Wish I'd Said That

Yesterday Glenn Greenwald had an excellent post in Salon about the media black out of foreign policy experts who opposed the occupation of Iraq. Greenwald used the Charlie Rose program as an example of this corporate media censorship policy. One letter writer, eastriver, said the following in response.

"Charlie Rose lives and tapes in NYC, where I happen to reside. For all of the Big Apple's leftward-leaning politics, there is a large, monied, and very influential segment of the population that cares greatly about the US staying in Iraq; forever. Because if the US has an army in Iraq, Israel is considerably safer from foreign invasion.

Sure, terrorists attacks will still happen, and the Palestinian situation will remain unsolved, but there will be absolutely no fear of Syria, Egypt, or Iraq attacking with an army.

Charlie Rose is a sociable guy. He goes to lots of parties, and runs into lots of people. I'm sure he's not immune to a coordinated effort to influence his guest list. For these kinds of seminal, landmark shows (which only roll around about once a year, anniversary-like), it wouldn't be too hard to jiggle things.

Just a respectful observation. And a little inside knowledge of how things work in the un-real world."

Thank you eastriver for putting the nail squarely on the head. Israel wants the U.S. to destroy Arab nations. Israel's allies make sure that government gets its way. Sadly there will be no change from the policies that have made this country the United States of Israel. No one can raise $130 million (Clinton/Obama) without strictly adhering to the constant demand to do what Israel wants.

That is part of the reason that thousands of Iranians are about to be killed by our government. Israel, the outpost of pax Americana in the Middle East, wants it to happen.

Krugman and Obama

Back on December 19, 2007 Talking Points Memo Election Central interviewed New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. Krugman has consistently asked tough questions about Barack Obama's policies. He should. All progressives ought to look askance at a Democrat who says there is a social security crisis or who describes the 60s and 70s as "excessive." The Obama cult don't like Krugman, but so what. They don't like anyone who questions their great saint. There is no reason for eveyone to suspend disbelief.

Hillary Clinton will not get the nomination, despite an expected victory in Pennsylvania. The trends are going in Obama's direction, so it is important to remember why Obama is so problematic. Hopefully someone, somewhere will have the guts to ask him tough questions before November.

"EC: What other things gave rise to your current critique of Obama?

PK: When Obama used the word "crisis" about Social Security it gave me a little bit of a sense of, "Hmmm -- I'm a little worried that my initial concerns were more right than I knew."
To have Obama sort of sounding like the Washington Post editorial page really said among other things that he just hasn't been listening to progressives, for whom the fight against Bush's Social Security scare tactics was really a defining moment. Among the Dems he seems to be the least attuned to what progressives think.
It's a tone thing. I find it a little bit worrisome if we have a candidate who basically starts compromising before the struggle has even begun."

Amen Krugman. Obama is either terribly naive or a complete cynic. Whatever. The end result will be disaster if he wins and governs the way he says he will. There is no compromise with Republicans. Compromise with them means just one thing. Assume the position. Please.

Keep Kucinich in Congress!

"The United States has to not only end this war but reject war as an instrument of policy."

Dennis Kucinich is probably the only member of Congress who would make that statement. He was the only presidential candidate who acknowledged 1,000,000 Iraqi deaths and who advocates for a complete end to occupation.
Help Dennis out at www.kucinich.us

Saudis Prepare for Nuclear Fallout from Iran

I think we can stop asking if Bush will attack Iran. This little gem was reported by the German news service DPA.

"The Saudi-based King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology has prepared a proposal that encapsulates the probabilities of leaking nuclear and radiation hazards in case of any unexpected nuclear attacks in Iran, the Okaz Saudi newspaper said."

Well, that little NIE report last fall was just a minor inconvenience. Bush and Cheney know that if they keep lying they get their way. They also know that the Democrats will do nothing. John Conyers swears that he really, really means it this time. He claims he will hold impeachment hearings if Bush attacks Iran. Puhleeze. Spare us. The Democrats will do nothing and Bush knows it.

I for one can't stomach being an accomplice to a war crime. Not enough people feel the same way, so many thousands of Iranians are about to die.

Hat tip to Chris Floyd.

Wright was Right

"But the common and ordinary wisdom of Black America is inadmissible in mainstream US discourse. In the reality-defying bubble of US corporate media, one does not speak of the genocide and dispossession of Native Americans as “terror”. Comparing the atomic bombings of hundreds of thousands of civilians in World War 2, the snuffing out of two million Vietnamese lives in the sixties and seventies or one million plus Iraqis in the current war is, in mainstream media, strictly off-limits. And any suggestion that US imperial policies in the Middle East, Africa or elsewhere might provoke resistance or retaliation is deemed beyond-the-pale anti-American hate speech." Bruce Dixon, Black Agenda Report

"For this is where we are in the United States, nearing the end of the Year of Our Lord 2007: the truth is not merely unpleasant, an uninvited guest who makes conversation difficult and awkward. Truth is the enemy; truth is to be destroyed. To attempt to speak the truth on any subject of importance requires a deep reserve of determination, for to speak the truth requires that one first sweep away an infinite number of rationalizations, false alternatives, and numerous other failures of logic and the most rudimentary forms of thought -- as well as the endless lies."
Arthur Silber, Power of Narrative

There you have the Jeremiah Wright story in a nutshell. The truth of America's genocidal beginnings and its imperial atrocities must not be told. Anyone who does manage to break through the bubble and speak truthfully is ground into the dirt.

I don't know why Jeremial Wright thought that his association with Barack Obama could continue or that it should. An association with a presidential candidate should have been anathema to this man who has spent his life speaking truthfully. Was he blinded by the the thought of going to state dinners at the White House? Did he believe Obama when he whispered sweet nothings in his ear?

Wright knew or ought to have known that speaking truthfully and becoming president are simply inconsistent. Truth tellers are not allowed anywhere near the presidency. They can't raise money, they aren't allowed to debate and consequently are erased from memory. Just ask Dennis Kucinich.

Wright was not mistaken in his comments. The United States has terrorized people across the globe. The killing of Americans on 9/11 is no worse than killings anywhere else on earth. All of these things are true.

Wright's only mistake was believing Obama's hype. Anyone else who wants to speak the truth and also join the Obama band wagon should remember this lesson and decide now. Will you follow Obama or will you tell the truth? You can't do both.

WINTER SOLDIER: U.S. Marines Fire on Mosques Unprovoked

Why do they hate us? Why do they think we are making war on Islam? Hmmm, maybe it is because we are.

By the way, attacks on houses of worship are in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions. Ooopsie. I forgot. Those rules don't apply to the U.S. anymore.

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan
Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupation

Watch and listen to testimony from Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The Winter Soldier hearings give detailed accounts of the atrocities committed in an occupation. If you don't feel like a German in the 1930s you ought to.

Wednesday, March 19th, will be the fifth anniversary of theIraq occupation. Remember. Protest. Your country is committing a crime against humanity.

Wish I'd Said That

U.S. Not Planning to Attack Iran, Says U.S Iran War Czar

Leave it to the Onion to give us the real scoop.

"We're simply taking every precautionary measure we can to maintain the peace between the two countries, such as making sure we have enough cruise missiles to carry out that peace, taking comprehensive aerial photographs of Iranian bombing targets, and calculating how many lives would be lost if we did invade Iran, which we're not going to do."

Many a truth is said in jest.

Republicans Still After Kucinich

Congressman Dennis Kucinich won his primary race last week, but just barely. The race was close in part because Ohio permits same day changes in party affiliation. More than 10,000 Republicans voted in the Democratic primary under these rules. Dennis defeated Joe Cimperman by about 20,000 votes, which is too close for comfort.

