John McCain thinks so!

John McCain has no moral ground to stand on after his despicable portrayal of Barack Obama in his current ad titled “The One”. To call John McCain and his Campaign cohorts pathetic is an understatement. This idea that McCain will slide into the White House by making his campaign a referendum on Obama instead of his own credentials is preposterous. The American people are not as dumb as McCain thinks or would like us to believe.

The ad attempted to make you feel like you were being bamboozled by some televised church service. To claim to be a Man of God yet use people’s affinity with God to attack an opponent is down right disgusting. McCain should hang it up, I hope that he keeps this nonsense up into the fall so people can see him for who he truly is. A defeatist LOSER!

Here is an interesting article in TIME magazine about this nonsense.

These allegations have been hovering around Senator John Edwards for quite some time. I’ll admit, he had me fooled. When I heard the rumors I thought to myself, no way would this man have an extra-marital affair on his wife while she is in such a fragile state. John Edward’s wife Elizabeth has been battling cancer for some time now. His reputation is ruined but that’s not the important issue, he lied to the American Public but that’s the norm for politicians so that’s not the important issue.

The problem here is his wife has to stand by his side, standing up for someone who has embarrassed her in front of the whole world. John Edwards issued a statement saying “You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help,”. I mean even after the man has been caught red handed, he tries to moralize on the public as if he is not the ione who lied, cheated and created this trouble.

Once again I just feel sorry for the wife, she is the victim here. And the story gets even weirder. The woman with whom he cheated has a child who is said to be fathered by another married man who was a former aide to Edwards as well. These women who have these affairs with these married men, who somehow decide to have a conscience like to be the victims as well. Their not, this woman was sleeping with two married men, and having unprotected sex with both of them at that. Once again my prayers are with Elizabeth because she is the one who loses in all this. John Edwards political career was never going anywhere anyway so he’s not losing much.

link

Very interesting read about Dictatorships in Africa and their relationship to the United States!

Wednesday, 09 July 2008
African Dictatorships and Double-Standards
Stephen Zunes

This article originally appeared in Foreign Policy In Focus

“U.S. credibility as a defender of human rights and free elections is seriously compromised.”

The Bush administration has justifiably criticized the Zimbabwean regime of liberator-turned-dictator Robert Mugabe. It has joined a unanimous UN Security Council resolution condemning the campaign of violence unleashed upon pro-democracy activists and calling for increased diplomatic sanctions in the face of yet another sham election. In addition, both the House and the Senate have passed strongly worded resolutions of solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe in support of their struggle for freedom and democracy.

However, neither the Republican administration nor the Democratic-controlled Congress is sincerely concerned about human rights and democratic elections as a matter of principle. Rather, they are more likely acting out of political expediency. Despite claims of support for the advancement of democracy, the United States continues to support other African dictatorships that are as bad as or even worse than that of Zimbabwe.

Indeed, the United States currently provides economic aid and security assistance to such repressive African regimes as Swaziland, Congo, Cameroun, Togo, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Gabon, Egypt, and Tunisia. None of these countries holds free elections, and all have severely suppressed their political opposition.

The Worst Abuser

Among the worst of these African tyrannies has been the regime of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. Obiang has been in power even longer than the 28-year reign of Mugabe and, according to a recent article in the British newspaper The Independent, makes the Zimbabwean dictator “seem stable and benign” by comparison. Obiang originally seized power in a 1979 coup by murdering his uncle, who had ruled the country since its independence from Spain in 1968. Under his rule, Equatorial Guinea nominally allowed the existence of opposition parties as a condition of receiving foreign aid in the early 1990s. But the four leading candidates withdrew from the last presidential election in December 2002 in protest of irregularities in the voting process and violence against their supporters. In that election, Obiang officially received more than 97% of the vote (down from 99.5% in the previous election.)

Though the U.S. State Department acknowledged that the election was “marred by extensive fraud and intimidation,” the Congress and the administration devoted none of the vehement condemnation that was so evident after the recent, similarly marred election process in Zimbabwe.

One major reason for the difference in response is oil. The development of vast oil reserves over the past decade has made Equatorial Guinea one of the wealthiest countries in Africa in terms of per capita gross domestic product. Virtually all of the oil revenues, however, goes to Obiang and his cronies. The dictator himself is worth an estimated $1 billion, making him the wealthiest leader in Africa; his real estate holdings include two mansions in Maryland just outside of Washington, DC. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the country’s population lives on only a few dollars a day, and nearly half of all children under five are malnourished. The country’s major towns and cities lack basic sanitation and potable water while conditions in the countryside are even worse.

“The development of vast oil reserves over the past decade has made Equatorial Guinea one of the wealthiest countries in Africa in terms of per capita gross domestic product.”

During his most recent visit to Washington in 2006, Obiang was warmly received by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who praised the dictator as “a good friend” of the United States. Not once during their joint appearance did she mention the words “human rights” or “democracy.” At the same press conference, Obiang praised his regime’s “extremely good relations with the United States” and his expectation that “this relationship will continue to grow in friendship and cooperation.” None of the assembled reporters raised any questions about the regime’s notorious human rights record or its lack of democracy, instead using the opportunity to ask Secretary Rice questions about the alleged threat from Iran.

