Booker Rising

Quote Of The Day

2009-07-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

"The problem with South Africa is that we get outraged by the things that don’t matter. When issues arise that really matter, we are subdued and quiet. Probably the most earth-shattering piece of news [last month] was the release of a report by the Medical Research Council, on a study in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, that showed that one in four men had committed rape. Released [last month], it was hardly news in the media the next day. There are reasons to quibble with the study: the people questioned were from devastated, extremely poor provinces, the logic of the extrapolation of the results to all of South Africa is not convincing, and the sample might not have been wide enough. But, in a country where up to 52,000 women are raped every year, it is impossible to hold up a sustained argument against these figures. They go to the core of our country. They might not all be true but certainly they are largely true. To quibble is to indulge in the semantics that led this country to debate whether HIV causes Aids while people died....Anywhere else in the world, survey results like these would lead to the declaration of a state of emergency. If one in four men has indeed raped, then surely there can be one, and only one, conclusion: we are engaged in the systematic murder of our fellow citizens. But the silence is deafening. As deafening as when the statistics and evidence mounted that HIV and Aids were killing people in the millions. The silence is as deafening as when we keep quiet when we hear that a woman wearing a short skirt is 'asking for it'.....A conversation is needed among South African men. We need to start defining what we mean when we say that we are men. There is a problem with the way we perceive ourselves, and the way in which we present ourselves to the world: to our brothers, our sons, our sisters, our wives and our partners. We are not men; we are broken beings. The statistics show that we murder our wives and partners as if there were no tomorrow. We fight, we shoot, we rape. The cycle needs to stop. It cannot go on. We urgently need to talk. We need to start somewhere." — Justice Malala, South African center-right columnist

First Black Party Chief Undermining Outreach To Black America?

2009-07-19T14:00:00.006-05:00

Asks James Richardson over at The Skepticians blog. At last week’s annual conference of the Young Republican National Federation, RNC Chairman Michael Steele (pictured) joked that he would woo potential black voters with “fried chicken and potato salad,” prompting criticism from some prominent black Republicans that the G.O.P.’s first black chief was undermining outreach to the black community (hat tip: Ali Akbar). Asked how he intends to attract “diverse populations” to a party bereft of minority coalitions, Mr. Steele replied, “My plan is to say ‘Y’all come,’ because a lot of you are already here.”

Noting that 95% of black voters nationwide supported President Obama in last year’s general election, black Republican strategists caution that saying “y’all come” won’t cut it. Ali Akbar, a young Georgia Republican and online consultant, warns there is something more fundamental to courting minority voters than merely rolling out the welcome mat. “We have issues of tone, recognition of economic and social circumstances, and to be frank, we’re not talking about how our policy initiatives directly benefit the African American community”, he said.

Some say Mr. Steele’s critics are missing the forest for the trees. Sean Conner, formerly the RNC’s outreach press secretary, insists Mr. Steele is laying a solid groundwork for increasing the GOP’s share of black voters. “First, he’s ensured that the Coalitions Department isn’t just activated six months before an election; secondly, he’s having conversations with diverse folks from across the nation (including the Urban League, the NAACP, and black Republican activists); and thirdly, he’s stood up to address issues important to many African Americans – i.e., small business creation, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship, etc.”

Dr. Ada Fisher, one of four black RNC members and a former endorser of Katon Dawson’s unsuccessful bid for chairman, maintains the “relationship between the black community and Republicans has always been solid for those of us who are here.” But just what qualifies as “here” is up for debate, though. Asked whether Republicans should be encouraged, given the party’s rocky relationship with the black community, by the fact the committee boasts four black committee members, or whether Republicans might be embarrassed by the fact the committee boasts only four black committee members out of one hundred and sixty-eight total posts, Dr. Fisher responded with an interesting question of her own. “How many members of the Democratic hierarchy are black? Does that deter blacks from voting for them? No,” she said, answering her own question. It turns out there are more than four – ninety-two, actually. And they also happened to have a black presidential candidate.

Republican strategists, the chief among them being RNC Chair Michael Steele, must recognize the cumulative disadvantage Republican politicians face when courting the black vote. A good ol’ G.O.P. hootenanny with collards, fried chicken, and potato salad isn’t likely to reverse the affects of years of tone-deaf outreach. And neither is an African American chairman, for that matter. The party chief’s strategy of “Y’all come meet the Colonel for some finger lickin’ fried chicken” and the party activists’ strategy of “We’ve got one, too” are both missing the same element fundamental to minority outreach: meaningful dialogue.

Booker Rising response: African American Conservatives blog wrote an open letter to Mr. Steele taking issue with his remarks, which has generated debate on the AAC blog.

KEN BLACKWELL OP-ED: Hillary's Burqa?

2009-07-19T12:57:00.003-05:00

The conservative Republican commentator opines: "Well, Tina Brown, editor of the liberal blog, The Daily Beast, let go with some real cherry bombs. She loudly proclaimed it’s time for President Obama to let Hillary shed her — burqa! Wow! These folks fight fierce. Brown is charging that President Obama has turned Hillary into his 'foreign policy wife.' And Brown even charged that the President has checkmated both Clintons. By naming Hillary as his Secretary of State, Obama effectively clipped Bill’s wings, too. The way Tina Brown describes the Clintons’ unenviable fate, they don’t sound like Mr. Obama’s political pals — they sound like his hostages. I could certainly understand why Obama chose Hillary as Secretary of State. He could rely on her to give him foreign policy 'heft,' the kind of gravitas that Joe Biden was supposed to provide but never really has. Which one would you prefer to send on a sensitive mission abroad — steely, disciplined Hillary or the perennially quotable, always notable Biden? Biden reminds me of what Churchill once said about our Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles: He is a bull who carries his own china shop with him."

He continues his commentary: "So Hillary at Foggy Bottom made sense for Obama. What I can’t understand is why she ever took it. She had just been powerfully re-elected as New York’s junior senator. Husband Bill had managed to avoid the spotlight of unfavorable publicity. She would certainly have been a strong contender to catch the falling flag from an obviously weakened Harry Reid (D-Nev.) as Majority Leader. Or, she could have borne aloft the banner of big-government liberalism as Ted Kennedy battles cancer. Even long-time Senate lions like Bob Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) are suddenly looking frail. Hillary could have championed any issue she wanted from her secure Senate perch. Nationalized health care? She was perfectly positioned to lead the charge. Defending Judge Sonia Sotomayor? Hillary was a senator from jurist’s home state — and the judge is a feminist to boot. But, instead, Hillary seems to have become President Obama’s feminist to boot. Tina Brown charges that Hillary has been 'a Saudi wife,' and an abused one at that. Hillary didn’t get her man, Richard Holbrooke, as her number two at the State Department. She even had to suffer the indignity of not having her Harvard friend, Joe Nye, named as U.S. Ambassador to Japan."

