3, 2008 8:29am EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Odetta, the deep-voiced folk singer whose ballads and songs became for many a soundtrack to the American civil rights movement, has died at age 77, her manager said on Wednesday.
Douglas Yeager said Odetta passed away late Tuesday at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, after a decade-long fight with chronic heart disease and pulmonary fibrosis in her lungs.
"May Odetta's luminous spirit and volcanic voice from the heavens live on for the ages," Yeager said in a statement. "Her voice will never die."
Odetta Holmes, born in Birmingham, Alabama, on December 31, 1930, told the Times in a 2007 interview the music of the Great Depression, particularly the prison songs and work songs from the fields of the deep South, helped shape her musical life.
While she recorded several albums and sang at New York's Carnegie Hall among other prominent venues, Odetta is perhaps best remembered by most Americans for her brief performance at the August 1963 march on Washington, a pivotal event in the civil rights movement at which she sang the song "O Freedom."
The Times said Rosa Parks, the woman who launched the boycott of segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama, was once asked which songs meant the most to her. "All the songs Odetta sings," was Parks' reply.
THERE IS MORE.
Odetta - "Keep On Moving It On"....February 2008
This is one of my favorites: [Sorry that it's NOT long enough.]
odetta - Water Boy
And another:
You Don't Know My Mind / OdettaYou Don't Know My Mind / Odetta
ENJOY!!! :>) REST IN PEACE - Miss Odetta!
I LOVE HIS VOICE!! Whooo! Hoo! :>)
CONTROL!!
Yes there is a SONG:
Janet Jackson- Control the Nation with Discipline!!
ENJOY! :>) :>)
Mr. President-Elect Obama! :>) LARGE and IN CHARGE [Control-SELF & Others]
December 2, 2008, 8:56 pm
Is Clinton Ineligible to Join the Cabinet?
By Peter Baker
Updated | 11:30 p.m. CHICAGO – Senate Democrats were working Tuesday to put together legislation making it possible for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to become secretary of state despite a constitutional clause that some critics argue should bar her from joining the cabinet.
The issue may seem esoteric but it generated attention Tuesday among legal scholars and bloggers arguing over whether it would be unconstitutional for Mrs. Clinton to serve as President-elect Barack Obama’s secretary of state because the salary for her new office was increased while she served in the Senate.
Judicial Watch, a watchdog group that made a name for itself investigating the Clinton administration in the 1990s, raised the matter Tuesday with a statement asserting that Mrs. Clinton was ineligible to become secretary of state because of the so-called “Emoluments Clause” of the Constitution. By the end of the day, Senator Harry M. Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, was consulting with Republican colleagues in hopes of putting together a bill to address the issue.
The issue stems from Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution, which says: “No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time.” Emoluments refers to compensation.
After Mrs. Clinton’s last Senate election in 2006, the salary for secretary of state and other cabinet positions was increased to $191,300 from $186,600. In the past, Congress has gotten around this by passing a resolution cutting the salary for the office at stake back to what it was before the nominee’s most recent election.
This became known as the “Saxbe fix,” after it was used to facilitate President Richard M. Nixon’s appointment of Senator William Saxbe of Ohio as attorney general. It happened most recently 16 years ago when incoming President Bill Clinton made Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas his treasury secretary.
“It’s been dealt with each and every time,” said Jim Manley, spokesman for Mr. Reid. “We’re confident it can be dealt with this time.” Mr. Manley said it was unclear whether the measure could be passed during a lame-duck session next week. “We’re trying to work on this as quickly as possible,” he said.
Judicial Watch, and some legal scholars, argued that the Saxbe fix is insufficient because the constitutional clause says a senator is ineligible if the salary was raised, which it was in this case, even if it is subsequently cut again.
“There’s no getting around the Constitution’s Ineligibility Clause, so Hillary Clinton is prohibited from serving in the Cabinet until at least 2013, when her current term expires,” said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. “Barack Obama should select someone who is eligible for the position of secretary of state and save the country from a constitutional battle over Hillary Clinton’s confirmation.”
