You know, Bill Clinton is starting to make some of those terrible thing that many right-wingers said about him in the past ring true. His behavior over the last several weeks, in regards to the Democratic primary campaigning, has been nothing, if not abysmal. Until last Saturday, I would have almost let it slide that they have not been injecting race into “the race”. But, like I said, this was until last Saturday. When Barack Obama trounced Hillary Clinton in South Carolina, getting more than twice the amount of votes she did, Bill Clinton tried to dismiss the voting the South Carolina.

I would have expected this much but, as with a lot of things, it’s often how you do it that speaks most loudly. When asked to respond to whether or not it’s taking “two Clintons” to beat Obama, the former president offered the following:

“Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in ‘84 and ‘88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here.”

Hold up, he didn’t pull that one out, did he? First of all, we all know how many on the right and left like to beat up on Jesse Jackson and dismiss him out of hand. But, there’s another subtext here too. Clinton is implying that Obama is just another black candidate who had a win in South Carolina but, it won’t matter when white people get their say. Never mind that Obama, while getting 81% of South Carolina’s black vote, also got 24% of the white vote. Hillary Clinton only took 36% of the white vote and among that, while performing well with white women, Obama still beat her in the white male vote. Obama also beat her among young voters, voters making under $50,000 and voters making over $200,000. I would have to say that this constitutes a pretty broad appeal.

But, let’s get back to the subject. You see, Bill Clinton is shooting himself in the foot and, by extension, is doing so to Hillary Clinton. Remember her, she’s the real candidate here. In fact, his mouth is costing them some key endorsements. Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late John F. Kennedy, endorsed Obama on Sunday, saying “I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.”

Then, today, Ms. Kennedy’s uncle, Massachussets Senator Ted Kennedy, endorsed Barack Obama for president. This was a blow to the Clinton campaign, which had, for weeks, courted Sen. Kennedy. But, once again, this loss had to do with Bill Clinton’s antics. Kennedy had considered remaining neutral but, according to two New York Times reporters covering the story, Kennedy was put off by “misleading statements by Mr. Clinton about Mr. Obama, as well as his injection of race into the campaign.”

But, by far the most interesting endorsement came from the woman who, referring to him a symbolic sense, once called Bill Clinton the “first black president”, something the Clinton surrogates have been beating us over our heads with in the past several weeks. Author Toni Morrison has also endorsed Barack Obama for president. In a letter, she explains why she chose Obama over Hillary Clinton:

“In addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don’t see in other candidates. That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom. It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair and old age. Or if we call searing vision naivete. Or if we believe cunning is insight. Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it.”

Despite their eloquence, these words are a hard-hitting repudiation of the criticisms that the Clintons and their spokespeople have levied against Obama and the spirit of cynicism in which they were done.

It seems to me that, at least for now, Bill Clinton’s tactics have hurt more than they’ve helped. As we inch closer to “Super Tuesday” and look to whom the “super delegates” will choose, let’s hope that these developments serve notice to the Clintons, and particularly the former president that, while people can deal with hardball, there is still a dept to which many will refuse to go.

Popularity: 19% [?]

To put it bluntly, there has to be a special place in hell for people who do things to the least among us.

What am I talking about?

While you have people living in trailers some 2 1/2 years after they lost their homes to a hurricane and flooding, $600 million from a housing program that was supposed to go to housing is being used to hook up Bush cronies (surprise!).

Housing and Urban Development secretary, Alphonso Jackon, recently sent a letter to Mississippi governor Haley Barbour, approving the diversion of funds to a ports project that would include a casino and resort facilities.

So, once again, it’s screw the poor and one more big cash cow for Bush’s buddies. Come on January 2009!

Popularity: 21% [?]

Okay, I have to say that this one caught me off-guard.

A Texas district attorney is catching heat based on a 2003 email which has surfaced. Harris County assistant district attorney Mike Trent’s email was sent to dozens of people, congratulating a colleague on his recent conviction of a defendant. However, it’s his choice of words that is raising some eyebrows.