The Black Role In Ice Cream History

2009-07-19T12:30:00.001-05:00

Today is National Ice Cream Day in America, as celebrated on the third Sunday of every July by order of President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Here are 10 things that you might now know about ice cream. Did you know that a black man started the modern ice cream manufacture in USA?

Chicago Tribune writes: "Who was the nation's first great ice cream entrepreneur? We nominate Augustus Jackson, an African-American. In the late 1820s -- when nearly 2 million other black Americans were still in bondage -- Jackson was a free man who left his job as a chef at the White House and moved to Philadelphia to establish a successful catering business that supplied ice cream to restaurants."

A Civil War Rages In Obamaland

2009-07-19T12:15:00.005-05:00

Michael van der Galien, a moderate-conservative blogger, comments on recent news that moderate and conservative Democrats are breaking away from the Obama administration on health care and other issues: "From day one, Obama made one major mistake: he thought he could use his personal popularity to pull the country to the left. Sadly for him, however, America still is very much a center-right country. Americans voted for him last year, when he still was the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate, yes, but they did so because they thought he was actually a moderate. It only took voters a couple of months before they realized they had made a tragic mistake. Obama is many things, but moderate is not one of ‘em. He was not only the most liberal member of the US Senate, he is also quickly becoming the most liberal president in history. As a result his approval rating drops - fast. The latest Rasmussen polls show that only 52% of voters say they somewhat approve of his policies. That’s a reasonable score after five or six years in office, not after five or six months."

Organizing For America, the president's grassroots group, is now targeting centrist Democrats: "So voters rebel, and congressmen follow along. Career politicians care about one thing only: their jobs. Their future. Centrist Democrats know they can forget about reelection if they continue to support Obama’s far-left plans. So they turn against him with a vengeance. And what does Obama do? Instead of reaching out and taking their concerns serious, he declares war on them. His political machine - originally designed to take on Republicans - is now used to target moderate Dems, who dare criticize his ineffective yet expensive health care plans. Shorter: the coalition behind Obama is falling apart. We see it happening before our very eyes."

More commentary from Mr. van der Galien: "And the beauty of it? He only has himself to blame. Everyone knows that a Democratic president can only be successful if he governs like a centrist - like Bill Clinton did. Obama thought - him being the Messiah and all - that different rules applied to him. He came into office, and used his popularity to push one after another far-left plan to Congress. Sadly for him, fiscal conservatives and, yes, Independents paid attention. The result: civil war in Obamaland. Mission self-destruction continues unabated."

When Media Elite Die

2009-07-19T12:07:00.002-05:00

Bob Parks, a conservative Republican commentator, takes issue with what he views as media navel-gazing in covering Walter Cronkite's death: "Recently, we've had several opportunities to witness the media masturbation. In 2005 Peter Jennings died. In 2006 ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, as was CBS correspondent Kimberly Dozier. In 2008, Tim Russert passed. In almost all of these cases, all other equally important stories were promptly buried by fellow journalist retrospectives and video tributes. Rival networks all offered their sympathies and comments because we're talking about one of them. Let's not forget, we have soldiers (young and old) dying in The Middle East. As the Commander-in-Chief is their preferred, it's even easier for them to preempt real news for the glorification of one of their own. The elite media class has always thought themselves better than the clueless they inform, but it really becomes evident when they lionize themselves for days following an important passing. And let's not leave the politics out of this. In 2008, both Tony Snow and William F. Buckley died, and both received a fraction of the media attention (outside of the conservative media), so it would appear some media types were considered less worthy of eulogies than others."

Jim Collier, a moderate blogger, thinks the coverage is appropriate but argues that the media should do some soul-searching as well: "'...the most trusted man in America'. The era of trust in the media was born and died with his career. Journalism should mourn itself, as well."

Stephanie Davis, a conservative Republican radio host, writes: "Having grown up during his heyday, the life and times of Walter Cronkite are somewhat obscure. However, Mr. Cronkite’s legacy is not obscure to my father Roy Davis. Today’s podcast features Mr. Davis’s Cronkite observations. Among the most compelling: Cronkite dealt in fact, not opinion. Another: Cronkite trained himself to speak at 124 words per minute."

CLARENCE PAGE OP-ED: NAACP Still Has Much To Do

2009-07-19T11:00:00.001-05:00

The moderate-liberal columnist asks: if the NAACP did not exist today, would anybody notice the difference? He concludes that, in too many instances, the answer is no: "Not because it isn't doing anything, but because too few people see the organization's work making a difference in their lives. That disconnect helps to explain why the organization's treasury, membership rolls, and name recognition among young people have been shrinking in recent decades. I don't want the organization to disband. I would like to see it catch up with an era in which the biggest problems facing black Americans increasingly have less to do with skin color than with education and economics. I am disappointed that it has not been more effective in reaching those who have been left behind, who are isolated in low-income communities and substandard schools, resegregated not only from whites, but from upwardly mobile blacks, too. Despite the NAACP's noble history, our high unemployment rates, fatherless kids, and black-on-black crime call for more than civil-rights solutions. We can't just sue our way back to strong families and lower crime rates. NAACP members in hundreds of chapters are helping to strengthen community institutions that can support strong families. Yet the prevailing attitude at the organization's national level was well expressed by Chairman Julian Bond when he declared that the NAACP was about 'social justice, not social service.' Fair enough. As long as we hear stories like that of the Huntingdon Valley swim club that turned away a mostly black group of day-care kids, the NAACP will find plenty of racial suspicions to keep itself going. But it also runs the risk of becoming an organization for elites, missing those who need help the most."

More: "Into this battle I welcome the new NAACP president and CEO, Ben Todd Jealous. The 36-year-old Rhodes scholar is the first NAACP leader too young to remember the 1960s. Appropriate to his generation, he has announced an Internet-age idea: a cell-phone-based 'rapid-response system' for the reporting of alleged police misconduct. If it works as hoped, the cyber-age concept could offer the organization a new networking tool to which the Twitter and Facebook generation can easily relate. It could also offer something that fired up many of the civil-rights changes in the '60s: racism you can see on TV and not just wonder about."

