I'm So Used To Black Women Being Dissed I Almost Missed the Lesson!

For yesterday's post I wrote with a certain amount or irony how the virtue of white women was reinforced by Letterman’s very public chastisement and remains as viable as ever. Even he was bewildered about what happened. I wasn't defending what he'd said I was just surprised by the backlash. I’m certain he’s got the message now! (Bill Maher – you’re next!!) He may have thought he was just being harsh on the Palin family but what he failed to understand is that he unleashed the battle cry for a war against other white men over the continued domination of the “white” race.

White women and girls are to be protected at all costs.

I admit I hadn’t quite comprehended the full ramifications of this. As an African American woman I tend to think in historic terms of the relationship between the two and how patriarchy was reinforced during and after slavery. In other words I’ve had visions of Scarlett O’Hara dancing in my head….and I’ve wanted to take a mallet to that image. I’m certain I’m not the only one that would like to see certain things dismantled. I’ve written my share of posts were I’ve lamented ruefully how white women were being put on a pedestal because it was so painfully obvious to me that Black women were not.

I get it now.

Excerpted comment from Evia: 

Letterman had the audacity to attack a ww and her children, so other wm QUICKLY put him in his place. This sends a powerful message to OTHER wm of all ages who may be thinking about denigrating a ww publicly--to NEVER do that and if they do, they're going to be very sorry. This is why Letterman is blathering apologies all over the place. Unbeknownst to lots of AAs, many wm see plenty of faults and flaws among ww, but they understand that when you degrade your women en masse PUBLICLY, your WHOLE group is headed for destruction.

See Black women wouldn’t know what being protected is like because we're being attacked every day by other people who look like us or share a more recent lineage as well as by those that don't. They either don’t want to be part of the tribe or want to thoroughly bash it. Just so that we’re clear I’m speaking about the collective. I know there are plenty of individual situations where this is not the case.

This is why DL Idiot was allowed to go on Leno and call other Black women ugly and say he agreed with Imus. It was why Imus felt free to make such a comment in the first place. It’s why the would-be rapper Asher Roth revisited that “joke” on Twitter and couldn’t understand the angry response. It's why the denigration in "our" music will continue to lead us on the straight path to hell. It's why Nancy Grace rarely does a story on missing and exploited Black females. It's why so many women are self-medicating ourselves into an early grave. It's why many of us can't walk down the street in certain neighborhoods without being verbally assaulted with the underlying threat of physical harm. It’s also why I’m going to hear a lot of excuses from some Black men who read this post, but that the most virulent denials and objections are going to come from….cue the lights: other Black women.

We don’t know what it’s like being protected and held in such high regard.

It’s like tasting really fresh vegetables for the first time. We didn’t know it could be so good. So something must be “wrong” with it then! No, it’s just the way things are SUPPOSED TO BE!

Letterman may have thought he was deriding one woman politically and socially while being willing to use her offspring to do it. This is a teachable moment for all of us that even that ONE INCIDENT was NOT TOLERATED because it would CHIP AWAY AT THE COLLECTIVE leaving it in a WEAKENED STATE. So next time someone wants to make an excuse about how a song referring to a Black woman as a BITCH is “just a song” or “about a particular kind of woman” let’s look at this situation and compare how other white men stepped in protect their women (even if they can’t stand some of them) from one of their own. If they hadn't it would've been the start of a very slippery slope indeed.

If Letterman had been allowed to continue without pause it would have signaled it was okay for other men that it was open season. One incident multiplies, accelerates and mutates in ways you cannot control after a while. It goes from "hoes" to "no dark butts" to "why can't I talk about my preference for light-skinned women" to "I don't want to be Black" to "I want to stick my *ick in you" to "raping you is no big deal...it's the white man's fault anyway" to bye-bye collective.

Now that I’ve learned this lesson I have to ask: when are Black women going to get their respect and protection from Black men? 

Warhol Meet Palin: There's the Door!

In the future everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes - Andy Warhol

Failed VP candidate Sarah Palin is holding on for dear life what Warhol so famously quipped about! It's a looong way to 2012 though! I had a laugh as her continued attention addiction led her this week to complain Caroline Kennedy gets the white glove treatment and how the big bad bloggers openly ridiculed her. Why should she care what we think? We're just "losers who live in the basement and wear pjs" anyway. Psst! We have moved on - and so should you pretty lady with the guns. I needed a Sunday filler post to be frank and I do derive a little bit of pleasure poking fun at her. It's the hypocrisy that compels me to discuss this though.

