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.

Obama Fever

"Having gone through eight years of EST with Bill Clinton and almost that much of AA with George Bush, we should be burned out on psycho-therapeutics as opposed to physical reality but sadly many are taken in by Obama's covert message that if you trust in hope you don't have to worry about the details like pensions and healthcare." - Sam Smith

I don't know which is more sickening, the non-substantive, sexist attacks on Hillary Clinton, or the non-substantive love fest for Barack Obama. I also hasten to add that I have never been a fan of Hillary's. I am a New Yorker who has always found someone else on the ballot to vote for and I remain a staunch Dennis Kucinich supporter.

It is quite bizarre. Despite my ideological antipathy to Hillary Clinton I do feel badly for her. Barack Obama will probably win the New Hampshire primary tonight, but it won't be because he is any better than she is. Bill Clinton is right. The press does give him a pass. Obama has managed to present himself as anti-war when he first opposed invading Iraq, then said he doesn't know how he would have voted, then said a time table for withdrawal was bad, then said we need a time table for withdrawal. Every statement depended on the direction of political winds at the time.

He claims to be opposed to permanent bases but his own website says, "He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda." That leaves a lot of wiggle room to maintain the status quo.

Clinton should be losing because her policies don't differ very much from those of the Bush administration. Instead she is losing to someone else whose policies do not differ very much from the Bush administration's. Hillary Clinton thought that the old school Clintonian strategy of beating up Democrats and daring them to complain would keep working. Obama is nothing but savvy. When he began to falter in the polls he realized that he had to at least give lip service to progressives.

She voted for the Senate resolution against Iran. He stayed away and attacked her for her vote. Obviously if he was opposed he would have shown up and voted in the nay column. He has out slicked Mrs. Slick Willy.

Clinton bears much of the blame for her political flame out. She refused to admit she made a mistake in voting for the Iraq occupation and now looks phony when she says she would not have made the same decision as president. She apparently learned nothing from the Kerry debacle.

She and her supporters also messed up big time when they joined in the anti-Obama smears about madrassas and drug use. It was blatant dirty politics and of course it all back fired. Now she is in serious trouble. She shot her financial wad in Iowa and may skip campaigning in upcoming primaries in order to focus on the February 5th super primary.

Her panic is evident in her much maligned teary eyed reply to a question in New Hampshire. The press are circling like vultures and not because they want to put her on record regarding any important issues. They have found someone they like better and they like him because he lets them off the hook.

Obama gives white America a get out of jail free card. "There is no black America," he declared at the 2004 Democratic convention. Those are potent words. White people love to hear that
". . . white guilt has largely exhausted itself in America." Spare me. Black people have never asked anyone to feel guilty. We have demanded full citizenship rights, and made the greatest progress when we have done so consistently and unaplogetically.

Now we face the prospect of being worse off because a black man is president. Yes, I said worse. We already hear that Oprah Winfrey's success, or black oscar victories prove that racism is a thing of the past. If there is a black president those specious arguments will win the day. Combine that with Obama's opportunistic going along politically to make white people feel safe and we have a recipe for trouble. We will still have troops in Iraq and the same expensive health care system that doesn't keep us well or even cover all of us. Paul Krugman was kind when he called Obama naive. He isn't naive at all. He plans to change very little once he gets to the White House.

As every political observer knows, the themes a politician uses on the campaign trail often don't match his or her style of governance once elected. That's rarely considered a good thing, but in this case, people seeking real change should hope that Obama's feel-good language is just campaign spin.

That's because progressives' best hope with Barack Obama would be that he use his message of "hope" and reconciliation to bring millions of new voters into the process for the first time, gather an enormous amount of political capital, and then turn around, take off the gloves and shove that mandate right down the GOP's throat.

Well, that hope is audacious.

Obama Wins Iowa

I don't really have much new to say. I'll just quote my column from the May 15th issue of Black Agenda Report, "Should We Want a Black President."

"Sadly for her (Clinton), she shares her husband's politics of meaninglessness but none of his personal charisma. She can't get away with fence straddling, triangulating, or insulting the party base. Along comes Obama, a living reincarnation of Clintonian political charm straight from the glory days. Now that Hillary has been out Clintoned, she looks less like a sure thing."

It seems that Obama can get white people to vote for him. Can he become president? Yes he can, but that is not good news for black people.

"If he is a winner, it will be in large part because he is willing to throw black people under the bus. He proved as much in his overrated speech at the 2004 Democratic national convention. 'There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America - there's the United States of America.' Of course there is a black America, and most of us don't want to pretend otherwise.

Obama's 2004 speech does not mention racism, not even to say something bland such as, racism is bad. Obama sells color blindness in a country that is all about the color spectrum. It makes no sense for black America to embrace this obvious canard. Will we purchase a lemon if the seller looks like us?"

Too many of us will buy the lemon and that is very bad news indeed. At the moment when activism and movement politics needs to be resurrected, black people will be lulled by meaningless idol worship. So I will answer my own question. Black people should not want a black president. Think I'm wrong? Just listen to Bill Bennett.

"Barack Hussein Obama, a black man, wins this for the Democrats. I have been watching him. I watched him on 'Meet the Press,' I've watched him on [Anderson Cooper's] show, watched him on all the CNN shows -- he never brings race into it. He never plays the race card.

Talk about the black community -- he has taught the black community you don't have to act like Jesse Jackson, you don't have to act like Al Sharpton. You can talk about the issues. Great dignity. And this is a breakthrough. And good for the people of Iowa."

I'll cut Obama a tiny bit of slack. The only way a black person can be elected president is to "never bring race into it." Sorry, I can get that from a white politician. I see no cause for celebration.

Having said that, I should add that Obama may have no reason to celebrate either. New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, a billionaire, is making noises about running for president as an independent. He could win the presidency or change the dynamic in some unknown way. The 2008 election is still very much up in the air.

Bill Kristol and Andy Rosenthal, Daddies Little Boys

In January 2005 I wrote that America has become a banana republic. Sadly, events of the last three years have proven me right. Our currency isn't worth much, they won't even take dollars at the Taj Mahal. Americans leave the country to get health care they can't afford here or to find inexpensive places to retire.

What does this have to do with Bill Kristol landing at the New York Times? One of the most basic characteristics of a banana republic is cronyism. Part of the reason Kristol has a new gig is that he is an old pal of Andrew Rosenthal. Andrew Rosenthal is the son of Abe Rosenthal, the resident conservative at the Times for many years. Kristol is the son of Irving Kristol, one of the neocon founding fathers. Of course the Times is a family business too, handed down from one Sulzburger to another.