Bright Lights, Big City

2009-07-19T10:49:00.001-05:00

Devone Tucker argues that if conservatism is to regain its much-diminished presence in America, we must find a way to extend the reach of conservatism into America’s major cities. The conservative Republican blogger opines: "The most disturbing political development of the last few decades has been the expansion of the control that the Democratic Party has over the major cities — cities that could use some conservative solutions to their chronic problems. It is appalling that so many major cities cannot hear the conservative message. Stripped to its essence, conservatism is about revival: revival of the economy through tax reduction, revival of the educational system through choice-based competition, revival of the populace’s sense of safety through crime reduction. This is a message that should resonate with the major cities — but it does not. This situation is potentially fatal for the country. If Democratic policies (which effectively trap the urban poor in failing public schools and encourage more and more reliance upon government) encourage dependence and Republican policies encourage independence, then the current status quo – hostility to Republican ideas in the major cities — is a recipe for more and more dependence, more and more ignorance, more and more recklessness. If we are sincerely committed to the conservative cause, we must begin to develop strategies for recapturing the major cities — or, at the very least, making our ideas competitive in these regions. This may be the only way conservatism can survive in a changing country."

He continues his commentary: "Yes, decades ago the Republican Party made the shortsighted decision to place an excessive emphasis on turning out the rural vote — this explains the 'Real American' rhetoric one often hears from Republican politicians. Yet it is the cities that desperately need to hear the Republican message of better schools and private-sector solutions to the problem of health-care accessibility. The conservative movement in general and the Republican Party in particular must transcend the mentality that concedes the major cities to the Democrats. Today, the right must focus on developing a city-based conservatism that can appeal to these regions. City-based conservatism cannot mean the old Northeastern-moderate vision, for that is so close to modern liberalism as to be nearly indistinguishable. City-based conservatism must mean a focus on schools, health care, crime prevention and economic renewal — a focus that can bring health and renewal to our broken cities. Yes, in terms of rhetoric, city-based conservatism will not be the same as 'rural conservatism.' Since city-based conservatism will be geared to sections of the country where progressives have won undisputed victories in the culture wars, it’s impossible to imagine a successful pitch to these regions built around certain hot-button issues. We need to capture the ears of social libertarians in these regions, lest these ears be alienated from the Republican message and hear instead the siren songs of socialism."

Booker Rising response: Mr. Tucker ignored a key piece: suburbs, where 55% of Americans now live. Conservative Republicans still have the upper hand there - as people, including black people, flee the results of liberal Democratic policies in the major cities - although Democrats are making gains. Thus the GOP and conservatism is in urban areas, just not in the central city. Mr. Tucker is correct that the GOP could be more competitive in the cities though. However, is the party affiliation more important to Mr. Tucker, or the center-right ideology?

Kurdistan Vs. Iraq: Al Maliki Provokes Civil War Over Kirkuk!

2009-07-19T09:30:00.002-05:00

Webster Brooks, senior fellow at the Center for New Politics and Policy (USA) and moderate, emailed this op-ed to me:

Iraq is edging dangerously close to civil war. Unless the Obama administration and Iraq’s fractured leadership make substantial progress toward a settlement on the oil rich province of Kirkuk, deadly sectarian violence between Iraq’s central government and Kurdistan is a certainty. In June, tension escalated between the Kurds and Baghdad when Kurdistan’s parliament adopted a provocative constitution laying claim to disputed territories in the Kirkuk, Diyala and Ninewa provinces which border their autonomous region. The act of “Kurdish enlargement” was viewed by some as a veiled threat of Kurdistan’s intent to secede from Iraq, and by others as a virtual declaration of war. The dangers inherent in the outbreak of civil war between Kurdistan and Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s security forces are potentially catastrophic. The collapse of Iraq’s central government, U.S. armed forces trapped in the middle of a deadly sectarian conflict and interventionist actions by Iran, Syria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to protect their interests in Iraq could all emerge as real possibilities.

Time and opportunity are slipping away from the Obama administration to end the political stalemate over Kirkuk and push Iraq’s competing factions to reach an oil revenue sharing agreement. Shaken by the Kurdish leaders’ aggressive actions, Vice President Joe Biden criticized the new Kurdish constitution as "not helpful" to the administration's goal of reconciliation between Iraq's Arabs and Kurds. While feigning neutrality and reconciliation on the status of Kirkuk, the Obama administration has no intention of supporting Article 140 of Iraq’s federal constitution which calls for resettling Kurds forcibly removed from Kirkuk by Saddam Hussein, conducting a new provincial census and holding a binding referendum (originally scheduled for 2007) to determine if Kirkuk will be part of Kurdistan’s autonomous region. In truth, Biden’s comment about reconciliation between the Arabs and Kurds was merely code to push the administration’s policy that Iraq can only be viable as a unitary state with a strong central government.

The Kurds fared no better with the United Nations long-awaited April 22, 2009 proposal on the status of Kirkuk; rejecting the report which included two recommendations on the administration of the province. One proposal would create an equal power sharing arrangement between the Kurds, Turkomen and Arabs—a proposal that conveniently denies that the Kurds are the majority population in Kirkuk province. The other U.N. recommendation would designate Kirkuk as a “special province” jointly administered by the region and the central government until a new referendum would be held five years later!

Notwithstanding the United Nations' untenable proposal and the Obama administration’s opposition to a more robust Kurdish autonomous region, the adoption of Kurdistan’s new constitution clearly signaled that any settlement in which the KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) does not control Kirkuk is unacceptable. In adopting the new constitution on the eve of the U.S. armed forces scheduled pullout from Iraq’s major cities (per the Status of Forces Agreement), the Kurds sent a message that the peshmerga militia are prepared to defend their newly claimed territories with or without the help of American troops. In effect, designated territories within Kirkuk, Diyala and Ninewa laying outside Kurdistan’s federally recognized provinces would become part of Kurdistan’s new extended security perimeter. Herein lays the path to armed conflict with Baghdad and Nouri al Maliki.

The constitution was quickly rammed through Kurdistan’s parliament by its two dominant parties, the KDP and PUK, with very little discussion on the measures. With Kurdistan’s upcoming provincial elections scheduled on July 25, every candidate will be under pressure to support the new constitution and pledge fealty to an enlarged Kurdish state. The two parties fought to include a referendum on the new constitution on the provincial election ballot, but Iraq’s election commission rejected the request, saying that ballots could not be prepared with the non-binding referendum until August 2009.

