Politics

During the 2008 presidential campaign, it seemed—for a whimsical, idealistic, brief moment in time—that abortion had become a non-issue. Among the most riveting exchanges on the topic came when Barack Obama responded coyly to mega-church pastor Rick Warren that it was above his “pay grade” to answer a question about when a fetus is entitled…

CNN’s ‘Black in America: The Sequel’ has taken the time to cover the efforts of “Journey for Change,” a volunteer initiative spearheaded by Malaak Compton-Rock, wife of comedian Chris, which take at-risk teens from Bushwick, Brooklyn, pairs them with college-age mentors and sends them to South Africa to help AIDS orphans in South Africa. Compton-Rock…

In his autobiography, Malcolm X recounted how during his time in prison he came to the belief that “If you will take one step toward Allah, Allah will take two steps toward you.” He had something more personal in mind than American political outreach to the Muslim world, but the point stands. If only Americans…

Some have asked why the President did not mush the former First Lady on behalf of any Black folks who were on planet Earth during the 1980s, but they should take a bit of a chilly pill. Let us not forgot that as her husband’s health declined due to Alzheimer’s, Nancy Reagan broke rank to…

Abu Ghraib. Guantanamo. Haditha. As the Washington Post’s Anthony Shadid reports, President Obama was much to grapple with as he makes he tour of the Middle East beginning with a speech in Cairo on Thursday. While it is true that Obama’s relationship with the region is far better than his predecessors, old wounds heal slowly…

Who shot Officer Mark MacPhail? Supporters of death row inmate say it was not Troy Davis, the man who was convicted for the slaying in 1989. As the LA Times reports, this circumstance has newly-elected DA Larry Chisolm in between a rock and a hard place. The first Black district attorney of Chatham County, Georgia…

Lorna Bracewell of The Political Whore is certainly moved by President Obama vocalizing support for the LGBT community, but something in the move has given her cause to pause. Why? Because the President seems more concerned with setting aside a month to honor the LGBT community and not as concerned about seeing that the individuals…

Where were you for the fist bump heard ‘round the world? The dap that changed America? The knuckles that knocked these United States into a new post-racial era? More formally, where were you when Barack Obama was crowned as the Democratic nominee for the president of the United States? Remember, this was pre-Palin and before…

Daily Beast columnist Richard Wolffe’s forthcoming book Renegade: The Making of a President outlines Obama’s meteoric rise to power. In a recent excerpt provided to The Beast, Wolffe details showdowns with Hillary Clinton and Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Each is an interesting treatment of political wrangling and how Obama maneuvered his way to the top. While…

Yes; watching clips like this makes you feel a little worse about yourself as an accomplished human being. But unles you’re Timothy Geithner or Larry Summers, you at least don’t have to worry about being responsible for bringing our economy back from the brink. Though, considering how cool dude looks taking his misses out, you…