Keeping It Right

Keeping It Right is for thought provoking conversationist. It's for those who love to talk about today's issues, yesterday's history and tomorrow's future.

Name:
Location: Texas, United States

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Larry Elder: The Endless Honeymoon

When," someone recently asked me, "does President Obama's media 'honeymoon' period end?"

Answer: It won't.

Oh, sure, every relationship experiences peaks and valleys. But the "mainstream media" wanted Obama to win, and helped him do so. If Obama were a stock, the media would be "fully invested."

During the Bush administration, we saw many "Big Stories" of "Bad Actions." Let's liken these stories to crimes. If Bush committed no crime, they reported an infraction. If he committed an infraction, they reported a misdemeanor. If he committed a misdemeanor, they reported a felony. If he committed a felony, they reported a capital offense. With Obama, the media reverse the procedure. Any future capital offense will get reported as a regular felony, a felony as a misdemeanor and so forth.

Obama's inauguration showed the double standard on full display. The final tally for all the expenses won't be out for a few months, but clearly the cost of Obama's inauguration meets or exceeds Bush's four years ago, even adjusted for inflation. And expect a higher price for security, in large part because about 400,000 people attended Bush's last inauguration versus Obama's 1.5 million to 1.8 million. Obama's inaugural committee budgeted about $45 million for the fun stuff -- such as balls and concerts and parades -- with taxpayers putting up $49 million more, and local jurisdictions are asking federal taxpayers for another $75 million to cover their costs.

But back in 2005, when Bush's second inaugural costs (excluding security) reached $42 million, the media attacked. Unseemly! Exorbitant! Extravagant! How can Bush justify the spending during wartime? Not only does the country remain at war, but our country now suffers a serious recession.

So what do the mainstream media say about Obama's inaugural "extravagance"? Virtually nothing. One Associated Press article, headlined "For inaugural balls, go for glitz, forget economy," opened with this lead: "So you're attending an inaugural ball saluting the historic election of Barack Obama in the worst economic climate in three generations. Can you get away with glitzing it up and still be appropriate, not to mention comfortable and financially viable? To quote the man of the hour: Yes, you can. Veteran ballgoers say you should. And fashionistas insist that you must." Four years ago, an Associated Press article that attacked Bush's "extravagant" inauguration listed things $40 million could buy -- from Humvees to vaccinations.

Here are just a few examples -- from the new president's first few days -- that caught little flak from the media:

--Obama's nominee for Treasury secretary. When now-Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner worked for the International Monetary Fund, the IMF informed all employees -- in writing -- that they owed payroll tax. They actually increase their compensation with an allowance to offset the taxes. Geithner took the money but failed to pay the $34,000 in taxes. He called it an honest "mistake."

--Obama restricts lobbyists. Obama announced "tough" new ethics rules to restrict lobbyists from jobs in his administration. The President then granted a "waiver" for deputy secretary of defense nominee William Lynn, a former Raytheon lobbyist. So the anti-lobbyist ethics rules apply -- until they don't. Oh.

--Obama ends "torture." Obama announced the end to "torture" and restricts the methods of questioning terrorist detainees to the 19 psychological techniques set out in the Army Field Manual. The manual prohibits threats, force and physical contact, including waterboarding. But wait. Obama intends to set up a special task force to determine the adequacy of the Army manual and to recommend "additional or different guidance for other departments or agencies." So Obama intends to restrict the methods of interrogation, unless and until he doesn't want to restrict them. And Obama's choice for national intelligence director, retired Adm. Dennis Blair, refused to say during his confirmation hearings whether he considers waterboarding "torture." Oh.

--Obama closes Gitmo. Obama fulfilled a campaign promise and signed an executive order to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. He says the process will take about a year. Bush, by the way, wanted to close Gitmo, too (as did Republican presidential candidate John McCain), but ran into the same challenges that now face Obama. Where will the detainees go, reporters asked Obama. What kind of legal procedures apply? Will he transfer any of the detainees to American soil? If so, how would that affect their legal status? What about the Pentagon's claim that 61 prisoners released from Gitmo have returned to extremist activities and battlefields?

What about Gitmo detainees like Said Ali al-Shihri, whom we released to Saudi Arabia? After "anti-jihad re-indoctrination," the Saudi government considered him rehabilitated and released him. Authorities now call him al-Qaida's No. 2 guy in Yemen. What about these questions, Mr. President? Well, we'll get to them.

The major news media saw former President George W. Bush as a villain and themselves as sheriff. Obama, on the other hand, enjoys their support. To the news media, Obama represents a combination of Martin Luther King, Gandhi and rock star. They will downplay errors, explain away mistakes, and -- if efforts fail to achieve the desired results -- they can always blame Bush.