Glenn Greenwald gets the hat tip and sums it all up perfectly. ". . . the fuel of the conservative movement -- especially its tough guy neoconservative branch, which venerates self-sufficiency, resolve and meritocracy above all else -- is mommy-and-daddy-dependent nepotism."

What is good news for the Rosenthals, Kristols and Sulzburgers is bad news for the rest of us. As the rate of our descent increases, there will be more and more Kristols and Rosenthals in positions of power. Just look at the latest occupant of the oval office, a ne'er do well son reached the most powerful office in the land. Connections always counted in this so-called meritocracy, now they are all that count. If you want merit, go somewhere else to live.

Thanks Attytood

Will Bunch of the Attytood blog linked to my piece on Bilal Hussein and Bill Kristol. Thanks Will.

Bill Kristol and the New York Times

After I recieved a form email from the Times I concluded that they received more than a few missives re: Bill Kristol. If you can't figure out why their response is lame I have laid out a simple explanation in this week's issue of Black Agenda Report. As always Glen Ford hits the nail on the head in the introduction.

"Where once corporate media perversely reasoned that lies and truth should have equal standing in their pages and broadcasts, they now rate multiple lies as far more valuable than a universe of truth."

I had wanted to write about the plight of Iraqi Pulitzer prize winning photographer Bilal Hussein for some time. The elevation of the lying propagandist Kristol was a perfect opportunity to talk about Hussein's imprisonment by the U.S. military. First read BAR, then take a quick perusal of the Times lies regarding their lies.

Thank you for your e-mail concerning Bill Kristol. We appreciate your interest and your taking the time to let us know how you feel.

Mr. Kristol's column will be appearing on the Op-Ed page, where we offer arange of diverse opinions -- often differing from our own editorial opinions. Given that we are a news organization that believes in vibrant political discourse, we have brought Mr. Kristol on board after a long andt houghtful search through the ranks of strong conservative voices.

Will you -- or will we -- agree with him? Probably not very often . . .but that is the point of offering multiple views and providing intellectual diversity. We hope the column will engender open debate and discussion in the democratic tradition of newspapers. And we hope that you will continue to read and to express your views to us. We very much value your readership.

Sincerely,
Catherine Mathis SVP,
Corporate Communications
The New York Times Company

If you know you won't agree with him very often, why hire him? That question is rhetorical. The Times and the rest of the corporate media can't handle the truth because they aren't interested in it. They are only interested in doing the bidding of powerful monied and political interests. Kristol is Exhibit A.

Israeli Government Stiffs Holocaust Survivors

In his book The Holocaust Industry, Norman Finkelstein documents the disgraceful shakedown of Swiss banks in the guise of helping holocaust survivors. The Swiss ultimately forked over more than $1 billion when they may have owed something like $60 million. Math was never my strong point, but even I can say that 1 billion is a heck of a lot more than 60 million.

Now some Israeli holocaust survivors have actually moved to European countries, including Germany, where they are guaranteed generous social service benefits. The government had the gall to increase payments to elderly survivors by a mere $20 per month.

In 2007, survivors were promised $7.7 million would be deposited in a government welfare fund for their benefit. Only half that amount ever reached its destination.

By the way, "pro bono" lawyer Burt Neuborne walked away with $3 million for representing the claims of holocaust survivors. I thought pro bono meant free.

Bill Kristol and the New York Times

The New York Times confirmed that Bill Kristol will now join their stable of op-ed columnists. Here is my letter to publisher Bill Keller.

"I think it is an open question whether the Times itself should be prosecuted for this totally gratuitous revealing of an ongoing secret classified program that is part of the war on terror.”
Bill Kristol

Who is the biggest hypocrite here, you or Kristol? He either knew he was full of it when he made that statement or he decided to forget about it so he could make more money and have a platform for his pro-empire, pro-war propaganda. You and your colleagues have decided to forget that you were slandered so that you could suck up to the right wing in a first class way.

When I first read that the Times was hiring Kristol I decided that I would never read his column. I thought about it for a while and realized that response was inadequate. Instead I have decided not to pay to read your paper as long as Kristol is a columnist. Today I can save $4.00 and tip the waiter who serves my brunch. Whoever that person is deserves my cash far more than you or this blood thirsty, hateful man.

Margaret Kimberley
New York, NY

Wal-Mart Seizes Employee's Lawsuit Settlement

Just when you think that Wal-Mart, and the rest of corporate America, can't sink any lower they do just that. Deborah Shank can tell you all about it, or she could if she weren't brain damaged. Shank won a settlement after a car accident and her employer, Wal-Mart, went to court and took the cash to compensate themselves for her health care costs.

I like to think of myself as being inured to shock, but then along comes Wal-Mart to disabuse me of my arrogance. As Glen Ford said in Black Agenda Report, "Wal-Mart resists modest wage increases and decent health care for workers because it does not want its employees to think of their jobs as careers."

It is all very simple. The shanking of Shank teaches Wal-Mart employees a powerful lesson. Don't stick around Wal-Mart. Keep the turnover at fast food restaurant rates. Don't even think about working here.

Dear Andrew Young, Don't Let the Door Hit You

Isn't it bad enough that Andrew Young supports the disenfranchisement of black voters, or that he is now "a prostitute for the most rapacious corporations in the world?"

Apparently he doesn't see how low he has sunk, because he keeps sinking further. In the You Tube video posted below you can see him making an absolute ass out of himself in order to suck up to Bill and Hill.

I'm no fan of Clinton or Obama, but for Christ's sake, couldn't Young come up with a substantive reason to support Hillary Clinton? His greed and lack of principle have finally caught up with him. He doesn't even know how to pretend anymore. If Hillary should become president she ought to make Young persona non grata for insulting her and her husband so publicly. What happens to Clinton supporters when they get near a microphone? It seems they automatically say something stupid about Obama.

Bill Shaheen had to resign as co-Chair of Clinton's New Hampshire campaign after he criticized Obama's admission of youthful drug use. Not only did Shaheen have to step down, but Clinton had to personally apologize to Obama.

But I digress, back to the pathetic Andew Young. Not only was he dumb enough to remind the public about Bill Clinton's romantic past, but to raise memories of the sad history of black women's sexual exploitation. But there's more! He clearly made up a story about Bill and Hillary dancing at a party for Nelson Mandela's inauguration. Words like idiot don't begin to describe him.