In his email, Trent stated the following:

“He overcame a subversively good defence by Matt Hennessey that had some Canadians on the jury feeling sorry for the defendant and forced them to do the right thing.”

The strange thing is that, in the review of the jury, no Canadians were present. In fact, it would have been very difficult, if not nearly impossible, for a Canadian to be seated on a Texas jury.

The other strange thing was that there were some black jurors, though. So, it appears that Mr. Trent may have found a unique slur of blacks on juries.

So, now I a ‘Canadian’, eh?

Popularity: 15% [?]

This is a preview of an upcoming episode of The Boondocks. It is pretty obvious that this episode will NEVER appear on B.E.T.

Warnings for language and some violent content.

Get it before it’s pulled from YouTube!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Somebody call Kwame Kilpatrick’s mother and have her slap him upside the head. Or, better yet, call in an I.T. person to explain to the Detroit Mayor that, in this day and age, any electronic message you send in this day and age is stored on at least one server, somewhere. I mean, really, what was this dude thinking?

In case you don’t know, Mayor Kilpatrick and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, are probably holding their collective breath as they ponder their futures. You see, last summer, they testified in a police whistle-blower trial. Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown and former police officer Harold Nelthrope claimed that they fired in 2003 because their jobs as part of the mayor’s security detail might have seen them offer testimony in the probe of the mayor and would have exposed the mayor’s affair with said chief of staff.

Yes, I said “affair”.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. In sworn testimony, Kilpatrick and Beatty denied that they colluded to fire Deputy Chief Brown and denied ever having an affair but, they weren’t careful enough in covering their tracks. Unable to separate work from play, they decided to send text messages back and forth and Beatty used her city-issued pager to do so.

After going over 14,000 messages sent from Beatty’s pager, they found messages between the two referencing their love for one another and past sexual trysts ( I wonder how the mayor’s wife felt about this). Furthermore, they also found a message from Beatty discussing the “decision that we made to fire Gary Brown.”

Now, of course, Brown and Beatty are in really hot water. First of all, rather than settle, they let this case go to trial, costing a cash-strapped Detroit some $9 million. But, probably the most damaging aspect to this was that they lied under oath. As a result, the two could be facing perjury charges. Though we are not even at the point of being charged, it should be noted that perjury charges carry a maximum of 15 years in jail. However, even if perjury is off the table, Kilpatrick could face losing his law license if it’s determined that he lied to a jury.

In the end, I have to ask, was the lovin’ that good to go through all of this?

Popularity: 19% [?]

I’m about to make a terrible stereotype about some of my younger brothers and sisters. I see too many as totally disinterested in seeing themselves as part of a greater black family and instead choose to see themselves as individuals who just happen to be black. Many also take on a mentality of “as long as I’m okay, everything’s okay”. In other words, if things are good for me then, if they’re bad for someone else, it’s purely a shortcoming on their part.

Of course, as individuals, it is their prerogative. However,
at what cost does this come to black people as a whole?

At a recent Martin Luther King Day observance in Roxboro, NC, such questions were asked.

One comment really stuck out that indicates, to me, how artificial these distinctions that some folks draw really are. It was offered by Dr. Kenneth R. Hammond:

“The world tries to make us believe that our dreams are unworthy and the sneaky weapon that can do that is prosperity, which can make you forget your God, forsake your father’s house… make us cruel to each other … and make us forget the bridge that brought us over.

…

Don’t get hung up on this prosperity thing for if the truth be known, most of us are one check away from welfare”

Well put, indeed.

Popularity: 23% [?]

While candidates bicker back and forth over who’s more presidential, there a big white elephant in the room that’s screaming for attention — the economy.

Last week, President Bush, with the support of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, announced an economic stimulus plan.  The idea is to give up to $800  to single people and up to $1600 to married couples in hopes to kick start the economy again and avoid a recession.

