Where’s the Outrage?

I like to laugh as much, or more, than the next guy. I can laugh at myself– and my candidate. But, unfortunately, I think that the New Yorker has gone too far.

Senator Barack Obama and his supporters have fought hard to inform the American public that he is a Christian American. It shouldn’t matter what religion Obama is, but it does. That’s the reality of 2008. Racism and religion are touchy subjects, and New Yorker’s satire isn’t funny. Rather, it is insulting.

Update: I didn’t even notice the American flag burning in the fire place. This is all kinds of wrong.

Update II: 13% of Americans still believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim.

C&L has an excellent summary of progressive blogs.

Tags: Election 2008, Race, Religion by ecthompson
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Dr. John has been playing his music forever. His greatest hit is Right Place, Wrong Time. He plays this great tune with Eric Clapton. This is really, really cool.

Tags: Katrina, Music, Race by ecthompson
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North Carolina employee, L. F. Eason, took a forced early retirement rather than honor Jessie Helms by flying the flag at half-mast. Way to go, Mr. Eason!!!

Tags: Race, Senate by ecthompson
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I have no further comment on what Jessie Jackson said on Fox and Friends. (Jackson has NOT been reliable in the U.S. political realm for over 20 years.)

Tags: Election 2008, Race by ecthompson
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It is sad when a politician isn’t getting any press. Ralph Nader is one of these guys. He desperately needs some airtime, so he says something really, really offensive to get the press to run it.

I thought about it and thought about. Should I post something on Ralph Nader? Then I figured that no one would read it, sure why not.

Tags: Election 2008, Race by ecthompson
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I’m not sure that I buy Don Imus’ explanation. Do you?

Tags: Media, Race, Sports by ecthompson
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OH my. Carl Thomas of Fox News plays the race card big time. In past we’ve seen some people who’ve been subtle in their racism. This is not subtle. When you begin to list black women on TV and then label all of them as angry black women you are playing the race card. Of course, the purpose of this diatribe is to place Michelle Obama in the category of angry black women. (You can watch her on The View being anything but angry.)

 

 Fox plays race card, again [2:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008, Media, Race by ecthompson
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Basically, I’m a happy guy. I love to laugh. I’m married to beautiful, thoughtful, supportive wife. I’m living my childhood dream. I’m a doctor. A friend of mine sent me an e-mail that touched a nerve. It was about happiness. The first paragraph reported that polls show that vast majority of Americans are unhappy with the direction of our country and our President’s leadership. The e-mail went on to berate Americans for being unhappy. We have a great economy, it said. We have jobs and a roof over our heads. It went on and on then ended with the question - what is there to be unhappy about? I thought about this e-mail for a little while then I wrote the following -

Our unhappiness is clear. We should be unhappy. When we are lied to by you’re your parents you’re unhappy. When people you trusted, people you poured your heart, soul and dreams into turn out to be con-men, you’re unhappy. Vice President Cheney stated, “There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us. And there is no doubt that his aggressive regional ambitions will lead him into future confrontations with his neighbors — confrontations that will involve both the weapons he has today, and the ones he will continue to develop with his oil wealth.” None of this was true.

When a Black man who is running for president of the United States in the 2007 is called a “Halfican” by several leading right wing commentators and there is no action taken against them, I’m unhappy. When those same commentators play a song called, “Puff the Magic Negro” sung in Al Sharpton’s voice and it’s about Barack Obama and these commentators are still on the air, I’m unhappy.

When politicians stand up and say that we need to end this war like John Warner (Republican Senator from Virginia) and then vote against timetables, troop withdrawal and giving troops some time away from the front, yep, I’m unhappy.

When the average family has 2 incomes and still can’t make ends meet, I’m unhappy. The average income for the top 20 Hedge Fund managers was $654 million last year. Average! WE have a system in place where if you are born rich you can’t lose. If you are born poor, good luck! [Read more →]

Tags: Iraq, Newsletter, Race by ecthompson
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My good friend, Timothy Johnson, Ph.D., was recently honored by the Buncombe County Republican party.  Timothy Johnson has been elected party chair.  It did not go unnoticed that he is the first black elected party chair in Buncombe County - Republican or Democratic.  In an interview with the Weaverville newspaper, Tim commented on how many blacks are “ignorant” of the bedrock beliefs of the Republican Party.  Dr. Johnson believes that the ideals of the Republican Party line up very well with the ideals of the Black community. 

Before I go on any further, I would like to say that no one and no party has cornered the market on ethics or morality.  There are bad and evil people that are motivated by greed and power in both parties.  But, with that being said, I think we can look over the past 40 years and honestly begin to evaluate which party truly benefitted Blacks and continues to benefit minorities and the underprivileged.  Let’s look at a few issues.

