Guest Voz - Micheal Steele: GOP is Relieved I'm Gone!

Guest Voz - Micheal Steele (The 1st -- and last -- Black Leader of the Republican National Committee): The GOP (Republicans) are Relieved I'm Gone!
Michael Steele, the newly ousted chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he's "disappointed" he lost the recent election but that many in his party are relieved. "I think the people in the party, particularly the (white) establishment, are breathing a sigh of relief," Steele said Wednesday on CNN's "The Situation Room." "They have control of the RNC now; let's see what they do with it."

Steele said he thinks members of his party wanted someone with a different tone to run the fundraising arm of the national party. The former Maryland lieutenant governor often made controversial comments that landed him in the national hot seat. "My style is very different, much more engaged on the streets of America as you saw on the bus tour," Steele told CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer. "I like to be out there with people. So it's just a different approach and a different style."

When asked about Karl Rove's recent swipe at Steele in the Wall Street Journal, Steele said Rove has "no idea what he's talking about." The former operative in the George W. Bush administration said Steele's successor, Reince Priebus will run a regime with "no more bloated entourages, sweetheart deals and lack of financial oversight."

"Karl's been attacking me for years," Steele said. "I think the reality of it is Karl doesn't know what he's talking about. The fact of it is, there were no entourages, there were no bloated budgets, we ran a very lean machine. We took every dollar that came into the building and put it back on the streets."

Michael Steele Distances GOP From Arizona's sb1070 Racial Profiling Immigration Law: It's Not 'A Reflection Of An Entire Political Party'

HP Reports: In an interview Monday with Univision, the nation's largest Spanish-language network, Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele distanced the Republican Party from SB-1070, Arizona's controversial immigration law:
Univision: How do you say that Hispanics are relevant (important) for your party, when you just approved a law in Arizona against immigrants?
RNC's STEELE: Well, let's be clear. The actions of one state's governor is not a reflection of an entire country, nor is it a reflection of an entire political party. The governor and the people of Arizona made a decision that they thought was in their best interest, and that's the beauty of a republic, that's who we are.
Univision[Cutaway]: For Steele, the Arizona law against immigrants is not a reflection of our nation, and it is not a reflection of the Republican Party.
RNC's STEELE: We hope, now that this debate is in full bloom, level heads will prevail and that we'll reach a common sense solution with regards to immigration.
Most other national GOP figures have defended the legislation and sharply criticized the Obama administration's lawsuit against Arizona. Many Hispanic Republicans in Arizona, however, have denounced racial profiling SB-1070, and Steele's comments may be an effort to live up to his pledge to increase diversity in the Republican Party.

2012 Republican Prez Candidate Pawlenty Reveals Conservative Agenda: The TRUTH - CHANGE EXPECTATIONS! NO MORE MEDICARE! MORE TAX CUTS TO RICH!!

I saw Tim Pawlenty on Meet the Press this morning. Hearing his answers to questions brought back memories of George W. Bush and what would happen if we elected a Republican again. Tim convinced me the core Republican agenda has not changed. They want tax cuts for the rich and additional ease on regulation for big business. They want to reduce Social Security/Medicare.

Listening to him reminded me that most Americans today are forgetting about what happened during the 8 years of GW Bush's reign. Pawlenty wants to give tax cuts and deregulation to rich/big business.

Today, Pawlenty said, "the way that you create jobs in this country is get businesses who provide the jobs to have--make it more likely that they're going to start a business, grow a business, buy equipment, build buildings, conduct research, commercialize the results of that research and grow jobs."

Pawlenty's own hometown Minnesota newspaper reported, "Governor Pawlenty's budget is bad news for low-income Minnesotans who rely on state health care and for mayors already struggling to balance their own budgets, but good news for corporations paying high taxes."

Then, to top it off, when asked what he would CUT in the Federal Government to bring the deficit under control. Here is the question and response he provided today:

MR. GREGORY: So would you be prepared to cut entitlement benefits, cut Medicare, raise the, the, the age for Social Security or cut
benefits for Social Security?
GOV. PAWLENTY: Here's the math. The federal government takes in $2.2 trillion a year revenues, all sources for all purposes. Their total unfunded liabilities, including entitlements, including pensions, including the whole bill, is $65 trillion. There is no way you can make that math work. So the truth of the matter is, is we are going to have to reform entitlement programs. I've done this in Minnesota, for example, with our bus drivers in the Twin Cities. They had post-retiree health insurance benefits, and the premise was this, if we made a promise to you, we'll keep it. We're not going to cut people off in terms of their pensions if we've made a promise to you. But for people who are new to the system, who are coming on, where we can fairly give them notice and fairly change expectations, the system's going to change. And we did it.

Pawlenty's statement made my skin crawl. He may have plans to run for President in 2012. This is a Republican leader, the party of NO, saying NO to Healthcare Reform, and INSTEAD longing for the GW Bush days. The days when rich/big business received the most tax cuts, the most deregulation, which left us in the biggest Recession/Depression since the Great Depression of the 1930s. (We also lost civil liberties, but that is an entirely different blog.) Considering we entered into GW's reign with the biggest budget surplus in history, that is quite a feat.

We have a "new poor" in America. As the NY Times reports, the new poor are those of us over 50, who may have lost their jobs due to the downturn in the economy, have exhausted their unemployment compensation, do not have the "look" of desirable new prospects for Hot new jobs and are not old enough for Social Security. These folks have spent twenty, thirty, forty years working and contributing to the economy, people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life who are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives — potentially for years to come.

These fifty-somethings are the people Tim Pawlenty is talking about...the people who will be "new to the system", who have not gotten there yet. Tim Pawlenty/Republicans/Conservatives political agenda is to cut us all off before we enter into the Social Security/Medicare system, the system we have supported for forty plus years.

