RNC Documents Reveal Use of Scare Tactics

As the Bible says, what's done in the dark will come to light. Republican National Committee leaders are once again doing damage control after a document was found revealing their plans to use voters' fear in the coming campaign season. The problem started when an attendee at the RNC conference last month Florida left a 72-page document from its 2010 strategizing session in a hotel room.

The memo states that the best path to victory in 2010 is for Republican candidates to depict themselves as the best hope for resisting the "trending toward socialism" taking shape in a Democrat-dominated Washington. The presentation calls President Obama's administration "The Evil Empire," and includes the image of President Obama made over in the makeup Heath Ledger used in his performance as the Joker in the 2008 Batman movie "The Dark Knight."

The memo candidly states that the aim of such caricature is to amp up "fear" among the Republican conservative base. RNC leaders NOW say "the language and the imagery will not be used in any capacity in the future."

The RNC will not admit to it, but evidence points to their founding and backing the "Tea Party Movement". Ever wonder why only Republicans are speakers at tea party" functions. The Obama-as-Joker image is a very familiar icon at Tea Party rallies.

It's time for Black folk to do what the actors in Spike Lee's Skool Dayz say "WAKE UP". While Black folks are still celebrating a year after Barack Obama became the first Black president of the U.S., his and your enemies began plotting, the day after the election, how to not only defeat him, but to embarrass and destroy him. And all the while, we, including the Congressional Black Caucas, NAACP, Urban League, churches, the twin reverends high five and dap.

Obama's Host First State Dinner

President Barack Obama hosted the first state dinner of his administration last night and it was an evening of regal pageantry and symbolic politics in a tent on the White House South Lawn with a view of the Washington Monument. The president raised his glass toward his guest of honor, visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and toasted, "To the future that beckons all of us, let us answer its call. And let our two great nations realize all the triumphs and achievements that await us."

Dating back to 1874, state dinners are the most treasured and formal honor a U.S. president can offer a foreign dignitary, and the most coveted invitation in Washington. Traditionally, a new administration's first invitation goes to the leader of neighboring Canada or Mexico, though recent presidents also haven't followed that precedent. The dinner showed President Obama's intention to signal strong ties with India, the world's largest democracy, and go his own way in navigating the pomp and tradition of White House customs.

The event planned by First Lady Michelle Obama emphasized eco-friendly themes such as White House-grown herbs and lettuce served to guests and harvested magnolia branches -- from species native to both India and the United States -- in arrangements adorning the tent. The dinner was attended by more than 300 guests wearing tuxedos and gowns who were wined, dined and entertained. The guest list included political allies, a few opponents, celebrities and members of the Indian diplomatic community.

In a toast that followed the president's, Prime Minister Singh praised his host's leadership and prompted applause by citing the charm of the U.S. first lady. President Obama's election is "an inspiration to all those who cherish the values of diversity, democracy and equal opportunity," Singh said, adding that India "warmly applauded" the Nobel Peace Prize awarded President Obama for his calming effect and his leadership.

President Obama wore a black tuxedo, and the first lady wore a elegant strapless cream gown with silver accents gown by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan. Entertainment was by jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, Grammy and Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson, the National Symphony Orchestra directed by award-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, Academy Award-winning Indian musician and composer A.R. Rahman, and The President's Own United States Marine Band.

Alabama Town Celebrates Obama Holiday

Perry County Commissioner Albert Turner Jr. (left) and Rep. Bobby Singleton await Obama Day golf tournament.


The Perry County courthouse sign read "Closed for the Obama Holiday." The rural county recently proclaimed an official holiday celebrating the election of the nation's first Black president, Barack Obama. It's one of Alabama's poorest counties, but sparred little during five days of festivities.

County employees, as well as city workers in Marion and Uniontown, will got a paid holiday Monday as government offices close, culminating a series of events including an old-fashioned civil rights rally and march, a golf tournament, a weekend carnival and a parade Monday through Marion.

Perry County is located in the heart of the economically depressed Black Belt region named for its rich soil. The county has a population of only a little over 11,000 residents, and an unemployment rate of more than 18 percent, one of the highest in the state.

County Commissioner Brett Harrison, who cast the lone "no" vote when the commission voted 4-1 to set up the holiday, questions adding a paid day off in such a poor county. He said the county already had 14 paid holidays and it didn't seem like the right time for such an ambitious event in the middle of a recession.

The Obama holiday was proposed by Commissioner Albert Turner Jr., whose father was one of the marchers beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" voting rights march in Selma. Many of the marchers were from Marion and were upset about the shooting death of Jimmie Lee Jackson during an earlier demonstration in the town. Perry County wanted to let the nation know the role the county played in protests that led to passage of the Voting Rights Act. Commissioner Turner said, "It's not that we're celebrating Obama. We're celebrating America living up to it's creed that all men are created equal."

Activities included a jamboree at Marion Military Institute, where high school students from public and private schools in three counties had a chance to meet with representatives of colleges from across the Southeast and were given instructions on how to apply for college.

The host of the golf tournament, state Senator Bobby Singleton said he hopes publicity surrounding the holiday will help lure new industry and jobs to the region.

Farewell to the Lion of the Senate

The renowned Kennedy family, fellow senators and former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, attended the funeral service for Senator Edward “Teddy” M. Kennedy in Boston today, with President Barack Obama delivering the eulogy today. Friends, family and colleagues had paid tribute to Senator Kennedy on Friday evening with a three-hour wake and celebration of his life.
Ted Kennedy, the patriarch of America's leading political family for more than 40 years, died at the age of 77 on Tuesday, 15 months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. He had represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 1962, leaving his stamp on nearly every important law passed in the last half-century. Some people born with a famous name live off of it. Others enrich theirs. Ted enriched his; as well as enriched the lives of countless others.