In 2002, the dictator met with President George W. Bush in New York to discuss military and energy security issues. He followed up in 2004 with meetings with then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and then-Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham.

Cozy Relations

Equatorial Guinea receives U.S. government funding and training through the International Military Education and Training Program (IMET). In addition, the private U.S. firm Military Professional Resources Incorporated - founded by former senior Pentagon officials who cite the regime’s friendliness to U.S. strategic and economic interests - plays a key role in the country’s internal security apparatus. Furthermore, as a result of Obiang’s understandable lack of trust in his own people, soldiers from Morocco - one of America’s closest African allies - have served for decades in a number of important security functions, including the role of presidential guards.

Maintaining close ties with such a notorious ruler has led even conservative Republicans like Frank Ruddy, who served as President Ronald Reagan’s ambassador to Equatorial Guinea in the mid-1980s, to denounce the Bush administration for being “big cheerleaders for the government - and it’s an awful government.”

“U.S. oil companies paid hundreds of millions of dollars destined to state treasuries directly into the dictator’s private bank accounts.”

Though the Chinese have also recently begun investing in the country’s oil sector, U.S. companies ExxonMobil, Amerada Hess, Chevron/Texaco, and Marathon Oil have played the most significant role. A report by the International Monetary Fund notes that U.S. oil companies receive “by far the most generous tax and profit-sharing provisions in the region.” Congressional hearings recently revealed how U.S. oil companies paid hundreds of millions of dollars destined to state treasuries directly into the dictator’s private bank accounts. A Senate report faulted U.S. oil companies for making “substantial payments to, or entering into business ventures with,” government officials and their family members.

The irony of the relative silence of Congress and the Bush administration regarding the human rights abuses and the undemocratic nature of Obiang’s regime is that, due to the critical role of U.S. economic investment and security assistance, the United States has far more leverage on the government of Equatorial Guinea than it does on the government of Zimbabwe. As a result, Americans can feel self-righteous in their condemnation of a regime in Zimbabwe with which the United States has little leverage while continuing to support an even more repressive regime over which the United States could successfully exert pressure if it chose to do so.

This does not mean the United States should have waited until it first ends its support of Obiang and other African dictatorships before joining the rest of the international community in condemning the repression in Zimbabwe. However, as long as the United States maintains such blatant double-standards, U.S. credibility as a defender of human rights and free elections is seriously compromised and thereby plays right into the hands of autocrats and demagogues like Robert Mugabe.

Stephen Zunes is a senior analyst for Foreign Policy In Focus and a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco.

Man I tell you, living in Technology world, you have to watch what you say! I mean every other week we are hearing people’s personal phone conversations, voicemails, sound bytes from closed affairs. So in the words of T.I. “Watch what you say” Brother Jackson!

I hear the infamous Bill O’Reilly will air Jackson’s comments later on this evening, I will find the youtube link and then post the comments. But let’s be serious Jesse Jackson was probably ticked off like every other black man that Barack Obama used Father’s Day as the day that he would condemn the absence of fatherhood in the black community. Black men all over the nation are irate about this because quite frankly they do not see Barack addressing other issues head on that deal with the black population.

He was not very vocal about Jena 6, his remarks were watered down when he spoke of the Sean Bell incident, he was absent from the State of the Black Union; so people feel that Obama does not have the right to condemn black fathers and not look to condemn the absence of fatherhood as a whole across racial lines. I mean that has been his strong point thus far so black men across the country were angered by Barack’s statement.

It’s not that I disagree with Obama’s statements about irresponsible fathers or that I feel he should have addressed all absentee fathers. My issue with the speech was highlighting the negative which is already known. It’s like the bad child in the classroom, they get more attention than the students who actually do their work further making those “good” students feel under-appreciated. The same can be said for fathers like mine who work two jobs to provide for their families. Men who provide for their families should be honored on father’s day and less emphasis placed on the dead beat dad’s. Let’s lift up the brothers who are doing the right thing. Maybe our selfless praise of these men will inspire the men who are not effectively handling the business of their children as fathers.

For the rest of this story click here

UPDATE: HERE IS THE CLIP

UMM Jesse “I wanna Cut His Nuts Off” umm yea I’ll let you all be the judge!

“I’m a Jehovah’s Witness, so I don’t get involved in politics. We stay neutral. We don’t vote,” she said. “So I’m not going to necessarily go out and vote for him. I would if it wasn’t for my religion.”

I am not too familiar with being a Jehova’s Witness but I appreciate that she takes her faith seriously. I would be interested if anyone knows, why they are not allowed to vote?

This morning they will be campaigning together in New Hampshire. Here is what they both had to say last night at a fundraiser where Barack and Michelle donated $4,600 to Hillary’s campaign.

