Sunday, October 22, 2006
"This Is a Republican Scandal"
Friday, September 22, 2006
Man of Steele
Michael Steele is now leading Ben Cardin in the race for the U.S. Senate in This is a sign of things to come. I have said before the day the Democrats achieve less than 70% of the black vote, is the day that party will cease to win elections.
Elsewhere in the country, black Republicans are fairing extremely well, also.
The Democrats are getting nervous. I predict they will pull out all the stops in these two states, and in
Truly this is the year of the Black Republican.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Birch Tells Governor To Look for "Qualifications" Not "Race"
Recently, I stumbled across the August 30 issue of The City Paper. The cover story is a feature on retiring Supreme Court Justice Adolpho A. Birch. City Paper staff writer Jared Allen interviewd the 73-year old former Chief Justice on his historic 12-year tenure on Tennessee's highest court.In it's closing paragraphs Allen addresses the issue of Birch's successor. He notes Governor Bredesen's recent rebuke of judicial recommendations because of its supposed lack of diversity. Bredesen instructed the Commission to find him "qualified minority candidates."
In the City Paper article, Justice Birch, is quoted as saying Bredesen's "empahasis" should be on "appointing qualified people, regardless of race." Birch went on to say, "I don't think that any seat, should be earmarked as a female seat, a Jewish seat, a black seat or whatever. The emphasis in my view should be on qualifications."
Bredesen should heed the words of our state's first black Supreme Court Justice.
Cross-posted at the Jim Bryson For Governor Blog.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Can One Race Own A Congressional District?
I found an editorial in today's Tennessean that brought to light a comment recently made regarding the current 9th Congressional district. As you know, it is being vacated by Harold Ford, Jr. The 9th District hasn't been represented by a Republican in roughly 30 years ago.
Harold Ford, Jr's. younger brother Jeff Ford is running for his brother's seat as an "Independent" (but says he will vote with the Democrats, sound familiar?). If elected, Ford would make more than 37 years of Ford control of the seat. But not if State Senator Steve Cohen has anything to say about it. Cohen won the Democratic primary.
Today's Tennessean editorial quoted Shelby County Democratic Party executive committee member William Larsha as saying that the district was created to "send an African American to Congress" and that the seat "belongs to an African-American."
First off, can you imagine the fall out if it had been about a predominantly white Republican-held district? What if an official with the Republican Party said the first, second, or third districts "belonged" to white people? How long would it take Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to jet down here and find start holding press conference and issuing sound bytes?!
Is Mr. Larsha suggesting that Steve Cohen is not qualified to represent the 9th district because he is white? (in fact, he's actually Jewish) Is that not the definition of discrimination?...one person is worthy of certain privileges and another is not, and the only basis on which the standard is applied is their skin color.
No seat "belongs" to black people, just as no seat "belongs" to white people, or any other group of people! To suggest otherwise is bigoted. Someone should let Mr. Larsha know that.
You see, it was exactly this kind of thinking that kept blacks from attaining political office in the first place. White segregationist thought all political offices belonged to them because they were the majority race. Now that blacks are the majority race in one district, we are the only ones allowed to represent it? Only if we have forgotten our history. I, for one, have not. Perhaps Mr. Larsha has.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Bolton Takes Reid to the Woodshed
Last week the Democratic Party's leader in the U.S. Senate sent a letter to President Bush calling for a so-called "new direction" in Iraq. Today, White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolton issued a letter to Senator Reid responding to his criticisms of Administration policy. Bolton's full letter can be found here. Here are the good parts:"Your letter recites four elements of a proposed "new direction" in Iraq. Three of those elements reflect well-established Administration policy; the fourth is dangerously misguided. "
First, you propose "transitioning the U.S. mission in Iraq to counter-terrorism, training, logistics and force protection." That is what we are now doing, and have been doing for several years. Our efforts to train the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have evolved and accelerated over the past three years. Our military has had substantial success in building the Iraqi Army"
"Second, your letter proposes "working with Iraqi leaders to disarm the militias and to develop a broad-based and sustainable political settlement, including amending the Constitution to achieve a fair sharing of power and resources." You are once again urging that the Bush Administration adopt an approach that has not only been embraced, but is now being executed. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is pursuing a national reconciliation project. It is an undertaking that (a) was devised by the Iraqis; (b) has the support of the United States, our coalition partners and the United Nations; and (c) is now being implemented. Further, in Iraq's political evolution, the Sunnis, who boycotted the first Iraq election, are now much more involved in the political process."
Reid's third point was a call for "convening an international conference and contact group to support a political settlement in Iraq, to preserve Iraq's sovereignty, and to revitalize the stalled economic reconstruction and rebuilding effort."
Bolton rebuts by pointing out that the United Nations and the Iraqi government have done jsut that, creating the International Compact for Iraq.
Reid's final point was typical liberal "Cut & Run" line, calling for "redeplyoment" of troops by the end of the year. Bolton responded "Our strategy calls for redeploying troops from Iraq as conditions on the ground allow, when the Iraqi Security Forces are capable of defending their nation, and when our military commanders believe the time is right. Your proposal is driven by none of these factors; instead, it would have U.S. forces begin withdrawing from Iraq by the end of the year, without regard to the conditions on the ground.
Where does Reid propose we "redeploy" our troops to?...
Bolton notes that Jack Murtha, whom is a signatory to Reid's letter, proposed that U.S. forces be redeployed as a "quick reaction force to Okinawa." Bolton alerts the Democrats to the fact that Okinawa "is nearly 5,000 miles from Baghdad."
Although the letter is addressed to Bolton, that's not the only one he sent it to. Nancy Pelosi, Dick Durbin, and Jack Murtha, among others, also recieved copies.
I say, good for you, Josh Bolton! Another great pick, Mr. President.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Bredesen Has A Funny Way Of Showing His Support...for TennCare
Now that I've prefaced my remarks with that disclaimer, here's my big idea...
What kind of message does it send when the sitting Governor of a state that has a managed health care system travels out of that state to get his own health care when he is sick? Does the Governor not see himself as making a statement about the quality of our state healthcare system by traveling out of state to get his own healthcare?
It is clear that our own Governor wouldn't use TennCare. When he has a medical emergency he simply hops on a jet and flies to a world-renowned health clinic hundreds of miles out of state. Governor Bredesen wouldn't dare put himself through what 1.2 million of his constituents endure under the healthcare program that he oversees. Our Governor would never dare go through what millions of Tennesseans on the TennCare roles endure every day.
What kind of Governor allows millions of his citizens to suffer under an ineffective state bureaucracy while using his political office and wealth to achieve the healthcare that so many of his citizens lack? Someone should ask Governor Bredesen why he seems to think the TennCare bureaucracy is good enough for us, but not good enough for him?
Monday, August 21, 2006
Was I Supposed to Laugh?
Needless to say, I am not amused.
