To commemorate Malcolm X’s birthday, an icon who many consider to be the greatest Black leader who has ever lived, NewsOne presents this exclusive investigative story, photo gallery and video that, for the first time, speaks to Malcolm X’s grandson, MALCOLM SHABAZZ.

TO WATCH THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO OF THE MALCOLM SHABAZZ PHOTO SHOOT CLICK HERE

Also Read

Malcolm X and Barack Obama: Far From Opposites

Malcolm X to Barack Obama: 44 Year Of Change

Top 5 Malcolm X Speeches

INTRODUCTION

His grandmother, Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X, was killed in a fire he started 11 years ago. He was 12 years old. He had been shuttled in and out of correctional institutions until his release from Attica Prison in February 2007. Now MALCOLM SHABAZZ, 24, is on a mission: to clear his name, stay out of jail and rise from the ashes of his past.

During the course of a long-standing exclusive correspondence with Aliya S. King for NewsOne and GIANT magazine, Malcolm spoke candidly and introspectively about a checkered childhood, an unstable family life, and the burden of being the sole male heir to an icon whose life and legacy have transformed millions of lives.

The following are woven excerpts from hours of conversation with Shabazz:

People often describe me as troubled. I’m not going to say that I’m not. But I’m not crazy. I have troubles. A lot of us do. But you need to understand where I’m coming from and why I am the way I am. Considering what I’ve been through, it’s a miracle that I’ve been able to hold it together. I’m just trying to find my way. [I’ve read newspaper stories about me that] say, “Experts testify [that boy] is psychotic.” The way they describe me is wrong — bi-polar, depression, pyro, whatever. I know I’m not at all. Some of the things I’ve been through, the average person would have cracked.

All my life, I’ve had [moments where] I’ve lived in the lap of luxury in the Trump Towers and not wanted for a single thing. And the very next day I’m [living in] a slum in a gang-infested Philly neighborhood, eating fried dough three times a day. One minute, I’m in a situation with structure and discipline. The next minute I’m running the streets with no supervision at all. One of my aunts has a friend who is very devoted to his children. I was hanging out with them one day and all he talked about was [their] schedule and sports and taking his kids here and there. I wish I had that. I wish I had someone whose purpose in life was to take care of me. That’s how white people do it. They plan for [their] kids. We don’t. That’s cause we don’t plan our kids. I wasn’t planned.

Malcolm Lateef Shabazz was born in Paris, France in 1984. His mother is Qubilah Shabazz, the second of Malcolm X’s six daughters. She was only four years old when her father was killed right in front of her at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. According to her son, Qubilah grew up loving nature and being by herself. When she was still a young girl, she chose to become a Quaker. She later attended Princeton University, but left before graduating. As she told the Minneapolis Star Tribune in a 1995 interview: “I was under a lot of social pressure, largely due to who I was. I did not fit the view of who I was supposed to be. I didn’t arrive on campus with combat boots and a beret, and I didn’t speak Swahili.” After leaving Princeton, Qubilah traveled to Paris, where she began studying at the Sorbonne. It was here that she met Malcolm’s father, an Algerian. To this day, her son says he has never met his biological father.

I am [my grandfather’s] first male heir, his first grandson. [I’ve read and been told that] he always wanted a son. No boys in the Shabazz family until me. I used to think [Malcolm X] was my father. My mother told me that. I would ask and she would show me pictures of her father and tell me it was my father. I can’t talk to her about him. Nothing in-depth. She acts like she doesn’t know about him. She was there. She was four years old and sitting right there [when he was killed]. I don’t think she’s ever recovered from that.

Also Read

Malcolm X and Barack Obama: Far From Opposites

Malcolm X to Barack Obama: 44 Year Of Change

Top 5 Malcolm X Speeches

CHILDHOOD

Qubilah left Paris when Malcolm was still very young and moved back to the U.S. He remembers them moving around a lot, living in such places as Los Angeles and Brooklyn. His mother reportedly took odd jobs at places like Denny’s to earn enough to get by.

How do you [fill out an application at] Denny’s and put down Princeton and the Sorbonne as your education? I felt like she was better than that. And I didn’t like seeing [her work those kinds of jobs.] When I was 3 or 4, we lived in California. I used to run away from home. My mother drank and she would be asleep and I would be unsupervised. [According to various news reports, Qubilah Shabazz has had issues with alcohol and mental illness in the past.] I was very adventurous [so] I would walk up [and down] the street. It would end with the police bringing me home. One day I walked to my day care center [which was] miles away. One day I got on the bus and just hung out away from home and no one said a word. Whole day goes by before anyone stopped me. [My mom] loves me. I’m sure of that. Everyone is not meant to be a parent. She didn’t hug me. She’s just not that kind of person. It used to make me upset and angry [when I was younger].

After California, Malcolm moved to Philadelphia where he lived with his great-grandmother, Madeline Sandlin, the stepmother of his grandmother Betty Shabazz.

She’s a very strong woman. Native American—very strong and stern and strict. She [lived] in North Philly. [Her neighborhood] was so rough. It was so bad, I couldn’t go outside [and] play. It was like being behind bars. I started school at [a private school outside of Philadelphia]. I went to kindergarten and first grade. These kids were rich. [The bus] wouldn’t go to my house. [It] would go to the corner. [The kids] would say, “You live here?” This [white] girl called me a nigger [one time on the school bus]. I didn’t even know what it meant. I [just] knew it was something bad. I wanted to be white. They seemed happy, like they had everything they needed. White was equal to happy and rich. And black [was] just the opposite.

My aunt Attallah was visiting [in Philly] one day. I was looking at a magazine and [there was a picture] of a white boy in a suit. [I took the magazine to my aunt] and I said “I wish I was white like this white boy right here.” She said, “Why would you say that?”

My great-grandmother couldn’t take care of me forever. I ended up in [upstate] New York living with my teacher for second grade [at the school I was enrolled in]. I liked her–I was calling her “Mom.” She had a 16-year-old daughter. I had a pet hamster [and] a bike. I [was] on the Little League team, I [went to] church every Sunday. I had a crush on a white girl named Heidi. I had stability, something I never had before and I liked it a lot. I was the only black kid in the entire school but [I had] a lot of kids to play with. [My aunt] came to pick me up for the summer and I think she didn’t like [the situation]. I was happy and taken care of, but I don’t think she liked it. She [took me] for the summer [and] as it got closer to September I [kept] asking [if I was going back to Kingston]. She kept saying yeah, but I never went back.

ADOLESCENCE

As Malcolm tells it, he led a nomadic childhood, living at different times with his mother, his grandmother and his aunts.

I was always happiest around my aunt Ilyasah. She always smelled good. I loved staying at her house because she’d always have a tidy home. I loved being with her. She was always funny. One day we were on [an] elevator and I was about to throw up. She cupped her hands up to my mouth like she was going to catch it. When we got off the elevator, I threw up everywhere, all over the floor, all over her hands, but she kept her hands there. That gesture showed how much she felt about me. [It] made an impression on me. I said back then [that] if I ever had a daughter, I would name her after Ilyasah.

[As for] my grandmother, I never saw her relax. She was speaking at colleges [and] going overseas. On vacation, she would take me to a hotel to swim and she would sit there with books and paper. I never saw anyone work that hard. That’s why I couldn’t live there full time. All [of] my aunts [also] worked a lot [so] I had to shuttle around. That was taught with school. My grades ended up being really poor even though the work was not hard. I wasn’t challenged and the teachers couldn’t make the connection because I was all over the place.

I started driving when I was 9. I would watch my aunt [Check with writer to determine which aunt] and memorize [each step]. One day, early in the morning I took [her] keys. I had difficulty starting [the car] at first, [but] I drove to school [and] parked [and] went to school like it was nothing. My aunt found out and came to school. They didn’t even believe her, but it was true. My mother put me in a mental institution after that. She was really angry. I didn’t belong there. I wasn’t crazy. I had done something wrong and needed discipline. But not [being sent] to a hospital.

[At the hospital] they start asking me all these questions. [Stuff like] Do you hear voices? I was into Marvel comic books at the time. There were two characters I liked, Mister Sinister [from the X-Men] and the Human Torch. [So] I was like, “Yeah, here’s my friend that told me to do it.” I just picked them out randomly and drew pictures of them. But I had no idea it would follow me that way it did. I was just making it all up. One time, my aunt came to visit me. She said “You know you don’t hear voices. You need to stop.” And I did. In my experiences, [the doctors] want to find something wrong with you. That’s how they get paid. When I [was in] jail, they said I was depressed and anti-social. I was in jail. I’m in solitary confinement. They gotta say something [is wrong with you].

TO WATCH THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO OF THE MALCOLM SHABAZZ PHOTO SHOOT CLICK HERE

As Malcolm remembers it, after he was discharged from the hospital, he and his mother moved to Minneapolis, where Qubilah had reconnected with an old schoolmate named Michael Fitzpatrick.

She said she was going for a fresh start and I was excited too. First we [stayed] in a hotel. They would meet there and talk. I heard them talking about Farrakhan. It stayed in my mind, but I didn’t really know what they were talking about. I found out later that there were cameras everywhere because there were federal agents watching my mom.

According to published news reports, Fitzpatrick was an FBI informant who helped the agency gather information about an assassination plot against Louis Farrakhan. Qubilah was arrested and charged with plotting to hire a hit man to kill the Nation of Islam leader, who she reportedly believed to have played a part in her father’s death. After his mother was arrested, Malcolm was sent to live in a group home and remembers being transferred to foster parents who he claims wanted to adopt him until they learned who his mother was. Qubilah was later cleared of the charges against her, but Malcolm says he didn’t see her again for almost two years, at which point she had resettled in San Antonio, Texas.

I went to a boarding school in Connecticut for a while. I lasted there about a month. They went in my property and found a laptop computer that belonged to one of the students on another campus. And they had this kid with a slash in his coat and he said I stabbed him. None of that happened, but my grandmother came and got me out of there. I know she was upset, but we never talked about it. That’s how I ended up back in Philadelphia. [When] I was 11, [I] had a fight with a 16-year-old kid. I’m going in so hard, my body goes numb and I couldn’t even pick up my arms anymore. I won that fight and [afterwards] I would come out [of my house] and people were different. [They said] “Don’t mess with him, he’s crazy.” [But] I wasn’t crazy. I was just scared. I had to adapt to survive.

[My grandmother] didn’t know the extent of what I was going through. I told her, but I don’t think she believed it. Malcolm was eventually reunited with his mother in San Antonio, where she reportedly worked for a radio station owned by Percy Sutton, who was Malcolm X’s attorney before he was killed. She also had a new boyfriend, who Malcolm liked right away.

He would give me hundred dollar bills [for no reason]. And he let me drive his car. We lived in a [nice apartment] with a balcony and a Jacuzzi. My mom was working at the radio station [and I was going to a] private school. We lived in a Mexican neighborhood and everyone made a big deal that I was from New York. [When you're from New York] all the girls like you [and] all the dudes hate on you. I got kicked out because my mom started drinking again. [And] her boyfriend ended up going to jail for an attempted murder [charge]. [Suddenly,] there was no food in the house. She’s not taking me to school [so] I’m falling behind. She wouldn’t get up to take me to school and I started falling behind. [One morning,] I woke her up to tell her to take me to school. She got belligerent. She tried to bite me. And I pushed her. She said I hit her, but I didn’t. She put me in a mental hospital for two weeks.