When I look at Senator Ted Kennedy, I see a great redemption story. His political career began as the little brother of his more famous older brothers former Senator and President John F. Kennedy and former Senator, Attorney General and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. His own presidential aspirations were hobbled by the controversy around a 1969 auto accident that left a young woman dead and a 1980 primary challenge to then-President Jimmy Carter that ended in defeat. But while the White House eluded his grasp, he played major roles in passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act. He went on to become one of the great legislators of our time, authoring or co-authoring over 1000 U.S. Laws. And he never gave up despite all the family and personal tradegy.

Senator Ted Kennedy was an outspoken liberal standard-bearer during a conservative-dominated era from the 1980s to the early 2000s. His endorsement and support of then presidential candidate Barack Obama played a major role in the election of President Obama. He died as President Obama is pushing for a wide-ranging overhaul of the U.S. health insurance system, a fight the dying senator called "the cause of my life".

Senator Kennedy was famous for his close friendships with colleagues across the Senate aisle even as his name was hissed in Republican campaign materials. Long-time Republican senators Orrin Hatch and John McCain were both adversaries and friends.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy will be buried Saturday evening at Arlington National Cemetery, 95 feet south of the grave of Senator Robert Kennedy, which is in turn just steps away from President John F. Kennedy's burial site.

Health Reform Critics (Restless Natives)

Every day it seems there is a fresh chorus of yelling from opponents of health care reform. It seems that middle-age White Americans have a problem with change from a system that excludes millions of other Americans, while insurance companies are becoming as wealthy as the oil companies. Now before you call me a racist, I say, I’m like a referee – I call them like I see them; just look at every news broadcast, newspaper, or news magazine.

Critics lobbed a barrage of verbal jabs at the Congressmen holding town hall meetings across the U.S. Health care opponents say the overhaul that “could” cost billions of dollars is unwise at a time when the economy is in recession. Some have even handed Senators copies of the Constitution. Now that is funny when the Constitution says that ALL Americans are provided with security and the pursuit of happiness – there is no security if you don’t have medical insurance; there is no happiness when your child is sick and you don’t have medical insurance.

The town hall meetings have at times turned into shouting and pushing matches between supporters and critics. Many of the opponents have believed the “talking heads” hype that President Obama wants to turn the U.S. into a socialist country; believing that the new health play will allow illegal aliens and welfare recipients will get free medical insurance. When in reality both receive free health care already when they visit emergency rooms free of charge. I myself have the benefited of free health care as a military veteran.

Maybe there are some righteous complaints, but to the average Joe it looks like a bunch of middle-aged White Americans believing the scare tactics of the “talking heads”. They were talking the same stuff during the presidential campaign – I guess if you say something long enough…well anyway it looks like people are either running scared, greedy, or just plain bigots.

Senate Confirms Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court

Judge Sonia Sotomayor has risen from the housing projects of the Bronx to the top of the legal profession. She made history Thursday when she was confirmed by the U. S. Senate to become the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. She was easily confirmed in a 68-31 vote.

Judge Sotomayor, a federal appeals court judge, will be the 111th person to sit on the high court and the third female justice. She will be sworn in at the Supreme Court on Saturday. President Obama, who selected Sotomayor on May 26, said he was "deeply gratified" by the Senate vote. He called it a wonderful day for America.

Judge Sotomayor's confirmation capped an extraordinary rise from humble beginnings. Her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during World War II. Her father worked in a factory and didn't speak English.
She was born in the Bronx and grew up in a public housing project, not far from the stadium of her favorite team, the New York Yankees. Her father died when she was 9, leaving her mother to raise her and her younger brother. Her mother, whom Ms. Sotomayor has described as her biggest inspiration, worked six days a week to care for her and her brother, and instilled in them the value of an education. Judge Sotomayor later graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and went on to attend Yale Law School, where she was editor of the Yale Law Journal.

She worked at nearly every level of the judicial system over a three-decade career before being chosen by President Obama to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court. Accepting the nomination, Sotomayor thanked Obama for "the most humbling honor of my life." Sotomayor presided over about 450 cases while on the district court. Before her judicial appointments, she was a partner at a private law firm and spent time as an assistant district attorney prosecuting violent crimes.

After the selection, Sotomayor was touted by her supporters as a justice with bipartisan favor and historic appeal. She has served as a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since 1998. She was named a district judge by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 and was elevated to her current seat by President Clinton.

The First Ever Juneteenth Celebration Hosted by the Leader of the Free World on the South Lawn of the White House

President Barack Obama hosted a BBQ for young men on the South Lawn of the White House June 19, 2009. Officially they said the bar-b-que was to mentor young men about the importance of family and community activism. But a ‘que on June 19th? The day Black folks in the U.S. commemorate freeing the slaves in Texas!? Coincidence?! Maybe it was to celebrate Father’s Day Weekend…

You gotta love this President! Especially since y’all know some folks are going to be heated about BBQ’s going down on the White House lawn. He invited several celebrity fathers, influential men, and local teen boys over for some chit chat about the responsibility of men and fathers…and some BBQ! Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Etan Thomas, the President of Motorola, the President of Morehouse College, and many other men were in attendance. Chef Bobby Flay was there to get steaks and burgers poppin’ for everybody while the Prez served them up. I'm luvin it!

Ninja President

Maybe he should slap some of his opponents like that.

President Obama's Pastor-in-Chief

At only 26 years-old, Joshua DuBois is Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The young Pentecostal minister (and Boston University and Princeton graduate), has worked with President Barack Obama on faith outreach since his days in the Senate and throughout the campaign.

Since being selected in February for the new office, Pastor DuBois has focused on connecting with faith-based and community groups around four main objectives: economic recovery, responsible fatherhood, reducing the need for abortion, and inter-religious cooperation. The walls of his office are bare, with the exception of a photograph of Reverend Joseph Lowery giving the benediction at President Obama’s inauguration.

