The Revenge of the Spurned

Connecticut liberal voters played a dangerous game by turning on Lieberman in 2006, successfully pushing him off of the Democratic bus, but he surprised them by winning the general election and taking back his place in the senate.

This shows how an active and charged activist base can undermine the cause of a party and drag it from its center of gravity. Now that Senator Lieberman is effectively on his own, he has far more power to influence legislation than anyone else in the Senate. He reminded us of this fact this week.

At this point, with liberals actively jumping ship and Howard Dean and the White House taking pot shots at each other through the press, it's going to take more than a Beer (Egg Nog?) summit to restore unity in the party.

My observation is that Obama will be assigned the role of scapegoat, and be given the burden of this failure to carry alone into the desert.

But it doesn't need to be this way. What is amazing about the relationship between Obama and Lieberman is that Lieberman is actively assuming the role that Obama campaigned on. In reality, it doesn't matter WHAT the U.S. Congress comes up with for legislation, because if Obama doesn't sign it into law then it's all wasted time and breath anyway. Lieberman is playing obstructionist, but the Office of the President is the ultimate obstruction in passing legislation.

Obama would do well to take a lesson from Lieberman in courting the center. Lieberman knows that the current legislation in the senate is so compromised that it will never pass. The Democrats climbed the burning ladder of their agenda all summer and fall, but nobody paid attention to the true power center, the base of each party, which is the Main Street Independent voter. When the crushing 10.2% unemployment figures came in for October, everyone had to face reality with respect to the failures of their bailout policy for the last 18 months.

Since assuming power in 2006, the Democratic Congress has done nearly nothing to improve the lot of regular people who live on Main Street, USA. Petty infighting and executive ambitions, compounded with a grueling 2 year presidential election battle, have distracted them from their center of gravity. They have lost their presence of mind.

What Obama should do is move more closely to the center. He should force the Democrats to play his game, or to be absolutely useless for the next two years. Instead of asking them for what he wants, he ought to make it clear what HE refuses to sign into legislation, and to frame the boundaries of the debate. He should do this in a way that unilaterally reaches across both isles, as Senator Lieberman has done.

Frankly, Lieberman may have consigned a flawed, broken, compromised, worthless bill that gives millions to insurance agencies, does nothing to force innovation and competition in the national market, to the dustbin of history. Obama's term is fresh yet, and he can reorient his focus on job growth, putting Joe the Independent on the inside track. In time, we might even see more defectors from the ideological wings of each party, and have senators such as Olympia Snowe take a page from Senator Lieberman's book.

But it's a shame that Obama doesn't wield the power of the pen and force his party to come to the table and court his favor for a change. If he makes it clear what his standards are, and if he does not succumb to the "legislation at any cost" fever that is so typical of the beltway, he might find his liberation in Senator Lieberman's example.

I wanted to wait until after all the numbers had come in to talk about the recent elections. Many are saying that the election results are the beginning of the end for Obama. The Republicans have pushed out their talking heads prematurely claiming a shift in their favor. Remember, the devil is always in the details. The devil in this case are the numbers, the voters, who showed up to vote. The exit polling is problematic for both Republicans and Democrats.

VIRGINIA NUMBERS:(CNN Exit Polling)

24% Health Care reform concerns
15% Taxes
7% Transportation issues-Local
56% Obama NOT a factor
10% was 18-29 and Republicans captured 54% for their vote
10% Turn out of African-American Voters !!- This is awful
18% Stated that their vote was in support of President
24% stated that their vote was in opposition of the President
51% Current Presidents approval ratings...same if and close to election day a year ago.

Democratic candidate (Deeds) was behind 10% points prior to elections.
Deeds had flip-flopped on a tax question and had a poor performance at the debates.

Historical trend in Governors seat; has changed after every election since Clinton to the opposite party that just won the White House. This happen with Bush -43 also.

NEW JERSEY:

26% Property Taxes-Local
20% Corruption -Local
9% age 18-29 and Republicans Captured 36% of their vote
60% of Independent voters supported Republican Christie
14% Turn out of African-American Voters!! This is awful

19% Stated that their vote was in support of President
20% stated that their vote was in opposition of the President
57% Current Presidents approval ratings...same if and close to election day a year ago.

