Burris Redux

The other day, I bashed the presumptive junior senator from Illinois, Roland Burris, for caring about little but himself. My considerations were mostly political. I disapproved of the utter contempt Burris exhibited for the Senate Democratic Leadership, and, seemingly, his entire state, in accepting the appointment of such a discredited (and now impeached) Governor.

Apparently, I'm not alone. Ruth Marcus goes at Burris in the Washington Post, noting with warranted incredulity how Burris would not answer Mika Brzezinski's very simple question -- should Guv B resign? Read this exchange:

Burris: “Well, that is not really my purview to state. He stated he's not going to resign, so therefore my comment when everybody's calling for him to resign, he's not done that. And if he -- remember now, you're innocent until you're proven guilty in our society. And based on that, I think he's making his decision based on what leverage he think he may have. But him and his problems are in no way imputed to me.”

Realizing Burris had "Palined" his answer, Brzezinski restated: “But I am wondering what your opinion is in terms of what's best for voters, for constituents? Would it be better for the state if he resigns?"

Burris: “Well, in terms of all of the consternation, I am not -- as I said, that's his choice.”

The impeachment vote was 114-1, and Roland Burris DOESN'T KNOW what needs to happen here?!? We know many politicians are power hungry, but, excluding Governor B, I struggle to think of other circumstances where one man has let his quest for personal gain so overwhelm his sensibilities. Burris is playing right into Republicans hands. The only perceivable basis that Illinois voters can conjure for NOT asking for Blagojevich's ouster at this juncture is the very quid pro quo Burris denies.

In fact, Republicans are PRAYING that Burris gets seated. This is why a conservative group, Judicial Watch, actually filed a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Senate cannot deny Burris admission. They want to feast on wounded prey.

I also predicted that Senator Reid would face a race-based backlash churned up primarily by people like Rush Limbaugh. Lo and behold, three days ago, Limbaugh actually said the following:
"Isn't it apparent to everybody by now that Harry Reid and Dick Durbin don't want an African-American in the United States Senate?"

President-Elect Obama is smart to lay low, but if I were him, I'd be having my people work overtime to find me the highest-ranking or most-highly respect African-American in Illinois to take the job to both (a) restore the integrity of the appointment; and (b) to assuage the Congressional Black Caucus, who got completely played on this deal. By backing Burris, the caucus solidified the notion this is a racial thing, even though Harry Reid said he would not seat Governor B's appointment long before they knew who it was going to be.

But Burris set the racial stage. When he went to D.C., I said I thought his goal was to create a piece of "B roll" political theater for television of himself being blocked at the door in the hopes he could conjure up images of Governor Wallace blocking the door at the University of Mississippi. I didn't know at the time that Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush had already compared the Senate opposition to Burris to Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus's opposition to Little Rock having desegregated schools.

The racial flame is being fanned, and soon the senate liberals, who excel in guilt, will give in...and guarantee the Democratic Party loses the special election.

Burris Redux

Powell Obama Endorsement Pulls the Race Curtain Further Back on the GOP

Remember back when Colin-mania gripped the Republican Party in the mid-1990s? Every white Republican you know bragged about how qualified Powell was to be president. The GOP was begging him to run.

GOP operatives and higher ups were all talking about Powell's sound judgment, record as a soldier, and statesmanlike manner. Some of the highest Republicans in the land made him a four-star general, a chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, and then Secretary of State, after all. The idea anyone would look at Powell as a token pick was folly; Powell's judgment was above reproach, the GOP said.

UNTIL...

...the General endorsed Barack Obama yesterday.

Now, General Powell is getting clobbered by the conservatorati. According to Rush Limbaugh, George Will, and Pat Buchanan, General Powell made this endorsement primarily because he and Obama are both black.

How loathsomely insulting. NOTHING has changed about General Powell, except who he supports. And now the GOP's top mouthpieces paint Powell as one who will throw America into a ditch for "the black man." (Funny, but I don't remember anybody saying we shouldn't have Powell engage in diplomatic talks with any African countries or the U.N. because their presidents were black, as was Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the U.N.). Did Powell "sell us out" to black world leaders?!? (Pun intended).

The Powell backlish lays bare the GOP's race problem for all to see.

When the most prominent Republican African-American appointment in American history doesn't follow the GOP white masters' orders, he gets stripped of his entire history of professional achievements and lifetime of good judgments and is reduced to nothing BUT a black man.

When Limbaugh et al. have the audacity to repeatedly complain that Democrats won't let America "move beyond race," we can only respond: "Sorry, but not until you let it."

Powell Obama Endorsement Pulls the Race Curtain Further Back on the GOP

Vet Murtha Turns Cowardly; watermelon and ribs...and that's NOT racist?!?