After that incident, Malcolm says he was sent back to New York, even though he wanted to stay with his mother.

All my life, I had been shuttled back and forth, living with this [person] or that [person], never knowing where I was going to lay my head or wake up. I was so sick of it. I wanted to be back with my mom. [The day I came back to New York] it was cold and rainy. My grandmother came to pick me up [at the airport]. I had the big skater pants [on] and the earring. My grandmother said, “Can we please get you to stop wearing those pants?” [After that] I started acting out. I was doing a lot of things–I was stealing money from my aunts to save up to buy a ticket [back to Texas].

THE DEATH OF BETTY SHABAZZ

In the middle of the night on July 1, 1997, authorities responded to a fire at Betty Shabazz’s residence in Yonkers, New York. According to reports, Malcolm X’s widow sustained burns over 80% of her body. Her grandson was held under suspicion of starting the blaze. On June 23, after several operations in the hospital, Betty Shabazz died. She was 63 years old. On July 10, Malcolm, then 12, pleaded guilty to the juvenile equivalent of manslaughter and arson. He was sentenced to 18 months in a juvenile facility for troubled adolescents. He remained in state custody for almost four years. In April 2001, he was sent home with an electronic monitoring device, but soon ended up back in detention due to curfew violations. In January 2002, he was arrested in Middletown, New York on robbery and burglary charges. That September, he was sentenced to 3½ years in prison. He received parole in May 2006.

I didn’t mean for my grandmother to get hurt. I wasn’t thinking anything like that would happen. [I thought] she would go to the fire escape [but] she walked through the fire to get to me. I didn’t think she would walk through a fire for me. People say [to me] “Oh you are the one who burned down your grandmother’s house?” [But]…it didn’t really happen like that. I’ve always told the same story. [I was] coerced to say something else, because [I was told] it would be better for me. [I was told] I would go to jail forever…

TO WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO OF THE MALCOLM SHABAZZ PHOTO SHOOT CLICK HERE

Also Read

Malcolm X and Barack Obama: Far From Opposites

Malcolm X to Barack Obama: 44 Year Of Change

Top 5 Malcolm X Speeches

Originally published July 31, 2009

Meet the real Joe Jackson — beyond the rumors, beyond the stereotypes, beyond the usual answers to the typical questions.

In a joint NewsOne/TVOne exclusive, Joe Jackson reveals more than ever before of himself , his family‘s history and his relationship with his late son Michael. Joe Jackson talks candidly with NewsOne’s Smokey D. Fontaine.

WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE FEATURETTE “ON THE ROAD WITH…” in Gary, Indiana, the birthplace of the Jackson family with interviews with Gary Mayor Rudy Spacer and Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Then watch the FULL JOE JACKSON INTERVIEW below and decide for yourself…Is Joe Jackson crazy or just misunderstood?

Now see the highlights below that have made this interview #1 on YouTube!

CLIP ONE: JOE JACKSON CONFIRMS THAT OMER BHATTI IS MICHAEL’S CHILD

NEW CLIP! JOE JACKSON EXPLAINS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “BEATINGS” AND “SPANKINGS”

NEW CLIP!  JOE JACKSON HEARS MICHAEL COMPLIMENT HIM ON UPBRINGING

CLIP TWO: JOE JACKSON GETS CHOKED UP ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON’S DEATH

CLIP THREE: JOE JACKSON TALKS ABOUT HIS OWN FATHER

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Bakari Kitwana Asks: Common

What will an Obama Presidency mean to young Americans?

Bakari Kitwana sat down with Grammy award-winning hip-hop artist and actor Common to discuss the significance of Barack Obama’s presidency for young Americans, one of Obama’s key voting bloc’s in yesterday’s election. In their conversation, Common talks about the impact of hip-hop culture on America’s racial landscape.

What was it like to grow up in Windy City during the historic campaign and mayoral reign of Mayor Harold Washington? Common makes it plain: “Brother Harold” loomed large, but Obama even before last night had already taken on an even greater local significance, says the Chicago native. In the interview, he makes projects about what President-elect Obama’s victory will mean to America and the world.

Finally, Common carefully delves into some of the highs and lows, innovations and missteps of election 2008—from heartfelt moments of his involvement with the making of Will.i.am’s “Yes We Can,” video to the impact of Reverend Jeremiah Wright on the nation during the primary and beyond. Throughout Barack Obama’s nearly 2-year journey to the White House, his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright is the question that wouldn’t go away. Common, a long time member of Wright’s Trinity Church of Christ talks about the impact of Wright on his own development and shares why he thinks Wright is misunderstood.

Common is an author of The Mirror and Me. His new album out next month is entitled Universal Mind Control (GOOD Music/Geffen) and his upcoming film is Terminator Salvation (May 2009).

]]> http://newsone.com/29942/exclusive-common-talks-about-obama-presidency/feed/ 3 EXCLUSIVE: Common Talks About Obama Presidency (thumbnail) ionenewsone common http://newsone.com/25282/exclusive-cornel-west-talks-about-economy/ http://newsone.com/25282/exclusive-cornel-west-talks-about-economy/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:06:38 +0000 NewsOne Staff http://newsone.com/?p=25282 ]]> Bakari Kitwana Asks: Cornel West

What does the economic downturn mean for already struggling Black families?

In part two of our Bakari Kitwana’s discussion with Cornel West, Dr. West delves into the significance of the racist incidents and responses that reared their head on the campaign trial this year-from the McCain supporter’s taunts to John Lewis’ criticism. West points to the new danger posed by citizens willing to “sow the seeds” of racism of the George Wallace variety. The conversation then turned to the current financial crisis, including the budget challenges facing states and cities, and how Blacks will fare as the country seems headed to a second Great Depression. You know the saying, when white America catches a cold, Black America catches the flu? Here West carefully critiques what he sees as the 40-year economic depression that Blacks have suffered under for the last four decades in the US. For him, the economic downturn will only make matters worse-”depression on top of depression.” Once again, he says, Black churches, mosques and community centers will have to step it up, even as a Barack Obama presidency offers hope.

Cornel West is University Professor at Princeton University in the Center for African American Studies. The author of the 1993 groundbreaking Race Matters, his new book is entitled Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom (Hay House, 2008).

Black folks in Alaska? How did they get there? Who would they be voting for? See the cold truth as Smokey flies to America’s Icebox to find them.

Now, the premiere episode of the BlackPlanet Universe Video Exclusive, “On The Road with Smokey Fontaine.”

Click here to see Smokey’s PHOTO GALLERY of pictures from his quest to find the 32 Black people in Wasilla, Alaska!

“We are taking the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to a new level and that new level will represent a new beginning and another stage of our evolutionary development,” said the 75-year old minister, noting the NOI is steadily expanding its outreach toward Caribbean, Asian and Latino populations while continuing to champion the cause of African Americans.

The Sunday event at the renovated mosque -attended by an overflow crowd of over 8000 people and streamed live on the Internet-reinforced Farrakhan’s emerging global tone, a step closer to the more traditional Islamic approach of Imam Warith Dean Mohammad, the recently deceased son of Elijah Muhammad who broke with the NOI upon his father’s death in 1975.

What is also emerging-given Farrakhan’s age, his recent battles with prostate cancer and his current internationalist bent-is the likelihood he’s paving the way for his assistant minister, Ishmael Muhammad, to secede him in his leadership of the 78-year old organization.

“The Nation of Islam has always had their own internal politics,” says Scot Brown, a history professor at UCLA with a focus on Black Nationalist organizations. “But if Farrakhan publicly sanctions it [Ishmael's ascendancy], it will be a very important move in that he is putting legitimacy behind his chosen successor.”

But who is Ishmael Muhammad?

Speculators on NOI’s future leadership have often defined the 44-year old Ishmael by who he isn’t-Farrakhan. Critics and supporters both acknowledge the charismatic and controversial minister-who reestablished the fledgling organization three decades ago, convened the historic Million Man March thirteen years ago this month, and whose support was denounced multiple times by the association-wary Obama campaign earlier this year-is a hard act to follow.

Farrakhan’s impact on the African American psyche has been indelible, as the Muslim leader will long be regarded as a fearless and uncensored advocate for black empowerment regardless of the diverse religious affiliations within our community. Like Malcolm before him, Farrakhan has acted as black America’s ideological bookend, one expected to speak truth to power while reminding us of our unique and often precarious relationship with a country that, at worst, has enslaved and decimated us, and, at most, strives to tolerate and assimilate us.

Indeed, these are large shoes to fill.

However, instead of measuring Ishmael by who he isn’t, let’s examine who he is. The son of Elijah Muhammad and prominent NOI writer, lecturer and spiritual advisor, Tynetta Muhammad, Ishmael has acted as the chief Assistant Minister to Farrakhan for well over a decade and as an executive board member of the organization. He is commonly credited with managing the daily operations of the NOI, especially given his superior’s ongoing health problems.

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1964, Ishmael had little contact with his late and legendary father, a fact, he acknowledges, has impacted him well into adulthood. “I appreciate the few moments and words he shared with me personally,” offered the then 36-year old minister in a March 2001 interview with The Final Call. “But then the teenage years, the adolescent period of human development, were very difficult because I needed guidance… to this day, I still yearn to talk to my father like a son, to have him help me in a few areas that I’m struggling with in my development.”

Prior to being requested by Farrakhan to assist at the organization’s Chicago headquarters, the eloquent and professorial Ishmael resided and studied in Cuernavaca, Mexico for 17 years where he focused on Quranic and Biblical scriptures. The husband and father of seven children speaks fluent Spanish and has traveled extensively throughout five continents.

Given his bilingual fluency, his internationalist perspective, and the NOI’s more inclusive approach-instead of being groomed to eventually fill Farrakhan’s shoes-it appears the Assistant Minister is being prepped to don a different style of footwear altogether.

During Farrakhan’s two-hour address on Sunday, which covered an array of topics including education, race relations and unity among religions, he addressed the plight of immigrants south of U.S. borders by stressing to his largely African American audience that they “are not trying to take your jobs. They are trying to survive.”

While the NOI has had a Latino presence within its ranks at least as far back as the 1970s, its recent outreach via its Latino liaison and its involvement in immigrant rights rallies represents a renewed effort at recruitment. Ishmael, who has consistently talked about unity among all people, has been known to deliver pro-immigrant rallies in Spanish. Farrakhan also renewed a call for many to return to the basic tenets of Islam, a move fully supported by Ishmael and one partially aimed at attracting the large number of supporters of the late W.D. Mohammed.

At an August 2007 event at the University of Arkansas’ Clinton School of Public Health, Mohammed -whose public relationship with Farrakhan ranged from contentious to friendly-suggested that Ishmael was prepared to represent an ideological shift and “clear up the destruction of the religion in the Nation of Islam.”

“I think there’s a merger coming, a quiet merging of leaders of the Nation of Islam and leaders in my community,” offered Mohammed, the former head of the American Society of Muslims, an inclusive organization stressing a more traditional interpretation of Islam.

The late Mohammed had also used the occasion to note that student ministers from the NOI had increasingly engaged in joint studies of the Koran with orthodox Muslims. And despite their differences, Mohammed had repeatedly vowed -most notably at his organization’s annual convention in 2002-to work with the NOI to bring about “a united Muslim community in America that would show the true brotherhood of Islam.”

Talk of new beginnings and potential mergers are not surprising to Brown. “The Nation is one of the oldest existing black organizations in the country. To survive, it has gone through a number of changes and will continue to do so,” says Brown, adding “this is a continuation of that historical pattern.”