This reminds me of last spring's Democratic primary when Hillary Clinton would not leave. She had been trailing since Iowa in reality and never recovered from the Obama Movement, but being the fighter that she is meant wearing out her welcome. She still has campaign debt by the way even though she and Bill are worth 8 figures. She's not the most qualified candidate for the job either but she's likely to be our next Secretary of State. They all think they're Effie White, justified in their stubbornness and unfairly cast aside. What happened to competing on a level playing field? Why the huge sense of entitlement? The reality is their time was just up. Or at least it should have been. Hillary still got a fat reward for being Obama's nemesis.

The thing she and Sarah have in common besides ovaries is the all-hallowed WPP. White Woman Privilege - or White Woman Pedestal depending on how you'd like to define the situation. It's how Ann Coulter and Elisabeth Hasslebeck bask in their pedestal privilege while sneering at Michelle Obama but get away with it because they "have friends who are or date Black men". In Sarah's case it's when you get praised for your mediocrity while claiming to be at a disadvantage. What else explains the corporate media fawning? Openly courting racists? Especially after (nearly) everyone had figured out what a fraud her image was compared to the reality. In Hillary's case it was the ridiculous argument that sexism trumped racism in the Oppression Olympics which it clearly doesn't when there's zero consideration of  any non-white women in this equation. Hello!!!

WPP is why Affirmative Action mostly benefits the Sarahs, the Anns as well as the Hillarys of this country. That and legacy admissions/promotions and having your relationship with a male relative be a boon to you career-wise. Be it generational wealth or generational considerations it's hard not to succeed when it is expected for you to do so and a path has been cleared. Not that we all don't have our individual trials and tribulations, but certainly we can see they are all still here and that the Hill & Bill show will never be cancelled. 

The only push back I noticed was from certain members of the Republican wing who didn't like their accidental Chosen One. She believed all of her own hype - remember how shocked she looked when McCain conceded? Your gonna love me - or else! It wasn't the Democrats that leaked the clothing non-troversy. Even I thought that was rather low (some of the time) but some quarters of society view the dumbing down of their party a serious mistake. They'll take the votes of course but they don't want to actually have to see or interact with their minions. 

They would've had to relinquish the moral superiority crown and they did not want to be seen as common. The Republicans are known to be rich, elite, intelligent but exclusive (at least in their minds). Cocktails at the country club are de rigeur, not beer bongs and strip malls. The Palin clan came chock full o' nuts: kids with funny names, kids who'd dropped out of high school, kid(s) who had unintended and unplanned for pregnancies: if they weren't white they would've been the talking points of everything that's wrong with other people. How can they fundraise with the steerage passengers running the ship. Nuh unh!  

So if you're not familiar with the talent show, Showtime at the Apollo you'd recall the time after the crowd has spoken and the curtain is about to be drawn on the performer who has bombed? The show runners brought out the Sandman who yanked them off with his hook as he tap danced. Check out this hilarious sequence on the Cosby Show - no embedding allowed :(. Now I don't care for or underestimate the appeal that some still have for Sarah but I still say the exit is located Stage Left.....

I Got A Letter From Sarah Palin Today

Sarah Palin is the grifter that keeps on grifting!

Technically it was yesterday. And here I thought I'd be able to not need a reason to talk about her anymore. But as it turns out she kinda sorta forgot to disclose more freebies. 

I'm sure the darling of the Tundra doesn't want to face a similar fate as her good pal Ted Stevens so although she was a wee bit slow in reporting things hey, she finally got around to it! 

When she's not stumping in Georgia or being poked by Joe Biden, she's sending greetings and salutations (and terrorizing us Californians). What has she done that's so outrageous you may ask? She sent me an offer I can't refuse.

"As Governor of Alaska (can't I just refer to you as a failed Vice Presidential candidate from now on?), I am pleased to tell you about a very special offer: now you can receive an official Alaska travel guide - absolutely FREE. This isn't some skimpy brochure - this is a full color publication, as bold and exciting as Alaska." 

Cue the Informercial voiceover - but wait there's more!

"Alaska is different from every other destination in the world. Every day offers an unforgettable memory: a mother moose and a calf (you mean she actually let some live?); glaciers and mountains; our Russian legacy (try not to snicker) and gold rush days. Please send for your FREE guide today, while supplies last." 