My husband and I both heard the words come out of Pawlenty's mouth this morning. My husband, a left leaning independent/centrist, who has been questioning President Obama of late for not getting enough done, was suddenly flashed back to the times of GWB. He shook his head. "We can't go back to THAT!"

My husband and I were both impacted by the recession, down-sizing and our dreadful economy. We were both layed off from our respective jobs over the last year or so. However, I do have a pension from my company and a small consulting business I own which contributes to our overall income. Additionally, he does have a small pension. However, we are saving and counting the years until we receive our duly paid for Social Security and Medicare. I have contributed over 40 years into social security. If you count my childhood years in the migrant camps, I have worked over 50 years of my life. My husband, over 30 years contributing into Social Security. Now, the Republicans want to take it away from us??? Plus they want Comprehensive Healthcare Reform to FAIL!

What the Republicans/Conservative agenda FAILS to REALIZE is, all of us fifty-somethings have contributed to Social Security ALL OF OUR LIVES. We do NOT want to believe it was some kind of Madoff style Ponzi scheme! DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT TAKING SOCIAL SECURITY AWAY so you can privatize it to your Healthcare Provider friends/PAC contributors form of Social Security. DO NOT CHANGE PLANS unless you are going to pay us back for all we have contributed over the last 40 years, with interest!

For many of us, as illustrated in the NY Times article, finding jobs/new careers is difficult for us "fifty-somethings." Contrary to what the ANTI websites portray, we fifty-somethings are NOT competing with those they term "illeegals." We are not looking for AgJobs, Construction Jobs, or anything in the fast food industry. We are primarily business people who worked in business all of our lives. People like Jean Eisen (57), a proficient salesperson, now out of work, existing on her husband's disability check and food from food banks.

Some businesses do not want to hire domestically. They prefer to automate or outsource offshore. These are the same businesses Tim Pawlenty/Republicans/Conservatives want to provide more tax cuts, more deregulation. The truth for the fifty somethings is, we want Businesses to hire domestically, hire experience. Don't outsource off-shore. We will continue to contribute to the economy domestically. We are loyal. We are patriots. We are hard workers. AND PLEASE DO NOT TAKE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE AWAY, just as we are approaching our time.

Listen to this good and hard: DO NOT OFF-SHORE. HIRE EXPERIENCE. HIRE DEDICATED AMERICANS TO THESE JOBS. The hard working "illeegals" are NOT IMPACTING US!!! They are NOT taking away OUR Jobs! We need people to perform the AgJobs, the Construction Jobs, the Meat Packing Jobs. However, ALLOW US to continue OUR JOBS!! DO NOT OUTSOURCE OUR JOBS OFF-SHORE!

Listen to this most of all: DO NOT ELIMINATE OUR SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE. DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER IT! WE HAVE PAID INTO IT ALL OF OUR LIVES!!! DON'T TOUCH IT! DON'T YOU DARE!!! (This means YOU Tim Pawlenty and ALL YOU REPUBLICANS/CONSERVATIVES who WISH to get back in Power!!!)

RNC’s Spanish Translation Of Hispanic Heritage Month Press Release Riddled With Errors

ThinkProgress.org Reports:
Today, the Republican National Committee (RNC) released a statement from Chairman Michael Steele announcing the release of a new video in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. However, though the press release emphasizes the Republican Party’s “commitment to the Hispanic community,” apparently that commitment does not include hiring a qualified Spanish translator. The Spanish translation of Steele’s statement is riddled with embarrassing typos and errors. Even Yahoo’s automatic online translator, Babel Fish, produces better results. A quick revision highlights the multitude of glaring errors.

The substance of the accompanying video isn’t much better. Its main focus is on highlighting the accomplishments of conservative Latinos and completely ignores renowned Latino leaders like civil rights activists César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, and completely sidesteps the recent confirmation of Puerto Rican Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
The video doesn’t even acknowledge one of the Republican Party’s most respected leaders, former Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) who resigned from his post as RNC chairman in 2007 in response to his party’s anti-immigrant views. Before abruptly leaving Congress this past August, Martinez admitted that his party’s “divisive rhetoric” during the 2007 immigration debate had tarnished the GOP brand amongst Latinos, stating “the Republican Party had better figure out how to talk to them [Latinos].” Ironically, while Steele indicated that the GOP would not be changing its position on immigration, he did say that the Party had to work on its messaging, which is often perceived as “insensitive.”

Tea Party Attendees BEWARE: Republicans, Fox News and Hate Groups Take Charge of Tea Parties on April 15

Attendees of the April 15 Tea Parties BEWARE!

As I previously reported, Republicans are absolutely desperate. Extreme Right Wing groups have formed a new group called "New American Tea Party." Extremist Conservative, Right-Wing Republicans from across the country will be speaking at a number of these events, although they will not allow Michael Steele (an African American) to speak at the Chicago event.

Now, Fox News has jumped on the bandwagon. The deplorable Glenn Beck will host the San Antonio Tea Party, wacko Sean Hannity - Atlanta, Neil Cavuto - Sacramento and Greta Van Sustren - Wash D.C. (see a wacko rant at Glenn Beck's lily white Tea Party on this video)

In addition, HATE groups including the White Nationalist STORMFRONT and Alipac.us are sending their members to these events to recruit new members. In fact ALIPAC will display their hate filled signs/flyers that read: “No Taxation For Illegal Immigration”, “Illegal Aliens Steal Our Tax Resources!”, “Secure Our Border Secure Our Taxes!”, “No Tax Benefits For Illegal Aliens!” and “Amnesty Equals Higher Taxes!”

As I previously reported, the "New American Tea Party" was initially sponsored by the extreme right wing groups: the American Spectator, the Heartland Institute, Americans for Tax Reform, the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, the Institute for Liberty, the Coalition for a Conservative Majority and the Young Conservatives Coalition. The evil Michelle Malkin is a strong supporter. J.P. Freire, the editor of the extreme right wing "American Spectator" hosts their website and provides their updates.

