Jack & Jill Politics

EVENING THREAD IS UP

Watch and learn, y'all - Valerie Jarrett - may be the 2nd most powerful staffer in the WH?"

Sistas doin' it fo' themselves!

T.

OK, who watched the CSPAN White House documentary that began last night and will continue through Friday? You must! Very enlightening. They also interviewed William Seale, the author of The President's House(2 volumes; updated 2008).

I must share one tidbit from last night's installment that tickled me: Eleanor Roosevelt wanted all the servants to be the same color so she fired all the non-black folks and hired all black folks at a lower wage rate. Man, I was like, "Damn, she didn't even think that we were worth the full rate even though we came as matching sets!"

Yeah, I know...my humor is a tad lame. Forgive me. This is serious stuff given that, even today, our labor is still undervalued - black women, paid some 15 - 20 cents/dollar less than our white counterparts. Yeah...

T.

T: Thanks for the summary! :>)

Annnnnnnd, I like your "humor!" In fact, I like "HUMOR!" :>) :>)

Sure, darlin'. I will keep y'all up to date over the course of the week. I hope to catch the next installment on it's second showing in the wee hours of the morning.

T.

Wow!...Alek is breathtakingly beautiful!

Everytime I click on this page, I have to just stare at that photo for a couple of seconds because she is just stunning.

Miranda, you knw Black don't Crack. It's the light coming from her; and I dont mean studio light either. I'm drawn to the light ithin her.

It's official, my people! AP reports that Mr. Obama has been formally elected as the 44th president...'becoming the nation's first black president'.

T.
ps. AP is confusing me 'cause yesterday the were pretty much pushing the meme that he wasn't the first...ummm...you know...

Well, see now he's black because he was conspiring with Blago, Ferris Bueller, Louis Farrakhan and the Blues Brothers to sell his Senate Seat.

Hey T,

The AP article makes this point too:
But Obama's election is not complete until Congress tallies the outcome of Monday's Electoral College vote at a joint session scheduled for Jan. 6.

That's what I'm waiting to see. Cheney's going to be presiding over this session in the same way that Al Gore had to preside and watch Bush steal the election from him 8 years ago.

Oh__, if only I were in that chamber, I'd like to get a good shoe-fling at Cheney myself.

Webb, actually, I, personally, will not rest easy until I get pictorial evidence that he is ensconced in some plush chair, behind his desk, in the Oval Office. Ya never know...

T.

T: THANK YOU LORD!! ***tears***

Michael M. Smith singing "We've Come This Far By Faith"

SANG THE SONG!!! ***hands in the air*** :>) :>)

Why does this make me all misty-eyed??

Virginians/D/Anyone: Will you "comment" on this. I don't know this person. THANK YOU.

Va. district picks its first black elector

Virginia’s 1st Congressional District is sending its first black representative to the Electoral College to cast his vote for the first black U.S. president.

Christia Rey, a College of William and Mary student and former U.S. Army captain, is one of 13 presidential electors representing Virginia’s Democratic Party in Richmond, Va., the Newport News, Va.) Daily Press reported Sunday.

On Monday, Rey will be a part of the exercise to officially select the state’s choice for president and vice president.

This summer, Rey, 31, was elected at the state’s 1st Congressional District Convention to represent his party in the Electoral College. Rey competed against 21 others for the spot. He was the only black candidate.

“I don’t think the historic nature of the presidential election got me elected to this position,” Rey said. “Like anything in politics, I think I was at the right place at the right time.”

UPI

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. :>)

What I want to know is why was he the first black elector in VA? We have the 3rd congressional district which was gerrymandered around the state to group all the black people outside of NoVa together. Whycome [/greenlady] there hasn't been a black elector from that district?

Town: LOL! :>) I 'on't know! ***shrug shoulders***

D/afroacademic: Do U know "WHYCOME?" :>) :>)

As a William and Mary Alum and as someone who grew up in the VA 1st this is truly a treat.

afroacademic: THANK YOU!! :>)

rikyrah: QUESTIONS:
#1. ON TOPIC! Well! Well! Well!
There is NOT a contradiction between economic growth & environmental issues.

Off-shore drilling - ONLY with respect to ENERGY INDEPENDENCE as a goal.

#2. Time lines? I don't have a crystal ball. BUT, we have projects that are ready to be funded; therefore jobs to be created. [connecting ECONOMIC RECOVERY & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS]

#3. HERE WE GO!!! RE: Rahm; [NOTHING INAPPROPRIATE!!!]
We were asked to HOLD OFF on presenting OUR report and so WE WILL! HAH!!

Barack just trotted out four KEY administration appointments and not a single one was a white man.

If they aren't Cabinet posts they don't count!!!!!!!

No justice! No peace!

but Craig, I hear that obama doesn't have enough ________ appointments. Where is the diversity? He better appoint more ________, or the _________ will be pissed!!!1

Ilamh1, But I thught he'd choose at least.....

Please choose 1 answer among the following:

a.) 2 Asian Amricans
b.) 2 Latinos Americans
c.) 2 Natve Americans
d. 2 African Americans

And why aren't albino transsexual dwarfs not included on your list? What do you have against them? I thought Obama was all about the diversity!!!!

No justice! No peace!

LOL!

He hasn't chosen any Cablinasians, so his diversity efforts don't count.

Obama's gonna get a letter from Tiger..any day now...its coming....

alright, you better stop that

hehehe!

lamh31: GREAT POINTS!!! :>) :>)

rikyrah: NOW HE's SAID IT! These are the members of MY ENERGY TEAM! :>) :>)

WE value SCIENCE and FACTS!!

LOOKING AHEAD: We are READY to ACT on JANUARY 20!! Whooo!! Hooo!!

P.S. Did you see how HE was READY to make SURE that Ms. Browner had a "step-stool" in order to see over the podium!? NICE!!

rikyrah:

HE SPEAKETH!! :>)

Okay, it may be the geek in me, but has anyone else seen the X-Men Origins: Wolverine trailer yet? If not, here it is:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vi...

I am so psyched. Is it sad that I can't wait til May?????

For those true geeks on JJP, who besides me is REALLY excited to see GAMBIT!!!???
Anyone, raise your hands.

I'm more psyched about JJ Abrams New Star Trek.

LOST is nearly the only broadcast "drama" show that I watch...and i'm an unabashed trekkie. The "Next Generation" series is partly responsible for a big chunk of my morals.

I *heart* TNG!!!! Ther are two types of trekkies, the kind that like the originals and Deep Space Nine best, and the kind that like TNG and Voyager best. I fall in the latter category.

I agree with ya Webb about the whole philosphy aspect of TNG. They just weren't afraid to "go there" and explore all of these topics. Data is probably my favorite character for that reason alone, as well as Counselor Troi. They were both a big part of all the shows that focused more on the moral/ethics storylines.