The intense maneuvering on the part of the Kurds reflects a sense of urgency that their autonomous region now faces a formidable if not an existential threat from several quarters. Since Nouri al Maliki’s forces crushed Muqtada al Sadr’s Mahdi Army in Basra, and his “law and order” list defeated Shiia parties demanding their own autonomous region (dubbed 'Shiastan') in the January 2009 provincial elections, the United States has thrown its full weight behind the resurrected Prime Minister’s attempts to restore a strong central government in Baghdad. The January elections also dealt a crippling blow to Kurdish political power. Numerous KDP and PUK candidates were defeated in Ninewa and Diyala provincial races as mass Sunni participation in these ethnically and religiously mixed provinces led to the election of Arab candidates who had boycotted the 2005 elections.

In addition to the erosion of its political power, the Kurdish peshmerga militia has increasingly come under fire from rogue Arab militias, Sunni extremists and al Maliki’s Iraqi armed forces. As the uptick in violence has shifted to northern Iraq, particularly around Mosul and Kirkuk, peshmerga forces and Kurdish officials are being regularly targeted. U.S. diplomats remained silent in the fall of 2008 when Prime Minister al Maliki sent federal Iraqi security forces to northern Iraq to challenge the peshmerga in areas outside of Kurdistan proper. In Khanaqin, Kurdish and Iraqi security forces clashed several times before both sides pulled back; narrowly averting all out war. In Ninewa’s provincial elections, the Sunni al-Hadbaa list won 19 of the 37 provincial council seats, but then seized all the local positions in the government. Kurds from the KDP and PUK parties who ran on the Ninewa Fraternal List boycotted the new provincial government in protest. Ninewa’s Governor Najafi said he would allow the Fraternal List to assume positions in the local government if they recognized certain disputed borders and most importantly, withdrew the peshmerga from the province. The Kurds refused.

Frustrated with the counsels of patience, promises deferred and outright betrayal, the Kurds have no choice now but to go on the offensive. The Iraqi government is bent on betraying its own constitution with indefinite delays in holding the referendum on Kirkuk. Nouri al Maliki is moving to smash peshmerga forces outside Kurdistan’s autonomous region. He has even joined forces with Sunni extremists he once fought to reduce Kurdish political influence across Iraq. The United States has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to sacrifice Kurdistan’s long-term survival for their short-term “strategic interest” of an expedient withdrawal from a “unified” Iraq. If that isn’t enough, Iran and Turkey have both called for delays in the referendum, fearful that an autonomous Kurdistan powered by significant oil wealth will fuel separatist movements among the millions of Kurds their own governments oppress. Not to be outdone, the shameless Saudi royal family offered the Kurds $2 billion to delay the referendum 10 years, fearing the rise of a new Kurdish oil competitor in the region. Along with Syria, these countries constantly manipulate proxy forces within Kurdistan and across Iraq to prevent the referendum on Kirkuk that will surely go in favor of the province joining Kurdistan’s autonomous region.

Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Kurdistan’s autonomous region has experienced unprecedented economic growth, stability and expanded democratic freedoms. It has largely been spared the death, destruction and ethnic cleansing spawned by sectarian violence and inter-group warfare that has plagued the rest of Iraq. Those days appear to be coming to an end. Long before oil was discovered beneath its sands, Kirkuk was the center of Kurdish culture and history. Kurdish efforts to reclaim Kirkuk have now turned it into a powder keg with a short fuse that can ignite sectarian warfare and chaos in Iraq. The Kurds have done all they can to avoid armed conflict. But if war comes as the price for dignity and true self-determination, so be it.

There is an old saying that the Kurds have no friends but the mountains. To that we might add "No friends but the mountains, the peshmerga and the Kalashnikov." They certainly have no friends in the region.

Quote Of The Day (Political Satire)

2009-07-18T18:32:00.000-05:00

"My fellow African leaders are not happy – in fact, we are irate – at what President Obama said in Accra on July 11, 2009. So I have been deputized by the Coconut Union to speak on their behalf. I am calling this press conference to react to President Obama’s speech. Excuse the lateness of this press release. Electricity to my palace was interrupted (generator broke down), so my secretary couldn’t type this document in time. I will take no questions from you reporters because you only ask stupid questions. Who is this Obama man anyway? Who does he think he is, coming to Africa to lecture and insult us? He thinks he can talk to us like his children? Who born him? Kai! Tell him that I am Musugu Babazonga – President-for-Life of the Coconut Republic of Tonga in the Gulf of Guinea. Just because his father is Kenyan doesn’t make him African. He says he has the blood of Africa within him. Tsweeeeeaaaa. And he talks like that? He has no respect for Elders....Yes, I take 'development' very seriously. My pockets are well developed. We have 'foreign investment' too. My wealth is safely invested in Swiss and other foreign banks to protect it from foreign exchange fluctuations. Yes, my country produces oil but the oil revenue is a state secret – to protect it from the prying eyes of imperialist enemies....We have multi-party democracy in my country. Anybody can form a political party if they want to but it is illegal to hold a political rally of more than 6 people. They cannot use the state-owned media to propagate their vile messages. I wrote that law myself! The Electoral Commissioner is my brother, so he produces the election results that I like. We have just concluded our first elections in 30 years and they were 'free and fair'. Those who opposed me were tossed into jail the night before the election. In prison, they were free to say what they wanted. Nobody bothered them there. I think that’s fair. I was declared the winner by a landslide -- just two hours after the polls closed. It shows how efficient we are!.....He said this: 'Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.' He must be smoking something again. Who is going to build the strong institutions? It takes strong leaders to build strong institutions, stupid. But I don’t want to be too harsh on Obama. He is just a wayward child." — "President Musugu Babazonga", fictatious African president in a parody posted on GhanaDot.com as an example of how many African leaders are responding to U.S. President Obama's recent speech to Africa

Hot Topics Among The Black Center-Right

2009-07-18T18:10:00.001-05:00

Lots of things in the news of late. What topics are on bookeristas' minds?

Health Care Reform In America

Jim Coleman, a conservative Republican in New York: "If the federal government can't manage Medicaid (billions in waste & fraud), how is it going to run the Healthcare business?"

Carol M. Swain, a law and political science professor at Vanderbilt University and moderate-conservative, writes on Twitter: "Thinking we need an incrementalist approach to healthcare reform. If we rush the process, we risk higher unintended negative consequences."

The Obama Administration

Jim Coleman, a conservative Republican in New York, writes on Twitter: "Change we didn't expect: Extended unempl[o]yment payments + Government run healthcare + 10+% Unemployment! Is this America or France?"

