Booker Rising

Open Thread Thursday

2012-05-24T23:56:00.000-05:00

Busy day again, but will return to posting tomorrow. Que pasa?

Open Thread Wednesday

2012-05-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

What's on your mind?

Do You Want Booker Rising To Grow? Only $435 Left To Raise!

2012-05-22T10:30:00.001-05:00

Booker Rising recently celebrated its 8th year (you can see the blog's very post here). Yes, it's that time of the year again: Booker Rising's biannual fundraising drive.

As mentioned back in January, I had to delay redesigning the blog (which was last done in 2008). As you know, my schedule has been crazy busy this year, which prevented regular blog posting until recently. Now that I'm getting around to the redesign, the designer has increased his price somewhat in the interim as well.

In celebration of Booker Rising's 8th birthday, my goal is to raise $800. Booker Rising is the only one-stop source on the Internet on the global black center-right, from America to Zimbabwe. It's the go-to source for black center-right news, amid a vast sea of black center-left news sources. If only 18 of my readers contribute $25, the May goal will be met.

It is Day 17 of the campaign. Booker Rising has met 46% of its birthday goal so far ($365). If you appreciate the work of Booker Rising, you can donate by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top of the blog. You can donate through PayPal, if you have an account. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can donate using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, or Echeck. I should note that contributions are not tax-deductible.

5/22 Quote Of The Day: Rep. Allen West

2012-05-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

"During the question and answer portion of President Obama's NATO summit press conference [yesterday] he made an interesting statement. He alluded to the fact that the Presidential election will be about who will ensure success for Americans from top to bottom, that everyone has a fair shot. It is clear that Obama is redefining the words of Thomas Jefferson who articulated that our unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness come from our Creator, not man, nor government. Benjamin Franklin stated that it is the pursuit of happiness and it is incumbent upon the American individual to make that chase and catch it. America is about individual sovereignty to pursue their happiness. It is not about government-driven collective subjugation in an attempt to guarantee happiness. Sorry President Obama, we will not allow you to redefine America, nor the American Dream!" — Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), conservative Republican Congressman

Cory Booker's Apostasy: Defending Capitalism

2012-05-22T10:00:00.012-05:00

Mayor Cory Booker

The Wall Street Journal has an op-ed about the liberal furor over the moderate-liberal Democrat's recent comments on "Meet The Press" in defense of Bain Capital (hat tip: Mr. Ref): "Cory Booker may want to hire a food taster. The Newark Mayor, a Democrat, dared to disagree on Sunday with the Obama campaign's attacks on Bain Capital and the private-equity business, and the liberal orthodoxy machine has been busy delivering retribution."

It continues its op-ed: "Mr. Booker uttered his apostasy on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' calling out both Presidential campaigns for what he called a 'nauseating' focus on side issues. He deplored attacks on President Obama for his long-ago association with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, but he added that 'I have to just say, from a very personal level, I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity....Especially that I know I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people are investing in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital's record, they've done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses.'"

More: "The Obama campaign's attacks on Bain haven't gone very well, in part because the claims are so transparently cynical. Everyone knows they're cherry-picking facts, focusing on the rare Bain Capital failures while ignoring the successes — all in order to distract attention from the failed results of Mr. Obama's economic policies. Presidents who have to take their own party allies to the woodshed for the offense of telling the truth don't tend to win re-election."

THOMAS SOWELL OP-ED: Big Lies In Politics

2012-05-22T09:55:00.001-05:00

The conservative economist opines: "Among the biggest lies of the welfare states on both sides of the Atlantic is the notion that the government can supply the people with things they want but cannot afford. Since the government gets its resources from the people, if the people as a whole cannot afford something, neither can the government. There is, of course, the perennial fallacy that the government can simply raise taxes on 'the rich' and use that additional revenue to pay for things that most people cannot afford. What is amazing is the implicit assumption that 'the rich' are all such complete fools that they will do nothing to prevent their money from being taxed away. History shows otherwise."