What the F_ _k?

"Bill is every bit as black as Barack. He's probably gone with more black women than Barack. Ah, I'm just clowning." I'll say.

Wish I'd Said That

"The US media has no investigative capability and serves up the lies that serve short-term corporate and political interests. If it were not for the Internet that provides Americans with access to foreign news sources, Americans would live in a world of perfect disinformation."

Paul Craig Roberts

Rep. Wexler Wants Cheney Impeachment Hearings

Thank God someone does. Committee chairman John Conyers is too busy hiding behind Nancy Pelosi's skirts.

WTF?

God bless Whoopi, trying desperately to keep her colleague from looking stupid.

Actually they all looked stupid. Did the Greeks come first or the Romans? I think the Egyptians, and Chinese came before all of them.

As for nothing predating Jesus, if Shepherd wasn't speaking metaphorically, she is in fact dumb as a post.

WTF?

God bless Whoopi, trying desperately to keep her colleague from looking stupid.

Actually they all looked stupid. Did the Greeks come first or the Romans? I think the Egyptians, and Chinese came before all of them.

As for nothing predating Jesus, if Shepherd wasn't speaking metaphorically, she is in fact dumb as a post.

Lies About Iran

"So I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon. " George W. Bush on October 17, 2007

It seems the Onion was right. Iran is full of atoms, and must be stopped. Oh to have been a fly on the wall when the administration realized the National Intelligence Estimate could no longer be kept hidden. Bush knew it would all come out, namely that the CIA would not be bullied into saying that Iran was making nukes. That is why he backtracked and said that knowledge alone was reason enough for Americans to kill thousands of Iranians. Proof of nuclear capability would no longer be sufficient. The very existence of atoms was a cause for war.

Of course there is still no reason to celebrate. They fall back on claiming that Iran once had designs on nukes. Maybe they did, but I won't believe it because the CIA says so.

It is also important to say that there is nothing wrong with Iran having the bomb. It is no worse than Israel having it. Actually it would be better if Israel were not the only nuclear kid on the Middle East block. If the concept of mutually assured destruction worked for the U.S. and U.S.S.R., why can't it work for Iran and Israel?

At any rate, it is good news that the Bushies have to stop telling the worst lies about Iran, but there is still cause for alarm. If Bush had pushed the issue, Congress would have caved. They had already done so by passing resolutions condemning Iran, each one more slanderous than the one before. Each one would have been used by the Democrats to help make the case for war.

The Israeli lobby made sure that Democratic presidential candidates toed the line. They all stuck with their "all options on the table" stump speech rhetoric. Biden said he would favor impeachment if Bush attacked Iran without authorization from Congress. Sounds good, until you realize that waiting for war would be too late. Biden is as toothless as the rest.

So we will never know who did what to whom that caused this information to finally come out, but we have to thank whomever is responsible. They saved the American people from looking like Germans in the 1930s.

Actually, Americans are already there. One million Iraqis are dead, one million are in exile and now there is a cholera epidemic. One genocide at a time please.

Sherri Shepherd Thinks the Earth is Flat

Sherri Shepherd is the Dumbest Person on Television

Whoopi Goldberg: Is the world flat?

Sherri Shepherd: Is the world flat? I don't know.

Whoopi Goldberg: What do you think?

Sherri Shepherd: I never thought about it Whoopi.

Barbara Walters: You never thought about whether the world is flat?

Sherri Shepherd: I can tell you that I have thought about whether I was going to feed my child, how I'm going to take care of my family.

Barbara Walters: Well you can do both.

I have a day job, so I miss daytime television. Thank God for small favors.

In the now infamous flat earth discussion, Sherri Shepherd was so intent on stating that she doesn't believe in the theory of evolution, she feared acknowledging that the earth is round. I guess she was afraid that the bible made reference to a flat world. Well, she was wrong. You can be a fundie and still acknowledge that the earth is in fact round.

Not content to have gone down in history in a memorable moment of idiocy, today Shepherd claimed, "I don't think anything pre-dated Christians." Her colleagues didn't do much better, sounding like confused high school students wondering whether the Greeks came before the Romans. But none of them claimed that no other religion existed before Christianity.

How is it possible to give her the benefit of the doubt? Did she mean that Jesus was infinite? Well she should have said so. Instead she adamantly stated that no one even existed before the followers of Christ.

After the flat earth debacle, Shepherd claimed to have misheard Whoopi's question. I wonder what she will say tomorrow.

Nooses Out of the Closet

Robert Minten napped on the job and woke up to find a noose around his neck. When he reported what can only be described as a murder attempt he was fired. His tormentors were fired too, but they should have been.

The incident took place four years ago, but Minten's law suit against the Noble Drilling company is just now making its way through the court system. Hopefully he will have some measure of justice.

Warren Police Officer Tasers Handcuffed Woman Multiple Times

Utah Highway Patrol camera, shows John Gardner being taser

"You didn't follow my instructions."

Buy Nothing Day

Hallelujah! You better get saved. We are living in the end times, the financial end times that is. Don't shop this Friday, November 23rd. Just say no to temptation.

How can you be saved? It is easy. Just join the Church of Stop Shopping.

Praise the Lord!

Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act

"The Democrats have proven themselves to be entirely worthless. They will not stop or even significantly slow down the Bush administration on any issue that matters. If you still believe that voting for Democrats is an infinitesimal hedge against encroaching disaster, I offer my genuine sympathies. "
Arthur Silber, Power of Narrative, October 2006

I recently discovered the Power of Narrative, which is now one of my favorite blogs. Silber is often accused of spreading "doom and gloom." Well so what. The situation is gloomy and he always hits the nail on the head. Most of the anger directed towards him is the result of his all too correct assessment that the Democrats and Republicans are partners in crime. They all promote empire, war, racism and corporatism. The differences between them are diminishing more and more over time.

Enter Exhibit A, Congresswoman Jane Harman, Democrat of California. She recently sponsored HR 1955, the "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act," which passed the House by a vote of 400 to 6. Qu'est-ce que c'est Homegrown Terror? Even the name is absurd and stupid. Homegrown? Sounds like peaches ready to be canned. It is tempting to laugh but this isn't the least bit funny.