Civil rights.  This one is easy.  There is no contest.  In the 60s the Democrats stood with Blacks.  Southern Democrats who were opposed to integration did not like the direction of the party and slowly but surely left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party.  Were there individual Republicans who believed that integration was inevitable?  Were there individual Republicans who believed that segregation was an abomination?  I think the answer is yes on both counts.  Did the Republican party change their platform in 1964 and 1968 to appease Southern Whites?  Yes. 

The Economy.  Republicans like to talk about cutting government spending.  I lived in Texas most of my life.  Republicans rule in Texas.  I saw the state government cut so deeply that some regulatory agencies had to stop regulating.  They had to fire some government workers because there was no more money.  Republicans stood back and smiled but when you go to the DMV and have to wait 2 or 3 hours just to talk to someone before you can begin the process of getting your license?  Please think of those cuts.  When you get a brand new tatoo which gives you a skin infection or possibly even hepatitis because there was not enough inspectors to regularly inspect that parlor who’s smiling now? [Read more →]

Tags: Party Politics, Poverty, Race by ecthompson
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As we all know, we haven’t fixed the race problem yet. It doesn’t look like we will fix that problem anytime soon. Some company out of Utah is selling an Obama sock puppet which, of course, looks like a monkey. It is at times like these when I’m sorry that we don’t have public floggings. Truly despicable.

Update: A guy from Utah posted this.

————

From TP:

Last month, ThinkProgress noted that a bar owner in Georgia was selling t-shirts comparing Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) to Curious George; last week, the Black Congressional Caucus Foundation received a t-shirt in the mail featuring a similar image. Continuing this racially-charged theme, a stuffed monkey toy called “The Sock Obama” has now been made available online:

TheSockObama™ is made with high quality knit materials to capture the nostalgic look of the Sock Monkey that we all know and love. Staying true to his root, he is hand stuffed with just enough filling to give him a firm, but huggable feel. The removable suit jacket offers two looks for this future President - All Business or Hands On. (more…)

 

 Obama sock puppet: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008, Race by ecthompson
23 Comments »

My good friend, Timothy Johnson, Ph.D., was recently honored by the Buncombe County Republican party. Timothy Johnson has been elected party chair. It did not go unnoticed that he is the first black elected party chair in Buncombe County – Republican or Democratic. In an interview with the Weaverville newspaper, Tim commented on how many blacks are “ignorant” of the bedrock beliefs of the Republican Party. Dr. Johnson believes that the ideals of the Republican Party line up very well with the ideals of the Black community.

Before I go on any further, I would like to say that no one and no party has cornered the market on ethics or morality. There are bad and evil people that are motivated by greed and power in both parties. But, with that being said, I think we can look over the past 40 years and honestly begin to evaluate which party truly benefited Blacks and continues to benefit minorities and the underprivileged. Let’s look at a few issues.

Civil rights. This one is easy. There is no contest. In the 60s the Democrats stood with Blacks. Southern Democrats there were opposed to integration did not like the direction of the party and slowly but surely left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party. Were there individual Republicans who believed that integration was inevitable? Were there individual Republicans who believed that segregation was an abomination? I think the answer is yes on both counts. Did the Republican party change their platform in 1964 and 1968 to appease Southern Whites? Yes.

[Read more →]

Tags: Newsletter, Party Politics, Race by ecthompson
3 Comments »

I have no idea how you can make so much money and lose it. First of all, I’m pretty sure that you don’t need a 56,000 sq foot house. Evander Holyfield’s house is being foreclosed. It seems the bank wants its money. 3 wives. 11 children. Add up to quite a cash burden. I’m sure that there were many people with their hands out. There are tons of get richer schemes. I just hope that he doesn’t end up like Joe Louis who was greeting folks at one of the Las Vegas Casinos for money.

 

 Holyfield's house: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Entertainment, Race by ecthompson
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Melissa Harris-Lacewell is one of my favorite people. She has been on my show a couple of times and on the Bill Moyer’s Journal twice. The following is a letter that she posted on The Root.

There’s still time for you to save the Democratic Party.

May 7, 2008

Dear Gov. Dean,

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are not tied. You know this. There is little chance of a gracious settlement offer from the Clinton camp. The slim margin in Indiana gives her just enough rationale to stay in it.

Given that she will not voluntarily withdraw, Mr. Dean, I am asking you to take a hard look at the Democratic Party and consider whether you want that party to have a future. If so, now is the time for leadership.

The broad and powerful Democratic coalition of the New Deal no longer exists. By and large, southern whites have joined with Republicans. White ethnic Catholics exit in greater numbers each election. Labor union households are still Democrats, but their numbers and influence are declining. Although the 1990s saw a two-term Democratic president, he had such short coattails that the party lost its 40-year majority in the House within 24 months of his inauguration. In short, the party is in trouble. If it is to have a future, Democrats must forge new coalitions.

