Bush-Cheney May Avoid Republican National Convention ... Try To Avoid Katrina Response Repeat

It appears maybe President George W. Bush has learned something from his horrible response to the horrors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans several years ago. Now, with Hurricane Gustav moving toward the mainland of the United States, Bush now must feel like he has to have a much stronger and better response than he did last time (or he is trying to do something to make it look less like the Republicans are having a party while people are suffering while helping Sen. John McCain in his presidential bid). There are a number of people in this country who feel like the response of Bush to the horrors of Katrina had a lot to do with racism ... a lot of people. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have indicated that they may not be ready to attend the Republican National Convention and instead will likely stay away while many people in the southern United States brace for the impact of Gustav. Bush may get a second chance (although he can never erase the memory of his inaction during Hurricane Katrina. It was more than Bush, however. A lot of people were asleep at the wheel and did far too little to prepare for and ultimately clean up the mess Katrina made of New Orleans and Louisiana. This time, the preparedness has been a lot better and people are being evacuated and work is being done in advance of the storm's potential. It's an unfortunate timing situation that the Republican Convention is likely to begin as people could be suffering in the southern region. Hopefully, preparation will minimize the negative impact of this particular storm.

Huffington Post on Bush and Cheney not likely to attend Republican Convention:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/31/bush-unlikely-to-attend-g_n_122761.html

Alaskans Question Palin's Credentials To Be Governor ... Nevermind Vice President

It seems that Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin has plenty of controversy in the state of Alaska that has and continues to dog her. There are many who question her qualifications to be the state's governor and seem mostly appalled at the prospect of her becoming vice president of the United States of America. Now, these are not just Democrats who are questioning her credentials to be governor or vice president. These are Republicans, people from her own party, who think she is under qualified. Now, Palin may be a fine politician, she may be a fine person, she may be smart and she may be a good family woman. But, is she qualified for being president (should Sen. John McCain be elected and anything unfortunate happen with him)? One of the criteria to be vice president is that the person should be ready and qualified to be president of the United States. If the Republicans think that Obama is not qualified, due to inexperience, then how can they possibly feel comfortable with Palin being one step away from being the leader of this nation and, in many ways, leader of the free world? This is something that Republicans and voters in the United States are going to have to consider when they go to the voting booth and cast their votes. Perhaps some people will be apprehensive about voting for a black man to be president of the United States, but that and the gender of the Republicans vice president candidate should not be important (whether it will or not remains to be seen). The people in the state of Alaska, those who seem to know her best, point out some of the corruption that she is caught up in and the fact that the state has another Republican, Sen. Ted Stevens, also in some hot water of his own these days. These are issues the Republicans are going to have to answer for in the months to come.

Huffington Post on Palin in Alaska:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/2-top-alaska-newspapers-q_b_122625.html

Are McCain People Crazy Enough To Think Palin Will Get Them Disgruntled Hillary Supporters?

If Sen. John McCain's campaign thinks supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton will jump ship and support his campaign because he picked Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate ... he's crazy. Her politics are almost completely opposite of Clinton's and opposed to the policies that make so many women support the Democratic Party (not to say that a lot of women do not and will not support Republicans, they will). Palin can praise Hillary and Geraldine Ferraro (who was the Democratic Party nominee for vice president in 1984), but that in no way will in no way help her win votes ... as she discovered when she was booed for apparently going overboard in her praise of the two modern women trailblazers from the Democratic Party. Palin will the Republicans, at best, a negligible number of extremist Clinton supporters who are more anti-Obama than they are pro-McCain. If McCain is interested in those votes then he can have them.

Reuters/Huffington Post on Palin gaining votes from women:
http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/08/31/mccains-vp-pick-palin-draws-boos-when-mentioning-hillary-clinton/

Stein: Too Many Americans Will Not Vote For Black Candidate ... Especially An Angry Black

Fox News Channel's mission of tripping up Sen. Barack Obama's historic bid for the presidency has reached new heights as analyst Ben Stein was on the air and referred to Obama as an "a black angry candidate." Then, of course, he said that he "abhor(s) racism." Fox News Channel, sadly enough, speaks to a large portion of the United States. While there may be some truth to Stein's assertion that many white Americans simply will not feel comfortable voting for a black candidate (although you have to wonder his motives for putting that out there on the air) his use of the word "angry" with black candidate was puzzling for me. First, where does he get the idea that Obama is this "angry" black man (a nasty stereotype of black men in general)? What has Barack done, said or written to justifiably refer to him as being an "angry black candidate?" Stein was out of line on this one, but then ... maybe that is what Fox News and the hosts of many of their shows want.

Fox News Hounds Exposes "Angry" Black Comment:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/30/fox_says_it_first_barack_obama_is_an_angry_black_man.php

Fox News Anchor Makes Another Obama/Osama "Slip"

You have to wonder if a pattern is becoming more and more obvious with Fox News Channel and its "mistakes" with confusing the names Obama and Osama in their commentary. The latest example of this was caught by Fox News Hounds which has video posted of commentator Fred Barnes substituting Barack Obama's name with Osama bin Laden's name. Barnes clearly appears to have no use for Sen. Barack Obama or his historic bid to become the nation's first president who is not a white male. Now, that would make Barnes mostly no different than any of the other commentators we see offering "analysis" of Obama and Democrats in general. You have to wonder how much of this is intentional, how much of it is being sloppy or how much of it is just incompetence.

Fox News Hounds Exposes Another Obama/Osama slip by Fox News:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/31/fred_barnes_puts_barack_obama_in_osamas_cave.php

McCain's VP Choice Defies His Own Logic

Look, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is probably no doubt a fine woman. She comes across as charming, she shows toughness, she's attractive, she's a woman, she's young (younger even than Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party nominee for president) she's outside of the box and I'm sure she is highly-intelligent. BUT, the selection of Palin (as the Republican Vice President candidate) goes against so much of the criticism that Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States, has had of Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party nominee for the presidency. Obama is too young, Obama has not enough foreign policy experience, he has just been on the national scene for a little while ... these are all criticisms McCain and the other Republicans have had of Obama since the nomination was all but secured. Now, they bring in a first-term governor with about a year and a half of experience in a sparsely-populated state after serving as mayor of a tiny town of like 5,000 people in Alaska. Palin could be president should anything bad happen to McCain, who is 71 and has had some health issues (a lot of us have, but his age is a factor). Who knows whether she would be a good president or not. The point is, however, that she has the same "flaws" Republicans have tried to beat up Obama over. It's hypocrisy and you have to wonder if this is a McCain Hail Mary to try and drum up some attention and steal some renegade Hillary Clinton supporters who were only in it for her (and inexplicably blame Obama and the Democratic Party for her defeat) and not for the country. Please spare me giving her foreign policy credentials because Alaska is next door to a virtually unpopulated region of the geographically mammoth country of Russia (with most of its population shoehorned into the western region in the European region). If Obama is not ready, then how can McCain's people possibly make the argument that Palin is ready to be president (since that is one of the primary criteria people use for picking a vice presidential candidate)?

Watch This Video Closely When You See Obama with "HANG" In Background

Like Fox News Hounds, I doubt this was an accident. A sign being held up that spelled change had the "C" and the "E" blacked out (no pun intended) in this anti-Obama commercial by McCain people to spell "HANG" instead. Do you think that was an accident? I wonder. Watch how the black shadowing moves to block out the "C" and "E" to send this subliminal message.

Fox News Hounds:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/28/mccain_ad_floats_hang_over_obamas_head.php

If O'Reilly Has Any Journalsitic Credibility He Will Balance Out

Highly-conservative Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly is gearing up to unveil his 25-part series on Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for the presidency. This is no big surprise, O'Reilly has had a major bias against Obama almost from the beginning and has done pitifully little to balance it out with similar coverage of Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency. Fox News Hounds was all over this one as well and it will be interesting to see if the biased Fox News Channel will have O'Reilly do a 25-part series on McCain. I couldn't count on it. O'Reilly and Fox News are in the tank for Obama and ridiculously so.

Fox News Hounds:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/29/bill_oreilly_runs_back_to_new_york_for_the_obama_chronicles.php

Fox News Again Inexplicably Uses Obama's Middle Name

You really have to wonder about Fox News Channel playing this card of what I consider to be anti-Muslim and anti-black racism. FNC anchor Brit Hume, for reasons no one seems to be able to figure out, chose to use Sen. Barack Obama's middle name in the broadcast. As Fox news Hounds pointed out, he seemed to use it "for no apparent reason." Obama's middle name is Hussein, and many conservatives have utilized his middle name to stir up anti-Muslim feelings that have been strong in some areas of the United States since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. I wonder how many times Obama's middle name has been used vs. how many times McCain's middle name has been used. Off the top of my head, I could not tell you McCain's middle name and I bet most Fox News Channel anchors could not tell you.

Fox News Hounds was all over this one:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/29/brit_hume_gratuitously_uses_barack_obamas_middle_name.php

Evidence Of Fox News Bias In Coverage of Democratic National Convention

Fox News Channel ignores important speeches at the convention in favor of ridiculously-slanted, right-wing analysis and smear ads by Sen. John McCain's campaign and his surrogates.