I can think of instances of homegrown terrorism, such as murder threats against abortion doctors, or hate speech emanating from the KKK. Somehow I don't think that is what Harman and her colleagues had in mind. The racist right wing, Republicans and Democrats, have tried to convince us that there are fifth column "Islamofascists" hiding under every bed and they are inspired by, are you ready, the internet.

"The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens." Sounds spooky. Too bad it is all a load of crap.

H.R. 1955 calls for the formation of a commission that will investigate the extent of and no doubt find proof of Muslim and Arab terrorists on every block. But like the ginsu knife there is always more.

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish or designate a university-based Center of Excellence for the Study of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism in the United States (hereinafter referred to as `Center') following the merit-review processes and procedures and other limitations that have been previously established for selecting and supporting University Programs Centers of Excellence. The Center shall assist Federal, State, local and tribal homeland security officials through training, education, and research in preventing violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism in the United States.

Center of Excellence? Harman must have held a seance and asked Orwell for the worst name imaginable. Then again, perhaps it is the best name. This is fascism, pure and simple.

Under the guise of keeping us safe from non-existent threats, our freedoms will be taken away. Dissent of all kind, including non-violent activism, will be criminalized.

Big brother is watching and he is a Democrat.

Wish I'd Said That

"I'm pro Code Pink tazing."
Brian Kilmeade, Fox News


"...don’t you think they’re going to get at the very least tazed or beaten to a pulp by somebody?"

Hmm. Is that a fear or a wish?

"Of course, many Americans -- including most notably our leading politicians -- couldn't care less about truly honoring those whose guts have been ripped out, whose limbs have been bloodily and painfully mutilated, whose minds have been destroyed. For the state and its enablers, the war dead are props used to purify and sanctify the ongoing and future campaigns of slaughter, in an endless procession of slaughters throughout history."

Lance Cpl. Isaac Gallegos is still alive, but Arthur Silber's comments still hold true in his case. What does Bush say when he meets maimed vets like Gallegos? "Sorry about your face." No, he doesn't say that. He says he appreciates their service, God bless, America loves you, keep fighting terror, blah blah and blah.

The Bushies surely screen and make sure that anyone meeting Dubya loves him, especially wounded vets who are liable to ask hard questions.

When I see Gallegos and others like him, young men who will never look normal again, I wonder what they think about. It must be too hard to admit that you are a chump who now looks like a character in a zombie movie, all because you were used by people who would never allow their children to be put at such awful risk.

Please look at all of these photos and remember that there are Iraqis who have suffered even more. Thanks to Uncle Sam, their medical system has been destroyed. They don't get medical care and when they are wounded as badly as Gallegos they usually die or they live but look even worse.

Happy Veterans Day.

Wish I'd Said That

"There are some who claim that torture is a nonissue because it never works--it only produces false information. This is simply not true, as evidenced by the many decent members of the French Resistance who, under Nazi torture, disclosed the locations of their closest friends and relatives. " - Alan Dershowitz

And the trains ran on time too.

You Go Chavez!

Spain's King Juan Carlos had a royal hissy fit today in Santiago, Chile. During the closing session of the Ibero-American Summit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez repeatedly called Spain's former Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, a "fascist." In 2003 Aznar joined Tony Blair as Europe's top lap dogs, otherwise known as the coalition of the willing. Along with Bush they bear responsibility for the deaths of one million Iraqis. Thank goodness Chavez has not forgotten and is unafraid to bring a skunk to the party.

El Rey was having none of it. After Prime Minister Zapatero tried diplomatically to shut Chavez up, Juan Carlos blurted out, "Why don't you shut up!" Poor King. He isn't used to plain speaking, but Chavez was in the house. (You can see the video in Spanish here.)

Aznar not only helped kill Iraqis but he also posthumously honored Meliton Manzanas, who was one of Franco's chief enforcers. According to Amnesty International "Melitón Manzanas had been responsible for the torture of hundreds of Basques during the rule of General Franco." Looks like Chavez hit the nail on the head and caused the royal nose to come out of joint.

You go Hugo!

Love, Lust and Lies

"All the documentation I mentioned above was available to Baisden and the show's producers. They had the paper trail and other family members tried to talk to them and dispute the claims. They knew Jena-Gate was a lie when they let Jones on the air this week. But they simply didn't care. " Andre Banks, Write What I Like

"[Baisden] declined to specify how much was collected or how the money was distributed."
Chicago Tribune

Love, Lust and Lies is the name of Michael Baisden's God-awful syndicated radio show. Every day Baisden makes idiotic remarks about male/female relationships and entices otherwise innocent but attention seeking people to call in and expose their own stupidity. I have only listened to Baisden when I have been forced to do so, that is to say when I have been a captive audience of one of his fans.

The rightness of my reaction was confirmed this week when Marcus Jones, father of Jena 6 defendant Mychal Bell, attacked Color of Change on Baisden's show. Color of Change was one of the first organizations, on the net or off, to bring world wide attention to the Jena 6 case. Color of Change has an authorization signed by all six families, Jones included, to raise funds for attorney fees. Color of Change has also produced the invoices and cancelled checks to prove that their efforts are on the up and up. They have raised $212,000 and disbursed $210,000 to the lawyers, all with the permission of Jones and the other families.

Mychal Bell is still behind bars because of a drug related arrest made prior to the Jena 6 arrest. I point that out to instill some sense of compassion for his father, who may be the user or the usee in this mess, the degree of blame that should be directed at him is unclear.

Color of Change provided Baisden with the relevant documentation before his broadcast, so he isn't being honest when he now claims that Marcus Jones is responsible for the lies told on his show. Yes, Baisden immediately threw Jones under the bus when Color of Change proved the charges to be false. There is no honor among the dishonorable.

It is difficult to know where to begin with this mini scandal. Initially Baisden claimed that all six families signed a letter asking Color of Change to stop raising money. When two of those families denied having signed such a letter, Baisden then claimed it was signed by four of the six. To make matters even more interesting, some of the signatories say the letter they signed didn't even mention Color of Change. Baisden has declined to produce said letter. Why am I not surprised?

Baisden wrote a lame letter of quasi apology but has not given a full explanation on the air, the only apology that would count for anything. He should also give Color of Change an opportunity to speak on his show and address his charges.

That won't happen. Baisden is nothing but a snake in the grass. He has announced plans to raise $1 million of his own. I hope he does so, and I hope that the money pays for legal fees and for some compensation to the families for their ordeal. I also hope that he leaves a paper trail, like Color of Change. I'm not inclined to hold my breath.