Democratic Candidate (Corzine) Approval ratings was in the low 30-40 since Mid 2008. The state had many financial problems and high property taxes.


The election results in these to states were clearly known prior to election night and not unforeseen. The change was more determined by local issues and not the President.

However, there are lessons to be learned for both Parties. First, the Democrats need to pay attention to how the Independents voters voted. It appears that they are basically putting the Democrats' on a verbal warning, things need to get better or we will take your power away. Democrats need to show the Independent voters that they did not make a mistake in 2008 and that you can work together, turn the economy around, create jobs and pass health care reform. Democrats, you will not be successful at mid-term elections if you cannot get the young voters to turnout as well as people of color your mid-term election hopes are damned. Your future lies with them, don't forget that!!

Secondly, the Republicans need to find a National Leader other than Rush Limbaugh. If you are going to play obstructionist you need to find and articulate spokesperson that at a minimum can state what you want to do for the nation instead of what you don't like about Obama. We are willing to follow (almost) anyone who can effectively lead us out of this mess. While keeping in mind how we actually got here!

INSTANT VIEW: GDP up 3.5 percent; jobless claims fall | Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. economy grew in the third quarter for the first time in a year as consumer spending and investment in new home-building rebounded, data showed on Thursday, unofficially ending the worst recession in 70 years.

This is interesting, especially the part about the jobless claims. I have not heard of any places that are starting to hire again, and expand payrolls. What happens is that six months go by and jobless assistance runs out, then people cannot go in to claim their unemployment checks anymore. They don't have jobs still, they're not as employed as they want to be, but they can't show up to claim unemployment.

And the news reports this as a decrease in unemployment.

It seems dishonest, and some of that bears through in this Reuters article, because it says that these numbers "unofficially end" the recession. Meanwhile, the actual number of people who are not as employed as they want to be (meaning they have no job at all or are working part time when they wish to be working full time) is not being reported.

We need to press the newspapers to honestly report the jobs figures. Also, there's a difference between the Nominal GDP Growth and Real GDP Growth. Once you factor in inflation, we are probably still seeing negative GDP Growth.

Don't let Washington and Wall Street fool you. We haven't seen the end of this by a country mile.

Obama Asked "Why Do People Hate You?" By Fourth Grader (VIDEO)

Obama Asked "Why Do People Hate You?" By Fourth Grader (VIDEO): "At a town hall meeting in New Orleans Thursday, fourth-grader Terrence Scott earnestly asked the question that has probably been on many people's minds as they witnessed the rage that has been directed at Obama these last few months: 'why do people hate you?' The young man seemed genuinely concerned as he asked the question, and he went on to tell Obama that 'They supposed to love you.' Obama responded by giving the young man a hug while saying, 'That's what I'm talking about.' Then came the hard part of actually answering his question."

He actually said "They supposed to love you. God is love, so..."

This was wonderful.

Follow the link for the video of President Obama's response to this heartwarming question.

Nobel Committe Chair Explains chioce.

Swine flu's bigger impact on blacks and Hispanics is not being addressed

..."But several recent studies from local health departments around the country suggest a broader trend is already underway in minority communities:

• Boston's Public Health Commission found that 37% of all swine flu cases in that city occurred among blacks, though the black population is only 25%. Likewise, Hispanics comprise 14% of Boston residents but one-third of all confirmed H1N1 cases. Even more disturbing, three of every four people hospitalized for the virus in Boston have been black or Hispanic.

• Chicago's Department of Public Health studied 1,500 lab-confirmed swine flu cases between late April and late July and found blacks and Hispanics were four times more likely to be hospitalized than whites.
  


• Oklahoma's Department of Public Health reported last week that African-American children in the state were being hospitalized for swine flu at three times the rate of white children and twice the rate of Native American children.

  The higher hospitalization most likely reflects disparities in health conditions among population groups, experts say. Asthma and obesity, for instance, are more prevalent among African-Americans and Latinos, precisely the kinds of conditions that can lead to more severe reactions to the H1N1 virus. ...

