Dennis Kucinich as the Black Candidate? Not if he's in bed with Fox

I don't think so. For reasons that seem unclear to me, Dennis Kucinich has gone loco and decided that he wholeheartedly embraces the Fox/CBCI debates. Looking at his blog, he is also so proud that Black Agenda Report recently described him as the Black Candidate. Hmph. Sounds like we might need to revoke that Honorary Negro Card.

From Kucinich's press release:

"Lets face it, the race for the presidency is the World Series of politics, and here you have three candidates for President who are admitting that not only can they not hit right-handed pitching, they're even afraid to step up to the plate and take a swing. Well, I'm one candidate for President who can hit any pitch anyone throws at me. And I'll be taking the field in Detroit this September with the Congressional Black Caucus."

"When the Cleveland Indians get into the World Series, and Fox broadcasts the games, I assure you I'll be there," Kucinich said, "and when Fox broadcasts a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, I'll be there, too."

Right. So anyone like me wondering how big a News Corp/Faux News campaign donation was made to elicit this hearty, glowing endorsement? I sure hope it was more than the measly $1000 many CBC members got for their campaigns! The SuperSpade joins myself, rikyrah and a number of leading black progressive bloggers in signing a letter asking the Democratic frontrunners to stay firm. You can check out the letter there. Thanks to ColorofChange for their great work on this.

Latino Groups Finally Turn on Gonzales

I wrote about leading Hispanic groups' curious silence on Alberto Gonzales a couple of months ago now. A Washington Post article today paints them as always having been supportive of Gonzales which isn't entirely factual. Yet, after he was confirmed as Attorney General, there did seem to be an effort to pull punches, even as he pursued an agenda hostile to these groups' membership base. From the article:

Wilkes and Murguia said their disappointment with the attorney general started long before Democrats and Republicans in the Senate began calling for his ouster over the firing of U.S. attorneys.

"The reason these attorneys were fired is that they weren't investigating allegations of voter fraud," Wilkes said. "Republicans use voter fraud allegations to create more registration burdens for our members without any evidence. I think Gonzales himself was pushing some of these voter-restriction techniques. He ought to know better."

Better late than never, though this might have been more helpful at the height of the calls for his resignation a few weeks ago.

Now -- where is the dysfunctional Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Gonzales? Or have they stayed too busy fighting with each other to fight for civil rights?

CBC Shills for Fox

Maybe you caught this NY Times article Sat on the CBC Institute's continuing plans for a Democratic presidential debate co-sponsored with Fox News. Or maybe you were like me and enjoying the long weekend.

So here it is. Like I said from the beginning, none of this makes sense. Unless somebody is gettin' paid. From the article (emphasis mine):

The caucus is bent on salvaging what remains of the debate, and of a relationship that has produced other benefits. Not only has Fox given over precious air time for the debate, but an examination shows that its parent company, News Corporation, has also taken other steps to reach out to the group’s constituency, including making campaign donations to the caucus and its members and creating internship programs at predominantly black colleges.

Fox News' agenda and messaging is consistently hostile to African-Americans. The network has specialized in race-baiting. But as long as certain CBC members continue to get campaign contributions, it's all good, right? $1000 here, an internship perhaps for a loyal supporter's or sorority sister's son or daughter...it all finally adds up to the personal gain CBC members achieve through this relationship with Fox and nothing whatsoever to do with what's fair and balanced for the image of African-Americans in the news media.

Despite a fierce debate within the 43-member caucus over whether to sever ties with Fox News, those representing the caucus in its dealings with Fox have thus far held firm. The network itself has apparently urged the caucus to do just that. There was, for example, a meeting for caucus press secretaries attended by representatives of News Corporation and Fox News, where talk turned to how to publicly present the merits of the debate. (Also working in Fox’s favor is that the debate is to be held in Detroit, the home city of Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kirkpatrick, the caucus chairwoman.)

Ugh. CBC -- stop selling out and cowering to corporate might. Since when did you do their PR for them? Fox is finally being held accountable for their actions. Bottom line: They will make a better corporate partner to the CBC in the long run, if they clean up their programming. Best to distance yourselves as gracefully as possible so that process can take place sooner. Best to stop giving them P.C. cover to remain politically incorrect.

At least one proud progressive member has been able to resist the dollar siren's call:

While 26 members of the caucus signed the letter, it is also notable who did not, including Representative Maxine Waters of California, a prominent and powerful member of the group.

Asked about the debate in a brief telephone interview, Ms. Waters said only, “I’m opposed to it.”

Michelle Obama - the latest Racial Rorschach Test

The entire Obama candidacy is about what I call a Racial Rorschach Test. The first phase were those idiotic articles about whether Obama was ' Black enough' for Black folks, which was insane, and off the point. Once that dog didn't hunt, we finally got around to whom the 'Black enough' test was really about, and that was White folk. While they're still mulling around this question and deciding whether to deal with it or not, we've got a new angle to this test.

Michelle Obama.

Is America ready for a Black First Lady?

The Immigration Bill & Its Threat to White Collar Workers

My first post was on the newly proposed Immigration Reform bill and the possible detriment to the Black community. Next, I questioned the threat to our national security and how the Immigration Bill didn't come close to settling those issues.

But, there are other reasons for opposing this bill.

The previous post spoke about how those on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale would get the shaft.

Yet, they are not the only ones who should be afraid of the impact of this bill. If you have a white collar job, you should be as afraid as your brethren in the blue-collar fields.

In The Immigration Bill & Its Threat to White Collar Workers, I hope I raise questions as to why this bill is a threat to American workers - period.

The CBC is Out to Lunch

The CBC has done a lot of great things.

-> The proposed debate with Fox News is not one of them.

The CBC has some real heroes and legends as members.

-> It's time for those heroes to show us what real leadership and accountability means.

Check out Leutisha Stills' DailyKos diary for an update.

What Martin Would Say About Iraq

It's too bad that we don't have the leadership of Dr. King in these troubled times. George Bush claims that Iraq is nothing like Vietnam:

"The enemy in Vietnam had neither the intent nor the capability to strike our homeland," he said. "The enemy in Iraq does."

Um, right. And it was really important to stop the spread of Communism through Asia. Since it could eventually spread here. Or something like that.

We don't have to wonder what Martin would say because if you listen to one of his speeches addressing the war in Vietnam, you'd swear he was talking about Iraq. If you're in disagreement with Martin Luther King, chances are good you are on the wrong side of the issue. Take a listen. Nod to