OMG I'd better get moving or else she might come after me with a Bible in one hand and a rifle in the other. Yikes. Talk about reaching across borders. 

photo: Judy Patrick

Who Knew That Blogger Could Be Used As A Slur?

I tried to give Sarah Palin the benefit of the doubt. You know all those leaks of her ever growing list of foolishness came from her friends in the McCain camp. Yet time and time again the hockey mom from the tundra keeps showing us her ever growing sense of entitlement, lack of humility and foot in mouth disease. If the rumors prove to be true that she's getting a talk show she can kiss her political career goodbye. If I want a daily dose of dysfunction I can watch Jerry Springer. She really needs to get the hook right now or a tap on the shoulder that her 15 minutes are up! 

So now she says we bloggers live in our mom's basement and make stuff up. Oh really, Sarah? Why is it that some women cannot manage leadership positions and overcompensate by being completely unbearable? Let me tell you, I wish my mother owned a house in San Francisco. She raised six children. We probably would've lived between the Fillmore and Upper Haight. It would have appreciated in value by about 400% and I'd happily renovate a basement for that! Anyway......here's the cable news pundit who's quickly becoming my fave displaying a wicked sense of humor in tribute to all us....bloggers! 

h/t Think Progress 

Side note: I know she's on CNN with Wolf Blitzer today but I'm on West Coast time. Also she said some really obnoxious things about our President-Elect's parenting skills. You would be highly unlikely to see Sasha or Malia as unmarried pregnant teens. This woman will say anything to stay in the spotlight and I will not give her any more press.

Leave Sarah Palin Alone!

I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth! I still despise the woman for her policies, her racism, her lack of concern for other women and her ignorance but this barrage of negative information leaking from the McCain camp (you know the one who was the top of the ticket) needs to stop. It is beyond lame and only makes it seem like men are attacking women so white women will have something else to complain about. Because life is sooo hard when you get to collectively benefit from white male patriarchy making you the epitome of all womanhood. Not!

The Real Affirmative Action Candidate

J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

Is going back to Alaska and I'm so sorry for my fellow citizens up North but she's your problem! You voted for her in the first place. We have our own idiot Governor to deal with. If the Republicans think they can trot the CTLF (Candidate They'd Like to F*ck) out in 4 years they will taste the wrath of the electorate once again and the end of your relevance will be greeted with joy. Don't worry though we're going to be spending the next 4 years rooting out and exposing the white racist wing of the Democrats as well - maybe they'll become Republicans and we can kill two birds with one stone! 

The 5 Top Reasons Why I Hated Sarah Palin

1. Her fake Fargo accent. Watch the Gubernatorial debates on YouTube and tell me it wasn't an act.

2.  This woman had no problem pimping out her children for votes. Special needs my ass!

3. She is willfully ignorant, small minded and a racist while bringing out the worst in people.

4.  She tried to play the victim card (of sexism) while using sex to appeal to voters.

5. She refused to address specifics of policies and agendas but had no problem manipulating the media to control her image. 

Make sure you give all the clothes back. Goodbye and Good Riddance!

McLame Tries to Rehash the Kitchen Sink Tactic. It Didn't Work for His Good Friends the Clintons So Why Bother Now?

Sarah Palin was in the Bay Area (Burlingame) on Sunday for a fundraising trip. You know she wouldn't have dared set foot in San Francisco proper. Something about vampires and sunlight I think! You know the No-Talk Express train is headed for a possible collision - but not before running out of gas. Lame. Lame. Lame. 

You know this election is supposed to be about issues. We're supposed to evaluate the candidates on their leadership skills and even experience. McCain is supposed to have all that in the bag. So why the inferiority complex John?

Why am I hearing about Obama "palling around with terrorists" in reference to William Ayers again? You know the hockey mom deserves (some) respect for being the only female candidate running. It was the reason she was chosen. That and compliance, cuz it's not for the pay. I deserve respect as a decent human being - and for not being a fool. Politics are not so usual when your campaign has the audacity to steal your opponent's slogan, logo and lingo at every turn. There's no change when all you do is bite someone's speeches. You know they have an 'intern' play tapes, take crib notes and rewrite them for the McCain speech the next day. Like those recipes....

Didn't the slogan used to be "Experience We Can Believe In"? But it was something before that. And now it's "Country First". Shouldn't it read, "I Will Lie About Anything & Everything"?