In addition, Fox News- Glenn Beck, Michelle Malkin, Alipac and other websites are now saying "Liberals" will infiltrate their Tea Parties. My suggestion for any Liberal or Minority who is planning on attending one of these Tea Parties, particularly the ones hosted by Fox News, BE SAFE! Take your Video Camera and plenty of tapes. Make sure you have recorded evidence of the activities at these events, for your own protection.

Janet Napolitano Restructures ICE Policies to Focus on Employers, Drug Cartels/Felonious Criminals but Faces Fierce Opposition!

As Janet Napolitano, head of Homeland Security, moves forward with plans to restructure ICE policies to focus on incarcerating Employers and Drug Cartels/Felonious Criminals versus workers, she is facing fierce opposition not only from "The Party of NO" (Republicans), but also from rogue Agents from within her own ICE Divisions who are only interested in sidling up with the owners of the "for profit" prisons where entire families of workers are jailed for PROFIT at tax payers expense. ANTIs, of course, are cheering on Napolitano's opposition.

Delay in Immigration Raids May Signal Policy Change

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids, federal officials said.
A senior department official said the delays signal a pending change in whom agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement choose to prosecute -- increasing the focus on businesses and executives (employers) instead of ordinary workers.
"ICE is now scrutinizing these cases more thoroughly to ensure that [targets] are being taken down when they should be taken down, and that the employer is being targeted and the surveillance and the investigation is being done how it should be done," said the official, discussing Napolitano's views about sensitive law enforcement matters on the condition of anonymity.
"There will be a change in policy, but in the interim, you've got to scrutinize the cases coming up," the senior DHS official said, noting Napolitano's expectations as a former federal prosecutor and state attorney general.
Another DHS official said Napolitano plans to release protocols this week to ensure more consistent work-site investigations and less "haphazard" decision-making...
Critics say workplace and neighborhood sweeps are harsh and indiscriminate, and they accuse the government of racial profiling, violating due process rights and committing other humanitarian abuses...
"Raids that break up families in that way, just kick in the door in the middle of the night, taking [a] father, a parent away, that's just not the American way. It must stop," Pelosi added at a Capitol Hill conference on border issues sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

But Obama also faces pressure from conservative lawmakers and many centrist Democrats, who say that workplace enforcement is needed to reduce the supply of jobs that attract illegal immigrants, and that any retreat in defending American jobs in a recession could ignite a populist backlash. When the White House announced plans last week to move more than 450 federal agents and equipment to the border to counter Mexico's drug cartels, lawmakers warned Napolitano against diverting money from workplace operations.
Rep. Lamar Smith (Tex.), ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said the administration "appears to be using border violence as an excuse" to undercut immigration enforcement in the nation's interior. "It makes no sense to take funds from one priority (worksite enforcement) to address a new priority (the growth in border violence). This is just robbing Peter to pay Paul," Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), the powerful chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee for homeland security, said in an e-mail. Led by Byrd, Congress this year ordered ICE to spend $127 million on workplace operations, $34 million more than President George W. Bush had requested. Reducing those amounts, even in ICE's overall $5 billion budget, would provoke a fight, senior aides in both parties said.
Napolitano has sought to chart a middle course by ordering a review of which immigrants are targeted for arrest. While a policy is still under development, Napolitano has said she intends to focus more on prosecuting criminal cases of wrongdoing by companies. Analysts say they also think ICE may conduct fewer raids, focusing routine enforcement on civil infractions of worker eligibility verification rules...

(ANTI) Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which seeks to reduce immigration, said Obama aides are trying to manage the issue until an economic turnaround permits an attempt to overhaul immigration laws. "I think their calculus is, how do they keep Hispanic groups happy enough without angering the broader public so much that they sabotage health care and their other priorities?" Krikorian said...
Within ICE, the front-office vetting of cases has led to some doubts. Last week, for example, ICE postponed plans to raid employers at a military-related facility in Chicago for which they had arranged to temporarily detain as many as 100 illegal immigrants, according to one (Rogue) official. A second official said Napolitano thought the investigative work was inadequate.
The raid would have been the second under the Obama administration. After the first, a Feb. 24 sweep of an engine-parts maker in Bellingham, Wash., that led to 28 arrests, Napolitano publicly expressed disappointment that ICE did not inform her beforehand and announced an investigation into agency communication practices.
In response, Leigh H. Winchell, the ICE special agent in charge (Rogue ICE Agent) in Seattle, wrote an e-mail to his staff -- subsequently leaked to conservative bloggers -- saying they had acted correctly. He (Rogue ICE Agent) also copied a statement from House Republicans calling Napolitano's review "beyond backwards."
"You did nothing wrong and you did everything right," Winchell wrote. "I cannot control the politics that take place with these types of situations, but I can remind you that you are great servants of this country and this agency."

Rupert Murdoch's NY Post Publishes Racist Cartoon Against Obama!

Representatives of the Republican Party, still reeling from their November losses, are at it again. First, Limbaugh, one of their party leaders and chief spokesperson, said he wanted Obama and our country to Fail. Then Chip Saltsman, candidate for RNC Chair, sent out a "Barack the Magic Negro" CD to his fellow RNC members. Now, Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News and a large RNC contributor, has his NY Post newspaper publish an extremely racist cartoon against Obama's Stimulus package.
Here is what some have said about the cartoon: Barbara Ciara, president of the National Association of Black Journalists said: "To compare the nation's first African-American commander in chief to a dead chimpanzee is nothing short of racist drivel."
The Rev. Al Sharpton called the cartoon "troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys." Sharpton planned to picket the Post on Thursday along with others.
Judge the cartoon for yourselves. Clearly Racist!! It appears the RNC is not only desperate, they are resorting to mean racism to rally their troops. Shame on them!!
References:
NY Post cartoon seems to link Obama to dead chimp
blog: New York Post’s Offensive Cartoon

Breaking News: Senate Passes Stimulus Package! Republicans Wish for America's Failure! Real Porkulus Revealed!

