Cobb

You certainly are better at articulating these things than I. Well done.

Is the Michigan GOP lawmaker's comments a mere stereotype of Republicans, or also reflective of significant attitudes within the party? Given that we haven't seen Republican condemnation of his "suppress the Detroit vote" comments - which is suppress the black vote, deny blacks our constitutional right to vote - then I'm skeptical. As we wrote on our site, it's a key reason why I ain't Republican, even though I agree with 60-65% of the party's ideas. It also reinforces the image of the GOP as racist. Until Republicans (especially white Republicans) address this crap head on, the image will stick.

I fail to understand why you don't see how damaging this is to your cause.

I know you have guts enough to speak out against what you think is wrong. If this is true, to let this go, but speak out against the cartoon that spoke ill of Condi Rice, says things you don't intend for it to say.

The very link I used pointed to an article written by a Republican disclaiming the affair. How do you not see this?

I read the link before writing my post above. By Republican condemnation, I don't mean one individual. I'm talking about Republican leadership - as in the head of the Michigan Republican Party coming out the woodwork to condemn the comments. And that Troy Republican chairman is about the only visible Republican in Michigan who has publicly condemned the comments, and this news story has now traveled over to European media. Why am I not even seeing it on Republican blogs, or any Republican columnists' stuff?

The lack of widespread condemnation is highly problematic, and emblematic of the GOP silence that I mentioned above. It also suggests to Michigan's black voters (and perhaps black voters elsewhere) that it's a strategy that the GOP indeed plans to try to implement. This only makes it harder for folks like yourself to work to diversify the black vote.

Molotov's comments are worthy of serious thought.

Well I suppose this would be the real sticking point. It's the difference between MLK and Malcolm. Malcolm and I are going to go and get what political power is available from the GOP by any means necessary. MLK and you are going to wait until everyone is holding hands and singing kumbaya.

I approach the Republican party with the explicit understanding that it is in fact less accommodating to blackfolks because in its recent history it has been lily white. So while I understand that there are progressive elements within the party and that it is not a fundamentally racist party, there are going to be 73 year old relics stinking up the joint. And they will not be moved until I am in place.

Yes Virginia, there are bats in this cave, that's why I brought a torch and a shotgun. But I'm not here to clear out the bats, I'm here for the treasure. You can wait outside if you like.

I don't need everyone to sing "Kumbaya" the same way. However, it would be nice that if the GOP is gonna sing "Kumbaya" that visible folks ain't instead singing "Dixie." "Kumbaya" can be sung in English, turned into Spanish, turned into a rap, whatever. But the GOP should be chanting "Kumbaya" from the same songbook...and not letting "Dixie" put it out of tune.

Personally, I'd prefer black voters to be singing Aretha's "Think" - as in freedom from BOTH parties and become swing voters - but that's another topic...

I don't know. Let's look at racism as a practical strategy. If someone put the metaphorical bats in the cave on purpose, was it to keep the lilly livered from finding the treasure?

What, after all, were segregationists protecting? What was the racism all about? What was the purpose of Jim Crow? Was it simply that whitefolks hated black people and that was its organized expression? Or was there some real power in the white world that they didn't want blacks to get their hands on?

We know what Bill Cosby would say. He would say that going to the equal schools was what it was all about and now none of you knuckleheads care about school.

So maybe 'being' Republican is indeed 'acting white', and since I'm still a freshman I don't really know what I have yet to gain when and if I spend four years working.

Maybe what the GOP offers is not fungible. Maybe the only thing it can offer are the benefits of its membership. Maybe it works like a college degree and you simply can't dumb it down for the masses - you have to do the work and only those who do the work get the goods. And maybe those goods are so good that it's worth putting a Whites Only sign at the door.

So do you all honestly believe that the symbolic bigotry of Republicans is useful? We know it's effective because it keeps all the chickenshit people at the curb. But is it useful? Does it fulfill a purpose, or is it merely a side-effect of the fact that the Republican party is filled to the rim with white Americans?

I'm not about Kumbaya. I'm very pragmatic. I also don't take kindly to being fed B.S.

If I don't take it from Democrats, why should I take it from Republicans?

I shouldn't and I won't.

I'm down for empowerment, especially since I practice it and live it. But I've "suffered" economically for standing up for something that I think is right.

Pointing out that Democrats don't give Black people any real power, only to gain some power while being insulted, is, IMO, weak.