I expect a Rev. Wright video replay by the end of the week. This is really weak. If this concerns you as a voter and turns you away - I think you would've already made up your mind about that by now. We went through all of this in February - thanks to Hill & Bill. Been there done that and we jumped off that bandwagon.

I am really insulted by the claim of no new taxes  - but McCain would make me pay taxes on my health insurance - which would in fact cost me $3000 more than what I pay now. What kind of change is that?

What kind of math is that? Oh, right it's the math that adds up to $830-850B for the Bailout + $750B for the war + the pending $400B McCain will give to large corporations (his campaign sponsors by the way) + whatever else the Neo-Cons have planned (Iran, N. Korea) = my future great-grandchildren will have a tax bill on their heads from their moment of birth. I'll need those future relatives to take care of me because Social Security won't exist anymore.

Nearly 1 million people lost their jobs across the country this past month. Only one candidate wants to discuss this and offer solutions (yes we'll see how long that takes cuz the piggy bank is empty). Like the unemployment rate figures it doesn't count all the people who've previously applied and are receiving benefits. So in fact the number of out of work, underemployed and struggling people is much higher than reported.  The other one wants to talk about William Ayers (the rebellious son of privilege who acted out and was protected due to his race and class). If this is the important issue for you then by all means vote for McCain.

As for me I want a real leader and not a show-boater. Someone who knows what it's like to struggle to pay off debts. Someone who is far more financially responsible than I've been who has no credit card debt - which means he knows how to balance a budget! Can I get someone who keeps in cool (at least in public) and uses the most important muscle - his brain? 

******

As if this wasn't bad enough I was watching the CBS5 11pm news and they had some tired rehash of how Black people (who are conveniently voting for Obama) may come out in droves to oppose the Gay Marriage Amendment. Because Black people are sooo religious and conservative and hate teh gays!!! 

And we're voting for Obama - because he's Black. Well that wasn't said in this segment but I'm sure they've mentioned it at some point I just don't usually watch. Ugh I am sick of this BS!! You know I had to fire off a phone call and email to the idiot News Director.  

By the way I am still waiting for a report on Drudge or a ticker tape on CNN or notice by the corporate media how Tuesday's debate is going to be moderated by someone favorable to one particular candidate. Oh wait, it's Tom Brokaw who's like BFF with McCain since the 1980's but he's white and male so I guess he couldn't possibly be biased, right? Right? 

Yeah...it's not gonna Black people that will need to be monitored. A bunch of white people are gonna lose their ever-lovin' minds on November 5th, unless some other 'catastrophe' occurs before then. 

Update: Monday 254pm: Palin pounces with a Rev. Wright reference. Geez that didn't take long did it? Now Obama decides to throw out a jab by reminding people about the biggest economic melt-down of its time, the Lincoln Savings & Loan Bank collapse and over-assist known as the Keating Five scandal. Shouldn't they be in jail? Along with the latest motley crew? And we're supposed to believe McLiar knows anything about the economy except how to let his friends destroy it? 

I Predict A Debate Will Occur And the Sun Will Set.....

....but who knows what's gonna happen afterwards?  It's anybody's guess. Sarah Palin might skin and eat Joe Biden for dinner, but in the end will it be a game-changer? This woman may be a twat but she's still a white woman and that kind of privilege has allowed her to coast through an abuse of power investigation, an extra-marital affair, punishing victims of rape and being dumber than a doornail but still she rises. From "I can see Russia from my backyard" to not being able to name one single newspaper if she were a woman of color she would not have ever been chosen let alone still be in serious contention. 

And can I just say the fake outrage over journalist Gwen Ifill is just lame. More distraction tactics. 

I don't remember the debate between George Bush the Lessor and Fiery Ferraro. Can somebody please upload it in its entirety on You Tube?!!! I'm certain it will make for an interesting viewing. 

Those who've already decided which side they're on are likely to remain unmoved. This isn't for us: it's for the undecideds. This is a nice example of wielding power so pull out some paper and take notes. 

Sometimes not voting is the most powerful thing you can do as a voter. 

A strategic vote is a much-fought for and valued vote than the vote one expects or has already been granted. 

*******

Join me on Twitter as we live blog the debates tonight.

Gimme A Break!