I've had the H1N1 for two weeks now and I am no longer contagious, that last for 72 hours, the Swine Flu knocked me out. It started with an unavailable sore throat. My sore throat lasted for about two days and then I was drained and tired, It felt like I was hit by a truck, all the typical flu symptoms. However, what followed was this persistent and painful cough that I could feel deep in my chest. I have asthma, my Doctor call's it "runner's induced asthma," that usually flares up when I am exercising or in extreme cold weather or when I catch a cold. I am in pretty good shape and cannot recall the last time I have had a need or used my asthma medication. My Doctor told me that the H1N1 hits the respiratory system, the lungs. I was told that if my breathing does not get better I should go to the emergency room. I can only wonder what would have happened had I not been in the shape that I am in.

Michael Williams for United States Senate

Michael Williams for United States Senate: "Let’s talk about race. As an African-American son of the south, I grew up in a time and place where you didn’t have to divine intent or deconstruct code words to find racism. When it raised its ugly head it was like a blunt instrument waved in your face to keep you in your place. It was as unmistakable as it was demeaning.

Unfortunately, with political waters getting rough for the first time for our president, his supporters are quick to latch on to the actions of a fringe element, and ignore the racial transformation this country has made to take us back to a past era where opposition to a black man was about the color of his skin and not the content of his ideas."

So much for the cynical "Token" hypothesis. From my perspective, the Democrats are rightly scared that they will face a future where they actually have to give something back to African Americans in return for their vote.

It amazes me how quickly people forget the 2000 election, when the Democratic President of the Senate gaveled down the Congressional Black Caucus and denied them a chance to press their rights during the ratification of the Florida ballot. Not ONE single senator in the vaunted Democratic Party was willing to stand beside the Congressional Black Caucus to debate whether illegal and racist voter suppression had taken place in Florida.

Not one.

Democrats take the black vote for granted, and their lock on the black vote is changing all over the country.

Deficit May Prove Obstacle for Senate Health Measure

If the health care reform effort were a boxing match, the Democrats would just have suffered a massive body blow:

Bloomberg: "Concerns about the federal budget deficit may thwart efforts by Senate Democrats to pass legislation this month calling for the biggest expansion of the U.S. health-care system since Medicare’s creation in 1965.

The Senate Finance Committee, which had planned to approve its version of a health-care bill as early as today, scrapped a vote to give the Congressional Budget Office time to complete a cost assessment. The delay threatens to dash plans by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to start debate in the full Senate next week after combining the measure with one from the chamber’s health committee."

The Senate trying to race the clock and beat the S&P 500's looming retrenchment is like Tyson trying to stay on his legs while getting his ribs hammered by uppercuts on the inside from Lewis, with foreign central banks playing the role of Lewis. (The GOP don't qualify for much other than radio commentary these days.)

Now, in the next couple of days, Democrats will have to lie through their teeth argue that the budget is in good shape and that this process can proceed to a full debate without the need to wait for news from the Congressional Budget Office. While they try to make that argument, the markets will continue to respond to news that the dollar will soon be replaced as both the world's reserve currency and the de facto metric for the value of petroleum.

In politics as in boxing, absolutely everything is connected to some degree. As I've said before, the Democrats are trying to climb a burning ladder with health care reform. Just like a boxer who has suffered too many body blows and is having trouble staying on his feet, their efforts to enact reform on this subject stand to get hammered by a weakening dollar, a burgeoning debt, growing cynicism about the foundations of the U.S. economic system from the all-important foreign central banks, and two rapidly deteriorating war efforts. Support is eroding right beneath them as they try to continue.

A political analyst has to learn how to see the whole fight, not just what the boxers' fists are doing, but also what their legs are doing. The Democrats cannot ignore the body blows from the rest of these issues forever.

Wolffe: RNC Chair Steele 'Token' African-American Put in Charge to Hide Party's Racism | NewsBusters.org

..."The poor guy has got no leash - it's not even a short leash," Wolffe said. "And to get to the race question you have to understand the Party's calculation in putting him there in the first place. It was a simplistic and crude equation they made - that to cover themselves against any accusations of racism and boy, it's not that hard to find them - they needed to have a black figure going up against an African-American president and they didn't have many people to choose from with this token gesture and so they had to choose someone that plainly wasn't ready for primetime. ..."