So Diane Fedele, the president of the Chaffee Community Republican Women, Federated (California) sent out a newsletter that says if Barack Obama is elected, his likeness will appear on food stamps. And the "Obama bucks" illustration she provided has the Senator (whose face is on a donkey) surrounded by watermelon, ribs, the Kool-Aid man, and a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Now here's the funny part. When the controversy broke, Ms. Fedele said the following:

"I absolutely apologize to anyone who was offended. That clearly wasn't my attempt."

WHAT?!? Well then, Ms. Fedele, what precisely were you trying to say by using watermelon and a bucket of KFC?!?

A sincere apology comes from recognition of wrongdoing, contrition, and an implied, if not explicit, commitment to not repeat the same mistake. When this woman says that "wasn't her attempt," she disavows her own apology by trying to offer some backhand defense of herself.

Ms. Fedele adds insult to injury by saying she doesn't think in racial terms, and as evidence, she points out that she supported Alan Keyes. (And I bet her best friend is black, too!). Even Alan Keyes will tell you this illustration was racist.

I'm going to do something for John McCain and the Republican Party now that no opponent of Senator Obama would do. I'm NOT going to brand Senator McCain or the Republican Party and say that they are all a bunch of racists. I won't use the guilt-by-association that Republican operatives across this country are desperately using to bring down Senator Obama.

I will just ask you this question. If something this vile (which Ms. Fedele says she received herself in a chain e-mail) is put out in public by a previously respectable GOP organization, what makes anyone think racist sentiment does not exist in stronger expressions elsewhere in this country behind closed doors?

This gets me to Jack Murtha, the Democratic Pennsylvanian Congressman. Murtha said a few days ago "there's no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area" and that Obama would lose 4% of the vote solely because of his race. When Murtha's opponent accused Murtha of calling his own constituents racists, Murtha did a 180 and issued the following milquetoast statement:

“While we cannot deny that race is a factor in this election, I believe we’ve been able to look beyond race these past few months, and that voters today are concerned with the policy differences of our two candidates and their vision for the future of our great country,” he said, in a statement issued by his office.

And at that moment, I lost all respect for Murtha because he knows his constituents better than anybody, just like Richard Trumka, who is also FROM Western Pennsylvania. Trumka heard the racism first-hand. (Mr. Trumka delivered a moving speech (linked above) that I hope you will give a listen).

As Mr. Trumka quotes from Edmund Burke, all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for enough good people to do nothing. How many of us have heard a racist comment or joke from a family member or friend, and we say nothing? Be honest with yourselves. How many of us use comments like "(S)he was just raised that way" as the rationalization for our silence.

I'm not saying attack your family and friends, but please educate them. If they respect you, you will have a bigger window of opportunity than any casual acquaintance or stranger who vilifies them. And this is how we'll continue to grow the society...one person at a time.

It won't happen through a "national conversation" because even TALKING about race makes a lot of white people uncomfortable, as Senator Obama has learned. And therein lies the "race dilemma" for Obama. I am convinced that somebody from the Obama camp ordered Murtha to apologize because they knew Murtha's comments would be used for ill purposes.

And guess what? Good instinct. Rush Limbaugh today spent an hour talking about Murtha "calling YOU ALL racists."

Here's delicious irony that probably makes Limbaugh sleep like a baby at night. If someone suggests there are white voters won't scratch for Obama because of his race, Rush will summon faux outrage and generalize the criticism to everyone. In so doing, he secures and mobilized white voters who aren't too keen on black folk from the outset.

What a delicious "two-fer."

Vet Murtha Turns Cowardly; watermelon and ribs...and that's NOT racist?!?

It's Official! I'm a Liberal!

If you read it in the paper, it must be true, right?

Niki Kelly of the The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette says I run a "liberal" blog.

One of the problems with journalism is not enough column inches for precision. This means oversimplification. One of the problems with human nature and society is that we can't stand gray. Everything MUST be black or white. These two phenomenons merge in the worst way, and as a result, every blogger is either "conservative" or "liberal." Statements you'll never hear in a news story are "He runs a socially liberal, economically conservative DLC-type blog," or "He runs a Republican-leaning, but generally objective centrist blog."

Understand that in my complaint, I don't look at the word "liberal" as evil like the Limbaugh fanatics of the world. I'm not even saying I don't have some traditional "liberal" beliefs. I'm just not sure how I'd fit into the club if I were around actual hard-core liberals.

- Not two weeks ago, I was chastizing the ACLU for not defending the rights of gun owners. Is that liberal?

- I'm not for dismantling our military. I just want it to quit developing and buying weapons systems that no generals recommend just because members of congress live in districts the that make them.