He continues his commentary on big lies in politics: "So, if you cannot rely on 'the rich' to pick up the slack, what can you rely on? Lies. Nothing is easier for a politician than promising government benefits that cannot be delivered. Pensions such as Social Security are perfect for this role. The promises that are made are for money to be paid many years from now -- and somebody else will be in power then, left with the job of figuring out what to say and do when the money runs out and the riots start. There are all sorts of ways of postponing the day of reckoning. The government can refuse to pay what it costs to get things done. Cutting what doctors are paid for treating Medicare patients is one obvious example. That of course leads some doctors to refuse to take on new Medicare patients. But this process takes time to really make its full impact felt -- and elections are held in the short run. This is another growing problem that can be left for someone else to try to cope with in future years."

More commentary from Dr. Sowell: "As the day of reckoning approaches, there are a number of ways of seeming to overcome the crisis. If the government is running out of money, it can print more money. That does not make the country any richer, but it quietly transfers part of the value of existing money from people's savings and income to the government, whose newly printed money is worth just as much as the money that people worked for and saved. Printing more money means inflation -- and inflation is a quiet lie, by which a government can keep its promises on paper, but with money worth much less than when the promises were made. Is it so surprising voters with unrealistic hopes elect politicians who lie about being able to fulfill those hopes?"

MP Sam Gyimah: "Relaxing British Labor Regulations Is Only One Part Of The Package To Create Jobs"

2012-05-22T09:12:00.021-05:00

Asserts the British parliamentarian, entrepreneur, and Conservative Party member: "So what do we mean when we say we need more flexibility? Hiring is an incredibly risky process, especially for small businesses. The fewer employees you have, the higher the stakes are for each new addition, because people tend to be one of the largest costs to a business. Too often, what appears to be a good fit at interview can turn out not to be the perfect match for both sides. If businesses do not have the confidence that they can take tough decisions without fear of a protracted employment tribunal, they will be more cautious than they need to be with every new hire. Counter-intuitive though it may seem, greater flexibility reduces the risk for employers to hire. That is why flexibility in labour markets is essential to growth."

MP Gyimah zeroes in on labor regulations around the world: "Yet the international evidence demonstrates that successful labour markets cannot be created by relaxing hire and fire regulation alone. In Germany, educational reforms and a strong apprenticeship culture, combined with cutting the cost of employing young people through the creation of regulation-light ‘mini-jobs’, have kept youth unemployment low in spite of the financial crisis. Denmark, a social democratic country renowned for ‘fairness’, ranks first in the World Economic Forum rankings for ease of hire and fire and low redundancy costs, but under the ‘flexicurity’ model there are strong incentives to help people back into work if they lose their jobs. 1 in 4 workers in Denmark change jobs every year, and yet this is seen as a positive feature of the economic landscape by most Danes. And the light-touch employment regulations of the US work because of the unique conditions that have historically allowed the country to be an engine of job creation."

More commentary from MP Gyimah, about job creation: "What can Britain take away from these international examples? We need a package of reforms alongside relaxing labour laws. Raising the skills level of British employees is key – [a] more qualified and better skilled workforce is essential to our long-term competitiveness. People who are better skilled have more options in the job market in good as well as bad times. Incentivising the growth of start-ups and small businesses is vital, because in too many of our towns there are just one or two large employers. And welfare-to-work needs to be linked to our labour market and growth policies."

Kenneth Durden: "Penn Jillette Is Right That President Obama Is Worse Than A Hypocrite"

2012-05-22T08:23:00.012-05:00

The libertarian-conservative blogger writes: "Watch comedian Penn Jillette nail Barack Obama on drug use, states' rights and class warfare, not against the rich but in smug superiority toward common people. (Language warning.)...

