"It is difficult in the extreme for me to fathom how any human can look upon the mighty works in the heavens and conclude that such awesome, impossible beauty, order and titanic galactic forces could have been produced by random chance rather than the will of a divine and omniscient Creator. Even more awesome and mind blowing a thought for me is this: the God who made all of the Creation we can see, in all its glorious wonder and mystery, that same God cares about each and every one of us individually, personally. He cares about me." — Aaron Laramore, moderate-conservative Republican blogger in Indiana
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10/16 Quote Of The Day
Condi Rice Defends President Obama's Foreign Policy
From UPI, about the moderate-conservative Republican: "Rice met with President Barack Obama at the White House Friday while on a tour promoting 'Extraordinary, Ordinary People,' her memoir about her parents, the Washington Post reported. The White House said Obama wanted to discuss foreign policy with her. Appearing at the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C., Friday evening, Rice said, 'Nothing in this president's methods suggests this president is other than a defender of America's interests.'"
The article continues about Dr. Rice: "Speaking to Fox News's Bill O'Reilly, she praised her successor, Hillary Clinton: 'I think she is doing a lot of the right things....She is very tough...I think she has done a fine job, I really do.'"
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Study: 1 In 22 U.S. Blacks Will Become HIV Infected
According to a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Constructive Feedback, a conservative blogger in Georgia, writes : "I am less prone to use the contrasting rates of Hispanics or Whites to form a reference than I am to look at my people and ask 'Is this an acceptable rate from YOUR standards?' By any account this HIV infection rate is a crisis, dare I say an epidemic. My outrage at these rates is tempered by my knowledge that this news will be used as cover to trigger two loud refrains:
- This is a result of RACISM in how Black people are marginalized with regard to certain prevailing societal sanctions against homosexual behavior and intravenous drug use
- The GOVERNMENT needs to prove that it cares equally for Black people by establishing a network of interventions to prevent these often deadly outcomes
More: 'Those who tear down societal strictures in the name of their pursuit of 'unabridged social freedoms for the individual' (to do as he pleases) should also start to respect the importance of these culturally based limits as important boundaries to assist an individual from placing his own lusts above his appraisal of the risks involved."
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October Surprise? Allen West Denies Ties To Biker Gang
From The Hill: "Democrats are accusing Florida House candidate Allen West (R) of being tied to the Outlaws, an infamous motorcycle gang. West's campaign vigorously denies he's associated with the gang. The evidence that's surfaced connecting West to the Outlaws isn't definitive, but it raises troubling questions for a candidate who is no stranger to controversy. West, a former lieutenant colonel in the Army, retired from the military after a 2003 incident in Iraq wherein he fired two gunshots next to the head of an uncooperative, hooded detainee."
The article continues about Mr. West: "To connect West to the motorcycle gang, Democrats have pointed out that he's a contributor to Wheels on the Road, a publication that covers the Outlaws' Florida clubs. And according to the publication's website, West was slated to appear at its anniversary celebration Saturday in Pompano Beach. NBC News also obtained e-mails from West, in which he said that references to the Outlaws shouldn't include the word 'criminal.' 'I was never more amazed at how members of the Outlaws guarded me during an interview,' West said in an e-mail, according to NBC. According to the Justice Department, the Outlaws are a violent criminal gang heavily involved in the drug trade. It's roughly the size of the Hell's Angels, according to a 2009 report."
From National Journal: "In an interview with Hotline On Call West said flatly that the issue is a nonstarter because the club does 'not accept blacks, Jews or gays' in their membership. (West is black.) He has, however, written a column for a magazine that appears to endorse -- if not promote -- the Outlaws biker club. West also said he will not be attending a rally for the magazine Saturday evening despite being listed on advertisements as a featured speaker."
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Devone Tucker: "Can George W. Bush Repair His Damaged Image With Urban America?"
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| George W. Bush |
He continues his commentary: "A combination of bad advice on the campaign trail and questionable decision-making as President led to Bush’s last name becoming a four-letter word in urban America. Yet, it’s still possible for his name to be praised one day. I’d love to see Bush become urban America’s lobbyist-a forceful voice for public education reform and the fostering of a climate for small businesses to prosper in urban neighborhoods; a supporter of efforts to elect candidates in major American cities who vow to fight the entrenched forces that stand in the way of quality schools and safe streets; a caustic critic of those on the right who regard urban America as a lost cause unmeritorious of the GOP’s attention. In the eyes of urban America, there was no compassion to Bush’s conservatism, just crony capitalism and callousness toward citizens in crisis. Yet this image can be adjusted. Why shouldn’t Bush use his talents to bring us closer to the vision he espoused in the summer and fall of 1999? Bush would earn the respect of those across the ideological spectrum if he became urban America’s advocate. If he were to use his clout to compel the GOP to focus on issues facing our major cities, he could win hearts and minds-and his party could win votes in regions long dominated by Democrats."
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Lenny McAllister: "Nobody Wants A Dull Obama Presidency"
Asserts the conservative Republican in Chicago. He argues that U.S. President Barack Obama's interview in The New York Times Magazine highlights an administration at the crossroads. But two more years of indecision and low energy will not be good for either major political party: "The most startling aspect of the article is hearing officials and supporters of the president privately concede that the best days of the Obama administration may be in the past. Although extremists on both sides will take pleasure in that sentiment, Americans should rue the day that a president's close supporters believe an administration's best days are over, particularly with more than 700 days left in the Oval Office. Disillusionment on the campaign trail is one thing. Being described as 'shellshocked' is another, especially when the adjective comes from a supportive ally in the media."
He continues: "Conservative grass-roots activism was 30 years behind the Democrats in most ways, from its use of technology to its presence in the media as a substantive voting bloc. An energized Obama gives Republicans a worthy opponent -- and their best opportunity to contrast their proposals with the liberal left's offerings, a situation that allows for sound political discourse. Without that same level of energy, American politics will continue down the path of self-preservation that many Democrats (and most incumbents) have traveled since 2008, complete with the party flopping (see Sen. Arlen Specter), mean-spiritedness (such as the Jerry Brown camp's use of the word 'whore' toward Meg Whitman), media fixating (Christine O'Donnell's 'witch-gate') and extreme rhetoric (Sharron Angle's 'Second Amendment remedies') that we are constantly fed instead of a tangible battle of ideas that, in the end, yields solutions."