Given his apparent positioning of Ishmael, and his promotion of the NOI’s more global and traditional “new beginning,” Farrakhan certainly recognizes the value of a united Muslim community in America as well as the necessity of expanding his organization’s mission in these rapidly changing times.

Still, during his recent address, he provided justification for the Nation of Islam’s focus in the previous century on its separatist ideological and its primary concentration on African Americans.

This may have  “turned a lot of people off,” Farrakhan said. “But they don’t know what happened to us.”

Watch Ishmael Muhammad speak here:

Recently, it was revealed that Governor Sarah Palin has benefited from campaign funds in the most personal way. Politico reports that the Republican National Committee, who has provided a fundraising buffer for John McCain in the home stretch, also footed the bill for about $150,000 on wardrobe improvements for Gov. Sarah Palin.

John McCain and Barack Obama have both come under scrutiny for their campaign financing methods, using loopholes to get $30,000 donations and higher.

Gov. Palin has also used her Washington outsider and reformer image to connect to voters who seek a new face to break up the corruption on Capitol Hill. In this case, however, the McCain-Palin ticket will have to answer for their “spending freeze” rhetoric in the face of such extravagant costs on the trail. It seems the elitist argument, promoted tirelessly by the RNC against Barack Obama and the media, is going up in flames.

Here are ten things the Governor’s wardrobe upgrades could buy:

1. 6 suits of military body armor for soldiers abroad – Costs have increased, with many soldiers having to pay out of their salaries to purchase their outfits. Perhaps the Governor could help son Track’s infantry with a loan from her campaign. They might even be able to afford a down payment on a Humvee without armor, listed at $225K.

2. One suburban school’s sex education program at roughly $150 per child. Studies show that countries with a commitment to adolescent sexual health and responsibility, as opposed to abstinence-only programs, have a lower teen birth rate and lower public costs related to teen parenthood.

3. 125 rape kits for victims of the violent sexual act. Gov. Palin advocated that victims pay the bill for their own rape examinations, rather than leave it to “irresponsible government.” The kits cost up to $1200 in some cases.

4. Three Anchorage plumber salaries. For all of their talk about how Joe the Plumber will suffer under Obama’s tax policy, they fail to advocate for the average plumber, whose salary falls somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000. The RNC and Palin might be able to directly improve an Alaskan plumber’s quality of life by investing that money in his/her business.

5. 25 Public Four-Year College Tuitions. The cost of a public four-year college degree is just about $6,000. Mark it up to $30,000 for a private university’s stamp of approval. Rather than having more students take on impossible loans, Gov. Palin could devote her shopping money to a scholarship fund.

6. Three hybrid cars. Palin has been pegged as an expert on energy when the only real solution she has advocated is tapping oil reserves. Hybrid cars cost more than gas vehicles, but save the consumer more money as the price of gas rises. Maybe Sarah Palin could make a provision for an out-of-pocket tax credit to citizens who bought those vehicles. She might even autograph the money for you!

7. 3 Starting Teacher Salaries. The average public school teachers make more than they did three years ago, but there are still many resources lacking in public education. The more money we can pay our teachers, the better. Sarah Palin could have her own team of teachers if she cut back on her cosmetic indulgence.

8. One year of medical care for an autistic child. Mrs. Palin’s young son has Down’s syndrome, which will be a unique challenge for their family. They are helped by the Governor’s quality of life and state-sponsored health care. The average cost of care for an autistic person in a lifetime is $3.2 million dollars. Families with middle incomes cannot easily pay for these costs, or come out of the debt that goes with raising a special needs child. Too bad the Governor cut special needs budgets in her home state by 60+% over three years.

9. 2 Wall Street donations to the McCain Campaign. Although both candidates have accepted unusually large donations from individuals and corporations, John McCain in particular has taken $70,000+ donations from about a dozen individuals in private industry. One wonders if the founder of td Ameritrade would be pleased to know that his hard-earned cash goes into Palin’s walk-in closet.

10. 37 Seconds of the Iraq War. The war chest has been plundered to no end. It currently costs the country $10.3 billion dollars a month to occupy and secure Iraq. Palin could sponsor her own moment of silence for the dedicated soldiers who have lost their lives, but it wouldn’t be a very long moment.

When Shakyra Diaz steps into Cleveland’s Trinity Cathedral Commons Church this Thursday evening for a Townhall meeting to discuss drug policy with city residents, she’ll be facing at least two major hurdles: how to fully confront ongoing and unfair policing practices in drug crimes and how to elicit support for its primary targets, suspects arrested and booked for felony cocaine possession.

“It’s difficult, let me tell you,” says Diaz, Education Director at the ACLU of Ohio, and member of Townhall sponsors, Citizens for a Safe and Fair Cleveland. “Everyone says, ‘Of course we don’t want those people in our neighborhoods.’ We don’t want drug dealers in our neighborhoods, nobody wants that. What we’re saying is let’s treat everybody fairly.”

The Townhall is being overseen by the ad hoc Citizens coalition — composed of “stakeholders” from the ACLU, 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland’s NAACP Chapter, and the Cleveland Job Corps Academy. It is further populated with independent local organizers and legal advocates. The group, which began meeting this spring to address ongoing and unspoken policing inconsistencies regarding drug crimes, is attempting to expose this outraging law enforcement discrepancy.

“When we first started meeting we wanted to look at issues of drug enforcement laws, says Diaz. “Everyone in the room, myself included, and a number of people from lawyers, judges, grassroots organizers, and everyone was well aware of the fact that ‘Crack Pipe Cases’ were going to be treated differently if they were caught in Cleveland as compared to the rest of the county.”

The expression “Crack Pipe Cases,” refers to cases where an arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia is made within city limits and turned into a felony cocaine possession charge. If the charge occurs outside of the city, in one of the neighboring suburban communities in the greater Cuyahoga County area, it would be treated as a misdemeanor. Cleveland’s own city code says it should treat these cases in the same way.

As early as 2002, city leaders in the African-American and Latino community, such as Reverend Marvin McMickle, came forward to decry racially-motivated drug prosecutions and aired their concerns to the local media. The Townhall event is yet another attempt to shore up support for juridical reform, and in this case to pushing the city into changing their protocol.

“[All of the city ordinances in Cuyahoga County say the same thing in terms of how to handle Crack Pipe Cases,” adds Diaz. “Crack pipes are supposed to be tested for residue, to determine if it’s an instrument being used for drug use, and then you charge it as a misdemeanor. Cleveland is the only city in the county that charges residue under the higher revised code as a felony.”

The group claims that the enforcement variance can be traced to biased policing strategies-and have sponsored research to bolster their claims. According to legal studies scholar Mona Lynch’s recently-released study, “Selective Enforcement of Drug Laws in Cuyahoga County, Ohio: A  Report on the Racial Effects of Geographic Disparities in Arrest Patterns,” “There is evidence that the differential enforcement by geographic location results in African-Americans and other minorities being disproportionately charged with felony drug possession within the county.”

Given the majority African-American population within Cleveland’s limits, Lynch’s research points to the need to critically assess how drug charges are policed and prosecuted in the city. The San Jose State University -based researcher’s report further states, “Because the city population is majority nonwhite, whereas the surrounding county population is overwhelmingly white, the differential enforcement practices disproportionately impact the non-white population of the county.”

The effects of such police measures are staggering: Diaz estimates upwards of 6,000 individual Crack Pipe Cases, and her group is attempting to comb through often hard-to-reach municipal and state data to track even more. African-Americans in Cleveland are arrested at a rate four-times higher for felony drug charges than white residents.

In light of these statistics and an on-going dialogue with city officials, Diaz and ACLU Executive Director Christine Link co-authored another report comparing ordinances in Cleveland and four neighborhing counties (Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, Parma, and Lakewood). The take was much of the same — the city is policing and prosecuting crimes differently in Cleveland.

Says Diaz, “If you live on one side of the street you can get help. If you live on another side of the street, you’re going to jail with a felony conviction. It impacts not just that individual, but the individual’s family, and the entire community. Because at the end of the day, how can this person contribute to this community if one, they don’t get help, and two, they’re coming back unemployable?”

Though the state of Ohio permits former felons to vote, stigmas associated with a felony drug conviction run deep. “It really does make you unemployable,” says Diaz. “Almost all employers do a felony background check. The likelihood you’re going to get a job is slim to none, the likelihood you’re going to get public housing is slim to none.

She adds, “It’s even deeper than that. It’s fighting the stigma of drug use of African American Clevelanders. This stigma is not being attached to anyone else in the county.”

The Citizen’s collective favors increased access to drug treatment, as well as a equal revamping of policing practices. They remain open to continued talks with the city, and hope the Townhall will offer a chance to share their research and might yield further  perspective on the matter.

“We hope the community is empowered enough to say, ‘Hey this is how this is affecting my life, my family’s life, my community.’” says Diaz. “People need to find another way, they just don’t know how. This is just the way it’s always been done.”

All of this brings me to another point, one I’ve made before. It’s all fine to attack liberals for upholding “diversity” or for being too “politically correct.” I basically agree that Affirmative Action is problematic and a debate is in order. But lefties shouldn’t be chastened by thier failures. Here is the thing–at least we’re taking up the challenge. We were the first to understand that a country ruled by White Men–not on merit, but by bigoted design–was country on suicide watch.

The politics of fear have been propelled with words, but the images of the newspaper reel and the internet may have a more lasting effect.

Replacing Old Money with...Racist Money.

Rev. Wright just won't go away

(Waterboarding defined here.)

From TheJedReport.com:

Republicans Jump Ship

The official list of Republicans and conservatives jumping ship,

pointing fingers, or otherwise abandoning the McCain campaign

50 entries and growing • by Jed Lewison and Barath Raghavan

Former Secretary of State during the Bush Administration Colin Powell (Sun Oct. 19)

Powell said he questioned Sen. John McCain’s judgment in picking Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate because he doesn’t think she is ready to be president.

CC Goldwater Granddaughter of the late Barry Goldwater (Thurs Oct. 23) 

Our generation of Goldwaters expects government to provide for constitutional protections. We reject the constant intrusion into our personal lives, along with other crucial policy issues of the McCain/Palin ticket.

Scott McClellan, former White House Press Secretary to George W. Bush (Thurs Oct. 23)

The former Bush administration official said he wanted to support the candidate that has the best chance for changing the way Washington works and getting things done.

Kathleen Parker (Fri Oct 17):

National Review writer Kathleen Parker takes another big step away from the GOP, declaring that Republicans “do not, in fact, deserve to win this time, and someone [Chris Buckley] had to remind them why.”

Richard Lugar (Wed Oct 15):

Richard Lugar, the seniormost Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, came close to a full endorsement of Obama by endorsing his approach to foreign policy – specifically, his emphasis on diplomacy.

RNC (in Wisconsin) (Wed Oct 15):

The RNC is giving up on McCain in Wisconsin.  TV stations report that they’ve stopped airing ads attacking Obama, and won’t comment on the pullout.

Rush Limbaugh (Tue Oct 14):

Rush Limbaugh all but accepted the fact that John McCain had lost this election, asking Sarah Palin “have you even thought about a political future beyond this campaign?” Obviously, if Limbaugh thought McCain could win…her political future would be as Vice President.

Heather Mac Donald (Tue Oct 14):

Conservative pundit Heather Mac Donald systematically disassembles McCain’s VP pick and concludes that “conservatives should not sacrifice standards for political advantage.”