Breaking News: The Stimulus Package passed in the Senate today! (The House already passed an earlier version)
Brave Republicans, but moreso Americans, Sens. Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins of Maine and Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, voted in favor of the bill despite demonization by the Republican ANTI-American opposers.
As many Republicans, Limbaugh and the extremist Right wing play "the usual political games," our President Obama says We must SAVE our failing economy and save America and "What we have to do right now is deliver for the American people."
Meanwhile, Republican extremists including Limbaugh, Malkin and their minions continue to play partisan political games, putting our country and all of our futures in jeopardy. They are praying both our President and our Country Fail so they can WIN in 2012!! So much for their Christian Conservatism! See the reports:
NYTimes reports:

WASHINGTON – The Senate voted on Tuesday to approve an $838 billion economic stimulus plan that stands to become the most expansive anti-recession effort by the United States government since World War II. Congressional leaders said they would immediately begin to work out the differences between the Senate measure and an $820 billion version passed by the House, with President Obama also likely to have a strong voice in the talks.

As the Senate voted on the recovery package, President Obama told an audience at a town meeting in Fort Myers, Fla.: “Doing nothing is not an option. You didn’t send me to Washington to do nothing.”
Despite numerous differences in the two bills approved in the Senate and the House, the overall scope of the economical recovery effort is now clear — sprawling in its reach, with tax cuts for individuals, families and businesses, assistance for jobless and low income Americans, aid to states, and huge spending on education, healthcare, energy and technology.
Fox News reports:
The bill passed on a mostly party-line vote of 61-37. Sixty votes were needed. Three Republicans joined Democrats in passage..Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter...The negotiations (to reconcile both the Senate & House versions of the bill)...could last through next week, potentially passing President Obama's Feb. 16 President's Day deadline.
Christian Science Monitor reports:
Message to Republicans who voted for the package: "We want it to Fail! You are on Notice!"

Right Wing Hot Air Shock Jocks:
FAIL! Today..we’ll be going long and making more calls to Senators and Representatives in opposition to Porkulus, the Obama-Pelosi-Reid omnibus spending bill that passed cloture today. We will have another shot at stopping (FAILING) this behemoth when it comes out of conference, and we need to make sure that we let our elected representatives know exactly what we think of it.
To our Senators and Congressmen: The political Right is good at filling up your voicemails, emails and free faxes. That is their political game. REMEMBER: THE NAYSAYERS ARE FEW!! BUT THEY ARE GOOD AT THEIR TACTICS!
REMEMBER! WE THE PEOPLE SUPPORT YOU!! PASS THIS BILL & SIGN IT!
God Bless America!!

BREAKING NEWS: The New Face of the Republican Party: Michael Steele Elected RNC Chair!

Michael Steele defeated Katon Dawson and was elected the new chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Michael Steele is the first African American ever to achieve this position.
Pundits across cable news are saying Republicans, desperate and fearful since the Presidential election of Barack Obama, elected Steele to regain the minority vote. Steele is not an RNC member and is viewed by some members as an outsider.
The Washington Post reports:
After five ballots, the race came down to Steele and Dawson. Republican party strategists in attendance at the meeting openly fretted about the possibility of electing Dawson, who had acknowledged his membership in a whites-only club, and the signal it would send to a country that had just elected Obama as the nation's first black president.
From Steele's acceptance speech:
"It's time for something completely different and we are going to bring it to them...we are going to bring this party to every boardroom, every neighborhood, every community, and we're gonna say to friend and foe alike we want you to be a part of us. we want you to work with us and for those of you who wish to obstruct, get ready to get knocked over. This is our opportunity. I cannot do this by myself.. New Direction for this country.. Grow and build the Republican Party with this country."
From wikipedia:
Oreo cookie incident (Oreo Cookie = Black on the outside, white on the inside)
After a September 26, 2002 gubernatorial debate, which had occurred without reported incident, Paul Schurick, Ehrlich's communications manager, claimed that the Townsend campaign handed out Oreo cookies to the audience. Five days after the debate, Steele said that one or more Oreo cookies had rolled to his feet during the debate suggesting a racist statement against him. "Maybe it was just someone having their snack, but it was there," Steele said. "If it happened, shame on them if they are that immature and that threatened by me." At the time of the debate"I was in on the cleanup, and we found no cookies or anything else abnormal. There were no Oreo cookies thrown.", Schurick had not mentioned any such incident, but in November 2005 he claimed "It was raining Oreos... They were thick in the air like locusts. I was there. It was very real. It wasn't subtle."In a November 2005 Hannity and Colmes appearance, Steele agreed with Hannity that cookies were thrown at him. Neil Duke of the Baltimore NAACP, who moderated the debate, praised the "passionate audience" and noted their "derisive behavior"but did not see such behavior. "Were there some goofballs sitting in [the] right-hand corner section tossing cookies amongst themselves and acting like sophomores, as the legend has it?" Duke said. "I have no reason to doubt those sources; I just didn't see it."The operations manager of the building where the debate was held, interviewed three years after the event by the Baltimore Sun, disputed Steele's claim and said Some eyewitnesses including AP reporter Tom Stuckey who was at the event have said cookies were handed out.[Other eyewitnesses could not corroborate Steele and Schurick's claim.

RNC Chairman's Lead Candidate has Racist Past! Limbaugh Ranting over Obama comment! Republicans Don't Want to Change Their Ways!