..."All of that is being played out now because it turns out irony of ironies, they don't even need any cover," Wolffe said. "They can be as outrageous as they like and portray the President as a witch doctor and they get on Fox News. So everything is fine. They didn't need the cover of Michael Steele. It's just ironic for a party that always complained about quotas and affirmative action; they have found themselves with one."...

I think this is important! in light of where the criticism is coming from. Last week Michael Steele was asked if the racist radical rhetoric was putting President Obama's Life in danger? and Michael Steele just laughed it off. It amazes me lately how stupid his remarks are; he acts like there was is no problem. I just could not help but think how guilty he will feel if something happens to the President. I just wondered if he would then be able to laugh it off and try to put a sentence together on how wrong he was. It's really sad to watch him defend the Republicans and not own up to his own heritage. I know many will say "We were Republicans before we were Democrats." I say the Republicans use to act like Democrats back then.

Latin American Herald Tribune - Blacks, Hispanics Join Forces to Demand Health Reform

"The groups said they support comprehensive health care reform that includes the “public option” whereby the government can compete with private insurers; has universal medical coverage, without regard for work status or people’s health, and offers high-quality coverage at affordable prices.

Calculations are that approximately 47 million people lack health insurance in the United States, and although legislators acknowledge the urgency of reforming the system, for the moment they have not managed to reach a consensus about how to do so without inflating the budget deficit.

Pointing to Census Bureau figures, the groups said that more than 100 million people belong to minorities in the United States, or some 33 percent of the population.

In Florida and Louisiana, minorities comprise 40 percent of the population."

The numbers are unbelievable, but I know this already just based on what I grew up. My grandmother, her children and my mother have always been afraid of Doctors and not trusting them. Doctors were only to be seen in absolute extreme measures, most of the time by then it was to late. Many African Americans suffer from Diabetes which is a pretty manageable disease, however more African-Americans die from the complications of Diabetes . It is very rare that you will hear that someone died from diabetes they usually die from Kidney failure or Heart disease , after years of High blood pressure. This is a result of diabetes.

Health care reform would hopefully lead to more African Americans and other minorities to seek out Doctors with the idea of preventive care then to simply ignore their health concerns and say " I can't afford to go to the Doctor".

Gold Jumps to Record as Inflation Outlook Fuels Investor Demand - Bloomberg.com

Bloomberg: "Gold is acting like the ultimate currency,” said Chip Hanlon, the president of Delta Global Advisors Inc. in Huntington Beach, California. “Central banks are following the same monetary course and trying to stimulate and inflate their way back to growth. Everyone’s concerned about the dollar, but it’s not like you can hate the dollar and fall in love with the euro or the yen.”

U.S. President Barack Obama has increased the nation’s marketable debt to an unprecedented $6.94 trillion as he borrows to spur the world’s largest economy. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. predicts the country will sell about $2.9 trillion of debt in the two years ending next September."

So, what's happening here is that the Federal government has spent the last 18 months engaging in various bailouts, "stimulus" bills, and other types of inflationary policy.

But where does the money come from? And why would it lead to "inflation", or higher prices?

The government works with the Federal Reserve and the rest of the banking system in the U.S. to create new money through a process called "monetization of debt". In other words, for every "dollar" created by the Fed, a corresponding amount of debt is sold in the form of U.S. "Treasury Certificates" (T-Bills) on the foreign markets. Other country's central banks such as China, Japan and Russia, purchase U.S. Treasury Certificates to use as a "reserve currency" in their central banks. This is needed because the world banking system is no longer on the gold standard, and countries need to back their currency with some other form of money just in case their currency loses its value. But we know that Treasuries are valued in terms of dollars, and dollars are nothing more than a representation of Treasury debt.

It's circular logic. The government makes dollars out of thin air, then sells Treasury debt to foreign governments, which implies that our dollars are valued in terms of foreign good will. But we can only pay back our debt in dollars. So if one of the foreign central banks decides to move out of the dollar as its reserve currency, then the value of the dollar plummets relative to the value of goods and services. In other words, goods and services cost more in terms of the dollar.