Do what you can to help Dennis. They aren't done trying to get him out of office.

Wish I'd Said That

"Wendell, I’m under strict instructions, and have been from the beginning, to not talk about the dollar, and I’m not going to get fired to satisfy your question."
Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary

Don't talk about that elephant in the room.

Silda Wall Spitzer Before

Silda Wall Spitzer After

A picture is worth 1,000 words. Why, why, why at this late date in history do wronged political wives still show up at the contrition press conference?

I can't imagine what she is going through now, but if she didn't do anything else she should have told her husband to face the music on his own. Mrs. Spitzer is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and the founding chairperson of a children's charity. She is accomplished in her own right, and shouldn't have to publicly deal with the humiliation her husband heaped upon her.

I guess it isn't easy to think at a time like this, but for once could the wife let the husband face the press alone? He went to see hookers alone. If he left her out then, he should have left her out today.

Eliot Spitzer, Soon to be Ex-Governor

“I never saw the other side, that the man (Spitzer) doesn’t think straight, that the man has a quirk in his mind. There is something wrong with his mind. He doesn’t think like most. He’s two-faced. He does not tell the truth. He looks you in the eye and tells you something that is totally untrue.” - Joe Bruno, New York State Senate Leader

As of this moment, Eliot Spitzer is still the governor of New York. By tomorrow he will not be. He is toast. This afternoon the New York Times broke the story of Spitzer's involvement with a prostitution ring. Spitzer held a brief press conference with his wife at his side and apologized for hurting his family. He didn't resign, but it is only a matter of time. The story can only get worse and Spitzer has no friends left to go to bat for him.

When I first read the above quote from Joe Bruno, I dismissed it because it came from a man who hates Spitzer and who Spitzer hates right back. As a Democrat I am no fan of Bruno's, but I have to say that Spitzer was more at fault in creating this rift. He did everything wrong after he was inaugurated last January.

He couldn't get along with Democrats or Republicans. As Attorney General of New York he acted as a prosecutor of the malefactors of great wealth and did a great job busting corporate crooks. Sadly, he didn't know how to stop prosecuting and he made enemies, even within his own party, when he got to the capital.

Once again we have an example of a zealot who had skeletons in his own closet. I should have known. The finger pointers usually live in glass houses and throw stones anyway. I also see that Bruno's comments may not have been just venom coming from an enemy. It is hard to keep secrets in one area of life without it showing up in another. Compartmentalizing is a lie. It never works. Everything comes out eventually, especially phone calls to prostitutes.

In New York, the Governor and the leaders of the Assembly and Senate are known as "the three men in a room" who horse trade and make things happen. Because Spitzer was busy making enemies with Bruno, the two of them couldn't stand to be in the same room together. Nothing has been accomplished since Spitzer came to office.

Spitzer investigated Bruno's use of state helicopters and may have broken the law doing it. He and Bruno don't speak, and their relationship is so bad that Bruno felt comfortable calling Spitzer out in the pages of New York magazine.

Now Lieutenant Governor David Paterson will become Governor. If Hillary Clinton were to be elected President, Spitzer had the power to appoint Paterson to her seat. It is now a moot point, Paterson will be Governor, the first black governor in New York state. He had a long history as a progressive when he served in the State Senate for 20 years. He will be a better governor than Spitzer. Once the shock and scandal subside, New York politics will be much better with Paterson at the helm.

Tony Blair Teaches Religion?

This is all too sick and disgusting for words. Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair will teach religion at Yale University. That's right. The man responsible for giving Bush cover in occupying Iraq and killing one million people will be affiliated with the Yale University Divinity School. I hope someone at Yale has guts enough to denounce this travesty.

It isn't surprising that Blair can only get a job like this in America, or that the Bush family alma mater is the place where he landed. Will he ever stop sucking up to Bush? I guess not. When he tried to establish a similar arrangement at the London School of Economics faculty and students said no thank you. The British have sense enough to be embarassed by his presence. Only the Bushies would make the case for this awful man to have a decent job. If there were any justice in this world Blair would be permanently unemployed and friendless.

Blair, like Bush, is a war criminal. He shouldn't be allowed anywhere in polite society, certainly not in a classroom with impressionable young minds. But we all know what will happen. The ambitious student will clamor to be in his presence because his courses will look good on an American resume. A letter of reference from a former British Prime Minister will look even better.

So the worst criminals in this world, government leaders, once again get a pass. Blair thinks that killing thousands is fine as long as a government run by white people does the killing. If you think I'm being harsh look at his own words.

"British troops are risking their lives trying to prevent the killing. Why should anyone feel angry about us? Why aren’t they angry about the people doing the killing?"

Gee Tony, maybe people are mad because Britain is doing some of the killing. There is more death in Iraq post occupation than there was under Saddam Hussein, and that is no mean feat.

Like his pal George Bush, Tony Blair is a terrorist. Warfare is the ultimate act of terror with the biggest body count. There is no terror group with the killing capacity of a government. Just ask Rev. Blair. He can explain it all to you.

(Hat tip to Chris Floyd)

Let's Attack Venezuela! (and Ecuador too)

(Hat tip to Greg Palast)

Did you know that Hugo Chavez paid Colombian rebels $300 million to make dirty bombs? You didn't know? Good, because if you do hear that you ought to know in advance that it is all a lie.

This is scary. Colombia invaded Ecuador, a sovereign nation by the way, in hot pursuit of FARC rebels who want to over throw that government.

Colombia claims to have found a laptop belonging to a FARC leader they killed, and claims that it contains hard evidence of a Hugo Chavez plot to buy uranium and make dirty bombs.

“… With relation to the 300, which from now on we will call “dossier,” efforts are now going forward at the instructions of the boss to the cojo [slang term for ‘cripple’], which I will explain in a separate note. Let’s call the boss Ángel, and the cripple Ernesto.”

300 what? That is the question you should be asking and the answer is not millions of dollars, it is 300 people in a hostage exchange. Chavez was working on the exchange as part of an agreement he had with the government of Colombia.

“To receive the three freed ones, Chavez proposes three options: Plan A. Do it to via of a ‘humanitarian caravan’; one that will involve Venezuela, France, the Vatican[?], Switzerland, European Union, democrats [civil society], Argentina, Red Cross, etc.”

Hostage exchange or millions of dollars? You be the judge. But wait, there is more.

To bolster their case, the Colombians claim, with no evidence whatsoever, that the mysterious “Angel” is the code name for Chavez. But in the memo, Chavez goes by the code name … Chavez.

While Latin American nations are in an uproar over this violation of international law, Bush is ecstatic that his guy, Colombian President Uribe, has stabbed Chavez in the back and created turmoil in Latin America. That is not surprising but Clinton's and Obama's support for Uribe ought to be. Here is Hillary's take:

Rather than criticizing Colombia's actions in combating terrorist groups in the border regions, Venezuela and Ecuador should work with their neighbor to ensure that their territories no longer serve as safe havens for terrorist groups. After reviewing this situation, I am hopeful that the government of Ecuador will determine that its interests lie in closer cooperation with Colombia on this issue.

Is Obama any better? You decide.

"The Colombian people have suffered for more than four decades at the hands of a brutal terrorist insurgency, and the Colombian government has every right to defend itself against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The recent targeted killing of a senior FARC leader must not be used as a pretense to ratchet up tensions or to threaten the stability of the region.

Well, he is nothing if not consistent. If "targeted killing" is OK for Israel it should be OK for anyone else.

It is a disgrace that both Democratic candidates think it is acceptable for Ecuador's sovereignty to be violated. As we say at Black Agenda Report, they are in fact political twins. Actually they sound like McCain and Bush. They are all political quadruplets.