Even after their huge loss in November, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has no plans for changing their ways or being more inclusive now or in the near future.
Here are the signs:

1. The RNC is selecting a new National Chairman next Friday. Who is their Lead Candidate? Is it a candidate known for extending their hand across the aisle? Or known for welcoming minorities? No. Their Lead Candidate is Katon Dawson. Dawson is the chairman of the very strictly conservative South Carolina Republican Party. How does he score on diversity? For the last 12 years, he was a member of a "White's Only" Country Club. So much for respecting diversity.

2. Last week, Rush Limbaugh said he wanted Obama to Fail. Leading Conservatives chastised Limbaugh for his remarks. Even Bill Bennett said he was wrong. The President met with Republican Senators calling for unity, "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done. There are big things that unify Republicans and Democrats, we shouldn't let partisan politics derail what are very important things that need to get done." Now Limbaugh and his minions are on the attack on several websites across the net. He is calling for the Republicans to take a stand now against our President. He is using disrespectful language in his attack. Some Republicans are listening.

It appears many from the core republican base are not on the road to Unity. Many are saying they will go back to pandering to their core conservative/right agenda and distancing themselves from minorities, women's rights and human rights. Apparently they have learned nothing from the American people in the last election. We want change. We want diplomacy. We want an improved economy. We want Unity. We want all people to be treated equally and respectfully.

ANTI Leader Mark Krikorian Says to the GOP it is time to STOP THE HATE!

Hmmm... The ANTI Leader Mark Krikorian, Executive Director, Center of Immigration Studies and author of the ANTI's "Rule of Law" argument said to the RNC, if they ever hope to gain leadership again, they must change their approach towards Immigration. He says the Current Approach (Hate Talk/Animosity) "is both incomplete and counterproductive."
While I agree the Hate Talk must end (meaning ANTIs MUST STOP using the terms: Anchor Babies, Mexifornia, 3rd World Country, Illeegal Aliens, etc.) and some softening on the judges' ability to allow Legal Immigrants with deportation orders to stay, I do not see changes from the current argument, including no change to Mass Deportation through attrition/enforcement which results in Racial Profiling and Hate Crimes.
The only changes I see he is making is using more politically correct language and significantly reducing overall (legal and illegal) immigration in the future. In addition, the changes he is recommending will be adamently opposed by the many extremist and angry ANTIs who I think will continue with their angry rhetoric.
Readers, what do you think of the changes Kirkorian is recommending?
Excerpts from Mark Kirkorian's article in the National Review: (click on link for complete article)
With Republicans shut out of power, now is the time to take a new look at their approach to immigration, to develop a new and distinctive alternative to the majority party on immigration, what is needed is not so much a reversal in specifics but a different framework within which to fit the specifics.
For too long the Republican story line has been “Too Much Lawbreaking,” when instead the real problem is “Too Much Immigration” — only one part of which involves lawbreaking. This exclusive focus on illegal immigration — opposing amnesty and pushing for more enforcement — is both incomplete and counterproductive.
1. Incomplete because the effects of illegal immigration aren’t that different from those of legal immigration — an illiterate Central American farmer with a green card is just as unsuited for a 21st-century economy as an illiterate Central American farmer without a green card.
2. Counterproductive because the focus on criminality can seem punitive and serve to polarize the debate, potentially alienating not just immigrant voters, who really aren’t that numerous, but the native-born, who want less immigration but don’t want to feel bad about themselves for holding such a view.
A new approach would retain the widely popular, and morally compelling, support for more consistent application of immigration laws and opposition to legalization — but make them part of a broader push for a more moderate level of future immigration overall.
If the debate focuses solely on legality, ultimately there’s no real argument against amnesty and open borders. You just legalize the whole thing and the issue goes away — no illegals, no problem. In the appropriately larger context, amnesty is bad not only because it rewards lawbreaking (which it does), but also for the same reason that the Visa lottery is bad: it leads to excessive immigration. A new GOP approach to immigration would also recognize that there are two components to the debate — immigration policy and immigrant policy, the first governing who and how many we take, the second how we treat people once they’re here...
The ..option .. most Americans (of whatever party) intuitively support — a pro-immigrant policy of low immigration, one that seeks a smaller number of future admissions but extends a warmer welcome to those admitted. Ironically, such reductions in immigration could actually drain away some of the venom from the immigration debate by allowing a more relaxed approach to those immigrants we do let in. For instance, something called “cancellation of removal” can be used by a judge to allow a legal immigrant to stay despite a deportation order, because of hardship to his family. Because of mass immigration, causing the system to be a sieve, Congress raised the bar in 1996, from “extreme hardship” to “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship.” A lower level of immigration, allowing us to reestablish control, would permit Congress to trim back a couple of adjectives, because the problem wouldn’t be as acute. The same could apply to other areas, such as welfare eligibility, where tough standards are required in the face of massive numbers, but more flexibility is possible when the tide ebbs. Thus a pro-immigrant policy of low immigration can serve two purposes — it puts the illegal immigration question into a larger context, providing more than simply a gut-level opposition to amnesty. And it can allow a more flexible and less punitive approach to management of immigrants already here, making a policy that will necessarily involve a certain degree of sternness be somewhat less severe.

RNC Chairman Candidates' Debate Proves the RNC will Never Win a Presidential Campaign Again!

On Monday, the RNC hosted an RNC Chairman Candidates' Debate on C-Span. The candidates include: Katon Dawson, Ken Blackwell (African American), Saul Anuzis, Chip Saltzman (Magical Negro CD), Mike Duncan (old school RNC & current RNC Chair) and Michael Steele (African American). One of these six contenders will be chosen by the 168-member Republican National Committee at the end of this month.

For those of you with no doze who wish to see this 90 minute snoozefest, you can see the CSPAN video here.