Jillette notes the increased federal push to close down medical marijuana clinics and how nearly three-quarters of a million Americans are in prison for marijuana. Still, President Obama jokes with comedians about 'weed.' It isn't funny and he gets a pass. Bush was hounded about drug use and not with laughter but in an accusatory way by the media and leftists. If you laugh and joke about it, and if you're a leftist it's fine if you use drugs and bring the hammer down on the masses for doing the same thing the elites did throughout college."

More: "Jillette also nails Mr. Obama on the projected air of superiority. I believe this sense of superiority motivates many on the political left. The young uninformed person goes away to college and gets exposed to things s/he did not know, all at the feet of leftist professors who present themselves as holders of all knowledge and wisdom. Then the [person] realized that she is among the nation's elite minority the 25-30% who graduate from college (as if that confers extra value). The more time spent in this elitist setting causes some to assume an inflated sense of self-worth, that they know best how life should be lived. They must go out and lead the pathetic ignorant masses. Barack Obama has this attitude in spades. Oops, pun not intended."

Do You Want Booker Rising To Grow? Only $435 Left To Raise!

2012-05-21T23:19:00.000-05:00

Booker Rising recently celebrated its 8th year (you can see the blog's very post here). Yes, it's that time of the year again: Booker Rising's biannual fundraising drive.

As mentioned back in January, I had to delay redesigning the blog (which was last done in 2008). As you know, my schedule has been crazy busy this year, which prevented regular blog posting until recently. Now that I'm getting around to the redesign, the designer has increased his price somewhat in the interim as well.

In celebration of Booker Rising's 8th birthday, my goal is to raise $800. Booker Rising is the only one-stop source on the Internet on the global black center-right, from America to Zimbabwe. It's the go-to source for black center-right news, amid a vast sea of black center-left news sources. If only 18 of my readers contribute $25, the May goal will be met.

It is Day 16 of the campaign. Booker Rising has met 46% of its birthday goal so far ($365). If you appreciate the work of Booker Rising, you can donate by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top of the blog. You can donate through PayPal, if you have an account. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can donate using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, or Echeck. I should note that contributions are not tax-deductible.

Black Pastors Condemn NAACP's Support For Gay Marriage

2012-05-21T23:01:00.001-05:00

William Owens of CAAP

As mentioned yesterday on Booker Rising, the NAACP's board of directors voted to support same-sex marriage. That ain't flying with some black pastors though. From OneNewsNow: "The pointed reference to 'religious freedoms' [in the NAACP's resolution] was directed toward pastors and religious leaders within the black community, who have been vocal in their opposition to homosexual marriage — and to the efforts of homosexual activists to equate the campaign to legalize their lifestyle with the 1960s civil rights movement. 'We are really tired of the homosexual community hijacking the civil rights movement,' William Owens, president of the Coalition of African-American Pastors (CAAP), told OneNewsNow.com. 'I did not choose to be black and you did not choose to be white — and homosexuals make a choice to be homosexual. So why compare what we went through with your situation? It’s not the same thing; there’s no comparison.'"

The article continues about their opposition to gay marriage: "CAAP is not the only black group to express its opposition to same-sex marriage. Council Nedd II, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Missionary Church and a board member of the black conservative group Project 21, told OneNewsNow that 'Scripture is clear from Genesis to Revelation: marriage is defined as a holy covenant blessed by God between a man and a woman. And the issue is that simple with me.'"

More: "Noted black Christian leader Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., pastor of Hope Christian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, said the actions of the NAACP and other black groups in backing Obama on the issue of same-sex marriage are deeply troubling. 'The black community is in an adulterous relationship with President Obama,' Jackson told the Christian Post. 'He is asking us to stray from the most basic tenets of Scripture — that marriage is an institution made by God for man and woman to become one and procreate. He’s telling us it’s fine to hold onto our beliefs but that it’s also okay to accept his stance on a position that goes against that core belief.'"

MICHAEL STEELE OP-ED: Hey, Remember The Economy?