Brattleboro Upholds the Constitution

Yesterday the citizens of Brattleboro, Vermont voted to indict GeorgeW. Bush and Dick Cheney for committing "crimes against the constitution." Brattleboro is willing to do what Congress will not. They have declared that our president and vice president have committed crimes in violation of international and American law.

If we had the Congress we ought to have, localities would not have to make these decisions. Brattleboro has given us democracy at its very best. No lobbyists, no check bundlers, no elected officials played any part in this important declaration. That is what makes it so wonderful.

Kucinich Wins

That is the best news from yesterday's primaries. Dennis Kucinich defeated his primary opponents and is likely to be re-elected to Congress in November.

A Kucinich defeat would have been a terrible blow to progressive politics. Kucinich is the most vocal congressional supporter of impeachment and of the occupation of Iraq. If he had lost, all of those issues would have been easily dismissed.

The national Democratic party will now be obligated to fully support an incumbent Congressman. Nancy Pelosi will have to get over it, and so will the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Kucinich is back for one more round.

Israel Kills Palestinians

"The girl's family had called an ambulance but it came under fire and was not able to reach the house.

When he tried to carry the girl out of the house, under a white flag, he said troops in an Israeli tank fired warning shots above their heads forcing them to dive for cover. Shortly after that Safa died in her father's arms."

This is supposed to be a day full of big changes. If Barack Obama wins the Ohio and Texas primaries as expected, change is allegedly in the air.

Nothing changes for the Palestinians. Israel still kills them, men, women and children, with impunity. Twelve year old Safa Abu Seif was one of approximately 100 who have been killed by Israelis soldiers in Gaza in recent days.

No, there isn't any change coming, not with Obama or Clinton or McCain. Israel will always have Uncle Sam's support and can keep killing whenever and wherever it wants.

Wish I'd Said That

"The principal difference between Obama and Bush is of a tactical, not a principled, character. It is not over whether the United States must maintain access to oil and control of strategic territory, but over what methods should be used."

Patrick Martin, World Socialist Web, "The Circularity of Hope: The Nation Endorses Obama"

Wish I'd Said That

"Mass social movements aim to alter relations of power. They are impolite and sometimes operate outside of or in defiance of the law. They make impossible, reckless, irresponsible demands, like respect, human rights and the vote to people who didn't have them - like stopping an unjust war, halting foreclosures and gentrification, like guaranteeing the absolute right to organize a union, to strike and to win a living wage. But the Obama “movement” demands nothing from the candidate except to get elected. There are no yardsticks, no demands placed upon Obama by his constituents, no goals that have come from independently organized meetings or other processes in Black America."

Bruce Dixon, Black Agenda Report, "Obamarama: Is it a movement? Or is it marketing?"

Polls Show Kucinich Leading

Even though Ohio allows cross over voting, Dennis Kucinich has a comfortable lead over Joe Cimperman. He now leads his main challenger, Joe Cimperman, 55% to 29%. Kucinich is in the lead despite the fact that Ohio permits Republicans and independents to cross over and vote in the Democratic primary. The Cleveland Plain Dealer will just have to deal with it.

Kucinich Campaign Ad

Keep those checks coming! Polls show Dennis well ahead of Joe Cimperman, but his enemies still want him out. He needs to keep ads on the air. Go Dennis!

Black Agenda Report

Why have progressives mindlessly joined the Obama band wagon? Why is the Congressional Black Caucus mad at SEIU? Don't fret if you don't have the answers. Just read Black Agenda Report and all will be made known.

Plain Dealer is a Sore Loser

The editors of the Cleveland Plain Dealer want to see Dennis Kucinich defeated. The paper already endorsed City Councilman Joe Cimperman and now they are livid that Kucinich has raised more than $700,000 in just six weeks and given himself a chance to win.

In a bizarre, mean spirited editorial entitled "Kucinich's far flung fans fatten his finances," the Plain Dealer complains that donations have come to Kucinich from outside of Ohio. Well, so what? If Cimperman doesn't even live in the 10th district and may be allowed to represent it, why can't American citizens in other states make contributions?

Of course they don't really care where Kucinich supporters come from. They just want him gone and they are mad that he won't take the hint. Too bad for the Plain Dealer. You go Dennis!

Why Hillary Clinton Will Lose Texas

Last week I said it is over for her and it is over because the media have turned against her. She can't over come their bias.

She has a bigger problem in Texas. Texas allows crossover voting. Party switching is allowed in primaries there, so many Republicans there are planning to vote for Obama even though they will vote for McCain in November.

Dick Morris, another Clinton deal with Satan that has come back to haunt them, is actively asking Republicans to do just that. White Texans who usually vote Republican are going to cross party lines to vote for Obama.

She doesn't stand a chance.

Corporations Lie About Kucinich

Kucinich has done a great job fund raising in the last six weeks. He went from almost nothing to $700,000. He now has more cash on hand than Cimperman and has ads on the air. That is good news, but his enemies are still out to get him. They too have ads on the air and Republicans are being urged to cross over party lines and vote against him, a la the campaign that ousted Cynthia McKinney. He still needs your help.

Hillary Victim of Dirty Trick

The photo supposedly leaked to Drudge by a Clintonite was posted on the Free Republic website last Saturday. Will the Obama camp apologize for pointing the finger at Clinton? Fat chance.

Drudge Out to Get Hillary

" 'On Nov. 25, Drudge floated the rumor she was having a lesbian affair with an aide over the teasing headline, 'Don't Go There.'

On Dec. 17, as doubts about her ability to win Iowa grew, he led the site with an unflattering but attention-grabbing photo of Clinton looking tired and haggard. The headline: 'The Toll of a Campaign.'

Now each day features stories of Clinton campaign turmoil competing with those of Obama's surging popularity.

ADIÓS: HILLARY'S TOP LATINA SIDELINED... was the Feb. 11 headline, when Clinton's campaign manager left her post.

OBAMA WINS NEBRASKA; WASHINGTON; LOUISIANA; MAINE... EVEN WINS ... A GRAMMY!

Ties Clinton to Past... read items below.' " - Drudge Rep0rt

Who in Hillary Clinton's campaign would be dumb enough to circulate photos of Obama in Kenyan garb and give them to Matt Drudge of all people? I can't imagine a staffer, an intern, a volunteer, or a janitor being stupid enough to cast Hillary as the villain vs. the saintly Obama. Matt Drudge claims a Clinton staffer sent him the photos, but that assertion should be taken with a grain of salt at the very least.

As I pointed out in a post last week, the right wing press, Drudge included, have turned against her with a vengeance. She and her husband tried to be slick, but ended up being shafted, after they wooed Rupert Murdoch and Matt Drudge. There is no honor among gangsters, so Hillary's ham handedness turned fair weather friends into avowed enemies.

So there is some poetic justice for her in this episode, but the idea that she would make herself look like the bad guy, and spend crucial time talking about Obama instead of herself, is just ludicrous. Hillary Clinton was scheduled to give a major foreign policy address today, and she and Obama will debate tonight. This would not be a good time to fend off accusations of dirty campaign tactics. Conversely, the timing is perfect for Matt Drudge. Consider the source.

Obama and Guantanamo

" 'I can’t believe that you, as a civil rights attorney yourself, would vote to take away the writ of habeas corpus' and his unfortunate response was 'it was going to pass anyway' "

Everybody loves a winner, even lawyers representing Guantanamo prisoners. Unlike most of the pro-Obama herd, this group is not easily dismissed. They are the best the legal profession has to offer. They work without pay and try to represent people deprived of the most basic legal rights. They would not do what they do if they didn't truly believe in protecting the American constitution and international law.