- I'm a strong proponent of competition and open school selection in education. If we REALLY cared about the "underprivileged," we would let parents take their kids wherever they want to go. Instead, we pretend we're saving them by "preserving the system." Have you seen our dropout rates? Have you seen our ISTEP scores? What's worth preserving?!?

This gets me revved up because an anti-choice approach doesn't affect many of the REAL liberals who can afford to send their kids to private schools. In fact, I'd say ANYBODY who has sent their kid to a private school should be automatically disqualified from saying that we must save public schools. I can't think of a more paternalistic and hypocritical position for a progressive to take than to deny to other people's CHILDREN what you gave to your own solely by virtue of a fat wallet.

- I supported Bill Clinton's welfare reform package because I believe dependency can become a culture that is handed down from generation to generation.

- I believe market-based incentives solve more problems efficiently than government regulations (though I certainly see the value of a lot more regulations than "conservatives").

I'm sure this is the tip of the liberal iceberg.

Call your political friends and enemies what you want, but don't act like you don't know deep down that you're being intellectually dishonest in most cases because one size does NOT fit all.

More on the substance of the Gazette story soon. . .

It's Official! I'm a Liberal!

Make Rush Limbaugh and Governor Mitch Daniels Eat It With "Mission Havoc!"

Rush Limbaugh orchestrated “Operation Chaos,” an effort to persuade Republicans to “cross over” and vote for Hillary Clinton in open primary states like Indiana, thereby prolonging the divisive and costly D primary fight.

While Democrats spun the high voter registration totals as “new” voters brought in by excitement about “the process” and Obama (absolutely true), they also claimed converts from legions of disgruntled Republicans. Sorry, but this can't be as true. There hasn't been that kind of mass defection from any organization since Dan Dakich took over as head coach at IU. In short, you HAVE to believe that Limbaugh’s tactic had at least some success, in particular in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.

So how about a little payback? Let’s call it “Mission Havoc.”

The goal is to assist the gubernatorial campaign of Democrat Jill Long-Thompson by getting John Waterman, a rogue Republican state senator who is waging a third-party bid as leader of “the taxpayer party” on the ballot. He needs 33,000 signatures by June 30.

If Waterman becomes viable, I predict he will siphon both money and votes from Daniels. Sure, there is a chance he might take some protest votes from independents that JLT would have otherwise collected but for a “third protest option,” but I’m banking that, by virtue of the assistance from famed foe of Bob and Tom, Waterman will take even MORE votes from ultra conservatives who think an income tax is illegal and who think the right to have a tank in your garage is constitutionally protected. Those folks would NEVER vote for a Democrat. Ever.

People, including John Price himself, say the collection of 33,000 signatures might require a political miracle. I don’t agree. Look at the math. 33,000/12 days = 2,750 signatures per day. That’s 275 per day if you have 10 volunteers at Walmart. But WHAT IF, in addition to the Waterman campaign efforts, we could get, say, 1000 people to get 10 names each?

How about we find out, readers?

PLEASE go to http://www.taxpayersparty.net/, print out the form, and get 10 people in your circle of family and friends (or MORE if you’re Catholic) to sign. Then mail it to me at: Chris Worden, 225 N. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

IF I receive it BEFORE June 30, I’ll take all of them to the Marion County Clerk’s Office. If you mail it, it MUST be received by the 29th, or I won’t have it in time to deliver by the deadline.

No, I’m serious. Really. I’m very serious. If you want to help JLT, and you’re thinking, “I can write a check for JLT, or I can spend my time getting signatures for John Waterman," get the signatures.” (And write the check as or donate on-line immediately. JLT needs a good campaign finance report).

As an incentive for your labor, I will give a $100 gift card to the restaurant of choice to the registered Democrat who delivers in a timely manner the most legitimate signatures (no "I.P. Freely" or "Seymour Butts").

LET MISSION HAVOC BEGIN! Bwaaahaha. Bwaahahaha! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Make Rush Limbaugh and Governor Mitch Daniels Eat It With "Mission Havoc!"

It's Not the Same Without Tim Russert

It's weird to feel loss about someone you don't really know. But there it was....the second I realized that my Sunday morning ritual of watching Russert grill the power elite was no more.

Talk about painfully objective. Russert was never shrill or embarrassing, but he made people from all ideologies eat their own words like Rush Limbaugh eats shrimp cocktail. That's what I loved about the guy. If you said you hated bagels in 2007, he and his crack research staff would find an article from the Des Moines Register in 1983 where you were quoted as saying you loved them with cream cheese. I've never seen anybody as so well-prepared for an interview in my entire life, and I don't think I will again.

You know how they say when you die, you get to ask God all the questions you've wanted to ask? This will mark the first time God sweats.

It's Not the Same Without Tim Russert