Sandra Rose, a British-born conservative blogger in Atlanta metro, opines: "Barack Hussein Obama campaigned for president on a shaky platform of Change. He promised to 'hit the ground running' if elected president. He promised no taxes on the working class and relief for the millions of Americans who were losing their jobs and homes at record rates, yada yada yada…So far, Obama has not made good on his promises — including his promise to save or create 3 million jobs if his massive Porkulus spending bill was passed. Despite the $787 billion stimulus bill, unemployment is fast approaching 10%. In Obama’s 7 months in office he’s managed to quadruple the national debt and has tried his best to undermine the economy of this great country by attempting to ram wasteful legislation through Congress. It comes as no surprise that Obama is quickly losing support among his fellow Dems..."

Harry Alford Vs. Sen. Barbara Boxer

Darn Republican, an L.A. conservative, on a recent U.S. Senate hearing on global warming which turned stormy and racial: "Alford [the head of the National Black Chamber of Commerce] was right to cite the complete irrelevance of an obtuse NAACP commentary on eco foolishness".

Kevin Jackson, a conservative Republican blogger, opines about the testy exhange between Mr. Alford and Sen. Boxer: "Boxer knew exactly what she was doing, and her tactics were clear. Marginalize the black conservative to the degree that nobody will listen to him. Then try to pit blacks against one another, with Boxer representing the black guy who was not there. What she didn’t count on is Alford being smart enough to see through her ruse, and more importantly bold enough to call her out on it. Boxer, like most racist, elitist Democrats believe black people to be inherently ignorant — incapable of reasoning or other deep thought. It didn’t dawn on her at the beginning of her tribunal, that Alford was no 'step and fetch' silly Negro – the type she adores and that constitutes many of her supporters. So even as Alford was serving her butt on a platter all along the way, Boxer still believed herself superior to him....Boxer felt confident that she would put Alford, an uppity N__r back in his place, when she trumpeted the NAACP — a group known for being bastions of clean energy and so appropriate to the discussion. Another 'trick' she had up her sleeve was the quote from a black guy who is the CEO of 100 Black Men in Atlanta ready to 'step and fetch' if needed. Who can argue with a venerable clean energy organization like the NAACP and this world renowned group of 100 black men in Atlanta? Don’t they speak monolithically for all blacks, particularly blacks in support of clean energy?!"

Walter Cronkite's Death

Felix Taylor, Jr., a Canadian moderate-conservative blogger, writes: "A salute and honour to a man who changed and defined television journalism as we know it from CBS News. A man who inspired and gave inspiration to those who seriously pursued the profession. A man who had the ear of a U.S. President (Lyndon Johnson) who dared to say, 'If I’ve lost Walter Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America!' A man who cared about 'the story' and only 'the story' — or as he would say at the end of his news broadcast, 'That’s the way it is!' In a multi-channelled, 24 hour news channel orientation, it will be incredibly difficult for anyone person to rival the influence of Walter Cronkite and for this we thank you for your long and rich legacy, sir."

Pat Buchanan And An American Cultural War

2009-07-18T14:45:00.000-05:00

Slyram, a moderate Democratic blogger, opines about a recent exchange on MSNBC: "I think about Malcolm X saying that he had more respect for a man who tells him how he feels — even if he is wrong — than a man who smiles and lies. I personally like Governor Palin for that reason and I starting to better appreciate Patrick Buchanan for the same reason. Like Rev. Wright, Buchanan is an old guy and is 'done' with sugarcoating how he really feels. I love sitting and listening to those old heads go-off with that realness. In the 'exercise in futility' category, those of us who were waiting to see the emergence of a moderate, less bitter division of the conservative movement were wasting our time. Not only will the [S]outhern Right not move toward center, but the gloves are coming off about the possible loss of control and power. Our community needs to be very careful; we should not put all of our proverbial eggs in one basket because the Right still runs the [S]outh and the national winds will shift in the future. In college, we started every research project with a review of the literature to see if what was about to [b]e studied had been done before. If there is a movement of Black moderates and conservatives that was created 'for us, by us,' I welcome to opportunity to learn more about it because what is next from some parts of the Right might have a tone that could be best described as ugly."

Slyram continues his commentary: "While his arguments regarding affirmative action makes interesting points, Pat Buchanan is basically saying that White men should circle the wagons before they found their power and influence gone. Again, I appreciate his realness in the American dialog[ue]....For our community, if the opportunity to help a smooth conservative of color appears, we should consider it because the post-Obama era could be the return to…..you know. We need someone in the room. Sidenote: MSNBC and Fox News makes me appreciate Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, John Chancellor and Bernard Shaw."

COMMENTARY: Walter Cronkite: Dead

2009-07-18T14:07:00.003-05:00

The moderate-conservative Republican blogger opines about the broadcast journalist, who died yesterday at age 92: "I watched Huntley-Brinkley. Except for his Vietnam body counts, I watched very little of Walter Cronkite and have not had the experience of perceiving him to be anything more than an icon of a distant time and place where men were men and the truth was lassooed like a bulldogged calf, wrestled to the ground and branded with the CBS eye. He was just another old white man who spoke good English to me. My inspiration came from the likes of Fred Friendly whose aim was '...not to make up anybody's mind, but to open minds and to make the agony of decision making so intense that you can escape only by thinking.' Quite frankly I can't imagine at all, that Cronkite made anybody think. Which is I think entirely the point of his celebrity. You opened your craw and swallowed down whatever fish that the grave and erudite Mr. Cronkite tossed you. So now he's dead and people are wondering why when we swallow today's fish it stinks and gives us bellyaches. Well what the hell was he doing in 1968? Forming a news hegemony? I think it didn't work. The presumption that we can trust news organizations to present expositorily through one talking head, a narrative that will leave us intellectually satisfied, and satisfactorily intelligent is one that is appropriate to the peasantry of any society. So another Cronkite can and will be manufactured and the peasants will settle down. In the meantime, enjoy the New Media while we still have liberty."

Charles Payne: "Obama Is A Voltaire Socialist"

2009-07-18T13:30:00.004-05:00

The CEO of WStreet.com and FOX News Channel financial analyst yesterday appeared on Glenn Beck's show. They were discussing CIT Group (a big lender to small business), and Mr. Beck claimed that U.S. President Barack Obama is a Marxist. Mr. Payne disagreed with that assessment, arguing that President Obama was more of a French-style socialist. He asserted that the liberal Democratic president seeks to not only go after the rich, but to dissuade people from becoming rich. The fiscal conservative pointed out that the main way that Americans become rich is as a small business entrepreneur (hat tip: Aaron Hughes):

The Portrayal Of Black Women: Highs And Lows

2009-07-18T13:00:00.006-05:00

First we have Le Point, a French weekly magazine that currently has Rama Yade on its cover. The accompanying article focuses on the moderate-conservative politico's transition from French Secretary of State for Human Rights (a position which French President Nicolas Sarkozy cut when Ms. Yade, who is one of France's Top 3 most popular political figures, challenged his coziness with various dictators and refused his demand to send her to the European Parliament hinterlands for her outspokenness) to French Secretary of State for Sport.