I watched it. It was obvious. The Republicans are still scratching their heads wondering why they lost the 2008 Presidential election. None of them said anything new that will stir up the future vote.

Many of these RNC leaders are in a state of denial. They do not want to change. They do not want to understand why they lost the minority vote. They do not want to understand that unless they change their ways, they will never win a Presidential election again. They continue to stand by their mantra, "Our party stands for Family Values and Lower Taxes. We just had BAD Public Relations. We just need to communicate our message better. If we keep to our Core Values, the Voters, including minorities, will come." It is clear, the RNC is stuck in the 1980's, the Reagan Years.

As I wrote in November, Republicans did not receive the Latino Vote because they did not listen to our issues nor include Latinos in their agenda. In fact, during the "debate" the RNC Chairman candidates refused to touch one of the most sensitive and important issues facing us today, Immigration Reform. It was the elephant in the room. Wes Vernon from RenewAmerica.us agrees. In his recent column he said:

Picking up the pieces from the 2008 election is going to be an uphill climb as it is. Add to that an issue deemed so delicate that not one of the six candidates for Republican National Chairman dares utter a meaningful word about it during a 90-minute debate...

(Until) the dicey question came from Mario Lopez, President of the conservative Hispanic Leadership Fund (HLF). Mr. Lopez was not being adversarial or trying to lay a trap for the would-be RNC chairman... His group favors a lot of things conservatives favor: lower taxes, entrepreneurship, and education reform, etc.

Lopez phrased the question and its preface this way: "In roughly 30 years, the United States will be a majority minority country, 50,000 Hispanics turn 18 every month, and by 2050, one in three Americans will of Hispanic descent. After significant gains with Hispanic voters — for example, President Bush 40 to 44 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004 — harsh rhetoric from some Republicans (ANTIs) and the general lack of a real sustained commitment were large factors in dropping the GOP share of the Hispanic vote to 31% in 2008 and 27% in 2006. Given the demographic changes facing the country, do you agree with the notion that the Republican Party cannot be a governing majority ever again without expanding the base by bringing more Hispanics and other minorities into its ranks? If so, how do you plan to integrate these efforts into all aspects of party operations?"

What was not said: Notice that in his question, Mr. Lopez did not mention the "too hot to handle" issue at the bottom line of his political concerns: illegal immigration. But then, not one of the answers delivered by the six RNC chairman-hopefuls mentioned that issue either...

Ever since then (the failed Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill), politicians in both parties have been treading on eggs over the issue...

In their responses, the candidates touched on several (other) issues on which Hispanic voters are in sync with the values of millions of other Americans and the conservative ethos: school choice, abortion, sanctity of the individual, limited government, "families empowered by choice in health care," safe streets, a good job for their children, etc....but still not a word about the underlying issue — again, illegal immigration (Comprehensive Immigration Reform).

Note: At this point Vernon goes on the typical rant against CIR without offering any recommendations for CIR or increasing the Latino or Minority Vote. I will leave it to viewers if they choose to read his rant or not. I guess he couldn't help himself. Then he utters the RNC's deathnell if they take his advice: " failing to include the issue of illegal immigration in polling questions sent to grassroots Republicans, possibly because of a belief that the answers would expose the unpopularity of the Bush administration's "open borders" policies — another sad chapter in the stupid party's longstanding death wish. That kind of pussyfooting or evasion of the issue will not do. The next RNC chairman should understand there is too much at stake."

In the end, it was Michael Steele who provided one of the most significant and telling responses of the "debate". In response to Mario Lopez's question he said, "Until we (including RNC State Chairmen) get outside of our comfort zones, put in face time (to NAACP and other minority organizations), then we won’t have to worry about a Hispanic face coming up and asking these questions." Well, he was two-thirds right. Not only do they need to get out of their comfort zones and put in face time, but they also have to have Hispanic faces not only asking questions, but being integral members of the RNC Leadership Team.

Magical Negro Debacle: An Unbiased Assessment

I am publishing one last article about Chip Saltsman's distribution of Rush Limbaugh's the "Magic Negro" CD. Tim Rutten, a pulitzer prize winning journalist, provides an unbiased assessment of Chip Saltsman's actions. What is interesting is, he made the exact same assessment I did:

Chip Saltsman's 'Magic Negro' mistake

Tim Rutten December 31, 2008

Chip Saltsman, the former Tennessee state Republican chairman who ran Mike Huckabee's underfunded but shrewd bid for the GOP's presidential nomination now wants to be Republican national chairman, and, apparently as part of his campaign, he sent his associates a Christmas gift consisting of songs by the satirist Paul Shanklin. The title track, sung in a voice meant to impersonate Al Sharpton, is "Barack the Magic Negro."

It parodies the president-elect as a black man acceptable to whites. Another song, "Star Spanglish Banner," disparages Latinos. Shanklin, who first performed his parody on Rush Limbaugh's radio show (and they say ideologues don't have a sense of humor) said he was inspired by an Op-Ed article by David Ehrenstein that appeared in The Times this year.

Saltsman, who as you can imagine has come in for a bit of criticism for his gift, now characterizes the column as "irresponsible." (We'll leave it to him to explain why he distributed irresponsible ideas.) Ehrenstein, one of whose grandparents was African American, is a sophisticated cultural critic with the reflexes of a street fighter; he can take care of himself in this one. It's worth pointing out, though, that as a longtime scholar of film and politics, his essay borrowed a term of art that long has been used to describe a certain kind nonthreatening black man as portrayed in literature and cinema. Ehrenstein cited a litany of such portrayals on screen and linked Obama's political popularity to the characters' appeal.