This is from News Hounds:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/27/fox_news_filters_democratic_convention_for_viewers.php

Bill Clinton's Speech Was Nothing Short of Remarkable As He Made The Case For Obama

Former President Bill Clinton was at his absolute best at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday evening in Denver, Colo. He truly electrified the capacity crowd with an unmistakable case for Sen. Barack Obama to become our next president of the United States. He spoke at length about the importance of supporting Obama who is the man to give diplomacy a chance rather than use a unilateral approach where we dictate to other nations and other grown people. We've become a nation perceived as arrogant. The former president had maybe the best line of the convention when he said that the United States was stronger when the world was impressed by the power of our example rather than an example of our power. President Clinton understands we can not be the bully of the world and dominate all countries around the world like a teacher controlling a class of kindergartners. We are partners with other nations in the world. We are stronger when we're together than we are when we're divided. President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and adviser Karl Rove have turned us into a country that is more hated around the world than ever before in the history of our nation. Bill Clinton understands that. Bill Clinton also talked about the attacks of fear and smear that the Republicans used against him. He talked about how the Republicans tried to call him too young and too inexperienced. But, things turned out pretty well in this country during the eight years of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Now we have soaring budget deficits when we had surpluses before, our country is less respected worldwide, we have fewer partners in the world, gas prices have soared, job creation has slowed, families are losing their homes, we're involved in two wars and so on and so forth. Our country has been damaged severely under Bush-Cheney and their policies which are favored by McCain. Bill Clinton gave a rousing endorsement of Obama. He pledged the support of himself, Sen. Hillary Clinton and their daughter Chelsea Clinton. He emphasized that this election is too important for people to sit on the sidelines and let McCain give us a third Bush term in the White House.

A Magnifient Moment For Black People ... And For The United States

What a magnificent moment in history witnessed in the United States of America ... the greatest nation on the planet. Forty years since the horrors of the civil rights movement and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Democratic Party just nominated Barack Obama, a black man, as its nominee for president of the United States. It has taken four decades to see something of this magnitude happen in a country once so helplessly paralyzed by racial conflict and segregation. Today, the U.S.A. has moved a step closer to being a nation of one - a nation where all people have more of a feeling like they are a part of the American dream. You could see the outpouring of emotion from men like Rep. John Lewis, who was a young leader in the civil rights movement and suffered beatings (like the one in Selma, Ala. at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on what we now know as Bloody Sunday) and Rep. James Clyburn. Forty years since cities all across the United States burned in riots of civil unrest. We're not really that far removed from Jim Crow and the Black Codes. That was evident in the eyes of some of the black elder statesmen and women at the convention. You could see and feel the emotion in these men. You could see the tears streaming from the eyes of grown men and grown women - of all races - as history was made on the floor of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colo. Whether Obama wins or loses the general election, against McCain, today was a great moment and this is a period for the United States of America.

Hillary's Speech Was Remarkable

I can't say enough about the speech of Sen. Hillary Clinton and the way she has carried herself at the Democratic National Convention. Her speech was tremendous and a ringing endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama in his historic bid for president of the United States. She has handled herself superbly, in spite of what the Fox News Channel haters tried to say on Tuesday evening in Denver. Hillary made the case that the country can not afford four more years of the ill-effects Bush-Cheney-McCain (who has voted with Bush in the neighborhood of 95 percent of the time)policies (record deficits, being involved in two wars, no solution to rising gas costs, people losing their homes to foreclosure, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, a heath care crisis, slow job growth and so on and so forth). Hillary made the case that the country needs to move forward and back to the greater prosperity we experienced during the years when Bill Clinton was president of the United States. Hillary made the case that Obama is better for this country than Sen. John McCain for the presidency. She also spoke directly to disgruntled voters who supported her and made the case that they should be in it for the country and the people of this country. She did it eloquently and passionately. And, in doing so (coupled with the way she carried herself Wednesday by suspending the roll call and conceding to Obama in the way that she did), she set herself up for a run at the presidency in 2012 (should Barack lose) or in 2016 (should he be successful). Congratulations to Hillary Clinton for doing the right thing for her party and for the United States of America.

Networks Duck The Race Issue With Obama's Candidacy ... Enter Charles Barkley

I have been intrigued by how little many of the cable networks have offered opinions about the role racism will play in the historic campaign of Sen. Barack Obama. A black man getting a major-party nomination for the presidency is quite a benchmark in the long history of this great nation we called the United States of America. On day two of the Democratic Party National Convention, an interview was conducted on one of the networks with former basketball All-Star player Charles Barkley, now a respected analyst for professional basketball on TNT. Barkley, during the course of his interview, was asked about the role race and racism is and will play in this race for the presidency. Barkley, who has never been shy about offering his opinion, said what I've been saying all along: It has played a role and it will continue to play a role. It will be interesting if Obama can reach through the garbage of racism to get to the heart of people and get them to vote for the issues, to vote for the best interest of the country, and truly ignore the impact of race on their decision. Voting for a black man will be difficult for a lot of people in this country, as Barkley also pointed out. For all of the people who openly admitted they would have a hard time voting for a black man, think of all the people who said that they would, but in reality will not. I was pleasantly surprised they asked Barkley the question, but I thought it was interesting that the subject has not been discussed more often and perhaps it would if more people of color were in the decision-making process with regard to how this convention and this election is being covered. Race has and will continue to play a role in this campaign for the presidency. Barkley was strong in his comments and made some excellent points. Crazy as this may sound to some people, I think it would have been nice if Barkley had been one of the speakers on the stage delivering his heartfelt words. Of course, Barkley did admit that he was an independent and that he thinks little of the two-party political system in the United States. Still, it was refreshing to hear the honesty of a man like Charles Barkley.

Hillary Better Play It Right If She Wants A Shot At Presidency

Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton, and her renegade extremist supporters who are jumping over to Republican Sen. John McCain over Sen. Barack Obama in the race for the presidency, could be squandering any shot she might have at the presidency in 2012 (should Obama lose to McCain) or in 2016 (when an elected Obama would be out on term limits). Hillary is only 60 years old with plenty of time left to make another run at the presidency. But, she will ruin her chances if she does not come out strongly for Obama and remind her extremist supporters that what is most important is what is in the best interest of the country (voting for Obama over McCain). Obama, the Democratic Party nominee for president, is more closely aligned to Clinton than McCain on so many issues. You can beat the experience drum for McCain all you want, but experience does not automatically equate to quality. If Hillary mishandles this opportunity she will ruin the Clinton legacy with the black community, with the young people Obama has been able to mobilize and those who could become even more bitter than some of her extremist supporters are right now. If Clinton supporters diss Obama this year, can they justifiably expect Obama supporters to rally behind Hillary in 2012 or 2016?

Karl Rove Is a Disgrace To The Air Waves ... Fox News Is Complicit

Fox News Channel "analyst" (I apologize for all the people out there who are truly impartial analysts) Karl Rove, who is nothing more than a Republican operative given a free hand on a network in the hip pocket of that party, couldn't resist slamming Michelle Obama after her speech on day one of the Democratic National Convention. Rove is continuing with the Republican talking points of Michelle Obama not being patriotic, not loving her country, being the angry black woman (Cal Thomas), but then he really got out of hand. He slipped in a couple more of his jabs about Sen. Barack Obama, but then inferred their marriage was more of a business arrangement than love. What speech was this guy watching and what drinks were they serving where he was at? Honestly, I think the man needed a field sobriety test. Fox News is disgraceful for parading this man on their network as an analyst. He, Newt Gingrich, Laura Ingraham and others are card-carrying right wingers without a doubt. Hosts like Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly are clearly right-wingers, too. The difference between those others and O'Reilly is at least the others admit that they're conservative right wingers. Having Rove as an analyst without counterbalancing him is a journalistic atrocity and a disgrace.

Seeing Michelle Obama Should Be Inspirational To Us All

You can be as critical as you want (ahem, Fox News Channel), but to see Michelle Obama up at that podium a the Democratic National Convention was amazing on so many levels. To see a strong and educated black woman speaking so powerfully, eloquently, and passionately was nothing short of amazing. We've seen what Sen. Hillary Clinton has done to show the strength of women and the strides that women have made to get to a moment like this where Hillary came so close to the presidency. This is how far not only women, but also black people have come in our great nation. So many times women are put down when they show strength and toughness (Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton). Michelle and Hillary - both highly-educated and strong -should serve as an inspirational to all women and girls who can believe that they too can reach the highest levels of this nation. Michelle Obama gave a phenomenal speech that showed the human side of Barack and really got this convention off to a good start and moving forward. This is the reason you saw so many people, especially women, in tears during Michelle Obama's speech. This is a historic moment for women as much as it is for black people and all of America. This is history for us all and we should all be celebrating. That is the greatness of the Democratic Party. It is inclusive, it is diverse and it is symbolic of the greatness and potential of the United States of America: People of all kinds coming together working for common goals.