It is his job of finding common ground with groups like the Catholic bishops who boycotted the president’s commencement speech at Notre Dame because of his positions on abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Joshua DuBois states that with regard to tough issues like abortion, the president believes in a woman’s right to choose. He believes that in a area such as abortion where there are very strongly held beliefs on both sides, there are areas in the middle that everyone can come around to support (i.e., reduce the need for abortion, reduce unintended pregnancies and teenage pregnancies). This can be done through things like more education, supporting adoption through adoption tax credits, and making sure that pregnant women have the health care they need. The outreach entails, "I don't care if you're a conservative, evangelical Catholic who's never voted for a Democrat before; we're going to call you, we're going to sit down with you and try to find areas to work together. And even if you don't vote for us, we still want to work with you so that there's not some ‘us vs. them' mentality."

Reverend DuBois says that on a personal level, President Obama is a committed Christian. He would be the first to say it's a very important force in his life, and in the life of the First Family. It's an inspiration for him, and it helps him set his moral path. In terms of the Obama White House, we recognize that faith-based groups, which are serving people day in and day out, are central to any prospects we have to serving people in need. In communities across the country where there may not be an office of state, local or federal government, there's probably going to be a church or a synagogue or a mosque or a community-based organization. It just makes sense that, if we're going to serve the American people and get things done, we have to connect with people where they are.

Some think he is too young. Don't be fooled by the boyish face. Supporters say the young pastor has an uncanny ability for building relationships with religious leaders of various stripes. Spirituality has no age limit. God is no respector of person and He uses anyone who is willing to be used. Young people put Barack Obama in the White House, and the President hasn't been shy about bringing them with him. So it wasn't a surprise that President Obama — who entrusted 27-year-old speechwriter with crafting the soaring oratory that became his campaign's hallmark — would tap a relative novice to lead the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Pastor DuBois leads a council of 25 influential religious and nonprofit leaders in helping both faith-based and secular groups galvanize their communities by providing everything from social services to job training.

Born in Bar Harbor, Maine and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and Xenia, Ohio. Reverend DuBois' stepfather is a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church; his grandmother took part in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins. As a 17-year-old freshman at Boston University, DuBois — armed with a placard inscribed with the words "NO MORE" — stood before a Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Boston for 41 hours as a way to commemorate the 41 bullets New York City policemen used to kill unarmed Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo. He became an associate pastor at a Massachusetts church while still an undergraduate. When he received a form letter rejecting his application to join Obama's U.S. Senate campaign he drove to Obama's office to pursue and interview, and was hired as a Senatorial aide working on faith-based outreach.

Black Presidents Not New to Hollywood

"The Man"
When the President and Speaker of the House are killed in a building collapse, and the Vice-President declines the office due to age and ill-health, Senate President pro tempore Douglas Dilman (James Earl Jones) suddenly becomes the first brother in the Oval Office. The events from that day to the next election when he must decide if he will actually run challenge his skills as a politician and leader.

"24" (Seasons 2 and 3)
President David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) had his work cut out for him, working with Jack Bauer to save Los Angeles from the threat of terrorist thugs, dealing with traitors, knocking heads with his shady ex-wife Sherry Palmer (played brilliantly by Penny Johnson Jerald) and dodging attempts on his life.

"24" (Season 6)
David Palmer's death paves the way for his younger brother Wayne (D.B. Woodside) to move into the Oval office. He helps free Jack Bauer from the Chinese government, fakes a nuclear bombing, is severly injured by an explosion at a press conference, and ends up in a coma by the season's end.

"The Fifth Element"
250 years in the future, ex-soldier, cab driver Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) works to save the planet from extinction with the help of Ruby Rhod (a whacky role played by Chris Tucker). Dallas saves the world, but only because President Lindberg (Tommy 'Tiny' Lister) said so.

"Deep Impact"
A comet is set to collide with planet Earth, and President Beck (Morgan Freeman) has devised a plan to save a million lucky people to keep the human race going.

"Head of State"
Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock) gets his party’s nomination for presidency. But after speaking his mind about society’s ills (as well as hiring a Klan member to endorse his White opponent).

"2012"
Coming in July 2009, Danny Glover will play preisdent Glover in a fight to counteract the apocalyptic events that were predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar.

Idiocracy”
Terry Crews plays President Camacho. Imagine President Obama with that hair.


Hollywood, despite all its stereotypical crap, has often been ahead of the national curve and was ready for a Black president long before America was. On television and in movies, Black actors such as acclaimed as James Earl Jones to the other end of the spectrum as Tommy Lister have played commanders-in-chief. Sammy Davis Jr. was only 9 when he assumed the POTUS in 1933’s "Rufus Jones for President."

A Black man in the Oval Office has provided ample joke routines for comics such as Richard Pryor and Chris Rock. On one episode of "The Richard Pryor Show," he played a president hosting a press conference. During the sketch, he tells reporters that he'd seriously consider Black Panther Huey Newton for the job of FBI director -- and nearly decks one journalist who inadvertently insults his momma. And when he's asked about his fetish for white women, he jokes, "They don't call it the White House for nothing."

In the 2003 film "Head of State," Chris Rock's president, Mays Gilliam, is an even more exaggerated character. His language is filled with slang and he is partial to baggy jeans and Kangol caps and looks less like the leader of the free world than the latest star of Def Jam Records. His running mate, played by Bernie Mac, thinks NATO is a person. Gilliam is catapulted onto the public stage after the sitting president dies in a plane crash.

It is not the first time a Black man on screen has risen to power through calamity. In "The Man," James Earl Jones becomes the POTUS after the entire cabinet perishes in a series of freak accidents. It's not on DVD, but if you can find it on VHS it is well worth the search. In "Deep Impact," Morgan Freeman has to calm the nation as he contends with wayward comets threatening to destroy the planet. Morgan Freeman looks and sounds conventionally presidential in the way that only a Visa pitchman can. And in "The Fifth Element," set in 2263, Tommy “Tiny” Lister's President Lindberg has to battle asteroids and an enemy named The Great Evil. Lister—a 300-pounder best known for playing a larcenous thug in Friday—Lindberg is not a suitable role model. Too "angry." Too "hostile." Too much "bestial grunting." That said, his menacing glare somehow suggests he'd stand firm against lobbyists.