To look at it another way, there is some talk about the church not being able to attract many Black men because it beliefs seem to be "feminizing" to Black men. To me, standing up to outsiders and then turning the other cheek when your own does you wrong, is not a manly thing to do.

Not saying that you ain't a man, I just find it against what I've been taught.

DarkStar: See this about turning the other cheek.

Juliette, that's good article. So, what's your point? I don't want to understand your point before I respond.

I do want to make this clear: I'm not insulting Cobb.

I wasn't sure what you were saying either there, Ed.

I understand you and I love you and this site !!!
I will be making a donation

I wasn't sure what you were saying either there, Ed.

When Black Republicans don't speak out against things from within their own party, they seem weak.

When Lott's associations with the CofCC first came out, some Black Republicans reacted strongly, while others said it should be over looked. Armstrong Williams was one who got the symbolism of the situation, especially since he had been "The Media Black Conservative."

He spoke up. He looked strong. Clarence Thomas "hiding" from his critics and only going to "friendly" audiences, comes off as weak. I don't like Alan Keyes one bit. Based on some of his political actions in Maryland, I think he is subject to ethical lapses. But that man will stand up and go toe to toe with anyone.

That earns respect.

If Black conservatives/Republicans aren't respected now, it doesn't help you when you won't speak up.

When Shanon Reeves spoke out against the GOP member for passing along an offensive email, I'm sure that caused some Blacks to look at him again.

Gotcha. Loud & clear.

This poses a slight dilemma for folks like me who assert that Civil Rights is done. Consider me with Loury who certainly resigned over D'Souza but phrases all of the race issues in economic terms. This leaves questions of racism out of the realm of Affirmative Action / legacy of slavery / diversity dialog which dominates Democratic and majority black conversations.

I mean consider how 'hostile' Thomas Sowell is to the 'Civil Rights Establishment'. But nobody could suggest he would advocate any economic policy which explicitly detrimental to blackfolks.

In that space is economic advocacy to the Republican Party (see Jack Kemp) like Enterprise Zones that is positive but not likely to surface when you hear stuff about CCC or Bob Jones University or this old dude from Troy.

So if you are on the economic track and not the EEOC track, are blackfolks who want to give you the benefit of the doubt even going to notice the black Republicans who don't pass non-Republican litmus tests for raising the race?

<rant>

In my view, the CBC are punks.

When J.C. Watts was leaving congress, on Meet the Press, Charles Rangle said he wished there were more J.C. Watts' so that he could extract more concessions from his party.

WHAT!?!??!

With all of those votes and you can't play the game to turn those votes into power?

Last election cycle, Maxine Waters started complaining that Gore had no Blacks on his possible VP list. She knew it before the pruning of the short list was happening, but she waited until the last minute to complain? Maxine Waters?

The CBC knew about the mess in the Sudan and didn't press him on it until his last year. They didn't press him hard on drug sentencing differences.

Jesse Jackson is flapping his gums about people like Obama and Doug Wilder standing on his shoulders. In some aspects, that's true, but what political power has Jackson's political feats meant for the Black Democrat pols in the national level? They punk him like Clinton did when Clinton first ran, and he still campaigns for him. He has a few open disputes with Clinton and Jesse goes out there to round up Black votes. Clinton wouldn't talk to Lani Guiner, yet he talked to Dick Morris, the man who, while laying with a prostitute, had a conversation with the POTUS.

And after stuff like that, Black Republicans are silent over Black farmers being denied payments from the Ag. Department?

It looks weak.

</rant>

I lean toward the Loury camp, so I understand what you are writing there.

are blackfolks who want to give you the benefit of the doubt even going to notice the black Republicans who don't pass non-Republican litmus tests for raising the race?

I think they will when certain issues occur where they believe there has to be a line in the sand.

Some may not like it, but the Confederate Flag is a line. When he went to Bob Jones, knowing their policy, meanwhile he has his "mixed" nephew campaigning for him, that's another.

I found it interesting that J.C. Watts refused to be the point man for anti-affirmative action efforts. Then conservatives tried to pit him against Ward Connerly.

Faye Anderson reached her point and bailed.

I am a volunteer of Mr. VerNon Van the Republican candidate for Congress. He was not expected to win but he has been going to churches and public events and gaining support for his pro-life, pro-marriage stance. He has also changed minds with the information I have found on a simple Google search and informants that have contacted Mr. Van about his opponent Juanita Millender-McDonald. The following is the email I have been sending out but I have yet to get any response from any media outlets.