Philippe Reines, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, said she and Mr. Obama had anticipated the issue and were prepared to resolve it. “This is a Harvard Law grad nominating a Yale Law grad here, so all parties involved have been cognizant of this issue from the outset,” he said. “But putting frivolous lawsuits by fringe groups aside, this issue has been resolved many times over the past century involving both Democratic and Republican appointments and we’re confident it will be here too.”
Gotta check it out....looking at the sketches makes me even more excited!!
http://huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/03/michelles-...
I like all of them and i think Michelle could pull any of them off...but I'm drawn to the Michael Kors, Monique Lhuillier, Badgley Mischka, and Oscar de la Renta pieces.
I like the idea of seeing Michelle O. in purple. (again)..the Tracy Reese sketch could also work.
Just seeing the slideshow of designs for Sasha and Malia is making me tear up a bit...is is just so sweet to think about the experiences these two little black girls have before them.
I liked ( a mixture of day and night) 2, 7, 12,14, 25, 27, and 28. Betsy cracks me up. But that's her thing though...
Betsey Johnson ain't never made anything a sista wanted to wear. PERIOD. She's reminding me of Liz Claiborne, who got busted out on Oprah when she said she didn't design clothes for Black Women because we couldn't afford to buy them.
Oprah responded, "Well this is one Black Woman who can afford to wear your clothes and will be going home to clear out my closet of all your designs."
You haven't really heard from Liz Claiborne since, and she now has "Elisabeth" a clothing line for plus-sized women. She has never really recovered from showing her ass on Oprah like she did.
Betsey Johnson in the same boat.
2) The Monique Lhuillier looks a little "Nancy Reaganish". No go.
3) Betsey Johnson, just say no.
4) The Tracey Reese looks too dull for Michelle.
5) Why does Rodarte have the Obamas looking like Skeleton Women?
I kinda like Michelle using Tracy Reese, Jones New York or Dana Buchman as her regular, everyday, clothing designer cause they have some fly duds, but for the glam effect, Versace or Michael Kors might be a good pick.
Obama Firing All Bush-Appointed Ambassadors
The incoming Obama administration has notified all politically-appointed ambassadors that they must vacate their posts as of Jan. 20, the day President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office, a State Department official said.
The clean slate will open up prime opportunities for the president-elect to reward political supporters with posts in London, Paris, Tokyo and the like. The notice to diplomatic posts was issued this week.
Read the whole story here.
The Sound of Music (1965) - Song #9 - "So Long, Farewell"
ENJOY!! :>) :>)
Not everyone's under the microscope....at least not yet. Though the transition team is giving headaches all around....
I've been waiting to use this phrase! :>) :>)
By the way, if you want some dry reading, here's the WMD Commission Report that Biden got briefed on.
**eyelids drooping**
Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!
Clearly, I need a life.
<<<ducks>>>
Keep up the GOOD WORK! :>) :>)
Gov. Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary-designate (Update: pictures)
President-elect Barack Obama announced he has asked Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico to join his administration as Secretary of Commerce.
"With his breadth and depth of experience in public life, Governor Richardson is uniquely suited for this role as a leading economic diplomat for America," President-elect Obama said at the Chicago press conference announcing the appointment. He added later, "In the end, Bill Richardson is a leader who shares my values...I know that [he] will be an unyielding advocate for American business and American jobs, at home and around the world."
Read President-elect Obama's full remarks and see pictures from the press conference below.
THEY are GREAT!! :>) :>)
Inside the Transition: Economy
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 07:56am EST
Last week, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden introduced the nation to the team they've chosen to help guide us out of the economic crisis.
Our cameras were there as the news developed, and we asked Brian Deese, a member of the Transition's Economic Policy Team, to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the process.
We interviewed Paul Volcker and Austan Goolsbee -- both of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board -- and Peter Orszag, Director-designate of the White House Office of Management and Budget, to hear how they plan to approach the challenges and opportunities ahead of us.
Watch the video below.
IT'S A MAJOR "THINK TANK" in operation!! :>)
Contrast this with shrub! HAH!! :>)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/03/obamas...