Matthew Dowd (Tue Oct 14):

Matthew Dowd, a former Bush strategist, let the cat out of the bag: “They didn’t let John McCain pick the person he wanted to pick as VP…[McCain] knows, in his gut, that he put somebody unqualified on the ballot. He knows that in his gut, and when this race is over that is something he will have to live with… He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that.”

Dennis Hopper (Mon Oct 13):

Loyal Republican actor-director Dennis Hopper is giving up on his party, at least for this election, complaining of the “lies” of the current administration and saying “I voted for Bush, father and son, but this time I’ll vote for Obama.”

Mickey Edwards (Mon Oct 13):

Republican Mickey Edwards, formerly a congressman from Oklahoma, distances himself from McCain, saying “today, thanks to a campaign apparently managed by Moe, Curly, and Larry, he comes across as erratic (Obama’s word, but it fits), impulsive, befuddled, and ill-tempered, and apparently unable to utter any words other than ‘surge’ and ‘earmarks.’”  Edwards also plays the blame game very explicitly: “If Obama gets a big win, it will be McCain himself, and the Three Stooges calling the shots at his headquarters who will deserve whatever blame is attached for transforming a viable and energetic Obama campaign into a steamroller grinding the Republican Party into the ground.”

David Frum (Mon Oct 13):

David “axis of evil” Frum gets his “I told you so” ready at the National Review and rebukes his critics who complain that he isn’t cheerleading for McCain enough.  He concludes: “Perhaps it is our job at NRO is tell our readers only what they want to hear, without much regard to whether it is true. Perhaps it is our duty just to keep smiling and to insist that everything is dandy – that John McCain’s economic policies make sense, that his selection of Sarah Palin was an act of statesmanship, that she herself is the second coming of Anna Schwartz, and that nobody but an over-educated snob would ever suggest otherwise.”

Ray LaHood (Mon Oct 13):

Rep. LaHood, who has represented Illinois’ 18th district for seven terms and is retiring in January, told WBBM Radio that Palin should control the racially-charged heckling at her rallies: “Look it. This doesn’t befit the office that she’s running for. And frankly, people don’t like it.”

Michelle Malkin (Mon Oct 13):

Michelle Malkin expresses her disappointment in McCain after learning that “John McCain had no problem calling ACORN members his friends during his ill-fated illegal alien shamnesty crusade.”  She concludes, “We’re Screwed ’08.”

Erick Erickson (Mon Oct 13):

Erick Erickson, “editor in chief” of RedState.com, is giving up on McCain: “With only a few weeks left until election day, let’s be blunt: McCain-Palin ’08 does not seem to be making headway against the polling.”  He suggests that McCain needs to choose between himself and senate/house Republicans, and suggests that his readers focus on downballot races: “The Republican numbers in the House and Senate can be salvaged, but in the next few weeks there must be a realistic assessment from the McCain campaign regarding winning his own race versus helping Congressional Republicans mitigate their losses.”

Ed Rollins (Mon Oct 13):

Rollins, who managed Reagan’s 1984 campaign: “And while chaos and disarray reigned supreme in Sen. Barack Obama’s opponents’ campaigns, the steady, disciplined and strategically driven Obama campaign marches forward toward likely victory.”

Bill Kristol (Mon Oct 13):

Kristol: “It’s time for John McCain to fire his campaign. He has nothing to lose. His campaign is totally overmatched by Obama’s.”

Lee Terry (Mon Oct 13):

In Nebraska, a Republican representative, Lee Terry, ran a newspaper ad featuring support from a woman who called herself an “Obama-Terry voter.”

Linda Smith (Sun Oct 12):

Linda Smith, Republican chairwoman in Clark County, Ohio. “I have to blame the McCain camp for not pushing it hard enough,” added Smith, whose rural county lies between Dayton and Columbus. “It’s so ingrained in people’s minds that Republicans are good on national security, but Democrats are good on the economy, and it’s very hard to counter that.”

Tom Ellis (Sun Oct 12):

Tom Ellis, GOP chairman in Butler County, Ohio, a key Republican stronghold in 2004, said there had been “some slippage” for McCain in recent weeks. He said Republicans were finding it “hard to penetrate” the torrent of bad economic news and deliver an effective pitch to independents. And the Arizona senator’s attacks on Obama’s past links to former radical William Ayers, he said, “do not garner him any advantage” with swing voters. “There’s a sense of frustration at this point,” Ellis said. “What I hear is people are expecting more of the Republican ticket. They’ve got to speak directly to the economic issues. People want to hear specific solutions from Sen. McCain.”

Roger Stone (Sun Oct 12):

Roger Stone, a longtime McCain supporter, said the state party and the national campaign bear almost equal blame. ”This effort lacks coordination and a cooperative spirit and it’s showing,” Stone said. “But it’s more than mechanics. The campaign has no consistent message.”

George LeMieux (Sun Oct 12):

George LeMieux, Crist’s former campaign manager and staff chief, said McCain erred in not choosing Crist as running mate. ”If Gov. Crist was the vice presidential nominee, John McCain would be winning Florida,” he said.

Charlie Crist (Sun Oct 12):

“Saturday, he skipped a McCain football rally and instead went to Disney World.”

Patrick Ruffini (Sat Oct 11):

Conservative columnist Patrick Ruffini argues that the RNC needs to give up on McCain and try to save Republican house and senate seats, and that “McCain should start explicitly making the argument for divided government, with him as the only hope of preserving it. This is unlikely to be a voting issue at the Presidential level, but we need to get the idea percolating that we are about to elect Obama with unchecked, unlimited power.”  That is, Ruffini wants to sacrifice McCain to save congressional Republicans.

Mitt Romney (Sat Oct 11):

Mitt Romney said McCain, who has offered scattershot proposals on the economy, should present a broad vision of how he would lead the country through the economic crisis. “I’m talking about standing above the tactical alternatives that are being considered,” Romney said, “and establish an economic vision that is able to convince the American people that he really knows how to strengthen the economy.”

Robert A. Gleason Jr. (Sat Oct 11):

Robert A. Gleason Jr., the Republican chairman in Pennsylvania, said he was concerned that Mr. McCain’s increasingly aggressive tone was not working with moderate voters and women in the important southeastern part of a state that is at the top of Mr. McCain’s must-win list.

Tommy Thompson (Sat Oct 11):

Former Republican Governor of Wisconsin, said it would be difficult for Mr. McCain to win in his state but not impossible, particularly if he campaigned in conservative Democratic parts of the state. Asked if he was happy with Mr. McCain’s campaign, Mr. Thompson replied, “No,” and he added, “I don’t know who is.”

Saul Anuzis (Sat Oct 11):

Saul Anuzis, the Republican chairman in Michigan, said “I think you’re seeing a turning point, you’re starting to feel real frustration because we are running out of time. Our message, the campaign’s message, isn’t connecting.”

Norm Coleman (Fri Oct 10):

Coleman bails on McCain rally: “[Norm] Coleman told reporters that he would not be appearing at a planned rally with McCain this afternoon. Could it be McCain’s sliding polling numbers in Minnesota? His attacks on Obama?”

Bob Eleveld (Fri Oct 10):

Bob Eleveld, former Kent County Republican chairman who led McCain’s West Michigan campaign in 2000, said: “I’m not supporting either of them [McCain or Obama] at this point. I think the straight talk is gone.”

William Milliken (Fri Oct 10):

Former Republican Governor of Michigan William Milliken, who endorsed McCain during the primaries, said: “He is not the McCain I endorsed; he keeps saying, ‘Who is Barack Obama?’ I would ask the question, ‘Who is John McCain?’ because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me. I’m disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues.”

Ed Rollins (Fri Oct 10):

Ed Rollins ran Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign in 1984, so he knows a thing or two about landslides — and  he’s predicting one for Barack Obama. At this point, he says the only question left to answer is whether John McCain will take the Republican Party down with him.

Joshua Trevino (Fri Oct 10):

Joshua Trevino, co-founder of RedState.com, wrote on his blog: “In the end, I couldn’t do it…I opened it fully intending to vote for John McCain…Do I believe in John McCain? Not as much as I used to. Do I believe in Sarah Palin? Despite my early enthusiasm for her, now not at all. Do I believe in the national Republican Party? Not in the slightest — even though I see no meaningful alternative to it. So, my choice for President in 2008, scrawled in my ballot as an act of futile protest, is Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.”

Matt Lewis (Fri Oct 10):

Matt Lewis, a contributing writer for the conservative Web site Townhall.com, told CNN the plan only further riles conservatives upset with McCain’s backing of the massive government bailout plan passed last week. “Fundamentally, the problem is John McCain accepts a lot of liberal notions, unfortunately. There is somewhat of a populist streak,” he said. “Most conservatives really did not like the bailout to begin with, and this was really kind of picking at the scab.”

Michelle Laxalt (Thu Oct 9):

Republican Laxalt slams the McCain campaign’s tactics.

Michigan GOP (Thu Oct 9):

The Michigan GOP is in disarray, and said the following about those jumping ship in an email they sent to local supporters: “In the meantime, there have been several individuals, including some disgruntled former employees, who have tried to take advantage of the situation by stealing cell phones, and other electronic equipment, as well as substantial amounts of collateral materials.  In at least one instance there was an employee who vandalized their victory center on the way out the door.”

National Review Editorial Board (Thu Oct 9):

“We never thought we would defend the Frank-Dodd legislation, which we bitterly opposed last summer. But it looks downright prudent compared to what McCain has proposed. McCain’s plan is a full bailout for lenders.”

Perry Diaz (Wed Oct 8):

Perry Diaz, chairman of the National Federation of Filipino-American Republicans, resigned from his post and withdrew his endorsement, saying “I endorsed McCain before the California primary believing that he was the right man for the job.  I was wrong.  His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate and his decision a few days ago to resort to personal attacks on Obama’s character and integrity run counter to my personal beliefs and core values.  I have lost my respect for McCain and I believe that a McCain/Palin administration would only worsen the economic situation in the country.”

David Brooks (Wed Oct 8):

David Brooks rips apart McCain’s pick for VP, saying “Sarah Palin represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party.”

George Will (Wed Oct 8):

George Will laments McCain’s campaign and quotes an Orioles manager: “Are you going to get any better or is this it?”  His takeaway?  ”Obama in a romp in November? Don’t be surprised”

Lilibet Hagel (Tue Oct 7):

Lilibet Hagel, wife of Republican senator Chuck Hagel, appeared with Susan Eisenhower to endorse Barack Obama, saying that this election is “not about fighting phantom issues churned out by a top-notch slander machine.  Most importantly it is not about distracting the public – you and me – with whatever slurs someone thinks will stick.”

Jack Waldvogel (Sun Oct 5):

Jack Waldvogel, GOP chairman for Emmet County, Michigan, is furious that McCain and Palin announced their intention to pull out of Michigan, saying “Just don’t formally announce that you are ‘pulling out’ of Michigan, and then come back two days later asking the base core of support to ‘keep working.’ What a slap in the face to all the thousands of people who have been energized by the addition of Sarah Palin to the ticket. I’ve been involved in County Party politics and organization for 40 years, and this is the biggest dumbass stunt I have ever seen.”

Wick Allison (Mon Sep 22):

Wick Allison, former publisher of the National Review and current editor-in-chief of D magazine, endorses Obama and writes “I made the maximum donation to John McCain during the primaries, when there was still hope he might come to his senses.  But I now see that Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history.”