So I am feeling a wee bit cantankerous over this alleged love fest with the pig-in-lipstick aka Sarah Palin and some women voters. Hey, she started it with her (actually her MALE handlers') written speech containing that ridiculous comparison of dogs and mothers. I have no children or pets but felt sufficiently offended on behalf of both. Woman = Pit Bull = BITCH? Hmm, so who's the sexist now? 

Of course it's all Barack Obama's fault. For having a penis. And being Black. One drop rule forever in effect here. No wait, it's Oprah's fault because she should give airtime to Queen Palin - just don't ask her any questions! Oprah has been positively difficult this entire election season for thinking for herself, running her show the way she sees fit and just not being grateful. Cos Amerikkka has been so good to its browner skinned citizens ever since those Mayflower boat people came here with their smallpox and guns and religion.

It's their fault for not being like "us". Of course none of us are like the "us" the Republicans espouse - even when they're addressing members of their own party. 

Speaking of dogs I was reading Aunt Jemima's Revenge and blogger Professor Tracey posted a question about why PETA hasn't gone after Sarah Palin over her bragging about killing animals for sport. That got me wondering why haven't we heard a peep from them so I asked. I got a very lame response about how they don't endorse candidates. So what does that have to do with their agenda? Aren't they supposed to be exposing all forms of animal cruelty from anyone who does it? What was so special about Michael Vick, then? I didn't even know who he was until the negative press and subsequent prosecution pile up on the poor guy. Not that he was without blame, but again this justice system has shown itself to be a Just For Us and None For Others sham. PETA has no credibility when they pick and choose campaigns in such a glaringly biased manner. 

Note to PETA: You are full of shit! 

What happened to all those people who took to the streets to protest and had the pitchforks ready all in the name of racism, er animals? Why have we never seen these people before or since? Where are they when a child goes missing - particularly a child of color? Or a woman is raped? I mean I like animals. I do. Probably not as much as some but we did have a few dogs, cats and rabbits growing up. I cried when a stray my brother and I'd found and taken home got sick and died. I just didn't get the level of outrage levied at one athlete when we've got mass murders, child molesters and corporate raiders bankrupting this country. THAT offends me. 

*********** 

So I've watched the new season of 'Prison Break' and 'Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles' and I have to give them mixed reviews. Wentworth Miller is a fine actor and an even finer specimen of male hotness but this season BLOWS! Can you believe it's the 4th season? It has become a low-rent '24' even down to the plot but without all the fun 'Real Time' clock, intense action and suspense. Are we really supposed to believe this latest stretch of plot unbelievability? Sarah got to keep her head. No mention of LJ and Sophia after Lincoln was brought back. Bellick is still in the mix. Michael Rappaport as a Federal Agent. GTFOH! And now the scary bad hit man is acted by the guy who played Khadijah's boyfriend from Living Single. I knew the writers had painted themselves into a corner right out the gate because Season One was so damn good. One positive remains: SUCRE! They had better keep Amaury Nolasco or else!!! Shoot they might as well bring back C-Note just to hear him call Michael 'Snowflake' again. Fix it or end it.  

Terminator looks good so far because my expectations were low to begin with. I still have to pretend I believe these teeny tiny people have the strength of a bodybuilder and the skills of a ninja but oh well. Shirley Manson is a robot!! Right now if Fox is deciding which show to put on hiatus when '24' comes back in January I go with 'Prison Break'.  

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One more thing. I watched Fashion Rocks last night and I have one thing to say. Well two or three. Adele should have performed instead of Duffy, but alas me thinks somebody decided to go blonder and thinner. How boring! When will they retire Fergie because she is like so 2006. Justin TimberFAKE! should not under any circumstances ever sing a Marvin Gaye song again. Or any of the great Black male soul singers. It is an insult and a sacrilege. The End....

Are the Republicans in League with Corporate Media to Steal Another Election?

THE CHARGE:

Gross distortion of the truth and the media cover-up to keep people in the dark.

THE EVIDENCE:

• Bogus charges of 'sexism' for holding Palin accountable like any other politician;
  
• Not speaking to the press or answering any questions; 
  
• Scheduled ABC interview where questions have already been pre-selected and she can skip the ones she wants to; 
  
• NBC removal of Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews from election anchor chairs; 
• All of her Alaskan shenanigans: trying to fire her brother-in-law, billing rape survivors for evidence kits;
• The attack on Obama as a community organizer ignoring the history of activism as basis for this founding of this country and every major subsequent beneficial policy change that has occurred.    