President-elect Barack Obama's paternal grandfather was brutally tortured by the British during Kenya's Mau Mau uprising, according to Obama's Kenyan relatives and reported in the Times of London.
Hussein Onyango Obama, Mr Obama's paternal grandfather, became involved in the Kenyan independence movement while working as a cook for a British army officer after the war. He was arrested in 1949 and jailed for two years in a high-security prison where, according to his family, he was subjected to horrific violence to extract information about the growing insurgency.
"The African warders were instructed by the white soldiers to whip him every morning and evening till he confessed," said Sarah Onyango, Hussein Onyango's third wife, the woman Mr Obama refers to as "Granny Sarah"...."He said they would sometimes squeeze his testicles with parallel metallic rods. They also pierced his nails and buttocks with a sharp pin, with his hands and legs tied together with his head facing down," she said The alleged torture was said to have left Mr Onyango permanently scarred, and bitterly antiBritish. "That was the time we realised that the British were actually not friends but, instead, enemies," Mrs Onyango said. "My husband had worked so diligently for them, only to be arrested and detained."
While they're at it, they should be mounting a defense to keep Obama's twice-removed immigrant aunt in this country, since they went to the trouble of digging her up right before the election. <<<eye roll>>>
Georgia Leader: HBCUs Must Merge With White Schools to Survive
Senate Higher Education Committee Chairman Seth Harp told leaders from two of Georgia's public historically Black colleges that they should look into merging with nearby majority-White schools in order to keep afloat financially, according to the Associated Press. Harp believes it would also help close the gap on segregation in Georgia once and for all while also alleviating the impending budget cuts many public colleges are facing this year.
Atlanta Journal -Constitution has more on this:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/...
I already know that these dumb-**** saltines are gonna get really, really nasty during the Obama Administration...no matter how well Obama does, there hearts will be unchanged. I'm leaving them to Jesus.
That shyte was old 50 years ago LOL. Seriously though I'm at the point where I think the people who ask those questions aren't doing it to learn, but to start something. It's like give me a break, you know damn well what the answer is.
Even though He told them, "You know not the time or the hour when I return..."
When will the HBCU Presidents realize that the college fund is not their personal ATM? <<<side eye>>>
Now in defense of a lot of schools (FAMU included) - I know that money has been taken from building funds, research, etc. and given to students to keep them in school - its wrong, its illegal, but it was done not for the benefit of anyone but the students who simply didn't have enough financial aid to stay enrolled....one of the reasons this is resorted too is that the states were not dispensing funds to state schools proportionately. Back in the 80s, the Justice Dept had to take Alabama to court because it was ridiculous how they were shortchanging Alabama State and Alabam A&M in comparison to UA and Auburn. Yes UA and Auburn are larger schools...but not TEN TIMES LARGER.
Having attending a HBCU, I would NOT support this merger.
YES, the scientific equipment could be advanced, for example, BUT the "culture" would be ALTERED to the disadvantage of students. IMHO.
Additionally, I believe that George Washington Carver, Patricia Bath and MS. Roger Arliner Young did quite well for themselves and the world, despite attending HBCU's.
Black Scientists & Inventors
I'm just sayin'. . . . . .
It is amazing to me that he thinks merging HBCUs will help "close the gap on segregation" my,my,my...so now HBCUs promote segregation? He's CLUELESS!!!
Maybe that's what I did and so I ignored it - "He's blowing smoke, I said to myself!"
I APPRECIATE YOU for "bringin' it" so that it's out on the table for discussion.
They wouldn't allow US in THEIR Colleges. So we started our own and became more educated than they are.
Now they want to get rid of the HBCUs, so we can't get quality educations and be shut out of shyt again, because we won't be qualified to compete.
I wish they make up their damned minds. Either you is or you ain't, as my granddaddy would say. Either you want to include us, or you want to Exclude US. You can't have it both ways, and we're so far from the 1960s, the saltines that try it will get cans of whoop-ass busted out on them, and well placed feet up collective anal orifices.