Does the "Prime Directive" mean anything to you? LoL, if Bush had followed the Prime Directive instead of trying to bring democracy (by force) to the Middle East, then maybe he wouldn't have had a shoe hurled at him yesterday and 4,000 Americans would still be alive.

I feel you on DS9...really disliked it...it was too stationary and mambi-pambi. However my favorite Star Trek film remains "The Wrath of Khan," and my fav character from all the series...Jean Luc Picard~Patrick Stewart--No Contest.

Whoopi Goldberg's "Guinan" was also a cool character who I wish the writers would have developed more, particulary with regard to the Borg.

That's true, Guinan came across as very ethereal. Like a more serious version of "Q". BTW, Q was a character that irritated me at first, but when he had the first Q child, he became more interesting.

Ditto on the Prime Directive! And another thing, their focus was on understanding the cultures and working with their ways of viewing the world. If Bush really wanted Democracy, fine. But why does it have to look like American democracy? It could be a different style. But noooooo! Bush had to take over the world, and y'all know Cheney with his greedy self was focused on getting his own action.

I wish TNG or Voyager were still on, it would have been nice to see how they would have incorporated current events into their own moral/ethical views of interacting with others.

Oh, and Data for me was more endearing and charming. If we're talking about the brothers that were fine and I would have liked to talk to, there is no competition for Chakotay!!

BTW, does any one remember Seven of Nine? I think they went in the wrong direction with her, she got kinda boring and predictable.

I remember 7 of 9(Jeri Ryan)...do you realize that she's partly responsible for Barack Obama's rise to power? She was married to Jack Ryan, who ran against Barack in '04, but had to get out of the reace because his naughty sexual habits got exposed in the divorce papers.

Wow, you just connected Star Trek to Barack.

I like how we did that!

I like Data, but I gotta admit, my major crush was between Picard and "#1" i.e. Lt Riker. Picard was all cerebral and sexy with that accent, and Lt Riker was all tall and manly that was probably my first teenage imaginary crush.

Oh yes, I have to admit, Jean-Luc Picard was hot and sexy. Oooh baby.

I'm kinda excited about Star Treck too, but I'm more of a Next Generation fan myself.

X-Men on the other hand has been an obsesscion of mine since I was a child. In fact, I think my first imaginary crush may have been on Wolverine =) Sad but true

Wolverine is MINE, I tell you, MINE!!! Love TNG too. Jean-Luc & Worf are my favs. I'm klining to my Klingon and my prune juice. :-))

My dad is all about Klingons, lol!!!! If I was going to be a character I would be cross between a Klingon and a Betazoid! Wouldn't that be an interesting combination!!

rikyrah: Annnnnnnd, "another one bites the dust!"

Justices won’t review Obama’s eligibility to serve

The Supreme Court has turned down another challenge to Barack Obama’s eligibility to serve as president because of his citizenship.

The appeal by Cort Wrotnowski of Greenwich, Conn., was denied Monday without comment.

Wrotnowski argued that Obama was a British subject at birth and therefore cannot meet the requirement for becoming president.

He wanted the high court to halt presidential electors from meeting to formally elect Obama as president.

Echoing an appeal that was rejected by justices last week, Wrotnowski said that since Obama had dual nationality at birth—his mother was American, his Kenyan father was a British subject—he cannot possibly be a “natural born citizen.”

At least two other appeals over Obama’s citizenship remain at the court. Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., argues that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii as Obama says and Hawaii officials have confirmed.

Federal courts in Pennsylvania have dismissed Berg’s lawsuit. Federal courts in Ohio and Washington state have rejected similar lawsuits.

Allegations raised on the Internet say the birth certificate, showing that Obama was born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961, is a fake.

But Hawaii Health Department Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino and the state’s registrar of vital statistics, Alvin Onaka, say they checked health department records and have determined there’s no doubt Obama was born in Hawaii.

The nonpartisan Web site Factcheck.org examined the original document and said it does have a raised seal and the usual evidence of a genuine document.

In addition, Factcheck.org reproduced an announcement of Obama’s birth, including his parents’ address in Honolulu, that was published in the Honolulu Advertiser on Aug. 13, 1961.

AP

Another one bites the dust Queen HAH! :>)


President-Elect Obama!! LARGE and IN CHARGE!

I'm just waiting for the Constitutional amendment process to start. You know, the one where "natural born citizen" actually gets defined.

D: I thought that "natural" meant that one was born in the "NATURAL" state - - - ya know - - "NAKED!" :>) :>)

O.K. I found YOUR statement in wiki:

Natural-born citizen
From Wikipedia,

The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides an additional source of constitutional doctrine stating that birth "in the United States" and subjection to U.S. jurisdiction at the time of birth, entitles one to citizenship:
“ All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the Jurisdiction thereof, are Citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. . . ”

This clause mentions two types of citizenship: citizenship by birth and citizenship by law (naturalized citizens). However, the full text of the fourteenth amendment does not mention the phrase "natural born citizen," nor does it address Presidential qualifications. The phrase "natural born Citizen" is not defined anywhere in the Constitution, as is also true with most other constitutional terms.

My response: MOVING RIGHT ALONG!! :>)

I thought that "natural" meant that one was born in the "NATURAL" state - - - ya know - - "NAKED!"

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!! YOU ARE HILARIOUS!! LOL

No, natural born...means anyone who was born via c-section, don't qualify!

Miranda: I'm a very BASIC person! See how I can be confused at "high level discussions!" :>) :>)

***shakin' my head**** :>) :>)

LOL!!!!

You know it's coming.....though probably not until Obama's second term. Just like the campaign finance reform that someone will try to push through.

My people will spend/are spending more time trying to unelect Obama/keep another ascendency like his from happening that they're blinding themselves to why/how we really lost.

D: they're blinding themselves to why/how we really lost.

You ain't "neva lied"! :>) HEAD IN THE SAND MENTALITY!! :>)

BURY HEAD IN THE SAND :>) :>) BUT SAD!

I hope they count children born from invitro-fertilization... I want the Jonh and Kate plus 8 kids to have the option to run for President.

If your daddy is a Canadian drag queen that was a sperm donor will that disqualify you? I mean....shouldn't Ann Coulter's kids have the option too?
Yeah...we're gonna need some clarification over here!

rikyrah: Here's the article from Politico 44:

Review shows no contact with Blago



Below is a statement from Obama Transition Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer:

"At the direction of the President-elect, a review of Transition staff contacts with Governor Blagojevich and his office has been conducted and completed and is ready for release. That review affirmed the public statements of the President-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the President-elect's staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. senator.

"Also at the President-elect's direction, Gregory Craig, counsel to the Transition, has kept the US Attorney's office informed of this fact-gathering process in order to ensure our full cooperation with the investigation.

"In the course of those discussions, the US Attorney's office requested the public release of the Transition review be deferred until the week of December 22, in order not to impede their investigation of the governor. The Transition has agreed to this revised timetable for release."

Annnnnd, I STILL listened to the MEDIA asking "WHYCOME" the PEO couldn't release the REPORT NOW??