Seeing Ted Kennedy Was Great

Seeing Sen. Ted Kennedy, with everything he has been through with the tumor, was a special part of a great evening at the Democratic National Convention. His strength was absolutely remarkable and his desire to be at the convention and to be supporting Sen. Barack Obama was an amazing and emotional moment at the first night of convention. His speech showed the fire is still in his belly.

Fox News Channel Is Ridiculous

Leave it to Fox News Channel to come in and throw nothing but salt and pour nothing but Haterade (with the amazing exception of Juan Williams) on the strong speech of Michelle Obama. Fox News had to dig deep to try and find any kind of criticism it could muster on this great night. Michelle did a great job of showing what Barack, the man, is all about. She put a human face on Barack. She showed Barack as a family man, a loving father and a loving husband. She showed Barack as a man who has been on the ground working for poor families and everyday people who want to excel in life. Barack is does have the experience, but he has worked with real people on the ground and he has the down-to-Earth attitude to help real people and real families. Barack is not a career politician. His youth is an advantage because of how recently he was working on a grassroots level working with real people.

Michelle Obama's Speech Was Impressive

Michelle Obama was phenomenal in her speech to kick off the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colo. I think Michelle showed what she is really all about and I think she showed what her husband, Sen. Barack Obama, is all about. She put a human face on their impressive and beautiful family. Her stories of the humble roots from which she and Barack have built a great family on a strong foundation of education, hard work, family, love and commitment to success. We have heard so much garbage of people trying to paint Michelle as some kind of angry black woman who does not love her country. It's all a bunch of bunk and I think Michelle and Barack are what the United States of America is all about: Working from humble and modest beginnings, to achieve the highest level of success. There are still plenty of partisan doubters/haters who want to pour salt on the success and candidacy of the Obamas by trying to continue to paint them as radicals, to try and paint Barack as some extremist liberal who is not ready to be president. Trying to stomach some of the garbage of some of the pundits on Fox News Channel shows that even on this great night with a great performance from Michelle. Bill Kristol and Chris Wallace were in full hater form, but in spite of their best efforts - Michelle Obama put a human face on the Obama family that is contrary to what we've seen from many conservatives who want to paint the Obamas and black families in general as not beliving in the American dream and as people who are not full-blown lovers of America. Black people do love America and they love the United States.

Texas Republicans Sink To Disgusting New Low In Their Desire To Win At All Costs

The Texas Republicans apparently have divorced themselves of anything even resembling morality and decency with an arrogant and borderline racist attack that utilizes Sen. Barack Obama's half brother. The ad implies that Barack is an elitist who is enjoying the good life and fighting hard for for people in America while ignoring his half brother who is living in the African country of Kenya in conditions that are less-than-ideal by Western standards. This ad is the height of arrogance and elitism because it assumes that Obama's brother is unhappy with his living conditions in Africa. Why are we as Americans so arrogant to think that everyone wants to live in the United States so badly that they must be miserable in just about any other country in the world. The ad is sickening because it is also trying to portray Obama as an "outsider" to play up on the fears of some people that he really isn't "one of us" and to try and link him to Africa. There are also some racial politics at play in this ad as well. The ad tries to show that Obama doesn't really care about poor black people who are relatives and that he is running away from who he is. They idea is to portray Obama as being as black as they can possibly portray him. This ad is an atrocity and the Republicans in Texas should be ashamed of themselves for their arrogant, borderline racist and xenophobic ploy to sway public opinion. This is a wing of the Republican Party showing a win-at-all-costs attitude that is appalling and beneath the dignity of this great country. If Sen. John McCain has any ounce of character in his body he will step forward and denounce this disgraceful ad. I hope this ad will anger Americans nationwide and have an impact like the videos in Alabama during the civil rights movement of the 1960s when the nation got to see Bull Connor turning the hoses on black people. This video exposes the ugly side of what some members of the Republican Party are all about.

Here is a link to the video from News Hounds:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/25/fox_shows_new_republican_attack_ad_about_obamas_brother.php

College Athletics Is A Big-Money, High Stakes Business ... Especially in Division I

I read a blog on the NCAA Web site about the University of Virginia banning signs from its athletic events this year. Uh, OK. Apparently, this policy is a direct result of a Virginia student who angered some people and was supposedly almost booted from a game because he had a sign that called for the firing of the head coach of the team. I do have a problem with this kind of a policy. I think banning signs that are profane or in some other significant way in poor taste is one thing. But, I think banning a sign that calls for someone to be fired might hurt the feelings of the person targeted, but should not be banned. Division I college football coaches (especially) are paid a lot of money for results and athletic administrators are paid a lot of money for results. So, they should not be so thin-skinned against signs of this nature. I think it says a lot about that campus that they suppress this brand of free speech. College campuses should be open places where people can protest or offer counterarguments as long as they are done tastefully. This is not an argument that is out of bounds or done with malice for the individual coach in question. But, college coaching at the Division I level is a big-time business and if the coach or administrators are that sensitive then maybe they should consider being middle-school coaches, rocket football coaches, or high-school athletics directors. This is big-time college athletics.

NCAA blog on the subject:
http://www.doubleazone.com/2008/08/valdosta_state_fort_valley_state_college_football.php

Lower The Drinking Age ... Consider The Consequences

The Amethyst Initiative has formed with a mission to have people "rethink the drinking age." This is hardly a new initiative in the United States. Lowering the drinking age is an issue of considerable importance to many people who feel that the legal drinking age of 21 has been mostly ineffective in terms of controlling problems. Now, I can't find anywhere it says the age should be lowered to 18, but that is what a few commentators have suggested the agenda is for this push. I do not have a problem with the drinking age being and staying at 21. I know, I know ... kids are considered "adults" when they're 18, they can vote when they're 18, they've been legally able to drive by themselves for a few years once they've reached 18, so on, and so forth. Personally, my thought is that lowering the drinking age of 18 could send a flood of 18-year-old kids (many of which will still be in high school) running into convenience stores on beer buys for their under aged classmates from ages 14 (or younger) up to 17. I think we run that very real risk when you put kids who are able to purchase alcohol (as high schoolers) in with fellow high schoolers who are not even old enough to take car keys, get behind the wheel, and drive. Apparently, there is also a petition circulating on many college campuses that aim to lower the legal drinking age to 18. I just think, personally, it's a bad mix with potentially deadly consequences. Lowering the drinking age to 18 will not stop the use of fake IDs nor will it stem the tide of of-age buyers making the decision to make the purchase. Education about alcohol abuse is important, but potentially exposing kids younger and younger to the dangers of alcohol (for people not mature enough to understand or handle it) is a serious risk.

Official Amethyst Initiative statement:
http://www.amethystinitiative.org/statement/

NCAA blog on the issue:
http://www.doubleazone.com/2008/08/should_we_lower_the_drinking_a.php

McCain Campaign Looking For Reasons To Play The Old, Tired Rev. Wright Song

It seems the campaign of Sen. John McCain is looking for excuses to try and bring Rev. Jeremiah Wright back into the campaign to try and scare whites into think Sen. Barack Obama is some kind of a black radical who cannot be trusted. McCain operatives are trying to plant the seed in the media that the criticism of McCain bumbling over a question of how many homes he and his wife owned while they spin it to make people think it was an "attack" on his wife, Cindy McCain. That stretches reality beyond its limit. McCain's people are looking for excuses to talking about Wright, Fr. Michael Pfleger, now-disgraced convicted felon Tony Rezko and others. This is to ignore their own troubles with John Hagee, Rod Parsley, the Keating Five scandal, his admitting that reinstating the military draft is necessary, etc. McCain logic does not fly as you see in this short clip from the Web site Think Progress with some puzzling comments from Time Magazine's Mark Halperin.

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/24/halperin-obama-houses-worst/

Media Misses Boat Showing Too Many Campaign Ads

I have been amazed at how much free advertising the mainstream and cable media outlets are giving to political campaigns these days. Over and over again we see networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and others running ad after ad on the television. The problem with showing advertisements over and over again is that the networks are not doing their job of breaking the ads down and analyzing them for truth and accuracy. Instead, the networks seem to be showing them over to amp up the rhetoric and dump fuel onto the already raging fire - all for the sake of ratings and controversy. Where is the analysis of the ads for truth and accuracy?

Powell Running With McCain ... That Would Be Depressing

I have to be honest. If a great man like Colin Powell were to run as vice president with Sen. John McCain, it would be nothing short of depressing, disappointing and disheartening. Powell does have some conservative values, but in reality he is a middle-of-the-road guy who probably leans closer to Democrat values than Republican values. I hope he will not allow himself to be used as a pawn by the Republicans to make the party look more racially open and inclusive than it actually is. The Republicans need to do a better and real job of reaching out to people of all genders, shapes and colors. Right now, the Republicans are not a party for all people. It's obvious. Powell should not allow himself to be used to help put a face of color on the party.