2012-05-21T22:51:00.000-05:00

The moderate-conservative former head of the Republican National Committee argues that we need to get real about America's bottom line: "Ronald Reagan once said, 'The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.' It's a sentiment that is especially true as we watch government declare a war on profits, a siege on success and a crusade against capitalism. Of course, such frontal assaults on capitalism are not driving the news. Instead, it's President Obama's tryst with gay marriage and Mitt Romney's bullying of a high school student (now that's a headline -- but the story is 50 years old and Romney was himself a teenager). After all, isn't that what the unemployed and just about anyone who has struggled through this economy during the past three years wants to talk about?"

He continues his commentary: "Certainly, those stories are a hell of lot sexier than the fact that our nation is in the red by more than $15.6 trillion (the interest payments alone on the national debt will climb to a record $800 billion a year by the end of this decade), which means your 2-year-old will owe Uncle Sam 50 grand before she gets to preschool. Don't like that reality? Then, how about digesting the fact that while federal spending has soared to an annual average of 24 percent of gross domestic product, the ranks of the nation's poor have also increased from 39.8 million Americans in 2008 to 46.2 million in 2010. Still not feeling reality? Then wait, there's always more: Unless Congress acts, in 2013, the top marginal tax rate will increase to 39.6 percent, the level at which it was before the 2001 and 2003 'Bush' tax cuts."

Harold Ford Jr.: "Cory Booker Is Right To Criticize The Obama Campaign Over Its Attacks On Enterprise"

2012-05-21T22:44:00.003-05:00

Harold Ford Jr.

From Politico, about the moderate-liberal Democrat and former Congressman (hat tip: Mr. Ref): "Former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. said Monday that he would not have walked back New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker’s surprising comments criticizing the Obama campaign for attacking private equity. 'I would not have backed off the comments if I were Mayor Booker,' Ford, a Democrat, said on MSNBC’s 'Morning Joe.' 'The substance of his comments on ‘Meet the Press,’ I agree with the core of it. I would not have backed them out....private equity’s not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, private equity is a good thing in many, many instances.' 'Having said that, I understand as a surrogate for the campaign, you have to have one of your key and most eloquent and most effective surrogates at least clarify or at least bring context to his statements,' continued Ford."

The article continues: "Booker, an Obama surrogate, criticized the campaign’s attacks on Mitt Romney’s tenure at private-equity firm Bain Capital on the NBC Sunday morning show. 'It’s nauseating to the American public,' Booker told host David Gregory. 'Enough is enough. Stop attacking private equity. Stop attacking Jeremiah Wright. As far as that stuff, I have to just say from a very personal level I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity,' he added. But by the evening, Booker had walked his comments back, saying that Romney’s record at Bain was fair game. 'Mitt Romney has made his business record a centerpiece of his campaign — he’s talked about himself as a job creator,' Booker said in a nearly four-minute video. 'Therefore, it is reasonable — in fact, I encourage it — for the Obama campaign to examine that record and discuss it.'"

Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. Touts Military Funding For NASCAR

2012-05-21T17:03:00.003-05:00

Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr.

It should be eliminated, as NASCAR can and should solely be funded by private sponsors. From Forbes: "NASCAR’s viewership is on the rebound, but one of the sport’s biggest sponsors appears to be on the way out. The House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee approved next year’s Defense Appropriations bill last Thursday, and the proposal includes an amendment that could seriously hurt the sponsorship income of NASCAR’s top teams."

The article continues: "Jack Kingston, a Republican from Georgia, joined Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum to offer bipartisan sponsorship for the amendment. Kingston has suggested that the amendment is a step towards showing that Congress is serious about mitigating wasteful spending."

Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr., a moderate-liberal Democrat, opposes the amendment: "The crux of the debate is whether the spending is actually wasteful. Some have estimated that military sponsorships of NASCAR have generated 50,000 potential recruits. Sanford Bishop, a Democrat from Georgia, opposed the amendment and argued that NASCAR sponsorships are particularly effective because of the sport’s demographics:

NASCAR is big and particularly in rural communities...We’ve got to go where the potential recruits are. These youngsters who work on the tractors...who are the mechanics who can take those skills to the military who hunt, who fish, who become expert marksmen because they’re accustomed to hunting in the woods. I think we need to target those folks."

Justice Malala: "We South Africans Aren't A Proud People"

2012-05-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

Asserts the South African moderate-conservative columnist: "Hanyani Thomo Secondary School has not had textbooks since the beginning of the year. With the aid of nongovernmental organisations Section 27, Equal Education and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, the school took Basic Education minister and the provincial government to court to demand that it be given textbooks. The Pretoria High Court ruled on Thursday that the failure of the government to provide textbooks to pupils in Limpopo for the start of the school year was a violation of their constitutional right to education. Judge Jody Kollapen ordered the government to supply the pupils with textbooks by June 15. Tell me this: what kind of government, one that claims to be a true representative of the people of this country, allows pupils to sit for half the year without books? South Africa, with its vast resources marshalled towards education, cannot get it together to supply children with education? Thousands of children in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo still do not have textbooks."

He ain't done just yet: " Do you remember the heartbreaking story of a child named Jackpot? This is the mentally disabled child who was gang-raped, her ordeal filmed on a cellphone and the gory clip distributed across the country. Men and women watched that clip of a child being raped and said nothing. Police who had been told of this child's previous rapes had done nothing. The neighbourhood knew she was called a sexual jackpot and they did nothing. Now that her plight hogged our headlines for a week, we don't even know where she is and we don't care to ask. A child was raped in our midst and we say nothing. This is the 'human face' of the new South Africa. This is the human face of a country that was broken by apartheid - which apparently wasn't too bad, according to FW de Klerk - and which is failing at finding its true self. Examples of a humane, caring South Africa exist, of course, and they are not too hard to find. Yet there is no denying that we are going through a period in which we are experiencing a deluge of inhumanity: a government whose actions show a lack of humanity towards its citizens and a citizenry descending into savagery."

Hypocrisy? Democrats Rail Against Voter ID, But Require ID At Delegate Selection Events

2012-05-21T14:16:00.001-05:00

Andre Walker, a conservative Republican blogger in Georgia, writes: "In Georgia, the Democrats recently completed their delegate selection process for the Democratic National Convention. And guess what? On Democrat[ic] website after Democrat[ic] website (like the one pictured right), the instructions were the same -- bring photo ID to elect Democratic National Convention delegates."

More: "But wait a minute....Democratic National Committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the voters who lack photo ID are the voters who consistently support the Democratic Party; and Republicans are trying to use photo ID to restrict their ability to vote. If photo ID restricts the ability for people, who consistently support the Democratic Party, to vote, then would it not be true that photo ID restricts the ability for those same Democratic Party supporters to elect delegates to the National Convention? The Democrats would say no. The Democrats would say large turnouts were seen at delegate selection events across Georgia, and every participant produced photo ID before casting their ballots. So Democrats require photo ID at delegate selection events. Does this mean the Democrats [are] tacitly acknowledging that photo ID adds an additional safeguard against voter fraud? It sure looks like it. Either that or Democrats oppose photo ID except when they use it themselves."

Stanley Crouch on Anthony Benezet

2012-05-21T14:00:00.021-05:00

The moderate-liberal columnist highlights a French-born Quaker educator in America who fought slavery back in the 18th century: "Benezet, born in 1713, was from France, but his family moved to Pennsylvania in 1731, then a British colony that was friendly to Quakers, the low-key but resolute faith that the family had joined in 1727. In Philadelphia, Benezet became a school teacher, making a name for himself as very good with children and less harsh in punishing his students than was common during that era. Benezet went on to open the first public school for girls in this country and also taught slave children in the evenings at his home. He continued doing both almost until his death in 1784, when 400 blacks turned out for his funeral."