The party must shore up its strengths. African-Americans are the most consistently loyal Democratic partisans in national and local elections. But the tie between blacks and the Democratic Party does not bind as fiercely as it once did. There has been a notable decline among blacks who call themselves Strong Democrats and a substantial increase in African-Americans who identify as Independents. Also, far fewer black Americans now believe that there are clear differences between the parties. If you don’t believe me, just ask my Republican colleague Jeff Grynaviski, from the University of Chicago. He and I researched these trends together and he has no horse in this race. He will tell you that these are the same patterns that occurred among white southeners and Catholics before they started shopping for a new party.

Mr. Dean, if you allow Senator Clinton to take the party’s nomination after ruthlessly deploying race in this primary campaign, you will obliterate your base. Despite all the media chatter about white, working class voters, the candidate with a demographic problem is Hillary Clinton, not Barack Obama. Obama has developed a national, multiracial coalition, and his vote share among white voters has remained largely consistent throughout the campaign. Just look how well he did last night in Indiana. Hillary Clinton has gone from the favored candidate among black voters in early opinion polls to a candidate who has been repudiated by 92 percent of those voters, a fact proven last night in North Carolina.

Let’s be clear. When black folks switch parties, we do it decisively. After nearly a century of unwavering commitment to the party of Lincoln, it was Republican Barry Goldwater’s presidential bid in 1964, designed to appeal to entrenched American racism, which led to an increase in black Democratic Party identifiers from 59 percent to 86 percent in a single election. Despite Obama’s call for unity in his North Carolina victory speech last night, black Americans will not stand behind a candidate who deploys a Goldwater strategy within our own party. Our opposition to the war will not allow us to vote for McCain, but we can choose to exit the coalition, withhold our votes, to protest a Clinton candidacy. This is not a threat. It is an observation based on historical evidence. [Read more →]

Tags: Election 2008, Party Politics, Race by ecthompson
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Many of my conservative friends believe in capital punishment. They believe in their core that it is the right thing to do. In contrast, I hear stories like Alton Logan’s and I know that we are fallible, that we make mistakes. I know that good lawyers can get their guilty clients off and bad lawyers have trouble keeping their innocent clients out of jail.

So, this brings us to Mr. Alton Logan, whowas accused of shooting and killing a security guard in 1982. It is unclear from reports how Logan came to the attention of the police, but he was arrested and tried for this murder. His mother and brother were his alibis, saying that he was at home asleep in bed. His defense was that he was asleep. Heck, I know the end of this tale and even I don’t believe he was asleep. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Logan always said that he didn’t do it.

Twenty-six years later, two lawyers came forward with an affidavit from the time of his trial. Their client, Andrew Wilson, told the lawyers that he committed the crime. But because these lawyers represented Wilson, they were ethically bound not to say anything. They were quiet for 26 years.

Although Bob Simon tries to beat up the lawyers for not coming forward before now, they did do the right thing.

Tags: Legal, Race by ecthompson
2 Comments »

Senator Barack Obama and his campaign showed us that he can, and actually has, won over working class white men and women voters. They have also shown us how to communicate, at least for those who are connected with email, text messaging, YouTube, Facebook and a blog to name just a few ways.

Here’s a look at the exit polling from Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Georgia obtained from CNN (these numbers are percents):

So, what is Senator Hillary Clinton talking about? I think that West Virginia and Kentucky showed us what happens when Americans who aren’t plugged into the information age go to the polls. Clinton is well known. Everyone has already made up their minds about her. In contrast, Obama was a relative unknown. There were tons of rumors floating around which were probably not combated with good, correct, quickly obtained information (like that he is Muslim, unpatriotic, etc.). I think that Obama was campaigning for the general election so that he becomes known to some of the folks of Kentucky and West Virginia.

Tags: Election 2008, Race by ecthompson
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On the DailyKos, Kubla000 had this take on Senator Hillary Clinton’s victory:

“When you’re down 179 delegates total, there is NO TIME For Momentum or Symbolism. Despite what the media is telling you, Hillary Clinton tonight Failed in West Virginia.”

Why, you may ask, is kubla000 saying Clinton lost West Virginia? Simply, tonight Clinton underperformed Senator Barack Obama’s TEN best Victories

What does tonight’s final tally look like? After reviewing the second Exit Update, tonight is going to be:

65% Clinton
32% Obama

Per the Incredible Poblano

Tags: Election 2008, Race by ecthompson
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My mother always told me that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. I don’t have a comment on West Virginia.