It's not until the hit series "24" that things start looking up for the Black president. Dennis Haysbert's character, David Palmer -- in the first season a senator running for the presidency -- is handsome, composed and ready to lead on Day One. We were in good hands with David Palmer who radiated dependability. His race is a non-issue as he struggles with modern-day threats such as terrorism, bomb scares and a social-climbing wife. Yes, he's eventually assassinated, but only after he leaves office. And Palmer's equally self-confident younger brother, Wayne, takes the reins shortly thereafter. Another “24” alumni Roger Cross, who played Agent Curtis Manning from 2005-2007, was the President in a Sci-fi Channel made for TV movie, “Polar Storm”, this past weekend which started me thinking about this post.

NBA Tattoos

I'm not into tattoos but I found this on the net and thought it was interesting. The tattoo that I find the most interesting is K-Mart's with the lips behind his right ear.

NBA Tattoos, from A to Z
By Reed Tucker

A is for America: Wizards Gilbert Arenas promised that if Barack Obama won the presidential election, he'd get a tribute -- and he did. "Change we believe in" now marks the fingers on his left hand.

B is for bear: Jazz star Carlos Boozer has a menacing bear on his arm "because even in high school, I felt like I turned into some kind of animal on the court."

C is for consent: Before getting his first tat at 17, the Warriors' Corey Maggette asked his mom's permission: "I'm not sure she believed me because she said, 'Yeah, go ahead.'"

D is for demon bird mothballs: Heat forward Shawn Marion thought he was getting his nickname, "The Matrix," tattooed in Chinese symbols. What he got instead roughly translates to "demon bird mothballs."

E is for esteem: Those numbers on the right arm of Hornets guard Antonio Daniels are a tribute to his brother. "It has his birthday [7-20-73], the day he passed away [2-8-96], as well as his number [33]," Daniels says.

F is for Florida: If you ever get lost driving in the Sunshine State, just ask to see Udonis Haslem's back. The Heat forward has a large map of Florida, his home, tattooed there.

G is for Grateful Dead: The Lakers' Luke Walton shows his appreciation for the rock group with a design of four dancing skeletons, each holding a basketball, on his right arm.

H is for humility: Of which Shaquille O'Neal has none. The Suns' big man has "Against the Law" inked on his shoulder because, as Shaq explains, "My game's so good, there has to be a law to stop it."

I is for initials: The Cavaliers' LeBron James, who already had multiple tattoos, including "Chosen 1" across his entire back, last year had an "L" and "J" inked on the underside of each arm.

J is for Jay-Z: The Timberwolves' Sebastian Telfair has a huge "Lucky Me" inked on his upper back. It's a reference to a Jay-Z song, which Telfair says has particular meaning to him.

K is for king of the hill: Nuggets floor leader Chauncey Billups reps where he's from (Denver's Park Hill) with a "king of the hill" tat on his left arm: "I'm the first person to make it out of there and be doing what I'm doing."

L is for lawsuit: In 2005, Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace got sued by Portland, Oregon, tattoo artist Matthew Reed after Wallace's Egyptian sun tattoo (designed by Reed) was featured in a Nike ad.

M is for mizspelt: The Pistons' Allen Iverson gets an A for loyalty, but an F for spelling. He has the words "Cru Thik" tattooed on his body in three places, in honor of his tight-knit group of friends.

N is for nerdy pastimes: The Spurs' Tim Duncan likes playing Dungeons & Dragons so much, he got a tattoo of the wizard Merlin on his chest.

O is for ouch: The Pacers' Marquis Daniels has a tattoo on his arm of a man committing suicide with a shotgun. Cheery.

P is for Psalms 46: When the father of Spurs' Roger Mason Jr. was dying in the hospital, his family took comfort in the biblical verse. After his father's death, Mason inked his arm with an angel flying atop mountains and the words "Psalms 46."

Q is for quite a makeover: MVP Kobe Bryant of the Lakers revamped his flagging image in 2004 following a sexual assault trial. The makeover included a tattoo dedicated to his wife and daughter.

R is for regret: When he was 15, Hawks guard Mike Bibby tattooed his name on his arm. Later, he had it covered with a cross made of chains.

S is for shameless self-promotion: Stephon Marbury's pro career may be waning, but there's hope for him in marketing. Marbury recently tattooed the logo of his Starbury shoe line on the left side of his skull.

T is for testimony: That's what the Suns' Amare Stoudemire says his tattoos are: "If I died right now, my kids could get to know me by my tats -- what I stand for and what I believe in, and how I made it out of poverty."

U is for "unicep": Tattoos are so popular in the league that even coaches have them. The Bulls' Del Harris has a b-ball going through a hoop inked onto his arm. "It's on my 'unicep,' " Harris cracks. "I don't have biceps anymore."

V is for very, very stupid: In 2001, a die-hard fan had the phrase "I Slept With Shaq" tattooed on his forehead to win Lakers playoff tickets from a radio station.

W is for wasted endorsement: The Suns' former slam-dunk champ Jason Richardson isn't exactly a slam-dunk when it comes to marketing. He had the logo for shoe company And 1 tattooed on his arm and then went on to sign a contract with Reebok.

X is for Xavier: A contribution to the school library would have been enough, but the Hornets' David West got "X" on his arm "to show some loyalty" to his alma mater, Xavier.

Y is for younker: The Cavaliers' Ben Wallace hit on his nickname while just a younker, or a young man. In 10th grade, his teacher assigned a report on London's famous clock tower. "Big Ben" sketched the picture himself that he later had tattooed on his arm.