This is one GENIE that's not going back into that bottle, and they need to damned well learn how to live with it. THE END.
**standing "O"** :>) :>)
Newt Gingrich and Orin Hatch already tried that by trying to eliminate the Department of Education during Bill Clinton's administration, and slashing the congressional budge the CBC used to have to run their shyt.
I know a damned pattern when I see one. This saltine thinks choking off the HBCU's money brings them in on their knees. The reality is those HBCUs are doing financially better than the regular state colleges and that mo-fo can't have that without a hood, robe and burning cross on those HBCU campuses.
As it stands, the WHITE KIDS are fighting themselves to get INTO Howard. Go figure that one.
Annnnnnd, the young man who "lacked melanin" graduated VALEDICTORIAN in June 2008. First Caucasian to do so.
Go figure that one. :>) :>)
Thanks for sharing YOUR WORDS. :>) :>) :>)
Beyond that, ON WHICH CAMPUS would the "MERGER" take place?
Annnnnnnnnd, WHICH campus is going to be SHUT DOWN?? HAH! :>)
THAT Senator wasn't THINKING!! HE KNOWS! :>) :>)
Your are correct. The "DRUM LINE" would be the major FACTOR that would "hang up" ALL negotiations!! :>) :>) :>) :>)
Franken AHEAD 22 VOTES NOW< Campaign Says
Al Franken's campaign announced on Wednesday that, for the first time since the Minnesota recount began, the Democrat has actually pulled ahead of Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.
Speaking on a conference call with reporters, Franken's chief counsel Marc Elias said the campaign's own internal count showed them up 22 votes, a jump from the 13 vote deficit that they faced on Tuesday.
"We have approximately 138,000 ballots left to count," said Elias. "94.3 percent of the state has now been counted... Obviously that number is going to change, but we are pleased thus far with how things are going."
If true (the official state and newspaper numbers show a margin more favorable to Coleman, owing to the many challenges each campaign has logged), the tally underscores just how incredibly close the Minnesota race has become. On Wednesday, the state will go over ballots from Wright County -- a largely Republican area that could thrust Norm Coleman back into the lead.
Indeed, observers of the recount process and even members of both campaigns are bracing themselves for the near certainty that the courts will become involved. Among those aspects of the recount that have been or seemed destined to be legally debated: rejected absentee ballots (of which the Franken campaign says there are some 1,000 that should be counted), missing ballots (171 of which emerged in Ramsey County on Tuesday), and the pool of ballots that the campaigns have contested.
The last group has been building up into the thousands, as both candidates have filed both legitimate and frivolous objections. On the Wednesday conference call, however, Elias said that the Franken campaign would withdraw roughly 600 of their challenges.
We'll keep WATCHIN'! :>) :>)
UPDATE on the UPDATE: From MSNBC: Franken is DOWN by 303. :>(
To the second question posed, Marie Arana responds that in his first memoir, Obama refers to himself as "black", but, recently, has come to call himself "biracial"(I can't seem to find specific quotes from Obama himself on this). This seems to very important to certain people because the subsequent questioner suggests that every article should be amended from "black " to "biracial".
When PE Obama referred to himself as a "mutt" in his first press conference, was he referring to race? The last questioner, and many others, certainly thinks so and believes it is PE Obama's way of publicly declaring his "new perspective" on his racial identity, after years of calling himself a "black" man. In their view, PE Obama now feels liberated enough to declare himself as a "biracial" man and not just as a "black" man. Again, this distinction seems to very, very important to some people.
If PE Obama was definitively making a racial reference and therefore embracing a new, public identity as a "biracial" man and not as a "black" man - and we don't know this for a fact - what should people who identify as "black" think/feel about this in-the-questioner's-mind new public declaration of his racial identity given that they feel a special pride in his recent accomplishment for mostly that very reason - that he is "black"or identifies as "black"?
How would it make you feel if what these people are saying is true, that he now thinks of himself as just a "biracial" man and not just as a "black man" of mixed race parentage? Would you still feel special pride in what he has accomplished? Would you still feel that America is a place where anything is possible?
