Arkansas Blog

One of the benefits of the Obama campaign is that it has exposed a lot of closet racists. I would have NEVER suspected how many people I knew who would express objections to a black president (when the guy's half white, actually).

It was shocking, although in retrospect not that surprising, to hear a staunch Republican soccer mom call him a n***** repeatedly. To be fair though, I think the racism cuts across party lines; you'll find them in McCain's camp, Hillary's camp, and all the other candidate's camp.

The hypocrisy of the media is astounding in this.

Obama's preacher goes all nuts on him and inflicts huge damage on his campaign with the help of media weasels stoking the flames. However, in the end, all Wright did was spout a lot of racist crap.

McCain's preacher, Hagee, on the other hand, proposes to foment (with the help of that incredible rat Lieberman) a pre-emptive war with Iran! McCain begged this lunatic for his endorsement, sang Hagee's theme-song ("Bomb, bomb, bomb . . .bomb, bomb Iran) and yet the media continues to kiss has ass by portraying him as some sort of bipartisan moderate maverick.

God save America!

Funny. Just last evening (Saturday) I was discussing this very subject with some black friends.

I am of the white preference. Uh, wait a minute. White persuasion. Uh, white orientation.

Uh . . . oh, fuck it. I'm white. God, it's tedious trying to be politically correct.

What's astonishing about this Rev. Wright / Rev. Hagee thing is the pretense that this is all NEW and shocking.

25 years ago, with my black friends in New York / LA, where I lived bi-coastally, we got into it heatedly, with Farrakhan, etc., and his (and others') anti-white, anti-gay, AIDS conspiracy bullshit.

It was racist and nuts then; it's racist and nuts now.

Jesse Jackson and "Hymietown," anybody? That Jew-hating bigot who's never had a legitimate job in his life? Yep, he said it. "Hymietown." But we're supposed to "respect" him or be accused of being bigoted against blacks. Gimme a break.

Al Sharpton and his hideous Tawana Brawley lie? That whites raped then smeared this young girl with feces? A total fabrication. Yet today we're supposed to "respect" Sharpton as a "representative" of the black community or face being deemed racists?

No.

Jackson and Sharpton were and are racist bigots. They're ugly Jew-hating / white-hating / gay-hating men who've somehow suckered the press and many Americans into sugar-coating their bigotry and lies.

Can't critique their hatred because, as Rev. Wright (and the rest of them) says, it's really a critique against blacks and their religion. Or whites and their religion (in the case of Hagee and his ilk).

No it's not. It's just bringing their individual uninformed bigotry into the light of public exposure.

Of course, li'l ol' white me, simply regurgitating facts, is the white spawn of Satan.

Frank Rich's NYT column cuts to the putrid truth. Rev. Wright? Rev. Hagee?

Whites and blacks, o'er the past three decades, have uncomfortably understood the abominable role the "church" (in both "communities') has played in spreading lies, fear, bigotry and hate nationally. Why don't people speak up? Because they've been taught since baptism, these sheeple, to "respect" these outside religious "authorities" and not question "religion."

Are you kidding? Jesse Jackson? Jerry Falwell? Al Sharpton? Rev. Wright? Rev. Hagee? Ted Haggard? On and on ad nauseum?

Both white and black churches' reluctance to deal honestly with same-sex people and AIDS has resulted in millions of deaths, since 1980, from the "down-low." (Why do you think the fastest-growing population segment infected with the HIV virus is black women? It ain't because of honesty, truth or factual information.)

What. We're supposed to forget and forgive "Hymietown" and Tawana Brawley, etc.?

Fuck no, we're not. These are ugly, ill-informed, hateful "ministers" hiding behind religion and the name of God in order to gain political capital and make big bucks without a truly "respectable" job like flipping burgers, or something.

That any of them are still remotely politically viable is testimony to the ugliness of their American followers.

Obama pretends he never realized what a jerk bigot his Rev. Wright's been over the past three decades.

Gee. I knew it. And I've never been to his Church of Hate. Gee. I knew it about Jesse and Al, and I've never been to their "churches" either.