Z is for "Zoinks!": Kings fans will probably want to shout Shaggy's catchphrase when they get a load of Brad Miller's tattoo of Scooby's pint-sized nephew, Scrappy-Doo.

Cheney Says Powell: No Longer a Republican

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday he no longer views Colin Powell as a Republican. Cheney was appearing on “Face the Nation” and was asked about a dispute between Powell, who was secretary of state in the Bush/Chaney administration, and radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh over the role each plays in the Republican Party.

"My take on it was Colin had already left the party," Cheney said. "I didn't know he was still a Republican." The former vice president noted that Powell endorsed then-Senator Barack Obama in last year's presidential race. "I assume that that's some indication of his loyalty and his interests," Cheney said.

Colin Powell, in a speech last week, said "the Republican Party is in deep trouble" and said the party would be better off without Limbaugh. Limbaugh fired back on his program Wednesday, saying, "What Colin Powell needs to do is close the loop and become a Democrat instead of claiming to be a Republican interested in reforming the Republican Party."

Cheney and Limbaugh are in essence telling Powell that he needs to get back to the back of the bus and sit down like a good "boy" or get off. You're either with us or against us, you believe exactly what we believe or you're not included. Independent thought is not allowed. They are saying let’s distance ourselves from the man with one of the longest and most distinguished military and cabinet-level service records in U.S. history.

Some things never change in the “Good Old Boy Club”, if you don't agree with them you are not an American or patriotic. Retired General Colin Powell served his country in and out of uniform with integrity and honesty. Colin Powell should take it as a great compliment that both Rush and Dick don't want him in their clubhouse anymore.

So Joe Lieberman was a patriot who put country ahead of party when he endorsed John McCain but there are different rules for Colin Powell. Thanks for clearing that up, Mr. Cheney.

Let's see now, who should we listen to; someone who when he had the chance to serve asked for and received 5 deferments from military service in Vietnam but was perfectly willing to spend other peoples' blood; Or, a genuine war hero with the integrity and nerve to acknowledge when something is wrong. Colin Powell is an American first and a Republican second. He has always demonstrated his loyalty to the flag and ideals of this country. People such as draft dodgers and drug addicts have a difficult time with that concept.

Maybe he should leave the party that has robbed this country blind. Leave it to the Alan Keyes, Sarah Palins, Joe the not really plumbers, Rush Limbaughs, stuck in the 50's party when Blacks and women "knew their place".

Tricky Dick 2 should be happy he is not on trial as the traitor who engineered the war in Iraq, instigated and thwarted our laws to torture. Halliburton with Tricky Dick 2's endorsement have robbed U.S. tax payers of billions and now wants to move their headquarters to Dubai to keep from paying any taxes. Tricky Dick 2, one of the leaders of the party of war profiteers and oil profiteers who care about nothing else but their bank accounts. Tricky Dick 2 prefers a drug-addicted radio jock over a 4-star general, former chairman of the joint chiefs and former secretary of state. Tricky Dick 2 clearly puts God and Country behind Halliburton, Saudi Princes & anyone else with BIG MONEY.

In the interview Sunday, Cheney said he believes "there is room for moderates in the Republican Party." (Read: As long as the moderates do exactly what Rush or I say and don't talk back and voice opinions. Otherwise, they're not true Republicans. There is NO room for people with integrity, who have respect for the Constitution, an independent opinion, who disagree with us, who are critical of anything we do, and who don’t care what is right for the country – just say yes to what we do).

And the media is still listening to this arrogant dunta dunt.

Obama’s to Use Own Cash to Redecorate White House

The Obama’s are using their own money to redecorate the White House residence and Oval Office, the White House confirms, and not accepting the $100,000 in federal funds that is traditionally allotted to new presidents for such renovation projects.
The first couple — who made well over $2 million in 2008, largely from book revenues — is also turning down money from the White House Historical Association, the organization that financed a $74,000 set of china for the Bushes.

New presidents have traditionally undertaken extensive redecoration efforts to their personal quarters to reflect their own tastes, with a new Oval Office rug tradition ringing in as the priciest item. Former President George W. Bush spent over $60,000 on a new cream carpet designed by former First Lady Laura Bush in 2000 to replace the deep blue rug that covered the space during former President Bill Clinton’s administration. White House aides have said the president likes the Bush rug, and does not plan to replace it.

The decision to forgo federal funds is the president's latest belt-tightening move amid the sagging economy and widespread outrage over corporate excesses. Last month President Obama put an order on hold for a fleet of new helicopters, which was ordered by the Bush Administration, which will cost at least $11 billion.

In January, the Obama’s tapped high-profile interior designer Michael Smith to spearhead the project. Mr. Smith said affordability would be one of the "guiding principles." Other principles in the Obama’s redecoration will include the family's casual style and their interest in bringing 20th Century American artists to the forefront.

The White House needs to look like the home of the leader of the Free World. We should all be proud of it. After all it is the people’s house. Using their own earned money is a great gesture. I love how much personal responsibility the Obama’s are taking. They plan to make the White House more open to the public during their stay.

That is a pretty good-looking Oval Office rug. I would probably want to keep it, too. Nice job First Lady Laura! I find it hilarious President Bush wanting to change the Clinton rug. After what went on in that room I would want to change it too.

New NFL Players Association Executive Director

DeMaurice Smith was elected by the league’s 32 player representatives as the new NFL Players Association executive director on Sunday night and wasted no time, spending his first day on the job getting a start on labor talks with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and uniting the union ranks following a divisive seven-month search to replace former union boss Gene Upshaw who died from cancer complications in August.

Smith had a brief phone conversation with the commissioner and started putting together a transition team to assume the reins of North America’s most powerful sports union as it approaches a critical juncture. He said the call was the first conversation of the collective bargaining agreement.

Labor talks are among the numerous challenges Smith immediately faces in becoming the fourth executive director in the union’s 41-year history. NFL owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement last year, opening the possibility for labor strife if a new deal is not settled by 2011. Smith said his goal is to maintain the labor peace that has allowed the NFL to emerge as “America’s Game” over the past two decades. But he warned that he is also preparing for “war” if needed.