Speculation of Powell to run with McCain http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12753.html

Does Sex Sell In The Olympics ... It's A Matter Of Opinion

I've read a few columns and heard some commentaries recently about "selling" of female sexuality in this summer's Olympics in Beijing. For a lot of women - and I do mean A LOT OF WOMEN - some aspects of the Olympics are simply going overboard selling female sexuality, but not so much selling male sexuality. This has some women up in arms. One of the primary offenders, according to a lot of women, is women's beach volleyball. People have made similar arguments about women tennis players selling sex with some of the outfits they wear. A number of women are angered by women athletes who choose to pose in magazines like Playboy or magazines that perhaps are sexually a bit tamer. The truth of the matter is that sex sells. Whether it's Serena Williams, Danica Patrick, Maria Sharapova, Natalie Gulbis or whoever - sex just frankly sells. Swimmer Michael Phelps was not wearing much of anything and there were women all over the world drooling over him during this summer's Games. Actually, male swimmers and divers wear a lot less than their female counterparts do. Oh, and you better believe Phelps will make a lot of money off commercial endorsements and most of the time you will see him on television or in photos ... he probably will not be wearing a whole lot of clothes. I find it difficult to hate on people for benefiting from God-given gifts. The truth of the matter is this: Sex is on all of our minds whether we're watching sports, brushing our teeth or sitting in our office at work. In one way or another, people do not go long without thinking about sex to one degree or another. Believe me, when sex has the opportunity to sell men ... don't think that guys will have many hangups about selling themselves in a heartbeat. I can understand, to some extent, the fears of a lot of women about selling sex. The fear is that it prevents women's sports from being taken as seriously as men's sports. The problem (as some people see it) is, quite frankly, sex sells and trying to appeal to a mostly-male audience turns sex into an effective viewer recruiting tool. Personally, as far as women's sports are concerned, I would much rather watch women's basketball or women's softball than watch beach volleyball. That is not meant to be offensive to beach volleyball, but the sports of basketball and volleyball simply interest me more. Now, women basketball and softball players wear a lot of clothes, but that has not stopped those sports from thriving (forgiving the stupidity of the International Olympic Committee for dumping softball for the 2012 Games in London). There's plenty of sex selling going around for everyone. Sure, female sexuality sells better (or at least more often) than male sexuality, but then again women are just sexier than men.

Saginaw News columnist on sex in Olympics:
http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/stacey_henson/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/121906921380020.xml&coll=9

Message board conversation on sex in Olympics:
http://www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/female-olympic-athletes-only-valued-for-ta

Biden Can Deflect Racial Hangups Some Will Have About Voting For Obama

Sen. Joe Biden, an excellent pick for vice president by Sen. Barack Obama, can help shore up a seldom-discussed (openly at least) issue in this general election: racism. There are many people who are unwilling to cast a vote for Obama because he is black. This is not just me talking, this is based on exit-polling interviews, surveys and more. Many people have indicated they simply would have a problem voting for a black man as president of the United States. This is 2008 and not 1958. It is troubling because think of how many people probably feel the same way, but may be unwilling to state that to some stranger conducting a poll. It's a sobering reality that Obama and Biden have to challenge. Biden can speak with authority on this issue - the kind of authority that maybe Obama would not be able to speak with. Biden can go on the ground and convince people that you have to exclude race as an issue and vote for the person who truly is best for the job and best equipped to resolve the issues the United States is facing. We're facing more than two wars (in Afghanistan and Iraq), and we're facing more than the growing tensions in Europe with Russia. Sen. John McCain, the future Republican nominee for president, would like us to think that these are practically the only concerns for the United States. We have too many domestic issues that must be dealt with (health care coverage, housing foreclosures, and soaring gas prices, etc.). Biden can go on the ground to small towns in Midwestern states and elsewhere in the country and speak to people about what really is important in America and how we have to vote for the best person.

Biden A Strong Vice President Pick For Obama

Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama made a strong choice and the right decision when he chose Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. Biden brings a wealth of experience - across the board - and the willingness to make the tough statements that need to be made. He speaks with authority and that is something Obama needs. He can play bad cop to Obama's good cop and gives the Democrats a strong ticket going into November. Of course, the Republicans are already slopping together ads trying to attack Biden and trying to attack Obama though Biden. Some are saying that picking Obama equates to abandoning the campaign theme of bringing change to Washington. Others are saying that it is some sort of sign of Obama's foreign-policy weakness that he has answered by bringing in a man who has some three decades of experience in Washington D.C. To respond to the first point, Obama and Biden will bring change into the White House. After eight years of President George W. Bush, electing Democrats to the White House brings instant change of direction that is much needed in our strong, but somewhat bruised country. Obama and Biden can begin the healing process for our country while truly bringing the United States back into a position of worldwide respect. As for the second point, Biden does bring foreign policy experience that some people seem to feel Obama lacks. That may or may not be true, but one thing is certain: This is a strong all-around ticket that will be a beast to contend with in the general election.

McCain's Involvement In Keating Five Scandal

Sen. John McCain should be careful trying to anchor other people down by the weight of past scandals. The Arizona Republican has some of his own baggage, tremendous baggage, he has to contend with should the two candidates decide to truly get down in the mud. Here's some of McCain's dirty laundry.

Wikipedia on Keating Five:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five

Sen. John McCain's Idea of Monopoly!

I can imagine Sen. John McCain in a three-person game of Monopoly. Midway through the game he decides to marry the woman to his right. Uh, we'll call her ... Cindy. John already has the yellow monopoly of Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor Avenue and Marvin Gardens ... with hotels. He marries Cindy, who has the Park Place and Boardwalk monopoly; the Pacific Avenue, North Carolina Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue monopoly; and the Tennessee Avenue, New York Avenue and St. James Place monopoly ... with hotels all over the place. The third person has Mediterranean Avenue and Baltic Avenue, one railroad and two-thirds of the light blue monopoly claiming Oriental and Vermont avenues (several of which are mortgaged to stay in the game). The McCains pool their resources and prosper while you are bankrupt. The McCains gleefully hug and kiss and proclaim the economy is still great.

Death Of Gene Upshaw Is A Tough Loss

Gene Upshaw, a Hall of Fame football player and executive director of the National Football League Players' Association, died of pancreatic cancer, according to ESPN reports. For all people who may have disagreed with Upshaw on some issues, I think all people respect him as a football player and in leadership roles in the Players' Association and the game of football. As Hall of Famer Mike Ditka said, just because you may disagree with a man on some issues does not mean you can not respect him as a person. It's a sad loss.

ESPN on Upshaw:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3545830

SHOCKING: USA Loses To Japan In Softball

I am borderline speechless. The United States softball team lost 3-1 to Japan and will not bring home a gold medal from the 2008 Summer Olympics. It would have been the fourth straight gold medal. It's absolutely stunning, but credit goes to Japan for getting the job done and doing what many people perceived as the unthinkable. Here's ESPN story that, in brief, speaks to the dominance of the U.S. in softball and the amazing nature of their loss to Japan in China. The only shame is that the world eventually will catch up and be competitive, but the International Olympic Committee already has booted softball from the Summer Olympics of 2012 in London. Congratulations to Japan and hopefully this disappointment for the United States (and for me as an individual) will produce some good: the support of other countries for the greater good of softball as an international sport. Maybe Japan and other countries can join with the United States to tell the IOC we want softball and baseball back in the Olympics ... and we want it ASAP.

ESPN on U.S. loss to Japan in softball:
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/softball/recap?gameId=827

McCain Has To Check With His Staff To Find Out How Many Homes He Owns

Sen. John McCain, and his people, are killing me with this stuff. I was on The Huffington Post looking at comments McCain (who is unsure how many houses he owns and says you're only rich if you make $5 million a year). Here is the comment at The Huffington Post: The McCain campaign clearly sees an area of vulnerability, throwing a kitchen sink of personal attacks at Sen. Barack Obama to counteract his charge. "Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses?" said spokesman Brian Rogers. Hmm, a little hostility in that message, eh? Hopefully McCain has checked with his staff to find out how many homes he does own in a country where families everywhere are suffering foreclosures of one home they work their tails off to try and keep. "Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula and thinks regular people "cling" to guns and religion in the face of economic hardship really want to have a debate about who's in touch with regular Americans?" According to McCain, and if you believe one of his spokespeople, it should not matter if Obama makes $4 million a year because you're only rich (according to McCain) if you make $5 million a year. It seems, by McCain's definition, Obama is middle class or upper middle class. So, Brian, I would say Obama does want to get into this discussion. Besides, Brian, your man clearly is out of touch.

McCain confusion on how many homes he owns (apparently he owns seven to 10, but who really knows? for sure):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/21/obama-tears-into-mccain-f_n_120359.html

Biden Would Be A Solid Vice President Pick For Sen. Barack Obama

Sen. Barack Obama has a lot to consider as he makes his choice and then reveals his choice for a running mate, as vice president, for the upcoming election. It appears, based largely on how much you trust the political pundits, that Sen. Joe Biden is the leading candidate on the short list for Obama. Biden would be a solid to strong pick. He does help Obama with strength on foreign policy and he also helps Obama with the political experience Biden would bring to the White House - if elected. It will be interesting to see how Obama's choice might frame the person Sen. John McCain would pick for his vice president running mate.

