Jack & Jill Politics

And today in Britain...

The BNP is, for anyone outside the UK who doesn't know, the party that wants "Britain to remain - or return to - the way it has traditionally been." According to their website, they don't mind ethnic minorities as long as they remain minorities and don't try to change British identity or culture. Britain must remain British they say and point to all sorts of statistics which they claim prove that immigration has resulted in higher crime rates, lower educational standards, more restrictive policing, higher levels of stress, in short everything that is wrong with the UK today. If the BNP gets in they will re-introduce corporal punishment, and "end the iberal fixation with the rights of criminals," make sure prisons are not pleasure resorts, etc., etc. If all this sounds familiar to Americans, well, yes, the BNP does have something of the flavour of the extreme right-wing of the Republican party. Tough on crime and ciminals, anti-what they call political correctness (but which is often simple human decency), pro a strong national defense, etc. they are the UK version of a party Rush Limbaugh would be proud of!

http://blackexpatinlondon.blogspot.com/

White House vs. Gov Paterson: Is That Any Way to Treat a Brother?
Submitted by Glen Ford on Tue, 09/22/2009 - 20:42
BAR executive editor Glen Ford


People who remember the days when Black elected officials were scarce and low-ranked, might conclude that last week's spectacle is a good problem to have: A Black president carrying out the “political execution” of a Black state governor. But what does this episode say about Black voting strategies and the value of role models?

White House vs. Gov Paterson: Is That Any Way to Treat a Brother?
by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
“Race loyalty without reciprocity isn’t much of a deal.”
The nation’s First Black President has made it abundantly clear that he wants New York’s First Black Governor to forgo election next year. In choreographed leaks to the press, the White House threw its weight to David Paterson’s most prominent Democratic challenger, state attorney general Andrew Cuomo, who maintains close ties to the Administration and has raised twice as much campaign money as the incumbent. (Then Lt. Gov. Paterson assumed the top spot when Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a sex scandal in 2008.)
BAR has no favorite in this dispute, since Paterson and Obama are ideologically indistinguishable. Rather, the president’s unprecedented bullying of Paterson should represent a challenge to those African Americans that supported Obama because, in the words of crusading New York City councilman Charles Barron, “I just want to give a brother a shot.” Now, the only “shot” that “brother” Paterson will get at election in his own right is the coup de grace to his temple administered by President Obama.
When the white people have left the room, most African Americans on the Left, Right and in-between will confess that their support for Obama is rooted in race – a default position that has become dysfunctional with the advent of Obama and a whole crop of corporate-friendly Black politicos.In the past, race-based electoral loyalty served Black people rather well – when it was reciprocal. But Barack Obama harbors no such loyalties; Paterson was deemed a weak candidate, so he had to go.
“Race-loyal electoral politics has become dysfunctional with the advent of Obama and a whole crop of corporate-friendly Black politicos.”
No doubt there were strong hints to Paterson from on-high that he should bow out of the 2010 primary race, but they apparently didn’t register. So the White House sent an operative to transmit the president’s demand, and then delegated anonymous politicians to inform the press. It was an exercise in sheer political brutality. The New York Times gave the following version of the White House operative’s ultimatum to the governor:
“He said, ‘I am here at the direction of the president, and we have lost confidence in your ability to run for re-election and win, and we would strongly like you to reconsider. And if you decide to go ahead, you will not have our support.’”
Another rendition of the political execution went: “We want you to stand down. There is no path to success.”
Race Men and Women might ask, “Is that any way to treat a brother?”
Of course, Obama is like the character played by cable TV’s Stephen Colbert: he doesn’t see race. The point is, most of his Black supporters certainly do. Race loyalty without reciprocity isn’t much of a deal.
“Role model” politics is a variation on the racial loyalty theme. Black kids, the rational goes, need to see Black faces in high places – like governor and president – so their aspirations will soar. Paterson is not only Black, but legally blind, and thus doubly inspirational.
No matter. As far as the Obama White House is concerned, the president is Black role model enough. The rest are extraneous. Just ask Van Jones, and now, David Paterson, and other jettisoned “role models.”
“It was an exercise in sheer political brutality.”
It appears Black role modeling is in triage mode, with some role models being sacrificed for the sake of the uber-model in the White House.
Since role modeling is all about hierarchy – that is, Black upward mobility in various hierarchies – it is beyond question that higher-ranking role models are inherently more valuable than models of lower rank. That makes things simpler, since there is no discernible political difference between Gov. Paterson and President Obama. Both can be counted on to buttress the Right at critical junctures, and seem to share an antipathy to the Left. In Paterson’s case, this tendency was most dramatically observed in his appointment of upstate Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, the most right-wing member of the New York congressional delegation, to fill Hillary Clinton’s senate seat. That was a jaw-dropper, seemingly inexplicable and politically unnecessary – unless one was aware that the Obama White House had exercised its muscles to discouraged other Democrats from actively vying for the seat.
So, the two brothers came together to elevate – a right-wing white woman! Somehow, the role model/race loyalty chemistry isn’t working well, these days. Certainly not for David Paterson. Probably not for most African Americans.
No one that has grown up Black in American can fail to appreciate the internal logic of electoral race loyalty and the potential potency of racial role-modeling. The problem is, Barack Obama does not play by these rules. It is, for him, a one-sided game in which he takes, but never gives.


http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/whi...

