Mr. West ... You're No Harriet Tubman

As usual, when Fox News needs to attack black folks, one of its favorite people to call upon is Rep. Allen West, who absurdly likens himself (I can't even make this up) to a modern-day Harrien Tubman ... LOL.

You can visit the link and read about his delusions of grandeur (only on Fox News). It honestly sort of destroys all future credibility, but we'll proceed anyway.

West made a stop on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News show to take some shots at the Congressional Black Caucus. It was mainly so he could attack Rep. Andre Carson for some strong words he used in going after the so-called tea party when he said some of them would "love to see you and me ... hanging on a tree." Obviously, those are strong words and over the top, but I think it's fairly clear that the tea party has a fairly Republican agenda that is out of step with the way most black people tend to feel.

O'Reilly had to love having West on to attack the CBC. It was sort of black-on-black crime.

It's ironic, as News Hounds points out, that O'Reilly would welcome Rep. West as a guest on the show to attach the CBC. West is the same one who launched a vicious attach against rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (largely applauded by O'Reilly and numerous others on the far right of the political spectrum). You may recall, the thin-skinned West was lightly challenged by Wasserman Schultz and, with his ego bruised, called her:

This was how Crooks and Liars quoted Politico:

Florida GOP Congressman Allen West this afternoon dispatched a scathing personal email to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, calling her "vile, unprofessional ,and despicable," "a coward," "characterless," and "not a Lady," and demanding that she "shut the heck up."

I thought I would add a bit of that reminder of what O'Reilly's pal Mr. West said to attack Wasserman Schultz.

Apparently, O'Reilly has no problem with that kind of rhetoric against a liberal woman, but there is a problem when he sees someone from the CBC attack the so-called tea party.

Strange ... he likes to verbally attack some women, but yet he thinks he is Harriet Tubman. If he starts dressing like Harriet Tubman then things really get scary.

NOTE: (In reference to the photo) I am not necessarily calling West a raging psychopath based on this photo I found on the Internet. But I did think there was some satirical value to the contrast the person who put this photo illustration together saw.

NAACP Still Plays An Important Role

These days, it is fashionable to bash so-called special interest groups. As a recovering conservative, I once trashed special interest groups.

Conservatives live in some utopian world where everyone has an equal shot at anything they want and there is no real need for what many people term as "special interest groups." Many of these same conservatives believe that because President Obama won election as president of the United States, as a black man, that racism was instantly eradicated and parades symbolic of unquestioned equality ensued. Because of this misguided belief, organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Congressional Black Caucus are becoming increasingly relevant (rather than less so).

The NAACP, the nation's oldest and most respected civil rights organization, remains highly relevant and important. Many of us are smart enough to know that President Obama's election was not some panacea for racial turmoil, it was not the end of racism it did not destroy all barriers that make success more difficult for people of color than for those who are white.

I was amused listening to people like right wingers Mike Huckabee and Tucker Carlson, talking on diversity-challenged Fox News recently and essentially suggesting that the barriers to racial equality mostly are gone.

That is part of why I was heartened to read that Michelle Obama, the first lady, will be at this year's 101st NAACP Annual Convention this month.

Here is a portion of the press release:

First Lady Michelle Obama will address the NAACP's 101st Annual Convention on Monday, July 12, 2010 to discuss steps to combat childhood obesity and her efforts to create a healthier generation of kids through the Let's Move! campaign.

"It is my honor to welcome First Lady Michelle Obama to our annual convention to discuss her views on ways to tackle an epidemic that is plaguing our nation's young people," said NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. "She is a commanding figure who will ensure that this issue is at the forefront of our nation's health agenda."

"We are elated to have First Lady Michelle Obama joining us to celebrate our 101st year," said NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous. "Providing affordable health care coverage and ensuring the well-being of all Americans is a priority for both the NAACP and the Obama Administration. Michelle Obama's visionary leadership in confronting the problem of child hood obesity is to be applauded. At our convention, we will unveil health care and advocacy solutions to help solve the critical health problems that are plaguing our communities," said Jealous. "The First Lady's contributions to that important discussion will be invaluable in realizing our vision of an America that ensures that all people have the tools needed to live a healthy life."

Obviously, it would have been nice to have the president there, but it apparently was not possible this year.

I applaud the NAACP for continuing to push ahead even in an era where groups that fight hate and inequality are hated on almost as much or more than the hate that they fight against.

Fox News, Far Right Use New Black Panther Party Case To Smear President Obama, AG Holder

Far-right people could really care less about Philadelphia or any kind of voter intimidation or voting irregularities (we learned that in the election of 2000 when George W. Bush defeated then Vice President Al Gore in a disputed presidential race).

Those right wingers who made excuses when voters in Florida and elsewhere were disenfranchised in 2000 (and arguably in 2004 as well), and excused voters in the Sunshine State of being too dumb to understand the ballots, now are crying foul because two members of the New Black Panther Party have been accused of voter intimidation. This is so horrible for our friends on the far right, but those who were turned away unfairly, had their votes discounted and were otherwise intimidated in 2000 don't seem to count (once again).

By the way, as Field Negro points out, the non-New Black Panthers in the above photo don't appear to be too frightened or intimidated.

When black politicians, including civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis, were spit on and had the N-word used against them, many conservatives accused them of lying and grandstanding and suggesting they should have entered the Capitol Building from some other entrance. Rep. Lewis and others, including Rep. Emanuel Cleaver who was spit on and Rep. Barney Frank who had homophobic slurs used against him, were attacked by the conservative media - men and women who rushed to the defense of tea party people who were accused.

Apparently some far-right conservatives believe that Rep. Lewis and others should have come in the back way ... like black people had to board the bus from the back prior to the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Andrew Breitbart, who is about as nutty as it gets on the far right, had this to say about people who were victimized by racial slurs and spit from bigots, had this to say:

BREITBART: The very act of the Black Congressional Caucus, walking through the tea party people while holding all those videos was an act of provocation. They need this desperately and one last thing. The language that Nancy Pelosi is using about the civil rights movement, comparing the unpopular health care bill to the civil rights movement ties into this… They’re all on the talking points, basically telling black people that the white people are trying to take your health care from you. This is a racial, racist, racially divisive strategy that they’re playing that’s very dangerous in the United States.

In other words, he is blaming the victims.



It's amazing how Fox News and the rest of the far right are so concerned about these two members of the New Black Panthers supposedly intimidating voters but had little problem with Tea Party protests spitting on black people and calling them the N-word.

I've listened to all these right wingers on Fox News today crying about voter intimidation. I imagine many of them were quiet excuse makers in 2000 and excuse makers when Rep. Lewis, Rep. Frank, Rep. Cleaver and others were verbally assaulted and spit on.

Now, of course, Fox News and the far right are playing this story up. The idea is they want to portray President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder as black men who are racist against white people to the point they will let off these black thugs from the New Black Panther Party. Did I mention the New Black Panther Party people are black too?

This is the Fox News theme and you better believe they will continue to hammer it home.