Another immediate challenge Smith must deal with is repairing the rift between the union and a group retired players, who feel disenfranchised over their poorly funded pension and medical plans. Smith called it “a moral obligation” to address the concerns of retired players and noted that his transition team will include retired players.

DeMaurice Smith was regarded as an outsider, having no ties to the union or NFL. His strengths included his connections to power, having ties to President Barack Obama and has worked with new U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. He has no labor law experience but is a trial lawyer and partner at the influential Washington-based Patton Boggs, and chair of the firm's government investigations and white collar practice group.

Other candidates for the job were sports attorney David Cornwell, and retired players Troy Vincent and Trace Armstrong. He has invited each to become part of his staff and has also asked retired coach Tony Dungy to become part of his staff.

And a Child Shall Lead Them

When eight-grader Ty’Sheoma Bethea sent a letter to Congress asking for help rebuilding her school she never dreamed it would make it to the eyes of the president of the United States. But that it did, and as a result she became one of the faces of the stimulus package and her school, J. V. Martin Junior High School, in Dillon, South Carolina, became a symbol of the kind of crumbling infrastructure that President Barack Obama hopes the stimulus bill will improve.

Not only that but Ty'Sheoma Bethea boarded her first plane with her mother, Dina Leach, and flew from to Washington, D. C. and was seated next to First Land Michelle Obama as her guest for the president’s first speech to a joint session of Congress.

Ty'Sheoma was inspired to write the letter by President Obama, who mentioned her school in his first presidential news conference on February 9. After visiting the school, he referenced J.V. Martin as evidence of educational institutions that would benefit from school construction funding in his multi-billion dollar stimulus package. In her letter, Ty'Sheoma described the rundown conditions plaguing her school, which was built in 1896, saying the funds would improve the building and the quality of education.

In her letter she wrote, "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself, and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina, but also the world. We are not quitters."

Poorly maintained and ill-equipped schools in South Carolina's "corridor of shame" (some of the poorest counties in America) were an issue during the Democratic primary as evidence that education reform had to be an imperative for the next president. South Carolina schools became an issue again recently when South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford said he might turn down some of the money in the stimulus. And South Carolina Representative James Clyburn, the highest-ranking Black American in Congress, answered that turning down money was an "insult" to Blacks.

"We have legislation here now with the money to do something about the schools, do something about water and sewage along that corridor in these 12 counties. And now the governor says, 'I don't want to accept the money. 'That's why I called this an insult, that's why I said this is a slap in the face, because a majority of those counties are, in fact, inhabited by African-Americans," Clyburn said on CNN.

Education has become the new civil rights issue. Take note of the states that are fighting educational improvements are states with the worst education in the country (South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Nebraska, West Virginia) and all Republican strongholds. It’s really not an issue of the color of your skin – its all about economics. There are not very many poor educated people anywhere in the world. Whether you can do a job exceptional or not does not make a difference today if you don’t have an education. You must get the best education possible to be able to compete in this era. I went to my twin grandsons eight grade graduation last June and there were people screaming and cheering like it was a degree from Stanford. My daughter and I looked at each other and said to each other, it’s just the beginning people. You can always break out your education when all things are equal.

In his speech, President Obama said that education is among the top priorities of his administration and urged Americans to take advantage of the promise of an education. In an economy, where we have to compete with people from around the globe, the most valuable skill you can present is your knowledge. And a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity. It is a prerequisite. In past generations you needed a high school diploma to get ahead, now you need at least a college degree. We all need to continue to educate ourselves daily to stay in the game.

In his speech to Congress, the president asked every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. Even if you can not afford that kind of training, you can at least take a self-help course. A high school diploma will barely get you in the door today.

Trash Talking with the President

Last Friday, President Barack Obama attended a Washington Wizards/Chicago Bulls basketball game at the Verizon Center in D.C. The president had a beer, signed a few autographs and read the program. But night out didn't stop there. He also exchanged a few playful words with a diehard Wizards fan sitting a few rows back. Yes, that's right, the 44th President of the United States joined in a little trash talk. Awesome

The vocal instigator: Miles Rawls, commissioner of the Barry Farms' Goodman League — a big-time summer circuit in Southeast D.C., which has starred Gilbert Arenas and Kevin Durant, among others NBA stars. It was a blow out Wizards win and not too many people can claim to have taunted a sitting President with the old "Warm up the limo" chant.

Miles Rawls, who has season tickets, like everyone else had heard rumors about the president attending the game. So in anticipation, he went to a local shop to pick up a $15 Obama t-shirt. He showed up at the Verizon Center around 6:25, and was greeted by his usual usher who told him to be on his best behavior because the president would be sitting right in front of you. Rawls has gone after all the stars playing against the Wizards, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James -- "exchanging pleasantries".

President Obama got a somewhat warmer greeting. Rawls shook his hand. He asked "How do you like my shirt, Mr. President?" President Obama said it was beautiful. Rawls told the president he would treasure this moment, and that he was proud of him. President Obama said he appreciated it.

That was before it got heated.

"Once I knew he was a big trash talker, too, about them Bulls, that means the gloves came off", said Rawls. "Heckling and having a good time are two different animals," he explained. "I wasn't heckling the President and I don't heckle the players. I talk about their weaknesses. We were having a good time. He was talking trash and I was talking trash. I couldn't believe he was that laidback and real. I loved it. I wasn't disrespectful," he said. "I know my limits."

For example, he told the President that if he was rooting for the visitors, he was "gonna have to keep it to a low roar, because we're cheering for the Wizards over here." The president repeatedly needled Rawls about the Wizards' habit of letting leads evaporate, especially when the Bulls made a run. “He gave me the high five. We were just supporting each others' team, having a good time."

