Mr. Obama Comes to Florida

I just love Maxine!!!! She's probably who I'll be whenever I decide to grow the hell up! On second thought, we're already "more alike than we are different!" This speaks volumes, not only to that similarity, but to my feelings about the senator from Illinois coming here glad-handing, skinnin' and grinnin' and asking not only for more money - but for our support. I find this the worst of his "audacities." But I'm not surprised. Hubris is his second skin. Blocking our 1.7 million votes because the majority weren't cast for him may be a great political strategy in the eyes of those to whom strategy matters. But strategy doesn't matter to me -democracy does. I think primaries are the one, real chance for citizens to have their say about whom they want to represent them in the general election. As far as he's concerned, our say doesn't matter. This Herculean effort by him and his "crew" has been, and continues to be, nothing more than giving this Pied Piper time to hoodwink and bamboozle his way to a tainted nomination (I have got to find that blog I read the other day with the 48-star Old Glory and see if I can borrow it for my sidebar!) Magnanimously seating our delegates at the convention once the DNC gives him the nomination (yes I said it!) is no consolation for not counting our votes - as they stand. As a Black woman, there's surely nothing there of which to be proud. I expected better. Anyway. I'm sitting at the computer, listening to the news and they cut to a rally at which Sir Lie-A-Lot is scheduled to appear. I wasn't really paying attention at first, so I can't give you the exact location of this particular stop on his whirlwind, "Give Me More Money" tour of South Florida this weekend. I know the Cuban American National Foundation invited him to speak at the Independence Day celebration being held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami. I'm sure the "I stand with you against Castro and the Bush embargo" speech is fired up and ready to go. When I did look up, I saw the reporter, outside in the sweltering heat with a microphone in the face of one of the supporters who'd dutifully shown up - sign in hand. Confused that the senator was not there, she said, "I tried to call around to get more information about tickets to this and nobody knew much about it!" As it turns out, instead of his usual "present" or not at all votes, he'd flown back to D.C. to vote "Aye" on Senator Webb's bill (gotta keep the armed forces at least thinking he has their best interest at heart). He was late getting back so the town hall meeting at the B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, was rescheduled for a later time.

When the town hall meeting finally did happen, as much as I'm worn out listening to his bullshit - I did. Rather than rehash it point-by-point, here's a video I found sans the Q & A portion:

What do I say about this? PAN-DER-ER! Was that enough? No? Then, DAMN PAN-DER-ER!!

Now I know that's politics and all, so don't get your panties in a knot. They all have to play to the emotions of the crowd to whom they are speaking. Each of them has to make promises of both domestic and international policy changes - most of which they have no way of keeping without the legislative branch being fully on board. For the most part, every one of them must be adept at shining up shit and calling it gold. I get that. But really, this is something!

It was apparent the professor had reviewed his lesson plan before class. After all, he had a great reference in his AIPAC speech from March of 2007 (some of this is plucked right from it!). There is a slight, but very noticeable change in this one, however. He added how it pains him "to see the strains between the African-American community and the Jewish community." I guess back then, he needed to get that money with no distractions whatsoever. But he writes a good speech. Just don't ask him to debate because he's really not good on the fly - too ill-prepared, defensive and petulant when he doesn't get the material before class.

In any event, he said everything a Jewish person might want to hear. But in my humble opinion, his delivery was somewhat stiff and very tentative. Kind of like a young comic testing his material out on an unfamiliar audience hoping not to bomb. Actually, it was quite entertaining to watch him give his lecture on Jewish History to Jewish people who know their history far better than most of us. It just seemed like a, "See, I know all about y'all!" moment." And what was that, "I know how much Israelis crave freedom, uh, crave peace" about? A Freudian slip?

And somebody please explain again why Sen. Clinton's statement, "Dr King’s dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It took a president to get it done," sent almost everybody into such a hissy fit? Why did so many take that truth, blow it way the hell out of proportion, splash it all across the mainstream media and twist it into the most racist thing ever? Because she's white? Does that negate the truth? Reread Joe Califano Jr.'s, "It Took a Partnership" - he was there.

Now comes the "Repairer of the Breach" (hey, he referenced the Prophet Isaiah not me) with, "...because I know, Dr. King could not have done everything that he did, were it not for the support of the Jewish community." Somebody please tell me why no one, not a single person Black or white, took umbrage to this truth? Is it because he's Black? Is it because his audience, no doubt had the cash to fill his coffers? This hypocrisy is not only daunting, it's laughable.