Tags: Election 2008, Race by ecthompson
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There is an email wandering through the internet. No, this one is not from that guy in Africa who has $20 million that he needs your help and your money to procure. This one is an article that right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin wrote called, “Michelle Obama’s America—and Mine.” Michelle Malkin, like most of the neocons, took exception to Michelle Obama when she said, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.” Ms. Malkin’s article took off on the things that she is proud of as a woman-of-color, like Michelle Obama.

We were adults through several launches of the Space Shuttle, in case you were snoozing. [Ed. note: Speaking of which, welcome back, Atlantis!] And as adults, we’ve witnessed and benefited from dizzyingly rapid advances in technology, communications, science, and medicine pioneered by American entrepreneurs who yearned and succeeded to change the world. You want “change?” Go ask the patients whose lives have been improved and extended by American pharmaceutical companies who have flourished under the best economic system in the world.

If the fall of communism, American ingenuity, and a robust constitutional republic don’t do it for you, hon, then how about American heroism and sacrifice? (more…)

Michelle Malkin is a right-wing tool. Anything that a right-wing person says is okay with her and anything that a liberal says is wrong. It is clear to me that Mrs. Obama was speaking figuratively, not literally, but it doesn’t matter.

In the last 20 - 30 years what has America done to make us proud? The Space Shuttle is a stretch. It is nice, but I’m not sure that I get national pride out of the space shuttle. The Berlin wall coming down didn’t fill me with American pride. I’m sorry it didn’t. I was happy for Europe and the people liberated from Soviet oppression. I’m sorry, but on 9/11 I felt national sadness. Yes, there were individual acts of heroism and I sit here in awe of what they did or tried to do, but no it wasn’t national pride. I think that is an incredible stretch to say that you love America because of American antibiotics or a CT scan. Instead, you are happy that that service is available to you.

Now, I did feel national pride when the U.S. beat Russia in Olympic hockey back in 1980 or 1976? I did feel national pride when President Bush stood at Ground Zero and every one was chanting “USA, USA.”

On the campaign trail you give thousands of speeches. You can stick to the script and sound like John Kerry or you can wander off from time to time. Sometimes you will say something that rubs some folks the wrong way. All you can do is apologize and try to move on. Hopefully, folks will see through the smoke screen and see who you really are.

Finally, I don’t think that there is a Black man or woman in American who is in my place (as a trauma surgeon) or even in Mrs. Obama’s that doesn’t realize we couldn’t have achieved our status in any other country. We profoundly love America. We love America ever single day. But we see an America with great potential who needs to be pushed or pulled some times to get closer to the goal outlined in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I would invite Michelle Malkin to Asheville and ask her to come to my emergency room, or any ER (I’m guessing that Ms. Malkin lives in DC, Howard University Hospital would be a great ER to visit), in the country. Here you see suffering. You see people who are living in cars because they have been laid off. You see people who have returned to the emergency room with some complication because they can’t afford their medicine. Here is where you see the real effects of poverty. The spirit crushing effects. Your national pride falls when you are in the emergency room. Yes, you still love America but you sure wish that we could do better.

Tags: Election 2008, Race by ecthompson
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Congressman Geoff Davis (R - Ky) was at one of these fundraisers where fat cats get together and bash Democrats who the open their wallets for the party. Since it was Kentucky, Senators Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning were there. They talked up the war and probably the greatness of President Bush.

Davis got up and said his piece, comparing Obama to a snake-oil salesman. Then he went a step further. “I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button,” Davis said. “He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”

As you can imagine, the Obama camp was not too happy with this characterization. Who would be? Every American should stand up and say we aren’t going to tolerate this kind of racist language any more. Bill Burton, an Obama spokesman said:

“It’s hard to tell what is more outrageous - Representative Davis’ condescending and personal attack, or his absurd and offensive claim that Barack Obama is not prepared to defend America. Geoff Davis may hide behind offensive tough talk, but he has marched in lock-step with Bush-McCain policies that have devastated our national security while Barack Obama has stood up against a misguided war in Iraq and worked with respected Republicans like Dick Lugar and Chuck Hagel to secure loose weapons and nuclear materials from terrorists.”

Tags: Election 2008, Race by ecthompson
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Every now and then you have to do something nice for your mother. My mother watches The View and Oprah. She very much believes in the new power of women. She pointed me to Senator Barack Obama on The View.

Here’s the part that killed Senator John McCain (who was also on The View this week) and Senator Hillary Clinton. Obama is simply a likeable guy. He isn’t stiff or wooden like Kerry or Gore. As a result, it is hard to paint him as an elitist like those others are trying to do. He talks openly about race and Reverend Wright.

 

 Barack Obama on the View: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008, Media, Race by ecthompson
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