'cause "HeCan Do Whateva He Likes!" IMHO :>)

WHEW!! ***shakin' my head!***

rikyrah: BREAKING NEWS!! From MSNBC 11:52 PST

Pifer's (?) REPORT: CONFIRMING THAT MR. PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA HAD NO, REPEAT NO INAPPROPRIATE CONTACT WITH "BLAGO!"

This report will be transmitted to Fitzgerald!!

From change.gov:


BREAKING: Obama aides say review of contacts with Blagojevich has been completed, but won't be released until Dec. 22 at the request of the U.S. Attorney. Read full statement.

GreenLadyHere, thanks for the update. Why am I not surprised?!!!!

I'll make sure Nora O. gets the MEMO, since that skank, still pretends not to know who the current PRESIDENT IS!!!!!

spirit: U R welcome! :>)

Re Nora O: ***saaaaa-lap**** :>)

HAND GOING TO OTHER SIDE OF HEAD...Saaaaa-lap!

rikyrah: Found this article. ONE commentator said that it was "one-sided." Hmmmm.

I'm not familiar enough with this situation to opine. Soooo, any thoughts?? Thanks. :>)

‘Obama Effect’ Highlights Racism in Cuba

Editor's Note: Barack Obama's victory has made Cubans more willing to speak out against the institutional racism that exists half a century after Fidel Castro established a "color blind" egalitarian society.

MERIDA, Mexico – As Cuba prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power, U.S. President–elect Barack Obama’s victory is raising disturbing questions about the institutional racism in the so-called egalitarian society, where racism is said to have disappeared along with capitalism.

“Cuba, I am inclined to believe, is nervous about the impact that a black president in the White House could have upon its own black population,” writes Carlos Moore, a black Cuban of Jamaican ancestry and author of “Pichón: Race and Revolution in Castro's Cuba,” in the Miami Herald.

Since the first days of the revolution, Fidel has been aware of the racism that permeated Cuban society. “In the daily life of defense, loyalty, brotherhood, and shrewdness,” Fidel wrote in January 1959, “there has always been a Negro standing beside every white man.”

Castro envisioned a “color-blind” society, an aspiration that dated back to the 19th century liberator Jose Martí who fought to end the vestiges of slavery as part of severing ties with Spain. But there was paradox in Castro’s declarations: Castro, the son of European immigrants from Galicia, Spain, was a white man who had overthrown the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, a light-skinned mulatto born to parents who were both of mixed race.

In the decades that followed, Castro’s vision of giving Cuban blacks equal opportunities was thwarted by the realities of race outside the island nation: Soviet and East European allies preferred white Cubans, and these were granted scholarships to study for advanced degrees throughout behind the Iron Curtain. The growing disparities between white Cubans and black Cubans remained a lingering problem throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

It was the official policy of the government to deny the existence of racism, arguing that Communist “egalitarianism” made discrimination based on race “an impossibility,” simply because it was incompatible with a socialist state. This was a polite fiction. As Alejandro De La Fuente wrote in his authoritative book, “A Nation for All: Race, Inequality, and Politics in Twentieth-Century Cuba,” (The University of North Carolina Press, 2000) the color of one’s skin determines the life one leads in Communist Cuba.

THERE IS A LOT MORE.

Any thoughts?? THANK YOU.

President-Elect Obama! :>) LARGE and IN CHARGE! :>)

But there was paradox in Castro’s declarations: Castro, the son of European immigrants from Galicia, Spain, was a white man who had overthrown the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, a light-skinned mulatto born to parents who were both of mixed race.

Castro's mother was a mulatto, so he definitely has African ancestry.

Sepia: THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! :>)

Make no mistake, many non-Black Cubans brought that same "white preference" attitude with them to Florida and the rest of the US. The good news, though, is that those generations are giving way to Cuban Americans who aren't tripping on skin complexion and hair texture ... as much.

RonnieB: THANK YOU VERY MUCH! :>)

Ok. It's Obama's turn at picking a tux for the Inauguration

Menswear News-WWD

However, I believe he has already chosen a tux-union made.

I would love to see him in a one of a kind by Ozwald Boateng - Hot Black designer, born in Ghana raised in London.

NYTimes: Caroline Kennedy wants the Senate Seat

(watching MSNBC)

rikyrah: WATCHING 2. :>) She has established a "committee" to look into her prospects for an appointment.

This would give an "ally" for Mr. President-Elect Obama!! I like this!! :>) :>)

and it would certainly benefit my hometown to have someone in the Senate that has PE Elect's "ear" so to speak.

sdg1844: GREAT!! :>)

Hey y'all it's me! Still over here sending tidbits I find re: the Obama Administration. The latest I've found:

Salazar a possible nomination for S.of Interior.

For those that don't know:

Salazar’s most high profile media moment since being elected Senator in 2004 came during the 2005 Senate confirmation hearings of then-Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales . Salazar, who was one of 6 of Democrats supporting the Gonzalez nomination, accompanied, sat next to and spoke on behalf of Gonzales as he (Gonzales) was bombarded by questions about the now infamous torture memos he wrote, which are widely believed to have enabled the acts of humiliation and torture perpetrated at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons. While several Republican and Democratic Senators, including Sens. Kennedy, Leahy and Judiciary Committee Chair Specter voiced repudiation and disgust about Gonzales’ role, Salazar smiled and said, “It is also an honor and privilege for me to appear before you this morning to make an introduction of Judge Alberto Gonzales” adding that he thought that “…Gonzales is better qualified than many recent attorneys general.” Quote gathered from Of América

Well...all those folks who wanted Bill Clinton back in office may feel a little better about thos possibility.

Does Colorado have a Democratic Governor?

Yep. Bill Ritter. A pro-life Democrat.

I'm no fan of Ken Salazar. He's a Hispanic in name only; supports Republican ideals as much as he can, and worked to squeeze out a very promising brother from Colorado Springs during the 2004 senate race.

I really hope that another centrist, who is dang near Republican, is not given the position. But it's all "he said, she said" until Obama makes an announcement. There have been other names floating around for this position. Let's see how it all comes down.

Attorney General- ABA JOURNAL
December 15, 2008
Will Eric Holder be Obama’s Most Controversial Nominee?
Posted 2 hours, 48 minutes ago
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Senate Republicans are seeking documents about Eric Holder’s role in three clemency cases and other controversial issues arising from his work in the Clinton-era Justice Department.

The attorney general nominee is preparing for a fight, Legal Times reports. He is seeking advice from lawyers who include Steptoe & Johnson’s Reid Weingarten, and former Zuckerman Spaeder partner Ronald Weich, chief counsel to the Senate majority leader.

Senate Republicans have asked for a delay in Holder’s Jan. 8 confirmation hearing for more time to prepare, the Los Angeles Times reports. Among the critics is Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Specter says he is concerned about Holder’s role in the pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich, whose wife was a Clinton contributor.