So, as the federal government creates more paper money (out of thin air) to pay for more bailouts, more stimulus, more wars, cash for clunkers, more tax rebates, more medicare, more social security, and all of the other things that Americans are unwilling or unable to produce for each other but feel entitled to, other countries' central banks are footing the bill. And when the rest of the world decides that it's had enough of our hollow promises to repay them, and when they realize that they will be paid back in yet more paper money that was made out of thin air, they'll decide to dump U.S. Treasuries, or at least not to buy as many of them. This causes the "value" of the dollar, or its purchasing power to fall, and correspondingly, causes prices to rise.

There is a limit to the amount of debt we can accrue as a nation, before we destroy the dollar altogether. This is not a partisan issue--both parties have stood by and watched the Federal Reserve steadily diminish the buying power of the dollar for the last 80 years. Since 1930, the dollar has lost 95% of its value.

You used to be able to buy a Coca-Cola for a nickel, and college cost 600 dollars a year.

Ultimately the question is this: how, in a nation where the governors of the federal banks can literally make money out of thin air, can minorities ever hope to compete with the ruling class? Every dollar they print makes your dollar worth a little bit less.

Gold broke into record highs today, and the value of gold is a true inverse metric of the strength of the dollar. As gold rises, the value of the dollar falls. With gold go all other commodities such as food, water, energy, heat, gasoline, all of the things that cannot be made out of thin air.

They get richer, and the rest of the world, including us, get poorer. Even if this doesn't make perfect sense, know that it is factoring into the debate in Washington about health care reform.

US Senate Debate On Health-Care Overhaul Faces Delay - WSJ.com

Wall Street Journal: "U.S. Senate debate on health-care legislation likely will be pushed back further into October, with a Senate Finance Committee vote on its health-care bill expected later this week.

According to an aide for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Senate debate on the legislation is likely to be delayed 'at least a week.' Reid had earlier slated debate to begin the week of Oct. 12.

The delay occurs as the Senate Finance Committee waits for a cost estimate of its bill from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). According to a Senate Finance Committee aide, the committee expects to receive the cost estimate 'later this week.'

With the recent bad news on unemployment, the GOP is making hay over their claims that health care reform could deliver a knockout punch to small businesses. It is likely that the Senate is responding with extreme caution, and that health care reform will not include a government option, if it happens at all.

The rally in the S&P 500 that started last Friday is predicted to be nearing its close, so we could see a large dip in the markets in the next week or two, which would correspond to the decision making process of the Senate. So, the argument that a public option would be "bad for the job market", justly or unjustly, will almost certainly receive support from the markets in the next 5-10 business days.

Health Care and Abortions?

I don't want to get these two topics twisted together because they are separate. The health care debate is about the Millions of minorities that do not have access to health care. This is not about African American women that have abortions. The previous blog points out an important concern that African American women need to look at in our community. I am pro-choice on this issue and I think that a woman has the right to do with her body what she wants.

The great thing about statics and numbers is that anyone can use it to their advantage. Example, Presdient Obama's numbers just came out and said that 56% agreed with the way he was handling the economy and 40% disagreed. So, the Democrats could say almost 60% of Americans agree with what he is doing. And the Republicans could say that almost 50% disagee with the way the President is handling the economy. Both statements are true.

However, the devil is always in the details. My colleague's post does not say WHY these women are having abortions. When you look at the current state of African Americans, having a child out of wedlock may not be the best thing. But, this is a family values issue, sex safe issue and the prevention of HIV in African American women. Yes, the FAMILY has broken down considerably in our community and this is valid point and the conversation should be directed in that direction.

As we exam our politics it is essential that we exam ourselves. I hear many of our people say that there are no more excuses on why WE cannot do, and achieve anything we want now that we have a Black President.

"If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change..."

Bias at Montco swim club | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/23/2009

"A state investigation found that a Montgomery County swim club racially discriminated in June when it revoked an agreement to allow a Northeast Philadelphia day camp to use its pool after 56 African American and Hispanic children made their first visit.

'The racial animus . . . and the racially coded comments' by club members at the Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley were the reasons the club revoked Creative Steps Inc.'s contract, according to a 33-page report by the Human Relations Commission that was released last night by an attorney for four of the campers."