Thanks

Alternet and Dissident Voice have once again posted my Black Agenda Report column on the gangster Rudy Giuliani. Thanks to them for the support.

Giuliani's former police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, was indicted yesterday. Indicted for what you may be wondering. Nothing much, just two counts of bribery, tax fraud and making false statements. By the way, Giuliani appointed Kerik police commissioner after being informed that Kerik had taken cash from a mob connected construction company. Nice.

Did you know that Kerik was also deported from Saudi Arabia? Did you know that he harassed employees of the New York City Department of Corrections who crossed his then girlfriend, or who wouldn't work for the Giuliani campaign?

So much scandal so little time, unless you are the national corporate media. Members of that august group ought to make the Giuliani/Kerik connection a continuing front page article throughout the campaign season. Oh sorry. I forgot. Only John Edwards hair is worthy of national press attention.

Project Censored 2008

Did you know that Mahmoud Ahmadinajad never said he wanted to "Wipe Israel off the map"? Did you know that Phillipino workers who built the U.S. embassy in Baghdad were the victims of human trafficking? Did you know that U.N. forces massacred Haitians? Did you know that American citizens have no habeas corpus rights or that Bush has slowly built a mechnism to impose martial law?

Well you can learn all this and more by doing a quick perusal of Project Censored 2008. Project Censored will tell you what no one else will, namely that we don't have a free press in this country and that ultimately we don't have a very free country at all.

Eric Clapton and Racism

"Vote for Enoch Powell. Enoch's our man. I think Enoch's right, I think we should send them all back. Stop Britain from becoming a black colony. Get the foreigners out. Get the wogs out. Get the coons out. Keep Britain white. I used to be into dope, now I'm into racism. It's much heavier, man. Fucking wogs, man. Fucking Saudis taking over London. Bastard wogs. Vote for Enoch, he's our man, he's on our side, he'll look after us. I want all of you here to vote for Enoch, support him, he's on our side. Enoch for Prime Minister! Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white!" - Eric Clapton in 1976

Legendary rock guitarist Eric Clapton has always acknowledged his indebtedness to black musicians. His biggest hit single was a cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Black blues guitarists were his main sources of inspiration.

It came as a shock in 1976 when Clapton gave an on stage shout out to avowedly racist British politician Enoch Powell. At first Clapton claimed to be drunk when he made the comments. Since that time he has called Powell "outrageously brave... he spoke from the heart."

Now that Clapton has published an autobiography, his support for keeping Britain white should not be forgotten. Salon seems to have forgotten. In a review of the book they don't bring up the issue at all. Shame on them.

Obama and McClurkin

"His choice of the raving anti-gay (but himself formerly closeted) gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin to headline a campaign fundraising tour reveals Obama as a not just a panderer, but inept as well. The fact that McClurkin was a Bush supporter just three years ago makes Obama appear to be totally unprincipled."

As always, Black Agenda Report has the definitive analysis.

"God delivered me from homosexuality" - Donnie McClurkin

Yeah, whatever. I will have more to say about the Obama/McClurkin fiasco in Black Agenda Report this Wednesday. In the meantime, check out this October 25, 2007 interview with one of McClurkin's male lovers.

"Q. How long were you guys being sexual?

A. Off and on for three years, 2001 to 2004.

Q. During this time to 2001 to 2004 is really the height of his anti-gay rants. The book came out, he made comments, he told the New York Times in 2002 he’s counseling adolescent boys to convert them from homosexuality. Would you hear about these rants?"

Oy vey! So when McClurkin was on the 700 Club claiming that gay people were "killing America's children" he was still having sex with men. Puhleeze! The late Steve Gilliard hit the nail squarely on the head.

"I mean, this guy is lying about where his dick is going and people tolerate this crap. He's a reformed bisexual my ass. Well, I don't think I'd let him get near my ass, honestly. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm an active heterosexual and I really don't have to struggle with that. Any time you have to struggle, you still wanna do it."

Amen.

Wish I'd Said That

"Pelosi, Harry Reid and the rest of what passes for Congressional leadership have perfected their criminal enterprise. Every act of treachery is followed by lame excuses for inaction. The truly spineless ones, progressives wallowing in denial, foolishly whine, asking each other what is wrong when the answer stares them in the face. The Democratic party is complicit in killing democracy. "

Oh wait, I did say that in today's issue of Black Agenda Report. Nancy Pelosi is public enemy number one. I don't want to hear any more moaning, groaning or whining about why Democrats don't grow a spine. They don't want one. They don't believe in democracy for anyone outside of the ruling elite group. Period. End of story. It is time for progressives to grow thier own spine and start telling the truth, ugly though it is.

I have to thank Arthur Silber for being such an inspiration to me. His latest essay, A Nation on the Edge of the Final Descent (II) is simply superb and deserves to be read thoroughly.

"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. On that single occasion in a thousand or a million when a person overcomes these barriers and speaks the truth, he or she discovers an additional, terrible truth: almost no one wants to hear it. This is how we live today: lies are the staple of our diet. Without them, we would die, certainly in psychological terms."

Keep telling the truth Arthur. I hope to follow in your foot steps.

Worst Corruption Ever

Who is Joseph Nacchio? He was CEO of Qwest communications, convicted earlier this year of 23 counts of insider trading. He is free while he appeals his conviction, and thank goodness. Nacchio claims that the National Security Agency asked Qwest to violate regulations on warrantless surveillance in February 2001, seven months before September 11th.

Nacchio was advised that the request was illegal and he refused to go along with the Bushite scheme. His good deed did not go unpunished. Qwest was immediately cut out of government contracts and Nacchio was successfully prosecuted by the federal government.

"Nacchio discovered that the NSA was engaged in a project to gather warrantless surveillance data on millions of Americans. He took advice of counsel. His lawyers told him, correctly, that this was illegal. They probably also warned him that if Qwest participated in the program, it would be committing a felony. So Nacchio said, no, sorry, I can’t work with you on this. But I can help if you want to change the law. And the reaction of the NSA? It was, apparently, to cut Qwest out of a series of contract awards by way of retaliation. (If that charge sticks, it would probably be yet another felony.) And the second reaction? To try to build a criminal case against Nacchio as a means of retaliation against him. (And if that charge sticks, it would probably be yet a third felony–on the part of the Government officials who did it). We are seeing the Government engaging in a sweeping pattern of criminal dealings, and ultimately, one of the biggest crimes of all, abusing the criminal justice process to strike out at an individual who refused to play their crooked game."