“I think it is imperative we be sure the attorney general of the United States does not bend his views to accommodate his appointer,” Specter said in a floor speech.

WTF???

There is more:

http://www.abajournal.com/news/will_eric_holder...

“I think it is imperative we be sure the attorney general of the United States does not bend his views to accommodate his appointer,” Specter said in a floor speech,

Did he say that with a straight face?? Oh, he couldn't have...he HAD to crack up laughing as he spit that out! I know he did!

Specter's brain is toxic from all that chemo.

Poor Michael Steele - he can't get no love from Black Republicans:

Black GOPers for Dawson

One of the major issues in the race for Republican National Committee chair has been the party's struggle to connect with the non-white voters among whom it got crushed last month, and South Carolina chairman Katon Dawson has been forced to defend his membership in a country club that doesn't admit blacks.

A Dawson supporter this morning sends over an endorsement letter from one of the few African-American members of the RNC, Dr. Ada Fisher of North Carolina, who writes to Dawson:

Under your stewardship South Carolina Republicans won 8 of 9 seats for state wide office, elected the first African American Republican to their state house since Reconstruction, now has a Republican Governor and US Senator, and your state’s Republican National Committeeman, an African American (only one of three blacks to have such a seat during this term) had your support.

Her letter means that two of the three black members of the RNC now back Dawson.



They're backing a mofo who belonged to an ALL-WHITE COUNTRY CLUB over Steele?

Negroes, please.


http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1208/Bla...

In a small way, I feel for Steele. He's been trying to distance himself from the slave-catcher mentality of many Black Republicans, and has actually shown a bit of courage in at least saying publically what we all know: that the GOP doesn't want Black membership.

If he doesn't get the RNC chair, he might want to consider joining forces with Colin Powell and other moderates.

RonnieB great idea. I would love to see him with Powell, Rice, Bernard, D., coming up with a new strategy for the party.

RonnieB, I agree with the point of Steele's high visibility illuminating the outrageousness of the RNC's disdain for Black membership.

Enough to drive you to drink, it is.

Steele's not gonna win, unfortunately. He'll be proven right in about 4-8 years, the GOP will acknowledge that (though maybe not publically) and want him to come into the fold.

And when that happens, I hope he tells them to kick rocks.

The GOP's about to take a real nasty turn.

STEELE: "MASSA, IS WE SICK?!!!!!!

Why would Michael Steele or any other POC want to hang out with a party that is clearly effed up in terms of inclusion of POC???????? Nice try thoug, Mr. Steele!

Speaking for myself, I know the future of the GOP is in minorities; at some stage of the game, we will be the party.

It's all a matter of when....and how much kicking and screaming will have to be done by the old guard before they get the point.

(that plus the fact that there really isn't another viable option that lines up with the beliefs of black conservatives...and not voting at all really isn't a option that solves anything)

D, I hear you. Like I said, nice try, Mr. Steele.

At some point, though, either the self-preservation gene will kick in, or we'll all wake up and realize that it just ain't gonna work.

MASSA: "I'M NOT"

Madoff Ponzi Scheme Concerns Limit European Gains


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/15/madoff...

This has taken on Enron-ian proportions

List of potential victims in what is said to be a massive Ponzi scheme run by money manager Bernard Madoff continues to grow.
LONDON (CNN) -- Some of the biggest and best-known names in global finance are calculating they may have lost nearly $3 billion in an alleged $50 billion "pyramid scheme" that led to the arrest of a New York financier last week.

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) told CNN its hedge funds had exposure of up to 400 million British pounds ($600 million) to funds managed by securities broker Bernard Madoff.

France's BNP Paribas (BNPQ.Y) said Sunday its maximum potential loss was about 350 million euros ($468 million).

Spain's Banco Santander said it had a direct exposure of 17 million euros ($23 million) while clients of its hedge funds had 2.33 billion euros ($3.1 billion) at risk in Madoff's firm. Spain's second-largest bank, BBVA (BFR), said it could lose up to 300 million euros ($404 million).

Japan's Nomura (NMR) on Monday said it had 27.6 billion Japanese yen ($303 million) of exposure, but that the impact on its capital would be limited.

HSBC losses may total $1B

The Financial Times reported that HSBC could be one of the largest victims, with potential exposure of about $1 billion to the investment manager's collapsed venture. HSBC (HFC.PRB) later confirmed its exposure could be as much as $1 billion.

Madoff, a former chairman of the Nasdaq exchange market, was arrested Thursday on a single securities fraud charge of operating a $50 billion Ponzi scheme from his investment advisory business. A federal court in Manhattan Friday issued a temporary order freezing Madoff's assets and appointing a receiver over him and his firm, his global securities broker company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities (BMIS).

A Ponzi, or pyramid scheme, is an investment fraud in which high profits are promised to investors from fictitious sources. Early investors are paid off with funds raised from later ones.

U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton said the order appeared necessary to prevent Madoff or an agent from moving funds out of the court's jurisdiction and to "preserve the status quo" for whatever may come from future proceedings.

Madoff, 70, made an initial court appearance Thursday and was released on a $10 million bond

Did The Chicago Tribune Spoil Fitzgerald's Blagojevich Investigation?


Conventional wisdom holds that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald ordered the FBI to arrest Rod Blagojevich before sunrise Tuesday in order to stop a crime from being committed. That would have been the sale of the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

But the opposite is true: Members of Fitzgerald's team are livid the scheme didn't advance, at least for a little longer, according to some people close to Fitzgerald's office. Why? Because had the plot unfolded, they might have had an opportunity most feds can only dream of: A chance to catch the sale of a Senate seat on tape, including the sellers and the buyers.

The precise timing of Tuesday's dramatic, pre-dawn arrest was not dictated by Fitzgerald, nor was it dictated by the pace of Blagojevich's alleged "crime spree." It was dictated by the Chicago Tribune, according to people close to the investigation and a careful reading of the FBI's affidavit in the case.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/15/did-th...

This should be more of the focus of pundit discussion. Since everyone seems in the business of speculating about motives, let me add my two cents. I suspect that the case was about to fall apart. Fitzgerald is clearly a man with political aspirations. That press conference was more theatre than law. Why would he end a 5 year investigation by stopping would many would have called the political crime of the century? I'm not an attorney, but I'm hard pressed to find a crime that has taken place. Expressing one's desire for monetary return of the Senate Seat without evidence of a transaction is not a clear cut crime. Why did he stop! When it did it become the job of a prosecutor to stop a crime before it takes place unless there is risk of physical harm?

NMP
You are dead on, The reason he stopped it is because Blago called the WRONG MF...MF'r!!

It says in the complaint consultants told Blago to 'suck it up' and give the MF his senator...he didn't!!

Blago thought he could flip off the PEOTUS!!!

That is what brought this to a screeching halt and that is why Rahm is getting death threats.

Obama checkMATED JJJ!!! on the very day Blago was suppose to annouce him for the seat...he was ARRESTED.