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USA: Government Reports $1.3 Trillion Budget Deficit
From the Detroit News: "The Obama administration said Friday the federal deficit hit a near-record $1.3 trillion for the just-completed budget year. That means the government had to borrow 37 cents out of every dollar it spent as tax revenues continued to lag while spending on food stamps and unemployment benefits went up as joblessness neared double-digit levels in a struggling economy. The deficit was $122 billion less than last year, a modest improvement."
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How To Really Reform The U.N.
Ken Blackwell argues that since U.S. President Barack Obama doesn't believe in American exceptionalism and the U.N. is ineffective, USA's financial contribution to the United Nations should be slashed and the international body kicked out of America. The conservative Republican commentator opines: "The U.N. has managed to overlook the captivity of hundreds of millions of people in the Soviet bloc for nearly half a century. The U.N. never heard of the Gulag Archipelago. The U.N. turned a blind eye on Mao Zedong's half century of murderous rule in China. Tens of millions of forced abortions take place in China today -- with the active assistance of the U.N. Fund for Population Activity (UNFPA). Cuba -- a member of the U.N.'s notorious Human Rights Council -- is under the grip of a senescent Communist dictatorship. Orlando Zapata -- the true Cuban champion of human rights -- died in a Castro prison recently, following a hunger strike in which he demanded nothing more than what the U.N. proclaimed in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights more than sixty years ago."
He continues his commentary: "Still, the United States pays more than 22 percent ($1,800,000,000) of the U.N.'s annual budget. That's because FDR [Franklin D. Roosevelt] considered the United States exceptional, the leader of the free world. Since President Obama thinks everyone is exceptional, let's cut the U.S. share of the U.N. budget back to 6 percent. After all, we are constantly told by the Obama administration that U.S. claims to preeminence are arrogant and offensive to others in Europe and the developing world. So let's be more modest. Liberals constantly tell us how much we consume and suggest that because we are only 6 percent of the world population, we are somehow hogging more than our fair share. (They never note that we produce a huge portion of the world's GDP). If we are only 6 percent of the world's really exceptional folks, let's knock our contribution to the U.N. down to that figure."
More commentary from Mr. Blackwell about the U.N.: "What? The U.N. as currently structured could not survive on that amount? Precisely. But a U.N. headquarters moved from New York to Geneva, Switzerland could be trimmed back to its core functions as a world forum. The UNFPA should be the first body to be scuttled, followed by the Inter-Governmental Climate Panel (IPCC), which has become nothing more than Al Gore's sandbox. The IPCC recently had to backtrack on its environmental doomsday predictions. Those glaciers in the Himalayas are not going to melt by 2035, after all. They're slated to melt by 2305. Just a typo, the IPCC gnomes claimed. The U.N. Human Rights Council should be deep-sixed. It's more than an outrage to have Cuba, Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia sitting on a body so named -- it's hypocrisy on stilts. By moving the U.N. headquarters to Geneva, the traditional city of diplomacy, we can avoid the gross humiliation of having the world's leading terrorist -- [Iranian President] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- come to our greatest city to spew his hatred from the platform of the U.N."
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Star Parker: "Inspiration Of Chile Goes Beyond The Miners"
Asserts the conservative Republican commentator, about the South American country: "Economist Mark Perry points out that the rescue mission – remarkable for both what was achieved and how quickly it happened – came as result of the best, cutting edge technologies from around the world – the United States, Germany, Japan, and South Korea – rapidly arriving on site and being deployed quickly and efficiently. The fact that Chile is one of the most economically free nations in the world is thus critical to appreciate in understanding how this great success occurred. Consider, in contrast, that one reason the BP oil spill cleanup operation did not proceed as quickly as it could have was because Jones Act regulations allowing only US flagship vessels to operate in our domestic waters precluded use of foreign flag ships."
Ms. Parker continues her commentary: "Chile stands out as an example of achievements only possible when people commit to freedom and free markets. It boasts the highest per capita GDP in South America and the third highest in the Western Hemisphere. Last December it became the first South American country to be invited to join the exclusive club of the world’s top industrialized nations, the OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. But back just a little less than 40 years ago, Chile was a typical, poor South American nation, with intrusive government and sluggish growth."
More commentary about Chile: "One of the most sweeping reforms, done by Jose Pinera, then Chile’s Minister of Social Security, was the transformation of Chile’s government Social Security system, identical to what we now have in the U.S., to a system of individually owned private retirement accounts. Chile’s payroll tax based government system was broken and bankrupt, as ours is today. The reform, enacted in November 1980, restored the solvency of Chile’s retirement system and brought personal ownership and wealth to Chilean workers. After 30 years, these personal accounts have averaged annual returns of 9.2% above inflation. Writing about the decision to take on this ambitious reform, Pinera notes: 'I remember reiterating to my team that there was nothing as satisfying in life as to do something others deem impossible.' Surely a sentiment that the team who just rescued the 33 Chilean miners must feel today. At a time when Americans struggle for our own soul, we can look to Chile as a source of inspiration for the very ideals of freedom which drove what we recall as the American dream."
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Politics & Ordinary Americans: Bookerista Perspectives
Lloyd Marcus: "Ordinary Americans Heed The Call To Take Back America!"
The conservative Republican entertainer in Florida writes: "Folks, I'm just one guy in our incredible, divinely inspired Tea Party Movement. In my travels attending hundreds of Tea Parties across America, I have heard numerous stories similar to mine: how God appeared to set up circumstances to lead people into the Tea Party Movement. For example, in Buffalo, NY, a senior stuck at home after two knee operations decided to start a conservative newspaper, which is very successful. In Texas, I met a 21-year-old truck driver. Frustrated by the negative effect Obamanomics is having on his industry, this fine young man has decided to run for public office. God is using ordinary people like you and me, not 'ruling class' career politicians, to restore our great country."
He continues his commentary: "This amazing Tea Party Movement has no single leader. It is about We The People, individual patriots, following our passions and using our talents and gifts to restore our freedom, liberties, and culture. I am extremely blessed and honored to be named among you. Together, we truly are Taking Back America!"
Lenny McAllister: "It's Time For Everyday Americans To Reclaim Politics"
Asserts the conservative Republican commentator in Illinois: "The beauty of the 2008 BOPE Campaign (Barack Obama Presidential Experience) and the Tea Party movement of the past 2 years is that they brought hope for meaningful activism back to everyday Americans, thus chasing away the apathy that led to a sleepy electorate that allowed the rich and powerful (both people and corporations) to run American government without impediments for decades. What we are going through now, however, is a challenge to that much-needed return to populist politics and republican government. In the quest for deeper accountability from politicians on both sides of the aisle, Americans are finding that no stone will be left unturned. Unfortunately, this high level of media scrutiny is scaring off good-hearted and well-intended people from serving in politics."