The Human Relations Commission report said the club had 155 paid memberships in 2009 and 179 in 2008, none held by an African American. Additionally, the report noted that when Valley Club tried in 2009 to expand its membership by recruiting in areas outside its township - Lower Moreland, which has a 0.8 percent black population - mailings were "mainly directed at areas with overwhelmingly Caucasian populations," including Rhawnhurst, Fox Chase, and Churchville.

The relatively diverse townships of Cheltenham and Abington, like other nearby areas with "significant African American populations," the report says, were passed over.

This is just sad! These are just kids. I think that this decision my very well put them out of business. If all 56 parents of these kids file a lawsuit we are talking upwards of almost 3 million dollars.

Read the full story for more detailed information.

Minorities feel sharper recession pain - report - Sep. 23, 2009

'This has been the longest recession since the 1930s and it's triggered the sharpest increase in unemployment to date,' said Christian Weller, a senior fellow at the center and author of the report."

Overall unemployment reached its highest level in 26 years in August, and the rate for minorities grew by more than the rate for whites, according to the report. Between the fourth quarter of 2007 and the second quarter of this year, African American unemployment climbed at 4.2 percentage point annual rate and joblessness among Hispanics rose at 4.1 percentage points per year, while the rate among rates increased 2.8 percentage points annually.

The disparity isn't unusual. During the recession lasting between March 2001 and November 2001, unemployment rates also rose at a sharper rate for all minorities, and the increases lasted longer for African Americans, the report said. While unemployment rates fell for whites and Hispanics after June 2003, they continued to rise for African Americans for four months longer.

My objective with our Blog is to make information more prevalent and for all Minority groups to see how everyday politics and politicians have an overwhelming impact on our lives. We need to support candidates that support us.

Hispanic and African American Adults Are Uninsured at Rates One-and-a Half to Three Times Higher Than White Adults - The Commonwealth Fund

New York, NY, August 1, 2006—Hispanic and African American working-age adults in the U.S. are at greater risk of experiencing gaps in insurance coverage, lacking access to health care, and facing medical debt than white working-age adults, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund.

Sixty-two percent of Hispanic adults ages 19 to 64—an estimated 15 million adults—were uninsured at some point during the year, a rate more than three times as high as that for white working-age adults (20%). Uninsured rates for working-age African-American adults are also high, with one-third (33%)—more than 6 million adults—uninsured or experiencing a gap in coverage during the year.

These numbers are from 2005. I will get updated numbers, but imagine how grime the news will be when you add a recession in the mix. As we continue to talk about a National Health Care program I will look for data that shows who is being impacted by indecision and politics on the hill. We need to put people first instead of politics. Real people are being impacted here!

Here is what happen today

Let the National Conversation Begin

If we are going to have this conversation we should start off with what we should all be talking about health care. That has stirred up all the other conversations about racism, Socialism, why the Republicans fear this and why the the Democrats are not doing more to get this passed.

Health Care

I have posted a link just below about the public option and why this is issue that everyone is fighting about. The public option would drive down cost, hopefully. The whole point of having a national health care program is to infuse competition into the mix and drive down the cost of health care as we know it today. Only competition can do this. The insurance company has had a great run and obviously will not change
unless its hand is forced to change.

The health insurance issue has been the juggernaut that has kept business from hiring more, or the cost per employee that we all hear so much about has been the reason why people are laid off. This is not really a issue for big companies but for mid-size businesses it is a big cost. The pubic option would help drive down cost. Look what happen when Wal-mart decided to offer generic drugs at $4 a shot. Then Target followed, now for these two companies it resulted in increase consumer traffic and it help drive down cost of generic prescription drugs. The generic pricing for those with insurance was no big deal, but for those on a fixed income or no income it made a world of difference, it meant some extra money in their pockets at the end of the month. This was a big shift. This is not exactly a perfect fix but for many it made a difference. Which begs me to ask the question, why are Seniors against this national health care? In all bills that I have seen they all mention overall hauling the Medicaid program, making it better not worse. This is the big issues that seniors complain about the most is prescription drug cost. One would think that the Seniors would be in lock step with the President on this issue. A national health care insurance program with a public option could only result in lower cost for seniors.

Public Option explained in 70 Seconds

Carter Cites 'Racism Inclination' in Animosity Toward Obama | 44 | washingtonpost.com

Carter Cites 'Racism Inclination' in Animosity Toward Obama | 44 | washingtonpost.com: "Carter, who is famously from Georgia: 'And that racism inclination still exists. And I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of the belief among many white people, not just in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply.'"