Big POWER....all I am waiting to see now is how Fitzpatrick will receive the appreciation Blago didn't think was sufficient.

I heard that same question asked on MSNBC yesterday by two attorneys.

Today, the Electoral College votes for the president. Our ceremony is at 2:00pm EST. I'll be going down the road to the state capitol to partake. My roommate from Denver is a presidential elector.

Craig, you gonna post some pics of the occassion?

Are you going to dress up for the occasion? will they allow you to take pictures?

Another Black politico/Maine connection. From a local paper:

President-elect Obama's announcement Monday that Susan Rice will be his U.N. ambassador excited Mainers who know of her ties to the state.

Rice, a foreign policy expert who worked in the Clinton administration and advised Obama during his campaign, is the daughter of Lois Dickson Rice, a noteworthy Maine native who grew up in a prominent Portland family.

Susan Rice often visits Maine, where the family has a summer home in Lincolnville. She was in Portland in January, when she was keynote speaker at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Celebration.

"She's brilliant," said Stephen Halpert of Portland, who attended the breakfast at Holiday Inn by the Bay. "She was already very accomplished and an amazing speaker, and now this."

Rachel Talbot Ross, president of the NAACP Portland Branch, which hosted the breakfast, said she expected Obama to give Rice a top spot in his administration.

When I moved to Maine, I had no idea about all of this. I live near Squire Hill. It used to be called Nigger Hill because the Underground Railroad ran through here. The electrician who did our did the circuitry for our major renovations had on his staff an old Black man, who could pass, who was a descendant of a Maine Black family that had never been slaves. He told me that the UR went right through my house. He was going to have his brother come over and show me the hideaway in our basement, but he never followed up on that. Another contractor, a white man, later told us that our house, which was built in 1800, was indeed on the UR.

Wow. How did it make you feel to know that?

Like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

A future novel will come out of my findings.

I can't wait to read that one.

I've returned. I dressed. I took a ton of pictures.

And I wept.

The president of the electoral college in Maine is a Black woman. Jill Duson, the first Black mayor of the largest city in the whitest state in the union. She evoked Barbara Jordan in her closing remarks and I lost it.

Jill was also a delegate to Denver.

Three generations of Talbots were there. From a local paper just after the election:

Talbot, a Portland native, served as the first black man in the Maine Legislature and has written extensively on racial history. Among his works is a textbook he co-edited titled "Maine's Visible Black History."

Obama's accomplishment felt like an accomplishment for America, Talbot said.

"Your heart does cry," he said."You felt it in your heart, your soul and your mind."

Talbot hopes to attend Obama's inauguration in January, though he knows it may be a struggle getting into what may become the biggest inauguration in U.S. history.

"One of my daughters is working on it," he said.

His daughter, Rachel Talbot Ross, leads the Portland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a role Talbot himself once filled.

Rachel was also a delegate to Denver.

I'll write a full blog post with photos when I get a chance.

Craig, thank you so much for sharing this momentous occassion.

You eloquently captured the power & richness of family, history, and the ngenuity of the human spirit!

Gratefully, Spirit

Obama Taking Train To Inauguration

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/15/obama-...

Alek is magnificent.

That photo is breathtaking.

Rep. Gregory Meeks' decision to skip an auto industry bailout hearing to spend a weekend in Las Vegas won him few friends in the working-class Queens neighborhoods he represents. Folks in St. Albans were disgusted by the Daily News' report that Meeks ducked a Dec. 5 congressional hearing to check into the Bellagio hotel on the Strip for a fund-raising weekend...
The News reported yesterday Meeks regularly uses funds from his campaigns and his political-action committee for trips to exotic locales - often in sunny climes in chilly months.

Meeks spent $20,000 on a fund-raiser that included tickets to last February's Super Bowl in Phoenix, plus hotel rooms and "access to NFL parties."

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2008...

As CPL would say, FOLLOW THE MONEY!! That mofo probably laid a few on the 21 black jack table among other nefarious activities!!!

This should be in his next opponents political ads.

Funnies for a Monday morning:

The Stupidest Things President George W. Bush Has Ever Said
By Daniel Kurtzman,

10) "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." —LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000

9) "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." —Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000

8) "I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." —second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004

7) "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." —Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000

6) "You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." —to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005

5) "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

4) "They misunderestimated me." —Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

3) "Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?" —Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

2) "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

1) "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

Ok, I'll play along:

Make the Pie Higher

Ha! Clever!

My favorite is "I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity."

The imagery is priceless.

LMAO......ok...but that's just mean! LOL

LOL!!! Well, maybe he has a career in standup when it's all said and done.

I think The Onion is going to cause a lot of heart attacks today.

EAT this NOT THAT....Fast Food Fiascos


I love this site!!

It is so helpful in terms of making good food choices, and even does an excellent meal choice for kiddies too, when out and about.

Enjoy!

I Might Have To Take My Shoes Off

No explanation needed.

wrong link here. please post again.

Wow....his reach of ruin is quite wide:

Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme:
The Wall Street Journal writes about high profile individuals who were exposed to Madoff:

Investigators dug through financial records at Bernard Madoff's investment firm as the list of victims of his alleged Ponzi scheme widened to include real-estate magnate Mortimer Zuckerman, the foundation of Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Sen. Frank Lautenberg and a charity of movie director Steven Spielberg.

The scandal reverberated around the world, with banks including Spain's Grupo Santander and France's BNP Paribas saying on Sunday that their clients and shareholders together face billions of euros of losses.

Monday morning in Tokyo, Nomura Holdings Inc. said its exposure to investments with Mr. Madoff totaled 27.5 billion yen ($302 million). A spokesman described ...

Over the weekend, The New York Times reported more people involved, including the owners of the New York Mets.

The list of prominent fraud victims grew as well. According to a person familiar with the business of the real estate and publishing magnate Mort Zuckerman, he is also on a list of victims that already included the owners of the New York Mets, a former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and the chairman of GMAC.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/15/bernie...

Lord help me if his investors/victims ask for a bail out.

pjamma, I was thinking the same thoughts. I wager the week of X-mas, we'll see the big as hand stretched out for a heaping helping of our hospitality!

LOL! Oh.....I wouldn't be shocked if somehow this firm is getting some funds...SOMEHOW.....I mean, its not like we actually know all of the parties who bent us over and took damn near $2 trillion thus far anyway!