Not including the major structural upheavals going on as we speak. If this is going to come down to tit for tat, ideas against ideals cultural war then LOOK at the state of this country after 8 years of free reign (of terror).

• Gas prices at $4 and rising.
  
• Bank and financial institutional failures.
  
• Mortgage Industry collapse.
  
• Food price increase of 20-40%.
  
• Jobs....where are they? 
  

Do you call this progress?

Even if you agree with some of the Republican party platform I wonder how you can ignore their lack of boundaries, standards, ethics, consistency, double-speak, oversight and accountability. Not that the Democrats can claim any moral fortitude either but come on. You can't legislate morality and tell people how to live. This is the 21st century. God is tired of being used as the excuse for hating on and killing people.

 

McCain is so ambitious. He had the opportunity to select a running mate who was at least a wee bit more reasonable, but oh no, he decided to take the road paved with good intentions. You know where that road leads cuz those Republicans are all so in touch with God and stuff. They know more than everybody. At least that's the impression given by the almost exclusively white and male mouthpieces. Where are the reasonable people? Not in the news.

This is 2004 subterfuge all over again. Except instead of gay marriage the wedge issue this time is the white mom next door. She could be married, has children and may work outside the home. She's overwhelmingly hetero. She seems innocuous. You'd invite her in your home for coffee and set up play dates with your children. The image is very powerful. The picture is as cute as a button. If you open it and peel back the layers you'd get a different view though. This woman is not your friend if you've chosen a different life for yourself or if any misfortunes out of your control have you on a another path. 

This was a brilliantly diabolical move on the Republican's part, but it only shows how far down the rabbit hole they've gone.  The press has had the same opportunity to vet these candidates as they did with Obama but so far have failed to do so. They cave in every conceivable way and have been doing so for nearly a decade. For example, do you think the Republicans would have gotten away with trying to impeach former President Clinton over a sex scandal when the main agitators were all cheating on their wives at the same time? There were plenty of media insiders who knew what was going on and they did nothing! If we'd had the blogosphere we'd have busted the whole sham wide open. 

You can't vote for McCain and hope that he will do a better job than Bush when he's just rubber-stamping the same failed policies. Even worse is how he's tied himself to the most extreme members of his party to get much-needed support. He has already shown us how he will govern if elected President. Allow me to repeat: HE HAS ALREADY SHOWN US HOW HE WILL GOVERN IF ELECTED PRESIDENT. He'd sell us out in a heartbeat!!!!!

McCain is not fit to be President Of The United States. The end. 

THE VERDICT:

GUILTY!!!

Republican VP Pick as Palindrome

Yes

This may

Be a play

On Gov. Sarah's last name

But make no mistake

It still reads the same.

Though she may have a uterus

She is no friend to us

She'd have us back in the home

Barefoot and Pregnant or

Beggars of the State 

She is a puppet and

Willing participant 

Of the Good Ol' Boys

White sheets no longer apply

They've got laws on their side

To do their bidding this time

 

Ok....I'm gonna stop there. Whatever way you slice it Gov. Palin's speech last night was mean-spirited and full of lies. Now the question becomes whether the American people fall for it. I would lean more to the cynical - I'd say realistic - side based on past actions being an indicator of future ones. So I have my concerns.

So many hardships have befallen those elusive 'hard-working, white' Americans since they voted in the people they thought would save them. They ended up being tanked by them instead. So I have hope. Since there will always be a segment of people who vote against their interests I can't worry about what I can't control. I can only try to reach out to as many people as possible. 

We can collectively remind people what's at stake here. 

I sincerely hope people recognize game and when they are being played. I hope those women that urged other women to vote for a woman because it was a 'woman's time to lead' will accept responsibility for the mess they created. It can't just be any woman. 

Notice how nobody's talking about the old white haired dude. 

I don't know how the Obama campaign will counter this latest grenade, but since he's still in it I'll just defer to their expertise. I can sit here at my keyboard and pick apart strategies all day. I know that when you volunteer to phone bank you are given very well-researched lists of people to speak to and specific methods of communication. Efforts are being made. We already know the corporate media is going to support the opposition. 

There's about 8 weeks left and there's work to be done. I've applied to be a Poll Worker and testing/training starts in two weeks. I think I may need to limit my exposure to teevee punditry and blogger analysis until election day. Just for my sanity.