George Will (Sun Sep 21):

“I suppose the McCain campaign’s hope is that when there’s a big crisis, people will go for age and experience,” said Will. “The question is, who in this crisis looked more presidential, calm and un-flustered? It wasn’t John McCain who, as usual, substituting vehemence for coherence, said ‘let’s fire somebody.’ And picked one of the most experienced and conservative people in the administration, Chris Cox, and for no apparent reason… It was un-presidential behavior by a presidential candidate.”

WSJ Editorial Board (Fri Sep 19):

In a crisis, voters want steady, calm leadership, not easy, misleading answers that will do nothing to help. Mr. McCain is sounding like a candidate searching for a political foil rather than a genuine solution. He’ll never beat Mr. Obama by running as an angry populist like Al Gore, circa 2000.

Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy (Wed Sep 3):

Noonan and Murphy get caught on an open mic griping about the choice of Sarah Palin.  Noonan says “The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullsh** about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that’s not where they live and that’s not what they’re good at, they blow it.”  Murphy adds that the choice was “cynical” and “gimmicky.”

nazpatel (9:01:01 PM): u ready kid?

drewricketts (9:01:42 PM): what you think of bobby schiefer?

nazpatel (9:01:44 PM): this dudes old. haha.

drewricketts (9:02:04 PM): I think he’s the most moderate of the moderator folks
drewricketts (9:02:07 PM): politically

nazpatel (9:02:07 PM): they still have the uncommitted ohio voters thing.. come on, pick a new focus group

drewricketts (9:02:20 PM): oh! I’m watching it on abc
drewricketts (9:02:27 PM): keep me filled in on their dial thingies

nazpatel (9:02:32 PM): yeaa.. im excited cuz i read in the blogs that hes going to really press the candidates to answer the questions
nazpatel (9:02:40 PM): lets see how successful he is
nazpatel (9:02:54 PM): nice table set up

drewricketts (9:03:12 PM): he’s going to try to press them but you can’t press a skilled politician
drewricketts (9:03:13 PM): never

nazpatel (9:03:26 PM): kinda awkward… haha
nazpatel (9:03:26 PM): obama wore that tie at the DNC speech…… auspicious
nazpatel (9:03:54 PM): haha.. ok mccain stop wasting time with pleasantries

drewricketts (9:04:30 PM): freddie mae? sez John McCain
drewricketts (9:04:44 PM): he’s going to try to lock down the ‘saving the homeowner argument’

nazpatel (9:05:04 PM): maybe hes being clever and combining the two
nazpatel (9:05:04 PM): the ohio voters dial is barely above neutral
nazpatel (9:05:14 PM): i “KNOW the criticism”

drewricketts (9:05:44 PM): those dials are misleading because the more charismatic guy will ALWAYS get the dial turned

nazpatel (9:06:14 PM): maybe McCain was miss cleo in a past life
nazpatel (9:06:15 PM): yea i guess but thats not misleading cuz voters vote along those lines
nazpatel (9:06:15 PM): whos more likable

drewricketts (9:06:38 PM): protectionist obama!
drewricketts (9:06:50 PM): that will killll the economy

nazpatel (9:06:50 PM): the dials are SKYHIGH! yeaaaaaaa BARACK
nazpatel (9:06:50 PM): women are really lovin obama.

drewricketts (9:07:51 PM): uh oh…j-mac brings the first anecdote
drewricketts (9:07:55 PM): joe the plumber

nazpatel (9:07:55 PM): i think the table is really making them feel awkward
nazpatel (9:07:55 PM): obama is a little…. rehearsed.. and nervous-like
nazpatel (9:07:55 PM): ‘uh uh uh’

drewricketts (9:08:12 PM): obama pauses ten times more as he gets ten times closer to the win
drewricketts (9:08:49 PM): watch a video of Obama 2002 and it’s without the preggo pause
drewricketts (9:09:45 PM): re-aligning tax code is NOT a republican fave…let’s “redistribute wealth”…
drewricketts (9:09:47 PM): to oil barons

nazpatel (9:10:22 PM): i DO enjoy how he narrows his eyes toward mccain whenever he starts speaking lol
nazpatel (9:10:22 PM): like ‘yea? johnnie, lets hear what bs ur about to say’
nazpatel (9:10:22 PM): why is everyone named joe?
nazpatel (9:10:22 PM): man mccains flatlining. lol
nazpatel (9:10:22 PM): WHAT AN ALLEGORY
nazpatel (9:10:23 PM): shuttup john.
nazpatel (9:10:23 PM): can you tell im biased? lol
nazpatel (9:10:27 PM): 95% huh? i wonder who that unfortunate 5% is lol

drewricketts (9:10:49 PM): hahaha

nazpatel (9:10:49 PM): yea well when this topic came up in the last debate mccain INSISTED.. ‘look. i mean. im not gonna tax the wealthy. i dont wanna raise taxes for anyone!’

drewricketts (9:11:13 PM): joe the plumber is becoming a theme here…not sure if I get this

nazpatel (9:11:13 PM): shut the f@#$ up about joe the plumber!
nazpatel (9:11:13 PM): (can we publish that last sentence?)

drewricketts (9:11:23 PM): yes we can! yes we can!
drewricketts (9:11:26 PM): lol

nazpatel (9:11:54 PM): lol clever drew
nazpatel (9:11:26 PM): this whole exchange is truly awkward and redundant
nazpatel (9:11:54 PM): are they supposed to talk to each directly?
nazpatel (9:11:56 PM): i wanna see some mccain rage

drewricketts (9:12:05 PM): he will express it with smugness

nazpatel (9:12:05 PM): hes on roids. I BETCHA!

drewricketts (9:12:29 PM): (mccain takes notes to remember his anecdotes)

nazpatel (9:12:44 PM): obama seems genuine in his fumbling.. like ‘look i didnt rehearse. this is from the HEART’

drewricketts (9:13:22 PM): mccain just made a great point about taxes in the US
drewricketts (9:13:28 PM): he has a strong start so far

nazpatel (9:13:30 PM): mccain is coming off grandfatherly
nazpatel (9:13:30 PM): if ur grandfather was a card-carrying NRA member who hated DEM N#@$%S
nazpatel (9:13:54 PM): what was his good point?
nazpatel (9:14:14 PM): i missed it while thinking of a hilarious description of a racist grandpappy
nazpatel (9:14:24 PM): theyre asking the same questions
nazpatel (9:14:24 PM): ASK SOMETHING NEW
nazpatel (9:14:56 PM): they asked this question in BOTH previous debates.. about what theyre gonna cut out of their respective economic plans

drewricketts (9:15:26 PM): sigh

nazpatel (9:16:07 PM): i like the way he explained cutting defunct programs and strengthening ones we need.. it was really clear for some reason

drewricketts (9:16:37 PM): ooooh “profligate ways.” sez Obama
drewricketts (9:16:41 PM): good one

nazpatel (9:17:55 PM): ohio men & women are tied for super high right now
nazpatel (9:17:55 PM): “i just wanna get back to this home ownership”
nazpatel (9:17:55 PM): oh i like this moderator.
nazpatel (9:17:55 PM): hes strict
nazpatel (9:17:55 PM): mccain has sarah palin in his head
nazpatel (9:17:55 PM): u would get out a scalpel AFTER the hatchet?……
nazpatel (9:18:04 PM): why bother? lol
nazpatel (9:18:24 PM): the moderator is definitely doing a great job interrupting mccains canned talking points

drewricketts (9:18:40 PM): this supposed “spending freeze” of mccain’s will not include war spending
drewricketts (9:18:48 PM): pork barrel is a slavery term by the way

nazpatel (9:18:48 PM): hes making it more of a real debate
nazpatel (9:18:48 PM): “i know how to save billions”
nazpatel (9:18:48 PM): u know everything john.

drewricketts (9:19:04 PM): he knows how to create nuclear energy from his hands!

nazpatel (9:19:14 PM): yea i was wondering about the origin of that term….

drewricketts (9:19:45 PM): pork barrel fat was given as the leftover bonus to slaves in their portions

nazpatel (9:19:45 PM): mccain looks like a reptile

drewricketts (9:19:51 PM): the better the take or the harvest
drewricketts (9:19:58 PM): the more pork fat you’d get

nazpatel (9:20:14 PM): wooww
nazpatel (9:20:14 PM): we should totally say something about that on newsone

drewricketts (9:20:18 PM): hence the link to ‘wastefulness’ it emphasizes being reckless and prosperous

nazpatel (9:20:55 PM): WHOA
nazpatel (9:20:55 PM): that mccain comment

drewricketts (9:20:58 PM): john mccain sez : I’ M NOT BUSH … I’m his older cousin

nazpatel (9:21:04 PM): ‘if u wanted to run against pres bush, u should have run 4 years ago’

drewricketts (9:21:25 PM): I’m NOT BUSH … I’m his long-lost BFF
drewricketts (9:21:54 PM): McCain is coming out swinging…

nazpatel (9:21:59 PM): i think i heard a collective gasp in the audience

drewricketts (9:22:55 PM): Obama is responding well on this not-bipartisan issue
drewricketts (9:24:07 PM): EXACTLY…McCain has been bipartisan at POINTS in his career but he is clearly shifting toward the right
drewricketts (9:24:11 PM): for better or worse

nazpatel (9:25:39 PM): OHHHH hes challenging them

drewricketts (9:25:39 PM): schiefer’s questions are great

nazpatel (9:25:43 PM): SAY IT TO MAH FACE!

drewricketts (9:25:46 PM): lol

nazpatel (9:25:54 PM): yea theyre brilliant. that last one about negative campaigning was great

drewricketts (9:26:16 PM): McCain admits regrets
drewricketts (9:26:23 PM): that’s big

nazpatel (9:26:43 PM): so mccain is saying that his campaign is negative bc obama didnt sit down for town halls????? does that make sense???
nazpatel (9:26:51 PM): OH snap hes bringing up john lewis

drewricketts (9:27:00 PM): this is his Reagan moment
drewricketts (9:27:07 PM): and Obama, as a black man, cannot play tough on this
drewricketts (9:27:11 PM): he has to be humble to a fault
drewricketts (9:30:48 PM): sorry about this wacky connection

nazpatel (9:30:48 PM): ok ads against ur policies is acceptable. ads against character are NOT acceptable
nazpatel (9:31:28 PM): when obama laughs at mccains points its presidential. when mccain laughs, its sinister and condescending

drewricketts (9:31:42 PM): woooooow
drewricketts (9:31:50 PM): he mentioned the terrorist issue!

nazpatel (9:32:00 PM): can u believe there are 30 years between the two of them
nazpatel (9:32:10 PM): YEAAAAAA
nazpatel (9:32:10 PM): OBAMAAAAA

drewricketts (9:32:13 PM): mccain is genuinely angry right now
drewricketts (9:32:18 PM): he rolled his eyes!
drewricketts (9:32:44 PM): the American people don’t. wanna. hear. this bull$#%&.

nazpatel (9:32:44 PM): i missed that [eye roll]!

drewricketts (9:33:19 PM): schiefer baited him ! he baited mccain!

nazpatel (9:33:34 PM): “im proud of the ppl that come to my rallies”
nazpatel (9:33:40 PM): haha yea totally..