No wonder Rove and Gonzales resigned. They may be going to jail themselves. Oh wait, that would mean the Democrats were actually willing to send them to jail. Sorry. I forgot how things really work. Back to reality.

The first effort to allow warrantless spying on Americans began in 2000, when Bill Clinton was still president. Will the second president Clinton investigate that ought-to-be-scandal? Take a wild guess.

Now the telecoms (ATT, Verizon) are using their cash to buy off Congress and get immunity from their law breaking. Democrats like Sen. Jay Rockefeller have already expressed a willingness to throw democracy under the bus. Because citizens have successfully used the courts to bring some of the dirt to light, the telecoms are scared and must now turn to bribery.

The hat tip goes to Chris Floyd of the Empire Burlesque blog for once again exposing the bipartisan corruption in Washington.

Cosby Under the Influence

"I think, I think just looking, I’ve, I’ve—if, if they’re putting out and it’s public. But I also think that the, the white male and the black male putting—the black male putting this on record, and then, of course, you have white rappers. You have to look at what they share—my belief—what do these two men or boys share, the white boy and the black boy, 70 percent of whatever? And not all black males agree with the rap music. " - Bill Cosby

Can Bill Cosby just shut up? Better yet, can he go to Hazelden or Betty Ford and leave the rest of us alone? Like the bad penny that keeps showing up, Cosby won't go away, keeps drinking, getting high, or popping too many paxils and percocets. Now he is writing books too.

Today he and Dr. Alvin Poussaint appeared on Meet the Press to promote their new book, “Come On, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors.” Poussaint is a psychiatrist, and ought to know when someone is under the influence. He needs to do an intervention and then get his friend of the next plane to rehab.

Many years ago I stopped watching Bill Cosby interviews because he never answered the questions put to him. He said whatever he wanted and often made little sense. At the time I chalked it up indulged celebrity assholiness. In 2004 he began his hateful tirades against black people and wore dark glasses even when indoors. That is a sure sign of being high and or drunk. Enough already. Go away and get help.

Hat tip to Digby.

Tutu's Speech

Here is a transcript of Tutu's 2002 speech that put pro-Israeli pants in a collective twist. The University of St. Thomas cited it as the reason for giving Tutu the bum's rush. They claim that he "compared the state of Israel to Hitler." I don't think he said that at all. Judge for yourself.

Thanks to Alternet for the text and Jewish Voice for Peace for the context.

Desmond Tutu Labeled Anti-Semite, Banned from Speaking

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He is respected by people all over the world, but not in St. Paul, Minnesota. Tutu was invited to speak by the University of St. Thomas' Justice and Peace Studies program. When the local Jewish Community Relations Council objected, he was disinvited.

Tutu has quite rightly equated Israel's occupation of Palestine with South African apartheid. Now he is being punished. The Zionist Organization of America has pressured colleges to make Tutu persona non grata on their campuses.

Please write to the university president, Fr. Dennis Dease, DJDEASE@stthomas.edu and the Executive Director of the local JCRC, Steve Hunegs, Steve@MinnDakJCRC.org and tell them how you feel about censorship of critics of Israel.

Hat tip to Norman Finkelstein for this news.

Wish I'd Said That

"As a Jew who experienced real anti-Semitism as a child, I'm deeply disturbed that a man like Tutu could be labeled anti-Semitic and silenced like this. I deeply resent the Israeli lobby trying to silence any criticism of its policy. It does a great disservice to Israel and to all Jews."
Marv Davidov, University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Returns to Capitol Hill

"Congresswoman Maxine Waters showed up at 1:30 and saw me standing there. She demanded that I be let into the hearing. Cops were swarming the door, and the honorable Congresswoman from California escorted me into the hearing. Once I got in, three cops stood near me, so I would not forget that I was in their territory. "

Charges against Lennox Yearwood were dropped, thank God. Unbowed, he returned to attend hearings on the Blackwater mercenaries and once again he was refused admission, that is until Congresswoman Maxine Waters demanded that he be allowed into the public hearing.

Does anyone in Congress supervise the Capitol Hill police? Will the Congressional Black Caucus make a statement? Apparently the answers are no and no.

News:Palmdale California Security Guard Breaks A Girls Wrist

Pleajhai Mervin

"Hold still nappy head."

Pleajhai Mervin is a 16 year old from Palmdale, California. A security guard broke her wrist in an effort to subdue the dangerous cake criminal. He also felt compelled to say, "Hold still nappy head," when assaulting the young girl. It is all on video. But wait, there is more. A student who video taped the incident was arrested along with Mervin and his sister. Now Palmdale is safe from teenagers who drop cake, and tape police brutality.

Mervin's mother, Latricia Majors, was arrested and spent the night in jail when she demanded the guard be arrested. She was also suspended without pay from her job with the school district. The guard was suspended with pay.



he dropped a piece of birthday cake in the school cafeteria and ended

Sign Petition Against Attack on Iran

"Any preemptive U.S. attack on Iran would be illegal. Any preemptive U.S. attack on Iran would be criminal."

Go to After Downing Street to sign the petition. Follow the instructions. If you don't register and log in your "signature" won't register.

Remember Jena

If the images moved you as much as they did me, you can watch them here.

Comments For This Post Are Now Closed

"High Holidays Over, Clinton and Obama Woo Big Jewish Donors." So reads the posting of a Chicago Sun-Times story on Huffington Post.

Too bad if you want to post a comment, comments are now closed. Too bad if you want to read comments already made, those are nowhere to be found.

I don't recall this ever happening on Huffpo. What gives? Did the system crash? I suspect that the comments were very critical of the blatant sucking up to Jews because of Israel. The comments were so critical that they were removed. Then again, why would they be removed? Did someone complain and if so who would that be? Clinton, Obama, the usual ADL/AIPAC suspects?

Of course, these are just my guesses. I asked Huffpo to explain but somehow I don't think I will ever get an answer.