What if he has to or wants to play both sides of the race issue for political reasons just because he can? Remember this statement from Newsweek's presidential issue about his team's general feeling on race(not verbatim), ..."if the black community wants to claim him as the black candidate, great; If other people want to think he is biracial or post-racial, fine..." How should this make the "black" community feel?
For the crowd who are clamoring for PE Obama to declare himself as "biracial" as opposed to just "black": Is there room for PE Obama to identify as a "black" man of biracial/mixed race parentage as he has done countless number of times? (As many in the "black" community have done for a century or more?) Or, would you find that definition of his racial identity inadequate? Why?
And, what of PE Obama who MUST be aware that there is, technically, a war that is being waged to define or redefine his racial identity from "black" to "biracial"? What does he REALLY think about these discussions, I wonder?
T.
Marie Arana: I'm not against anyone choosing to see themselves any way they want to. And I certainly applaud people who are proud of their ethnicity. I'm proud of my African blood, too. I just think that we diminish people when we don't see them as the full cultural creatures that they are.
Translation: I cant see black people as fully human so if he identifies as biracial its easier for me to see his humanity as I can see/identify with the humanity of white people.
And I think once again of James Baldwin who wrote:
“IDENTITY would seem to be the garment with which one covers the nakedness of the self: in which case it is best that the garment be loose, a little like the robes of the desert, through which one’s nakedness can always be felt and sometimes discerned. This trust in one’s nakedness is all that gives one the power to change robes.”
As the saying goes:
"I'm tired, I've been Black all day"
Obama has made a choice like so many other biracial people. But its a choice rooted in reality. He could call himself biracial all the live long day but the cab driver and police officers at night dont care about him being biracial.
Biracial Isn’t A Good Term
Biracial could mean you’re Latino and Asian, African and South Asian; there are a lot of mixes. Someone who’s South Asian and White might not be able to relate to someone who is Hispanic and Black. If one wanted to get technical, Obama is Euro American/African American. Being biracial is a technical term, not a term of heritage or cultural identity like Black, White, Latino or Asian. Bill Richardson wasn’t seen as the biracial governor although he was half Latino and half White; he was seen as a Latino governor. There is no culture or history for being biracial. There’s no biracial history month, no biracial music, no biracial slang, no biracial food. Unlike being Black, Jewish, Hispanic, White, or Asian, which are larger cultural identities, there is no culture necessarily attributed to the biracial community.
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/top-10-re...
::
This person needs a history lesson.
By Greg Braxton
Los Angeles Times / December 3, 2008
HOLLYWOOD - Four years ago, fresh off his star-making keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama challenged the television industry to live up to its responsibility as the country's "most powerful media" and accurately reflect the population of the United States. "TV ought to reflect the reality of America's diversity and should do so with pride and dignity, not with stereotypes," he told the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
But as Obama prepares to move into the White House next month, he and his family will be hard pressed to find blacks like them represented on any of the major networks - ABC, NBC, CBS, or Fox.
In fact, not only will they have great difficulty locating any black family in a leading role on the networks, they also will see it's nearly impossible to find a scripted comedy or drama that features a young person of color in a central role.
Although prime-time network slates are packed with more than a dozen comedies and dramas revolving around family life or involve characters who are related, almost all of them have predominantly white casts. A black family has not anchored a network series since "The Bernie Mac Show" left Fox in 2006.
For the rest: http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2008/12/03...
Agence France Presse (12.01.08)
http://health.yahoo.com/news/afp/healthaidsuspo...
President-elect Barack Obama on Monday applauded President George W. Bush for delivering on his commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS overseas, and he vowed to continue and expand that work. Obama's comments came in taped remarks delivered to the Saddleback Church Civil Forum on AIDS in Washington.
Thanks to the global mobilization against HIV/AIDS, "women in Kenya who were widowed by the disease and once shunned by society have banded together to support and empower each other," Obama said. "Governments are coming together to address the humanitarian crisis the pandemic has left in its wake."
