The Real Problem with Sarah Palin

Good riddance to Sarah Palin. The articulately challenged Governor abruptly resigned from her post for some unknown, rambling reason last week. Since I can’t be bothered with understanding her long-winded resignation speech (believe me I tried reading it but lost interest halfway through) or watching the video, I’m sure she has a really, really good reason for leaving office.

All she ever talks about is how the liberal media has been picking on her and how she got thrown under the bus by John McCain’s campaign staff but she never owns up to how she may have contributed to any of this. Of course it’s everyone else, it’s not her. Unfortunately for Palin, politics is not a beauty pageant where you get to wear a swimsuit, flash a pretty smile and answer superficial questions; constituents expect more.

The real reason Sarah Palin has become a joke was accurately summed up by Fox News analyst Liz Trotter. Trotter reads Palin’s pedigree at the 1:07 mark and doesn’t stop there:

As far as Palin’s future, I hope she lays low and keeps her mouth shut for the next 20 years but that’s just wishful thinking on my part. In spite of what she says, Palin loves the media spotlight but doesn’t want to be held accountable for anything.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

Crocodile Tears in Argentina

Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is in some deep shit. It wasn’t because he disappeared for seven days and his wife and staff claimed to have no idea where he was. It wasn’t because he was grandstanding over not taking $700 million in stimulus funds but was forced to take them anyway.

Sanford was in trouble because he lied to his wife. In an odd news conference today where he was incorrectly identified as a Democrat by Fox News, he admitted to having an affair with an Argentinian woman for the past five months. Now he’s known her for eight years and their relationship didn’t become romantic until then. Okay Mark, if you say so but I’m not buying this version of the story. Sanford who was vociferously opposed to taking stimulus money to help his state, didn’t have a problem spending taxpayer money to fly down to Argentina to see his mistress.

As much as I’d like to think being a Republican is a character flaw, I’m just going to say there is a whole lot of hypocrisy going around especially amongst politicians. At the moment Republicans seem to have a monopoly on adultery and lies. Sanford made a name for himself over rejecting stimulus money and now, here he is embroiled in one of the weirdest scandals of the year. Sanford was protesting too much and now I know why.

As far as scandals go, this probably won’t be the biggest scandal of the year but it doesn’t look good for a self-professed family man and fiscal conservative to get caught in such a messy ordeal. He has betrayed his wife, the citizens of South Carolina and the Republican party.

I’m sure his wife Jenny could have put his ass on blast months ago but she was being a good political wife. Now that they’ve released the emails between him and his mistress, he just needs resign and disappear as soon as possible. He has humiliated his wife and his four sons and if you can betray your wife and kids, you are just not worthy at all.

Although Sanford admits to spending the past five days crying in Argentina, I don’t believe him. He’s trying to wrench the last bit of sympathy out of us. I’ll be looking for him to resign as governor and if his wife is as disgusted with him as I think she is, she’ll be divorcing his ass soon. This drama is better than scripted reality TV, Jon and Kate have nothing on Mark Sanford.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

Obama Walks, Fox News Squawks

Not since 1977 has a newly inaugurated President walked Pennsylvania Avenue, Jimmy Carter was the last to do so. This afternoon, President and First Lady Obama got out of their armored Cadillac limo to walk Pennsylvania Avenue. With a 15 degree wind chill, the Obamas graciously waved and smiled at the thongs of citizens that gathered to get a glimpse of the world’s most powerful couple.

In the meantime, a bottomless pitcher of haterade was being served up over at Fox News where I caught a somber looking Brit Hume praising the presidency of the outgoing 43rd and Glenn Beck nitpicking the 44th’s pragmatic but eloquent inauguration speech. I see it’s going to take some people a long time to get over the fact that Barack Obama is our president. Now is as good a time as any because it’s going to be a long eight years. Not content to see the error of their divisive, narrow minded politics, they are convinced they know better than the 9 million people who elected him by overwhelming popular vote.

