DISQUS

Please see this as well as the comments. You may or may not find it an interesting read.

T.

Where did you hear about this study? Any links? Thanks.

T.

So, Mike Duncan, who wants to continue as RNC chair, suddenly finds the song offensive. Like, no shit! Where was he when Limbaugh first unleased it MONTHS ago? Awww shucks, I forgot...they were trying to win an election by any means necessary. LOL! Who does Mike Duncan really think he is trying to fool? Does he really believe that we are like the poor white people in the Appalachian mountains who they use for votes during election season and then leave them to wallow in poverty and ignorance when it's all over?

Puhleeeeze!

Here's what's up? The people up in the GOP have themselves all convinced that the raw stats - which means absolutely nada - coming out of California's Prop 8 battle puts them in real contention for the black vote. So convinced are they that they have a shot at peeling away the black vote from the Democratic Party, last week on Lehrer's report, some conservative guy boldly suggested that PE Obama's choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration, was a way to keep the black folks happy. He cited the Prop 8 issue as proof. I was like, WTF? Black people couldn't give a fuck about Rick Warren because they don't know who he is. But guess what? It seems that they are about to because, according to Field Negro, Rick Warren was just invited to Ebenezer Baptist Church to celebrate MLK Day. Can you believe that sh*t y'all? I just wanted to retch when I read it. I neither like Rick Warren's viewpoints nor do I trust the man.

Concomitant with that, consider Newt Gingrich's very transparent attempts to become a "friend" of black people - he wants to be Cao's liaison to the black community, lambasting the RNC for the Obama-Blago ad etc. - all this on the heels of the passage of Prop 8.

Looksto me like they are after the black evangelicals, who they've always ignored, to build up a new Republican coalition, which could at the same time stymie any progressive efforts in the LGBT community, if the black democrats like John Lewis, Joseph Lowery et al don't start speaking out. And, yeah, if the LGBT leadership doesn't start informing and educating the black community about their quest for equal rights and mutual interests, like fighting HIV etc.

Thanks PE Obama! You've just let the Republican foxes into the Democratic Party's henhouse! I hope it works out for ya!

In the meantime, I say this to black folks: Don't be fooled! Don't let the GOP get their hands up under your skirts with working for it. Don't let them use you...

T.

babyming, would you at least agree that any US President should look at both sides when dealing with this issue of Israel and Palestine? Is Palestine completely innocent? Is Israel completely innocent? Is a life of an Israeli child worth as much as a Palestinean one, and vice versa?

T.

BTW, one more thing about the CK interview last night with Dominic Carter. Towards the end of the interview, Dominc repeatedly said that he could not believe that Ms. Kennedy agreed to be interviewed by him without any "pre-existing conditions". Too funny! Preconditions, Dominic, preconditions, bro! LOL!

I like the lady. I want her as my junior senator.

T.

Man, it sure is fun to watch Markos lose his sh*t over the possibility that Caroline Kennedy is appointed as NY's junir senator. Check out his latest whine. Ridiculous, right?

First of all, the lady didn't say what he claimed she said. In fact, the lady completely ignored the question. If that ain't political skills, I don't know what is. And, second, earlier in the month, Ms. Kennedy did indicate a desire to run for the seat if she was not appointed. But, let's say she did in fact mean that she would not run for the seat if not appointed as Morkos thinks she meant, what would be so wrong with that, mmmm? To support an incumbent who, hopefully, is doing a good job and was not intended to be a seat-warmer? Nothing, in my view. Because in my recent memory, a Democratic primary for that Senate seat gives an advantage to the Republicans.

Poor Markos!

T.

As a child...

T.

I believe that my initial comment was specifically in response to the very recent article that I linked to above.

T.

OK, my people, take a draw and chill...pass it around...

T.

At what cost?

T.

You are incorrigible, is all I have to say. Why not just say nothing if you're not going to offer anything constructive or any new viewpoint to the conversation?

T.

Like my Mom says, "Two wrongs doesn't make a right!"

T.

There is one thing that gay leaders and advocates could clarify that would help me when I approach my church congregants: Is this a fight for the M-word or is this a fight for equal rights? Would the gay community be satisfied with a state-by-state definition of what marriage should be, but then fight for a federal civil unions giving you the same rights as heterosexual married persons?(I hope I am clear by what I mean here.)

T.

It is true that we should disagree with PE Obama in a way that respects the office of the presidency, but I would not go so far as to say that if someone acts in a manner that we deem disrespectful, it is because he is black. We should remind ourselves to be very careful about going down that path, especially when there is no evidence to support such an assertion.