He argues that we need to become more forgiving of youthful indiscretions and focus on the need for leadership in America: "What matters most in regards to putting Americanism back into American politics is this: at some point, politics has to be about everyday Americans again, not just the rich, affluent, and perfect who can afford to take the public hits that You Tube, iPhones, and the 24-7 news cycle can provide a reality-TV driven public. I have mentioned it previously and I note this again: we need to move away from the American Idol model of leadership and back to an American Statesmen model of politics. It is possible, but it will only transpire if we are willing to allow the best and brightest among us to serve with humility and competency — regardless of an individual’s resources and past. We seem to have forgotten that true leadership — forged from a confluence of courage, talent, persistence, and grit — often comes after individuals have come through the fire of personal and professional obstacles."
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10/15 MUSIC OF THE DAY: Twin Shadow
I found out about this black New Wave artist - who is from Brooklyn - at black rock blog Bold As Bold. His debut full-length CD, Forget, drops worldwide on October 19:
Here is Twin Shadow's website and his Twitter page...
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The U.S. Midterm Elections: Bookerista Opinions
J.C. Watts: "Watch Out Washington - Now It's Personal"
Asserts the conservative Republican businessman/lobbyist and former Congressman: "My friends, Americans’ passive irritation with big-spending Washington increasingly has been replaced with alarm — even outright anger. The reasons are clear: each day the fiscal fiasco we have dug ourselves into directly affects our daily lives — from mortgages and taxes, to crumbling roads and uncertain funding for schools, to helping those in our society that truly need help. The dismal economy clearly has played a key role; but a new poll sponsored by Public Notice and conducted by the Tarrance Group and Hart Research show this underlying anger. The bipartisan, ten-state survey of 'likely' voters confirmed that 71 percent of Americans believe government spending is too high — and this concern wasn’t isolated to any region, income bracket, or political party."
More: "Equally striking is that 68 percent now believe government spending affects their own financial situation. Of these respondents, a plurality of 40 percent said government spending was 'very much' a factor in their own financial situation. Those polled chose controlling government spending, at 21%, second only to creating jobs and growing the economy, at 40%, as the issue they say should be the top economic priority. In other words…it’s become personal."
Horace Cooper: "It's Not A GOP Tsunami - It's Bigger Than That"
The conservative Republican commentator opines: "Right now, well before the coming Election Day cataclysm, there are 10 Senate races where Republican challengers are polling ahead of the Democrat incumbent. There are at least four other races where incumbent Democrats are at or below 50% support. There are 80 House races where the Democrats are polling below 50%, and in nearly half of those the Republican is ahead. Presently Democrats hold 26 governorships, yet according to existing polls, they lead outside the margin of error sufficiently to retain only 16 mansions. Devastating numbers like these should be viewed by the party as an existential crisis."
He continues his commentary: "A whopping 3 million more Republicans voted in this year’s primaries than Democrats, even though there are at least a third more self-identified Democrats than Republicans. This summer, pollsters like Gallup and Rasmussen began showing double-digit preferences for the GOP on the generic ballot. But rather than repent, the White House pursued recrimination. Senior White House staff blamed progressive activists for being dispirited and ungrateful, attributing their behavior to political naiveté. Pledging that President Obama’s presence on the campaign trail would resolve any issues, the White House offered little to no real response to the changed political dynamic. Congress would ultimately shift course and leave town early — with pending business left undone — in order to attend to its re-election."
More commentary from Mr.Cooper: "Independents have turned to the GOP at such unprecedented levels that pollsters report voters across the board give Republicans a double-digit preference over Democrats. In 1994, the generic ballot from the week of the election had the race dead even. On Election Day Republicans won by 7. Generic surveys now show an 8 to 15 point advantage for the Republicans. Preferring deception to transparency, it will likely take a week or two before the media and Democrats admit that things are just as bleak or worse than they were thought to be in August. But by then it will be too late."
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Allen West: The (More Than) $5 Million Man
As you know, the conservative Republican and tea party movement fave has raised more money that any Congressional challenger in America. No wonder U.S. President Barack Obama was in the district on Monday raising funds for troubled incumbent Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) From Politico: "Florida Republican congressional candidate Allen West’s fundraising machine continues to churn. West, a retired Army officer and Iraq war veteran who is trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Ron Klein, announced on Thursday that he had raised $1.6 million in third-quarter campaign funds — an astonishing sum that surpasses his $1.4 million second-quarter total."
The article continues: "The Republican has emerged as a fundraising powerhouse, raking in more than $5.4 million so far for his campaign. Klein, who has yet to announce his third-quarter figures, had raised $2.5 million though Aug. 4. West’s second-quarter takeaway was the highest of any GOP non-incumbent candidate so far. In a statement announcing his haul, West noted that 'over 97 percent of our donations have come from individual contributions.' His campaign said the average contribution was about $78."
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WALAA IDRIS OP-ED: What Is The Big Society?
The Conservative Party activist and charity worker in London writes about the flagship policy idea of her political party, which aims to empower local residents and communities: "To me, the Big Society has little to do with size and nothing to do with socialism – but everything to do with individuals giving back, owning and becoming a vital, an integral part of their communities and what goes around in them, from schooling to crime and planning applications. Simples! It is what most of us do all the time any way."
More: "To understand The Big Society, we must first understand that to become a vital and integral part and taking pride in our community should neither be a personal burden nor a substitute for government. It is simply doing what most people for generations have done via charities, community organizing and local interested groups. It is being proud of one['s] surroundings and becoming invested in it. It can take one hour a week of bookkeeping for a charity, going for a walking with an elderly neighbor, or a three hour quarterly meeting as a trustee or a governor. It can be anything from turning an old building into a community center to recommendation for your local authority on the next big project. The Big Society is not some outdated elitist concept or cries form [sic] a financially limited government that needs its citizens to do the job for them. It is a direct connection between the individuals and the state where the state is the servant and the individual is the master."
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Nadra Enzi on The Child Support System
The moderate-conservative Republican in Georgia writes: "Does arresting parents owing child support add up to better maintained families or is it another chance for big government to swoop down on a new class of targets? The inner city has serious fugitives wanted for murder; selling poison to their own people and various property and fraud crimes. It also hosts countless single mother-led homes with little or no assistance from absent fathers. That's a snapshot seen daily so I get it the strong armed rationale for child support enforcement all too well."