At one of the most challenging economic times in American history, President Obama is going to need our support and prayers. Change has obviously come but some people still aren’t ready for it.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

Let’s Hope The Magic Negro Does A Good Job

Magic Negroes are never funny, not in the movies and definitely not in satire. During a New Year’s Eve broadcast, Jen and John C., whom I am assuming are loyal FOX News fans, sent the following message:

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND LET’S HOPE THE MAGIC NEGRO DOES A GOOD JOB.

It wasn’t funny when Chip Saltsman or Rush Limbaugh used it and now FOX News thought it would be a good idea to throw this message in with the other New Year wishes. I see some people still haven’t gotten over the fact that a black man has been elected president and will be sworn in on January 20th. Obama not only won the Electoral College vote but also the popular vote by a landslide.

Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin didn’t see anything wrong with mocking Obama’s ethnicity because after all, our current President W. has been talked about mercilessly so what’s wrong with calling our President elect a magic negro? Everything. Insulting someone’s ethnicity is never satire, it’s bigotry. So why is it when white people get caught making racist statements they always like to bring up Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson like that’s supposed to justify anything they’ve said.

For all of W.’s shortcomings and there were many, not once did anyone insult his ethnicity, there were not a plethora of jokes about WASP-y folks. No one mocks him for being a member of one of the most privileged groups in our society, he’s a white man from a wealthy family. So Chip Saltsman, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the angry white people who mock Obama do so out of their perceived superiority as members of the privileged white male club. Neither Saltsman, Limbaugh or Malkin have the eductation or intellect of Obama so their only option is to insult Obama’s race. You may be smarter than me and have a better education but you’re still black.

Conservative types are good about preaching the “pull yourselves up by bootstraps” philosophy to blacks, the poor and others but what it really boils down to is race. Although Barack Obama worked hard to earn his prestigous degrees, he’s still going to be called magic negro and worse. He has something that his education and class can never erase and that is his blackness.

Now as for Ken Blackwell and the rest of the black Republicans defending this “magic negro” foolishness, read what Professor Tracey has to say about them here. I’m going to let that one ride for now.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

Al and Bill, Part 2

This story is too good to pass up. Let me preface it by saying that I don’t like Rev. Al Sharpton and I definitely don’t like Bill O’Reilly, the fact that these two socialize doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Permed-out Al is always on the hustle, looking to right some kind of wrong or act of racism for personal gain. He is the opportunist extraordinaire who has appointed himself spokesman for the monolithic group of black people that the U.S. media believes he represents. There’s a fine line between being a preacher and being a pimp; the flashy clothes, the seductive rap and the bouncing and behaving hair.

Last time O’Reilly and Sharpton were together was at Al’s civil rights convention. O’Reilly attended and Al even debated Sean Hannity. Bill and Al got together again to have dinner at Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem. If you don’t know about Sylvia’s, its a Harlem landmark and one of the best soul food restaurants anywhere. O’Reilly, who obviously doesn’t travel outside his conservative, narrow-minded crowd much, showed his true ignorance:

“I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it’s run by blacks, primarily black patronship,” he told listeners. “It was the same, and that’s really what this society’s all about now here in the U.S.A. There’s no difference.”

And later, speaking with National Public Radio correspondent and Fox analyst Juan Williams, O’Reilly said there “wasn’t any kind of craziness at all” during his dinner with Sharpton: “There wasn’t one person in Sylvia’s who was screaming, ‘M.F.-er, I want more iced tea.’ “

“It was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense that people were sitting there and they were ordering and just having fun,” he continued.

Poor Bill. Al hasn’t spent much time enlightening his BFF. O’Reilly thought he was complimenting black people but he really just showed his ignorance. Al needs to school Bill on the ways of the real world. Sounds like it was Bill’s first visit to Harlem and probably the first time he has ever been around more than one black person in his life but he only felt “safe” because Al was there with him.