Republicans and the seven deadly deficits
the values deficit: One of the strengths of America is its diversity, and there has always been a diversity of views even on our fundamental principles—innocent until proven guilty, the writ of habeas corpus, the rule of law. But (so we thought) those who disagreed with these principles were a fringe, easily ignored. We have now learned that the fringe is not so small and includes among its numbers the president and leaders of his party. And this division of values could not have come at a worse time. The realization that we may have less in common than we thought may make it difficult to solve the problems we must address together.

the climate deficit: With the help of corporate accomplices such as ExxonMobil, Bush tried to persuade Americans that global warming was fiction. It is not, and even the administration has finally admitted as much. But for eight years we did nothing, and America pollutes more than ever—a delay that will cost us dearly.

the equality deficit: In the past, even if those at the bottom saw little or any of the gains from economic expansion, life was viewed as a fair lottery. Up-by-your-bootstraps stories are part of America's sense of identity. But today, the promise of the Horatio Alger legend rings false. Upward mobility is becoming increasingly difficult. Growing divisions in income and wealth are reinforced by a tax code that rewards those who have lucked out in the globalization sweepstakes. As that realization sinks in, it will be even harder to find common cause.

the accountability deficit: The moguls of American finance justified their astronomical compensation by their ingenuity and the great benefits it supposedly bestowed upon the country. Now the emperors have been shown to have no clothes. They did not know how to manage risk; rather, their actions exacerbated risk. Capital was not well allocated; hundreds of billions were misspent, a level of inefficiency much greater than what people typically attribute to government. Yet the moguls walked away with hundreds of millions of dollars while taxpayers, workers, and the economy as a whole were stuck with the tab.

the trade deficit: Over the past decade, the nation has been borrowing massively abroad—some $739 billion in 2007 alone. And it is easy to see why: With the government running up huge debts, and with Americans' household savings close to zero, there was nowhere else to turn. America has been living on borrowed money and borrowed time, and the day of reckoning had to come. We used to lecture others about what good economic policy meant. Now they are laughing behind our backs, and even occasionally lecturing us. We've had to go begging to the sovereign wealth funds—the excess wealth that other governments have accumulated and can invest outside their borders. We recoil at the idea of our government running a bank. But we seem to accept the notion of foreign governments owning a major share in some of our iconic American banks, institutions that are critical to our economy. (So critical, in fact, we have given the Treasury a blank check to bail them out.)

the budget deficit: Thanks in part to runaway military spending, in just eight short years our national debt has increased by two-thirds, from $5.7 trillion to more than $9.5 trillion. But as dramatic as they are, these numbers vastly understate the problem. Many of the Iraq War bills, including the cost of benefits for injured veterans, have not yet come due, and they could amount to more than $600 billion. The federal deficit this year is likely to add up to another half-trillion to the nation's debt. And all this is before the Social Security and Medicare bills for the baby boomers.

the investment deficit: Government accounting is different from that in the private sector. A firm that borrows to make a good investment will see its balance sheet improved, and its leaders will be applauded. But in the public sector there is no balance sheet, and as a result, too many of us focus too narrowly on the deficit. In reality, wise government investments yield returns far higher than the interest rate the government pays on its debt; in the long run, investments help reduce deficits. To cut them is penny-wise but pound-foolish, as New Orleans' levees and Minneapolis' bridge attest.
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/11...

Alek is beyond fabulous, I think she is absolutely beautiful...

The 17th Floor, Where Wealth Went to Vanish
By DIANA B. HENRIQUES and ALEX BERENSON
Published: December 14, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/business/15ma...

Have you seen the movie "Boiler Room"?? Is this it?

whiterosebuddy,

About Black kids and fairytales/children's books.

Debbi Allen has written a couple of children's books.
So has Spike Lee's wife, Tonya Lewis Lee.

My starting point was standing in Target, and writing down the names of all the books in the children's section with Black kids on it. Then, I went to Amazon (trying to get a cheaper price), and Amazon will suggest other books, and they were also have other shoppers post their 'lists' of books referring to the same subject. Maybe that's a way for you to go.

Thanks!!

Coretta Scott King Winner and Honor books

2008
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/emiert/coretta...

Past winners by year
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/emiert/coretta...

Forgot the Caldecott (picture books)
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgr...

And the Newberry (older kids)
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgr...

Gov. Paterson wasn't happy about the tacky skit SNL had.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/nyregion/15sk...

I almost think they were hoping for this reaction, because they want to get publicity. No one cares about them now unless they're causing some type of buzz or scandal. What better way to get attention? Aside from Palin, they usually only make fun of Democrats, and this is also a good way for them to reduce him to just a joke. Given the amount of times they had Rudy on their show, I almost wonder if they're hoping this type of stuff would help him if he wanted to run for governor or senator.

The first time I saw her in an interview, my first thought of Alex Wek was "damn, her skin is flawless"...I mean its perfect, not one bump, bruise, discoloration, nothing...her skin is gorgeous.

major co-sign on that! as spirit would say, lol

Yes, major co-sign! Alex is a STUNNING & RADIANT SOUL!!!!!

rikyrah: 538 hath spoken!: :>)

Obama Approval Ratings Not Dented by Blagojevich Scandal

With Rod Blagojevich facing the triple threats of impeachment, court-ordered removal from office, and a federal indictment, the tribulations of the Illinois Governor may yet prove to have an effect on Barack Obama's approval ratings -- but the early signs are that Blago will have no tangible impact on the public's perception of the President-elect.

SKIP

Indeed, with essentially three full days of interviewing having been conducted after Blagojevich's arrest on on Tuesday morning, Obama's approval ratings remain pristine. Gallup shows that 72 percent of the public has a favorable view of Obama, and 18 percent an unfavorable view. The 72 percent favorability rating matches the 72 percent score that Obama achieved on November 7th-9th for the highest since the election, whereas the 18 percent disapproval rating is Obama's lowest yet. Three days ago, before Blagojevich's arrest, those ratings were 70 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

Rasmussen, likewise, sees no change to Obama's approval ratings. 67 percent of their voters now approve of Obama's performance, and 31 percent disapprove, exactly matching Obama's ratings from three days prior, and within a percentage point of his peak totals.

-- Nate Silver at 3:19 PM

My response: WHAT NATE SAID! :>) :>)

GREAT DATA!!! :>) :>) Yaaaaaa! :>)

Mr. President-Elect Obama! :>) LARGE and IN CHARGE! :>)

I love Nate! And yep, I have a crush on him too, GreenLady.

islandgirl550/spirit: WOW!! :>) :>) U 2 got a thing going on with NATE! LOL! :>) :>) :>)

I'll keep this in mind when I post! LOL!! :>)

Good lawd, do we have to share Nate? I love Nate and his space age specs!!!
:-))))

I love the precise reasoning of his mathmatical mind. LOVE IT!!

Stop it, whiterosebuddy. Probably TMI, but Nate is the only white man that can make me moist!!! LOL!!!!

rikyrah: Wellllll! It's SONG time again! :>) THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS!

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

This GROUP is FUN!! :>)

Oh! THREE FRENCH HENS! :>) :>)

ENJOY!! :>)

rikyrah: Monday, DECEMBER 15, 2008; DAY -36; On His "JOURNEY TO JANUARY!"

1. WORD(s) of the DAY: TRANSITION TRAIL/MEETINGS

2. HEADLINE(s):
a) Aide: Obama to hold first national security meeting

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama will hold the first meeting of his national security team on Monday in Chicago, according to a transition aide for the incoming administration.