Rawls said he made at least one member of the President's Secret Service detail laugh. He will, of course, keep the t-shirt, and wants to get the photo autographed; he also hopes to invite Obama to Barry Farms. He said he had an adrenaline rush throughout the entire game, and that it was a "once in a lifetime experience" he won't ever forget.

"Where can you do that, sit there and talk smack with the President of the United States face to face? But he enjoyed it," Rawls added. "Trust me."

Actually, I think what's going on in the pictures; dude is talking smack to the Pres....next the Pres is pointing out and saying "you see that guy up there pointing the high-power rifle at you? That's my Sec Service detail...; then dude says just joking Mr. Pres. and gives him high five (smile).

New Attorney General: U.S. a 'Nation of Cowards' on Race Discussions

In his first major speech since being confirmed, the nation's first Black attorney general, Eric Holder, told an audience celebrating Black History Month at the Justice Department that the nation remains "voluntarily socially segregated." In the nation’s capitol, where it is all to often that speeches are full of bull, this straight-talking assessment, which he called the American people “essentially a nation of cowards” in failing to openly discuss the issues of race. And of course he has received much criticism.

We usually spend the month of February by paying lip service to the nation's annual observance of as Black History Month. And it would have been easy for him to simply praise Blacks whose sacrifice helped pave the way for our democracy; or to point to the triumph of both President Obama's election and his own nomination and confirmation as the first Black attorney general in U.S. history. Instead, Mr. Holder used his speech to demand that Americans confront our unfinished business on the uncomfortable subject of race.

Attorney General Holder urged Americans of all races, Black, Brown, Red, White and Yellow, to use Black History Month as a time to have an honest national conversation to discuss aspects of race which are ignored because they are uncomfortable. This kind of straight talk is what we need, not only in Washington, D.C., but all across the nation. It's not easy to talk about it. We have to have the guts to be honest with each other and ourselves, accept criticism, and accept new proposals. Yes we have had past public debates on the issue but they have been often too simplistic in not really getting past self imposed walls and barriers. And most of the times these debates have been left to those on the extremes who are not hesitant to use these issues to advance nothing more than their own narrow self-interest. But most importantly they should be conversations and not debates. We can never move forward until we get past our past. We are all different. And we need to accept that difference, but we are much more alike than we are different.

Excerpts from the speech: "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.

"We average Americans simply do not talk enough with each other about race. It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation's history, this is in some ways understandable. And yet, if we are to make progress in this area, we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us.

"As a nation we have done a pretty good job in melding the races in the workplace. We work with one another, lunch together and, when the event is at the workplace during work hours or shortly thereafter, we socialize with one another fairly well, irrespective of race.

"And yet even this interaction operates within certain limitations. We know, by 'American instinct' and by learned behavior, that certain subjects are off limits and that to explore them risks, at best embarrassment, and, at worst, the questioning of one's character.

"And outside the workplace the situation is even more bleak in that there is almost no significant interaction between us. On Saturdays and Sundays, America in the year 2009 does not, in some ways, differ significantly from the country that existed some 50 years ago. This is truly sad.

"This will be, at first, a process that is both awkward and painful, but the rewards are, I believe, potentially great. The alternative is to allow to continue the polite, restrained mixing that now passes as meaningful interaction, but that in reality accomplishes very little."

Etta James Disses President Obama and Beyoncé

Etta James, famous for her rendition of the song “At Last,” is apparently miffed that pop star Beyoncé was tapped to perform the ballad as the president and first lady slow-danced during the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball on January 20. The 71-year-old singer, who rose to fame in 1950s, recently made it clear that she was not a fan of Beyoncé. Based on Ms. James' rant, she is not a fan of the president either. After initially praising the performance, Ms. James later responded critically during a show at Seattle's Paramount Theatre on January 28, 2009. “You guys know your president, right? You know the one with the big ears? Wait a minute, he ain't my president. He might be yours; he ain't my president. But I tell you that woman he had singing for him, singing my song.... she's going to get her ass whipped. The great Beyoncé? Like I said, she ain't mine. ... I can't stand Beyoncé. She has no business up there, singing up there on a big ol' president day, gonna' be singing my song that I've been singing forever”

Ms. James' son came out on Etta's behalf and said she was speaking in anger, after feeling snubbed for the honor herself, and has "Nothing but love for both Ms. Knowles and President Obama."

Turns out Etta James has just been adding a little standup comedy to her concerts, wink, wink. The veteran singer said Thursday that she was purely joking — despite the fact that she feels she would have done a better job singing her signature tune, "At Last," to President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.

"I didn't really mean anything," Ms. James told a New York newspaper of her onstage rant. "Even as a little child, I've always had that comedian kind of attitude...That's probably what went into it." "Nobody was getting mad at me in Seattle," she added. "They were all laughing, and it was funny." She also said that her little speech did not arise "from a vicious place."

But when asked if she could have out-sung Beyoncé, who played James in Cadillac Records and walked the red carpet with her at the film's premiere, the elder stateswoman of R&B replied, "I think so. That's a shame to say that." Ms. James also figures that President Obama probably isn't too bothered that she referred to him as "the one with the big ears" last week. "He's got other stuff [to worry about] besides Etta James."

Is Etta James flip-flopping on Beyoncé? She did not raise an objection when the singer portrayed her in the film “Cadillac Records” — and just recently, her son told a New York paper that his mother was moved by the inauguration night performance. Maybe the whole thing was just Etta James joking around with her audience and really has no riff with President Obama or Beyoncé.

If this wasn’t so funny it would be pathetic. After all her career has been reinvigorated by Beyoncé’s portrayal of Etta James in the recent movie “Cadillac Records” and performing the song Etta made famous at the Inaugural’s Neighborhood Ball. And maybe someone should tell Etta that “At Last” was originated by the Glenn Miller Band and also recorded by Nat King Cole before Ms. James sang it.

