Quote Of The Day

“Blacks' unwavering support for Democrats has weakened their overall bargaining power, encouraged marginalization of their interests, and helped ensure that few resources are available for them. Until there are more blacks in the Republican Party, more blacks willing to vote as independents, or more effective coalition politics with other groups, the marginalization of black interests -- on issues from school vouchers to strict immigration policies -- will continue unabated.” — Carol M. Swain, Vanderbilt University law and political science professor and moderate

COMMENTARY: What's Broke Stays Broke

The moderate-conservative Republican blogger, on Hurricane Katrina: "Since we've all been watching the MSM for video images and photos and breaking news, we've all been subject to a deluge of cliches. And in America, what could be more cliche'd than age old racial stereotypes? In case you haven't felt the tug at the primative heartstrings, looters have made the video clips. The looters are black. Survivors have made the video clips. Survi[v]ors are white.....But let's not mince words. New Orleans is a black vs white town. I was there this spring and all over the news was how clubs in the Quarter were getting sued for racial profiling. In addition to that, there is the kind of black poverty in New Orleans that defies c[i]vility. It's very easy to take a wrong turn off the avenue and wind up in the third world, and everybody knows it. I'm talking dirt streets and standing water in the middle of the summer. There is a not-insignificant portion of New Orleans that a lot of people are glad to see washed into oblivion. But the people who lived there are now souls to be saved. Not everybody is willing to be charitable. Considering that disaster tends to bring out the best in people, what we haven't seen is the daily ugliness of racial New Orleans."

Ford Offers Prayers, Support For Victims Of Hurricane Katrina

Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. has released a statement. The moderate-liberal Democrat has also asked Congress (currently on recess) to quickly reconvene to address the tragedy: "Our prayers go out in plenty to the residents of the Gulf Coast and the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The federal support in response to this tragedy should be smart, coordinated and generous. President Bush's decision to tap the nation's emergency oil reserves is laudable, and hopefully it will benefit buyers at the pump."However, our immediate concern is the safety and health of residents in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. I would urge President Bush to dispatch a large team of federal public health officials, led by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to assist in assessing and responding to the growing public health problems posed by the flooding. Moreover, whatever military equipment is needed to expedite rescue missions should be deployed now. It is disheartening to watch children and seniors sitting atop homes waiting to be air lifted. The President should swiftly act to provide all military equipment needed to facilitate the rescue efforts."In addition, I am going to work with colleagues in the coming days to draft a bill that will accelerate the processing of insurance claims. The bill will also make sure that whether their homes have been damaged by wind or water, the victims of this storm have the resources necessary to rebuild. Congress rightly moved after 9/11 to assist the airline industry; this moment may require similar action."Again, the prayers of Tennesseans are pouring to our friends to the south of us. To the many generous Americans who have already given, thank you. I would encourage all who can give, to give."

Looting: Black Days In New Orleans

Bob Parks is appalled by the looting that he sees in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The conservative Republican commentator writes: "Why is this happening yet again? Of course the answer is clear: racism. At least if you talk to liberals. Being one of the millions of law-abiding blacks in this country, I am tired of being embarrassed by the actions of a minority of thugs, thieves, and opportunists that are using the devastation of New Orleans as an chance to get back at The Man. Then again, they got back at the man in Los Angeles, and after certain teams won championships. Black people aren't the only people who get caught up in mob hysteria, but in the latest episode in The Big Easy, we have a starring role. What's even worse are the media liberals who are falling over themselves to portray the looters as victims.....An act of desperation. Sure it may be desperation because the looters know what they are doing is a crime but they just don't care. When Klansmen refer to blacks as animals, and can show numerous pictures of people of color going from store to store and stealing anything that can be physically removed, how does one counter that? Where's Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton? Where's the condemnation from the NAACP and other so-called black leaders? Why do we only hear justification and understanding from liberals when black people act the fool? I know... I know. I shouldn't be airing our dirty laundry in front of white people. But I can't stop CNN from showing that laundry on worldwide television."

