Hey David Axelrod.
Come here for a second.
Lookit.
Are there any Black people at AKP? If there are, do you listen to any of them? Because I'm sure they could have told you quick, fast, and in a hurry that the annual "Covenant With Black America" was today...and it is a HUGE deal. Not among Black people in general - because there are millions who don't care about Tavis Smiley's forum on all things Black - but among Black people who VOTE...it's big.
The Black peop...um person in your office would have told you that his aunts and uncles and cousins would not be standing out in the cold watching Barack Obama talk about Lincoln on Saturday. They would be bundled up in front of the TV watching Tavis...that is until PBS interrupted the proceedings to show the junior senator from Illinois.
No matter what you've told yourselves about not having Barack align himself with the steeped-in-the-civil-rights-movement-Black-power-vanguard...these folks matter.
Don't get me wrong. We get it...Obama has to be the candidate of inclusion, and he's got corporate money so he doesn't need little Black man money, etc. etc. But scheduling Obama's coming out party on the exact same day as the CWBA meeting was a slap in a collective and frowning Black face. See?
Even Obama supporter Charles Ogletree (Harvard Law Professor) says Barack made a mistake.
Fine Team Obama. Push ahead with your strategy and minimize the Jackson and Sharpton photo-ops. But don't do stuff to openly antagonize. Announcing on Presidents Day? Better. Sure, it is not a slow-news-day Saturday...but it is a holiday so none of the bigwigs would be in the offices at the newtorks - ensuring some fluffy coverage.
Believe me.
Or don't.
But just remember. Next year when you're trying to think of somewhere else to be, Hillary will be more than happy to take your seat at the "Covenant" table - or worse...she'll send the man who has already been dubbed America's First Black President to take her place.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Barack Obama Snubs "Covenant With Black America"?
Esteemed Black Historian Deems Obama's Lincoln-Heavy Speech Ironic
Senator Barack Obama made his announcement at the Old State Capitol in Springfield Illinois...where Abraham Lincoln gave his "House Divided " speech in 1858.
Obama said:
"And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States..."
"As Lincoln organized the forces arrayed against slavery, he was heard to say: "Of strange, discordant, and even hostile elements, we gathered from the four winds, and formed and fought to battle through."
That is our purpose here today.
That's why I'm in this race."
But at the annual Covenant With Black America gathering in Virginia, historian Lerone Bennett called Obama's constant evocation of Lincoln ironic. Watch.
It's Officially Official. Obama Officializes White House Run.
from CBS 2 Chicago
Guess What? Barack Obama is running for President of the United States.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Barack Hussein Obama Washington
From AP via the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
"The company (Family Forest) searched the ancestors of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, dating back many centuries.
He said the Family Forest shows Dunham having a number of her ancestral pathways leading back to early colonial Virginia and New England, and some extend back for many centuries into Europe.
One of her ancestral pathways leads to one of Obama's 12th great-grandfathers, the Hon. Laurence Washington, who built Sulgrave Manor in Northamptonshire, England.
Over the course of five centuries, according to recorded history, he became the ancestor of Washington, Carter, Gen. George S. Patton, Gov. Adlai Stevenson and Quincy Jones, Harrison said."
The article sent Slate into a tizzy and it added it to its Obama Messiah Watch, a cache of "gratuitously adoring biographical details from newspaper, television, and magazine profiles". But in 2004, 'Family Forest' also traced the Bush and Kerry families and found out those two were distant relatives and for some reason Slate didn't find stories on that offensively fawning.
Go figure.
Gays Attack Christians for Attacking Obama
From PinkNews:
"His popularity has prompted radical pro-life group Christians for Social Justice to launch ObamaNation.Com, a website "exposing" Obama's positions on abortion and same-sex unions.
In a sign of the moral battles ahead, Pastor Clenard H. Childress, Jr. director of the group, said:
"60 percent of all new AIDS cases in America will be the result of the violation of Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:27 (men having sex with men).
"If he were to become President of the United States Sen. Obama's support of homosexual unions would pose a real health threat to African Americans."
Senator Obama Jumps On Gravy Train
Barack Obama follows the lead of his main rivals and says goodbye to the chump change of public campaign financing and helloooooo to the big bucks of private donations...or does he? From NewsMax.com "Following the lead of his chief rivals, Sen. Barack Obama will not accept public campaign financing for either the Democratic presidential primaries or the general election if he's the nominee. The Illinois senator has decided to forego the public funds, said an official close to the Obama campaign, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The move allows him to raise and spend unlimited private money.
"Democratic Sen. Barack Obama is asking whether he can take money from donors who want him to be president, then give it back later.
The Federal Election Commission said Wednesday that it will look into the novel question.
Obama is indicating that he wants to at least keep the option of using the public financing system for his presidential campaign if he becomes the Democratic nominee. To do so, the Illinois senator could not spend any money from contributors for political purposes, but instead use federal funding that is expected to total about $85 million for next year's general election.
"Senator Obama has long been a proponent of public financing of campaigns, and we are asking the FEC to take a step that could preserve the public financing option for the party's nominees," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said."
Obama Express...Next Stop Iowa
Hey. What are YOU doing this weekend.