Palin is a Barracuda

Governor Sarah Palin is a great actress. She just gave a heck of a reading for her Vice Presidential acceptance speech. She didn't write it, after all. There will a full transcript break down coming from various sources: some will praise it and others will skewer it. The bottom line I take away is that she is attractive and articulate. If you ignore everything she says she sounded really good. Except half of the speech was an attack on Obama and the other half was lying about hers and McCain's voting record and what the Rethugs will do when they're in office. She specifically mentioned how special needs children will have a voice in the White House except that she cut funding for those very same programs down to the quick. For those children as well as pregnant homeless teens. So talk is cheap, baby. But she looked good standing on stage lying through her teeth. I sincerely hope that people look at voting records, program funding (and lack thereof) and be critical thinkers. This cannot be about not voting for the colored dude. The Democrats need to come up with a counter argument and fast. She comes across as very believable. I sincerely didn't think we could get a worse administration than Bush/Cheney but it's staring at us right in the face. Since historically every superpower falls from prominence and implodes on itself I wonder which direction this nation will take? We are dancing on the pin of a needle and it could go either way. I shudder to think what will happen if McCain 'wins' by hook or by crook. I do NOT want Sarah Palin anywhere near the button. Criticizing her has nothing to do with sexism. She is a Trojan horse. 

Schadenfreude or Comeuppance?

One means pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. One means punishment or retribution one deserves. Flip side of the same coin? For all the crap Obama has received since he started winning primaries (once he took Iowa he was always ahead) it's time the opposition gets a taste of their own medicine. The Rethugs are like the school yard bully who runs to cry for mommy when the smaller kid stands up to them and kicks their butt.

John McCain refused an interview with CNN in response to this exchange between his lying mouthpiece Tucker Bounds and reporter Campbell Brown who for once was being impartial and asking questions - you know - what a reporter is supposed to do. I will remind people what he said before , ".... Selecting the vice presidential nominee is the most important decision a presidential candidate can make ....". I may write this in every post until November 4th even if I'm writing about the Season premiere of Prison Break. That was way more entertaining than watching the Rethug Convention.





The choice of Gov. Palin is akin to an appearance on the Jerry Springer show. Again, I personally don't make any judgements of the Palin children just the lack of judgement of McCain in choosing a candidate who clearly does not hold a candle to Sen. Joe Biden. I am now even thinking Obama made a good call by picking him. I'd trust Biden's judgement in a time of need over Palin's any day. This is just the tip of the iceberg I got from a quick internet search.

- Ties to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Ambramoff
- Ties to an Alaskan secession group
- Illegal attempts to fire her brother-in-law
- Questions surrounding the birth of Trig still unanswered
- $27M in Earmarks set aside
- Reduced funding to Covenant House which has a homeless teen pregnancy program

There is some speculation amongst us liberal bloggers - that's a dirty word to the Rethugs right now - that Palin is a Trojan Horse candidate and McCain will pull a bait and switch on the public. He really wants Lieberman but the religious fakesters said, "No, no no!" Who knows. Who cares. This is a joke - except it's not. This is the election which is 9 weeks away. McCain wants to distract us by talking about lifestyle choices instead of issues. If we talk about abortion will we stop thinking about the price of gas? Are we that easily led astray? I don't think so. Not this time. Too much is at stake to fall for such duplicity again. At least I hope so.

The Republican National Convention continued it's snoozefest tonight. I think there were as many as 20 Black people in attendance, coincidentally the same number who attended NetRoots Nation. It's not that Black people couldn't attend if they wanted to though....but you know...where's the incentive? There was also a Bridget McCain sighting but that may have been a mirage.

Hypocrisy for $500 Please

Republican Vice Presidential Nominee and current Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's 17 y.o. unmarried daughter Bristol has been revealed to be pregnant. Shotgun wedding anyone? How often do those marriages work out in the long run? This isn't about a teenager getting pregnant. Life throws us many curveballs and unexpected events do not have to derail our purpose in life. Bristol is one of the luckier teens in this situation in that her family has enough money to not be financially burdened by this and adequate health insurance and emotional support. At least in public. So why do I care? Because according to Mama Palin having an abortion is out of the question - under any circumstance including rape. Let's not forget that Fake News had the gall to refer to Mrs. Michelle Obama as a baby mama less than 3 months ago.

So who's the baby mama now!