Kilpatrick Needs To Stay As Far Away From Convention As Possible

When Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick showed up at the parade and rally for the Red Wings' 2008 Stanley Cup championship I thought he was more than a little crazy. As a matter of fact, I thought he had pretty much lost his mind. What did he expect? He had to know (or you'd think he had to know) he was going to be booed like crazy (he was). Yet, somehow he came out with a big grin on his face and spoke as if he was being cheered. Clearly, the mayor is one of the most hated men in the state if not THE most hated man in the state (OK, I was trying to be a little nice about it). Maybe that was a practice run for the mayor who is apparently still considering (at least if he can get that tether off his ankle and get necessary legal clearance) making a trip to Denver to take part in the Democratic National Convention. If he is even thinking about this he has lost his mind. Maybe he is a paid Republican operative crashing the party 9disguised as a super delegate) designed to strip away at the credibility of Sen. Barack Obama in his historic bid for the presidency. Kilpatrick needs to stay away if he cares about anyone other than himself. In fact, he needs to start proving that this is not all about what is in the best interest of Kwame Kilpatrick and that it is not all about what Kwame Kilpatrick wants. he has bruised and bloodied the reputation of the city of Detroit nationwide (as if the city needed any more of that). In fact, he has so bloodied and bruised the city of Detroit that if this was a boxing match the referee would already have stopped it. Kwame, stay away from Denver ... you already have enough troubles ... as does the city of Detroit.

Polls, Polls, And More Polls ... The Media's Obsession With Polls

It never ceases to amaze me how people become panic-stricken by the latest movements of the latest polls. It's bad enough in presidential election years, for many Americans, when their television sets are held hostage in the comforts of their own home by a seemingly endless stream of commercials that ends with, "I am (fill in the blank) and I approve this message." I've been reading some blogs today and I even tried to watch Fox News Channel last night (just couldn't do it). I did watch MSNBC and CNN for their coverage of the election while also watching my beloved Detroit Tigers suffer yet another knockout loss on the baseball diamond. The political pundits scrutinize these daily polls that show movement in the presidential election race. Nothing wrong with analyzing the polls. What is astonishing to me is some of the analysis. Conservative extremists, such as what you would see on Fox News during prime time, tried to attribute the drop in the polls to everything from playing the so-called race card (laughable coming from Republicans feeding the racist-driven myth Sen. Barack Obama is a Muslim, the ridiculous and discredited report he went to some extremist Muslim school, the garbage that he does not love the country, the crap that he was not sworn in on the Bible, and so on and so forth). Sorry, I digress now and again. They alleged his "falling" in the polls was because of the race card, his being embraced by world leaders during his recent trips to the Middle East and Europe and so on and so forth. Sen. John McCain has surged in at least one poll (that Fox News people have been fawning over like lovesick teenagers), but Obama is running slightly ahead or even in most polls. It's way too early to read too much into the polls. We have a whole lot of election to go before everything is said, done and written. My personal theory is that McCain is doing a little better because of the Russian invasion of Georgia which feeds into the idea of his strength on foreign policy (especially when Sen. Joe Lieberman is there to correct him on misstatements) and his strong performance at the Saddleback forum (he benefited from a forum, host and audience that were mostly in his corner though they were all respectful that night of Obama and he also benefited from low expectations of his skill as a performer in such settings). Anyway, in summary, it's way too early to start trippin' over polls right now. But, I understand that the 24-hour news channels need something to talk about. I can appreciate that to some extent, but the wild analysis of some is a little more than some of us can stomach without antacids.

Bush Is Out Of Touch!

Everyday people are facing housing foreclosures, the economy is struggling, gas prices have soared through the rough, we have an energy crisis, families are working hard and struggling to make ends meet, opinions of the United States are at a worldwide all-time low, we are involved in two wars, Republican candidate Sen. John McCain apparently wants to reinstate the draft, the deficit is skyrocketing ... but other than that things are apparently going well according to President George W. Bush. Too bad we could not all grow up rich and so fortunate.

Bush On America From Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/10/bush-i-dont-see-america-having-problems/

Limbaugh: When Black People Are Successful It's Affirmative Action

Conservative extremist (or is that an oxymoron) Rush Limbaugh has played the "if black people are successful it is because of affirmative action" card. You hear it all of the time from old and conservative white men. They don't get a job, don't get into law school, don't get into college and it's the same old tired tale: An unqualified black person (the late Jesse Helms would be smiling at the thought of this considering a campaign he once ran) taking something he or she does not deserve from a more qualified white person. Honestly, you have to wonder if Limbaugh would find any black man (or probably black woman) as competent to be president of the United States. it seems that almost any time a black person is successful, at the highest levels, leave it to someone to blame it on affirmative action either explicitly or implicitly. And, Limbaugh says that Sen. Barack Obama is only getting away with this is because white people are afraid to say "no" to the black man. In other words, we need the white man to put this uppity black man, who is getting to big for his own good, in his place. This is the same Limbaugh who ridiculously marginalized Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb by attributing his success and fame to the National Football League and followers of the NFL simply wanting a black quarterback to be successful. Limbaugh was stupid then and is stupid now. I'm trying to remember what Limbaugh said when George W. Bush was running for president and people thought he was unqualified.

Limbaugh running his mouth talking racial garbage:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200808200002?f=h_latest

Limbaugh on McNabb:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/10/02/limbaugh/

Maddow's Good Fortune Brings A Smile To My Face As She Finds Success at MSNBC

Full disclosure: I am a huge Rachel Maddow fan and, frankly, I've always wondered when she would get her own show on MSNBC or some other network. It's sad to see that it might have come at the expense of Dan Abrams, who is a fine host, but I think Maddow is a worthy replacement for him. OK, yes, I think she is pretty and attractive, but I also love the fact that she speaks her mind on issues and is not afraid to make the tough statement or ask the hard questions. She is well-researched with her facts, she is articulate and is tough to beat in an argument. Congratulations, Rachel, I know you'll do well as you did when you filled in for Keith Olbermann. Abrams was gracious and understanding of the move. He's a class act who understands the business is competitive.

Huffington Post reports Maddow to get show on MSNBC:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/19/rachel-maddow-replacing-d_n_119929.html

McCain Tries To Bring Lewis On Board ... But, Not So Fast!

Sen. John McCain has shaky credibility with respect to civil rights. In fact, you could argue he has a downright poor civil rights record for most of his political career. He once stood defiantly against the holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and he has and continues to oppose affirmative action by echoing the partisan right wing talking points of referring to them as "quotas" which they absolutely are not. But, calling affirmative action "quotas" inflames many of his ultra-conservative base who look at affirmative action as lesser-qualified people of color stealing jobs from better-qualified white people. At the Saddleback Forum, McCain tried to apparently solidify his spot in the black community by trying to ride the reputation of Rep. John Lewis, who is an unsung hero of the civil rights movement (I will add a link about his career and efforts with the civil rights movement) - particularly in Selma, Ala. attempting to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge as part of Bloody Sunday. Lewis was one of many blacks who took part in the march only to be beaten by authorities (local police and state troopers) who were the enemies of civil rights. McCain, however, jumped the gun trying to latch onto Lewis to gain strengthen his race cred. McCain has talked glowingly of Lewis, but unfortunately he has done little too actually build a relationship with Lewis and with leaders of civil rights from the black community. Here is a passage from the piece linked to below, "In response to McCain's latest invocation of his name, Rep. Lewis said in a statement requested by Mother Jones, 'I cannot stop one human being, even a presidential candidate, from admiring the courage and sacrifice of peaceful protesters on the Edmund Pettus Bridge or making comments about it.' But, he added, 'Sen. McCain and I are colleagues in the US Congress, not confidantes. He does not consult me. And I do not consult him.'"

John Lewis to Mother Jones about McCain:
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/08/9293_john_mccain_john_lewis_wise_man.html

Barack Should Consider Hillary

Sen. Barack Obama, if he wants to win the presidency, needs to strongly consider Sen. Hillary Clinton as his vice president candidate. Obama needs to go for the gusto and leave nothing to chance. He can't worry about the strange nature of having former President Bill Clinton so close to the White House as the spouse of his vice president candidate. I think Barack needs to swing for the fences and give himself the best possible chance to win the presidency. There is too much at stake for Obama to not give himself the best chance. There are some other candidates out there who would make solid running mates, for Obama, but none of them command the passion of the voters the way Hillary does. Barack needs to strongly consider this. Hillary gives him some more experience and she also gives him strength with women and working-class whites. Working-class whites are the big target for Barack. Many of these people claim to be upset because of Hillary's defeat and this would give them less of an excuse to not support Obama. I think Hillary is the best candidate out there who is ready to step in as president if needed.