drewricketts (9:33:48 PM): culture wars to the max right now
drewricketts (9:33:55 PM): he’s volleying the whites

nazpatel (9:33:55 PM): seriously

drewricketts (9:34:08 PM): whatever
drewricketts (9:34:12 PM): whatever John McCain

nazpatel (9:34:50 PM): foreal.
nazpatel (9:35:20 PM): women are LUH_HUH_HUVVIN obama
nazpatel (9:35:20 PM): yea!

drewricketts (9:35:34 PM): I’m glad Barack Obama is diverting away from this argumentative petty stuff

drewricketts (9:35:57 PM): look at Barack’s smirk…he is also angry

nazpatel (9:36:11 PM): he keeps interrupting obama like a child
nazpatel (9:36:11 PM): yea he is.. i love it
nazpatel (9:36:20 PM): obama made a statement about ACORN today!
nazpatel (9:36:36 PM): i mean yday

drewricketts (9:36:54 PM): he looks very casual but his arguments are so focused

nazpatel (9:38:10 PM): yea thats the brilliance that is obama

drewricketts (9:38:23 PM): he’s thinking about five things at once
drewricketts (9:38:31 PM): and expressing them in perfect sequence
drewricketts (9:38:54 PM): his poise is tremendous

nazpatel (9:39:02 PM): OH SHIT
nazpatel (9:39:06 PM): GOOD F#@$ING ANSWER
nazpatel (9:39:20 PM): man that was a great response

drewricketts (9:40:05 PM): Obama is comporting himself as being above the fray

nazpatel (9:40:23 PM): goddamn, this guys questions are ON POINT

drewricketts (9:40:34 PM): he is precise but he is kind of killing McCain

nazpatel (9:40:40 PM): yea
nazpatel (9:40:50 PM): but mccains needs to get some guff

drewricketts (9:40:50 PM): because this requires solid response AND mental dexterity

nazpatel (9:40:56 PM): in a forum like this
nazpatel (9:42:37 PM): obama is a lawyer.. this debate stuff is a cakewalk for him
nazpatel (9:42:41 PM): HAHAH a role model to women…
nazpatel (9:42:43 PM): please.

drewricketts (9:43:02 PM): he’s going to spew a BUNCH of lies
drewricketts (9:43:14 PM): about MC Hockey Mom

nazpatel (9:43:35 PM): shes an idiot

drewricketts (9:43:48 PM): McCain: It’s time we had that breas–I mean, BReaTH of fresh air

nazpatel (9:43:48 PM): special needs families? autism?
nazpatel (9:43:56 PM): way to randomly pull an issue out of ur bum
nazpatel (9:44:29 PM): i like how obama called Palin a “politician”
nazpatel (9:44:31 PM): very calculated

drewricketts (9:44:46 PM): Obama is going to flip it on him…watch
drewricketts (9:44:48 PM): bam!

nazpatel (9:44:56 PM): HAHAHA NICE OBAMA

drewricketts (9:45:00 PM): spending freeze will cut off special needs bam!
drewricketts (9:45:03 PM): bam bam!
drewricketts (9:45:41 PM): John McCain’s dials will go low on this Iraq
drewricketts (9:45:53 PM): his sense of “right” and “wrong” is strange and Manichean

nazpatel (9:46:20 PM): haha yea theyre pretty low
nazpatel (9:46:20 PM): yea hes not creative enough to see gray
nazpatel (9:46:20 PM): manichean, good word to describe his ideologies

drewricketts (9:46:47 PM): that’s why I don’t dig culture wars
drewricketts (9:46:52 PM): it obscures the issues
drewricketts (9:47:09 PM): it muddles forensics ya dig?

nazpatel (9:47:19 PM): i dig.

drewricketts (9:48:14 PM): mccain keeps repeating ‘clean coal technology’ when he can’t remember what to say

nazpatel (9:48:21 PM): hahah

drewricketts (9:48:53 PM): Obama faces the camera!
drewricketts (9:48:55 PM): oh snap!
drewricketts (9:49:46 PM): “we can’t drill our way out of the problem”
drewricketts (9:49:51 PM): good rhetorical turn

nazpatel (9:51:11 PM): troof

drewricketts (9:51:19 PM): wooooow
drewricketts (9:51:26 PM): “he speaks so well”

nazpatel (9:51:34 PM): “i admire so much sen. obamas eloquence”

drewricketts (9:51:37 PM): forget what he says

nazpatel (9:51:37 PM): what a jerk

drewricketts (9:52:48 PM): this is the basis of the real debate
drewricketts (9:53:02 PM): how we define trade as the global economy dominates our own

nazpatel (9:53:11 PM): what. a. f@#$ing. jerk

drewricketts (9:53:22 PM): McCain rolled his eyes again

nazpatel (9:53:57 PM): damn it, i keep missing it

drewricketts (9:54:22 PM): Obama on automakers: we need to produce
drewricketts (9:54:32 PM): catch up with industry
drewricketts (9:54:35 PM): or lose to the world

nazpatel (9:54:41 PM): so true
nazpatel (9:55:04 PM): the dials are SOOO high!
nazpatel (9:55:07 PM): people are loving this idea
nazpatel (9:55:51 PM): the dials in the negatives right now with mccain

drewricketts (9:56:12 PM): McCain wants to suppress Colombian lower class, uphold the trade agreement even when it’s unfair

nazpatel (9:56:28 PM): jesus how many freaking times does obama have to say IM CUTTING TAXES before mccain stops lying about it

drewricketts (9:56:49 PM): anecdote #2
drewricketts (9:56:52 PM): let’s start a count
nazpatel (9:56:58 PM): i hate anecdotes
nazpatel (9:57:01 PM): ok so we’re at 2
nazpatel (9:57:13 PM): joe the plumber and some random chicks with no healthcare

drewricketts (9:57:33 PM): now Obama is gonna spill out a lot of numbers
drewricketts (9:57:47 PM): that will not be the same after the real budget comes in front of his face

nazpatel (9:58:31 PM): yea true

drewricketts (9:58:45 PM): healthcare issue is going to hit middle America
drewricketts (9:58:54 PM): this is time for the rehearsed speech from both guys

nazpatel (9:59:06 PM): but even if its not a realistic plan.. the fact that its so hopeful and so centered on getting everyone healthcare.. proves hes the guy for the job
nazpatel (9:59:21 PM): physical fitness programs?

drewricketts (9:59:22 PM): mccain btw is talking about things we need to have
drewricketts (9:59:28 PM): even as he says spending freeze
drewricketts (9:59:38 PM): joe the plumber AGAIN!
drewricketts (9:59:42 PM): again with JOE!

nazpatel (9:59:46 PM): hahaha… #3
nazpatel (10:00:29 PM): man women hate mccain

drewricketts (10:00:29 PM): Joe Six Pack = Joe the Plumber

nazpatel (10:00:41 PM): even though his VP is a woman
nazpatel (10:00:51 PM): mccain is indignant

drewricketts (10:01:20 PM): his anger is seething at every point
drewricketts (10:01:25 PM): watch his temples pulse

nazpatel (10:01:29 PM): YES
nazpatel (10:01:39 PM): he wants to ‘reach across the aisle’ and deck obama

drewricketts (10:01:59 PM): this is all such absurd theater, off the record

nazpatel (10:02:19 PM): i think hes so emotional bc hes about to go down in history as the man who lost a presidential race to a black man
nazpatel (10:02:19 PM): yea it really is

drewricketts (10:02:54 PM): alyson (10:02:34 PM): hahahahahah yes now he’s talking to joe!
i bet you there is one motherf@#$%r out there named joe who is a plumber
and he is so excited right now

nazpatel (10:03:36 PM): haha

drewricketts (10:03:41 PM): Joe is a running meme to rep for the common man ethos

nazpatel (10:04:03 PM): obama drinks water.
nazpatel (10:04:09 PM): hes annoyed.. rightfully so

drewricketts (10:04:31 PM): he has to hydrate to rip into this flimsy polemic

nazpatel (10:04:57 PM): LOL
nazpatel (10:05:00 PM): LOLOLOL

drewricketts (10:05:29 PM): “he wants government to do the job” Really? You want a leader to lead and that’s bad?
drewricketts (10:05:34 PM): Really John McCain?

nazpatel (10:05:44 PM): mccain is rambling

drewricketts (10:06:56 PM): Roe v. Wade!

nazpatel (10:07:03 PM): MAN THIS MODERATOR ROCKS

drewricketts (10:07:05 PM): damn…he’s going for the gusto

nazpatel (10:07:14 PM): are u kidding me?
nazpatel (10:07:27 PM): EVERY supreme court justice appointment is political
nazpatel (10:07:29 PM): f@#$.
nazpatel (10:07:32 PM): mccain is stupid

drewricketts (10:07:50 PM): I think this ideological battle over judges and even over tax policy
drewricketts (10:07:58 PM): is boring most voters

nazpatel (10:08:05 PM): yea i was just about to say that

drewricketts (10:08:05 PM): even though I think it’s pithy

nazpatel (10:08:11 PM): avg voters dont give a crap about it

drewricketts (10:08:18 PM): no one knows off-hand what a Federalist is

nazpatel (10:08:21 PM): i think its very important.. but yea voters arent voting on this stuff

drewricketts (10:08:30 PM): not no one but you get me
drewricketts (10:08:56 PM): A bunch of Joe Six packs just took a beer break

nazpatel (10:09:03 PM): LOLLLLL

drewricketts (10:09:18 PM): they’re hopping in pick up trucks to get a pack of Marlboros
drewricketts (10:09:28 PM): and a 24 case of Coors
drewricketts (10:09:36 PM): Miller genuine draft if it’s payday
drewricketts (10:09:58 PM): Obama just won with women. Hands down

nazpatel (10:09:59 PM): i think its great that obama is talking directly about roe v wade
nazpatel (10:10:05 PM): rather than dancing around it like a pansy
nazpatel (10:10:19 PM): *cough cough* mccain *cough*
nazpatel (10:10:34 PM): totally
nazpatel (10:10:40 PM): anecdote #4!

drewricketts (10:10:42 PM): Lily Ledbetter

drewricketts (10:10:46 PM): GReAT reference

drewricketts (10:11:21 PM): Lily Ledbetter just entered history
drewricketts (10:11:32 PM): there’s probably a WaPo or NYT article on her somewhere

nazpatel (10:11:42 PM): we have to change the culture of america? wtf

drewricketts (10:12:28 PM): http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/the-democrats-secret-weapon-lilly-ledbetter/

nazpatel (10:12:28 PM): haha really a bad procedure.. terrible
nazpatel (10:12:34 PM): god hes dumb

drewricketts (10:12:55 PM): john mccain just claimed ‘mainstream america’
drewricketts (10:13:05 PM): eyeroll 3
drewricketts (10:14:09 PM): JMAC – “this is my position on vaginas”

nazpatel (10:14:13 PM): lol
drewricketts (10:14:17 PM): O’BAM! – “this is MY position on vaginas”
drewricketts (10:14:21 PM): (neither of us has one)

nazpatel (10:14:47 PM): yea well at least obamas view says ‘ppl with vaginas are in the best position to make a decision about vaginas’
nazpatel (10:15:08 PM): OH MAN.. this is a great segue into abstinence only education and sex-education
nazpatel (10:15:18 PM): BAM bristol palin!

drewricketts (10:15:21 PM): the ELOQUENCE of Sen. Obama!
drewricketts (10:15:47 PM): We adopt children…and we raise the special needz!