He continues his commentary: "Teaching slaves made Benezet understand something that he lived by and that had become extremely significant to the Quaker position on slavery. The Quakers had a reputation for never breaking their treaties and promises to American Indians and for seeing slavery as an evil institution opposed to the dictates of fundamental Christian teachings. They stood up against the 18th century idea of polygenesis, which allowed for the belief that different races had different origins, thus making some superior to others. Benezet was a major voice against the idea because, as he often said and wrote, by teaching children, whether black or white, he discovered that they were all basically the same, none being better, none being worse."

More: "What makes Benezet especially affirmative of what is going on today is that his philosophy about ethnic equality was built not only on religious ideas but, more importantly, on his own direct experience with slave children. As Maurice Jackson wrote in 2009’s 'Let This Voice Be Heard: Anthony Benezet, Father of Atlantic Abolitionism,' 'Unlike most whites of his time, Benezet sought to change the condition of the chained and the oppressed.' Anthony Benezet represented the fire under the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and the sorts of remarkable things that Eleanor Roosevelt did — like taking a test flight with a Tuskegee Airman when there was talk that black fliers could not cut the mustard in battle."

Do You Want Booker Rising To Grow? Only $495 Left To Raise!

2012-05-20T23:11:00.000-05:00

Booker Rising recently celebrated its 8th year (you can see the blog's very post here). Yes, it's that time of the year again: Booker Rising's biannual fundraising drive.

As mentioned back in January, I had to delay redesigning the blog (which was last done in 2008). As you know, my schedule has been crazy busy this year, which prevented regular blog posting until recently. Now that I'm getting around to the redesign, the designer has increased his price somewhat in the interim as well.

In celebration of Booker Rising's 8th birthday, my goal is to raise $800. Booker Rising is the only one-stop source on the Internet on the global black center-right, from America to Zimbabwe. It's the go-to source for black center-right news, amid a vast sea of black center-left news sources. If only 26 of my readers contribute $25, the May goal will be met.

It is Day 15 of the campaign. Booker Rising has met 38% of its birthday goal so far ($305). If you appreciate the work of Booker Rising, you can donate by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top of the blog. You can donate through PayPal, if you have an account. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can donate using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, or Echeck. I should note that contributions are not tax-deductible.

Nadra Enzi: "Are Angry Liberal White Men On The Rise?"

2012-05-20T23:00:00.001-05:00

This trio allegedly plotted to bomb Obama's campaign office

Asks the moderate-conservative Republican blogger in Louisiana: "Lately Occupy Wall St. affiliates and related movements have had angry liberal White men accused of plotting to blow up bridges and even firebomb the President's Chicago Campaign headquarters. 'Angry White men!' is a phrase usually associated with conservatives and Far right hate groups. Fairness dictates asking are these cases on the Far Left isolated or symptoms of something more sinister....and widespread?"

He continues his commentary: "Black men know only too well that our words can be spun to whip millions of frightened White folks into a politically useful frenzy. The same holds true for angry liberal White men. Images of long haired anarchists terrify Mainstream (i.e White) America to its core. From a security perspective please consider anarchists don't look 'suspicious' like, say, Arabs or Black folks. They blend in with the general populace and thus don't raise threat flags unless they go out of their way to call attention to themselves. Akin to demonic possession being Anarchist While White causes policy makers; homeland security and police officials sleepless nights. That's why a White man who calls himself an anarchist makes the alphabet soup more nervous than a dozen brothers holding Black Power theater at a press conference somewhere. Unseen; unsuspected, Anarchists While White can be anywhere; at any time and are impervious to the usual (sometimes bias driven) methods of identifying security threats."