He continues his commentary: "While childless I do have firsthand observations to offer. I remember accompanying an ex girlfriend to the local child support office so she could file a support order against the husband she'd divorced. The sister behind the bulletproof glass rudely assumed I was a client. Her rudeness was made more memorable given how disrespectful local government employees are as a rule toward Black male citizens in Savannah, GA. Using my standard in-your-face response in those days I announced that I had no children and therefore she had no power over me. FYI: If a male on child support gets verbally abusive toward customarily rude staff, he can face an arrest warrant as one of my homeboys found out the hard way. Watching child support court on the county government channel wasn't more an improvement. An endless parade of often broke Black men were paraded before a judge who sat mute while a nasty assistant district attorney berated them for non-compliance. It reminded me of how slave auctions would look were they held inside modern judicial complexes instead of outdoor auction blocks."
More commentary from Mr. Enzi about the child support system: "I favor the moderate view of this issue: non-putative measures with government working as a partner (not punisher) in the process. Suspension of licenses; seziure of assets and arrest would be reserved for absolute worst case scenarios, if at all. Men who've never had a day of trouble with the law now find themselves either on the run or under state supervision with re-arrest hanging overhead. Every child support violator incarcerated for any length of time means bed space a murder or rape suspect could use is occupied. The plight of fatherless children has huge impact on inner city and national stability. I just don't know if putting a loaded government gun up to struggling father's heads is going to make them pay faster. Is child support necessary? Yes, but not like this."
Booker Rising response: I can't co-sign on the viewpoint that child support court is like a slave auction. For one, the black (men (and men of other races) who appear before it chose their situation by fathering a child. If you don't want to pay child support, keep your sperm to yourself.
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John McWhorter Reviews Condi Rice's New Book
For The New York Times. The moderate-conservative commentator, on the moderate-conservative Republican's new book about her parents, Extraordinary, Ordinary People. He argues that the book is too impersonal and has a disinclination toward serious introspection: "Rice’s parents, both educators, provided a fine environment for germination. Rice grew up in the parallel universe that middle-class black parents in the segregated South built for their children, a world of socials, bowling and bonnets, with black children from 'rough' neighborhoods kept at a distance. Her recollection of her parents all aflutter trying to teach her about the birds and the bees plays like something out of 'Father Knows Best.' As a young piano student, Rice liked to imagine herself as Mozart’s wife, and in 1968, when she was 13 years old, she spent afternoons mimicking ice-skating moves to Dvorak’s 'New World' Symphony. No one in this era was tarring any of this as 'white,' and parents insisted that blacks had to be twice as good as whites to succeed. Rice notes, 'This was declared as a matter of fact, not a point for debate.'"
More: "All of this was ordinary for middle-class blacks in that time and place. What wasn’t ordinary was Rice’s coming out of a political science course at the University of Denver so entranced with Russian history that she decided to become a Soviet specialist. It does not discount black people’s wide range of interests to say that in the early ’70s, Soviet affairs was an unusual career choice for a black woman raised in Jim Crow Birmingham. Members of this first generation of black academics much more commonly sought to explore the black past and present. You would never know this from Rice’s breezy account of this period in her life. She sometimes sounds like a white debutante from somewhere in Connecticut, as if black people from the Deep South always named their cars after the protagonist of their favorite Russian opera (hers was 'Boris Godunov,' for the record). We learn little about Rice’s inner life as she sails to one triumph after another, as a Stanford fellowship becomes a tenure-track assistant professorship, the Council on Foreign Relations sends her to Washington and next thing she knows she’s working at the National Security Council, getting appointed provost of Stanford, and fielding calls from George Bush père, who wants her to meet his son for some foreign policy brush-up."
Final thoughts from Mr. McWhorter about the book: "If there is a lesson from Rice’s book, it is that the civil rights revolution made it possible for an extremely talented black person (a woman, no less) to embrace a race-neutral subject and ride it into service as secretary of state, all the while thinking of herself largely as just a person. That the story is not exactly exciting can perhaps be taken as confirmation of how considerably times have changed."
Booker Rising response: With all due respect to Dr. Rice, we don't care about her parents. That's why many folks will be waiting for the second book in her $2.5 million, three-book deal: the one that talks about her political life. We wanna know three key things: (1) an insider take on the Bush administration, from her perspective (including how various foreign leaders acted); (2) whether the grungy white filmmaker/"best friend" Randy Bean - with whom she owns (or owned) a home and a line of credit as recently as 2007 - is/was really her longtime girlfriend and whether FOX News reporter James Rosen was trying to set her up on a date with FOX News cutie Lauren Green (remember that unusual exchange?), as alleged; and (3) did she vote for Barack Obama or John McCain in 2008? Drop some juicy info that we don't already know.
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Michael Steele Lauds Outside Groups' Spending For Republican Candidates As 'Long Overdue'
From The Hill, about the moderate-conservative head of the Republican National Committee: "Upstart groups' spending on Republican candidates in 2010 is 'long overdue," Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele said Friday. Steele said he welcomed the creation of groups like American Crossroads, the GOP-oriented organization affiliated with former Bush White House officials Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, precisely because they can bypass the restrictions that constrain the RNC's fundraising. 'Karl's group, like many other 527s that are beginning to form within the Republican Party, is long overdue,' Steele said Friday on Fox News. 'We're 10 years behind on that. And I applaud them for taking the step to go out into the marketplace.'"
More: "Groups like American Crossroads and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have found themselves under attack by President Obama and top Democrats in recent weeks for their work to influence Nov. 2's elections. Because of a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that loosened restrictions on corporate spending in elections, those groups are able to receive millions in corporate support without having to disclose the source of funding. Those Democratic attacks have extended to allegations that those groups could be taking money illegally from foreign sources to spend on their political efforts. Those groups deny any such funding."
Booker Rising response: Nice spin. However, surely Mr. Steele is aware that these expenditures are partly due to a lack of confidence in his leadership of the Republican National Committee?
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Paris: Basquiat Show Fetes His 50th Birthday
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| 1981 painting by Basquiat |
The article continues about Jean-Michel Basquiat: "The son of a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, Basquiat was the first to break the glass ceiling that had kept black artists out of the art elite. Curators said his dazzling rise helped pave the way for other prominent African-Americans, including President Barack Obama, who was born one year after Basquiat. 'Jean-Michel Basquiat is a very important link in the chain that led to black Americans' liberation,' said curator Dieter Buchhart, adding that the artist's grappling with racism was a major theme of his work. 'It's overtly political and takes on issues of race and questions capitalism in the boldest ways.'"