Sorry, but I stopped reading after

The nation’s First Black President has made it abundantly clear that he wants New York’s First Black Governor to forgo election next year

How has Obama made it "abundantly clear" when PATERSON doesn't even know if Obama doesn't want him to run? I call bullshit.

“I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don't believe in wasting brotherhood on anyone who doesn't want to practice it with me. Brotherhood is a two-way street.” Malcolm X

Malcom would recognize this as bipartisanship.

Amiri Baraka was right is calling Glen Ford a RASCAL.

So, he was hired because he IS a role model then. If he pulls his head from his pocked ( not to refer the right place ) he would have figured that he insulted that gentlemen. Because he was hired because of his ideas.

Politic IS not a Passerelle.


These so called progressive are not Progressive at all. In politics you improvise along your score, you do NOT strictly engage with the score because the wind blows.
And the wind is NOT constant.

MUZIKAL,

everytime I see these pictures, I crack up. POTUS just couldn't hide it.

I told you it's hilarious. LOL, I wish there was video, but it may not be as funny on video. . .

I'm not sure if anyone has posted this yet but it makes me so happy I'll risk posting it again.

Baby dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies...prepare to smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kuWo02QPHI

My husband and I watched a few times from different sources. It is delightful. And you know what...there is a child whose brain hasn't been polluted yet with hate and is just enjoying the moment. A white baby watching a video done by a black and the baby is just doing moves that feels good. Does life get much better than that.

Watching the National Parks documentary now. Any one else?

me

Are you on Central or Pacific Time?

It's repeating at 9:00 MST and I'll watch then. The Amazing Race is on right now. The only reality show I'm even interested in watching.

central

Yosemite means "the killers."

The white officer who drove the Indians out of the valley thought it meant the tribe's name.

Typical. It was their name for him and the soldiers, I'll bet.

Berlusconi calls Obama 'tanned'

(UKPA) – 5 hours ago

Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi has called US President Barack Obama "tanned" again and this time made a wisecrack about Michelle Obama's skin colour as well.

Mr Berlusconi told a Milan rally of conservative supporters that he was bringing greetings from the United States from "What's his name? Some tanned guy. Ah, Barack Obama!"

Shortly after Mr Obama's election in November 2008, Mr Berlusconi raised eyebrows by saying the victor was "young, handsome, and even has a good tan".

This time, Mr Berlusconi, a billionaire media mogul who began his career as a cruise ship entertainer, also made a jab at the First Lady.

"You won't believe it," he said, "but two of them went to the beach because the wife is also tanned".

Mr Berlusconi is known for his gaffes.

European media have played up photos showing Michelle Obama greeting many leaders at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh summit last week with a kiss but stiffly holding out her arm for a handshake when it came time to greet Mr Berlusconi.

The photos show 72-year-old Mr Berlusconi's gazing at Mrs Obama's gown instead of her face, and holding his arms out as if in delight at what he sees, while the US President looks on, apparently not amused.

At the rally, he also delivered a backhanded compliment to the US president.

The premier, commenting on Mr Obama's use of an autocue in public speeches, cracked: "He's not reckless like those of us who say what comes to mind. We all asked ourselves: 'Does he know what he's doing, or is he just someone who knows how to read well?' But he's all there, in a big way, and that should make us all happy and satisfied because we need the greatest democracy, the greatest country, to be in trustworthy hands," the Italian premier said.

Wow, doesn't this just say it ALL.

This time, Mr Berlusconi, a billionaire media mogul who began his career as a cruise ship entertainer, also made a jab at the First Lady.

No wonder he's such a dipshit.

im glad the first lady didn't hug him
i could see him trying to cop a feel
he's a dirty old man

look at president Obama's face LOL

Barack looks like he might clock the old leach.

Elizabeth Edwards vs. Reille Hunter
By Foster Kamer, 1:21 PM on Sun Sep 27 2009, 1,014 views

So! Gossip's equivalent of Boris and Natasha—Rush & Molloy—came correct today with some LOLCAT-fighting between Elizabeth Edwards and Rielle Hunter. Contained herein: internet commenting, birthday spoiling cancer, John Kerry as "Richie Rich," etc. Let's take a look.

Apparently, Elizabeth Edwards: less a fan of Rielle Hunter's than we thought. She's

* Talking to a divorce lawyer,

* Refuses to sign off on any confessions that her husband fathered Hunter's kid,

* "Vehemently opposes" a plan to have Hunter move near their family's Wilmington beach house, and

* Has been commenting on the internet under the commenter name "Cherubim." Maybe she was on here? Who knows?!

