Politics
-
Some Black Critics of Obama Are Right
Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy recently penned an opinion piece for CNN entitled “Why Obama’s Black Critics Are Wrong.” He contends that President Obama’s African-American critics have focused on his “racial bona fides” and that “throughout President Barack Obama’s political career, he has been dogged by … accusations that he is not ‘black enough.’…
-
Obama: Gifted, Black and Boxed In
In the introduction to The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency, Randall Kennedy, the noted professor of law at Harvard and racial commentator, makes the following assessment of Barack Obama’s unprecedented predicament: “He is a politician seeking to lead and govern a massive, complex, dysfunctional democracy that has long suppressed the racial…
-
VIDEO: Tavis a Tad Heated Over Obama Speech
Was President Obama trying to inspire or disrespect black lawmakers when he said the following at the end of his speech Saturday at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards Dinner? I expect all of you to march with me and press on. [Applause.] Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake…
-
VIDEO: Cain on Tea Party Racism Allegations
In a CNN appearance last week, Morgan Freeman discussed what he sees as the racist actions and motivations of the Tea Party: “Their stated policy, publicly stated, is to do whatever it takes to see to it that Obama only serves one term,” he said. “What underlines that? Screw the country. We’re going to do…
-
Herman Cain Wins Florida Straw Poll
Can Herman Cain win the 2012 Republican presidential primary? Probably not. But it’s mighty interesting that he just beat so-called front-runners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney in today’s Florida straw poll. The former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza won the test of conservative strength with roughly 37 percent of the vote. Texas Governor Rick Perry came…
-
GOP Debates: Time to Call Off the Clowns
Based on his record alone, the president should be, at best, a long shot for re-election. The stock market is tanking. Unemployment remains stubbornly high. Poverty is on the rise. Washington seems adrift. To many, Obama’s current crusade on behalf of the American Jobs Act looks more like a cynical campaign ploy than a serious…
-
Boehner Praises Rangel?
For a brief moment on Thursday, that nonpartisan “collegiality” that old-time members of Congress talk about so fondly reappeared in the Rotunda meeting room of the House Ways and Means Committee. The occasion was an event to honor Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), the former chairman of the committee. About 600 people gathered on the floor…
-
Criminal Justice: How Do We Fix the System?
Troy Davis’ late-night execution in Georgia is a powerful example of a glaring and unavoidable truth: America’s criminal-justice system is broken. Davis’ case became an international cause after years of activism by his family and civil rights groups. It’s now well-known that Davis unsuccessfully sought a new trial after seven of the witnesses who pegged…
-
Why We Care So Much About Troy Davis
The state of Georgia killed Troy Davis last night. Usually such acts are routine in America. Last year 45 Americans were legally executed, about one a week, with time out for vacations and holidays. But a confluence of circumstances and organizations turned Davis’ cause into a global phenomenon, with pleas for mercy from such disparate…
-
Obama's White Liberal Problem
Barack Obama and Bill Clinton faced many of the same difficulties during their presidential administrations. The Republican Congress continues to dog President Obama, while the House and Senate, both GOP led, kept President Clinton in their sights during both terms of his presidency. With those similarities, there are differences: white liberals. Obama has experienced a…