After dedicating 15 minutes of his speech to:

1. The Jewish History lesson
2. Assurances he'd be the one to recognize the Jewish state of Israel
3. Promising to "defend Israel from any attack whether it's from as close as Gaza or as far as Tehran (remember that tiny country he said posed a major threat during his AIPAC speech, then didn't pose a serious threat during his Portland speech last Sunday, but again poses a major threat during his B'nai Torah Congregation speech?),"

Almost as an afterthought, he devoted the last two minutes and 37 seconds to those pesky little domestic issues that are in "violation of the spirit of justice" he'd found in the Jewish faith and for which he expressed his deep affinity. You know those issues - substandard schools, underpaid teachers, college that's not affordable and Oh! Health care. Two minutes and 37 seconds! Somebody please give this man a damned napkin so he can wipe his mouth!

UPDATE: I read this very interesting post from Glenn Greenwald at Salon and since the senator from Illinois was waxing so philosophical about what "Israelis need" and sharing his "fundmental difference with former President Carter" about meeting with Hamas, I thought I'd share: "Majority of Israelis want to negotiate with Hamas"

Hutchinson's Support of Ferraro's Statement Courageous - and Right

Earl Ofari Hutchinson's recent piece, "Don't Fire Geraldine Ferraro, Pin a Merit Badge on Her for Having the Guts to Tell the Truth" in The Huffington Post, regarding her now-fateful comments about the Obama run for the White House, stirred up a hornet's nest of controversy in which I felt I had to have my say. Here are my comments: "Earl, kudos man for saying - out loud - what many others have definitely been thinking, Hats off for your courage in telling the truth all around. Edwards was my original candidate because, out of the gate, he spoke directly to all those elephants ganged up in our respective corners. It was a refreshing change. When his (Sen. Obama's) campaign headed to my home state of SC, I'd already spoken to family there and they were awash in the Kool Aid as I’d anticipated. And you know what? I even understand why. When I asked, "What exactly do you expect he will do for you there? I got no concrete answers. Many Black’s, 30 - 50+ years old, who grew up there still remember the long history of Jim Crow and James Crow Esq. in their lives. But more importantly, they understand it really hasn’t changed that much regarding the balance of power. It has informed who we've all become, white and Black. The chance at having a Black president is not only vindicating, it offers, in their minds, an opportunity to change (there’s that word!) the dynamics of power - but that's not ever going to be said out loud in “mixed company.” That being said however, all is not lost when it comes to building cross-cultural relationships or reconstructing the face of this country. But that won't happen without serious, open dialogue about race, something neither Blacks nor whites seem really ready to have -out loud. Sen. Clinton's comments on Dr. King and LBJ we're true, but that rains on the momentum parade if the statement is considered for accuracy. Here, Joe Califano, President Lyndon Johnson's special assistant for domestic affairs from 1965 to 1969 gives an account of what happened - he was there: "It Took a Partnership." I understood the "fairytale" comment from former Pres. Clinton to mean, Sen. Obama’s comparison of speaking out against the war versus Sen. Clinton‘s voting for it, was a fairytale given that once in the Senate, his votes mirrored hers. He, in my opinion, wanted the senator to drop the "fairytale" and tell the people the whole truth – me too. I'd have respected him immensely for that. Since he wasn't yet in the Senate for the vote, with no access to the erroneous information to which Congress was privy, making a comparison at all was like comparing apples and oranges. But to then vote in tandem with her on all war issues, once elected to Congress, makes what he’s telling the American people very disingenuous. And I don’t respect him at all for that. Here's a very long, yet interesting article written by Sean Wilentz, entitled "Race Man." It further illustrates how racism has been employed by the Obama campaign to paint Sen. Clinton with that ugly brush. And before anybody jumps on me, I know he's a Clinton supporter, but does that make his points any less true? I’ve had several conversations with Black and white friends and family of mine regarding the “white guilt” thing long before you wrote this piece. Some agree it exists, some don’t. Some say there are whites who feel electing Sen. Obama would finally put to rest the idea that America is racist. To them, I’ve said, “Bad Reason.” That’s just more prettying up a longstanding problem with no real move toward facing and fixing the truth AND it opens the floodgates for some whites who are racist to say, “See, we’re not racist, we elected a Black president” - and then continue to support all of the institutional racism entrenched in our society. Some say, it is time for a Black president. To them, I’ve said, “Thank you Miss Ann for finally deciding it’s time.” When pressed, they say that’s not what they meant and I know it isn’t, just had to let them know what that sounded like without them further supporting their point. They just think that throne is, and always should have been, open to all and feel for the first time, there are others who agree. As for Ms. Ferraro’s statement, I’m not all up in arms. As a woman, I totally agree with her. Men have historically and consistently found ways to minimize and marginalize the role of women in this country if we’re honest. Blacks got the right to vote long before women did! I believe that’s where she was trying to go with the statement."