Mrs. McDonald (U.S. Rep. California’s 37th District) IS connected directly with her son’s water district scandal. I am not a Journalist or an investigator but I was still able to find several connections including house appropriations to the west basin water district; $6 million for the treatment plant named for her, $500,000 to the Compton creek Beautification project (It’s a concrete ditch kept clean by the city), $675,000 for Compton water well replacement (assuming Compton needed well replacement), and personal connections to ALL of the convicted and indicted persons in the water district scandal.
A) There was no problem with Compton's water quality
B) $675,000 is TEN TIMES more than the cost of replacing two wells
C) Drilling Into the same aquifer won’t improve water quality.

Additionally she has paid herself in excess of $40,000 from her campaign fund for “loans” that were never recorded as assets and $10,000 to her son’s re-election campaign who is ineligible to be re-elected. She was found guilty and paid a hefty fine for improper campaign financing. She is currently under investigation for mail tampering by the U.S. Postmaster General (against Peter Matthews in 2004 primary) and the FBI for her connection to the Boeing contract bribe scandal (Her connection to Boeing reaches back ten years). If she were a Republican you would have investigated these things by now. Fraud and corruption are non-partisan issues that should be investigated. Juanita Millender-McDonald was named by the Kerry campaign as his pick for secretary of transportation.

Information from news sources and public information

Juanita Millender-McDonald and Darlene Druyun were good friends. Boeing is one of McDonald’s biggest Campaign contributors and McDonald one of Boeing’s biggest supporters. She attends all of Boeing’s functions. Darlene Druyun plead guilty to conspiracy for her role in helping the company land a $23-billion Air Force contract.

90% of her financing is from out of state and more than a third comes from transportation, manufacturing and aerospace.

As of 9/20/04 Ms. McDonald has refused to sign the document sent by Mr. Van affirming that she is not being investigated for extortion. She also refuses to accept LBCC’s (Professor Goss) offer to sponsor a debate between her and Mr. Van.

When Juanita Millender-McDonald was first elected her net worth was less than $180,000. She is now a multi-millionaire. Check her tax records on “opensecrets.org.”

Her City of Carson partner and hand picked replacement Daryl Sweeney is going to jail for bribes as are her closest associates Robert Pryce and councilman Manuel Ontal.

She is being investigated by the U.S. Postmaster general’s office for tampering with political mailers from the 2004 primary against Peter Matthews.

She gave Rick Taylor & Associates $50,000 in Feb.2004 for Fundraising Mail Services. That seems like an extreme number for one batch of mailers.

She illegally paid herself $30,000 from her campaign funds for “LOAN PAYMENTS”, yet no record of such a loan can be found (2002).

She personally invested in Geothermic energy companies before introducing The Geothermal Energy Act of 2004 (H.R. 4094). The department of energy suggests using Geothermal Energy as a heating source. This is because using it to generate electricity is not cost effective and it will only work in certain geographical areas. The 3 currently working plants produce less than 20 megawatts of power at a cost of between 36 and 38 cents per kilowatt hour (2001 information). This only factors in the expense of producing and transporting electricity not repaying the initial investment.

McDonald claimed she has helped secure over $128 million in SBA funding for more than 380 businesses in the 37th Congressional District. $128 million in handouts with no expectation of repaying it? No one seems to be willing to provide a list of these businesses that benefited from this money.

I am an unpaid volunteer for VerNon Van her opposition and have spent hours surfing on the web for information about her. Just from what I have found on the web and meeting with two disgruntled employees of hers I know there’s a story here. One of these men suggested we look into her tax returns the other told me her relationship with Daryl Sweeney is where we should focus. Both told me to find Peter Mathews and ask him about his political mailers in the last primary. As I stated I am a volunteer for the opposition and as such I have an agenda, but I wasn’t a volunteer when I started researching Ms. McDonald. I am a stay at home dad trying to finish a degree and by no means a politician.

We have found other scandals attached to her but even more outrageous are her voting records. She is an arrogant left wing ideolog with a 0 rating by the American Conservative Union. We need help to get the word out. Mr. Van has not received many contributions (less than $5,000) and has had to campaign the old fashion way by knocking on doors. If you have any ideas PLEASE CALL HIM! (562) 787-6250.

Thank you for your time,

E. R. Williams (562)988-9454
Volunteer organizer and
assistant to VerNon Van
www.VerNonVan.com