Gee. Anybody who's been the least bit curious, and who can read, over the last thirty years, knows it.

McCain happily accepts "Rev. Hagee's" endorsement, even though McCain "disagrees" with Hagee's theocratic Nazi-esque positions on same-sex Americans and women's right to make their own medical (reproductive) choices with their physicians?

As long as these hate-mongers get by with this crap, assisted by the oh-so-willing oh-so-cowardly mainstream media, whose employees depend on their paychecks to pay their oh-so-important mortgages and health insurance and perks, America will be dumb-downed further and further.

Crotch-shots of Britney. Anna Nicole's drug OD. What celebrities are gay.

America lives for that shit even though ninety percent of us can't point to Iraq on a map.

Our current President can barely string a "nucular" sentence together.

"Mission Accomplished." Right. 4,000 dead Americans, tens of thousands troops permanently maimed, in this right-wing religious "crusade." Oh yeah: Bush soon retracted that word, to flee from the fact that the "war" is exactly that. A religious Crusade for oil. Fuck the troops. Buy your own flak jackets, suckers.

Incompetent CEO's who've mismanaged their companies for years bail out with multi-million-dollar parachute packages.

But, gee. "I'm a Presidential Candidate who's been going to the same church for 25 years and I had NO IDEA that my minister thought that the U.S. government test-tubed the HIV virus to eliminate blacks through AIDS. No idea, I tell you!"

But gee. "I don't agree with everything Rev. Hagee says, but I welcome his endorsement. Forget that I divorced my badly injured first wife, Carol, still in hospital (screw 'in sickness and in health': 'marriage is between a man and a woman'), after years of serial adultery, to marry really rich Cindy (that stupid 'cunt' -- as I called her) when I was 43 and she was 25, because, at the time, I couldn't rub two nickels together and she could. To help jump-start my political career. Which she immediately did, by plugging me into her daddy's Arizona's power elite, the cunt. And, seriously, who gives a shit about the difference between the Sunni and the Shiite's. Not me. Who gives a shit about my medical records, at age 72, or what's going on with my left jaw. I'm a fucking WAR HERO, cocksucker, and HOW DARE YOU SAY I HAVE ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES, motherfucker, just because everybody in Congress and everybody else who's ever known me says I have."

But gee. "My faith has always guided my life. I must have misremembered landing in Bosnia with Chelsea under enemy fire because, you know, actual FACTS contradict me. Wait: was Chelsea on that trip? I don't care. I believe deeply in Jesus. And I believe deeply that I was running for my life under mortar shelling when I landed in Bosnia, despite videos showing that little girl handing me flowers and sweetly walking me into the terminal. But, listen: forget about it. I mispoke. I'm a person of faith and I don't lie."

Look. I'm not asking for another Washington or Lincoln. They weren't perfect either.

But Jesus Fucking Christ these Presidential candidates are pathetic.

Thank you, Frank Rich, for disemboweling the racial and religious hypocrisy underlying the upcoming election.

If these are the best America has to offer, we're going the way of the Roman Empire in its last days.

Down the toilet.

Thanks for the Rich reference. I've downloaded the article and sent to everyone I have in my address book hoping they will follow suite.

The article just verified what I have always known -- mixing politics and religion leads to utter chaos and eventual Armageddon.

Of course it's provides good cover for the likes of McCain with no qualifying ethical/moral presidential assets to speak of.

Love or hate France but did you know that ---

In France we have a total separation of church and state. You are not considered married unless you are married in a civil ceremony. You can have a religious one also, but only the civil one counts...

Whew, Norma, you said a mouthful -- every word of it gospel, if I may use that term on a beautiful Sabbath morning.

It's only May 4th, but Norma gets my vote for post of the month.

Here's the nail in the Obama coffin.

Oprah left due to Wright: Newsweek

Associates of Oprah Winfrey tell Newsweek that she stopped attending the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ during the 1990s in part because of the tone of Wright's sermons.

According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host. "Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey's personal sentiments. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church."