Booker Rising response: Yes, it's always interesting that a bisexual, heroin-abusing artist who had a closet full of $1,000+ designer suits and whose work sold for a lot sought to preach about the "evils" of capitalism & excess LOL. That aside, I do like some of his work...
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President Obama, Condi Rice To Meet Today At White House
Hat tip to reader NSangoma for the heads up. Of course, the private meeting is raising eyebrows as folks wonder what the liberal Democratic president - who issued the invitation, since Ms. Rice is on a book tour and was swinging through D.C. - and the moderate-conservative Republican (who served under President Obama's predecessor) will discuss. From the Associated Press: "President Barack Obama is meeting with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to talk about a pending arms treaty with Russia and other issues. A White House official said Rice and Obama have a 'cordial relationship,' and the president looks forward to Friday's meeting covering 'a range of foreign policy topics.' The official isn't authorized to speak publicly and insisted on anonymity."
Booker Rising response: President Obama has been trying to persuade Republican U.S. senators to support the proposed nuclear arms reduction treaty, so perhaps he seeks a lil' advice?
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Malcolm X: Conservative? The Debate Continues
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| Malcolm X |
More from Mr. Tucker: "Malcolm X as a man of the right? Perhaps it's a stretch, but not as much of a stretch as the implication by such figures as Glenn Beck that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a conservative."
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DENEEN BORELLI COMMENTARY: The Left Declares Hunting Season On 'Mama Grizzlies'
Asserts the conservative Republican: "Why? Conservative women dispel the myth that the only women with good ideas and the tenacity to fight for them reside on the left wing of the political spectrum. Conservative women are playing a leading role in the tea party movement, from speaking at rallies, to participating in radio and television talk shows to organizing local and national tea party groups. The conservative woman’s role is at the forefront of the movement and cannot be denied as a positive force in the Tea Party movement no matter how progressives try to spin it."
She continues her commentary: "President Obama’s change — the encroachment of government on liberty and what it is doing to the nation’s already ailing economy — is acutely felt by the women of America who largely do the shopping, pay household bills and attend to sick family members. Seeing the clear and present danger of this change, they are standing up and saying 'no.' Consider the story of Jenny Beth Martin. Martin was living the American Dream with two kids, two SUVs and a nice house in suburban Atlanta when her husband’s business failed. After declaring bankruptcy and cleaning houses to pay the bills, Martin was appalled at the Obama administration’s out-of-control spending and the rewards it bestowed on bad behavior. She helped organize the first Atlanta Tea Party gathering. She is now the CEO of the Tea Party Patriots, and was recently chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She’s one of the reasons why the left declared hunting season on 'mama grizzlies.' There are no 'you’ve come a long way' platitudes for conservative women. From the way progressives act, we should be back in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant. It’s kind of ironic."
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Bwahahaha! Vote For "Rich Whitey" For Illinois Governor
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| Rich Whitney ain't amused |
There's no time to fix the error before the Nov. 2 election: "But Whitney is unhappy and may consider legal action. His Green Party champions environmental causes and a number of issues associated with liberal views. 'I don't want to be identified as 'Whitey.' If this is happening primarily in African American wards, that's an even bigger concern,' he told the Sun-Times. 'I don't know if this is machine politics at play, or why this happened.'"
UPDATE: Now that Mr.Whitney has threatened a lawsuit, the Chicago elections board states that they'll fix the "previously-unfixable-by-November-2 error" by Sunday. Since early voting has already begun, the error can't be corrected on the 5,000 ballots that have already been cast. Yeah, paying tens of thousands of dollars to fix this
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Bookeristas: The South African Diaspora
Regular readers have seen almost all of these folks before on this website, but here's a little more about their backgrounds. Today Booker Rising highlights black moderates, libertarians, and conservatives of South African heritage. In alpha order, they are:
Politics: Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, South Africa
Chief Buthelezi is a controversial figure because of his staunch anti-communist/anti-socialist beliefs during the apartheid era (which socialist anti-apartheid activists claim as being a tacit collaborator with the apartheid regime), which the ruling regime preferred dealing with more so than the socialist-oriented ANC. During that time, he was Chief Minister of KwaZulu. He is also controversial due to Inkatha Freedom Party militants' human rights violations, which were later settled out of court with the Truth & Reconcilation Commission.
The chief is first and foremost a Zulu nationalist. Thus, as president of the populist conservative Inkatha Freedom Party (the country's 4th largest political party), he is a thorn in the ANC's side. The party favors devolution of government authority to local areas (i.e., Zulu autonomy), a free-market economic system, and he rails against government corruption.
Founding President Of The ANC, Education: John Langalabelele Dube (1871-1946), South Africa
I think it can be said that Mr. Dube is the father of South African black conservatism. He is often referred to as the "Booker T. Washington of South Africa", as he was a big fan of this blog's namesake and patterned much of his work after Mr.Washington. Mr. Dube was a reverend and founder of the Zulu Christian Industrial School (now Ohlange High School) in Ohlange. A Zulu cultural nationalist, he also founded a Zulu newspaper, Ilanga laseNatali (The Sun of Natal) in 1903 and was one of the pioneers of Zulu literature. Mr. Dube also founded the Bantu Business League to promote black business interests.
In 1912, Mr. Dube was a co-founder of the African Native National Congress (renamed the African National Congress in 1923) and served as its first president. While the ANC is now a member of Socialist International, the party still has a capitalist wing. This is in no small part due to Mr. Dube's lingering influence as a pro-capitalist, anti-apartheid advocate. It was at Mr. Dube's boyhood home and grave that Nelson Mandela cast his ballot in the pivotal 1994 South African presidential election (which Mr. Mandela won).
Open Thread Friday
You know the drill. Keep it festive - like this Bahamian lady at the country's Junkanoo festival - in discussing whatever you'd like. However, stay within the blog's rules.
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10/14 VIDEOS OF THE DAY: Condi Rice On Jon Stewart's Show
Dr. Rice appeared on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" last night to discuss her new book about her parents, Extraordinary, Ordinary People. The moderate-conservative Republican also discusses foreign policy and domestic policy:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Condoleezza Rice Pt. 1 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Condoleezza Rice Pt. 2 | ||||
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NADRA ENZI OP-ED: Real Conservative Crime Policy
The moderate-conservative Republican discusses racial profiling and police brutality: "I can't ignore racial profiling or its sometimes lethal delivery system, police brutality. The presumption is having conservative-anything attached to your name makes you blind to these matters. Not in this case. My role as a promoter of tenuous public/private partnerships between police and Black men is secondary to opposition of state sanctioned abuse against my segment of the general populace."
