black…MYstory

CBS has provided a widget with election results.  Here they are so far:

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Well, the day we have been anxiously waiting arrived and, in some states, voting will be wrapping up soon.

I sit here hoping and believing that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States.

I plan on being up late tonight so, I’ll be posting from time to time as I hear updates.  I expect this to be quite a rollercoaster ride.

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If you love early 90’s hip-hop, you’ll appreciate this.  This is Dres from the Black Sheep with an updated version of “The Choice is Yours” in support of Barack Obama.

Video Below:

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This e-mail was sent to me from one of our Volunteers in the Temple Terrace office. If you think it can help us win this election please pass it on. This election is now in our hands everyone can make a difference.
Thanks
Dave

This was the message that appeared at the top of an email sent by the Hillsoborough County GOP chair in Tampa, FL. It seems innocent enough, right?  But, it was the rest of the email that’s the problem.

It cites “the threat.”  What is the threat?  It’s things like “CARLOADS OF BLACK OBAMA SUPPORTERS COMING FROM THE INNER CITY TO CAST THEIR VOTES FOR OBAMA. THIS IS THEIR CHANCE TO GET A BLACK PRESIDENT AND THEY SEEM TO CARE LITTLE THAT HE IS AT MINIMUM, SOCIALIST, AND PROBABLY MARXIST IN HIS CORE BELIEFS. AFTER ALL, HE IS BLACK–NO EXPERIENCE OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS–BUT HE IS BLACK.“  (Sorry for all the caps but, this is how this passage appeared in the email)

Yes, the marauding hordes of black coming to exercise their constitutional right to vote should be treated as a threat to our American way of life.

Needless to say, it was seen as the racism it is and now Storck is in the hotseat. Storck claims he did not read the email before he forwarded it ( I guess the 20+-point font being used in it didn’t grab his attention) and is saying that he does not agree with the sentiments expressed in the email.  However, the Hillsborough Commissioner, Kevin White, and Curtis Stokes, an African American Republican and head of the Tampa NAACP chapter, are calling for Storck’s resignation.

Storck sent out the email to some 400 Republican supporters.  Given what we’ve seen from Republicans, racist tactics like this are of little surprise.  However, it should serve to remind them why they have so few minority party members.

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Ronald Reagan used to speak of an 11th commandment: “Thou shall not speak ill of a fellow Republican”.

This election season, this commandment is being violated all over the place (the circular firing squad is in full effect).  But, even the last media bastion of Republican refuge, Fox News, is showing signs of disgust with McCain and crew.  On his show, Neil Cavuto blasts McCain for have no consistent or understandable position on the economy.  For a minute, this sounded like a “special comment” a la Keith Olbermann.

Cavuto argues that, while he does not like Obama, he can respect his consistency but, to McCain, he says “on economic matters, you have no convictions.”

Needless to say, I have my bowl of popcorn out as I watch the Republicans battle it out.

Video below:

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In this country, we give a pay a lot of lip service to the notion of doing the right thing and standing on principle.  However, where the rubber meets the meets the road or, more appropriately, when our financial interests a jeopardized, we back down.

So, I have to give it up to some 40 employees of Americall, a telemarketing center in Hobart, Indiana.  These call center agents are most certainly people who could use the money but weren’t willing to sell their souls in the process.

Their assignment was to make anti-Obama calls, calling him “dangerously weak on crime” and claiming he voted against “protecting children from danger.”

However, rather than make these calls, the employees flatly refused and, instead, sacrificed a day’s pay and walked out.

So, respect due to these employees.  What they did showed a lot of character.

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Could Ashley Todd’s story be true?  Of course — but it’s kind of suspect.  Ms. Todd, a Texas college student, was working for the McCain campaign in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  According to Ms. Todd, this past Wednesday, she went to an ATM machine to withdraw some money.  She said that, while there, she was robbed by a black man at knifepoint.  She further stated that the assailant backed off but, upon seeing a John McCain sticker on her car, became enraged, punched and kicked her and then sat on her shoulders, facing her, and carved a “B” on her cheek (for “Barack”, I presume?)

Of course, the police are investigating this as a robbery and assault but, they are expressing skepticism about her account of the attack.  There are just some glaring concerns with/inconsistencies in her behaviors and statements that inspire doubt.  For example,  she refused medical treatment.  But, to be fair, if she were a victim of a violent crime, she could have been so shaken up that she chose not to go to the hospital.  However, there are other things that have me scratching my head on this one.  First of all, the “B” carved in her face is backwards. Did someone sit on her shoulders and carve a backward “B” or could this be done by someone doing this to herself while looking in a mirror?  Then, there is the problem that the bank surveillance footage doesn’t show her being at the ATM where she said she was attacked.  Finally, she has now, also, changed her story.

Ms. Todd now says she was unconscious and doesn’t remember being cut.  She says that she discovered the knife wound later.

Though the authorities are treating this a credible case, Ms. Todd is being subjected to a lie detector test.

Right-wing blogs across the internet have been on fire regarding this attack on a Republican by a “crazed Obama supporter”.  I wonder what they will say if it proves untrue.

UPDATE:

Well, never mind, it appears that she was lying.  Pittsburgh police are now saying that Ashley Todd made up the entire story.  She will be charged with making a false report to police.

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I actually felt kind of bad for McCain-Palin spokesperson Nancy Pfotenhauer.  She’s in the unenviable position of having to defend Governor Palin’s total lack of understanding of the role of the vice-president.

In a recent interview, Sarah Palin stated that the role of the vice-president was to be “in charge of the Senate” and craft policy with the Senate.  In actuality, a vice-president on presides over the Senate to cast the deciding vote in case of a tie.  However, because of the separation of powers, the vice-president is a part of the executive branch, not the legislative branch so, it is not within the normal duties of a vice-president to help craft legislation.

Since the Palin interview aired, the McCain camp and surrogates have tried to spin this but, it is clear — Sarah Palin has no idea what the job she is campaigning for actually involves.  I guess she was too busy shopping at Nieman-Marcus to actually take time out to read the part of the Constitution that describes her potential role.

Video below:

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As you, no doubt, know by now, Colin Powell has endorsed Barack Obama for President.  I caught his appearance on Meet The Press and Powell gave a thoughtful and insightful explanation of not only why he was endorsing Obama but, also, why he was not endorsing McCain.

The video is below.

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Okay, I think I’ve seen it all, now.  In giving a prayer at a McCain rally,  Rev. Arnold Conrad threatens God by telling God that “your reputation is involved in all that happens in November” because there are those around the world of other religions pulling for Obama (making sure not to forget those scary Muslims) and tells God that “you should guard your own reputation because they’re gonna think their God is bigger than you if it happens…”

So, in other words, saying “God, I am assuming that I know more than you about this world and the politics in it.”

Oh, but Reverend Wright’s the crazy one, huh?

But, don’t take my word for it…watch the video for yourself.

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