California Has Racists? Duh....

The mayor of Los Alamitos, Dean Grose, recently sent out an e-mail showing an Obama White House lawn planted with watermelons. This elected official included a title: “No Easter egg hunt this year.”

So... this is a mayor in California... not Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama?!? BUT, CALIFORNIA! Shame on him. This was both insulting and disgusting... THESE ANTICS MUST STOP IF AMERICA HOPES TO MOVE FORWARD. Vivian Berryhill 2/25/09

Jindal vs Obama: Style Over Substance?

In 2004, an unknown man-of-color from the south side of Chicago, Illinois bolted onto the national scene with an electrifying speech that mesmerized the American public and catapulted him to the White House. His oratory skills, by far, are second to none... however many in America are now coming to the realization that his much-talk is 'high on style', but often lacks real substance and is frequently full of equivocation, evasion, and nuanced-beating-about-the-bush.

However, President Obama's first–– and much ballyhooed Joint Sessions of Congress mini-State of the Union Address, while fluff-infested, did lay out quite a few more specifics to his stimulus bill... and offered a few more tidbits to his vision of getting this nation back to prosperity.

Now, juxtapose to another unknown man-of-color from the swamps of Louisiana, who history may very well record made his minuscule imprint on the national stage with a no-nonsense, heart-felt chat to the American people immediately following the President's quasi-State of the Union Address. What a difference, as his speech was high on substance... but indeed lacked in style.

Governor Bobby Jindal attempted in a flat, but respectful manner, to take Obama to the woodshed by back-handing the points the President presented during his hour-long address. The Louisiana governor's rebuttal failed to offer credible arguments or facts that would bat down Obama's convincing case to the American people that he, and his new policy team, have a plan.

Parroting GOP talking points when the national spotlight was on him was not effective, and did not gain Jindal any memorable place in speech-making history.

These two men with two different styles, could face off in 2012 to vie for the top Executive job in the land. One represents the first African American and the other the first Indian American elected to their respective positions. One man a big-government, spending liberal... the other a tax-cutting, fiscal conservative present two starkly opposing views on how they would govern and lead this nation in the upcoming years.

While Jindal is currently no match for Obama, if the stimulus bill does not jump-start this country... style and great words will be 'moot', as Obama will be a footnote in history by 2012, and Jindal could be what the fickle American public will be looking for by then.

UPDATE: Stimulus Racism...

THIS CARTOON IS NOT FUNNY... IT IS OVERTLY, IN-YOUR-FACE RACIST!!!

These kinds of antics must stop immediately as they are harmful to race relations in this nation.

President Obama Signs $780+ Stimulus Bill

As millions of Americans are holding on for dear life, today President Barack Obama signed into law the largest stimulus bill in history.

The question on most people's lips: What will be the outcome of this mass amount of spending and tax credits? Unfortunately, we are treading in unchartered territory, as no one 'really' knows. But right now, people in breadbasket America who are on the fringe of losing homes, jobs, health insurance and 401k values are hoping-against-HOPE that Obama really has a plan and is not gambling or crap-shooting the future of America.

Using the Dow Jones' 300 point drop as a gauge–– especially on the day President Obama signed the paperwork making his plan a reality––offers no reassurance to an already nervous public. While many truly want this neophyte President to succeed... there is nothing in his background to indicate he has ever faced or mastered any financial crisis, and can therefore pull from such experience. If only he had served as a CEO or a company, Governor of a State, Mayor of a town, small business owner, or even manager of a Wendy's or McDonalds, where he would have had to make a payroll or balance a budget... maybe folks-on-the-farm would not be so trepidatious and jittery at this juncture in history as demonstrated by the tanking of the markets since the election in November.

"Having had a long weekend to digest the political dealings in Washington, market participants aren't feeling any better about things than they did before. The bearish disposition is an issue of confidence - or lack thereof -", said Patrick O'Hare, an analyst at Briefing.com.

Well, the ink is dry now. We can only wait and see... Let's all hold good thoughts that Obama's stimulus plan works. A lot is riding on his big gamble!

Cloud of Suspicion Surrounds Michael Steele

The newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele, has a lot of explaining to do regarding charges he misappropriated funds from his 2006 Senate campaign. According to Alan Fabian, the former finance chairman for Steele's unsuccessful Senate bid, Steele knowingly and fraudulently funneled approximately $40,000 to his sister's defunct catering and web services.

Fabian is also alleging that Steele, the first African American ever elected to head either major national political party in this country, paid a law firm $75,000 from his state campaign to do some work that was never performed.

But during a recent appearance on ABC's "This Week," Mr. Steele pushed back hard on these claims by Fabian, by challenging anyone who would dare believe the word of a "convicted felon who is trying to get a reduced sentence." Steele went on to say:

"Those allegations were leveled by a convicted felon who was trying to get a reduced sentence on his conviction. The reality of it is that the US attorney, as well as the judge, looked at what he presented and it did not apply. He said there was no credibility to it. The Washington Post ought to be ashamed of itself for getting out in front of something without all of the facts."

Steele, who has advocated the need for higher ethical standards in Washington, DC politics, recently cleaned house at the RNC... getting rid of 100 staffers in his quest to prove he will bring a new vision to the Committee starting with a new crop of workers. With his credibility now being challenged, Steele may need to do more that discredit Fabian the messenger, and provide undeniable proof to the media relative to the law firm billing charges and also show that his sister did... or did not have a catering service that he employed and paid money to during that time. This will help clean up his name. Short of that, a cloud of suspicion will remain over him until this is resolved.



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Is Obama's Stimulus Plan Losing Steam?

President Barack Obama's legacy, and possible second term presidency, may well be tied to the $1 trillion dollar stimulus package that––while passing the House of Representatives without one single Republican vote––seems to be in trouble.

The latest Rasmussen poll numbers reflects public support continues falling each day the stimulus plan receives further scrutiny in the bloggersville and by those in the media. According to pollsters only 37% of the American public now support the plan. This is not a good sign, as this is the first major economic leadership test of a president who is supposedly still in his 100-day honeymoon stage.

A major signal that Obama's economic plan may be headed to the trash heap, is that his arch-rival during the 2008 Presidential contest, Senator John McCain, came out to vehemently oppose the bill... going as far as to e-mail his supporters and urging them to oppose the plan as well.

Another ominous indicator is the recent rumblings by members of his own party. Democratic Senators are conceding publicly that the votes needed to pass this plan–– even though they have a distinct numbers advantage over the Republicans––just are not there!

The president is astutely aware of how much his political future depends on this package. Consequently, he is spending a vast amount of the valuable political capital he recently attained on assuring passage of this bill. Over the past few days he has made the rounds on every major television network repeating the dire consequences if his bill is not passed by the Senate. Obama sent a warning to Congress that failure to act on his $900-billion stimulus package will “turn a crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession.”

President Obama's plan may be losing steam, but for now he appears to be going down swinging!