Remember when a member of the Obama VP vetting team had to get rid of one of the vetters due to a favorable loan rate he'd received? This was the response from the McCain campaign:

"Jim Johnson's resignation raises serious questions about Barack Obama's judgment. Selecting the vice presidential nominee is the most important decision a presidential candidate can make and one even Barack Obama has said will 'signal how I want to operate my presidency.' By entrusting this process to a man who has now been forced to step down because of questionable loans, the American people have reason to question the judgment of a candidate who has shown he will only make the right call when under pressure from the news media. America can't afford a president who flip-flops on key questions in the course of 24 hours. That's not change we can believe in." —McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds

Remember Bill O'Reilly trashing the Spears family when Britney's little sis announced her pregnancy? He referred to it as a morality failure on the mother's part for not teaching some to her daughter AND she was setting a poor example. So what's good for one mom applies to the other then, heh?

Why are people of color held to a completely different set of standards and are automatically thought to be loose and lacking morality? If this had been one of the Obama daughters would there be this public call for 'family privacy'? Nooooooooo.

Obama told his supporters to stand down in attacking Palin and her children. I agree on personal attacks, but when you as a candidate put yourself smack dab in the middle of the culture wars and claim to be SUPERIOR then you have the right to be evaluated. I recall a verse from the Bible - you know that religious text these spiritual perpetrators who wouldn't know Jesus if he walked up and smacked them on the head claim to be intimately acquainted with:

John 8:1-11 New Living Translation

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”


Then there's all those Republicans that say being gay is an abomination, enact legislation opposing gay marriage and get busted for having sex with male prostitutes or trolling public spaces for sex.

NOLA residents dodged a bullet as Hurricane Gustav passed through and was reclassified as a much less deadly tropical storm. Yet those levees are barely holding. Have the Republicans learned anything in the three years since Katrina? NOPE! Bush and McCain were enjoying cake on a landing strip and Condi Rice was shoe shopping and saw Spamalot while people were dying.

In order to deflect attention at the funeral, er Republican National Convention and the lack of attendance by, well Republicans, Bush & Cheney claim they wanted to stay close to the White House in case they needed to react quickly to a crisis. Yeah....right. There won't be any kudos for the lame duck unqualified appointee of FEMA this time!

If there is one reason why the Republicans should be relegated to a fringe element of politics FOREVER it is the lack of response and total disdain from the Federal Government to its poorest citizens during and after Katrina. I know Republicans have such disdain for it they'd prefer to abolish the Federal Gov't and replace it with their own policies. Except...isn't that pretty much what they've done...and FAILED MISERABLY AT IT!!!!??

Innocent people were targeted in masse and jailed without charge or legal counsel for months and years. People have been tortured and murdered. How many said, "It wasn't me that did it". As horrible an administration it has been it's the people in this country who really need to make a long, hard and detailed examination of themselves, their thoughts and motivations for putting this administration within reach to steal the election in the first place. Then once Bush got in office and started messing it up where was the outcry? And by the way we'll be seeing more bank failures and bailouts in the coming months once Bush's reign of terror ends. Is stopping gay marriage more important than your company shipping your job to China?

Zen philosophy has us all interconnected. We are the sum of many parts. If half of our body is diseased we will not survive. When will we take equal responsibility for each other? If children don't have drinking water in another country you must look into the policies of your own much wealthier country to question why. It isn't about throwing money at a problem - it's about getting to the real source and fixing it. I may have many questions about the validity of religious texts in the way they were interpreted to follow the social mores of the time but I come back to this verse time and again to remind me of what's most important:

Mark 12:28-31 New Living Translation

One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

So here we have this election. It's so much more than choosing a political party. If we are to believe the polls this race is very close. How can that be? Certainly it isn't due to the belief in the superiority of McCain's candidacy that is fueling this closeness. Funny I don't remember the country being in such dire straits a few terms ago. This is about those who wish to maintain white male patriarchy and they're gonna take us all down with them if we let them.

Do you see the forest for the trees?

****

Update: Democracy Now reporter Amy Goodman and several other producers and journalists have been strong-armed and jailed trying to report from the RNC. She was accused of being a rioter and has since been released. When white women get attacked you know the ish has hit the fan! Now I don't know if people realize all the Rethugs doing recon at the DNC last week, fanning the PUMA flames and taking notes and they weren't arrested. Do we really want 4-8 more years of this?

It's already up on YouTube.