The magazine also quotes an unidentified Obama campaign adviser saying that Obama's attachment to Wright flowed in part from the role the pastor and church provided in the fatherless Obama's search for identity as a black man.

"Early on, he was in search of his identity as an African-American and, more importantly, as an African-American man. Reverend Wright and other male members of the church were instrumental in helping him understand the black experience in America. Winfrey wasn't going for that. She's secure in her blackness, so that didn't have a hold on her.''

click on my name for the newsweek article on why Oprah left Wright's church. It will be in the next issue of Newsweek.

I find it amazing that the press hasn't covered the fact that she left the church. From the press, I was under the impression she still attended Wright's church.

And Bold said yesterday, he/she didn't care.. nor did Bold seem to mind what the press does not report. Now that a racist smear article pops up.. Bold treats it like a teen might treat a new playboy magazine.

Oprah and Rev Wright are not running for President, nor are they promoting Armeggedon or other harmful political agendas, like McCains preachers, or hiding their beliefs like Hillary's preacher. .

What about her freak religious group in DC?

Why isn't her pastor worried about what Jesus or God thinks about America slaughtering millions of innocent people... and bombing children and hospitals yesterday?

Why isn't McCains pandering and begging for support of the pro Armageddon preachers of the world? McCain actually switched denominations for political, not spiritual reasons.

As for Hillary and winnable... it took twenty years for her to finally hit a poll that says she could win. Do we really want to bank on someone who only managed to obtain winning status in A poll or two after the worst racist smear campaign in modern times? I know the Bolds of the world who are fearful and not at all bothered about racist smearing when it benefits their candidates of choice will say yes... but it wont work in the D party as a whole. Nor should it, especially with the conservative elite nature of the Clinton politics thrown into the mix.

As for Jessie Jackson, what I find interesting is what Bill Clinton did this year in NC to Jessie... After all Bill called Jessie into the White House for prayer during his darkest hours.... yet turned on him like a hungry racist snake this year.. And Hillary certainly didn't mind. The Clintons themselves (like Bold and blue) are being hypocritical back stabbing opportunistic racists. At least the republicans are straight forward racists.

It's not whether or not I agree with Jessie or Normas fabulous rant... it's that after several hundred years white Americans fail to look outside their bubble for the most part to an embarrassing level.. It's much better to deal with it like norma and like Wright than try to ignore it or capitulate to the fears of those who still embrace racism. After all this time we should know ignoring it will not make it go away, in fact quite the opposite is true.

Considering history.. it's very easy to understand why some in the black community might suspect the US government experimented on people AGAIN and caused he spread of AIDS... But that is not what Wright promotes... He was using that familiar scenario in a particular audience to bring home a point in that speech... Nowhere in any of Wrights books or other preachings has that issue been raised or promoted as fact.

I'll take the candidate who has been willing to deal with messy complicated issues over the candidate (HC) who ignore it for "political expediency" until it's time to feed the racist beast.... or the candidate (JM) who runs to those who think the end of days is a great idea.

John Hagee is not McCain's pastor. McCain does not attend his church, never has. John Hagee is just some one who endorses or supports McCain. You don't get to pick those people.

Wright WAS Obama'a pastor for 20 years. Oprah had the good sense to leave the church over a decade ago. Obama stayed because it was politically important for him in Chicago.

Look, I don't beileve that Obama believes one word of the junk Wright preaches. I do have to question Obama's judgement for remaining there for 20 years. In the best case senario for Obama, it shows that he is a politician like all the others.

Before the comments start coming I don't believe anything John Hagee says, or anything that any of the great white religious right say either.

And btw can you take back all these pro-life Democrats who have invaded our party?.... think Huckabee....

And btw can you take back all these pro-life Democrats who have invaded our party?
by Teddy Repub
>>>>>

Think Pryor (two words I rarely consider placing together) and his votes for the most egregious appointments in all areas of government, especially but far from exclusively the Supremes.