Now they are tired, precisely because of the battle they have been waging. They see the hand writing on the wall for Obama. They can count delegates and they know when the media have anointed a winner. Clinton is history and anyone with common sense knows it. A group of smart, top notch lawyers can certainly see it.

On January 28 some of these attorneys signed an open letter endorsing Barack Obama.

"The Administration's attack on habeas corpus rights is dangerous and wrong. America needs a President who will not triangulate this issue. We need a President who will restore the rule of law, demonstrate our commitment to human rights, and repair our reputation in the world community. Based on our work with him, we are convinced that Senator Obama can do this because he truly feels these issues 'in his bones.' "

The slap at Hillary Clinton stands out, but the letter is also noticeable for what it does not say. It doesn't say what Obama has done to restore habeas corpus rights or how he has stood up in the Senate to fight Bush. The endorsement is full of so much wishful thinking it is pathetic.

"When others stood back, Senator Obama helped lead the fight in the Senate against the Administration's efforts in the Fall of 2006 to strip the courts of jurisdiction, and when we were walking the halls of the Capitol trying to win over enough Senators to beat back the Administration's bill, Senator Obama made his key staffers and even his offices available to help us. Senator Obama worked with us to count the votes, and he personally lobbied colleagues who worried about the political ramifications of voting to preserve habeas corpus for the men held at Guantanamo."

Sounds nice, very Obamaesque. Going through enough of the motions to look good without really doing anything. There is no mention of filibuster, the tool that any Senator can use to stop any legislation. If he wanted to, Barack Obama could recite the old and new testaments, Hamlet's soliloquy, the Gettysburg address or the complete poems of Langston Hughes and stop any bill from becoming law. He hasn't.

One Guantanamo lawyer is underwhelmed with her colleagues' support. H. Candace Gorman notes Obama's support for the Detainee Treatment Act, the first effort to strip detainees of their habeas corpus rights.

"But Obama should not be held up to what he isn’t and he should not be portrayed as some kind of hero for the gitmo detainees…by the way Obama did not even bother to show up for the ban on waterboarding a week ago…."

In addition, Hillary Clinton recently showed a little more courage than her adversary. She said that the trial of six men charged with planning the 9/11 should be taken away from the military commissions. Obama's response proved he didn't deserve the attorney's endorsement. "As a candidate to be the next commander-in-chief ... I think it's important to be careful about commenting on specific cases pending before the tribunals at Guantanamo Bay." I wonder if those lawyers would sign that letter now.

Who am I kidding? They are doing what everyone else is doing, going with the winner and hoping for the best. Thank goodness we have Gorman and a few others who have not succumbed to Obamamania.

Kucinich Fund Raising Success

Dennis Kucinich has now raised more money than his main challenger, Joe Cimperman. Kucinich raised nearly $700,000 in the last six weeks and he now has more cash on hand than Cimperman. You can see the Federal Elections Commission chart here. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

This is not just good news for Dennis. It is good news for democracy. We already know that Bush will win November, because he has achieved his goal of silencing the Democrats for good. The system is rigged, guaranteeing that the eventual Democratic nominee will not deviate from his awful legacy.

A Kucinich victory will reverberate across the nation. The few progressives in Congress must not be picked off by Pelosi and her check bundlers. Dennis has to win and so far the signs are good.

$3.8 million Losing Strategy

"We must own crisis. We must brand crisis. I think we should make a commitment. We should bet the house on the message". - "Our Brand is Crisis"

Only a Democratic consultant can earn big bucks in a losing effort. Mark Penn snookered Hillary Clinton out of $3.8 million. Am I being harsh? Don't think so. It is all over but the shouting, for Hillary, and Penn gets megabucks for dispensing lousy advice. It is a fine tradition in the Democratic party. In 2004 Bob Shrum, Tad Devine and others made $9 million for sending John Kerry to Loserville.

Not content to bring corporate branding to American politics, Democratic consultants have spread their worthless nostrums around the world, including to nations in crisis like Bolivia. Greenberg Carville Shrum (GCS) used a marketing campaign to win a presidential campaign in Bolivia. Bolivians were none too pleased with the "shock doctrine" foisted on them and the president was forced to resign in disgrace and hightail it to the U.S.

It is all sickening. Political consultants who can't win political contests at home make tons of money selling snake oil and death to the rest of the world. God bless America.

Hillary Clinton was outmaneuvered by someone better at spreading the corporate message than she was. You have to give Obama credit for doing the same thing but with more finesse. He looks like a champion for change while Hillary wasted her money on Penn and his incompetent ilk.

She is so desperate that she is clinging to the plagiarism charge that Obama steals his lines from other people. No one cares and she was booed at last night's debate event when she didn't let that sleeping dog lie. That is what happens when you hire non-politicans to do political work. $3.8 million for losing. Priceless.

60 Minutes to Air Don Siegelman Story

Don Siegelman was the Democratic governor of Alabama. He is now sitting in federal prison, after being convicted of bribery. Siegelman was elected in 1998 and was defeated under suspicious circumstances in 2002. There is evidence that the election was stolen. There is also evidence that his prosecution was selective, and took place on orders from Karl Rove.

60 Minutes recently postponed the airing of a report on his case, giving rise to worries that the story would be spiked. Fortunately it will be broadcast this Sunday, February 24th at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. So give up your oscar night red carpet show and check out 60 Minutes. There will be endless television and internet coverage of who wore what, Siegelman needs you to watch this story. Who knows? Maybe Karl Rove will end up in jail some day. I guess that is the audacity of hope.

Wish I'd Said That

"Wait a minute, we can't have acquittals. If we've been holding these guys for so long, how can we explain letting them get off? We can't have acquittals, we've got to have convictions."

Gitmo trials are just for show.

Hillary Goes Hunting

“I’ve hunted. My father taught me how to hunt. I went duck hunting in Arkansas. I remember standing in that cold water, so cold, at first light. I was with a bunch of my friends, all men. The sun’s up, the ducks are flying and they are playing a trick on me. They said, ‘we’re not going to shoot, you shoot.’ They wanted to embarrass me. The pressure was on. So I shot, and I shot a banded duck and they were surprised as I was." - Hillary Clinton

Remember John Kerry, all dolled up like Elmer Fudd? Conventional wisdom said that Al Gore lost the votes of white men because he was against gun control. Kerry decided that getting dressed up in camouflage would help his case. It didn't.

If we see Hillary out hunting wabbits, we will know that it is official. She is done.

Why Hillary Can't Win

"When people thought she was a winner, then they were inclined to feel more warmly toward her, and when they suspect that she's a loser, they decide — like all Americans toward all losers — that she must be humiliated and crushed." - John Podhoretz

I assumed that Hillary Clinton's fund raising prowess would give her the nomination. I assumed that her husband would be an asset with most Democratic voters. I didn't think that Obama would get votes from so many white people.

I don't think I was wrong in making those assumptions, but I missed one thing completely. I forgot that when Hillary Clinton tries to be slick, she f_ _ks up badly. Sucking up to Rupert Murdoch and Matt Drudge are definitely in the trying to be slick category. More importantly, I forgot about the role of the corporate media, and I didn't foresee that they would side so obviously with Obama.

That is why Hillary is done. She cannot over come the barrage of negative press that has hit her. The press are in the tank for Obama, and that is obviously because he is the corporate media favorite.

Hillary and Bill realized that the media, especially conservatives like Rupert Murdoch and Matt Drudge, could make or break her campaign. They set off on a course that seemed to make sense, get them on her side and keep them there.