More commentary from Mr. Enzi: "Angry liberal White men are a thorn in the side of a Democratic president seeking to hold the center so he can win another four years. More press on Far Left political criminals could mean more reasons for White Independents to vote for a candidate with a more stable base. But, raging at the machine is a young man's birth right. Becoming criminals abusing legitimate causes isn't being a protester- it's being a predator! Populist activists should keep that thought firmly in mind in coming days. If the system you critique is so wrong and heavy handed you should be the last ones using violence as political expression."

MP Kwasi Kwarteng: "It's Only Fair That British Welfare Recipients Also Experience Fiscal Restraint"

2012-05-20T22:46:00.021-05:00

Asserts the British parliamentarian and Conservative Party member, in an op-ed: "Eurogeddon, the collapse of the euro as a currency, poses considerable challenges to this country. In the event of a currency meltdown, the uncertainty would probably deepen recession in Europe. It's difficult to see how we could avoid the economic storm. Our Government would have to reaffirm its commitment to the deficit programme and further cuts in spending would have to be implemented."

He continues his commentary: "For this reason, I think a cash freeze of benefits for three years would be simple, fair and save a significant amount. It seems only fair that people receiving benefits should also experience restraint, when people in employment have had to endure pressures due to the cost of living and stagnant wages. On the basis that we spend £80 billion a year on benefits payments, a freeze for three years would save about £7 billion, assuming an inflation rate of three per cent a year."

More from MP Kwarteng: "For Britain, Eurogeddon will be difficult. Yet in this uncertainty we could find a new opportunity to make ourselves more competitive. We could renew our commitment to sounder public finance and greater prosperity. The failure of the euro would be a significant moment in history. We would have to be very clear about our strategy to deal with this. As a member of the Free Enterprise Group of Conservative MPs, I believe that the fundamentals of Britain's economy remain strong. The Greek debacle demonstrates the folly of wild, out-of-control public spending and lack of competitiveness. I think our three-point plan to freeze cash spending on benefits, set a ceiling on appreciation of sterling and reform our labour market would work, ensuring Britain does not follow Greece on the path to chaos and bankruptcy."

NAACP Board Votes In Support of Same-Sex Marriage

2012-05-20T22:13:00.031-05:00

From ABC News: "The NAACP made waves on Saturday evening when its board of directors voted to support same-sex marriage, releasing a statement that 'civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law' and citing the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a reason for backing marriage equality."

More: "'The mission of the NAACP has always been to ensure the political, social and economic equality of all people,' said Roslyn M. Brock, chairman of the NAACP's board of directors, in a statement. 'We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law.' 'The NAACP's support for marriage equality is deeply rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and equal protection of all people,' said Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, in a statement."

Booker Rising response: I support gay marriage. However, I believe that the NAACP continues to spread itself thin. The NAACP can't focus on black fatherlessness or black-on-black crime (ahem, the civil rights of the many black crime victims within our communities). Yet but can take the time to zero in on an issue that does not affect black people.....as black people (obviously there are black gays and bisexuals, but gay marriage affects such individuals as gays and bisexuals). How about tackling issues that actually affected us collectively as a race? When has a white gay organization ever taken a stance on a policy issue that primarily affects black folks?

Booker Criticizes Obama Campaign Over Attacks On Enterprise

2012-05-20T21:45:00.022-05:00

From Fox News, about the moderate-liberal Democratic mayor: "A top Obama campaign surrogate chastised the president's reelection team Sunday over its ad campaign attacking Mitt Romney's record at private equity firm Bain Capital. The unusual comments from Newark Mayor Cory Booker came during a roundtable discussion Sunday on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' Within hours of the appearance, Booker took to Twitter to reiterate his support for the president -- but he appeared to stand by his criticism of the anti-Romney ad, which he had described as 'nauseating.'"