Powerful Blog Compares McCain To Bush

Worldwide, opinions of the United States have probably never been more negative in the history of our great nation. As CNN contributor Jack Cafferty points out, President George W. Bush would leave the Oval Office a wreck of what it once was prior to his inauguration. Not that former President Bill Clinton was necessarily the greatest man ever to walk through the Oval Office, but he certainly left the country better off than it is today. Clearly, Clinton was not without his flaws and scandals. But, where is this country right now? Many view Bush II as a man of great charm, but one who lacks depth. Here is one quote I extracted from the article (which I will link below) that particularly caught my attention. "George Bush's record as a student, military man, businessman and leader of the free world is one of constant failure. And the part that troubles me most is he seems content with himself. He will leave office with the country $10 trillion in debt, fighting two wars, our international reputation in shambles, our government cloaked in secrecy and suspicion that his entire presidency has been a litany of broken laws and promises, our citizens' faith in our own country ripped to shreds. Yet Bush goes bumbling along, grinning and spewing moronic one-liners, as though nobody understands what a colossal failure he has been. I fear to the depth of my being that John McCain is just like him." Whether you agree or disagree with his words, the statement is powerful.

CNN contributor on McCain:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/18/cafferty.mccain/index.html

New Information On Saddleback Forum

My opinion of Pastor Rick Warren has changed a little. I now question the impartiality of him as a host for the forum even though he did put on a good show for his audiences. Clearly, Warren is a supporter of Sen. John McCain over Sen. Barack Obama in the race for the presidency. That is not a huge surprise and I actually applauded Obama for his willingness to go on, to borrow a phrase from sports, a road trip to face McCain on his turf. Warren claimed that Obama had knowledge beforehand of at least one question, but that McCain did not. But, now there are some allegations that both candidates were aware of some of the questions before the forum started. It has been clear in interviews Warren has done since the forum that he favors McCain even though he did not have the guts to just come out and say it. He implied his support of McCain in every way possible outside of just blurting it out. Warren clearly was following the conservative playbook and talking points when he referred to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor, as preaching so-called black liberation theology (which is a garbage way of trying to strike fear in white people about Wright and thus Obama).

Fox News Hounds on the Saddleback Forum and Warren:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/19/rick_warren_boosts_mccains_candidacy_between_the_lines_did_warren_come_clean_about_foreknowledge_of_forum_questions.php#more

McCain Campaign Arrogance Upstages Their Own Candidate's Success

Sen. John McCain's attacks on NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell, who is a highly-credible straight-shooting journalist, is not only off base, but flat out stupid. The McCain campaign is killing itself with a self-inflicted wound. Instead of enjoying McCain's strong performance at the Saddleback Forum, the campaign is crying about a report from Mitchell that McCain was not in a so-called "cone of silence" as he was supposed to be in - something the McCain campaign admitted to in its own attacks on Mitchell, NBC and the Obama campaign. The idiocy of the McCain campaign is that their zest to attack and eagerness to criticize Obama has taken away from their own candidate's strong effort in the forum. McCain was in his environment and he excelled in a format suited to his strengths. It will be interesting to see what happens when he is challenged with questions that make him uncomfortable and test his anger and quick temper (his mostly pitiful albeit somewhat improving civil rights record, the question about medical coverage of Viagra vs. birth control that twisted him in knots). The McCain campaign accuses the Obama campaign of whining, but who really is doing the whining considering the protests of McCain's people to NBC and the fact that it felt the need to address the situation on its Web site and at every turn in the media. They should be celebrating a solid effort by their candidate, but instead they have been unable to resist an opportunity to make an attack on the media and the Obama campaign - even at the cost of an opportunity to positively tout their own candidate. McCain's people believe Mitchell lacks credibility and impartiality with respect to the claim about their candidate's advantage, but they think she is credible when she says the comments were sparked by the Obama campaign since they can use that to their advantage. It's all about politics. What a McShame.

From John McCain's Web site:
http://www.johnmccain.com/McCainReport/Read.aspx?guid=86cd988c-66ce-4416-951e-489c30596ee1

McCain campaign whining about media bias after claiming Obama campaign is whining:
http://washingtonindependent.com/view/mccain-camp-charges

Pastor Warren Minimizes Implication McCain Had Unfair Advantage

Pastor Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church, was on the news this evening minimizing what many people have called into question about whether or not Sen. John McCain had an unfair advantage in the forum against Sen. Barack Obama. Who really knows the truth? McCain performed better than Obama in the format and with the audience that favored him, as I expected. This is proof this general election is going to be a tough race that will go right down to the end. I think the fact Obama is still in the race right now (and leading by a slight margin) is a good sign for him. To have a black man still in the race, and threatening to win, is a good sign for Obama and the progress America has made toward being a nation less bothered by racial issues. Warren seems like a fair man (although my personal opinion is he is an will privately support McCain). He seemed to conduct a mostly fair forum (although have some questions about McCain and the whole cone of silence controversy).

Kitna Looking Good For Lions ... But, Haven't We Seen This Before?

I had an opportunity to go down and watch the Detroit Lions in their preseason opener against the New York Giants and then the second game against the Cincinnati Bengals. So far so good for Lions veteran quarterback Jon Kitna, who is looking pretty sharp. The team's offense (outside of its inability to consistently and effectively run the football against stronger teams) is looking fairly decent thus far. Kitna has been one of the more confident players on the Lions' roster during the last few years, but that confidence and effectiveness has not translated to success over the long haul in the regular season. Kitna has been sharp and Calvin Johnson, the team's second-year star-in-training wide receiver. Apparently I did not jinx Johnson when I cleaned out my bank account to purchase his jersey at the pro shop inside of Ford Field in Detroit. Exhibition successes are meaningless, however, in comparison to what will happen and what needs to happen for the team during the regular season. The Lions are still a work in progress, but with the way the division is shaping up, there seems to be some wins out there to be had if Detroit can play with consistency, solidify its defense and find some way to run the football. The team can pass, but can it run and can it stop people? That is a question in desperate need of answers.

Detroit Free Press on Johnson and Lions' win over Bengals on Sunday night:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080818/SPORTS01/808180377/1048/SPORTS

Detroit News on how sharp Kitna has been so far in preseason:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080818/SPORTS0101/808180355/1004

Did McCain Have Unfair Advantage In Recent Presidential Candidate Forum?

NBC anchor Andrea Mitchell, on an episode of "Meet the Press," was one of several people to raise red flags about Sen. John McCain's performance in the forum hosted by Saddleback Church in California on Saturday night (Aug. 16). McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democrat nominee, were given the same questions in the forum hosted by Pastor Rick Warren. Obama was supposed to go first and McCain was supposed to be in a "cone of silence" where he could not hear the questions. Now, however, information has surfaced that McCain may not have been in the building or in a "cone of silence" as he was supposed to be. That does not automatically mean that he cheated and listened in on the questions (purposely or not), but it does raise questions about the fairness of the format. McCain performed very well while Obama was solid. In fairness, the forum was better suited to McCain's strengths and based on the type of church it was also clear McCain had sort of a home-field advantage. McCain probably would have done well anyway, but if he had an advantage knowing or hearing even some of the questions then that smacks of unfairness. I am not going to go so far as to describe it as cheating, but I do think the fairness can be questioned in this format that probably was well-intentioned. Of course, the McCain people are all upset and blaming the Obama campaign and NBC News for bringing up the possibility of what would clearly be an unfair advantage. Here is a line that just makes me shake my head as McCain's people continue to play politics and exploit his war history (I got this off the Christian Science Monitor Web site: The New York Times' Elizabeth Bumiller got a hold of McCain spokeswoman Nicolle Wallace who took umbrage at the charge. “The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous,” Ms. Wallace said as the McCain campaign continues to exploit McCain's record for all its worth and use it as a shield against any and all political controversies (examples: conservative mouthpiece Sean Hannity used it as an excuse for McCain's infidelity and now it is being used as a defense against allegations he may have cheated or had an unfair advantage in the forum). Just because he was a former prisoner of war doesn't mean he can't cheat (reference his infidelity from his first marriage that a lot of conservatives ignore while jumping all over John Edwards).

Article from Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/18/nyt-backs-up-nbc-mccain-w_n_119476.html

Article from The Christian Science Monitor:
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/08/18/mccain-cone-of-silence-or-no-cone-of-silence/

Article from CNN:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/17/warren-mccain-did-not-violate-cone-of-silence/

Article from New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/us/politics/18mccain.html?ref=politics

Hannity excuses McCain infidelity through war excuse:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/14/hannity_uses_another_bogus_excuse_for_mccains_infidelity_ignores_rudy_giulianis.php

Chicago Columnist Takes On Corsi's Book About Obama

Jerome Corsi has written yet another controversial book (I can not bring myself to read it although I have listened to several of his interviews and the interviews of other with regard to this book) on the eve of a presidential election. Four years ago, he conspired to undermine the presidential aspirations of Sen. John Kerry utilizing what has now become known as the "Swiftboat" tactic (do a Google search for "swiftboating" on the Internet). Corsi and his co-conspirators used printed words that included half truths, unsubstantiated claims, weakly substantiated claims and outright inaccuracies designed to trip up Kerry's Democratic bid for the presidency. Now, the target is Sen. Barack Obama, who is the Democratic presidential nominee four years later. I've written extensively on this blog about the politics of fear being utilized against Obama and how much of it is written in code so as not to appear obvious while still playing upon the fears of the American people. Take this opportunity to read Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell's take on the subject. Some people may or may not agree with all of her interpretations of Corsi's book, but pay particularly attention to the primary, not to mention valid, point she is making.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist on Corsi book:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/1107452,CST-NWS-mitch14.article

Fear Of A Black President?