Mr. Parks rants some more about the situation: ""I've said it before and I'll say it again. Liberals and Democrats have created the aura in the black community that they understand the problems and feel the pain. However, they never seem to have any medicine. They consistently deny blacks the chance to abandon the lousy public schools black politicians would never send their own kids to. They push blacks into experimental programs that result in teen pregnancy rates that would never be tolerated in the suburbs. Yet they seem to almost expect blacks to behave like rabid animals in the face of disaster and find ways to make us feel that it should be expected....Black people in New Orleans should be made to understand that the whole world is watching. Any racism people may have is being justified every time they turn on their televisions. If you thought turning around the situation in the black community was tough then, wait until the Democrats you know and love so well, have to explain to their white constituents why they'll need to provide additional tax money to help. And when the plea is balked at, don't blame racism. Don't blame Republicans. Don't blame black conservatives who have moved on. Blame yourselves."

Gregory Kane: "Case Points To Gravity Of Illegal Immigrant Problem"

The conservative Republican columnist, on a hung jury court case in Baltimore re: illegal immigrants accused of killing three kids: "You're not supposed to say such things these days, not unless you want to be accused of racism, bigotry or xenophobia. But I'm funny about the subject of illegal immigration, feeling as I do that it's ... what's the word I'm looking for here? Oh, yeah. Illegal. Quiet as it's kept, there are thousands of folks who legally immigrate to this country. Tolerating illegal immigrants among us tends to make clowns of those who bother to follow the rules and do it the right way. That's only one reason I'm such a Tonton Macoute on the issue of illegal immigration. Another is that I've traveled to five countries within the past two years. I was expected to follow the immigration laws in all of them.....If I and other Americans have to follow and respect the immigration laws of other countries, then folks from those countries are danged sure going to respect ours. Espinoza and Canela, whatever their guilt or innocence in the grisly killings of three children, clearly don't respect those laws. If they're tried again and found guilty, they should be sentenced to solitary confinement in prison for the rest of their lives. (I've given up hope that any murderer will ever receive the death penalty in this town, no matter how heinous the crime.). If they're acquitted, we need to ship them back to Mexico at speeds approaching Warp 10. Ditto for any of their relatives who slipped across the border illegally. That won't happen. Our federal government, which is supposed to be in charge of such things, has completely abandoned its authority on the matter of illegal aliens coming across our borders. Mexican President Vicente Fox seems to think of the United States as his country's northern suburb. President George W. Bush doesn't have the guts to correct him."

Horror Show

New Donkey, a moderate-liberal Democrat, on Hurricane Katrina: "I should be getting some real work done, but I'm finding it hard to stop thinking about what's happening in my favorite city right now, and trying to follow developments through the news media. Unfortunately, media coverage is at best spotty. To some extent that's understandable; after all, there are very few 'on the scene' reporters, and information on key issues like progress towards plugging the gaps in the levee system is hard to come by. Still, Atrios has a very good point about the inability or disinclination of the media to provide basic explanations of the horrific images they keep showing....If you know a little bit about the geography of New Orelans and its many wonderful neighborhoods, these random images are maddening, since a flooded house in Bywater pretty much looks like a flooded house in the Irish Channel. Most viewers probably don't care, and in the end, it doesn't matter what I know when, but some effort to match images with words if not maps would be helpful. Even nightmares need scripts."

White Folks Find, Black Folks Loot?

Angie, one of my blog's readers pointed out this discrepancy - ahem, racism - in Yahoo! News's coverage in a comments section. I wanna bring it to the surface. A photo story about white folks, with backpacks: "Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana."

A photo story about a young black guy, with plastic bag: "A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage when it made landfall on Monday."

Now all the folks involved have bags or backpacks, from their trip to grocery stores. So why the different coverage? I know, I know...

Proposal Four: Require Cleaner Cars

The Yellow Line, a moderate blog, discusses the fourth plank in Mark Satin’s radical middle agenda, which focuses on reducing oil dependence on the Middle East via requiring cleaner cars: "First, it’s important to note that Satin’s motivation for this proposal is not the environment but [instead] is dependence on Middle East oil. I am constantly amazed at how little our government is doing to lessen this dependence despite how much it obviously harms out security and our ability to interact honestly with the Middle East. Despite what some would have you believe, simply drilling more and building more refineries is not a magic-bullet solution. Greater domestic production could be helpful, but reducing demand should also be a major component of any genuine energy plan. But do we need laws requiring fuel efficiency? With rising gas prices, the marketplace is already creating a condition where consumers will be demanding cars that get higher gas mileage. Plus, greater awareness of the need to reduce fuel consumption is also spurring consumers to purchase hybrid vehicles. I myself just bought a hybrid and discovered that demand was so high that there wasn’t a single one on any dealership lot in the city—I had to wait until the next shipment arrived from Japan. And this all happened in Texas—not a state known for demanding fuel-efficient vehicles. Generally speaking, I only support laws that rectify a problem the free market is incapable of handling on its own. And I think the free market is handling the fuel consumption issue fairly well. But I don’t know if it’s handling it fast enough. If this were merely an environmental issue, I’d be much slower in supporting new laws requiring higher gas mileage (although I readily support tax breaks that reward makers and consumers of such vehicles). But this is also a national security issue and it’s one that probably can’t wait for the free market to sort out the problem. We need stronger action."