I'm sure Secretary Yade's looks play some role in why she's popular in France. She even has a spot on AskMen.com, which highlights beautiful women. But that's not all she is about. She's also well-educated and a fixture in French policy debates. Secretary Yade is also the author of Noirs de France (2007) which focuses on how blacks in France fit/don't fit in French national identity and whether France can avoid America's mistakes on "the black question".

Although French media often point out her looks, Secretary Yade tries to keep the focus on what she brings to French politics. She stays fully clothed (while a chic dresser, she's always more conservatively dressed than the typical French female politico - no mini-skirts for her - probably in part because she comes from a Senegalese Muslim family). Secretary Yade is not Jezebel, Mammy, or Sapphire. So far, so good.

Then there is the image which I came across yesterday on Sandra Rose's blog of what is supposed to be an attractive woman - Bria Myles, who works in hip hop videos and poses for those girly magazines for black men - promoting and hosting "The First Annual Darkskin Vs. Redbone Affair". The British-born conservative blogger, who lives in the Atlanta metro area, writes: "Some promoter sent this flyer to me advertising a dark skin vs redbone event. SMH at the ignorance displayed by our people on a daily basis."

I don't know whether to be more offended by the fact that Ms. Myles chose to participate in such an event, or her BBW (Big Booty Woman...not sure if hers is real or via pharmaceutical shots), dang near naked image is being used to promote it. No surprise, given that hip hop is mainly about portraying black women as pieces of meat for men's pleasure. Yes, I know this is nothing new and Ms. Myles is legally earning her living, but I'm doing my feminist rant anyway! Other than a Jezebel emphasis on her body, what else does Ms. Myles bring to the table?

Although I hardly want to see burqas as standard attire in America, I will agree that fundamentalist Muslims do have a point about what they view as trashiness in Western cultures.

AVERY TOOLEY COMMENTARY: Tick-Tock, Game's Locked

2009-07-18T12:45:00.002-05:00

The moderate-conservative blogger writes about all-time sports greats: "In certain discussions of sports all-time greats, the top positions are already taken, and it’s just a matter of arranging everybody else. So when you talk about centers, you have:

Wilt
Russell
Kareem

People may order them differently, but that’s pretty much gonna be the overwhelming majority of people’s top 3."

Mr. Tooley continues his commentary: "Similarly, with running backs, we have:

Brown
Payton
Sanders/Smith

The first two are pretty much locks. The third is debatable, but only between those two. The question is this: is there anything somebody could do to crack into those top 3 levels, or is everybody now pretty much playing for 4th in the top 5, with the exception of somebody who pretty much revolutionizes the position?"

Centrists Seek To Slow Health Bill Timetable

2009-07-18T12:15:00.010-05:00

The White House and congressional leaders are facing new resistance on Capitol Hill to rapid movement on health-care legislation amid concerns about the cost, the political price for raising taxes -- and even an emerging dispute about whether abortions should be covered. President Barack Obama urged lawmakers yesterday to stay focused, warning that "now is not the time to slow down." He noted the progress of recent days, including the fact that two of the three necessary committees approved bills yesterday in the U.S. House, and one of the two main panels in the U.S. Senate did the same earlier in the week.

But in the Senate, where Democratic leaders hope to pass legislation overhauling the nation's health-insurance system by the end of the month, a group of centrist Republicans and Democrats yesterday issued a plea for delay. "There is much heavy lifting ahead," the six-member group, which includes Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), said in a letter delivered to Senate leaders. "While we are committed to providing relief for American families as quickly as possible, we believe taking additional time to achieve a bipartisan result is critical."

Twenty-two freshmen Democrats in the U.S. House warned party leaders in a letter that they are "extremely concerned" about the surtax a hefty surtax on wealthy households. They argue that the levy will hurt small, family-owned businesses, which often pay individual income taxes, rather than corporate taxes. Another roiling debate: demands by 20 Democrats that the health care bill include language making clear that abortions won't be covered.

Booker Rising response: Like I said yesterday, President Obama and liberal Congressional Democrats don't want deliberation of this 1,018-page bill - a government takeover of 15%+ of the U.S. economy - because they want it passed before Americans find out how the bill undermines our liberty. Things like outlawing private insurance if you lose your coverage or seek to switch it, forcing you to take the government-run option and thus obliterate the private market. That's because the bill kills the market for private individual coverage by not letting any new policies be written after the government option becomes law (why no option for health savings accounts?). Or no provision requiring Congress and President Obama to use the same option that they want to force on us, enabling them to have great care while we'll be waiting for months for treatment (I see Rep. Artur Davis, a moderate Democrat and Congressional Black Caucus member, is proposing a 1% surtax on Congressional lawmakers' salaries - regardless of what they make. This is so Congress shares the burden in the levy they seek to impose on families and businesses earning more than $350,000 annually. Who wants to bet that amendment will be killed?). Or mandating that we have insurance or pay a fine. The government can't even control Medicaid costs, so all this talk about controlling costs is a sham. Gee, I wonder why the spending in the bill doesn't even ramp up until 2012 if families supposedly need relief now?

Sotomayor Gains Votes Of 3 Centrists In GOP

2009-07-18T12:00:00.002-05:00

Three centrist Republicans announced yesterday that they would support Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, who is on track to become the court's first Hispanic and the first Democratic-named justice in 15 years. Sens. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the Senate's most senior Republican; Mel Martinez of Florida, its lone Hispanic Republican; and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine all said they would vote for Judge Sotomayor, praising her qualifications and her testimony at four days of Judiciary Committee hearings this week.

Sen. Snowe said she was pleased Sotomayor "repeatedly recognized in her responses this week that 'the job of a judge is to apply the law' rather than independently make policy, and that it is the law, rather than one's own sympathies that 'compels conclusions in cases.' "

However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said he would vote no. He planned a speech Monday in which he will say that past statements by Judge Sotomayor, now an appeals court judge, demonstrate an "alarming lack of respect for the notion of equal justice," and that he questions her ability to separate her sympathies and prejudices from her decisions. He joined other GOP conservatives who are lining up firmly against Sotomayor. One, Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah, said yesterday that he would oppose confirmation, citing her position on gun rights and comments he said indicated "a tendency toward judicial activism."