The legendary rap music group Public Enemy once produced an album entitled: Fear of a Black Planet back in 1990. Today, are we experiencing fear of a black president? That just might be the case if a summer poll conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post has much truth in it. According to a June poll, three in 10 Americans confessed to some form of racial bias in their thinking. That is especially important this summer as we are in the midst of an historic presidential campaign that could see the first black American become president of the United States should Sen. Barack Obama's bid be successful. Now, that is still a big "if" at this point. And, if this poll has any truth to it ... the size of that "if" could be bigger than we could possibly have imagined. If three in 10 admit to bias, it makes me wonder how many others were perhaps unwilling to so openly admit to their bias (the silent majority of people thinking in such a fashion). This is part of the hill Obama must climb if he expects to make history and become president of the United States.

The Washington Post poll on race relations:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/21/AR2008062101825.html

A Deeper And More Amazing Look At Race

This video is almost amazing. Just when I thought I had seen it all, as far as videos go, I found this one and my jaw just about dropped and hit the floor. This video was filmed in 2008, but you would have thought it was shot in during the Jim Crow era in this country. This is one of the reasons I continue to have doubts about whether Sen. Barack Obama can really win the presidency ... in spite of how progressive on race issues some people like to believe they are. This country still has a long ways to go. When you combine the false and highly-discredited view of Obama as being Muslim with the outright refusal of some people to want to consider a black man or any individual of color for the presidency you can see that we still have a long way to go. Imagine how many more people feel the way that this woman does, but do not have the guts to go on television, CNN no less, and express these kinds of opinions.

CNN video on race in South Carolina:
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/25994-cnn-s-suzanne-malveaux-reports-on-race-in-south-carolina

Pushing The Arguably Racist Myth Obama Is A Muslim

Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the presidency, continues to fight the ridiculous myth that he is not Christian, but is a Muslim. The ridiculous myth persists in spite of efforts by Obama to prove otherwise and in spite of the fact that he has and continues to attend Christian churches, he leads the Pledge of Allegiance in the United States Senate ... and so on and so forth. Many blogs, blogs from all around the world, continue to spread these vicious lies about Obama to try and prey upon American fears of people of color, Muslims and of blacks. Notice all of the people who insist on believing that Obama is some kind of Muslim and then pay close attention to how foolish they look when you used reasoned and creditable proof to dispute their beliefs. They looked sometimes dazed and confused, but stubbornly refuse to accept reality and would instead choose to believe some blogger (like me) who could in theory right anything and have it published on the Internet. We are all entitled to our opinions, but when our opinions are about someone and there is substantial and creditable evidence that proves us wrong we should be reasonable. The problem is there are many people who want to vote against Obama for racial reasons, but need some other excuse beyond that to use against him. This is one of the reasons so many people cling for dear life onto the discredited notion he is a Muslim. Fear drives these beliefs ... fears of Muslims and fear of people of color.

This video is from Fox Attacks:
http://foxattacks.com/blog/49099-the-obama-muslim-myth

Softball (And Baseball) To Be Booted From Olympics

I wonder if maybe our United States softball team was just a little too good for its competition at the Olympic level. It's a reasonable point to ponder with the elimination of softball from the Games beginning in 2012. It is so disappointing to think of these two sports being eliminated when they are now being played all around the world. Baseball clearly is strong outside of the United States. While softball is being dominated by the United States, other countries are sure to begin closing the gap. In all honesty, there are other countries who already are closing the gap in spite of the fact the U.S. is still the best. Baseball and softball appear to be done for the London games in 2012, but could reapply for Olympic status for 2016. There are Olympic sports that some of us might have a difficult time bringing ourselves to appreciate. That is especially true when you consider the growing worldwide popularity of baseball and softball. It makes you wonder what people who are involved with the International Olympic Committee are thinking. Baseball and softball are too important not to be reinstated and should have been important enough not to be eliminated at all.

Interesting blog on Olympic softball:
http://savesoftball.blogspot.com/

ESPN story about elimination vote:
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2103234

Story from SI.com
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/richard_deitsch/10/26/the.rant/

Story from Columbus Dispatch:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/23/softball.html

Expect Michigan Republicans To Eventually Link Kilpatrick With Obama

It's just a matter of time and, quite frankly, I am surprised it has not already happened. It's no secret that embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is in all kinds of legal troubles (yet refuses to step aside for the greater good of the people of Detroit and the people of the state of Michigan). I think it can be reasonably assumed that it will not be long before Republicans in Michigan will try to find ways to use Kilpatrick's legal troubles to somehow discredit Sen. Barack Obama and his bid for the presidency of the United States. It seems that Republicans in Tennessee (look at their ad and it will tell you a lot about what some Republicans in Tennessee are willing to try to win the presidency) are already testing out ways to use Kilpatrick against Obama with some ads generated. Obama, in the past, has said some good things about Kilpatrick (a lot of people said good things about Kwame when he appeared to be a rising star in the Democratic Party). Kilpatrick's many legal problems have nothing to do with Obama anymore than Republican Sen. Ted Stevens' troubles have something to do with Sen. John McCain, the other major party nominee for the presidency.

USA Today on Republicans trying to link Kilpatrick and Obama:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-14-obama-kilpatrick-response_N.htm

CNN article on Stevens:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/29/stevens.indictment/

Hats Off To Michael Phelps For Winning His Record-Setting Eighth Gold Medal In These Olympics

American swimmer Michael Phelps is, simply put, the man. His performance during these summer Olympics has been nothing short of phenomenal and has helped him to cement his place among the greatest Olympians in history. One of the most amazing things about Phelps is that his success has been in blowout fashion, in heart-stopping fashion, as an individual and as a team. It's difficult to comprehend the true greatness of an athlete while we are watching him or her perform. Generally, it takes historical perspective, perhaps months or years down the line, to true appreciate the greatness of an individual. I hope all people, not just Americans, will take the time to appreciate this greatness and remember it as we remember and honor past Americans who have performed well in the Games. It was amazing to see the people in his hometown of Baltimore, Md. applaud him (fans who stuck around after watching a preseason National Football League game) in large numbers as he continued his quest to make history.

CNN report:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/08/16/bc.oly.swm.phelps.medley.relay.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

Obama's Middle Name: The Test Of Real Racism

I've noticed a particularly disturbing trend that continues to rear its ugly head in this year's presidential campaign. Democratic Party presumptive nominee Sen. Barack Obama continues to face a form of racism that is doubly racist. As some of you may or may not know, Obama's middle name is Hussein. Now, and this might come as a shock to you, a number of right-wing Republican extremists have insisted on using his middle name in references to the Illinois senator. Are they using it because it's his name? Uh, no they are not. Quick quiz, what is presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain's middle name? I don't know what it is or if he even has one. How many people have brought that up about McCain relative to how many people have brought up the issue with respect to Obama? The answer is: not very many people have brought it up. The use of Obama's middle name has a singular focus: Capitalize on the fears many citizens of the United States have for Muslims. In other words, Obama's middle name is used to paint him as some sort of black Muslim extremist (which he is not ... Obama has said and proven time and time again that he is a Christian and even if he wasn't it shouldn't matter to people who are not racist). The design is to tie black Americans to Muslims to paint blacks as radicals and to paint Muslims as radicals. Both are reprehensible stereotypes. I encourage people not to buy into the hate you've seen coming from conservatives who are pulling out all of the stops in their win-at-any-cost and obsessive desire to win the presidency.

Interesting Article On Different Interracial Relationships

An interesting article, about interracial relationships, definitely caught my attention this evening. It's an article that is a little bit different from the typical ones we generally see about interracial relationships: the different kinds of interracial relationships. In addition to discussing the types of interracial relationships the article also has some information about the acceptability factor with regards to some relationships. The article mentioned the 10 most prevalent types of interracial relationships in the headline. I was shocked to think we had so many combinations of interracial relationships.