The point is, when it comes to discussions of race in America -- and particularly racial or ethnic humor -- context is everything. In fact, racial and ethnic humor are probably the most contextually sensitive of all forms of satire. They work only when everyone is clear that the person making the joke regards the differences and foibles of another group affectionately and as something that makes everybody's life more interesting. Lots of traditional Jewish and Irish humor falls into that category, though even there, it depends on who is telling the joke, and to whom. The right contextual conditions, however, never exist in politics, which is why ethnic or racial references in that venue nearly always offend -- or, at best, fall flat.

It's also perplexing that anyone with a feel for public life would satirize the race of the first African American president. You might be able to do that with the third or fourth black chief executive, but not the first. It isn't funny because there's too much painful history being exorcised here, and there's nothing "politically correct" about saying that. It's simply an acknowledgment of reality. That's not a liberal or Democratic point of view. It's an American one. That's why former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that Shanklin's song was "so inappropriate that it should disqualify any Republican National Committee candidate who would use it."

What Republican leaders choose to make of Saltsman's sense of the antic is an intramural matter. The defense he has mustered isn't. Saltsman is huffing (throwing a tantrum) that "liberal Democrats and their allies in the media didn't utter a word about David Ehrenstein's irresponsible column in the Los Angeles Times last March. But now, of course, they're shocked and appalled by its parody on 'The Rush Limbaugh Show.' ... I know that our party leaders should stand up against the media's double standards and refuse to pander to their desire for scandal."

Oh, what would we do without our shibboleths? The liberal media? Double standards? This being a nostalgic season, whatever happened to the Eastern Establishment? Oh, that's right, the Bushes are card-carrying members. Oh, well. Does Saltsman really believe that Gingrich, current RNC Chairman Mike Duncan and the heads of GOP state committees in places as different as Florida and North Dakota -- all of whom have pronounced themselves appalled by his bad judgment -- are dupes of the liberal media's double standards?

Actually, if he can sell people that one, maybe the Republicans should elect him chairman.

The RNC Apologizes and A Fable Explaining Why the Magic Negro CD Is Offensive!

The RNC has apologized. The RNC chairman, Robert Duncan, admonished and chastised one of his potential successors, Chip Saltsman, for giving members a CD featuring a song called Barack the Magic Negro. Duncan said, "The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party. I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate, as it clearly does not move us in the right direction." Perhaps Duncan "gets" why the CD is offensive. I know Saltsman does not. He thinks the CD was funny. In my previous post about this subject, many of the Republican and good-ole boy commenters DID NOT GET IT either. They ALSO thought the CD and the reference were Funny!
I was inspired to pen this FABLE to help them understand why the CD is offensive, why the delivery of the CD by a leader of the RNC to other RNC members will turn off many voters and why Limbaugh, who considers himself a Conservative spokesperson, is a poor representative for the RNC.
But again, I wonder if those who think the CD was harmless and funny will understand the Fable? We will see.
---------------------------------------
The FABLE of the GOB
Long, long ago in a land far, far away, lived a group of colorful people led by men who called themselves the Good Ole Boys or GOB for short. The GOB always married perky, pretty, "real women." What most people didn’t know for sure was the GOB quickly made their "real women" wives disappear and replaced them with perky, pretty robots who did their every bidding.
The Real People were always suspicious of the GOB and their robotic wives. Even though they suspected the GOB´s deviltry, the Real People had very little say since the GOB was in charge of their government.
Through the decades, the GOB controlled the movies and the media. Often, the starring role in many of their movies was one of their Stepford Wives. In the movies, they were not only pretty and perky, they had magical powers which, with a twitch of the nose, provided magical perks for their GOB husbands who were always the heroes of the movies.
Over the years, the Real People including the Real Women (RW) grew in numbers. Soon there were several RW in government and in films, although they were still outnumbered and led by the GOB. Occasionally, an RW would speak out her own views. One renowned RW Movie Director, Penny Lee, spoke out in an interview. She said, “In my neighborhood, we look up to real women, smart women, women with hearts and guts enough to stand up for themselves, not bow down to the GOBs.” Then she lamented, “The Magic Stepford Wife does not help RWs. They offer an image that promotes a step and fetch-it mentality, a safe image for the GOBs."
Finally, as the country advanced, a Real Woman, Jennifer Grandhome, was nominated for President. In the early months of her campaign, she was not well known. All anyone could see was, she was a pretty, perky woman who spoke, some felt, scriptedly, to the crowds attending her rallies. One RW Journalist, Kitty Cure-it, opined, “Although I don´t know her, I see she is pretty and perky and well scripted. I hope she is not a Magic Stepford Wife!”
As candidate Grandhome continued her campaign, the public learned more about her and found she was an extremely intelligent, charismatic, well qualified, "Real Woman" candidate. As the crowds grew, the statistics illustrated the country´s support for her. She became the candidate that could win.
The GOB was in a frenzy. Their loudest media bully, Rutt Limpbutt, pounded and attacked Grandhome in every way possible! Limpbutt, a cigar chomping, overweight blowhard was a GOB media attack dog. He yowled, howled, twisted and spun his attacks. He latched on to the Magic Stepford Wife reference by Journalist Cure-it. Limpbutt had his soundman create a CD with a man mimicking the voice of Betty Freewomen chanting:
“Jennifer the Stepford Wife lives in D.C...cause she´s perky but not authentically.”
Rutt and his Soundman attacked and attacked Grandhome and published the CD on his website, promoting it endlessly, planning on ending Grandhome´s campaign!! Real People tried to tell Rutt his plan was not working but Rutt did not listen. He never did.
Finally, election day came. The RWs and all of the Real People came to realize Jennifer Grandhome was not only a Real Woman, but the most qualified candidate that could change the nation! Therefore she received the most votes and won the Presidential election.
The GOB was out of power at last! It was clear Rutt and the GOB were in a real rut. Real Women and the Real People no longer listened to Rutt or the GOB. The REAL PEOPLE did not like the GOB attack tactics! They wanted a Change!!
The GOB mourned their loss and they scratched their heads wondering why they lost. Several GOB leaders grunted, “Perhaps we have to change and LISTEN to the REAL PEOPLE and welcome them to our party!” The rest just oinked and shrugged their shoulders.
Rutt Limpbutt didn´t change. He continued his rants against the new President. He continued the promotion of the CD on his website.
One GOB candidate, Salty Chip, sent the vile CD to all of his comrades at the GOB with the note, “I look forward to working together in the New Year, Please enjoy the enclosed CD by my friend Soundman from the Rutt Limpbutt Show.” Salty did not understand how offensive this CD was to Real Women and to the Real People.
Once the Real People got wind of Salty´s gift to the GOB, they were angry and proclaimed to the GOB, “if you don’t refute Salty´s message, we will never vote for you again!” The next day, the Chairman of the GOB, aghast by the response of the REAL PEOPLE, announced, “This election was a wake-up call for the GOB to reach out and bring more people into our party. I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate, as it clearly does not move us in the right direction."
Salty still did not get it. He responded to the GOB Chairman´s announcement, “It was a Joke!” Salty did not understand the RWs found out about the years of terror and death their RW wives experienced and how reprehensible the Stepford Robot replacements were to all Real Women! The RWs had every right to question and oppose their existence. The vile CD making a joke of the Magic Stepford Wives was certainly nothing for Limpbutt or the GOB to joke about!
LimpButt did not get it either. He continued to yowl, howl, twist and spin his attacks against President Grandhome.
Meanwhile, the Real Women and the Real People of the country simply turned off Limpbutt´s radio show. And most important of all, Real Women never married anyone from the GOB again.