But with solid backing from Democrats, who enjoy a lopsided majority in the Senate, and a growing number of Republicans, there is little doubt that Judge Sonia Sotomayor will be confirmed as its 111th justice. Republicans have said they will not try to block or even delay her confirmation vote, which is expected in early August.

Quote Of The Day

2009-07-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

"If Congress votes to build even more F-22s in the 2010 Defense Authorization bill, it will be a sad example of parochial interests overriding our nation’s security. The move would defy the wishes of the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Gates, who have wisely called for the program to come to an end. The Raptor’s whopping price tag — $356 million per aircraft counting costs over the life of the program — and its poor air-to-ground capabilities always undermined the case for building more than the 187 already programmed. In the past week, Congress has learned more about the F-22’s poor maintenance record, which has driven the operating costs to more than $44,000 per hour of flying, which is well above those of any comparable fighter. And, of course, the plane hasn’t seen action over either Iraq or Afghanistan, and likely never will. If Obama is serious about getting a handle on the enormous federal budget deficit, confronting Congress over the clear wastefulness of the F-22 is certainly a good place to start." — Christopher Preble, director of foreign policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute (USA), arguing that U.S. President Barack Obama is right to threaten to veto the military funding bill includes the F-22s

U.S. Study: Blacks Are Nation's Most Obese Group

2009-07-17T16:15:00.006-05:00

Nearly 36% of black Americans are obese — much more than other major racial or ethnic groups — and that gap exists in most states, a new federal study finds. About 29% of Hispanics and 24 percent of whites are obese, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, about 26% of U.S. adults are obese. Racial differences in obesity rates have been reported before, and health officials were not surprised to see larger proportions of blacks tipping the scales. But the new CDC report is the first to look at the gap state-by-state, finding blacks had significantly higher obesity rates in 21 states and somewhat higher rates in many others.

Experts believe there are several reasons for the differences. People with lower incomes often have less access to medical care, exercise facilities and more expensive, healthier food. In many places, minorities are disproportionately poor. "Poverty is a very strong driver of obesity," said Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

Attitudes about weight also are believed to be a factor, said Dr. Liping Pan, a CDC epidemiologist. Researchers cited a 2008 study that found black and Hispanic women had significantly lower odds of being dissatisfied with their body size than white women. "Black and Hispanics are more accepting of high weight," Dr. Pan said, adding that heavy people who are satisfied with their size are not likely to diet or exercise.

For blacks, the highest obesity rate was in Maine, where 45% were obese. Tennessee was the state where Hispanic obesity was most common. West Virginia was the fattest state for whites. But generally, obesity was most common for both blacks and whites in the South and Midwest.

The study also broke down the groups by gender, and found black women were the heaviest, with 39 percent counted as obese. Black men were next, at 32 percent, then Hispanic women, 29 percent, Hispanic men, 28 percent, white men, 25 percent and white women, 22 percent.

Booker Rising response: Interesting that the medical expert cited in this Associated Press article puts no blame on overeating as a cause of obesity in America. Poverty is now a driver of obesity?! All together now: 74% of black Americans are not poor. These stats don't even include black folks who are "only" overweight, and not obese. Throw those folks in there, and most of Black America - especially black women, at 80% - are tipping the scales.

News Tidbits

2009-07-17T16:00:00.005-05:00

Suicide Bombers Strike U.S. Luxury Hotels In Jakarta: Two suicide bombers launched nearly simultaneous attacks on the Ritz Carlton Hotel and Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, killing at least eight and wounding upward of 50. Though no group has come forward to claim credit for the attacks, in the immediate fallout, suspicion has centered on Jemaah Islamiyah -- a Southeast Asian terrorist network with ties to al-Qaida that was responsible for other attacks in Indonesia, including a 2003 bombing of a Marriott hotel.

Pay For Play: Conservative Group Offers Support For $2 Million: The American Conservative Union asked FedEx for a check for $2 million to $3 million in return for the group’s support in a bitter legislative dispute, then the group’s chairman flipped and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay. For the $2 million plus, ACU offered a range of services that included: “Producing op-eds and articles written by ACU’s Chairman David Keene and/or other members of the ACU’s board of directors.

Deadliest Month For International Troops In Afghanistan: Seventeen days into July, the international mission in Afghanistan has suffered its deadliest month since the conflict began. 48 soldiers died fighting the Taliban this month so far from the NATO and international missions. In June and August last year, 46 soldiers died - the highest death-toll until the death of a Canadian soldier in Paniwavi district, Kandahar province, yesterday. All the constituent nations fighting in Afghanistan have stepped up operations ahead of presidential elections in August.

Obama's Historic All-Female Marine One Crew: When President Obama left the White House yesterday for Andrews Air Force Base, the Marine One helicopter that lifted off from the South Lawn was piloted by the first female helicopter aircraft commander in Marine One history...with an all-female crew (hat tip: Michelle Obama Watch). Maj. Jennifer Grieves flew her first Marine One mission in May 2008, and had flown then-Sen. Obama and then-President George W. Bush. In honor of Maj. Grieves' last day in the rotation, the Marines assigned two other female officers -- Maj. Jennifer Marino and Sgt. Rachael Sherman to complete the crew. Maj. Grieves is off to Command and Staff College in Virginia.

Big Government Vs. Black Responsibility: Did Obama's Speech To The NAACP Hit The Right Notes?

2009-07-17T13:30:00.007-05:00

Last night, U.S. President Barack Obama gave a speech before the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, USA's oldest and largest civil rights group. The black center-right ponders: Did Barry hit the right notes?

Yes, Obama Was Great At Giving Tough Love To Black America

Robert A. George, a moderate-conservative Republican journalist and blogger, writes: "Giving credit where it's due: President Obama's address to the NAACP last night was the perfect book-end to last weekend's speech in Ghana. Each was an exhortatory addresses that recognized the past wrongs, respectively, of colonialism (in Africa) and racism/discrimination (in America). But ultimately, the president declared that the power of improvement ultimately exists within Africa's -- and African-Americans' -- own hands. It goes without saying (but, of course, I have to say it anyway), but a white president couldn't have made tho[s]e speeches -- or at least not in exactly the same words. Fairly or not, they would have been seen and likely received as patronizing and demeaning. Not so, coming from Obama (who also graciously noted the major commitment made by President Bush to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa)....Similarly, while seasoned with a fair bit of presidential-agenda boilerplate (hey, the man is a politician), much of the address to the NAACP wasn't that different from what Bill Cosby has been saying in recent years. But coming from the very important bully pulpit afforded the president of the United States, the words carried an unparalleled weight and impact....This isn't the first time Obama has employed the rhetorical "tough love" with respect to issues within the black community. Indeed, his 2008 Fathers Day speech -- the one that got Jesse Jackson in emasculation mode -- was one of the most intellectually honest of last years' campaign. It was the one that made Obama appealing to a conservative like myself. While major parts of the president's legislative agenda are profou[n]dly troubling, I'm glad he's not shying away from using his unique position as an historic figure to make truthful statements to the all sides of the black diaspora."