I’m just waiting for the backstory about what Al and Bill did after they left Sylvia’s. I bet they went to the strip gentlemen’s club to get for lap dances smoke cigars and talk business. I’m expecting Al to step forward to defend O’Reilly’s ridiculous, ill-informed comments.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

O’Reilly, Hannity & Sharpton, Oh My!

Activist and self-appointed leader of the black community, Al Sharpton will be hobnobing with two of Fox News‘ finest, Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) is having a convention this week beginning Wednesday, April 18 in New York City. Some of the other media folks scheduled to participate in this three day convention include Soledad O’Brien(CNN), Brian Williams (NBC), Paula Zahn(CNN) and Joe Scarborough (MSNBC). And you wonder why Al Sharpton is the media authority on race and civil rights issues!

Rev. Jesse Jackson must have shared his “get rich and die lying” playbook with Rev. Al because the hustle is on. The similarities between the two are not coincidental. I’m so glad Jesse elected to bypass the perm. Operation P.U.S.H. and Sharpton’s National Action Network websites have radio broadcasts, highlight civil rights accomplishments and praise their leaders’ power broker credentials and political clout. Makes me cringe to think that some people are stupid enough to buy into this nonsense, but if it worked for Jesse, it will work for Al. Rush Limbaugh is quoted in Al’s biography as saying that “Reverend Sharpton has the best shot of anyone at becoming the “Limbaugh of the Left”. Say what?

Knowing Rush is impressed with Al means that you shouldn’t be surprised that xenophobe Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity are attending Al’s convention. O’Reilly is listed as a special guest at the Keeper of the Dream VIP Reception this Wednesday night. Somehow I’m getting a visual of Al and O’Reilly sweatin’, smilin’ and doing the electric slide in their tuxes and shiny patent leather shoes. Friday evening Al will debate the other Fox News’ personality, Sean Hannity on “Race in American in the 21st Century”. (Note to Al and Sean: The race issue is b-o-r-i-n-g. Why not debate the difference between “hardcore hos” and “nappy-headed hos” or how Al is going to address misogyny and the degradation of women in hip-hop.)

Another guest at Al’s convention worth noting is Michigan Representative, Carolyn Cheeks. Ms. Cheeks is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute who has partnered with Fox News to bring us two presidential debates. I’m certain Ms. Cheeks wasn’t invited there so Al could talk her into pulling the plug on CBC Institute’s partnership with Fox News. He’s probably going to congratulate her and share some tips on how to become a legitimate power broker.

I got awfully warm and fuzzy reading Al’s overly exaggerated biography, it reads like a work of fiction. It’s well written but it didn’t change my mind about him, I still believe he is an opportunist. Al can’t possibly represent all of the diverse opinions of black America any more than Hillary Clinton could claim to represent the diverse opinions of white America; the sooner the media realizes this, the better off everyone will be.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

CBC Still Committed to Fox News Debates

The Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI) has released another statement saying that they are still committed to the presidential debates they are co-sponsoring with Fox News. Claiming these debates will be an opportunity to “help educate African Americans and others on key issues of national policy”, CBC Institute also claims this will an opportunity for candidates to present their ideas in an unfiltered atmosphere.

Perhaps it was the Fox News slogan, “fair and balanced” that won CBC Institute over. With none of the Democratic front-runners attending, this debate will likely end up being a debate for the Republican presidential candidates. We know they don’t have a beef with Fox News because its their “fair and balanced” opinions being presented on the network 24/7/365.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

Playing the Race Card with Obama

Plenty of folks have complained about the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s (CBCI) decision to co-host the Democratic presidential debates with Fox News. A massive email and telephone campaign launched by ColorofChange.org failed to reverse the CBCI’s decision. They’re determined to reach a broader audience and believe Fox News can help them. CBCI cares nothing about Fox News’ record for distorting and misrepresenting black Americans.