I think President Carter hit the hammer on the nail! This is what I want to talk about. It's this fear being played up. Also, what does President Obama's presidency mean to African-American's if he fails? Or, what no one wants to say out loud, if he is assassinated? Now, had the health care debate been better "Primed and Framed" we may not be talking about under tones of racism, especially 9 months into his presidency. However, we would have had this conversation anyway.

inclination - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Inclination - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: "* Main Entry: in·cli·na·tion
* Pronunciation: \ˌin-klə-ˈnā-shən, ˌiŋ-\
* Function: noun
* Date: 14th century

1 a obsolete : natural disposition : character b : a particular disposition of mind or character : propensity; especially : liking
2 : an act or the action of bending or inclining: as a : bow, nod b : a tilting of something
3 a : a deviation from the true vertical or horizontal : slant; also : the degree of such deviation b : an inclined surface : slope c (1) : the angle determined by two lines or planes (2) : the angle made by a line with the x-axis measured counterclockwise from the positive direction of that axis
4 : a tendency to a particular aspect, state, character, or action

— in·cli·na·tion·al \-shnəl, -shə-nəl\ adjective"

I love this word!!!

Obama, His Critics & Racism: Connected? - The Two-Way - Breaking News, Analysis Blog : NPR

Obama, His Critics & Racism: Connected? - The Two-Way - Breaking News, Analysis Blog : NPR: "The conversation continues about whether racism is playing a part in the criticism aimed at President Barack Obama by some conservatives.

On Morning Edition, NPR news analyst Juan Williams told host Renee Montagne that many in the black and Hispanic communities see what they think is a pattern that adds up to a 'lack of basic acceptance of the stature that's to be accorded any president.'"

For the last two weeks I have been reading articles and pondering the idea of this new form of racism, code words, and what's going on? " Is calling President Obama a Socialist" the new N-word"? I thought that by electing our first black President that we would all be more accepting of each others differences, is this not the case? I will blog more on this later, but check our some of the discussions taking place

The Toledo Journal - FIT FOR LIFE

The Toledo Journal - FIT FOR LIFE: "(NAPSM) – High blood pressure (or hypertension) affects about 73 million adults age 20 and older in the U.S. and is often called the ''silent killer,'' with African Americans being more likely to develop the condition than any other racial or ethnic group.
The continued high prevalence within the African American community is of great concern to the medical community, especially given the many external pressures we all juggle every day, such as jobs, finances and family care."

You never really hear of African Americans dying from High Blood pressure. What we usually find is that it is the results of High Blood pressure that kills us! Informative article and Website. Check it out!

What President Obama could learn from President Bush.

After you recover from my tag line you may embrace what I am suggesting. President Obama has all the smarts and eloquence to eclipse President Bush. However, there are a few things he should take note on. Whatever you think about President Bush, he may have been a better politician then a public speaker, there are aspects of his presidency that any president that follows may want to emulate.

Many would like to quickly forget about President Bush and look to better days and a brighter future. And whatever you think about if we are better or worse since he was in office is another blog for another day. I believe there were three things that President Bush did very well, at least for the first six years of his Presidency. Bush was able to galvanize his base, was not afraid to make unpopular decisions and kept everyone on the same talking points.

President Bush did one thing very consistently, he not only pandered to his base he held those core Republicans, twenty to thirty percent, for eight years. He galvanized the religious right, and ultra-conservatives. His policy administration was focused on keeping their support. We all remember faith-based initiatives. While pushing his conservative agenda he was able to grab Independents that shared similar conservative beliefs.

The second thing that Bush did well was make unpopular decisions. Even after eight years of watching mangled public statements on any of his skewed policy implementation, you got the feeling that he really was convicted by his belief. His conservative views were some how ordained from God. It was Bush who said that God wanted him to be President. Despite public outcry, he stayed the course and did not buckle to the criticism; he didn’t care. In 2005, President Bush told Mahmould Abbas, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization since November 2004, "I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.' And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George go and end the tyranny in Iraq,' and I did. The Iraq war will probably be his most notable of unpopular and bad decisions.