Rush Limbaugh:

Let's cut taxes, as I want, and spend more, as Obama would like.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

RF23 - Don't Forget About Bernard C. Brown, II

RF: Don't Forget Bernard C. Brown, II

Hey B. Hussein Obama: When you close down Gitmo...Don't forget about Bernard Curtis Brown, II. Who is Bernard C. Brown II? He's a young man onboard AA Flight 77 bound for California, when EXTREME MUSLIM TERRORISTs took control of his plane and CRASHED it into the Pentagon. So while your daughters are receiving top notch protection paid for by American tax dollars, think about other young people, who may board planes, trains or buses and something like this happening again and again and this time it was some freed GITMO EXTREME MUSLIM TERRORIST SWINE, who was responsible for it.

Bernard C. Brown II: http://www.legacy.com/Sept11/Story.aspx?PersonID=91742&location=1

Freed GITMO detainees: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/world/middleeast/25yemen.html?_r=1&ref=world

US Embassy in Yemen: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE50P6C820090126

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Larry Elder: Obama begins - and so does the resurrection of President Bush

Creators Syndicate – This week, Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States. So now the governing begins — along with the resurrection of George W. Bush's reputation.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Juan Williams: Judge Obama on Performance Alone

Let's not celebrate more ordinary speeches.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Col. Charles Young: Hero

Can Black Americans Not Support President Barack Obama and still be operating in the best interest of the black community?

To bottom line it for everyone -this Newsweek video makes the case that the Black vote for Barack Obama was the completion of a cycle between Fredrick Douglass, Booker T Washington and the present point in our journey as a people.

Monday, January 19, 2009

RF23 - MLK Day; Color or Character

RF23 - MLK Day; Color or Character

Ever since MLK Day was signed into law; most folks who have the day off, treat it as that, a day off. And ever since Obama was [s] elected president, this 2009 MLK Day is supposed to be extra special for black folk.


Why?

Because tomorrow, the nation [media] will swear in it's first man of color, not all the way white as it's 44th president. Now being the history buff I am, I got to respect the history of this media made event and take it as it is.

Ground breaking.

But is it really a victory for black americans? Is it really overcoming or the promised land, Dr. King spoke so eloquently about?

I don't think so. As a matter of fact, to me it's a slap in the face to black americans and even more so an insult to Dr. King and his legacy (Like any of the past mishaps by black americans is a surprise or equally insulting).

Dr. King said that blacks [in the struggle of the 50 and 60's] should be judged by the CONTENT of their CHARACTER and not by the COLOR of his skin. If you think that the [s]election of obama was by the content of his character by 96% of all blacks. I got a bridge to sell you. It wasn't! and I've had many a conversation with many blacks who voted for obama, who can't tell me what his core issues for the race was about. Not one! Oh they had takes like he's the smartest man on the planet, but when they're hit with "he nor has anyone in his camp produced test scores or grades like they said they were going to produce." ahhh pass.


So this brings me to this, Character.


We know he spent 20 years in a church, where hate sermons were given. Pass! all of sudden those type of sermons are heard every Sunday in black churches and apparently the few times, I've gone, the preacher softened his tone and preached love, forgiveness and salvation.


We know he spent a considerable amount of years as a community organizer. Pass! given information that all his projects either failed nor didn't happen. I'm informed that that pesky organization that was identified in Keenan Ivory Wayon's movie, "I'm Gonna Git U Sucka" and "Undercover Brotha" was holding obama back.

We know that in Illinois, the practice of pay to play is part of the political corruption in that state and when its Governor was arrested for doing it in regard to obama's vacated senate seat. Obama received a pass and a look in a different direction or the "OK," when he GAVE his own report saying that he had nothing to do with Blagoivich.

Now with that just alone, that would have torpedoed any "white" candidate, republican or democrat. Somehow all of the above slid off obama like he was teflon.

Is someone going to stand up and say "I voted for obama because he was black?"

Probably not. Because that would mean that you judged him by the color of his skin and ignored his character.

Checkered or not.

Which means we haven't overcome.


RF23 aka JC Lewis, Jr.
www.keepingitright.blogspot.com

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Jemele Hill: Choosing a Rhodes Scholarship over the NFL? Now that's admirable

In an era of perp walks and malcontents, be thankful for people like FSU's Myron Rolle.

Friday, January 02, 2009

Larry Elder: Obama The Magic Negro-gate

This is how the whole thing started.

David Ehrenstein, a writer who happens to be black and liberal, wrote an opinion piece in March 2007 in the Los Angeles Times called "Obama the 'Magic Negro.'"

He argued that whites, according to sociologists, stereotype blacks as "dangerous." But whites consider Obama accessible, likeable and "benign." This, according to Ehrenstein, explains Obama's "crossover" appeal.

To read more click on the titled link