More about Mayor Cory Booker's comments on "Meet The Press": "'I have to just say from a very personal level, I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity,' Booker said, referring to the ad which spotlighted the story of a Kansas City steel company that went bankrupt after Bain Capital's involvement. 'If you look at the totality of Bain Capital's record, they've done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses,' he added. 'And this, to me, I'm very uncomfortable with.' Booker tied the choices he faced as mayor to those faced by companies Bain dealt with. 'This is not about what happened at Bain Capital. Heck, I've reduced the employees in my city 25 percent because it's the only way my government would survive. Call me a job-cutter, if you want,' he said."

Star Parker: "Blacks Need To Close 'Sunday-Tuesday Gap'"

2012-05-20T21:25:00.026-05:00

Asserts the conservative Republican commentator in D.C.: "Perhaps history will show that the first black president’s biggest contribution to black America was forcing this community to come to terms with its own identity and priorities. By formalizing his support of same-sex marriage, President Barack Obama has pushed blacks to decide what is most important to them: the biblical message they hear in church every Sunday or the big government liberalism they regularly vote for on Election Day Tuesday."

She continues her commentary: "I’ve often talked about what I call the 'Sunday-Tuesday Gap' in black America. The church has always played a central role in black American life. Blacks attend church with greater frequency than any ethnic group in the nation. In church, they hear from pastors who preach the Bible in a most literal fashion. According to a 2010 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey, 34 percent of the general public sees the Bible as the literal word of God. However, 57 percent of blacks and 61 percent of black Protestants say the Bible should be read as God’s literal word. This helps explain why in responding to surveys on so-called 'social issues' — abortion, marriage, family, infidelity, homosexuality — blacks poll like white conservatives. But when blacks vote on Election Day Tuesday, they vote like white liberals."

Ms. Parker ain't done just yet: "If there is a consensus on anything today, it’s that most Americans feel the country is on the wrong track. Where we part company is on the diagnosis of what is wrong. There are big decisions that will determine the kind of country our kids and grandkids will be living in. There is no place where the dilemma is clearer than among black America. Will America move more in the direction of the values of the blacks of Sunday or the blacks of Tuesday? It’s time for black Americans to clarify their priorities and act in concert with them. The choices will impact not just their own future but the future of our nation."

Open Thread Friday

2012-05-18T21:53:00.003-05:00

What's going on?

Do You Want Booker Rising To Grow? Only $570 Left To Raise!

2012-05-17T12:10:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, Booker Rising celebrated its 8th year (you can see the blog's very post here). Yes, it's that time of the year again: Booker Rising's biannual fundraising drive.

As mentioned back in January, I had to delay redesigning the blog (which was last done in 2008). As you know, my schedule has been crazy busy this year, which prevented regular blog posting until recently. Now that I'm getting around to the redesign, the designer has increased his price somewhat in the interim as well.

In celebration of Booker Rising's 8th birthday, my goal is to raise $800. Booker Rising is the only one-stop source on the Internet on the global black center-right, from America to Zimbabwe. It's the go-to source for black center-right news, amid a vast sea of black center-left news sources. If only 26 of my readers contribute $25, the May goal will be met.

It is Day 12 of the campaign. Booker Rising has met 29% of its birthday goal so far ($230). If you appreciate the work of Booker Rising, you can donate by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top of the blog. You can donate through PayPal, if you have an account. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can donate using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, or Echeck. I should note that contributions are not tax-deductible.

5/17 Flashback Song Of The Day: Donna Summer, "She Works Hard For The Money" (1983)

2012-05-17T11:45:00.014-05:00

Donna Summer died this morning in Key West, Florida at age 63, after a long battle with lung cancer. In honor of the Queen Of Disco, I showcase my favorite song of hers:

Some background info on the Boston-born entertainer, courtesy of Wikipedia: "LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012), known by the stage name Donna Summer, was an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She had a mezzo-soprano vocal range, and was a five-time Grammy Award winner. Summer was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart, and she also charted four number-one singles in the United States within a 13-month period."