Obama thanked Bush "for his leadership in crafting a plan for AIDS relief in Africa," and for channeling the funds necessary to its execution. Obama pledged to "continue this critical work" and to refocus attention on the disease on the domestic front following his inauguration on Jan. 20.
"We must also recommit ourselves to addressing the AIDS crisis here in the United States with a strong national strategy of education, prevention and treatment, focusing on those communities at greatest risk," Obama said. "This strategy must be based on the best available science and built on the foundation of a strong health care system." Nonetheless, he said, "in the end, this epidemic can't be stopped by government alone, and money alone is not the answer either."
I like "tache's. Daddy wears one. Perpetually!
T.
1. Does John Walker Lindh seriously think Bush is going to pardon him?
2. Why is Planned Parenthood giving out gift certificates? Not exactly the most appropriate Christmas gift...
Her rationale was to help out lower-income women, but didn't think they'd be used for abortions. Like that makes sense.
The day I start acting like that, just ban me from the site.
People might take your post more seriously if you don't resort to name calling. You're dealing with grown folks here.
What the hell kind of "gift" is that? Ok so you know a low income woman and your thought is "gee, she probably needs a pap smear"?? Huh?? If someone gives me a gift certificate to a women's health clinic, I'm pretty sure my first thought wouldnt be "thanks". I mean, if someone gave me a gift certificate to a dentist, I'm thinking "wow, my teeth are really jacked up"....a gift certificate to a weight loss clinic, "damn, I'm a cow"...some things should not come in gift certificate form...At ALL. You'd have to be pretty tight with the recipient to go there, and if you're that tight, you don't NEED a gift certificate to go there.
Can't disagree with you.
Is it just me or is yahoo down (3:29PM Est)?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081203/pl_po...
Ok. How many people other than me knew that this was coming? I knew it, I just knew there is no free lunch. My greatest suspicions are coming home to roost! The day after Obama accepted the nomination and McCain announcement Palin, for a brief period Obama started going down in the polls. Remember that he made that trip to NYC to meet with Bill in his office. THE DEAL WAS CUT. I believed it moreso when Billary started beating the stomp for Obama. Hillary getting the State Department and Bill expected a leadership role IS NO COINCIDENCE. I have long suspected that a deal was cut then and there, Obama didn't pick Hillary because Bill could not pass the vetting process, so Biden became the choice. The day after the nomination was made and McCain picked binbow Palin scared Obama enough to cut a deal with the devil. This was prior to us finding out the Palin was not qualified and Tina Fey doing her in.
I don't think we will ever know the price that Obama paid to win this election and neither do we want to? Richardson delivered NM in exchange for Commerce Dept? Napolitano delivered Arizona for Homeland Security...Billary delivered much of the "racist democrat" vote in exchange for State and whatever the hell it is Bill wants to do.
My true concern at this point with Bill coming into the fray, is that many of these rival, seasoned politicians will do President O in. LBJ did it to Kennedy. These high profile rival are not just concerned about the country, they know the "art of the setup" long before Barack got a seat at the table. I am very concerned now. At least he has the smarts to set up this "Team" concept and put AA male and female on each of the teams to watch his back. They will spend all day and night just doing that and lets hope that the brothers and sisters don't get derailed and highjacked out of the teams. Biden, Billary, Richardson all want to be President. I'm anxious to know: "Do you see what I see?
1) "Move Your Ass, You're Hogging MY Limelight!"
2) "MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME!"
3) "I Will Not Have Sex With That SoS"
I was very optimistic until today when the news reported that Bill was open to a leadership position. He hasn't gotten over Obama beating him and his being exposed with race baiting Jessie Jackson. AND HE IS WILLING TO TAKE ON A LEADERSHIP ROLE TO HELP WHO? I am from Dallas and guess what, there was no conspiracy , what you see is what you get, Kennedy was killed and LBJ moved on with the plan.
Obama has to deal and we will pray he is not like Caesar and surrounding himself with enemies. I understand keeping your enemies close, but when you bring in the Clintons, it is as good as surrounding yourself with them. Look at his Cabinet, so far...