He continues his commentary: "Profiling and brutality constitute big government at its worst, shredding constitutional protections and imposing public executions ritually defended by internal affairs; unions; media and elected officials in addition to enough rules and laws to make substantive or even any convictions rare indeed. Hood conservatives aren't subject to the gag order silencing majority population-oriented Black conservatives on these issues. Excommunication and denial of what critics see as Apartheid-style 'honorary White status' within the Far Right. Such threats hold no power over those fighting for traditional values within the inner city, not the suburbs. Personally, my Capt Black Street Team of community conservatives and assorted allies nationwide is the closest thing to a Heritage Foundation I'm likely to experience (lol)."
Obama On Gay Rights: A Fierce Advocate For Himself?
Two years ago, U.S. President Barack Obama said that he was a 'fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans.' Robert Turner, a gay conservative Republican blogger in D.C., doesn't see it: "Today, less than 48 hours since a federal judge ruled that DADT [Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy on gays in the military] was unconstitutional in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States of America, the Obama administration has asked for an emergency stay of the judge’s order banning worldwide enforcement of DADT. The Justice Department, according to Politico, vows to appeal the ruling, and argues that President Barack Obama favors an ‘orderly’ legislative repeal of the 1993 law."
Mr. Turner continues his commentary: "Well I think now the cat’s out of the bag. It appears that you’re looking out for yourself, Mr. President. You are trying to stop the bleed out of what is shaping up to be worst political season for Democrats since 1994. You are trying to soften the intensity of those who want to throw the bums out. By the time you’re done twisting to placate every audience while offering no new commitments to assuage concerns that our priorities are your priorities, you won’t have a base to turn to."
Booker Rising response: It should be noted that Mr. Turner is president of the Washington, D.C. chapter of Log Cabin Republicans, the gay group who sued the government to overturn DADT.
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LENNY MCALLISTER COMMENTARY: Why Christine O’Donnell Looms As The Next Sarah Palin
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| Christine O'Donnell: Sarah Palin Jr.? |
He continues: "Just as Sarah Palin has become a voice that is listened to attentively by the hard right due to her mixed bag of political insider and campaign martyr, SPJ (Ms. O’Donnell, a.k.a. 'Sarah Palin Jr.') is headed down a path where her voice will be magnified more by her presence as a political pundit post-November 2 than she will should an upset of [Democratic rival Chris] Coons occur in less than 3 weeks. Despite what the American public says about partisan politics, most Americans following politics does something much the same: they pay attention with such lock-in opinions that partisan politics sells almost as well as sex does in the media."
More: "Having more wallbuilders than bridge-builders in American politics has created the current divide that we are facing, one that aids in delaying our national recovery. This deficit – along with the budgetary one in Washington – will not get resolved at the current rate, much less if SPJ continues down the path of losing this election, gaining her own television show, and creating an image of the Republican martyr that dared to stare down big-time politics as an underdog, only to lose after public ridicule despite giving it the ol’ college try."
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Malcolm X: Conservative?
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| Malcolm X |
He continues: "My Hood conservatism is one of many outgrowths from his post-Nation of Islam thesis that accepting the brotherhood of man doesn't negate advocating for ones branch of mankind. Islam and Black nationalism aren't often thought of in the same breath as conservatism for obvious reasons. That said, both systems are superior incubators for self-development outside the majority education establishment; independent institution-building and providing internal counseling and security for the inner city."
Capitalism Saved The Miners In Chile
Asserts Daniel Henninger, in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal (hat tip: J.B. White): "If those miners had been trapped a half-mile down like this 25 years ago anywhere on earth, they would be dead. What happened over the past 25 years that meant the difference between life and death for those men? Short answer: the Center Rock drill bit."
He continues his commentary: "This is the miracle bit that drilled down to the trapped miners. Center Rock Inc. is a private company in Berlin, Pa. It has 74 employees. The drill's rig came from Schramm Inc. in West Chester, Pa. Seeing the disaster, Center Rock's president, Brandon Fisher, called the Chileans to offer his drill. Chile accepted. The miners are alive. Longer answer: The Center Rock drill, heretofore not featured on websites like Engadget or Gizmodo, is in fact a piece of tough technology developed by a small company in it for the money, for profit. That's why they innovated down-the-hole hammer drilling. If they make money, they can do more innovation. This profit = innovation dynamic was everywhere at that Chilean mine. The high-strength cable winding around the big wheel atop that simple rig is from Germany. Japan supplied the super-flexible, fiber-optic communications cable that linked the miners to the world above. A remarkable Sept. 30 story about all this by the Journal's Matt Moffett was a compendium of astonishing things that showed up in the Atacama Desert from the distant corners of capitalism. Samsung of South Korea supplied a cellphone that has its own projector. Jeffrey Gabbay, the founder of Cupron Inc. in Richmond, Va., supplied socks made with copper fiber that consumed foot bacteria, and minimized odor and infection. Chile's health minister, Jaime Manalich, said, 'I never realized that kind of thing actually existed.'"
More: "That's right. In an open economy, you will never know what is out there on the leading developmental edge of this or that industry. But the reality behind the miracles is the same: Someone innovates something useful, makes money from it, and re-innovates, or someone else trumps their innovation. Most of the time, no one notices. All it does is create jobs, wealth and well-being. But without this system running in the background, without the year-over-year progress embedded in these capitalist innovations, those trapped miners would be dead."
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Colin Powell: Secretary Of Defense?
From Politico.com: "With Jim Jones’ resignation last week as National Security Adviser and the elevation of his deputy Tom Donilon to succeed him, speculation is turning to who might succeed Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The Obama cabinet heavyweight has reasserted his intention to depart before the 2012 presidential campaign gets underway, likely in the first half of next year. One new name that has become a topic of speculation on military listservs and among Democratic national security hands in recent days is that of retired four-star Gen. Colin Powell. The moderate Republican former Secretary of State, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and National Security Adviser to Ronald Reagan post-Iran Contra famously endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008."