But no one likes a traitor, and I'm sure that is how Murdoch and Drudge regarded her pitching and wooing. Along comes Obama, proving time and again that he is "safe" as the Drudges and Murdochs define it. He endorsed Joe Lieberman, his Senate mentor, he waffled on Iraq, often contradicting his own statements about being anti-war. He said he would bomb Iran. He said that Israel can keep killing people whenever and wherever it chooses.

Most importantly he told them that he will keep black people quiet. Like the right wing he thinks that the 60s and 70s were "excessive." He says "there is no black America" and in any case we are "90% of the way towards equality."

What's not to like? Obama made the case he could beat the woman they always hated and he talked the way they liked. Now you can stick the fork in her.

I never liked Hillary Clinton. I am a New Yorker and I have never voted for her. In her last Senate campaign I voted for her opponent, Jonathan Tasini. In the recent New York primary I voted for Dennis Kucinich.

Now that she is getting her comeuppance I don't feel as happy as I thought I would. If we were getting a better deal with Obama, I could rejoice. If the attacks against her were based on facts I would be happy.

Instead her political twin will beat her. Obama has given more money to super delegates than she has. His contributions since 2005 total $698,200 while she has only given $205,500. He is getting more bang for his buck, with 35 of 82 recipients pledging their support. She has the support of only 13 out of the 109 who have gotten money from her. They used to call this vote buying, I don't know what it is called now. Money still talks.

"In every case the Center (Center for Responsive Politics) found in which superdelegates received money from one candidate but not the other, the superdelegate is backing the candidate who gave them money."

If Obama's super delegate hunting continues to run as smoothly as the rest of his campaign, he will buy off more of them and still manage to look good while Hillary will be portrayed as a sharp elbowed harpy.

Hillary has been hoisted on her own petard. She isn't Mrs. Slick Willie after all. She could have used her husband's popularity among Democrats, she could have said she made a mistake when she voted to occupy Iraq. Instead she chose to cozy up to people who threw her under the bus at the first opportunity. She doesn't know what hit her, and she doesn't have a way out.

If she did it wouldn't matter. The corporate media have chosen Barack Obama and that is why he will get the nomination.

Another Kucinich Campaign Ad

Good news. He has more than one ad.

Dennis Kucinich Campaign Ad

Things are clearly looking up. He has ads on the air.

If you haven't done so already, give a monetary shout out at www.kucinich.us.

Kucinich, AIPAC and Pelosi

Two weeks ago a story began to circulate on the web about Congressman Dennis Kucinich's re-election bid. According to a confidential source, representatives from AIPAC and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Kucinich he would keep his seat without any problem if he dropped his call for impeachment.

Last week Kucinich denied that the story was true. Vin Gopal, a staffer on the Kucinich presidential campaign now owns up to being the source but denies having spoken as reported. Gopal said he would give more details but has not done so as of today.

I believe some aspect of the story was true. I'm sure that Dennis has been told that he will be safe if he shuts up. I'm sure that Pelosi would be happy to see him go, and the check bundlers probably needed little prompting to send cash in Cimperman's direction.

In any case, things are looking up for Dennis. He has commercials on the air, which is a good sign that he is raising money.

If you haven't already, you should send a contribution his way.

Disaster if Black President in Oval Office

"Have we learned nothing from the tragic events of 1998, when, under the watch of President Morgan Freeman, this nation was plunged into chaos, and hundreds of millions of people died at the hands of the deadly Wolf-Beiderman space rock?"

I thought I had made a logical case against Barack Obama becoming president. Well it seems I have wasted many hours thinking and writing when I needed only to read the Onion. As usual they have all the answers.

Saudi Witch, American Savages

"We know they will get away with their crime now, but we will teach our children that America and the whole West are our enemies, so that they take revenge for these crimes."

Two weeks ago the United States dropped 40,000 pounds of bombs in a ten minute period on the people of Juboor, in the Latifiyah district south of Baghdad.

I had to read and reread that number. Is that 40,000 one-pound bombs? Is it 10,000 four-pound bombs? Is it one big ass 40,000 pound bomb? Do the bombs leave a lot of small craters, or one big crater? How many bombs failed to explode and killed children later? How many homes were hit? How many schools, or farms, or hospitals? How many human beings died in those ten minutes?

While our media tell us nothing about the savagery committed by our government, they waste no time in telling us about human rights abuses committed by Muslims. A Saudi woman has been sentenced to death after being accused of witchcraft. That is truly awful, but who is worse, Saudi mullahs or American members of Congress who either cheer on the mass killing or do nothing to stop it?

The Saudis could be like Americans, killing hundreds or thousands of people in one fell swoop. They aren't citizens of the country that commits more killings than any other. Then they would truly have reason to feel ashamed. Thank God they aren't Americans.

Kucinich Debates

"Congressman Kucinich, if we were to pull out now, who wins this war? Is it the United States or al-Qaeda backed terrorists?"

"I would reject that formulation. . . Now that we are there we need to get out. And I have introduced legislation, HR 1234. It is a plan to end the Iraq war. I wrote it in consultation with people at the United Nations. And this plan provides for ending the occupation, closing the bases, bringing the troops home. In a parallel process an international peace keeping and security force would move in as our troops leave. But we cannot get that agreeement until we end the occupation because the occupation is what is fueling the insurgency."

That was one of Dennis Kucinich's responses during a debate yesterday. His four opponents all gave the same immoral responses. We have a right to kill people, if we leave it will be a mess, we should partition the country, etc. Only Kucinich gave the moral answer, the answer that would save many thousands of lives. You can listen here.

The only time Dennis was caught a bit flat footed was during a discussion on gay marriage. He supports gay marriage but was taken to task for missing a vote on the issue. I feel a little better knowing he is running against four other people. Hopefully they will split the vote in the Ohio primary on March 4th. Of course the turn out will be bigger than it ordinarily would be because of the presidential primary. A larger turn out may help his main opponent, Joe Cimperman.

Keep those contributions coming.

The Obama Cult

They are every where, like pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. If you don't fall asleep and turn into a pod person too, they are out to get you.

I mean Obama supporters of course. If their adoration for cynical nothingness wasn't so dangerous it would be funny.

Today I'm going to take the easy way out and copy my response to a Crooks and Liars post complaining about Paul Krugman. Krugman is one of the few in the corporate media who are actually dispassionate about Obama and ask hard questions about his policies. My response is as follows:

" 'though I’ve been a little troubled of late by his apparent pre-occupation with opposing Barack Obama'

You make Krugman’s case for him. Obama supporters are like cultists. They can’t stand for anyone to ask hard questions about him. Thank goodness Krugman is paying attention. He is an economist and he knows when numbers don’t add up.

He is also a shrewd observer of Washington, and he knows that unless Obama hires Pollyanna as a cabinet member, the Republicans will get what they want out of him. Obama is either naive, as Krugman kindly asserts, or he is cynical and willing to say and do anything to win.

His eloquent speeches that actually say little tell us all we need to know. He wants to be president. Period. He intends to do nothing to turn back the clock on Bushism. After all, he says the 60s and 70s were “excessive.” In other words, he wants the Democratic base to shut up and assume the position.

Right now I am angriest at John Kerry. If he wasn’t such a dope we would be talking about his re-election instead of this slap fest between Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee."

Cheney impeachment 'far stronger than Watergate.'

Congressman Robert Wexler goes where Conyers and Nadler won't. He asks that Congress enforce subpoenas issued to Harriet Myers and Joshua Bolten and hold them in contempt of Congress. Instead they only put baseball players under oath. Pathetic.

Take Jerrold Nadler, Please

In today's Black Agenda Report I take Congressman John Conyers to task for acquiescing to Nancy Pelosi on impeachment. The old lion of the progressive movement is now toothless under the thumb of his boss, the House Speaker.