Let me publicly go on the record and say I think this is a horrible idea.  First of all, this, like the money for the Iraq war, will be borrowed money.  So, at some point in time, this will need to be paid back, with interest.  Secondly, what a we going to buy that will really help the U.S.?  Most of our manufacturing is done outside of the U.S. so, for example,  if a family buys a new T.V. or clothes, that money will likely go out outside of the country.

Well, to say the least, this economic stimulus plan was not well-received.  Foreign markets plummeted as investors sold off their shares in U.S. holdings.  In an emergency measure, the Federal Reserve cut the key interest rate by .75%.  This was sparked by fears of a huge drop in the U.S. stock market when it opened this morning.  At one point in time, there was an expectation of a 500-point drop in the Dow when markets opened today.  This news did little assuage investors and the Dow posted a 300-point loss in the opening minutes of trading.

One thing should be glaringly obvious in all this.  Who you pick for president is important.  As you can tell, their policies have a huge impact on your daily lives.  So, for whomever you consider voting, remind them of one thing — it’s still all about the economy.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Today is the day we set aside to commemorate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was struck down by an assassin’s bullet nearly 40 years ago. Despite what some may want to say, Dr. King’s life and actions have had a profound effect on what direction America has taken in regards to the fight for racial equality. Though there is still much work to be done, had it not been for Dr. King, as well as those who passed the torch to him and those who carry on his mantle, who knows how much worse America would have been. So, today, I personally want to thank Dr. King for not only his inspirational words but, also, his actions and, ultimately, his sacrifice.

Today, I share with you the speech he gave the night before he was killed. It is as profound, and relevant today, as it was in 1968. I can only hope that the words inspire you as much as they do me.

Popularity: 28% [?]

As you all know, a few days back, Bob Johnson made some rather stupid comments about Barack Obama. The next day, Bill Clinton came to Johnson’s defense, saying his words basically asking, “who are you going to believe…me or your lying ears?”. In an interview with WVON (Chicago) radio, Clinton said that Johnson was commenting on Obama’s community organizing, not his admitted teenage drug use, when he said:

“As an African American, I am frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues, when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood that I won’t say what he was doing but he said it in his book… “

Later, in this same tirade, he likened Obama to Sidney Poitier’s character from “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?“

According to Bill Clinton, he “listened to it on the tape and I think we have to take him (Johnson) at his word.”

Well, I wonder how this squares with the latest development. Bob Johnson has issued a public apology to Barack Obama. In it, he says the following:

“I’m writing to apologize to you and your family personally for the un-called-for comments I made at a recent Clinton event. In my zeal to support Senator Clinton, I made some very inappropriate remarks for which I am truly sorry. I hope that you will accept this apology. Good luck on the campaign trail.”

I would imagine that, after trying for days to dismiss this as overhyped, the Clintons, at least Bill Clinton, have to have a little egg on their face. Johnson is admitting that the comments he made were as insulting as the rest of the public thought them to be. This should be a lesson for all candidates. Be mindful of who speaks for you.

Popularity: 20% [?]

All right, let’s get back to the real issues. As you might now, there continues to be a big fight in New Orleans as residents.

Last month, activists from the Coalition to Protect Public Housing clashed with police to fight for the rights of public housing residents who have continued to be displaced by plans of the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to tear down three housing projects. So, what we continue to see is a big land-grab, causing the ranks of the homeless to swell.

For example:

Since Katrina, the homeless population of New Orleans has doubled to more than 12,000 people. Despite what the New York Times on Dec. 2 called an “acute rental shortage,” HUD plans to spend $762 million to demolish public housing and replace it with only 744 new units of affordable housing. HUD will spend an average of $400,000 for each new mixed-income unit, while statements by HANO’S own insurance company have shown that many of the multiple-unit buildings to be demolished could be repaired for less than $10,000 per building.

So, with all the talk about “change” and “hope” going on right now, I “hope” that one of these candidates can tell me how they are going to “change” things for the better for the people of New Orleans.

Popularity: 27% [?]