Participants will include, among others, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton, Attorney General nominee Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary nominee Gov. Janet Napolitano and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, according to a source who was briefed on the planning.


b) Obama Family Goes Christmas Tree Shopping (PHOTOS)

President-elect Obama took his daughters, Sasha and Malia, Christmas tree shopping on Sunday afternoon.

According to the pool report by Margaret Talev of McClatchy Newspapers:

President-elect Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia and an unidentified friend of the girls went Christmas tree shopping together. Pool is told they picked out a tree but that the tree will be delivered later. No opportunity for questions.

Motorcade left the Obama house 2:25 pm CT and arrived 2:33 pm at an unmarked tree lot a short drive away on 53rd St. and S. Kenwood across from Nichols Park. The pool was held across 53rd St, by the park, and the view into the lot was partially obscured by a chain link fence, trees and part of the motorcade.

Pool could see but not hear glimpses of Obama and the girls walking around the lot and talking. Dozens of locals gathered across the street to watch with the pool. Before getting back into the motorcade, PEOTUS stopped, waved repeatedly and said, "Merry Christmas, everybody." Motorcade departed tree lot 2:41 pm and returned to the house about 2:45. Pool is holding.

Here are photos of the Obama family's shopping excursion:

[O Tannenbaum!/O Christmas Tree] ENJOY!! :>)

c) Stars help Obama raise inauguration cash

After nearly four weeks of fundraising, President-elect Obama’s inauguration committee has raised almost $10 million, in part through donations from Hollywood stars like Sharon Stone and Samuel L. Jackson.

In an unprecedented move this week, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) unveiled an online searchable database of donors who have given more than $200. Jackson and Stone each gave $50,000, the maximum amount for individuals and the most common donation amount.

Other notable donors include actors Halle Berry, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jamie Foxx, as well as Wendy and Laurance Rockefeller, and Lisa Henson, the daughter of Muppets creator Jim Henson.

Culminating on Jan. 20, the multi-million dollar four-day event is expected to draw as many as four million visitors to Washington D.C., as part of the largest inauguration event ever.

Some have wondered whether Obama would be able to continue the unparalleled fundraising efforts that characterized his election campaign. He is still far away from reaching the $50 million goal but it is not without precedent that inaugural fundraising started slowly. President Bush’s inaugural committee had raised $18 million only weeks before his 2005 inauguration. But in the end, the committee raised a record $42.8 million.

The decision to list Obama’s donors was made in part to demonstrate the transparency that Obama has vowed to make central to his presidency.

“The need for accountability doesn't begin when the oath of office is taken,” said Emmett S. Beliveau, executive director of the PIC. “It needs to be a part of every step in the process. Our new database is one of the first steps toward a more open and transparent Washington.”

d) Obama To Hold Energy Presser Monday

The president-elect will hold a presser on the U.S.'s energy and environmental future at the Drake Hotel in Chicago at 5 pm ET.

Expected to name Carol Browner to lead policy council on environment, energy; Steven Chu as energy secretary; Lisa Jackson as EPA chief; and Nancy Sutley as head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

He's also supposed to take questions.


THAT'S ALL FOR NOW!!

I think that is marty nesbitt out shopping with the Obamas, along with one of his kids.

I gotta tell you I was surprised to learn he has FIVE kids. His wife, is the OB-G that delivered Malia/Sasha.

The Green Power Broker

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/nyregion/thec...

i loved reading about Majora Carter, and what's she's doing for the environment the communities. Blacks don't usually get the media props for being pro environment.

Now here's a sista that is taking care of business and can hold it down with the media. "I don't do that." I love it!!!

Get the fuck outta here!!!!!

Sisters are Doing it for Themselves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsr_19DFjds

thanks. she's been one of my sheroes for a long time. . . and she gives a great speech, very charismatic and moving speaker.

The New Kennebunkport: Obama To Retreat To Chicago During Breaks

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/14/the-ne...

Mr. Tumnus, Fast Eddie And Misjudging Obama

http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/12/11/mr-t...

this was a VERY interesting read. Especially that Mr.Tumnus...partmangoatlegsandpigears....

I get the sense that Obama is actually The Spook Who Sat By the Door...to much of the press and pundits.

As Chicana activist and scholar Chela Sandoval points out in her study of the 3rd World US Feminist movement, white folks are used to people who take one dimensional ideological stands and consistently act from one ideological standpoint. Obama, is looks and acts in the social and political landscape simultaneousIy from many standpoints and chooses the one that is most effective given the array of opposition he is faced with.

The academic way of putting it is that I think Obama is confusing pundits on the left and right alike because he is taking a page from WOC organizing and using what Chela calls "differential movement," improvisationally cruising between different systems of thought, meaning, ideologies and resistance in order to choose the one most likely to be able to pragmatically confront the problem at hand. They want to pin him down and label him. Exactly what will make him effective is that he can't be pinned down. It drives the pundits crazy.

What makes me have particular faith in Obama's approach is that guiding all this intelligent improvisation is his democratic and ethical commitment to egalitarianism, a ideal that strives for equal distribution of power. You can see this in his Blago presser last week when he talked about two different kinds of politicians, ones that long for power for the purpose of self-aggrandizement and others that have a deeply rooted commitment to public service and the good of all.

susan, I deeply appreciate your sharing this post. Chela Sandoval is brilliant in capturing the essence of what makes us so individually unique and blessed.

My spirituality is centered on the 'Soul" perspective, meaning we don't have a Soul, we are Soul. And as Soul, we are ETERNAL. So this adaptablilty she speaks of is our GOD given creative ability to not only survive but thrive. This is something that cannot be captured on camera, labeled or boxed in like a item from a warehouse.

But having this kind of knowledge comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility,and I certain beyond a shadow of doubt that President-Elect Obama claims it, knows it ,and will allow the energy to use him wisely.

What an interesting connection you're making, susan. I love that Sandoval essay, which a college adviser of mine gave me a photocopy of many years ago. I agree with you that this is a useful way to see it.

Where I don't share your perspective is this part: What makes me have particular faith in Obama's approach is that guiding all this intelligent improvisation is his democratic and ethical commitment to egalitarianism, a ideal that strives for equal distribution of power. You can see this in his Blago presser last week when he talked about two different kinds of politicians, ones that long for power for the purpose of self-aggrandizement and others that have a deeply rooted commitment to public service and the good of all.

I would have agreed a while back. But at this point I feel that what you are describing is not deeply rooted commitment so much as it is a part of a very well-constructed narrative. I feel that seeing this as part of an overarching narrative might make clearer the landscape of the political context.

I have come to realize that one of PE Obama's most brilliant skills is the creation and promotion (word?) of a deeply compelling narrative. It's clear in the organizing, how his campaign's organzing institutes used "story" -- Marshall Ganz's article on how to construct story is amazing in explaining this, and he was a major player in the Obama campaign's Camp Obama trainings from what I understand.