More: "Powell has consulted with Obama on Iraq and Afghanistan including in a White House visit the weekend before Obama rolled out his Afghanistan strategy last December. Indeed, Obama has consulted Powell so often, it has raised the eyebrows of some retired senior Democratic national security figures he has apparently consulted less so. Nevertheless, some Democratic national security hands and former military officials have in the past week raised Powell’s name as a possible candidate for Obama to consider to succeed the exceedingly hard-to-replace Gates. 'It would fulfill George Marshall’s example perfectly,' former advisor Larry Wilkerson told POLITICO Wednesday, explaining that no other person besides George Marshall has served as army chief, Secretary of State and Defense Secretary."
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Rama Yade on Pension Reform Protests In France
The French Secretary of State for Sport and moderate-conservative writes (original op-ed in French): "The press reported that youth are in the streets. Really? Why? They are, we are told, against the pension reform [which would raise France's minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, in order to rein in France’s budget deficit]. Youth are demonstrating for the status quo? Would they be such willing agents of their own marginalization? They are wrong to fight. They should rather ask all those organizations that call them to descend upon the street, who have made their future in the past 20 years. Why, after being encouraged to protest en masse in the streets against the CPE in 2006, they have abandoned them and they never show the employability of youth, internships, access to housing, school failure. Instead, they ask them to protest against a reform that prepares for their future. It's shooting oneself in the foot."
France's former human rights minister continues her commentary: "If there is a reform that helps the future of young people, it is pension reform. It is they, the youth, who will pay to maintain the current retirement age of 60. How? First, starting retirement later with the PAYGO system will not take long. Then, assuming the financial burden of early retirement to seniors in retirement since 2020, representing 40% of young employees, as contributors. Unless young people are also hoping to leave at 60? Also enjoy the jar of jam? The problem is that by the time they become pensioners, the jar will be empty since nothing has been done to keep it full."
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Michael Steele: "A Republican Congress Means More Jobs"
Asserts the moderate-conservative chairman of the Republican National Committee: "As we reach the 10,000-mile mark in our national bus tour, our goal at the Republican National Committee has been simple: to listen to voters and prepare to get the job done on their behalf. What voters have been saying — to incumbents and challengers alike since early 2009 — is that the top job for the president and Congress is jobs. Voters want elected officials to focus, above all, on jobs and the economy. Regardless of their region, demographic or economic background, voters are looking to elect candidates who can bring our country back from nearly double-digit unemployment, record deficits and the most dramatic expansion of government in our history."
He continues his commentary: "Yet Democrats have spent the past two years pursuing a job-killing agenda that has resulted in millions of our citizens being thrown out of work. Rather than listening to voters, Democrats have lectured them. Their message to voters has been clear — and offensive: President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats know best, and voters are too dumb to know what is in their best interests. Contrary to what Democrats may think, voters are smart. They are not bumpkins who cling to 'guns and religion.' Nor are voters, as Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) recently said when he condescended to park his yacht in Rhode Island and walk among his lessers, ignorant of the facts. Voters know that the Constitution provides that only the Congress can pass budgets, tax legislation and spending measures. Voters also know that the decisions Congress makes largely determine whether jobs are created — or destroyed."
More: "Government should encourage entrepreneurs — not punish them. Voters understand that. That is why, on Nov. 2, voters will take the first step toward creating a job for themselves by eliminating jobs for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the Democratic members of Congress."
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Clarence Page on Elite Anti-Elitism
The moderate-liberal columnist takes various Republicans to task for staking out populist positions: "Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle, for example, called Sen. Bob Bennett, a Utah Republican, an 'out of touch' elitist after he pointed out something obvious about the tea partiers: They have no identifiable strategy. Bennett's comment came after he lost his bid for renomination because he wasn't conservative enough for his party's tea party activists. In a later interview, Angle shot back that Bennett 'has become one of the elitists that is no longer in touch with' constituents back home. With that, Angle shows herself to be a tea partier who does have a strategy after all: Redefine 'elitist' to apply to anyone who disagrees with you."
He continues his commentary: "That view appears to be shared by Carly Fiorina, California's Republican Senate nominee. In an April fundraising letter she didn't let her past as CEO of Hewlett Packard stop her from warning that 'the American Dream is in danger' due to 'elitists' in charge of the government. Her remedy? Elect her, a leader from America's corporate elite, instead. Sharing this partisan view of who an 'elitist' is, conservative activist Virginia "Ginni" Thomas recently rallied a cheering tea party crowd in Virginia by declaring, 'We are ruled by an elite that thinks it knows better than we know.' She ought to know. She's married to a member of an elite, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Members of the high court routinely think they know what's better for the country than the rest of us do. It is almost a job description."
More commentary from Mr. Page: "That's why [Delaware U.S. Senate candidate] O'Donnell's desperate attempt to devalue Ivy League diplomas strikes me as a disturbing turn, even in America's political right, where downward mobility seems to be attracting high praise. It saddens me to hear other conservatives — many of whom quite properly denounce black kids who ridicule academic achievement as 'acting white' — ridicule high-achieving college graduates as 'elitists.' What kind of message does that send to our children? Work hard, get a good education and maybe you, too, can become successful enough to be denounced as an elitist? That's why, when I hear Obama's critics knock him with the E-word, I take it as a sign of social progress. As recently as two or three decades ago, it would have been inconceivable for a black man to be portrayed as out of touch with the working class — unless perhaps he was a member of the underclass. We've come a long way as a nation, haven't we? Obama should wear his achievement proudly, but not too proudly. Somebody might think he's stuck up."
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Barack Obama's War On Jobs
Gary Andres calls the Democrats the "Party Of No Jobs" over at The Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine: "First, consider uncertainty. Businesses cannot plan effectively in the current environment. Doubt about future tax policy is a case in point. The Democratic majority adjourned to campaign without providing any clarity. No one knows what a post-election lame duck session might concoct. As a result, income taxes, capital gains, dividends and a host of other expiring business incentives are all hostage to congressional fiat. It’s possible nothing happens this year – meaning, major tax increases on income, savings and investments on January 1. Uncertainty on the tax front is higher than it’s been in at least the last decade. Job creation suffers in this environment. Health care and environmental regulation also contribute to the uncertainty. The Obama administration continues to implement portions of the health care law. We hear new stories every day about premium increases and employers changing coverage. Major upheaval in this sector of the economy also clouds the jobs picture."
