Politics
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Why the Sudden Rush Into Africa? It’s the Oil
Kenya, Libya Uganda and Nigeria are thousands of miles removed from that toilet of European tension known as Ukraine, but as drama unfolds in Eastern Europe, their destinies could be closely aligned. In essence, the more Russian President Vladimir Putin puts the grip on Russian gas prices, the more Western powers—from NATO to the United…
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Marijuana Arrests and Potential Ban on Menthol: Jim Crow Revisited?
The “war on drugs” — especially marijuana — and a possible FDA ban on menthol cigarettes are racial justice issues that should concern African-Americans and members of other over-policed communities, panelists at the National Action Network’s annual convention said Saturday. Art Way of the Colorado Drug Policy Alliance called policing of nonviolent drug offenses “areas…
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Actually, Obama’s Record Compares Just Fine With LBJ’s
The tenuousness of making comparisons between President Lyndon B. Johnson’s vaunted vote-wrangling prowess and the allegedly ineffectual legislative skills of President Barack Obama was nicely summed up on Wednesday with this tweet: Although it’s meant to get a laugh—and it’s hard to imagine a future where Obama’s remembered as a Tea Partier—the upshot—that perceptions change…
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Obama Could Stand to Be a Little More Like LBJ
On Thursday, President Barack Obama joined other dignitaries at a civil rights summit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s signature accomplishment as president—passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. And in a nod to the shoulders that he stands on, Obama said, “I have lived out the promise of LBJ’s efforts.”…
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President Obama: ‘I Have Lived Out the Promise of LBJ’s Efforts’
President Obama delivered a rousing speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library Civil Rights Summit Thursday afternoon as he celebrated the legacy of the man whom he credited with “swinging open” doors of opportunity for him. While speaking to the audience about the impact of cynicism and how some think it’s impossible for change…
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Charlie Rangel: Confederate Flag Always ‘There With’ Obama Opponents
The ever outspoken Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) appeared on MSNBC on Thursday defending Attorney General Eric Holder and the president, all while likening Obama opponents to the Ku Klux Klan. According to Mediaite, Rangel was asked by host Chris Jansing if Holder was playing the race card when he targeted Republicans for launching “unprecedented, unwarranted,…
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Obama to Speak at LBJ Civil Rights Summit
President Barack Obama, along with some of his predecessors, is participating in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act by former President Lyndon B Johnson—a befitting commemoration for the nation’s first black president. Obama is one of the speakers at the LBJ Presidential Library Civil Rights Summit, along…
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Iowa GOP Senate Candidate: Race Is the Reason Obama Isn’t Being Impeached
When it comes to Obama and impeachment, Republican Senate candidate Sam Clovis of Iowa believes that race and a concern about the media coverage are the reasons the House of Representatives hasn’t seriously pursued the notion, the Daily Times Herald reports. “I would say there are people in the House of Representatives right now that…
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New Mayor Named in Charlotte After Bribery Scandal
A state senator has been picked as the new mayor of Charlotte, N.C., to replace Patrick Cannon, who resigned from the post last month in a public-corruption scandal, the Associated Press reports. The Charlotte City Council on Monday selected Dan Clodfelter, a business lawyer and Democrat who was on the council before being elected to…
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Jesse Jackson Jr. Moved to Alabama Prison After Dispute
Former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., who is serving a two-and-half-year sentence after pleading guilty to illegally using campaign money, has been moved from a federal prison in North Carolina to a minimum-security prison in Montgomery, Ala., the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The 49-year-old former representative from Chicago, who entered prison in October, clashed with prison officials…