Wish I'd Said That

"New York is the ATM for American politicians. Large amounts of money come from the Jewish community. If you're running for president and you want dollars from that group, you need to show that you're interested in the issue that matters most to them."
Hank Scheinkopf, political consultant


"There are a lot o f guys at the working level up here [Capitol Hill] who happen to be Jewish, who are willing to make a little bit of extra effort and to look at certain issues in terms o f their Jewishness, and this is what made things go in the last couple of years. These are all guys who are in a position to make the decisions in these areas for those senators. You don't need that many to get something done in the Senate. All you need is a certain commitment to get something done and, if guys are willing to put time into that instead of a million other things they have to do, if they're willing to make a couple of calls, if they're willing to become involved, you can get an awful lot done just at the staff level...The senators have a million things to do and they'll take the recommendations [of their aides] most times."
Morris Amitai, former AIPAC Executive Director

Obama Does Act Like He's White

Someone should have told Barack Obama that it is better to be thought a wimpy accomodationist than to open your mouth and prove it. When asked two weeks ago about the Jena Six case, Obama could only say that the young people ". . . appear to have been railroaded into a very difficult situation." That was all Mr. Audacious had to say on the matter.

His mealy mouthed response is apparently what got Jesse Jackson's goat. Now that a supporter quite rightly called him out and a mass movement spawned by the case has reached its zenith, the great audacious one proved that he is anything but. "Outrage over an injustice like the Jena 6 isn't a matter of black and white,"

Earth to Obama. It is all about black and white and black people are expressing more outrage than white people are. If Obama can't stand up for black people when we most need to be supported, he is worthless to us.

Go get him Jesse and while you are at it, rethink your endorsement.

Obama "Acting White"

I read about Jesse Jackson's comments on the Crooks and Liars website. This was my response.

"Once again, the white liberal fans of C&L show their true colors. Pun intended. 'Let’s just stop talking about race already.' Difficult to do if you live in Jena. Difficult to do if you are black anywhere in this country.

It is unfortunate that there is no video or audio of Jackson’s statement. I would like to be able to comment on his remarks with greater authority. Also, it would be a mistake to discuss this issue by focusing on a poor choice of words.

He is correct that Jena is a defining moment, and all of the Democratic candidates should have spoken out about what is nothing more than old time lynch law, segregationist justice.
Obama should be taken to task. He showed his hand in his lame convention speech. “There is no black America.” There certainly is in Jena. He has not been acting white, but he has been doing everything to please white people. He wants to keep troops in Iraq, he supports military action against Iran, which would be a war crime. He seriously wants to be president, and that is bad news for black people and anyone else who believes in peace and justice. You can’t raise $30 million from the check bundlers if you don’t dance to their tune of empire and corporate control.

Should black people support Obama? I argue that we shouldn’t want a black president at all. Obama can’t win the nomination unless he tells white people that he will not talk about race. The end result of that gambit means more Jenas, literally and figurately, for black people. Sorry, this black person is not an Obama fan.

As for Jackson, he knew what he was getting when he endorsed Obama. Maybe he should rethink his choice. Kucinich’s platform is more in line with Jacksons anyway. Time for a switch Jesse.

Why Bush Can Attack Iran

Read and cry.

"Suck on this"

"We hit Iraq because we could." So says pulitzer prize winner Tom Friedman. This prison rape fantasy, there is nothing else to call it, was spewed back in 2003. Watch the video from 2:52 until about 5:40. It will make your blood turn cold and then boil.

The billionaire bull shit artist gets hot at the thought of G.I.s going house to house and terrorizing Iraqis. His sick fantasy came true. He must be very happy now.

Democracy is Dead, Let the Movement Begin

As the Yearwood incident shows, democracy is dead. It is time for activists to acknowledge that fact and move on without the Democratic party.

It is time for serious movement building, which is what my current Black Agenda Report column is all about. Stay tuned for my movement to do list next week.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Assaulted by Capitol Police

Rev. Lennox Yearwood was assaulted by capitol police officers when he tried to exercise his rights as a citizen. He wanted to see Gen. Petraeus testify. The hearing was open to the public and his presence should not have been a problem, but he has a black face and he was wearing a button in support of the Iraqi people. Video of the assault can be seen here, and an interview with Yearwood here.

Yearwood's leg was broken in the assault and he has been charged with assault himself. It is clear that he did not harm or attempt to harm anyone.

Anti-War Movement Frustrated

No s_ _ t. Of course the anti-war movement is stymied and frustrated. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

As my new idol Chris Floyd says, it is time to face facts. Democracy is dead and the Democratic party helped kill it. Bush is in better shape now than he was last year. Reid and Pelosi wake up every day and decide how they are going to assume the position. It doesn't matter that Rove, Gonzales and Libby are gone. They are always replaced and Bush and Cheney remain in place. Yes, impeachment remains off the table.

I feel badly for Michael Lerner and others. They think the Democrats will change, but it is time they woke up and smelled the coffee. In tomorrow's Black Agenda Report, I will begin writing about the formation of a new movement. A mass movement and the civil disobedience that must go with it are our last hope.

Give it up Lerner. They are just not into you.

Fake Bin Laden Video

No copy of the video had appeared on Islamic Web sites as of yesterday, as has been the norm for past al-Qaeda videos. A spokesman for SITE declined to comment on how it obtained the most recent video. - Winter Patriot

Maybe he did get a nose job and dye his hair, moustache and beard. Or maybe it is all a fake. It is strange that a right wing group, SITE, got this video before anyone else.

They are only cited on National Review Online, or Fox News, and one of the partners has been hand picked by Bush to man lots of posts on Homeland Security and other Bush organizations.

Hat tip to Chris Floyd at Empire Burlesque.

The Columbus Dispatch and Dr. Goebbels

It is the end of the week and I'm a little tired/lazy. So for the second time today, my post consists of a letter I already wrote to someone else.

An attack on Iran is imminent. Bush gave a speech worthy of Hitler wherein he claimed that Iran will cause a "nuclear holocaust" in the Middle East. Never mind the fact that Iran doesn't have the bomb and won't have the capability of producing one for at least five years. Of course, the only country in that region with a nuclear capability is Israel. If there is a nuclear holocaust they and their American partner in crime will be to blame.

The Columbus Dispatch recently published a cartoon showing Iranians as cockroaches. Paging Dr. Goebbels. Note the response to another reader. Here is my response to the call for genocide. (Hat tip to CAIR.)

I was stunned to see your newspaper compare human beings to vermin. Dr. Goebbels did that. Do you want to be in the same company? Your response to a concerned reader is as disgraceful as the cartoon.

"But since the drain cover depicted in the cartoon is clearly labeled with "Iran" and "extremism" it is clear that the cartoon refers only to those elements of the Iranian regime who support extremism. In other words, it doesn’t come close to labeling all Iranians as cockroaches."

When I exterminate roaches I don't discriminate. My goal is to take them all out. Clearly you think that Iranian human beings deserve the same treatment, whether "extremist" or not.