No, His Priority Emphasis Was Big Government...As Usual

Jim Coleman, a conservative Republican in New York, writes about President Obama's speech on Twitter: "The president's solution for Black unemployment is extended unemployment checks and stamping out racisim [sic]. Mr. Pres, Af Americans need jobs!"! More: "The Pres[ident's] intellectual hero DuBois was wrong in the past and is still wrong. We need a Booker T Washington Model to help unemp[loyed] Af Americans!"

No, Because Obama Ain't Even A Champion Of Blacks

Responding to a Politico.com article where NAACP members said they want to hear specifics, conservative blogger Sandra Rose writes: "I knew this would happen once bourgeoisie blacks realize that Barack Obama is not in office to be a champion of the black agenda".

No, Obama Focused On The Wrong Things

Akindele Akinyemi, a conservative Republican in Detroit, Michigan, writes on Facebook: "After 100 years the NAACP is still the boldest civil rights organization. However, we have moved away from civil rights to silver rights. This means our focus must be different. Charters, vouchers and homeschooling must be on the NAACP's agenda. Black genocide in the womb and OUT the womb must stop. Financial literacy that translates into economic empowerment must happen without the victimization crap."

No, His Speech Was Pure Hypocrisy

RoSiTa08, a conservative Republican in New York, writes on Twitter: "Dear Obama you told NAACP destiny is in our hands......stay the 'F' out of our lives then!! Lead NOT Rule".

C Street House Is A Bad Frat

2009-07-17T13:15:00.002-05:00

William Weston, a sociology professor and moderate Democrat, writes about sex scandals involving Republican congressmen who live in one "Christian fellowship" rowhouse in Washington, D.C. and who tout family values: "The C Street House in Washington was born as a remarkable experiment in organizing poweful Christian men. Several members of Congress share a house, which also serves as their pastoral counseling and mutual accountability group. It has been in the news lately because several sex scandals by its members have been exposed all at once. An example of C Street functioning as a good fraternity was when Sen. Coburn forced Sen. Ensign to write a letter to his mistress apologizing for using her for his [Ensign's] own pleasure. Coburn did not also see the sin in the political corruption of that affair - putting his mistress' son on the payroll, and the later payoffs and hush money to the mistress and her husband after Ensign fired them. Nonetheless, it was a start. The fact that Ensign resumed the affair immediately is not Coburn's fault, or C Street's. Some people are too corrupt to be helped even by their chosen accountability group. It is hard to know whether C Street was being good or bad in Gov. Mark Sanford's sex scandal. Sanford said he 'sought counsel' from C Street, which clearly didn't work. Sanford lived in the C Street house when he was in Congress."

Professor Weston continues: "Now another family-values Republican Congressman has been caught in a sex scandal. Chip Pickering, when he was a Congressman from Mississippi and living in the C Street house, had an affair that is now at the heart of his wife's divorce suit. The accountability group was obviously ineffective in stopping that affair. Worse, some of 'wrongful conduct' between Pickering and his mistress supposedly took place in the C Street house. Pickering's mistress then put him on the company payroll to lobby his old buddies in Congress. This is more than just a failure of the C Streeters to be good Christian men of power. This is complicity in wickedness, corruption, and stupidity. C Street House has become a bad frat."

ALAN KEYES OP-ED: Obama's 'Noble Truth' Is A Lie

2009-07-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

Asserts the conservative activist, who believes U.S. President Barack Obama is a 21st century communist: "The brainwashed American elites buying into the Obama faction's pseudo-Platonic intellectual poison appear to have forgotten the wisdom of the American founders. The founders' approach to government was based on truths derived from observing human experience, rather than 'noble' lies forcefully imposed by dictatorial elites. Such experience warned that unchecked power would lead to brutal oppression, no matter the lofty goals and promising rhetoric of those to whom it is entrusted. Plato tacitly acknowledges this severity when he conjures up the ultimate requirement of his Republic's 'ideal' regime: the removal from society of everyone over 10 years old (i.e., anyone who refuses to submit to superior power the way very young children must). Given the massive atrocities perpetrated by the totalitarian ideologues of the 20th century, the idea of such large-scale purges is no longer a Platonic one. I fail to see anything noble in the spectacle of a free people surrendering its constitutional liberty to a regime based upon oppressive lies. In fact, such surrender confirms that in our present merely human condition, true events can be ugly and ignoble."

Mr. Keyes continues his commentary: "Ironically, Socrates' 'noble lie' to his ruling class also had to do with pretending that the circumstances of their birth qualified them to be the rulers and guardians of the regime. True origins are important; which is, I think, why our founders recognized that the human right to constitutional government originates from a source beyond the reach of human deception, the Creator God. Whatever Gibbs says, the standard of truthful integrity arises from the same source. So does the courage to uphold it. This is why the issue of Obama's constitutional eligibility for the presidency [because of the birth certificate controversy] will keep gaining momentum until the Obama faction stops trying to enforce its 'noble truth' and lets the simple facts speak for themselves."

The Year Of The Moderate

2009-07-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

It’s a moderate’s world on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. right now, and the latest evidence arrived yesterday when the Democratic sponsors of a controversial labor proposal dropped the bill’s central tenet: A provision allowing unions to organize by getting a simple majority of workers to sign cards in support, instead of by secret ballot as under current law.

The so-called “card check” bill — supported by U.S. President Barack Obama — has been labor’s biggest legislative priority this year, prompting a fierce battle with business groups. Moderate Democrats like Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) have come out squarely in opposition to the bill, making the party’s 60-member majority irrelevant. Yesterday, those moderates won an enormous concession with the removal of the card-check provision.

The move might have changed the support dynamics on Capitol Hill, but it hasn’t changed the lobbying dynamics. Labor groups still support the underlying bill — the Employee Free Choice Act — while many businesses are still opposing it. The Workforce Fairness Institute, a business group formed to fight EFCA, announced its continued opposition based on language that forces government arbitration when workers and employers can’t agree on a union contract.

With Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) suffering poor health, there’s no guarantee that even the diluted proposal can win 60 Senate votes.