T.

While I empathize with the writer's frustrations, I strongly disagree with the his/her characterization of PE Obama. That type of rhetoric is just not helpful, Rick Warren or not.

Having said that, I do not think that the invitation of Rick Warren, to the inaugural festivities, is "hugely insignificant", as you have stated above. By saying that, you run the risk of marginalizing our displeasure with PE Obama's decision. Furthermore, you refer to gays as "deviants"?. I'm sorry, but that type of rhetoric is not helpful either.

T.

Dear Gay Leaders,

There is a grassroots out here waiting to be mobilized in order to spread your message in an orderly and civil way, proactively. When you think it's time to start the hard work of outreach and education and not assume that every person is automatically going to fall your way, I am ready to work on your behalf to engage and inform my church, and the larger community, about the challenges of the gay community as it relates to equality, discrimination etc.

While I stand in solidarity with you over the misguided choice of Rick Warren, by PE Obama, to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, I will not stand silently by while you go around throwing "fire-bombs" like this. Obama, 'a rational-sounding sort of bigot'? You must be out of your fucking mind! It is just untrue and unfair.

Yes, you maintain the right to articulate your frustration with the way things currently are, but I would suggest that doing it in this manner only serves to harden the hearts and minds of the very people who can help you or those whose minds can be changed.

Just sayin',
T.

Great news for Caroline Kennedy!

Good news for Caroline Kennedy! Governor Patterson, please appoint her so that I can see people-like-this-lady's head explode. Please.

T.

Gates is a native of Alabama, methinks...

T.

ps. sorry for the grammatical errors...I have no idea how to edit after I post...

T.

About Rick Warren. I note that PE Obama has offered a response to our objection of the choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inaugural ceremony. It could be that my anger is clouding my reason, but I couldn't decide whether he was being sincere or patronizing, "Aw shucks! You crazy kids are so 'noisy and opinionated'; I've made my decsion so live with it."

Today, a few days removed, I am still disappointed that PE Obama chose to give such a prominent platform to a man whose views are diametrically opposed to mine, and many others. Many here have suggested that the reason many white Democrats are upset is that they think that they gave the black man a chance and now he is not doing their bidding. Look, blacks like myself, are truly flabbergasted by this choice as well. Of course, we are pleased that Dr. Lowery will present another kind of voice at the festivities but that doesn't take away the core point: I, we, fought hard to make this man our president - through snow, sleet, rain and sunshine - and we loath to share our moment of joy with an unrepentant bigot.

Of course, I appreciate PE Obama's desire to create a climate for reasoned dialogue among people with opposing viewpoints but I, personally, am not confident that Rick Warren and his ilk are open to viewpoints other than their own. Maybe, I am being too pessimistic, but when I look at it from that perspective, Rick Warren's presence at the ceremony is an exercise in futiltiy, and, therefore, extremely frustrating. I hope I am wrong. Maybe this will open some hearts and minds to issues that I, and others in the Democratic Party, care about. We'll see.

As for the question that was posed here: What will happen after Rick Warren says the invocation? My answer? Well, certainly, the world will not come to a crashing end but that shouldn't discount the displeasure that many feel about having him there. It also does nothing to quell my growing fear that this may, MAY, become a first in a series of accomodations that the Democratic leadership are willing to make in order to appease the Right, at the expense of the base, with nothing to show for it.

Just my 2 cents.

T.

Let the focus of our angst stay on the decision to choose Rick Warren to commence the ceremonies, OK? Because this supposed 'man of God' does not share our values and selecting him is an affront to most, if not all, of the Democratic base.

Now if you're looking for a black religious leader, Dr. Lowery will do the benediction. That's alright by me.

T.

Listen, my comment was not an opening for you to follow this line of argument. I have seen your posts and I do not share your view that the cabinet should be chock full of African Americans. I am very proud of the diverse cabinet that he has assembled and could not be more pleased that he has chosen some African Americans to be at his side. We have an African American president so don't get greedy now, sweetie! Pace yourself...

T.

So you think that after Rick Warren's invocation, everybody's gonna just love PE Obama and the nation will be healed and we're all just gonna hold hands and sing Kumbaya? Of course, I don't have the power to reverse his decision to have Rick Warren at the inaugural ceremony but I sure as hell don't feel so charitable as to be deferent to him all the time. In my humble opinion, this decision is a huge misstep.

T.

This I can never understand and it frustrates me.

T.