Obama briefed daily on intelligence
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Barack Obama apparently has a hearty appetite for intelligence.
The president-elect is receiving intelligence briefings every day of the week, exceeding the six days given to President Bush, according to Michael McConnell, the director of national intelligence.
COMMENT: I'm believin' that Shrub sleeps through his briefings. After-all, THEY are INTELLIGENCE briefings. OXYMORON: SHRUB - - INTELLIGENCE!
I'm really just sayin' . . . . . :>) :>)
GreenLady, you're too funny!
If I'm Obama, I'm hanging on to that Blackberry and what the media thinks be damned.
No U.S. president going forward in my opinion should be without a PDA. He/she should always be tech savvy and in the loop as much as possible.
Annnnnnnnnd, IT just may be made for HIM and some parts of the Secret Service.
TRUST!! [We'll neva know.] :>) :>)
"Diversity, and excellence
Challenged about the lack of a Latino in one of the prime cabinet jobs, Obama defends the honor of the Commerce position being given Richardson (who delivered part of his remarks in Spanish), and offers a riff on a White House that, starting from the top, will look very different from those past.
"When people look back and see the entire slate, what they will say not only in terms of my Cabinet, but in terms of my White House staff – I think people are going to say this is one of the most diverse Cabinets and White House staffs of all time, but more importantly I think they’re going to say these are all people of outstanding qualifications and excellence," he said. "There’ s no contradiction between diversity and excellence."
Taken from : http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1208/Div...
I completely get what Obama is saying. Of course I would like to have a good representation of minorities in Obama's administration, but I also want him to pick the best and the brightest, if they happen to be African-American or Latino then fabulous.
I was thinking that maybe it is a matter of there just not being a large enough representation of minorities who have the breath of experience/knowledge in the particular field in which Obama is looking to fill a post, and who are not already well known, or from the Clinton adminstration, or from some other former administration. I don't know, but from personal experience being a minority in the hospital sciences field. My graduating class had about 25 students (it was a small professional program), and of that 25 only 5 were African American, 2 per Chinese, the rest were white.
Anyway, just my 2 cents.
Share, discuss if you will...
"Out of the huts of hisories shame, I (Obama) rise.
--Maya Angelou
President - Elect Obama.....
Calls on a Fox News reporter, Wendell Goler, at today's press conference. Wendell was a little shocked because he said, "Umm..well.. um..thanks for calling on me, sir".
damn
Stewart went 10-1 when he matched up with Roger Clemens.
And I wanted Obama to do the same thing to Fake Noise. Allow 1 hit and that's all they get.
I'm missing Baseball season right now and can't wait for Spring Training. LOL
I predict this will be Wendell's regular beat from here on in. I forgot all about him!
Erick Erickson Dances In End Zone After Late Field Goal By Saxby Chambliss Makes Final Score 48-3.
By: Blue Texan Wednesday December 3, 2008 9:54 am 8
diggs
digg it
Pathetic, thy name is Red State.
Both Sarah Palin and Barack Obama campaigned in Georgia. Palin flew all over the state rallying Republicans. Obama flew under the radar heavily targeting black voters, demanding support for Martin, and running heavy radio advertising on urban stations.
Ladies and Gentlemen, black voters turned out for Obama, but not for Obama's candidates. Remember that for 2010.
But folks, remember this too: Sarah Palin asked Republicans to turn out and they did. Of all the Republicans who campaigned for Chambliss, she was the only one that went all over the state for him. And it paid off.
And folks, remember this too: Erick Erickson is still an assclown.
Let's imagine for a second that McCain-Palin had won the election with 365 electoral votes, and the Democrats had lost of bunch of seats in the House and Senate, after losing a boatload in 2006.
And let's say that the Democratic brand was in such bad shape that Chuck Schumer was forced to mount a runoff campaign in dark blue New York.