Lastly, Karl Rove wasn’t Bush’s best adviser; it was Karen Hughes. When Bush had a problem getting his point across, often, he would call in Hughes to help frame the argument. It didn’t stop there, they were able to create talking points that allowed all the Republicans to speak off the same page, and everyone was on message. Whatever the problem was, whatever the program you were watching, the message was the same. It was clear and apparent that everyone got the memo.

Obama was ushered in on a wave of hope. Nine months ago the President’s popularity was unbelievable. Now the reality of the job has set in. The Obama campaign was able to create this great Internet support during the election. How they would use those supporters after the election was and still is unclear. The troops need to be galvanized. The Internet supporters would be helpful for going after Republicans in their voting districts. Want to make a Politicians’ nervous? Start sending them tons of emails and letters from their own voting block and you see them very quickly change their position to something closer to yours.

Who would have thought that President Obama would be afraid to make hard decisions that were unpopular? How did the Republicans manage to frame the health care issue against you, a democratic issue, and your campaign promise? Now you look like a sad puppy dog trying to figure out how to create a win-win with the Republicans. Call Steven Covey he will tell you, sometimes you have to move forward without popular support.

And what the heck is the problem with the Democrats’ on the hill? They have become your biggest opponent, how did this happen? No one is speaking off the same page and no one is on message. So, If Obama Called President Bush he would tell him, first get your house in order, this means those on the hill. Secondly, use your Internet supporters to go after those who are playing obstructionist and lastly, you need to do a better job of framing the issues. I can’t support you if I have no idea what I am supporting.

Health care problems hit close to home

"Poor health care in our country is no longer a question for the imaginary 'those' people - it affects all of us. The idea that President Barack Obama is facing a tough fight to get improved health care is horrifying. We as a nation need better health care, especially in the area of preventative care. We need expanded coverage, lower co-pays, more patient choices, and better customer care from health insurance companies and pharmaceutical firms."

What has troubled me about the health care discussion is that it has been poorly framed by the President. "Those People "are African Americans, Hispanics, and other minority groups.

Poll: Republicans make gains, but still trail Democrats - CNN.com

Story Highlights:
- 52% say Obama's policies will move U.S. in right direction -- a big drop since May
- 43% say GOP's policies will move country in right direction
- Despite GOP gains, Democrats still more trusted on economy, Medicare, poll finds
- CNN polling director: Numbers show Republicans in more competitive position"

Who should take the blame for the President's Falling numbers?

Jobless rate at 9.7 pct.; 216,000 jobs lost | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/05/2009

"The unemployment rate among African American men is now 17 percent, one of the hardest-hit groups."

Is this a surprise to anyone?

WBIR.com | Knoxville, TN | African American men more likely to die from prostate cancer

"September is national prostate cancer awareness month and a time to encourage men to go to the doctor and get tested for the potentially deadly disease.

It could be even more critical for African American men, who are much more likely to get the disease and die from it than any other group."

Important!! Important!! I get tested Annually, I have done so for the last two years. There is usually no symptoms, so please get tested.

Martin Luther King's Legacy Remains Alive - ABC News

Martin Luther King's Legacy Remains Alive - ABC News: "It was 46 years ago today that Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, spoke passionately about his dreams and hopes for equality in the United States.
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A look back at Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 'I Have a Dream' speech.

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And just a year ago, on this day, President Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party nomination for the presidency. In a historic election, the son of an immigrant went on to become the first African American president in U.S. history."

Amazing. 46 years since The Speech, and we're still bickering over how black women should be allowed to do their hair.

Skin Deep - Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics - NYTimes.com

Skin Deep - Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics - NYTimes.com: "Getting “good hair” often means transforming one’s tightly coiled roots; but it is also more freighted, for many African-American women and some men, than simply a choice about grooming. Straightening hair has been perceived as a way to be more acceptable to certain relatives, as well as to the white establishment."

Really... A slow really slow news day for NY Times. Hair, Black people, and relaxers really how news worthy is this? Who cares? Would it matter if she had short hair or long hair?

If this was a segway into a conversation about Chris Rock's new movie why didn't you start with that? Oh yeah, it grabs more headlines when you mention Michelle Obama's name. This is sad!