It matters little that he talked about impeachment before he became Judiciary committee chairman. Now he bobs and weaves, claiming that impeachment is still on the table but steadfastly refusing to hold hearings.

New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler is his partner in this crime. Nadler is an important subcommittee chairman, and should push to hold Cheney and Bush accountable. Instead he makes useless excuses.

There is only one way to sway Nadler. He needs to fear an electoral defeat. Nadler needs an opponent in New York's September primary.

His district winds down Manhattan's west side, an area with a high percentage of allegedly smart, well connected people. Will one of them step up? It shouldn't be too hard to find a credible candidate to run against him.

Run against Nadler. That is the only hope for impeachment.

Re-Elect Dennis Kucinich to Congress

Dennis has no ads on the air, but his opponents do. All that can change if he gets more money in his campaign coffers. Please make a contribution and return a true progressive to Washington. He is a champion to all of us, not just to his constituents. Go to www.kucinich.us and make a contribution today.

On Super Tuesday Vote for Dennis Kucinich (Part II)

You read correctly. I’m supporting someone who has dropped out of the presidential race. Dennis Kucinich was the only true progressive Democratic candidate and he is on the ballot in many states.

Kucinich has tirelessly campaigned for impeachment. He had a plan to end the occupation of Iraq. Clinton and Obama have nearly identical plans to maintain the occupation, albeit with smaller numbers of troops, but neither is truly committed to bringing the troops home.

Obama is getting the progressive title he doesn’t deserve, so I will focus on him more than on Clinton. For some reason voters can clearly see her as she is, but allow Obamaniacs to tell them that up is down.

Obama has pledged to increase the size of the army overall. Nothing good can come from increased militarization. Don’t be fooled by the claim that he is progressive. A progressive wouldn’t advocate attacking Pakistan. If Bush attacks Iran, before next January, will Obama end that action, or will he use weasel words about “being against it from the beginning” but do nothing to stop the carnage?

Remember his stump speech line. Obama isn’t against wars, just “dumb” wars. That means he will continue the expansion of theAmerican empire, the empire that only leads to death, that drops 100,000 pounds of bombs on human beings.

It doesn’t matter if Clinton and Obama are the only two still standing. You don’t have to vote for either one of them. If you want to work for peace you have only one choice. His name is Dennis Kucinich.

Forget the claim that you are wasting your vote. Those of us who want to work for peace are wasting our votes if we give them to Obama or Clinton.

Vote for Kucinich on Super Tuesday

Don't listen to the naysayers who claim your vote is wasted. Anyone who works for peace and justice has only one candidate, and his name is Dennis Kucinich. If he is on the ballot in your state he should get your vote. After all, if AIPAC and Nancy Pelosi don't like him, you should.

Don't forget to make a campaign contribution, Dennis is in danger of losing his House seat to a well financed opponent. Give today. Every dollar counts.

Show Your Love to Brattleboro

You have to love Brattleboro, Vermont. That town has chosen to go where our Congress will not. While John Conyers simultaneously claims that impeachment is on the table but still fails to schedule hearings, town resident Kurt Daims took action.

He quite rightly believes that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have committed war crimes and should be arrested. He circulated a petition that would require that town's police to do just that should either of the two ever set foot in Brattleboro.

Of course, right wing Bush worshippers have their pants in a twist and are venting their spleens against Brattleboro. Their voices must not be the only ones heard. It is important to speak up in support of this petition that will come to a vote on March 4th.

The Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce should get a shout out, so should the local paper, the Reformer. Interim Town Manager Barbara Sontag should hear from you too.

You go Brattleboro!

Conyers: Impeachment is Off the Table

"I'm the Chairman."
"Pelosi can't stop me."

He says the words, "Impeachment is not off the table," but then he contradicts himself.

Pitiful. Pathetic. Listen closely to what Conyers is saying.

He is afraid to impeach because Republicans tried to use his threat to impeach as a campaign tactic in 2006. Earth to Conyers, it didn't work. They lost.

So now he is saying that a losing strategy should still be feared. Spare me.

Pelosi is calling the shots. In part because Conyers had ethics complaints against him. I'm sure she is using that to keep him in line.

Conyers has no intention of doing anything about impeachment. Listen again and again if you must. Impeachment is still off the table and that means our nation and all of humanity are still endangered by Bush.

I hope that someone in his district will run against him. That is all he and his colleagues understand. The fear of defeat is the only thing they worry about.

Progressive To Do List

The last candidate who was willing to go through even a pretense of advocating progressive positions is out of the race. Now that John Edwards is gone, we know that one of the dysfunctional political twins, Clinton or Obama, will be the democratic nominee.

The only course of action for true progressives is to disengage from this sham. The presidential election must now go on the back burner. Our priorities should be as follows.

1. Keep Dennis Kucinich in Congress - He is in a tough primary battle for his House seat. That primary will take place on March 4th. He has no ads on the air, but his opponent does. His opponent also has endorsements from the Mayor of Cleveland and the city's daily newspaper.
A Kucinich defeat would be disastrous. Make a contribution today.

2. Put impeachment to the table - Impeachment is the only way to stop Bush from doing further damage in the next 12 months. As Glen Ford said in his introduction to my Black Agenda Report column, "Lame duck presidents still retain the power to destroy the planet, and to set in motion policies that corporate Democratic successors will fail to dismantle."

Bush can be put in check with impeachment hearings. The Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee who refuse to support impeachment must face primary challenges. The fear of electoral defeat is their only motivation to do the right thing.

It is difficult to focus on these actions when the press inundates us with nonsense about Billary/Obama sniping. We should not put our hope in a now useless campaign. Our hope lies in challenging them, in making it clear that business as usual will not be tolerated after one of them is sworn in next January.

Next Tuesday, February 5th, primaries will be held across the nation. I am a New Yorker but I will not be voting for Senator Clinton. I won't be voting for Obama either. Dennis Kucinich is on the ballot and he will get my vote.

You are free to vote for whomever you choose. If other candidates are on the ballot in your state they should get your vote. You have the right to write in a candidate. Use your rights while you still have them.

Next Tuesday tell Billary and Obama, "A pox on both your houses."

Contribute to Kucinich Re-Election Campaign

His primary is March 4th and he is in real trouble. His main challenger, City Councilman Joe Cimperman, has raised more than $200,000 and has ads on the air. Dennis has none. Go to www.kucinich.us and contribute today.

Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich

Re-Elect Dennis Kucinich

"We already know the state of the union. It is a lie.

Dennis Kucinich

Before he announced he was giving up his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination, Congressman Dennis Kucinich announced that he was running for re-election. Kucinich faces a primary battle on March 4th. His major opponent, Joseph Cimperman, has raised more than $226,000 while Dennis' campaign cupboard is bare. That is why he was forced to drop out of the presidential race.

Please make contributions to the re-election campaign so that Dennis can get ads on the air in his district. Go to his campaign website and make your contribution today.

If Kucinich is defeated, democracy itself will have been defeated. Impeachment hearings are the only hope we have left for peace and only Kucinich had the guts to announce that he would introduce an impeachment resolution on the same day as the state of union address. He later withdrew the word "lie" from the House record, but his plans to impeach remain firmly in place. While John Conyers and others give into the Pelosi/Reid crowd of back stabbing liars, Dennis Kucinich stays the course.

The corporate media are going to crown either Clinton or Obama with the Democratic nomination. Neither one of them is up to the task of undoing the damage wrought by Bush. True progressives will need to be in Washington to fight a Democratic president.

Re-elect Dennis Kucinich!

Note: I originally posted this video last Wednesday, January 16th but it disappeared from this blog. I believe that happened because it was pulled from You Tube by the original poster. Sorry to repeat myself, but I think it is necessary to see Obama in action and hear his words.