Marshall Ganz on story (pdf, takes a while to load but worth it IMO)

After reading that essay, I went through some of PE Obama's major speeches, including the 2004 one, and found that nearly every piece of the speeches other than specific policy suggestions fit into one or more of the "story" categories that Ganz describes. It's extremely consistent.

Of course, one of the problems with talking about this is that his opponents had some very crude and distorted ways of trying to point to this and so it can get "protected" among supporters because it reminds people of that.

thanks michelle. i have downloaded the Ganz and will take a look --- appreciate the tip. you are right about the feelings of "protection" because perhaps i had a strong initial reaction to his commitment being reduced to "narrative" rather than a vital and lived commitment. but i am going to keep my reaction to the side while i read the ganz piece. hope you write more about this.

hope you write more about this.

susan, I don't have more analysis that isn't in the more or less raw stages, and I don't know if I will ever get more clarity past where I am at now.

If a discussion is of interest to you, I would be interested in your take and analysis on the Ganz piece and related things. I can share the raw stuff I have if you want, or just hear what you have to say.

Anyway, feel free to email me at michellesbells at myway dot com if you want.

Me and you are on the same page! Obama will do to government what Magic and Jordan did to B-ball...create a whole new game, based on their uniquely superlative and awesome talents.

Improvisation and versatility. Obama is not a linear thinker, he is algorithmic is how scientist vs.a social scholar would state it, but I do believe that Chela has framed his philosophy correctly.

People of color have never been able to act from one dynamic or ideology because the rules of the game always change when we show up on the field. Thus our incredible adaptibility to our environment and the multi-dimensionality of what we can do.

Obama has power through principles, just like an athlete uses fundamental skills to take the game to entirely differently level. His wisdome and faith appear in an unexpected package to the dominant society and he can't show off his extraordinary mind and problem solving ability in sound bites...it does show through in his writing. He posesses a tolerant non-ideological style.

He uses knowledge in constructive ways to build consensus based on principle and that is something the world of politics is not used to as they focus on polarization, divide and conquer, to prevail. Obama wants to build something far more sustainable and he knows that means you need glue not divisiveness to create a transformative government.

And he intends to transform this nation just as surely as 'air' Jordan and 'nolookpass' Johnson did to b-ball.

It is also fitting that he is a b-ball player, because that is a fast game, just like his mind. Unlike football, which is the traditional paradigm of politics built on a strategy of deception and hiding the ball, and incremental drives to the goal. B-ball is a whole other type game, of fast breaks, postups and the never fail, hook and roll.

whiterose, this is on point:

"People of color have never been able to act from one dynamic or ideology because the rules of the game always change when we show up on the field. Thus our incredible adaptibility to our environment and the multi-dimensionality of what we can do."

And that is why the social consiousness means zilch/nada to me!!!

you made my day by responding!

yes to your idea of nonlinear thinking! and not only do the rules of the game change when POC show up, the rules of the game are also changing in general --- a new twist on duBois double consciousness.

i really like the b-ball connect --- that's new to me! thanks, it's a new more sophisticated way to apply what people common refer to as sports analogies and show the real genius that is there.

You also made mine Susan, when you posted the concepts of Chela, as in many ways it reflected The Spook Who Sat by the door, premise of using the way folks perceived stereotypes (systems of thought) as a tool against them to level the playing field.

While I am not a big sports fan, I was a huge MagicJohnson fan. And to me there are a lot of similiarities between how he elevated a team with the brillance of his game by NOT dominating but pivoting off the strengths of his teammates talents. Obama does that same thing. What was so beautiful about Magic as a player is you didn't need to watch HIM to enjoy the game, because he brought out the talents of all the other players. It was a thing of beauty to watch, because you never knew who was going to score so the games complexity was logarithimically better.

In contrast, Air Jordan revolutionized the game because of his singular skill as an individual, his was not a team thing. In fact, when he took over NBA from Magic, I stopped watching the games as much because I did not enjoy solely watching Michael, despite his awesomeness ...I found watching only him boring, despite his fantastic aerorbatic feats, I learned it was team involvement that captivated my interest. Not one superstar. If you didn't watch MJ the game was boring.

What I appreciate about them though was their improvisational ability to maximize the power of their talents. You always were in awe of how Michael would stair step elevate over a player in the air or of who ended up with the ball after Magic dished it. Folks are seeing this in the way Obama is picking his cabinet, they cannot make rhyme or reason of it.. They can only focus on outcomes, not predict the way there or how.

POC must act in that many in order to divert attention and prevent folks from thwarting their objectives. Obama weighs many variables and considers various ways to proceed contextually while his analysis forms a webb from an algorithmic process. He is comfortable with ambiguity and theory expressed with a verbal facileness and fluency that is so emotionally persusasive, that pundits don't know where the next play or move will be, so they lag behind him.

I use sports analogies because far more people relate to what they see, or what is called kinesiology intelligence than they can to the unseeable brilliance of Obama's ability to create a puzzle from jigsaw pieces. Obama can take disparate people and their ideas and mold them into a coherent solution. The average mind is overwhelmed by the complexity of diverging opinion but Obama is not, he simply creates a new whole. The only thing essential to his process is expertise. Thus, his quest for the best and brightest minds in his cabinet. Ideology is irrelevant, as he is the visionary.

What he knows is that he needs the best and brightest to build from...he synthesizes all that expertise in a manner that no one else can conceive of similiar to how a composer makes a melody from notes. Or Magic builds a championship team from great but not superstar teammates. Obama doesn't come with preconceived ideology he only needs the best material to work with. Principles guide him. The media however is jaded and do not focus on principles as they are always looking for some soundbite or dismissive of the true values like integrity, compassion, and service that they see right in front of them operating.

Obama represents a huge paradigm shift for mainstream thinkers and the media, but not to most folks of color. We get him, as long as we do not get caught up in the clamour and talking point spin of the media. Obama has been making a way out of no way for a loong time.

So, needless to say I am quite happy that this man is President. That he understands the white world and the black world and that he has the principles and integrity to heal and transcend the chasms and rifts in our nation.

Iman was a goatherder daughter right, now Wek is a refugee? all the time they create these exotic stories...is any of it true?
Sounds like marketing.

Marketing that anyone can come to America and make it well...less they born here and look like them.

That was photographer Peter Beard who started that crap about Iman. She comes from a privileged Muslim background as her father was an Ambassador and she speaks 5 languages. I guess that truth would've made her seem too uppity for the masses. Alex actually was a refugee. Waris was a survivor of female genital mutilation. The interesting thing I remember about Alex was the brouhaha over white editors thinking she was great when a lot of Black people (Americans) were calling her ugly and questioning why she blew up. That photo was an Essence magazine cover shoot and I think one of her best photos.

No. She didn't see part of her family for years because of the war in Sudan.

Is it true. I understand what a refugee is. Iman had the same kinda story when she became an 'international model' now she tells everyone it was all marketing.

well, I think part of her family was killed.

fierce, lol!