He continues his commentary about the liberal Democratic president's strategy: "But uncertainty is only one front in this war. The president’s own rhetoric also creates unnecessary and harmful divisions – an 'us' vs. 'them' mentality that polarizes the country. Taking on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over allegedly using foreign money for campaign contributions is just the most recent example. Speaking at the World Business Forum in New York last week, former General Electric CEO Jack Welch summed up the view of many in corporate America, saying the Obama administration is 'just plain anti-business.' Americans want a president that brings the country together, a leader who tries to unify, not divide. But, instead, Obama serves up fiery, campaign-like speeches fingering business leaders as boardroom bogeymen, not job creators."
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Michelle Rhee Resigns As D.C. Schools Chief: Bookerista Views
Jonetta Rose Barras: "Education Reform With A New Face In D.C."
The moderate columnist in Washington, D.C., doesn't like how Ms. Rhee was shown the door: "No need to sugarcoat this. It's totally whacked that obstructionists with political and personal agendas pushed out a woman who cared about D.C.'s children and fought to improve their lives. That's what happened Wednesday when Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee resigned. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, acquiescing to a request by Democratic mayoral nominee Vincent C. Gray, appointed Kaya Henderson, interim chancellor. Gray had signaled for months he intended to dump Rhee, the national standard bearer of school reform. After unions spent $1 million helping Gray win the primary, Rhee's departure was a fait accompli. Folks, no one spends that kind of money without expecting a return on investment So, Gray, who blasted the current mayor for so-called 'pay-to-play' policies has executed the most blatant pay-to-play maneuver in the city's political history."
Ms. Barras continues her commentary about D.C. education reform: "Despite the fact that she was a lead negotiator who helped secure that ground-breaking, tenure-busting teacher contract that school districts across the country are using as a model, union officials like Henderson; she's not Rhee. Her appointment means they can claim victory. Gray also scores points with African Americans. Reform now has a black face -- Henderson. She also is a resident of Ward 5; Gray received a super-majority of votes from that predominantly African-American community. Those blacks worried about DC changing from Chocolate City to Vanilla Village might breathe a sigh of relief. Further, Henderson is perceived as being 'tough but kinder.'"
Condoleezza Rice: "Rhee's Departure Is A Sad Day For D.C. Schoolchildren"
The moderate-conservative Republican had something to say about her friend's departure. From NewxMax.com: "Speaking on Fox and Friends Wednesday, Rice, who befriended Rhee during her time in Washington, said: 'She stood up for the kids of Washington, D.C., and somebody had to. This school district has failed so many kids. And this is a loss for those children, and for the parents who are trapped in those poor schools. You know, K-12 education in this country has got to improve. Because when I can look at your zip code and know whether or not you're going to get a good education -- and I can look at your zip code in D.C., and know,' Rice said."
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Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko: "Ghana's Center-Right Party Has No Business Being Broke!"
Asserts the libertarian-conservative head of the Danquah Institute (Ghana). He argues that like Ghana's ruling center-left party, the NPP - which promotes free enterprise capitalism in theory - has succumbed to a dependency culture:): "It is a counterproductive dependency culture that limits the space of political activity to the very few months of elections – denying the party activists on the ground the opportunity to constructively engage the communities in real social action programmes in the long periods between elections."
Mr. Ochere-Darko continues his commentary about the New Patriotic Party: "The next couple of years offer the NPP and other parties, I presume, the opportunity to change the pattern of funding political parties in Ghana, where the size of a party’s funding capacity is determined by the occupancy of the presidency. Is the NPP saying that it cannot task its constituency offices to, on an average, identify 200 persons per each of the 230 constituencies who can contribute GH¢20 [US$14] for party activities per month? This would translate into GH¢920,000 [US$642,000] every month – a regular source of income that the party can really rely on. For example, 20% of that amount can go to the regional office for its work, 30% to the national office, and the rest remains at the constituency. The NPP has no business crying poverty and preaching the principles of a property-owning democracy. It is purely shameful!"
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Poll: Rep. Sanford Bishop’s Lead Dries Up In Georgia
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| Is Rep. Bishop's re-election in trouble? |
Booker Rising response: I'm sure the recent Congressional Black Caucus Foundation scholarship scandal - which Rep. Bishop first said was no big deal because there wasn't a no-nepotism rule in place at the time, but which he is now blaming on his wife - hasn't helped his case.
Discuss "Poll: Rep. Sanford Bishop’s Lead Dries Up In Georgia" post here.
Obama's Rule: Bookerista Perspectives
American bookeristas are fired up, itching to vote on November 2:
Lloyd Marcus: "Why Liberals Are Afraid, Very Afraid"
The conservative Republican activist in Florida explains the tea party movement to a British audience over at The Guardian: "Sometimes, God gives us great gifts in ugly packages. The day after Obama was elected, I could have been extremely depressed. The only thing that gave me peace was the knowledge that God is in control. God did not wake up that morning and say, 'Oh no, Obama won!' So, I trusted that all was well."
He continues his commentary: "Obama's election has proven to be a great gift from God. Obama's radical, progressive and socialist agenda has awakened a sleeping giant. For years, we regular Americans have been passively going along with political correctness; the banning of God from the public square, attacks on our freedoms, culture and etc. Finally, millions of Americans, in ever increasing numbers, are saying, 'ENOUGH! We're taking back our country!' Desperate, Obama and his sycophant media buddies have been trying to silence the opposition by despicably calling millions of decent, hardworking Americans racist. Well, it ain't workin'!"
Larry Elder: "Obamalism - As We Know It - R.I.P."
Asserts the libertarian Republican commentator in California: "Obamalism: a political/social/economic philosophy that combines socialism, collectivism and redistributionism wrapped around a killer smile. Welcome, Mr. President, to your new reality. The Republicans need not 'take over' Congress to slow the march of the most left-wing president ever elected. To clip President Barack Obama's wings, the GOP simply needs to carve into the once filibuster-proof Democratic Senate. The new 1994 Republican majorities in the House and Senate forced then-President Bill Clinton to smell the center-right coffee. He then signed a more modest domestic budget, welfare reform (after two vetos) and capital gains tax cuts."
Mr. Elder continues his commentary: "Despite Obama's defiant assertion that he would rather be a 'really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president,' he already reluctantly recognizes the reality of a Clinton-like post-midterm pivot. Consider the headline of a recent Wall Street Journal article based on interviews with shellshocked White House personnel: 'Obama Likely to Scale Back Legislative Plans: In New Political Landscape, Incremental Approach Is in Works to Get Support for Some Proposals on Energy, Immigration.' 'Hope and change' has been replaced with 'hopeless and small change.'"
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