Obama prefers Ronald Reagan to Bill Clinton. Don't believe me? Just play the You Tube video.

Here is the opportunistic little traitor in all his glory and in his own words.

At Black Agenda Report we get numerous emails asking, "Why do you keep writing about him?"and "Why do you attack him so vociferously?"

Thanks Obama. You answered the question for us. You have exposed yourself as the no good, low down, lying dog that we have been saying you are.

It will be interesting to see the mental gymnastics that Obama supporters will go through to defend him.

Black Candidate Drops Out of Presidential Race

Of course I mean Dennis Kucinich. Kucinich was the only Democratic presidential candidate who spoke up for black America. He was the only candidate with an agenda for peace, the only candidate with a plan for single payer health care, the only candidate who dared demand that Congress hold impeachment hearings.

But the corporate media demanded that he be silenced. Even the Congressional Black Caucus acquiesced to CNN and allowed Kucinich to be barred from the debate they sponsored. Sad days indeed.

In 2004 Kucinich did not fold his tent until that summer. This year is different. He faces a well funded opponent and may be in a tight race for re-election. It would be awful if he were to be defeated.

Wednesday is Whupass Day

And you thought it was just hump day. Seriously, Black Agenda Report is published every Wednesday, and that means cans of whupass are opened left and right. We have a great issue this week. Glen Ford leads the charge as always.

"Had Kucinich, the white man, been allowed in the debates, he would have been the only candidate speaking up for Black interests. But the CBC (Congressional Black Caucus) acquiesced in his silencing."

If you are tired of mudslinging from essentially identical candidates, read BAR. You will definitely learn something.

I learn a lot from readers. My column, "Why We Write About Obama," elicits much comment. Readers are paying attention, some with a great deal of flair. Check us out and please comment.

The Trouble with King Day
















How should the caption read? "Don't touch me!" How about, "Thank God he is touching her and not me." We should thank God that this is the last King Day that Bush will be president. These kids can relax.

Mitt Romney - Who Let the Dogs Out?

Remind me to never set foot in Jacksonville, Florida. Someone managed to find a group of black people who were induced, I dare not ask how, to pose for photos with Mitt Romney. That is not a place I ever care to see.

This is the problem with King day. Every politician manages to find colored people for photo ops. Who let the dogs out indeed.

Happy Birthday Roe

"You love them in the womb but once they get here, it's a different story."
Gilda Cobb Hunter, South Carolina state legislator

Thirty five years ago today the Supreme Court ruled that abortion is a constitutionally protected right. The only other event of greater significance to American women was the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920 that granted the right to vote.

The weakness of the Democratic party (its unwillingness to truly be a political party) has made the exercise of this right more tenuous than ever. Despite the fact that there is no popular desire to over turn Roe, religious and political conservatives have continually been on the offensive to prevent as many women from having abortions as possible.

Abortion providers have been murdered, clinics have been bombed. States have passed rules requiring waiting periods and ultra sound viewing. "Trigger" legislation is being passed that would automatically outlaw abortion if Roe is overturned by the court. The state of South Dakota passed a law that essentially outlawed abortion in the one clinic where it could be performed, but voters later over turned it.

Women who regret having abortions are now used to justify banning the procedure. Women who don't regret their abortions are treated as if they don't exist.

Anti-abortion forces are on the offense and pro-choice advocates are on the defensive because of the lack of political will to enforce this right. Black women have the most to lose if abortion rights are lost.

Our community is squeamish about discussing sexuality. Incorrect assumptions about religious belief have allowed anti-abortion forces to claim that they speak for all black people. Greedy charlatan preachers and their friends have made a fortune thanks to their conservative patrons.

Make no mistake about it, abortion rights are civil rights and have to be defended.

Obama Shows His True Colors

This week Barack Obama decided to cast aspersions on black men in a debate (see yesterday's post) and praise Ronald Reagan.

As the campaign moves on he will get worse. So far his appeals to conservatism and to white people's desire to shut black people up have been in more discreet venues. You have to read his books or listen to his speeches or surf the web in order to get the full flavor of Obama opportunism.

Now he is out of the closet. He is telling white America bluntly, clearly and as publicly as possible that he will not only do nothing to help black people, but he will assist in the beat down, just like Reagan did.

What kind of democrat voices GOP talking points? Listen carefully to the You Tube video I just posted. What are the "excesses of the 60s and 70s?" Everyone knows what that means. Black people got a little bit of attention and a little bit of justice. So did other people. Medicaid and medicare have saved many white people too, but why remember that when you can remember that black people got jobs, college scholarships and affirmative action.

Obama has tipped his hand. He will be the white person's black president. I said as much a few months ago. As long as winning white votes means stabbing black people in the back, the desire to see a black person in the oval office is nothing but fool's gold.

Obama prefers Ronald Reagan to Bill Clinton. Don't believe me? Just play the You Tube video.

Here is the opportunistic little traitor in all his glory and in his own words.

At Black Agenda Report we get numerous emails asking, "Why do you keep writing about him?"and "Why do you attack him so vociferously?"

Thanks Obama. You answered the question for us. You have exposed yourself as the no good, low down, lying dog that we have been saying you are.

It will be interesting to see the mental gymnastics that Obama supporters will go through to defend him.

Obama Channels Cosby

"And that also means — last point I’ll make, because sometimes this doesn’t get talked enough about. We have to have our parents take their jobs seriously, and particularly African-American fathers who all too often are absent from the home, have not encouraged the kind of, you know, nurturing of our children that they need. And as somebody who grew up without a father, I know how important that is. That is something that, as president, I intend to talk about."
Barack Obama at Las Vegas debate

What the hell does he mean? I have not noticed any reticence among politicians, pundits or press in beating up black people. If he wants to find something that doesn't get discussed enough he needs to do better.

Obama, Farrakhan and Friendship to the Jews

The obvious racism of many of Barack Obama's white critics makes life difficult for black Obama critics like myself. To sum up, I am concerned that Obama's support from white voters is the result of a not very subtle message that he intends to ignore demands from the black community.

". . . by constantly, relentlessly sending out signals to white people that a vote for Barack Obama, an Obama presidency, would signal the beginning of the end of black-specific agitation, that it would take race discourse off of the table. And he’s gone to extraordinary lengths to accomplish that."

Sadly, those concerns that should be raising questions in the black community are instead being ignored. It is difficult to convey how proud and happy most black people will be if Barack Obama is sworn in as president one year from now. The anticipation of that joy has rendered millions of vocal, active people suddenly mute. Those same people will suffer if Obama wins and they don't have the courage to speak what history clearly shows to be true, that black people have always made the greatest strides after making vocal demands on the political system.

The same image that gives black people goose bumps also gives white people goose bumps, but not for the same reason. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo actually used the words "shuck and jive" when referring to Obama. Today was Washingt Post columnist Richard Cohen's turn. Cohen's used concerns about anti-Semitism to veil his racism.

It seems that Obama's church, Trinity United Church of Christ, publishes a magazine which once gave an award to Louis Farrakhan. Are you still following me? Good, because I fail to see what any of that has to do with Obama.

That simple logic was lost on Cohen. Cohen has for many years used his column to promote racist views about black people. He is most famous for having written that it is acceptable for businesses to refuse service to black people because black people commit more crime. I suppose he also thinks that white men should be banned from Wall Street. They are the usual perps in that neck of the woods.

At any rate, it doesn't matter that Obama owes much of his fund raising success to Jewish supporters. Like anyone else who seriously wants a to be president, Barack Obama has been a strong supporter of the Israeli government. AIPAC calls the shots in electoral politics. Giving Israel carte blanche to invade Lebanon, and kill people, and cut off food and medicine from Gaza, and kill people, is a must for anyone with political ambition. Obama has never strayed from that course.