nazpatel (10:16:03 PM): lol

drewricketts (10:16:10 PM): education
nazpatel (10:17:15 PM): i feel like obama feels like hes been fighting a campaign against a moron
nazpatel (10:17:29 PM): hes just way too competent

drewricketts (10:17:34 PM): an army of new teachers
drewricketts (10:17:37 PM): new industry
drewricketts (10:17:46 PM): investment in intelligence and skill

nazpatel (10:17:46 PM): NICE
nazpatel (10:17:52 PM): so genius
nazpatel (10:18:02 PM): ohio voters are off the charts on this

drewricketts (10:18:10 PM): that debt he speaks of? hedge funds own the debt on federal student loans
drewricketts (10:18:28 PM): and make profits when it fluctuates
drewricketts (10:19:02 PM): mccain is gonna talk about choice
drewricketts (10:19:03 PM): all day

nazpatel (10:19:05 PM): blah
drewricketts (10:19:08 PM): blah
drewricketts (10:19:09 PM): lol

nazpatel (10:19:13 PM): haha u were dead on

drewricketts (10:19:14 PM): knock on wood

nazpatel (10:19:17 PM): choice and competition
nazpatel (10:19:34 PM): we find bad teachers another line of work?

drewricketts (10:19:38 PM): Obama advocates increasing choice

nazpatel (10:19:40 PM): prostitution? oil rigs?

drewricketts (10:19:46 PM): LOL
drewricketts (10:19:48 PM): hahahha

nazpatel (10:19:59 PM): yea why does mccain talk about choice in everything except abortion
nazpatel (10:20:04 PM): HELLO INCONSISTENCY

drewricketts (10:20:05 PM): Teach for America shout out!

nazpatel (10:20:11 PM): holla!
nazpatel (10:21:31 PM): haha funny no child left behind joke

drewricketts (10:21:51 PM): Obama doubled the number of charter schools
drewricketts (10:22:00 PM): F*** teacher union corruption
drewricketts (10:22:06 PM): invest in GOOD schools

nazpatel (10:22:20 PM): EXACTLY
nazpatel (10:22:25 PM): like the LAB schools in chciago
nazpatel (10:22:34 PM): where his daughters go and i worked in during college
nazpatel (10:23:04 PM): NICE. americas youth not an interest group.. theyre our future
nazpatel (10:23:26 PM): oh god school vouchers….
nazpatel (10:23:29 PM): not this.

drewricketts (10:23:39 PM): they just cling…McCain is clinging

nazpatel (10:24:06 PM): yea he got owned

drewricketts (10:24:32 PM): mccain is having a comeback
drewricketts (10:24:37 PM): on the accountability point

nazpatel (10:24:51 PM): yea he is
nazpatel (10:24:54 PM): i was about to say that

drewricketts (10:25:03 PM): he is saying…it’s not just money..

nazpatel (10:25:09 PM): yea true
nazpatel (10:25:10 PM): its a good point

drewricketts (10:26:46 PM): McCain is going so sarcastically
drewricketts (10:26:54 PM): website shout out
drewricketts (10:26:58 PM): mydebates.org
drewricketts (10:27:02 PM): ad money cha ching!

nazpatel (10:27:27 PM): hahaha
nazpatel (10:27:41 PM): hes stealing obamas platform

drewricketts (10:27:42 PM): America needs a new direction sez J-Mac…

nazpatel (10:27:45 PM): biter

drewricketts (10:27:49 PM): ..and an OLD hand to lead it

nazpatel (10:27:54 PM): hahaha

drewricketts (10:28:10 PM): what’s the over-under on another Joe reference?

nazpatel (10:28:16 PM): who knows

drewricketts (10:28:18 PM): 2 to 1?
drewricketts (10:28:22 PM): 2.5 to 1

nazpatel (10:28:28 PM): 2 to 1 i think

drewricketts (10:29:34 PM): closing statements are sober on both sides
drewricketts (10:29:39 PM): change the central part

nazpatel (10:29:40 PM): yea they are
nazpatel (10:29:41 PM): depressing really

drewricketts (10:29:54 PM): a lot of ‘fundamental’ this and that
drewricketts (10:30:17 PM): it’s like: Look, dummy, I’ll give it to ya simple

nazpatel (10:30:26 PM): haha

drewricketts (10:30:35 PM): you need basic resources to survive…I will give you those

nazpatel (10:31:07 PM): obama f@#$%g ROCKED mccain

drewricketts (10:31:26 PM): McCain acknowledged he did a good job though

nazpatel (10:31:31 PM): mccains suit is too tight

Big Boi speaks to actor Wendell Pierce about Barack Obama.

Big Boi talks to rapper Bun B at the Democratic national Convention about Barack Obama

OutKast’s Big Boi questions panelists about the role of Hip Hop in politics. Panel includes: Bernice King, Daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., rapper Yung Joc, Anita Beaty, Director of the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, and Ceaser Mitchell, Atlanta City Councilman.  Click to watch.

OutKast’s Big Boi talks to Professor Jelani Cobb, PH.D, Atlanta Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong and music producer Bryan-Michael Cox about what a Black Democratic candidate for president means. Click to watch.

John McCain finds himself in a precarious but familiar position heading into Wednesday evening’s final presidential debate. Senator Barack Obama has decisive leads in several stronghold states, and in states that typically favored Republicans, polls indicate he is running close to Sen. McCain, within a few percentage points or even.

The tone of the campaign has turned both finicky and petulant in the McCain circle, with supporters crying for Obama’s head in more aggressive stump speech language, and media conservatives jumping ship at a crucial time. Governor Sarah Palin has remarkably remained below the radar since her lackluster debate performance, and anger-inciting rallies. Her closely huddled advisers have spirited her away until further notice, as truths about her involvement in an Alaska ethics scandal begin to emerge. Gov. Palin has falsely asserted that the investigation found that she made no unlawful decisions, and then in a turnabout claimed that the findings were fueled by partisan forces (a vast left-wing conspiracy?)

John McCain had established himself as an icon of the American cultural divide at one point, embracing the divisive language of his party’s base. The Virginia GOP chairman, Jeffrey Frederick, recently tied Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden saying both men were connected to people who bombed the Pentagon. McCain has not made gains with negative rhetoric, has openly rejected the notion that Sen. Obama was “unsafe” to lead Americans after being questioned about his supposed Arab origins at a rally, and only mildly pursued accusations about Barack Obama’s links to Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

But on the heels of a financial rescue, the public is less concerned about potential character flaws in the candidates, while maintaining grave concern about the state of our now state-sponsored economy.

The Economy Matters

Who is better equipped to manage the most volatile market in decades?

President George W. Bush has proven himself a novice in dealing with both the precipitous lending crisis, and the following market collapse. Barack Obama has never been responsible for such a large budget. John McCain made several curious decisions surrounding the crisis, including suspending his campaign to dismantle the initial talks between House Republicans and Democrats about the financial bailout.

The Obama Plan Versus The McCain Plan

We are at a crucial time in American history. Members of the black community from every part of the diverse African American community have pledged their support for Obama, both vocally and financially. Actors, singers, businessmen and  rappers have all pledged their support through T-Shirts, statements and, fundraisers and songs. However there is one high profile part of the African American community that has been relatively silent. There have been a small percentage of athletes, both black and white who have endorsed or publicly supported Barack Obama (or John McCain).

The black athlete has been stripped of his political voice since Muhammed Ali. With endorsements playing a crucial role in athletes’ income, most black athletes have been tentative to take political stances. Athletes are the most visible African Americans who have the financial power to make a significant monetary contribution to Obama, and hold the media access to support his campaign.

Charles Barkley, a longtime Republican, recently changed his tune, and has publicly supported Barack Obama. However, many high profile African American athletes (both active and retired) have been extremely quiet in the face of this historical election. Still there are several high profile athletes who have not publicly or privately supported any candidate. Of the Dream Team that traveled to Bejing, Lebron James has donated to Obama’s and Chris Paul and Amare Stoudamire have publically supported him. No current NFL All Star other than Reggie Bush has endorsed Obama in any form or fashion. It would well worth the fine if T.O. took off his Jersey to reveal an Obama T-Shirt after a touchdown. At a time when every sector of the black community has taken time to make sacrifices for an Obama Presidency, black athletes, part of the most wealthy sectors of the black community, have been quiet.

Kudos to Athletes such as Tiger Woods, Lebron James and Reggie Bush who have supported Barack Obama. But where is Dwayne Wade, Terrell Owens, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Reggie Wayne, Ladanian Tomlison, Carmelo Anthony, Alan Iverson, Dwight Howard and the rest of the NFL and NBA. They have enough money for $100,000 chains and earings and enormous houses and fleets of cars, but don’t have any money to support Oba,a. These athletes can mouth off about practice, their coaches, refs and the media but can’t take time to publicly support Obama.

Though White Basketball players are a minority in the NBA, Bill Walton and his son Luke have publicly supported Obama as did Championship coach, Phil Jackson. Do NBA and NFL players not support Obama. Are they unaware of his positions and don’t want to seem like they’re voting for him because they’re black? It would seem like this era would be ideal for black athletes to return to the political stage. I’m not saying black athletes should support Obama because he is black. But as country stars, rock stars, Rednecks and conservative pundits have pledged their support for Obama, don’t you think our athletes would come to the same decision and support him to?

Here Are Some Athletes Who Have Pledged Support for Obama

Lakers Forward Luke Walton (who charmingly listed his employer as “Dr. Buss”)

ESPN Analyst Bill Walton

Former Hawks All-Star Steve Smith

Pistons President Joe Dumars

ESPN Analyst Stephen A. Smith

Magic Johnson (Originally a Clinton supporter)

New Suns Coach Terry Porter

Former NBA Center Alonzo Mourning

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson

Former Knicks Guard Allan Houston

Former Rams running back Marshall Faulk

Awesome talker Emmitt Smith

Phoenix Suns Forward Grant Hill

New York Knicks Guard Stephon Marbury

Atlanta Hawks Forward Josh Childress

New Orleans Saints Running Back, Reggie Bush

Cleveland Cavaliers ForwardLebron James

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis

New Orleans Hornet Chris Paul

Portland Trailblazer Cent Greg Oden

]]> http://newsone.com/12461/where-are-the-black-athletes-for-obama/feed/ 8 EXCLUSIVE: Where Are the Black Athletes For Obama? (thumbnail) cganemccalla Jerome Bettis with Obama http://newsone.com/11472/mainstream-media-drops-ball-on-george-fox/ http://newsone.com/11472/mainstream-media-drops-ball-on-george-fox/#comments Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:57:52 +0000 NewsOne Staff http://newsone.com/?p=11472 ]]> I live less than three miles from the campus of George Fox University, a hundred-year old Christian school nestled in the quaint town of Newberg, in the heart of Oregon’s Yamhill-Carlton wine region. I often take my morning run near the campus, and have gotten to know and like the place and the people. So I was very caught off guard when I heard about the “Obama on a string” incident.

I didn’t want to believe that any of the students who I’m often surrounded by in the local coffee shop could be responsible for such a terrible and cowardly act. In the aftermath, I decided I would hit the ground, talk to students, campus personnel, anyone, to see for myself what’s really going on at George Fox.

To the casual observer, the cardboard image of Obama bearing a sign that read “Act Six Reject” and hanging from fish string outside Minthorn Hall on September 23^rd was simply another hate-filled incident directed at the Presidential candidate. But the knife cuts much deeper.

