Politics
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Labor Unions Accuse Obama of Betrayal in Health Care Rollout
Labor leaders who have spent months pushing for concessions under the Affordable Care Act signaled last week that the White House’s refusal to help is reducing union support for Democratic candidates in upcoming midterm elections, the Washington Post reports. Unite Here, one of the first unions to endorse Barack Obama in 2008, and others complain…
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Open Letter Defending the NAACP From Insults and Attacks
A recent article in The Root written by Jeff Johnson made a publicly scathing criticism of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Johnson’s column, pejoratively titled “An Open Letter to Those Who Still Believe in the NAACP” is a foolish and bewildering attack on one of the largest and longest lasting civil…
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Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Trial for Corruption
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin’s federal corruption trial began Thursday, and during opening day procedures, prosecutors listed several crooked deals they say Nagin ran out of City Hall, while the defense called the evidence deceiving, the Times-Picayune reports. Prosecutors allege that under Nagin’s tenure, corruption flourished, claiming that the former mayor received money, free…
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Actually, Mr. President, College Isn’t for Everyone
President Barack Obama’s most recent State of the Union address has been widely praised as one of his best ever—with even conservative critics like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich calling it “powerful.” It’s pretty much beyond dispute at this point that the president knows what he’s doing when he takes the podium. But with all…
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NYC Reaches Agreement With Civil Rights Lawyers to End Stop-and-Frisk Battle
On Thursday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made good on his campaign pledge to step forward and try to solve the gridlock between the New York City Police Department and civil rights lawyers and organizations over the controversial stop-and-frisk practices that have raised tensions within the city, the Daily News reports. The mayor…
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Black America’s Stake in Obama’s State of the Union
President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address offered the black community new policy measures—focused on jobs, education, health care and retirement—to close the growing economic gap between America’s rich and poor. Obama’s opening remarks focused on his administration’s accomplishments, including a 6.7 percent unemployment rate, reduced deficits and robust investment. And he acknowledged that…
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Thuggish Congressman Threatens to Break Reporter in Half ‘Like a Boy’
Updated Wed., Jan. 29, 12 pm EST: Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) has apologized to NY1 political reporter Michael Scotto for threatening him after the State of the Union address. According to Time Warner Cable’s NY1, Grimm called the reporter Wednesday morning and said that he “overreacted.” Scotto tweeted about the phone apology. A written apology was also…
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Highs and Lows of Obama’s State of the Union Speech
Tuesday night was State of the Union time again, which meant two things: President Barack Obama had to pull off the most difficult oratorical balancing act there is for any president: delivering a substantive policy speech that manages to inspire and move Americans. And it means that we do what we do after every State…
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New, Explicit Focus for Obama: ‘Young Men of Color’
In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama, in a relatively rare explicit mention of the race-related goals of a policy, hinted at a planned educational initiative to benefit “young men of color.” “I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young…
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Why Republicans Will Hate Obama’s State of the Union
Here’s a prediction about President Barack Obama’s 2014 State of the Union that isn’t very bold: No matter what he says in Tuesday night’s address, odds are that Republicans will openly pan it—but not actually find much to critique on the merits. Although Obama and Republicans are expected to focus on “income inequality” in the…