Hillary:

“I know my supporters have extremely strong feelings, and I know Barack’s do as well,” Clinton told her fundraisers. “But we are a family, and we have an opportunity now to really demonstrate clearly we do know what’s at stake, and we will do whatever it takes to win back this White House.”

Barack:

“I recognize that this room shared the same passion that a roomful of my supporters would show. I do not expect that passion to be transferred. Sen. Clinton is unique, and your relationships with her are unique,” he said. “Sen. Clinton and I at our core agree deeply that this country needs to change.”

At the end of his remarks, Obama made a direct appeal for support. “I’m going to need Hillary by my side campaigning during his election, and I’m going to need all of you.”

Ok first, this is a message to all the young black males and females in America who struggle when their class mates say that they are talking white because they choose to speak proper English.

This fallacy has gone too far, in fact there is nothing “white” about being an articulate and intelligent individual. And now we have to hear these same type of attacks from Presidential hopefuls who know they have no chance in hel of ever becomig the President of these United States.

I am sad that Cornell West once endorsed your run Mr. Nader for you are the epitome of ignorance and you have taken upon yourself to promote discension and misunderstanding throughout the land with your careless remarks.

Recently Nader said, “”There’s only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He’s half African-American,” Nader told the paper in comments published Tuesday. “Whether that will make any difference, I don’t know. I haven’t heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What’s keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn’t want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We’ll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards.”

So to speak to blacks or about black issues is only to speak about what is going on in the ghettos. Are both whites, blacks and latinos alike not the victims of predatory lending, payday loans, asbestos and lead.

And what is this “talking white” you speak of. Barack Obama often speaks of changing politics, changing America and creating a better world for people of all ethnicities to live in. Is that talking white Mr. Nader. Deep down Nader has the same white supremacist attitude that others before him have had and will inject race into this equation or election whichever you want to call it whenever he can.

I just wonder how does it feel to go down in history as the quintiessential loser. As the man who helped put George Bush in office, who has destroyed the reputation of America and kept us in a bloody war with Iraq where Iraqi officials kill U.S. troops.

Beat it Ralph Nader!

BARACK OBAMA IS NO LONGER THE CONTENDER!

HE IS NOW OFFICIALLY THE NOMINEE, OUR HOPEFUL NEXT PRESIDENT

THIS IS HISTORIC….. LET US ALL REJOICE FOR THIS EVENING….. AND TOMORROW BEGIN TO FIGHT FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY…..

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Well real rap, I’m disapointed in Barack right now. Here is his quote “”That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger’s divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn’t reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause.”

Like Barack are you serious, do you not see the monkey t-shirts, do you not hear the backwards muslim rhetoric about you my brother. Do you not constantly see the racism and white privilege that exists in America. Just because I support you brother does not mean that I will allow you to lull me to sleep with this beautiful America, that across the country people who are campaigning for you are not being met with blatant racism.

We can never advance as Americans if we lie to ourselves, If you continue to make it look all peachy keen, how can we ever address the issues and provide plausible solutions. I realize that my vote alone will not get you elected my brother. However, neither will this appeasement of white voters and making them and us believe that their is not some truly divine hatred in this country for your presidency because you are black. My brother we both know better than this.

Father Pfleger, as a white man I am shocked that the media even bothered to condemn your comments, it is only because you are outwardly supporting a black candidate. I noticed that you said some, yes some, not all whites are racist and not all blacks are in jail. Stereotypes rip through our society and are given as false truths. However your portrayal of Clinton seems accurate to me, it’s accurate to the cartoonist who posted the picture below. They weren’t bastardized for their comments, so please do not apologize for speaking what is truth, far too long have we allowed ourselves both black and white to be lied too.

We will never progress if all we do is sweep our problems under the rug! Sounds to me like the same old Washington Politics with this one Barack, WE CAN DO BETTER. YES WE CAN SI SE PUEDE!

Ok this is a clear case of when keeping it real goes wrong. It is very clear who I am a supporter of (Barack Obama, YES WE CAN), but pictures like the one above do our movement more harm than good. Now of course at a first glance we all might chuckle a little, get a good little laugh out of it all. However, the effects can be so damaging, have we not noticed that Hillary and her supporters are die hard extremists. Photoshops like this fuel their anger for the Obama 08 movement and push them even further towards McCain and or any other solution that does not equal CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!

First we have to stop referring to women as bitches, and understand that in order to win this election we do need to cut into her fan base. We need to woo some of those feminists over here to Team Obama and we are not going to do that by making disturbing pictures of their favorite candidate. Politics is unfortunately more about perception and less about Policy and the issues. Couple this pic with Barack’s “sweetie” comments and we have an all out war on our campaign as if we believe women should be barefoot and pregnant. NOT COOL, and it devalues the type of change we are all seeking! OBAMA 08 YES WE CAN

How about address some real problems like: HEALTH CARE, GAS PRICES, THE FAILING ECONOMY, FORECLOSURES…… PEACE AND LOVE

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwoM5fLITfk&hl=en]