One blogger seems to have the goods on this Cerubim business, naturally. Via Daily Intel, look see some comments:

As you all continue to discuss Lisa Druke's lastest pay day story from the National Enquirer. I think you all should remember these important facts: John and Elizabeth Edwardsa have been married for 31 years. They had four children together, three are living, and one, recently, died. Elizabeth Edwards has stage 4 cancer. Any decent human being would not have inserted herself into their lives, and then sold stories about them to the National Enquierer for monetary gain. Lisa Druke, a.k.a. the Rielle (Real) Hunter fills me with disgust. I hope someday to never hear anything about her again.

More somewhat substantial conspiratorial insanity here. Also, commenteratti: at least you can say there's some royalty amongst you, now.

Oh. And then there's this. Remember former Edwards aide Andrew Young's book proposal we looked at last weekend? There's more.

* Edwards supposedly slept with other women besides Hunter. Obvi.

* Elizabeth made John sleep in the barn after she found out about Hunter. She'd come in the middle of the night and start screaming "accusatory rants" at him.

* Hunter has a psychic. This psychic's name is Bob. Bob told Hunter how she should handle this thing and, presumably, to move to California.

* Edwards used to talk a bunch of shit on John Kerry until Kerry brought him on as his running mate. He called Kerry "Richie Rich."

* And the "best" one: Edwards had to call off a birthday date with Hunter. Now, you don't cancel on someone's birthday, because that's mean. But if you found out that day that your wife's cancer returned, you might tell your mistress to hold off no matter what day it is, because, you know, you need to handle this one. So he did. And "an unsympathetic Hunter screamed at him."


http://gawker.com/5368873/elizabeth-edwards-vs-...

I'm not feeling all that sorry for Elizabeth "Cherubim" Edwards because had John Edwards won the nomination she would have fought and struggled to keep this under wraps so she could get to the White House. Also, who is she to say that Rielle Hunter can't move to Wilmington. Rielle Hunter can move next door or across the street and ain't a damn thing Cherubim can do about it except deal with it.

Rielle Hunter is scummy too for continuing to go after a man who's wife is dying of cancer.

The scummiest is John Edwards, not for cheating, but for insulting everyone's intelligence. I'm telling you, don't trust any man with perfect hair.

LOL, Preach!!

I could care less about John, Elizabeth or Rielle. It is the baby who is being played as a pawn. The adults need to stand up and act like adults no matter where this soap ends. John and Elizabeth wanted to become our president and First Lady and now we have to read about their low class behavior at the sake of a baby who never had a choice about who her parents are.

Elizabeth made John sleep in the barn after she found out about Hunter. She'd come in the middle of the night and start screaming "accusatory rants" at him.

Works for me...

well fuck...so John got to sleep in the family barn because he was so wealthy... shit, if he was my husband he would have slept in a gutter.

big effing deal..

Man, I used to like John Edwards, but now...

(Sucks teeth.)

yeah, I got suckered and donated money. I want my money back.

perfect sound effect, too...

The dead end kids - Young, unemployed and facing tough future … The unemployment rate for young Americans has exploded to 52.2 percent -- a post-World War II high -- meaning millions of Americans are staring at the likelihood that their lifetime earning potential will be diminished and, combined with the predicted slow economic recovery, their transition into productive members of society could be put on hold for an extended period of time … Al Angrisani, the former assistant Labor Department secretary under President Reagan, doesn't see a turnaround in the jobs picture for entry-level workers and places the blame squarely on the Obama administration and the construction of its stimulus bill.

The moronic Left thought that their problems could be resolved by – just “Taxing the Rich” … WRONG! Risky business: States tax the rich at their peril - …Now, a half-dozen states in this recession-driven movement are nervously eyeing New York to see if it's wise to demand so much from people rich enough to have a second home in less taxing states — and for whom a change of address can be its own tax break … "You can say, 'The millionaire is evil,' but they don't just put their money in a coffee can," said Christopher Summers, president of the nonpartisan Maryland Public Policy Institute. "They employ people ... That fact is, you need rich people to keep working hard so they will invest."

It’s going to get a lot worse…

Let me guess...you haven't taken your med today.

The rich derives income from a consumer based economy, its a scenario of pay now or pay later.

1993 called for you, kid. They want their brain-dead, right-wing argument back.

I seem to recall the extra taxes didn't hurt rich people during that time.

I believe you and your source were hibernating ALL these years.
Do you really believe what you pasted here?


If the economy needs NO stimulus bill (which is a lesson from the past, nothing NEW), how can it harm entrepreneurs?
By the way billionaires behind Google and Apple among other progressive ( meaning people who look ahead of others, contrary to dogmatic heads like you ) supported Obama, so how his policies should/can harm them?


Because of people like you yr. country will be dragged behind EU and emerging Asian countries, if car industry isn't a signal.