It turns out all the symbolic bloodshed is less about Obama and more about producing future versions of him. The angry message was directed at George Fox’s Act 6 Scholarship and Leadership Initiative, which provides full scholarships for economically qualifying entrants and helped the school achieve its most diverse freshman class at 25% students of color.

Ironically enough, the program gets its name from the sixth chapter of the New Testament’s Book of Acts, which speaks of helping those in need.

Though very embarrassed that the incident occurred on its campus, the university feels that initial media coverage-and subsequent lack of it-gave them a bad rap. So does Julian Johnson-Weiss, the Portland Area Director of Act 6. She feels that news outlets haven’t been duly covering George Fox’s efforts in dealing with the incident as much as they covered the incident itself.

She’s right. While the media jumped all over the story, little to no reporting has been done about George Fox’s response beyond coverage of the school’s public statement. For those seeking more information, the university’s webpage includes a link that answers questions about the incident.

It documents the events from September 23^rd to the present, including the Public statement by university President Robin Baker and the apology letter to Senator Obama, as well as upcoming events.

But what’s not being said by anyone is that the situation mirrors the right wing’s “white-lash” against affirmative action and diversity progress in America. Not only is it a microcosm of a larger, uglier problem, it also contradicts what our country is supposed to stand for, as well as George Fox’s stated mission.

“We will not let something like this-that brought $1.7 million to George Fox to bring 10 students each year for 5 years-be destroyed,” says Johnson-Weiss.

Indeed, George Fox and its community are standing their ground. The scholars in the program, who endure 9 months of workshops with community leaders and training in reconciliation and dialogue prior to enrolling, have seized the moment to turn this incident into a catalyst for change.

Jael Chambers, an Act 6 sophomore from Los Angeles majoring in Youth Ministry, says he’s happy with what the university is doing and professes his affinity for the Newberg community at large. The actions of the president and faculty, as well as his white peers, convinced him that Act 6 students are not only welcomed, they’re also loved.

The incident sparked conversations that have evolved into many “Talk Back” sessions. “The Talk Back programs have occurred with administrators, professors, and the student body to discuss different views of racism,” says Jael. “They’ve helped us to understand different cultures.”

Beyond talking, George Fox student body president Joey Bianco has organized people-students and others-to wear dark blue shirts and gather to pray outside Bellman Chapel. To date, there have been many prayer sessions and a huge demonstration is forthcoming.

To demonstrate solidarity in a long-term, visible way, the students have been compiling “I Am” posters. “The goal,” Jael explains, “is to show we are all one body. The ‘I Am’ poster will hang outside the windows of [student activities center] Bruins Den for everyone to see.”

While he can’t speak for everyone, Jael remains confident that the university’s response signals a change for the better. He’s adamant that what happened last week does not represent the George Fox he knows.

“The university’s current actions make clear that George Fox really wants people of color in the school and wants whites to understand that,” he says.

Let’s hope he’s correct that the uncomfortable conversations taking place and symbolic acts of solidarity can foster better understanding for George Fox students, as individuals and as representatives of different ethnicities and cultures and future leaders of our communities.

Let’s also hope these positive efforts of many can outweigh the hateful and regressive acts of a few.

Unfortunately, as has happened countless times when sensationalism wins out over good reporting, the mainstream media will not cover these acts of strength and unity against racial terror as much as they covered the cowardly act that sparked it all in the first place.

Russia!  I found it already!!

That, and the big stuffed polar bear staring at me from behind a glass case, and I definitely feel a long long way from home…

sdf

Katie Couric Puts Palin On the Grill

Tina Fey Works the Imitation

Katie Couric Annoyed Her (Big Time)

1. Troopergate

Read About Troopergate Here

2. Membership in Radical Alaskan Secessionist Party, AKIP

Read About Sarah Palin and the AKIP Here

3. Pregnant Teenage Daughter

Read about Right Wing Hypocrisy Towards Bristol’s Pregnancy Here

4. She Called Barack Obama Sambo

Read About Palin Calling Obama Sambo Here

5. Palin Had an Affair

Read About Palin’s Affair Here

DW: Wooooowww…. One thing about Obama is that he has his own style… and that’s what we love. He’s not the typical presidential candidate. Anyone else who’s been in office before him knows that. He’s not afraid to showcase his style. He loves to play basketball. He hoops and that’s how he stays in shape. He doesn’t run on a treadmill. You can go on and on about the arguments of policy and experience, but at the end of the day, hopefully he becomes our president. We’ll all be better for it.

Aside from Wade’s political bent here, his emotion surrounding the Chicago Senator is palpable in all regards. He mentions that Barack “hoops” and, by extension, is unafraid. Barack Obama’s love of basketball has provided both a revealing and disturbing note about the Election. Basketball is an American sport that Blacks have claimed. Its global significance makes it all the more popular, but it has been essentially stylized and developed on hard courts in the Black Metropolis. What makes Barack unashamed (to Wade at least) is his embrace of an activity that is culturally black, and potentially a dynamite stick in his run for the highest office. Mr. Obama has long repeated (or implied) the refrain that he cannot run as The Black President. And in a country where Blacks are only a part of the population, this notion of being omni-representative holds some water. However, the realities of race have not disappeared.

Read more about the race and class issues that haunt America.

On one hand, Barack Obama signifies to new voters that racism cannot lawfully restrict anyone from pursuing any aspiration. His story risks the antiquated associative term “credit to your race” in that he does not ask for a thing; he moves to the front of the line through hard-work and agreeability; he chooses not to view his accomplishments through the lens of race alone. On the other hand, his opposition will not relent in their portrayal of him as the unbelievable Other. The Birth of a Nation tradition follows him closely in this campaign as questions about his religion, his faith affiliation to Reverend Wright, and his experience are used to justify a general sense of untrustworthiness among voters. This is not to imply he is free from criticism, though. Senator Obama has to answer for his voting present a number of times in the Senate, his quick-footed dash to a presidential run, and his overall blueprint for the nation he hopes to lead. Nevertheless, he has not nearly been held accountable on issues such as these. Instead, his detractors vie for his ostracism using the politics of ignorance.

Governor David Paterson of New York explicitly defined this trend in the race for the White House saying “I think the Republican Party is too smart to call Barack Obama black in a sense that would be a negative. But you can take something about his life, which I noticed they did at the Republican convention — a ‘community organizer.’ They kept saying it, they kept laughing, like, ‘What does this mean?’ ” It means, in short, that his work in those communities is invalid because they are not the white rural communities of the heartland. Had Senator Obama devoted his work to the Kansan poor, in places where the faces of poverty were differently hued, it would have been vastly more acceptable. Canvassing for the working poor in Chicago, with its largely black population, cannot be viewed with the same admiration. Those are the Others, after all.

The McCain campaign has twice used the inflammatory term “race card” to describe Mr. Obama’s charges of exclusion. If only it were that simple. To think of Barack Obama as a product of the American Dream that includes crying race when things go wrong is to adamantly deny his entire biography. His arduous climb, and his real traction in America, stems from relating to the common man regardless of ethnicity. Barack Obama’s so-called race problem (this is a laugher because it’s a term that the media has used to wake itself from the slumber of a post-racial fantasy) has been present since he was born. I sincerely doubt he’s ever transcended race in his owm mind, as much as some supporters want it to feel that way. Now that our nation’s relative adolescence is in plain view, we are forced to confront maturity and equality in ways we have scarcely been prepared to speak about in public until the last score after the Civil Rights movement. To many whites, Barack Obama is a foreigner with suspect intentions who has come dangerously close to that illustrious, untouchable seat in the White House. It is literally and intentionally named after the ruling group.

There are no identity politics at work. Identity is intertwined with everything we do as Americans. The perpetual illusion of the elite class is their suggestion that only the oppressed poor, the ethnic minorities and the frail lean on the concept of identity to explain their lifestyles. But privilege, social positioning and wealth indicate the converse is true. John McCain and Sarah Palin want to wish away the enormous privilege they enjoy as powerful/rich White Americans, thereby attributing their achievements to the plucky resolve of the earners who they wish to prop up with their rhetoric. By stirring up the sympathies (and fears) of their race, they can easily bypass the traits that set them apart from most of the working class — like political dominion and invaluable influence.

The Sarah Palin narrative is especially problematic in this way. Most Black Americans are scratching their heads (at least) wondering how she has made her way to a national ticket. Her gubernatorial year-and-a-half puts her just a hair shy of tokenism in a John McCain bid to win over female voters. More importantly, she is the foil to Barack Obama’s Other; and increasingly, this antagonism has played out in the media with Ms. Palin playing average hockey mom champion. Her job — and one that she proudly assumes — is to extol humility and a form of mediocrity that Americans relate to. If that isn’t “identity politics,” I’m not sure what is. Palin’s direct pokes at Barack Obama in her first national speech were meant to draw a contrast, and it has struck a chord with Whites who were already skeptical about his mystical background. Her insinuating tones about the Eastern elite media, and her “hometown” are direct contradictions to the image of Big City Barack now infesting the minds of the national audience. In the same breath, Sarah Palin cites her experience as an executive to place her above Senator Obama in the political rankings. So, she’s low-down enough not to condescend the people, but high up enough to govern.

It is a balance that Mr. Obama cannot seem to strike but, not as people are saying, because he is not trying to. He’s trying so much in earnest that it puts him just out of reach with the people whose votes he needs to have an electoral majority. When Hillary Clinton made the claim that Barack Obama was having this persistent dilemma of relating to “hard-working Americans, white Americans” and that it would hurt him in the general election, she was right. Whether or not the nation could admit that was another story. Now that the polls are disastrously close, and the country in financial ruin, reporters have changed course on Obama, politely hinting at that admission of racial tension.

Back then, I was harassed or arrested all over the South for fighting for my rights.  While a student at Johnson C. Smith University in 1960, I led more than 200 students into downtown to desegregate the lunch counters. We felt good about ourselves, doing the right thing by grabbing hold of a nonviolent way to change our society.  We sat at the lunch counters every day until by July of that year they opened to all people regardless of race.

I helped organize the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) at Shaw University. I was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama as a freedom rider. I was arrested in Rock Hill, South Carolina for sitting at a lunch counter.  I spent 30 days hard labor on the chain gang just for trying to order a hamburger and Coke.

I went to jail with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while organizing the desegregation campaign in Albany, Georgia. SNCC was successful there because the people were ready and we achieved a level of total community organization that attracted Dr. King. Working with him then, I came to more fully understand the power of national and international communities working together.

This primary is very different for black North Carolinians of my generation.  Jesse Jackson showed us in ’87 that some day, if we worked and stayed together, we would have an African-American President of the United States of America. Brother Obama is that man and this is our time. He is us.

Brother Obama has generated such excitement for me, as a Black man, my friends and my community. He has the power and support of most black folk in the state, as well as a broad coalition.  Everyone sees that he is real.  And, that he has the policy ideas and experience to raise Americans to a level of mass involvement that is sorely needed at this time.

One of the most inspiring moments of my life was shaking Brother Obama’s hand after the rally that drew 14,000 people on Friday.  I told him how proud I was of him and gave my and my generation’s blessings to him and his generation.

I will with great pride be voting for Obama today and taking many of my neighbors to the polls to also vote for him.  I expect that he will win.  I have always believed that given the facts and the truth about the issues, the majority of Americans will do the right thing.  Electing Barack Obama president of these United States is the right thing.

J. Charles Jones, Esq., a key organizer of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, is a graduate of Howard University Law School.  He has been practicing in Charlotte for 30 years.