And then let's imagine that every national Democrat under the sun, including Obama, Clinton, Richardson, Kennedy, Kerry, Gore, Carter, Edwards, and the ghosts of FDR and JFK schlepped up to New York state to save Schumer. And just for the hell of it, let's say Joe Biden shows up the day before the election and gives 4 speeches. Schumer then wins the runoff election.
So what would we conclude from all of this?
That Biden is more awesome than McCain and that the Republicans better watch out in 2010.
Memo to Erick -- McCain-Palin won Georgia last month as any Republican ticket would. But if you really want to interpret Chambliss the old white guy Christian incumbent hanging on to his seat in a state that until 2003 flew the Confederate battle flag as a sign that Palin is the future of a resurgent GOP -- knock yourself out.
Bless his heart, Martin tried be just like Obama: Mr. Nice. But what Martin failed to realize is that Obama had to act like a "nice" black man as opposed to an "angry" black man.
If Martin wanted to win in GA, he needed to be GAngsta. We needed a Jim Webb-style candidate, but we got watered-down kool-aid instead...AND if we had-had a stronger candidate, then Barack would have probably won GA (he only loss by 5 points to McCain).
I promise you that if I had-had Martin's skin, everytime you saw me mount a podium, I would be in a solid rage...Georgians like rage...these saltines love some rage, ala Zell Miller.
If you want to win GA, you've got to be waving your finger around like an angry Bill Clinton, with your face turning red, and saying stuff like, "The GALL__! Chambilss! Calling Max Cleland an Osama Bin Laden Collaborator! The GALL!"
To this day, I've not heard Martin speak a single syllable about Cleland. That's why I did not vote for him yesterday...and hopefully the message has been telegraphed to Martin: Stay the f**k out of GA state politics you weak ******.
"If Martin wanted to win in GA, he needed to be GAngsta. We needed a Jim Webb-style candidate, but we got watered-down kool-aid instead."
Lamh31 commented earlier about the lack of latino appointments, and I have to agree that if I were a latino, I'd probably be miffed too. Then, it hit me...one word...Sotomayor.
Sonia Sotomayor, the Puerto Rican from the South Bronx--my money is on her to get the ultimate appointment.
If I were a latino, I would no longer feel snubbed if Barack appointed the First Latino to the US Supreme Court. And I bet that as soon as a vacancy comes available, Barack's gonna nominate Sonia. His first appointment to the Supreme Court will be a latino. It will make history.
You heard it here first,
Webb
I'll keep my eyes open on this one.
Webb
Well, almost. Esquire wrote about Sonia Sotomayor last month.
Sonia Sotomayor
http://www.esquire.com/features/75-most-influen...
But, since I am not a regular Esquire reader, I did technically hear it from you first. :)
Thanks for the link!
I may have accidently flagged this comment (was trying to scroll on touch pad). I am not sure though because I don't know what a flagged comment looks like. I tried to hit the stop loading icon, dunno if it worked. My bad.
Back to your post. That would really be history making. Love it. I think a Supreme Court appointment would be symbolic on so many levels.
I cannot believe its been 20 years....wow.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtfEmTHeYNw
…, y no exagero!.
… No solo es Dios!..., sino Dios y su gente,
a cual más mago, prestijitador o embustero!.
… La vieja, rancia y noble clase de “Abolengo”,
dueños y amos eternos y absolutos del Mundo
y que son como los excelsos y maduros caldos de coñag, champagne o vino a $50.oo0 la botella
…, (solo para muy selectas ocasiones)
…, y que permanecen más ocultos
que “un Sol a la media noche”.
… Ellos nos hacen creer que somos iguales,
libres y soberanos…, y bajo cuerda nos tienen
más anclados que una boya para porta-aviones.
… Y ahora resulta (o nos vienen con el cuento)
de que “Obama” es el numero uno y más o menos
el Rey del Mundo!.
… Pues será cuestión de conseguir un palco
(en gallinero) y seguir viendo el increíble espectáculo
o “el Circo más Grande del Mundo”.
… Oh sueños imposibles (de opio) del pueblo…, ¿Cuándo vais a tomar conciencia?
Alfonso Játiva Gómez