John McCain switched denominations for political purposes... He knew it would be to far to join Hagee's church but lobbied long and hard for Hagees endorsement. He desperately wanted Hagee. and Armageddon was / is no problem for the Lieber-McCains... it's what excites them. (check out the youtube "Christians United For Isreal" at my name)

No, I said I PERSONALLY don't care since it won't change my vote in November. I'll still vote for Obama even if he's our nominee based on health care alone if nothing else.

My concern with this is that other voters do care, especially swing voters. I don't think Obama can win unless he can explain this, and I can't imagine how he can at this point.

And btw can you take back all these pro-life Democrats who have invaded our party?.... think Huckabee....<<<
Teddy R

Sorry, but the Southern Strategy of Richard Milhouse Nixon which kept the GOP alive for the past 30 years thrives on pro-life. You are the party of federalizing a woman's womb.
.

Teddy Repub, you've got it exactly backwards. Obama's 20-year relationship with Wright's church at least gives him some reason for loyalty to Wright. McCain's acceptance of Hagee's endorsement is based on nothing but cowtowing to the Religious Wrong. In other words, he's a whore, plain and simple.
Click on my name for a link to a video with some of Hagee's loving, Christian thoughts.

Explain what, Why Oprah who left Wrights church because it might be bad for her business to stay and to start the church of Oprah? Sounds like we have the answer. And she still endorses Obama, and is disappointed with what Wright did to Obama?

These are not issues which negatively effect how Obama governs. Obama never went groveling for Wrights endorsement during his presidential bid (quite the opposite) nor does Wright lobby for political power like the Hagees of the world.

Hagee actively lobbies for wars to end life on earth and at least Supremes who will oppress very woman in America and beyond.

Hillary's freak group is off the radar, but what I have read suggest threats to liberties too. Are they lobbying politically off radar? If so, what are their political issues?

I'm afraid aging has taken the glimmer off everything for me. My old heroes are dead and I can find no new ones. The more I find out about my old heroes, the less heroic they are. We live in the information age, yet never before has there been so much dis-information. We sag from carrying around numerous communication devices yet know less than ever. Our "news" comes screaming at us 24 hours a day, but what it proves is that in the whole world there isn't enough real "news" to fill a day, so we get "news" that contradicts the "news" we just got and lots of "news" about drunk starlets and the "celebrities" on American Idol. Someone has convinced us that stuff is "news" too.

Part of the problem is that a close examination of my old heroes shows we were believing a myth to start with. Anyone whose heard LBJ on the phone with his tailor will find it hard to think Lyndon was any different than your cranky old grandpa. Nearly 50 years later we continue to ignore the fact that JFK spent more time with his penis in a rented woman than with the safekeeping of America on his mind. And imagine now if Al Gore had been allowed to take his rightful place as our 43rd President, Joe LIEberman would have been VP for going on 8 years. Mark W. Pryor would probably Attorney General! What on earth was Al thinking when he picked that worm?

Lana Turner farted in her sleep, so did Natalie Wood, so does Robert Redford and George Clooney. But ick.....we don't want to think about that. We want to think of them as perfect in all ways. We invite being fooled, we get upset when we're not. I never want to live so long that I find out Jimmy Stewart was a real horses ass in private. I worry that Lincoln was gay and then I worry about me worrying about silly stuff like that. We have plenty of evidence that Bush is gay, so that's really of no importance since gayness didn't start the Civil War or the Iraq War for Oil. Someone's preacher didn't cause Japanese Americans to be rounded up at the start of WWII. Someone's preacher didn't cause the Tuskegee Experiment or placing US troops in the path of A and H bomb tests in the 40s and 50s.

We have a hard task ahead. We have to elect 1 person based on who they are, not on whose around them. We already know they're lying to us, pretending to be what they aren't. We'll only learn the truth about them 20 years after they're dead. It's like picking one good egg while wearing welder's goggles and arctic snow gloves. We're electing a pig in a poke, but we've been electing the same way since G. Washington got the nod. We'd be better off scrapping the idea of one man at the top of the heap and start electing committees to run the country. It's obvious a committee is running it now....no one believes George W. Bush is in control of a damn thing. He can't even manage a bowl of pretzels. The janitor at your child's school can deliver a better speech even without a dozen speech writers and a black box under his coat between his shoulder blades.