Article about interracial relationships:
http://www.fiyastarter.com/fs-pages/fs-socgen-interrelation10.html

Praise For Fox News ... Well, Sort Of

It's not often I find myself in a position to say anything even remotely positive about Fox News Channel, a network that has historically been less than welcoming of and fair to Democrats, mainstream-thinking Americans, and - most obvious of all - minorities (particularly black Americans). But, I must commend Alan Colmes, who is sort of the co-host of the Hannity and Colmes program on Fox News. Colmes is generally put in a role of Robin to Batman (Hannity) in the extreme right-wing topics and perspectives and overall conservative theme of the show. Colmes seems like a good man and I think he showed that during a recent episode of the show when he was in the minority (pun intended) on the show as he battled a host of conservatives on what is a typically unbalanced and right-leaning Fox News panel. Sean Hannity, the man the show is clearly built for, was on his soapbox running his trap about how hard it would be to trust a candidate who has cheated on his wife and lied to his wife (this is of course in reference to the now overly-publicized infidelity of former presidential candidate John Edwards). Hannity, as is typically the case, ignored the fact that McCain has a major infidelity blemish on his record that strained relationships with in his family and ended his first marriage. Hannity made all kinds of excuses for McCain while trashing Edwards in a blatantly hypocritical stance. I can't bring myself to praise Fox News, but for one night I commend Colmes for pointing out a ridiculous double standard and for one instance breaking free of the shackles of conservatism that has infected Fox News to the point of being virtually incurable.

Fox News Hounds on Colmes:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/08/13/a_firestorm_erupts_as_colmes_compares_mccains_infidelity_to_edwards.php

Colin Powell Has A Major Decision

Many people have mixed emotions with respect to former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Powell seems to fit the profile of a centrist Democrat, but he has been involved with the Republican Party (granted he does lean closer to the middle than most hardcore conservatives would like to admit). Powell, who is black, finds himself in a bit of a strange position: deciding whether or not he should endorse (and presumably vote for) Sen. Barack Obama (who is black) the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States. I have always had a lot of respect for Gen. Powell and that was true even as he became involved in President George W. Bush's presidency. Powell spoke eloquently and powerfully about the virtues of affirmative action, to a crowd of conservatives at a Republican national convention, and he has always stuck to his principles (maybe that is why he left the Bush Administration and has seemingly put distance between himself and the current President of the United States). I think Powell will do the right thing and realize that Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, is simply more of what we've experienced during the last seven-plus years with W. I would hope that Colin Powell would come out with a strong endorsement of Obama. It seems clear Powell has far more in common with Powell than with McCain. Endorsing McCain would do this country no good and I suspect (or hope) Powell understands this and knows better.

Michael Phelps Run At The Olympics Has Been Amazing!

I must confess, I can't say I've always been a huge fan of Olympic swimming, but during this year's summer games I'm particularly interesting in the historic push of American swimmer Michael Phelps, a University of Michigan student. Phelps has won three gold medals through his first three events. I was particularly riveted as I watched his dominating performance in the 200-meter freestyle Monday night in Beijing. Phelps' historic quest to become the owner of the record for most career gold medals. He currently is tied for that honor with nine with five more opportunities to win gold medals before this year's Games are finished. Records are falling like crazy (Phelps has been a big part of that) and I am looking for this history-making trend to continue as the Games themselves press forward. I can't honestly say I have always been the biggest fan of swimming (although I can remember watching a few Games ago when Amanda Beard was younger and doing some impressive things), but I am a fan of the U.S., Michigan natives and a fan of history. Phelps represents all of those. I'll be keeping an eye on the dominating Michael Phelps as he continues his push toward history for the United States.

Jerk Boy vs. Good Guy

What are the qualities of the jerk that make him more appealing to women than the good guy who cares and seems to have his head on straight? I did a little preliminary searching on the Internet and found some interesting characteristics of the jerk that makes him more attractive to the woman than the good guy. Now, some of it I've already considered, but some of it I had not and all of it was interesting to hear from the perspectives of other people.
So, why do women like jerks: 1. Women see guys who are jerks as somehow having more confidence and being more aggressive and smooth than the nice guy who steps to her with a more respectful approach. 2. Women want to play amateur psychologist and convert jerk boy into a respectable man in some kind of social experiment. 3. The jerk is usually a high-profile sort of cat who draws a lot of attention to himself and the woman he is with. This guy is a good showpiece in spite of what he might lack in actual substance. 4. One person suggested that women like the emotional roller coaster of being with a guy who satisfies something she needs even if it comes at a cost, emotionally. 5. The nice guy is not a challenge the way that the jerk is. I don't know how much of this is true and how much of it is B.S. I guess, between the two extremes, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. And, the above does not factor in looks which is important to a lot of people (men and women). I'm going to keep digging.

Women And Dating ... Oh, It Must Be My Bad

I am in my early 30s, but women and dating continue to perplex me ... obviously, since I'm still single. Honestly, I've been burned so many times I don't think sunscreen could have helped me one bit and I probably need to head to the nearest emotional burn unit. OK, maybe I don't really need the burn unit, but I need something else pretty damn close - or so I feel like I need from time to time. I could rattle off the name of so many guys I've met in my lifetime who have the ability to pull some of the most amazing women I've ever met in my entire life. I've watched these guys in action. I didn't take any notes, but perhaps I should have. Where some of these cats succeed, and with flying colors, I fail - and apparently badly so. And, as much as I would like to say a lot of these dudes are good men who treat women with the utmost dignity and respect, the truth is something else, something far worse. Many of these men are guys who use women like tissues, discard them, and go back to the tissue box for the next that pops right up ready to be used. Me, on the other hand, I treat women with the high levels of dignity and respect. I can make women laugh, I treat them like women, I am fiercely loyal and yet I find women wipe their feet on me like a cheap K-Mart rug you just dispose of rather than even try to wash. One woman I recently dated seemed to be the right one in a lot of ways. She and I seemed to be in a nice groove; we were getting along and getting to know each other. The chemistry was not perfect, but it seemed solid enough to explore. We talked to each other about our hopes and our dreams. We talked to each other about past mistakes and how we had both been burned. Well, to make a long story short, she burned me in just the way I told her I had just previously been burned. I know that, to some extent, I make some bad choices, but it seems I have so few options. Somehow, some way, I fail. I see worthless jerks score woman after woman - the kind of women who would thumb their nose at me and not even give a good guy the right time of day. These are the same women who cry their eyes out or go crazy stalker banging on doors after they're played. Can a brotha get a girl off the rebound ... uh, NOPE! Still, I try to understand and study - and still I bomb out. I feel I am getting closer and closer to understanding, but then something happens to make me realize I am not nearly as close to understanding as I thought.

Forty Years Later Smith And Carlos Are Heroic To Many, Controversial To Others

United States Olympic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, 40 years since their historic and highly-controversial protest against racial discrimination in the U.S., remain as controversial to some people as they are beloved by others. Today, in a nation that is far more open to and accepting of our many racial differences, it is next to impossible to imagine the cultural climate of the United States in the turbulent 1960s. It was hardly the more harmonious melting pot we live in today. In the summer of 1968, a year that witnessed the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Smith (a 200-meter gold medalist in a world-record time of 19.83) and Carlos (a bronze medalist) stood ready to take a stand on a worldwide stage as they prepared to accept their medals. As the U.S. national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, played inside the stadium in Mexico, Smith and Carlos (each wearing one black glove), bowed their heads, closed their eyes and held their gloved fists in the air to protest ongoing racial injustice in the United States. It still remains, four decades later, as one of the most iconic and powerful salutes in history. Smith and Carlos, along with silver medalist Peter Norman (a white Australian who like Smith and Carlos wore a Human Rights badge) were booed as they left the podium by the crowd. The protest made worldwide news headlines and upset the International Olympic Committee which ultimately brought pressure to bear against the United States Olympic Committee as well as Smith and Carlos. The IOC wanted Smith and Carlos banned. The USOC initially refused, but caved in after the IOC threatened to ban the entire U.S. track team. The two men were booted from the games and the Olympic Village. Upon returning home, Smith and Carlos were largely met with anger and resentment by the predominantly white media. The men and their families were subjects to various kinds of abuse as well as death threats coming from all angles. Work was difficult to come by as the men were ostracized. Norman also was criticized by his fellow countrymen as he returned to Australia. He suffered a heart attack in 2006 and died after suffering through bouts of depression and heavy drinking as his athletic career suffered. In the last 20 years, Smith and Carlos have been more fondly remembered by the mainstream media and the public - the public beyond the black community. While some people are illogically bothered by the Black Power salute, more people remember the racial hatred and violence of the era and how this brave salute brought attention to the racial atrocities taking place within the United States. No one has ever claimed Tommie Smith and John Carlos were perfect men, but they are indeed heroes. But, it took guts and bravery for the men to stand and protest racial inequities and poverty when it would have been easy to stay quiet and accept their medals while people back home in the United States continued to suffer. In July, Smith and Carlos were recognized by ESPN with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs. It was a well-deserved honor for two men who took a brave stand in a time when such actions could get you killed. It might be easy for some people to look back, now, and criticize them. This is not to say that the athletes who did not protest were wrong or any less committed to racial equality. I commend Smith and Carlos, who at the time were teammates at San Jose State University in California, for taking a stand when it was not easy. The heavy price both men played, as they returned to the United States, is all the evidence I need to see to know how brave the stand truly was. For the most part, we are more open to understanding the protest of Smith and Carlos today than we were 40 years, 30 years, 20 years or maybe even 10 years ago. Still, some of us do not get it. Some of us are so caught up in the details about what the Black Panther Party was all about and ignore the more important aspect of this display: The need to spark real change in race relations in the United States.