Obama's Jewish supporters have gone out of their way to make sure that members of their community know that Obama is safe. Here is a partial text from a fund raising invitation from Lester and Renee Crown, Chicago big wig check bundlers.

"Dear Friends,

It is now time. It is now our turn.

Our Illinois Senator, Barack Obama, is running to become President of the United States. On October 1, Renee and Lester Crown are hosting an evening reception with Senator Obama at their home, along with many of the leaders of our community. The purpose of the evening is to show Barack how appreciative we are of his steadfast, honest and proud support of Israel.

In spite of a bruising schedule, Senator Obama has continued to maintain a direct dialogue with the community both here in Chicago and nationally. It is also quite unusual to have the opportunity to deliver a specific policy message of appreciation during the rigors of a presidential campaign. If you have already contributed fully to the campaign, thank you, your support is greatly appreciated. Please consider additional family members and others who can attend/contribute to this special event.

Monday, October 1, 20075:30 PM – Chairs Dinner 7:00- 9:00 PM
- Reception At the home of Lester and Renee Crown

Barack Obama has established a strong record as a true friend of Israel, a stalwart defender of Israel’s security, and an effective advocate of strengthening the steadfast U.S.-Israel relationship, publicly stating that Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state should never be challenged."

It doesn't matter that Jews will vouch for Obama. The Cohen column forced him to release this statement today.

"I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan. I assume that Trumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree."

The statement will have little effect on the Cohens of the world. They can't stand the thought of seeing a black president. They will dredge up anything they can to make a case against Obama .

None of this madness will have any effect on me. I do not believe that an Obama presidency will be good for black people and I am on record as having said as much. Cohen and Cuomo will not fool me into making a fool of myself.

Tomorrow check out my column in Black Agenda Report for more on the Obama madness and white America.

Ms. Magazine and Israel

Bravo to Ms. Magazine for making the right decision. It is a decision that will bring them unjustified criticism, but I hope they will not back down.

The American Jewish Congress submitted an ad to Ms. featuring the photos of three Israeli political leaders, President of the Supreme Court Dorit Beinish, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni and Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik. The text underneath the photos reads "This is Israel."

Ms. was right to reject the ad. The ad would be seen as a statement of support for the Israeli government. The Ms. mission of promoting women's rights around the world would be tainted if the magazine began making statements of support for Israel or any other government. The ad implicitly does just that.

Of course, the AJC wasted no time in saying that the ad rejection showed "hostility to Israel." They also created a straw man by pointing out that Ms. has featured articles about Arab women and about Nancy Pelosi's leadership in Congress. The AJC would have a good point if they were referring to the acceptance of similar ads, but that is not the case. Instead they prove the flimsiness of their argument by comparing the apple of articles to the oranges of advertisements.

The real reason the AJC has its collective pants in a twist is because Ms. has written critically about Israel's foreign policy and about the plight of Palestinian women living under Israel's occupation. That is the true cause of the bogus outrage.

By the way, if the AJC is so eager to put the lives of Israeli women in the spotlight, they should submit an ad about Moshe Katsav. Katsav is the former president who resigned after being on the verge of indictment for raping two female employees. In return for sparing the government embarrassment, he was allowed to plead guilty to sexual harassment. His accusers now have no legal recourse.

Perhaps Ms. should help shed light on Israeli politics and its treatment of women by profiling Katsav. That attention should make the AJC very happy.

"Moshe Katsav. This is Israel."

"Impeach, Remove, Jail."

We are inundated with useless information about celebrities. Viggo Mortensen certainly has the right politics and is worth our time.

Protest Torture on January 11

On January 11, 2002, the first prisoners, so-called enemy combatants, were taken to Guantanamo. Tomorrow is a day of protest across the country. I will be at the Metro New York Religious Campaign Against Torture event. Here are the details.

Foley Square, NYC (in front of federal court house)
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Pearl & Centre Streets
J,M,Z — Chambers/Brooklyn Bridge station
4,5,6 -Brooklyn Bridge City Hall
R,W - City Hall
2,3 Park Place
A,C - Chambers Street

Democracy Now: Debate on Barack Obama (Part 2)

Democracy Now: Debate on Barack Obama

Glen Ford explains it all.

War Against Iran

Let's keep this simple. Any Bush administration statements about Iran are lies. Period. End of discussion.

The latest whopper claims that Iranian speed boats "provoked" U.S. war ships in the Strait of Hormuz by threatening to blow them up. They even have a nice little video showing the alleged provocation.

Hooman Majd at Huffington Post sizes up the situation very simply. It's a fake.

"The video, which shows what is claimed are Iranian boats speeding around U.S. ships, doesn't show any of the boats hurtling directly towards any of the navy ships, nor does it show what the Pentagon claimed the Iranians then did, namely dropped "white boxes" in the water. (I would have opened fire at those, wouldn't you?) The audio tape is even less convincing, mainly because the person speaking doesn't have an Iranian accent and moreover, sounds more like Boris Karloff in a horror movie than a sailor in the elite branch of Iran's military. (The tape is also separate from any video.) Any Iranian can immediately identify Persian-accented English, particularly if the speaker has had little contact with the West, as is the case with Revolutionary Guardsmen and sailors."

So, we have a bad Iranian accent, video and audio that don't match, and video that doesn't even show what it purports to show. We also have a president visiting Israel, the only other country on earth that thinks killing thousands of Iranians is a good idea.

The NIE report that convincingly showed that Iran has no nuclear weapons program is just one month old. Apparently that is enough time for Bush to continue telling very obvious lies in order to start his newest war of aggression.

So this week's questions shouldn't be whether Hillary cried on purpose or if her tears swayed voters, but how she will vote when Bush presents a resolution to go to war with Iran. How will Obama vote? My guess is that both will ultimately vote yes to some "compromise" which allows both of them to have it both ways. Stay tuned.

Wish I'd Said That

"How did that [Powell and Rice as Secretary of State] redound to the benefit of black people? For the United States to have, to put a black face on imperialism, on aggressive war, on violations of international law. How does that make black people look better in the world? Is that the kind of burden that black people want to carry around? Certainly there will be no exemption for African Americans internationally after these kinds of experiences and Barack Obama shows quite definitively that he, being the political twin of Hillary Clinton, will also put forward that same aggressive bellicose face to the world.

How else to explain his call for 100,000 additional U.S. Marines and soldiers. For what purpose? Even as he speaks vaguely about withdrawing from Iraq, as vaguely as Hillary Clinton does. He wants 100,000 more soldiers and Marines. What will he do with them? Clearly he is talking about expanding, continuing U.S. efforts to dominate militarily."

Glen Ford on Democracy Now, January 9, 2008

Do you remember when United States diplomats were taken hostage at the embassy in Tehran, Iran in 1979? The hostage takers released black employees in acknowledgement of the oppression inflicted upon and the powerlessness experienced by black Americans. If that happened today, post Powell and Rice, they would have remained in captivity along with the white people. No more exemptions. Thanks for nothing Colin and Condi.

Black Agenda Report on Democracy Now

"[Obama] . . . constantly, relentlessly sending out signals to white people that a vote for Barack Obama, an Obama presidency, would signal the beginning of the end of black specific agitation, that it would take race discourse off the table." - Glen Ford

Today is Glen Ford day. Black Agenda Report is published every Wednesday and Glen was a guest on Democracy Now. As always he hits the nail on the head. If you want to know the real deal about Barack Obama listen to or watch this interview. It will be well worth your time.