History proves that the majority of what Rev. Wright says is true. The last 50 years of US foreign policy caused the chickens to come home to roost in NYC, DC and a field in Pennsylvania on 9-11. Ron Paul says the same thing. But a lot of folks are using this cooked up preacher thing to cover for the real reason they don't want Obama....his skin color. I think a lot of media have been taking out the frustration of not being able to trash Obama without being called a racist, by heaping it on Hillary Clinton because in 2008 America we can still stick it to the woman and get away with it.

Having said all that, I think I'll reject dynasty and the baggage it brings. I think I'll reject another 4 years of white rule. I think I'll put my welder goggle picked eggs in the Obama basket. I still like Bill and Hillary Clinton, but they've acted uncharacteristically stupid since this campaign started. Looks like 109 million in the bank makes one lazy, stupid and forgetful. The next Clinton administration may not look at all like the first 2. It makes me sad.

But I'll take any Democrat over what we have and I still think an Obama-Clinton administration is the best hope for restoring our country. We need a new FDR and that's not Hillary Clinton. Obama may be as fake as a 3 dollar bill....but Steve Clark in the White House is a dream compared to President McCain. There are no heroes. Just flesh and blood people connected to too much power and influence for us to ever truly get a fair shake. All we can do is vote and wait and see what we get.

My advice to Obama from now on out....never ever for a second forget that assassination is right around the next corner. Our new JFK-RFK can and will meet with the same fate if the guard is ever let down. Black is paper, Catholic is rock to too many dangerous people. Though we prize them so much, a dead hero is worthless. Good luck to us all.

A few of us Lefties in NWA have been watching mountain-gut Hagee since 2003. Frank Rich missed one of Hagee's most infamous statements:

"George Bush was born and bred to fight this war with Islam"
March 2004.

It's so damn funny and sad too that his cult followers cannot recognize a contradiction: Had it not been for the founding of the Church there would be no organized religion known as Christianity. It was kept up by imperial decree. Now he calls that foundation, which did not exist when the biblical condemnations were written, the Anti-Christ. If there was ever an anti-christ, Hagee should look in the mirror as should all southern baptists and fundies.
.

If Democrats can't understand the difference between Wright and Hagee, and why it matters to many voters, we will lose the election in November. Stay in the ivory tower telling yourself it doesn't matter and won't effect the outcome. Ignorance is bliss.

If Bold isn't the very definition of a troll, I don't know what is. If you are really willing to vote for Obama, Bold, I suggest you order a custom made bumper sticker that says "Shrill Hysterical Fear, but I'm for Obama '08"

Bold, I think we all understand the difference between Wright and Hagee. It has to do with the color of their skin. And, those f**king lunatics who think that Hagee is right about anything aren't going to vote for someone with a "D" after his (or her) name anyway. So why would you think we should tread lightly there?

We need to raise our glasses to SARA CARMICHAEL, Little Rock, for her LTE today in the Dem-Gaz about what really matters and the significance of Rev Wright.

copy and paste: http://www.nwarktimes.com/adg/Editorial/224796/

.

"There are no heroes. Just flesh and blood people connected to too much power and influence for us to ever truly get a fair shake."

Undoubtedly, DBI. And here's hoping Obama is listening; there's a bull's eye the size of the Oval Office riding on his back.

Amen Sara Carmichael! We're letting a nose pimple distract us from raging fire-breathing dragon headed right for us. We need to take the media blinders off and look at the reality on the ground. Our country is going away! Our country is committing crimes against humanity in the trumped up name of security. We become less safe with every enemy combatant we torture, with every bomb we drop in order to steal oil, with every American made bullet that brings down a Palestinian.