Limbaugh´s "Barack the Magic Negro Parody" and the RNC Guarantee they will NEVER Again Obtain the Latino or Minority Vote!

The Republican National Committee members received a very "fun" gift from one of their members this Christmas. They received a CD with the songs: "Barack the Magic Negro" and "The Star Spanglish Banner."

The CD was created and promoted by the Rush Limbaugh show. The gift giver was RNC candidate Chip Saltsman, former campaign manager of Republican former Prez candidate Mike Huckabee.
The Limbaugh CD was called "We Hate the USA!" (Limbaugh must hate us all!!)

Limbaugh´s lyrics to the Magic Negro song are sung to the melody "Puff the Magic Dragon" and the lyrics include:
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
..cause hes black but not authentically
some say Barack's articulate
and bright and new and clean
the media sure love this guy
a white interloper's dream
"The Star Spanglish Banner" song has Speedy Gonzales sing the lyrics which include:
..cross the border we sailed
as the gringos were sleeping..
jose does that starspangled banner yet wave
hore de land of weak knees and we see no ones brave.
The EXCUSE the Racist Limbaugh, Saltsman and the RNC provide are, "Oh we were just kidding! It was just a Parody!"
One thing is very Clear! Limbaugh and the RNC recipients who laughed at this deplorable excuse for humor are, without a doubt, Racist for doing this! This would be similar to sending out a CD with "Nazi Ovens were Fun!" or "Japanese Internment Camps provide Enjoyable Summers!" or "The Trail of Tears is good Camping!" More FUN Parodies!
The Republican National Committee JUST DOES NOT GET IT!! They have YET to Refute Limbaugh for his Racist Tactics!!
We are a Nation of Immigrants, of ALL Ethnicities! We are ALL EQUAL!!
Our Country is NOT about the Privileged Only! We do not Pander to the Rich Bankers! (except under Bush Economics!) The RNC´s Reign of Terror is OVER!!!

Will the Republicans ever get it? Will they ever understand that until they STOP their Racist Ways and be willing to accept and embrace ALL of us Americans of Color, WE WILL NOT VOTE FOR YOU AGAIN!! (Will they ever, ever Refute Limbaugh OR his tactics!!.... WE LATINOS and MINORITIES ARE WAITING!)

Thankfully Obama WON THE ELECTION and perhaps we can all proudly say again, "God Bless America, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!!"

References:
RNC candidate distributes controversial Obama song
Star Spanglish Banner

Powell, Limbaugh in a Food Fight! Will RNC Take Road Less Traveled Going Forward?

Colin Powell and Rush Limbaugh are in a Food Fight right now over the future of the Republican Party! I am on Colin Powell´s side. (surprise!)

A few days ago, Powell said, "Can we continue to listen to Rush Limbaugh? Is this really the kind of party that we want to be when these kinds of spokespersons seem to appeal to our lesser instincts rather than our better instincts?" What Powell was saying is, in order for the Republican party to be successful going forward, they need to stop pandering to extremists and exclusionists and become more inclusive and start being the party that supports Moderation, Integrity, Experience, Reason and Acceptance of our growingly diverse America!

Limbaugh did not respond to Powell´s comments lightly. In fact, he took offense. He responded by saying, "I think Powell's premise -- and I understand what's going on -- I think Powell's premise is all wrong. The Republican Party needs to stop listening to me. Basically, what that means is the Republican Party's gotta throw you overboard; the Republican Party can't win as long as it is defined by people like you and me, those of you in this audience. The simple fact of the matter is, folks, what makes this funny to me is that the Republican Party's not listened to me in the last two years. And you might even say in matters of policy and so forth, the Republican Party hasn't been listening to me for the last six years. And you might even say that the Republican Party is in the situation it's in precisely because of the people like Colin Powell and John McCain and others who have devised this new definition and identity of the party which is responsible for electing Democrats all over this country."

It is clear the Republican Party is at a crossroads and needs to make a very strong decision about how they will proceed going forward. The question is, will they follow Limbaugh? Or will they follow Powell? Or, will they follow a new Road, perhaps, as my favorite poet suggests, the Road Less Traveled?

References:

Colin Powell Slams Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh

Rush Responds to General Powell