For shame.

Please write to the Columbus Dispatch and cc CAIR. The incitement to murder must not go unanswered.

Walt, Mearsheimer and Amazon

Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer are professors at Harvard and the University of Chicago respectively. Last year they wrote a ground breaking essay, "The Israeli Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy." It was well past time that someone took on that elephant in the living room.

In my opinion, Walt and Mearsheimer are a little too kind. They don't go far enough in dissecting the harm done by the Israeli government and its American minions. I believe that Israel and its lobby are grave threats to the American people. They have made us complicit in the commission of many human rights abuses, from the killing of Lebanese citizens, to the use of children as human shields in the occupied territories. Israel has successfully placed a bulls eye on all of our backs. If bin Laden hates us, it isn't because of our "way of life." It is because of Israel.

Walt and Mearsheimer were called anti-Semites and everything else except children of God. Their credentials didn't shield them completely from criticism but it is difficult for any honest person to dismiss them out of hand. Of course, honesty and U.S. relations with Israel are oxymorons.

The two have written a book that was published just this week. Yesterday I checked out Amazon.com with every intention of buying it. I was floored when I saw that Amazon is recommending it ("Buy Both and Save") alongside The Dealiest Lies by Abraham Foxman. Deadliest Lies was written for the sole purpose of debunking Walt and Mearsheimer. I wanted to complain to Amazon, but that is nearly impossible because they don't tell you how to contact them. I wrote Walt and Mearsheimer instead. Here is my letter.

Gentlemen,

I order books and CDs from Amazon. I do so in part because Amazon always informs me about books with subject matter similar to the one I am ordering, books I may not know about.

Yesterday I went to the Amazon site to order your new book. To my dismay, I was also offered an opportunity to order The Deadliest Lies, Abraham Foxman’s new book. Neither I nor anyone else interested in your book wants to read Foxman’s. There are numerous books for people with similar interests that could have been linked to yours.

Once again you two have been proven correct. There is an Israeli lobby and it doesn’t allow dissent. Even a powerful corporation like Amazon is terrified of selling your book along with others that address the same issue. They feel compelled to link your book with one written for the sole purpose of debunking it. I’m sure this is a first for Amazon. They have insulted you and your readers.

I don’t know if this situation has come to your attention, but I hope you can persuade Amazon to de-link you from Foxman. Amazon purposefully makes it difficult for customers to reach them. I thought you might have access where I do not.

Thank you for writing your book. You have done the world a great service by doing so. I will buy it, but not from Amazon.

Barnes and Noble will get my money this time around.

Impeach Bush

Salon.com has a great article which proves what many people already surmised. Bush knew that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction.

It isn't really news, nor does it let Hillary Clinton and John Kerry off the hook. If I figured out that Bush and Cheney were lying, they did too. They made a political calculation that being pro-war would get them campaign cash and a presidential nomination. The pro-Israel check bundlers would have looked askance at an anti-war position.

Poor stupid Kerry. He was hoisted on his own pitard and then didn't know how to get down. As I said many times in 2004, he needed only to be doubly cynical to get into the White House. He just should have said that he depended on the president and gave him the benefit of the doubt. Silly me, thinking that the Democrats have any political sense.

Well that is all in the past. The biggest question is this, what does Bush have to do to get impeached? There is already plenty of evidence but the Democrats have declared impeachment "off the table. They are accessories to all of Bush's crimes. Nothing will come of this information and an attack on Iran will begin World War III. Maybe the fundies are right after all. We are living in the end times.

Dennis Kucinich Disappears

August 30th is International Day of the Disappeared. It is a day to remember those who have fallen victim to the worst human rights abuse of all. Thousands of people around the world have had their lives snuffed out by political violence. They haven't been imprisoned and they haven't died on a battle field. They are simply gone and are almost always gone forever.

In America we have political disappearances. Just ask Dennis Kucinich. The Democratic Congressman and presidential candidate is alive and well, but you wouldn't know that he is alive or that he is running for president if you depend on the corporate media for information. I dissect it all in this week's edition of Black Agenda Report.

Vacation Ends

I took a couple of trips in August and came home relaxed and refreshed. Of course I also returned to reading the news, and so my light hearted feeling came to end along with my vacation.

The Bush administration is about to start World War III by attacking Iran and no one with the power to stop him is willing to lift a finger. The president raves about a "nuclear holocaust" caused by Iran, when it is Iran's sworn enemy, Israel, that is the only nuclear power in the Middle East.

The House and Senate pass anti-Iran resolutions, letting us know that they will be silent when the bombs begin to fall. Press reports indicate that 1,200 bombing sites have already been chosen, which means that thousands of Iranian human beings will die.

While we watch and wait for the destruction to begin, we should at least listen to those brilliant, prescient voices that explain so much to us. One of my new favorite bloggers is Arthur Silber. Silber has been trying to warn us both about the Bush decision to start another war, about Democratic party complicity and the liberal naivete/stupidity that will make more killing inevitable.

Thanks to Arthur Silber, I now know about Chris Floyd, who explains it all so well.

It is, by any measure, a remarkable achievement, one of the greatest political feats ever. Despite Bush's standing as one of the most despised presidents in American history, despite a Congress in control of the opposition party, despite a solid majority opposed to his policies and his war, despite an Administration riddled with scandal and crime, despite the glaring rot in the nation's infrastructure and the callous abandonment of one of the nation's major cities to natural disaster and crony greed -- despite all of this, and much more that would have brought down or mortally wounded any government in a democratic country, the Bush Administration is now in a far stronger position than it was a year ago.

It does't make me happy to say it, but Floyd has hit the nail squarely on the head. As we slide towards destruction, we should at least know why this has happened. I will be making more recommendations in the days to come.

Vacation Time

No more posting until the end of the month. Of course, if Bush started a new war I would shake myself from my self-imposed stupor and put fingers to the key board.

Hot Ghetto Mess and White Celebrities

"The black kid was driving." - Lindsay Lohan

Ah yes, the black kid is always the guilty one. Lindsay Lohan's club hopping friend is lucky to be living at this particular moment in history. There was a time when a convenient lie told by a white woman resulted in the death of a black man.

Lohan is a druggie but she is better than Phil Spector. He is a killer. In my Black Agenda Report column I ask why the murdering Spector gets less press attention and vitriol than accused dog fighter Michael Vick. The question is rhetorical because the answer is obvious.