I hope the next President has the balls to turn off the tap. Let us live on what we can produce. Better yet let us invent new ways to power our cars, homes and factories. I'll happily walk if our nation will return to peaceful coexistence with the world. Our troops all over the globe should come home. Let Israel sink or swim on its own. Let God fend for Israel and every other nation on the planet. Our tour as World Police is over. Free Trade like Communism looks good on paper, I've always been for it until now. If Whirlpool moves to Mexico, let the Mexicans buy Whirlpool products....I've had it!

We need a Revolution, but we're too lazy to have it. The people of 1932 were in the same boat and FDR came along and made things right. We don't know of FDR's preacher, we don't care. I hope I live to be able to say the same thing about President Obama some day. And remember, if you think things are bad now.....just wait till August. The forces of Capitalist evil are ramping up the lies and distractions, the snipers come next. We must have an honest election on November 4th or take to the streets. Otherwise we're dead and all is lost. Be smarter! Watch out for tricks and distractions. Protect our candidates and may the best person win at the Democratic Convention and on November 4th. Remember that Mark W. Pryor is part of the problem, not the solution, vote Green for that office, stick the pig in the eye with your ballot! Save America!

How would bull's eye on Obama's back compare to that of Karzi?

(at my name) 4 Marines killed in Anbar, says U.S. army

and a female journalist has been shot today, among many others.

Mudturtle, I'd say the bull's eye on Karzi's back is as big or bigger. For those who don't subscribe to the LR paper, here's Sara Carmichael's letter.

Letter to the editor
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
May 4, 2008

Election More Than Sideshow

Before we get too carried away with making Jeremiah Wright our latest official bogeyman, we had better ask ourselves some soul-searching questions. Since the media and some politicians are hell-bent on making Wright the focus in our lives, we need to know exactly how this man affects our lives.

Did he get us into Iraq? Can he get us out? What role did he play in exorbitant gasoline prices and our other economic woes? How many factories and jobs has he moved out of the country? What policies did he help to write to cause the collapse of our public schools, our financial institutions, our housing industry and our health car system?

Is Wright the reason all of our government agencies are dysfunctional? How is he responsible for our crumbling infrastructure and unprotected borders? How has he contributed to the vanishing middle class? Did he cause our health insurance to go up 14.4 percent while our incomes rose only 4.9 percent?

If we cannot answer any of the questions in the affirmative, then we are, once again, allowing the media and certain politicians to manipulate us into focusing on ridiculous sideshows.

America is at a crossroad, and we can no longer play these childish games. Our country is imploding because of the policies of the Bush administration. This is a crucial election and we need our candidates to talk about issues in an adult manner so we may make adult decisions.

However we decide to vote this November, let it be a choice based on carefully thoughout reason and not unreasonable fear and misinformation.

SARA CARMICHAEL
Little Rock

In that final sentence, it should be "thought-out reason ....." That's what spell-check can do for you.

"If you are really willing to vote for Obama, Bold"

EUREKA,

I guess you have missed the posts in which I said I didn't personally care and that I was going to vote for Obama IF he is the nominee? Perhaps you are confusing me with "The bold and the bluetiful" that leaves off the tiful? I'm "The Bold and The Blue" and I'm supporting the Democratic nominee no matter what. I'd vote for Obama over McCain if he were a Muslim which he's not.

I'm not most voters though. Swing voters are willing to vote for McCain. That's why they call them swing voters. I don't think Obama can win them at this point. I've talked to too many of them who say they will never vote for Obama. And as Arch pointed out race DOES have a lot to do with it. Many are just going to use Wright as their excuse.

Is John Hagee McCain's minister? Has he been McCain's minister for over twenty years? Did he baptize McCain's children or marry he and his wife?

Aside from the fact that Rev. Wright is a PURELY disgusting human being, which is clearly demonstrated when he says g-d America for oppressing the black man, the same America that has afforded him his great wealth. Aside from that fact, Rev. Wright has been a minister and friend to Obama for 20 years. Not to say that McCain does not deserve the scrutiny, but this is a pathetic attempt at comparison, as usual.

And is "even gay men may hold more offices than blacks" not a bit homo-phobic? So black men are more deserving than gay men....got it!