Who knows what Etta James would bring to the table since she is known for exactly what she displayed in Seattle? This was the first song at a presidential ball – probably a song chosen by the president and first lady. It's just like choosing a song for a first wedding dance. If you like the song and the emotion it presents, then you choose it. Ms. James has made clear that she does not like or agree with President Obama's politics, so she then made herself left out of the loop. Her bad. Don't get angry at Beyoncé because she has aligned herself with a winner. Whether you like Beyoncé or not, she has made wise and savvy choices in the music business to be on top. If they had chosen to go out to a "jook joint" then they might want to see Etta James. With national TV and the world watching, they wanted that song and not the potential drama of the singer. After all it was about them and not about the singer.

The Great Lady of Soul: Bettye LaVette

Bettye LaVette received universal praise for her outstanding rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” in a duet with Jon Bon Jovi on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the Inaugural Celebration on January 18th. This marks the second time in the past two months she has been in the capitol making an unforgettable impression with anyone lucky enough to have the chance to hear her. The first was at the Kennedy Center Honors when she amazed the audience with her own very unique version of the Who's "Love Reign O'er Me." Not many people can say that they song for two presidents in six weeks (George W. Bush at the Kennedy Center Honors and Barack Obama at the Inaugural Celebration). And like me, most of you probably never even heard of Bettye LaVette. And I like to think of myself as well versed in music.

Bettye LaVette stole the show at the Kennedy Center Honors. She gave the powerhouse performance of the evening when she sang her unparalleled version of “Love Reign O’er Me” as part of the Who tribute. She wasn't the biggest name on stage, but her performance provided the evening's most spectacular moment. She was so phenomenal. The room was pin-drop silent when she sang. "The Kennedy Center Honors was the most exciting thing I have every done in my life, because there were so many of my favorite politicians there," says Bettye. "And this year has been the greatest year of my life. Who would have ever imagined both Barack and I going to the White House?” said Ms. LaVette.

Of singing for then President Obama, Ms LaVette said: "In the middle of the song I turned and looked and Obama was on the stage, the whole group of them, and my eyes were just fixed on him for a moment. I was singing the line 'I always believed that a change would come,' and just as I turned, our eyes locked and he was mouthing the words along."

Utne Reader had the best headline of the event: "Bettye LaVette and the Soul of Barack Obama." And even the sports world took notice. Roger Craig, former NFL running back for the San Francisco 49ers confessed to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Oh…when Bon Jovi and Bettye LaVette sang Sam Cooke's stirring civil-rights song, 'A Change Is Gonna Come,' on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday? I cried like a baby."

Bettye LaVette did not disappoint. Revered for her ability to take other's compositions and make them her own, LaVette performed brilliantly. Ms. LaVette, the reigning "Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year," is once again nominated in that category for the Blues Foundation's 2009 Blues Music Awards.

Ms. LaVette has been on a roll since her 2005 release on Anti- Records, My Own Hell to Raise which brought her back into the national spotlight, 43 years after her first single "My Man is a Loving Man," was released in 1962 when she was a teen. This roll only gathered more strength and critical acclaim when Anti- issued her second CD for the label in 2007, the Grammy nominated, The Scene of the Crime.

A partial list of musical performers at the Inaugural Celebration includes, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Heather Hedley, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Usher Raymond IV, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, U2 and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jack Black, Steve Carrell, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah, Laura Linney and Denzel Washington.

- "LaVette... isn't just an engaging performer, she's a musical force of nature, a hurricane in heels that whips up a fiery mix of soul, jazz, country and blues." -The Houston Chronicle.

Michelle Obama Makes First Official Visit

First Lady Michelle Obama took a first step in bringing working-family issues into the White House yesterday. She made her first official trip outside the White House to visit the Department of Education. If you somehow thought she was going to be a first lady focused on designer dresses and hairstyles think again. This is the first step of a woman who is focused on much more serious issues.

She has put together a veteran team of family oriented and seasoned policy advocates, including her chief of staff Jackie Norris who helped organize and win the Iowa campaign. Norris is described as fair-minded and tough, and a skillful multitasker who can send an e-mail, talk on the phone and play with her three young boys all at once; deputy chief of staff David Medina who served as political director of John Edward’s presidential campaign; Jocelyn Frye, director of policy and projects and a former general counsel at the National Partnership for Women & Families, a nonpartisan group that has championed equal opportunity issues; and Trooper Sanders, deputy director of policy and projects and former policy aide to Vice President Al Gore. Sanders also led and developed mentoring and entrepreneurship programs for low-income neighborhoods, as well as efforts at the Clinton Foundation to highlight the problem of childhood obesity. He also advised former President Bill Clinton on domestic policy matters.

First Lady Obama has been working to shape her new role and now appears poised to resume some of the outreach she did during the campaign — to women, especially, to working women. She did small “girlfriend” forums with women and also held roundtables with military families. In brief remarks to a group of Department of Education workers, the theme revolved around good jobs and education in the public schools. The first lady said that the administration is going to be making investments by creating good jobs while renovating and modernizing more than 10,000 schools and improve the learning environment.

Aides said she will visit every Cabinet-level federal agency in the coming weeks in a kind of get-to-know-you tour. She plans to expand her role as a listener on the national stage, but her first stop is her local community and getting to know Washington, D.C. She will have more of a local focus, working to make the White House more of the “people’s house” and find ways to open it up to tourists
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The Obamas are the first White House occupants to come from an urban environment and seem to not be so reluctant to venture out among the people of Washington, D.C. They have called to unite the “two halves” of the capital, the well-to-do government sections and the economically stressed residential parts of the city. The first lady dined last week with Mayor Adrian Fenty at Georgia Brown’s, a popular D.C. restaurant. And President recently ate with Mayor Fenty recently at Ben’s Chili Bowl. You can not really know what is going on in the outside world if you keep yourself hidden behind the confines of the White House and listening to aides who also do not venture outside its gates.