The alternate route to shut these debates down with Fox News has been to contact the Democratic candidates and persuade them not to participate. It appears to be working. John Edwards was the first Democratic presidential candidate to say he wouldn’t participate in the CBCI-Fox News debates. Now Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have said they will bypass the debates as well.

Former president of the Congressional Black Caucus, Representative Elijah Cummings has called Obama’s decision not to participate in the debates “unfortunate”. Cummings has it twisted. The fact that CBCI chose to partner with Fox News is “unfortunate”. What about John Edwards and Hillary Clinton? Isn’t their decision not to participate “unfortunate” too? Not according to Cummings since he only singled out Obama on this issue.

Sounds to me like Cummings is trying to play the race card with Obama to me. If he were an avid viewer of Fox News, he would know that there is nothing “fair and balanced” about them. He has overlooked the fact that Fox News ran a story falsely linking Obama to jihadists. Aside from that piece of false reporting, the network attacks Obama and from what I’ve heard he refuses to appear on any of their shows. I can’t blame him; they have used everything from his middle name to cigarette smoking to his Muslim father to attack him.

Cummings should know that this isn’t a “black thing” and should reserve his criticism of Obama for some other issue. He and the CBCI keep bringing up the fact that they hosted debates with Fox News back in 2004 as if that absolves them of their poor judgment in 2007. It doesn’t. We know there is nothing “fair and balanced” about Fox News or their treatment of Barack Obama.

(Photo taken from MSNBC)

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

CBCI: Reaching for a Broader Audience with Fox News

I hardly ever agree with anything Jesse Jackson says or does but this time I find myself on the same side of the fence with the reverend. Our brethren over at the Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI) have wrongly partnered with Fox News to bring us the 2008 presidential debates. Jackson issued a press release condemning this decision (let the congregation say “amen”).

I’m astonished at those CBCI people, they must never watch Fox News or don’t give a damn about how the commentators and guests on that network routinely bad-mouth black people. Aside from that, a campaign was launched by ColorofChange.org to shut this deal down by having constituents call and send emails to members of the Congressional Black Caucus. In spite of the 12,000 emails and nearly 800 phone calls, the CBCI went ahead with the deal anyway. Board member and Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (MI) summed up the their decision by saying:

I am pleased that Fox News will broadcast two CBC Institute debates and especially honored that the Institute will host a debate in Detroit.

To avoid further scrutiny CBCI’s press release quotes Board Chair Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson from Mississippi as saying their goal is to present the presidential candidates to the “broadest audience as possible”. Fox News does appeal to a broad audience, a kind of audience that blames illegal immigrants for the rising crime rates, thinks the word “articulate” is a compliment when describing a black person and believes Katrina victims turned the Superdome into a ghetto in three days.

As if they have sworn some kind of blood oath with board members, no one in the CBCI has spoken out about this deal. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been painfully silent on this issue as well. I think it’s great that CBCI wants to sponsor the presidential debates, it goes along with their mission to train young blacks in the political process but Fox News is the wrong partner. By cozying up with them, the CBCI is sending a message that they condone the network’s disdain for the black people. They are more concerned about acceptance from this “broad audience” than they are about principles, dignity or pride.

(Photo by ostwestfoto)

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

Congressional Black Caucus Partners with Fox News

In spite of 12,000 calls and letters to members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), they have decided to go forward with the sponsorship of the 2008 presidential debates with Fox News. The Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI) is an off-shoot of the CBC that purports to provide political training and education and positive role models in public service for future African American leaders . How co-sponsoring presidential debates with Fox News promotes this objective is lost on me.

Fox News is not a friend to black people and this bit of partnering isn’t going to change that. I wonder how much money CBCI got paid to do this. From what I hear, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus didn’t want any parts of this debate. I’m glad they had some backbone.

If you are as disturbed about this as I am, please visit ColorofChange.org.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping