Tavis Smiley At it Again!

Interesting article by Jerimah Noonoo over at the Houston Chronicle. He writes, Tavis Smiley drew fire during last year’s presidential campaign when he chastised candidate Barack Obama for not attending the 2008 State of the Black Union forum. His critics, most of them black, were baffled that an African-American could speak out against the potential first black president.

One columnist charged that “ego was out of whack.” But the radio show host and commentator, who appears at a town hall meeting at 6:30 Friday at Houston’s Ensemble Theater, 3535 Main, maintains that he was merely doing what he had done for nearly two decades, “checking” people, or calling them out in public. In a telephone interview this week with the Chronicle’s Jemimah Noonoo, he praised President Obama and said the two had spoken half a dozen times last year during the “drama.” Read the article HERE.

AAPP: Here comes another new book. Tavis is really getting his hustle on. Good for him, bad for us. Here he comes with another book for "community action" or a blue print of old school activism. Tavis loves to gather a group of old and new school black intellectuals who meet, talk and accomplish nothing, but meeting and talking. Hey, but he got a new book.
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73-year-old black man shot by police in Homer, La.

"If I see three or four young black men walking down the street, I have to stop them and check their names," said Mills, who is white. "I want them to be afraid every time they see the police that they might get arrested."

Source: Russell Mills, Police Chief, Homer, LA.



AAPP says: There is something going on in this country that every American should be concerned about. Hate crimes by police against black people are rising across America and it seems like no one is watching. Well, at least a few media outlets are reporting about the HATE that is rising. One of those journalist have been watching it closely -
Howard Witt at the Chicago Tribune.

Howard Witt at the Chicago Tribune has been following the HATE crime in Homer, La.— He reports about how on the last afternoon of his life, Bernard Monroe was hosting a cookout for family and friends in front of his dilapidated home on Adams Street in this small northern Louisiana town.

Throat cancer had robbed the 73-year-old retired electric utility worker of his voice years ago, but family members said Monroe was clearly enjoying the commotion of a dozen of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren cavorting around him in the dusty, grassless yard.Then the Homer police showed up, two white officers whose arrival caused the participants at the black family gathering to quickly fall silent. Within moments, Monroe lay dead, shot by one of the officers as his family looked on. More HERE

AAPP: It's time for Federal agencies to investigate, prosecute and lock some bad cops up in Federal prison.

How much can black men in America take? We have been taking this mess for too long.

This issue has also been posted by The Chicago Sun Times

Listen to my exclusive interview and discussion with highly respected journalist Howard Witt, South West Bureau Chief of the Chicago Tribune on African American Political Pundit's - Political Slugfest on Blog Talk Radio.com

You can also check out other thoughts, comments, at Sister Pam, at Pam's House Blend and brother field negro.

Blogger, Prometheus 6 like so many black and progressive bloggers have been watching all the color aroused events, and he says, I'm glad someone else noticed all of what is going on in America.

Candidly, Chicago Tribune’s Howard Witt deserves more awards for his work. Now other major news outlets are covering the stories that Howard Witt has been covering all along.

RIP - Bernard Monroe

Rep. Maxine Waters Under Investigation? Has she become just another crook?

Well now we should all know why Maxine Waters was so supportive of the bogus Bail Out plan of former Worst President George W. Bush, as reported by The Los Angeles congresswoman's husband had ties to OneUnited Bank, which received bailout funds. She helped set up a meeting last fall with the bank and Treasury officials.

According to Richard Simon and E. Scott Reckard of The LA Times, Rep. Maxine Waters, one of Los Angeles' most enduring liberal politicians, has come under scrutiny because of bailout funds that went to a bank in which her husband had owned stock and served on the board.Waters was a senior member of the congressional committee dealing with the financial crisis when OneUnited Bank -- one of the nation's largest minority-owned institutions -- received $12 million in bailout funds.

Her husband, Sidney Williams, served on the bank board until early last year and held at least $500,000 in investments in the bank in 2007, the most recent year for which public financial disclosure statements are available.A month before Congress enacted the bailout program, Waters helped set up a meeting between the chief executive of the bank, representatives of other financial institutions and Treasury officials."When a member of the financial services committee calls, you pay special attention," said Jeb Mason, who was a high-ranking Treasury official last fall.

He said that the September meeting was billed as a broad discussion by minority-owned banks of the problems they faced but that it ended up a discussion of one bank's problems. He said he only recently learned of Waters' husband's ties to OneUnited and would have liked to have known about them. He added, however, that the connection didn't influence the department.OneUnited did not receive any federal money at that time, but by mid-December, it had received $12 million in bailout funds.Waters did not respond to requests for comment.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said in an interview Thursday that he advised Waters last fall to "stay out of it" because he knew her husband had served on the bank board.Frank said Waters was concerned about the plight of minority-owned banks, as was he."She acknowledged that 'Sidney had been on the board. I could have a conflict here,' " Frank said. "I said, 'Fine, just stay out of it, I'll deal with it.' "Noting that OneUnited is based in Boston, he said, "I wasn't, as chairman of the banking committee, not going to do all I could to keep the only black-owned bank in my area alive."Frank said he was unaware of any contacts Waters may have had with Treasury.

OneUnited Chief Executive Kevin Cohee and Treasury officials said the bank was scrutinized before it received any bailout money. More HERE

AAPP: Check out the 1/2 Million dollar investment the Congresswoman wanted to protect. I guess it all politics, and cover yourself in America. Forget about average America, or for that matter average black America.

Obama's Indian-American info czar goes on leave amid FBI probe

More bad news on the Obama appointee front. Obama's Indian-American info czar goes on leave amid FBI probe It's not looking good for Vivek Kundra as reported by the Boston Globe, An aide to President Obama is on leave from his new job after the FBI raided his old District of Columbia government office yesterday, arresting a city employee and a technology consultant on corruption charges, a White House official said. The Feds have said the Obama appointee is not a target.



AAPP: Get this, what happened to a clean government ? These folks have been charged with bribery for rigging contract bids.

The charges were lodged against the two men at a federal court hearing as the FBI finished searching the city's technology office, which was led until recently by Obama's new computer chief, Vivek Kundra.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs would not say whether the White House knew the investigation was underway when it named Kundra last week but called the case "a serious matter."

Yusuf Acar, the acting chief security officer in the city's technology office, was ordered held without bond pending a hearing Tuesday. Prosecutors said $70,000 was found during a search of Acar's Washington home and that he posed a serious flight risk. Acar worked under Kundra, but a spokeswoman for Mayor Adrian Fenty of Washington said she was "very confident" Kundra is not a target of the investigation.

Source: Boston Globe

Why are Economist Hating on Obama and Timothy Geithner?

I think I know why. Because U.S. household wealth has fallen $11.2 trillion in 2008, while the current stimulus plan might not create the real jobs intended.

Then get this, here the Crooks and Liars come,with a second stimulus package. Even as President Obama, and his buddy Timothy Geithner get low grades from economists. You see Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner have already received failing grades for their efforts to revive the economy from participants in the latest Wall Street Journal forecasting survey.

The economists' assessment stands in stark contrast with Mr. Obama's popularity with the public, with a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll giving him a 60% approval rating. A majority of the 49 economists polled said they were dissatisfied with the administration's economic policies. On average, they gave the president a grade of 59 out of 100, and although there was a broad range of marks, 42% of respondents rated Mr. Obama below 60. Mr. Geithner received an average grade of 51. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke scored better, with an average 71.

Read More HERE

AAPP: I guess another way of looking at it is 58%-59% of Economists Approve of Obama's Plan. Unfortunately news like the US Household net worth had a record decline in fourth quarter is not helping the Obama administration. Yet, we must all remember this is the garbage Republicans placed on our door step. I guess it's all an economic blame game.

Michael Steele on Greedy Mice, Men and Bipartisanship Fiction

AAPP says: Even with Newt Gingrich taking subtle shots, a knucklehead RNC member calling on Michael Steele to resign, and newspapers saying he is courting more trouble, it appears that Michael Steele is calling President Barack Obama out. But he is not only taking on the Democrats, he is taking on his on party, casting congressional GOP as greedy "mice".

Check out what he said in an interview with the Washington Times' Cal Thomas, Michael Steele says that Obama's quest for bipartisanship is not a political reality. H/T to The Huffington Post

Mr. Steele believes bipartisanship "is a fiction of politics. It's an idea people work toward, but the reality is something else."

Steele also says that President Obama is not serious about his attempts at bipartisanship, but neither were Republican leaders when they were in power.

"Having a photo-op with a bunch of Republicans, inviting them to have a beer with you, or watch a football game is great theater, but when you don't take our suggestions seriously, when you don't respect our staffs and involve them in the vetting process; when you don't confer with the minority party ... you're not serious about bipartisanship."

Didn't Republicans when they ran Congress do to Democrats what Democrats are now doing to Republicans? "Right," Mr. Steele admits, "and everyone [then] clamored for bipartisanship. Did they get it? No." More HERE

Reports are Michael Steele's tenure as RNC chair could be over before it really begins, if recent reports are true. Anonymous Republican sources have told 2 different outlets that Steele's ouster may be imminent. First,

FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver had this on Monday:

According to multiple former high-level RNC staffers familiar with the dynamics involved, Steele is unlikely to survive in the post if favored Republican Jim Tedisco loses his open-seat race to Democrat Scott Murphy.

Then, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire had this yesterday:

Republican insiders tell Political Wire that a no confidence vote on RNC Chairman Michael Steele is likely to be called after the NY-20 special election on March 31 -- regardless of whether Republicans win the seat or not.

Goddard goes on to drop a casual tidbit that has my olfactory rodent detector at red alert:

Katon Dawson, who came in second in the January RNC vote, is said to be quietly organizing a vote and is getting the support of several state party chairmen who want to dump Steele.

Isn't this about the neatest bit of zeroing-in you've seen in awhile? It's almost as though Nate Silver's source mumbled part of his leak, and had to call Goddard to get the rest of it out. More HERE

AAPP: Now The Washington Post reports, less than 24 hours after beating back rumors of a no-confidence vote in his leadership, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is on defense again over an interview he gave with GQ's Lisa DePaulo. OK folks, this is called, Political suicide.

I guess I'm not the only one Wondering if Democrats and Republicans can coupe with Michael Steele?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and black Americans

More on The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and black folk.

AAPP says: Black folks need to know what is going on with our government regarding out tax dollars. With almost two of every three black Southerners worried they could lose their jobs this year in what they see as a deteriorating economy, according to a Winthrop University/ETV poll. We should also be concerned about the ARRA, and engage our governors to make sure we are not ignored.

It is said that the ARRA is designed to create jobs, encourage private investment and speed recovery. Let's hope it is also designed to create jobs, encourage private investment and speed recovery with the African American community, and not just the gentrified urban communities. But I guess that will be up to us in every community across America.

The ARRA requires unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency for all levels of government. We should hold every government enitity accountable. ARRA will affect many state formula and discretionary grants, as well as various entitlements and anti-cyclical programs. Through state programs, states or individuals could receive more than $250 billion from the package. Many of these programs will require legislative, business and management information system changes.

State governments are facing unprecedented challenges, including falling revenues and an increased demand for state services. The National Governor's Association has developed a Resource Center designed to provide information and innovative ideas as states begin to implement ARRA. Here you will find an analysis of the ARRA, a report on state implementation and several NGA Center for Best Practices reports that analyze specific components of ARRA. Check out the Center HERE

It's time for us to get involved locally, and nationally regarding the ARRA. Groups like the afrospear, NAACP, Urban League, and others will need to step up their game and take some hints from the Color of Change and The Poor People's Campaign, Inc.

Don't forget to bookmark this blog and return to it often.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds, Race and Stimulus Rejectionists

UPDATE: When President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law on February 17, 2009, it marked the beginning of a 45-day window for each state to claim the funds allocated to it by the act.

In order to receive funds from the ARRA, governors have 45 days to certify that they will first of all "request and use" funds from the ARRA and second of all use them to create jobs and promote economic growth. If a governor does not accept funds allocated to his or her state before that window expires, the state's legislature then has the option of certifying those two conditions itself. This was placed into the legislation due to stimulus rejectionists.

Check out the list HERE to see which states have accepted funds and examine the certifications they have submitted. This list will expand as more states issue their responses, so check back often.

I wonder how many states are requiring Affirmative Action for hiring, recruiting and contracting. What agencies of the Federal government are making sure that contracts go to minority business interest? With unemployment numbers far worse for black folk someone needs to be concerned about jobs and black folks. Yes, as Robert Turner noted in his recent article from prison, there are bigger problems for black folks than an insensitive and cartoon. Let's hope the NAACP and other such groups are keeping their eyes on the economic ball. If we don't who will.

Congressman Ron Paul says America should have bought and freed slaves

Check on Ron Paul on the DL Hughley Show regarding the Republicans and the GOP. Did Congressman Ron Paul say the best way to have eliminated slavery in America was for the US to have bought the slaves, and just free the slaves? Check Him Out. What do you think about his comments at the end of this taped interview?

Benjamin T. Jealous and Micheal Steele Do They Have The Mettle To Wage The Internal Fight?

I read with interest the article in the NY Times about about the new Republican Party chairmen Mr. Michael Steele, who the NY Times wrote, waves the party flag; Mr. Steele smiles and shreds it. A man of constantly colliding analogies, he compares Republicans to drunks in need of a 12-step program and to the mentally ill. He has insulted Rush Limbaugh and moderate Republican senators alike, and he has promised a “hip-hop makeover” that would attract even “one-armed midgets” to his party.

The NY Times goes on to say, Mr. Steele is the party’s first African-American chairman, his election a response to a history-making Democratic president. But now his performance is raising questions: Does he have a strategy, or is he simply saying whatever comes to mind? Republican moderates have staked hopes of reform on him, betting that his race and frank style will foster a new image of the party, but is this what they expected?

“I’m trying to move an elephant that’s become mired in its own muck,” Mr. Steele said in an interview last week in his sunlit Capitol Hill office, pausing whenever he appeared on the giant television close by his desk.

Get this, the NY Times quotes the new NAACP President as one who applauds Mr. Steele’s vision of a more inclusive Republican Party but wonders if he can execute it. “Does he have the mettle to wage that type of fight?” asked Benjamin T. Jealous, the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

AAPP: I have been wondering the same thing about the NAACP's new president. I too applaud Mr. Steele and Mr. Jealous vision of a more inclusive Republican Party and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. I just wonder if they both can execute these visions within their own conservative organizations. Only time will tell, but judging from there actions thus far they have a struggle ahead of themselves. Nothing has changed at the Old Guard NAACP in some time. I'm reminded that John H Mc Whorter, wrote in the LA Times "The NAACP is stuck in a mind-set that worked 30 years ago but makes little sense today."

John also wrote, "Lifting blacks up is no longer a matter of getting whites off our necks. We are faced, rather, with the mundane tasks of teaching those "left behind" after the civil rights victory how to succeed in a complex society - one in which there will never be a second civil rights revolution. To be sure, racism still exists and must be stamped out. But it has been clearly and distinctly marginalized. And it is simply a fallacy to say that the only way people can achieve is when there is absolutely no bias whatsoever against them. The burgeoning of the black middle class has made it clear that societal racism doesn't condemn African Americans to failure." More HERE

There are a lot of bloggers on the left, right and middle who have been watching the NAACP for sometime. Some of us plan not only to watch but to be involved, if the NAACP will let us. I'm still waiting for return phone calls from my own local branch.

Check on Ron Paul on the DL Hughley Show regarding the Republicans and the GOP. Is Ron Paul too Human to be Republican? Did Congressman Ron Paul say the best way to have eliminated slavery in America was for the North to have bought the slaves, and just free the slaves? Check Him Out.