Senator Barack Obama's Post-Presidential Annoucement Trip to Iowa
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2007
- SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS
Obama to make announcement concerning presidential campaign
Location: Historic Old State Capitol , outdoors
South 6th and East Adams
Springfield, IL 62701
Doors open to Public: 9:00AM
Event start: 10:00 AM
Tickets: The event is free and open to the public.
Tickets are not required.
- CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
Iowa Town Hall Meeting
Location: Kennedy High School
4545 Wenig Road, NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Doors open to Public: 3:00 PM
Event start: 4:00 PM
Tickets: The public is invited to pick up free tickets at the
following distribution centers:
Jane Boyd Center
943 14th Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
319-366-0431
8:00AM-6:00PM Monday-Friday
African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa
55 12th Ave SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-862-2101
10:00AM-4:00PM Monday-Saturday
IBEW 405/Hawkeye Labor Council
1211 Wiley Boulevard SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319-396-8461
Kennedy High School
4545 Wenig Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
319-558-2251
10:00AM-5:00PM Monday-Friday
- WATERLOO, IOWA
Waterloo community meet-and-greet with Senator Obama
Location: Central Middle School Gymnasium
1350 Katoski Drive
Waterloo, IA 50701
Doors open to Public: 6:30 PM
Event start: 7:30 PM
Tickets: The public is invited to pick up free tickets at the
following distribution centers:
Central Middle School
1350 Katoski Drive
Waterloo, IA
8 AM to 2 PM daily
Black Hawk Labor Temple
1695 Burton Avenue
Waterloo, IA
8 AM to 5 PM daily
UNI Center for Multicultural Education
2401 College Street
Cedar Falls, IA
8 AM to 9 PM daily
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11
- AMES, IOWA
Obama Rally with Students and Community
Location: Beyer Gymnasium at Beyer Hall
Union Drive
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Doors open to Public: 11:00 AM
Event start: 12:00 PM
Tickets: The public is invited to pick up free tickets at the
following distribution centers:
Campustown-
Gateway Real Estate
119 Stanton Ave, 2nd Floor, Ames
Hours TBD
Campus-
Iowa State Memorial Union
Iowa State University
2229 Lincoln Way, Ames
10AM-2PM Wednesday Thursday and Friday
Downtown-
American Country
327 Main Street, Ames
515-232-7813
9:30AM-5:30PM Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
9:30AM-7:00PM Thursday
Smoke ‘N Antlers Bar-B-Q
4518 Mortenson Rd, Suite 104, Ames
515-232-1799
Wednesday and Thursday 11:00AM-2:00PM and 4:00-9:00PM
Friday 11:00AM-2:00PM and 4:00-11:00PM
Saturday 11:00AM-11:00PM
- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Obama Rally in Chicago
Location: University of Illinois - Chicago
Pavilion
525 South Racine Avenue
Chicago, IL 60607
Doors open to Public: 3:30 PM
Event start: 5:30 PM
Tickets: The public is invited to pick up free tickets at the
following distribution centers beginning Wednesday:
Public hotline number: 773-235-1773
E-mail Address: chicagorally@gmail.com
UNITE HERE
333 S Ashland, 60607
Wednesday - Friday 9am - 5pm
49th Ward Democratic Headquarters
1774 W Greenleaf, 60626
Wednesday - Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 12pm - 2pm
Kane County Democratic Headquarters
700 E Main St, St Charles, 60174
Wednesday - Friday 5pm - 8pm
29th Ward Democratic Headquarters
5037 W Madison
Wednesday - Friday 9am- 5 pm
Saturday 10am - 1pm
4th Ward Democratic HQ
4659 Cottage Grove, Chicago
Wednesday - Friday 9a-8a
Saturday 1-5p
Oak Park Democratic Party
1243 Woodvine, Oak Park
Wednesday and Friday and Saturday 9am-12p
Wednesday, Thursday 6-9pm
Lake County Democratic Headquarters
709 N Ave., Waukegan
847 623 4656
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday 9am - 5pm
House of Hope Box Office
752 E 114th St, Chicago
Wednesday 2pm - 8pm
Thursday and Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 7pm
Obama, Snow...'Something Doesn't Add Up'
From AP via WREX-TV
| "Critics charge the military is obscuring the actual number of troops wounded in both Iraq and Afghanistan by leaving out soldiers and Marines who suffer non-combat injuries. The most frequently circulated number of those who've been wounded is about 23,000. But when troops hurt in other ways, including accidents, is added in, the number more than doubles to about 53,000. Senators Barack Obama and Olympia Snowe are introducing legislation to require what they call "honest numbers" about the wars' toll. Presidential hopeful Obama says the effects on soldiers and their families is the same whether the soldier is hit by enemy fire, injured in a crash or made sick by service in a war zone." |
Now if they could also get pictures to the public of all those flag-draped coffins that are coming back...
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Where There's Smoke...
Barack Obama's incentive to try to quit smoking?
From the Chicago Tribune:
"Americans haven't elected an open and unabashed cigarette smoking president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, though others such as Lyndon Johnson smoked on occasion. The rules seem also to extend to political spouses such as First Lady Laura Bush, who found it necessary to quash her habit, or at least take it underground.
In Obama's case, the pressure isn't just political. His wife has always been concerned about his smoking and, over the holidays, according to family friend Valerie Jarrett, the two of them agreed that he "should stop now."
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