I agree, and support this proposal. I'd like to get a hybrid car too.

Please Don't Rebuild New Orleans

States Scott Wickham, a black moderate-conservative blogger, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: "Bury the dead. Give people their federal flood insurance money and tell them to move. Because this will happen again and again until everyone moves. And all we have to do to make it happen is stop having the federal government underwrite flood insurance."

Race, Class, And Hurricane Katrina

As you may know, about two-thirds of New Orleans’ population is black. Some liberal blogs charge that there was a conspiracy by New Orleans officials (and they toss in the Bush administration for good measure) to kill off the city's black population. That is ridiculous. They neglect to point out that the Mayor Ray Nagin is black, as are many of the city's top officials. Many if not most of the city's black residents were able to leave out in time, thanks to the mandatory evacuation call. A mandatory evacuation is not what one does when one is trying to kill off a population (and never mind the liberal tendency to stereotype all black folks as poor when a sizeable percentage if not the majority of New Orleans black residents ain't poor, but I digress). Same goes for the Naval flotilla and National Guardsmen and state troopers that are part of the relief effort.

The Louisiana Superdome and other locations were used in order to provide shelter for 10,000-30,000 poor folks (and tourists) who otherwise had no place to go. Given the short amount of time, I believe New Orleans did a creditable job in evacuating folks. And of course, some obstinant folks of all races were stupid enough to stay in their homes (and then are now complaining when FEMA doesn't arrive to save their asses in lickety split). On the news, city officials were upfront in their concerns about where the Superdome's dome structure could withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Was there a better alternative? Had city officials not used the Louisiana Superdome for shelter, then these same liberals would be whining about how it wasn't used to shelter folks.

And it ain't the federal government's job to maintain the city's levee system. Hello, local government? State and county governments? That is where these liberal critics should place their blame, but they won't because both New Orleans mayor and Louisiana's governor are (moderate) Democrats.

A key question that these liberal critics should ask: Where are their Hollywood and other entertainment friends, while various Christian and other religious groups are already out in force with relief efforts? Why aren't their beloved European allies helping out, as America helps out folks when disaster strikes? Using their own logic, it must be because (at least in New Orleans and parts of Mississippi) it mostly affected black folks. By the way, BlackAmericaWeb.com reported yesterday that the National Urban League and the NAACP are assessing how they can help.

One more thing….I am trippin' (but not surprised) about the reports of looting and such. Ain't helpin' the cause. Come on, my people, we are better.

Aid Links (hat tip: Instapundit): American Red Cross, Mercy Corps, Methodist Relief, Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse

Poll Brings Bad News For Democrats On Religion Front

The Moderate Voice blog comments on a new Pew Research Center for the People & the Press poll, which shows that fewer people (29%) see Democrats as friendly to religion now than a year ago (40%). And the change is seen across all demographic groups: "This isn't good news for Democrats, no matter how some may downplay it. It can't be dismissed as the natural consequence of opposing much of the social conservatives' lets-shove-it-through agenda. It boils down to ways of communicating with religious people so they see the Demmies may differ on nuts-and-bolts, but basically share their core values. It's a failure that could cost the party bigtime at the polls....since its an huge opening the GOP will use to its advantage in 2006 and 2008. Not that the Democratic party has tried to ignore religious voters — something that makes these poll numbers all the more troubling for Democrats....So if you strip all this away and stand back and look at it, you get this: the Democrats have an image problem. And one that could well cost it considerable votes. Simply relying on the downward trend in GWB's polling isn't a recipe for success. A sizeable people view the Demcocratic tent as perhaps not as big as Democrats think they view it."

No surprise. A growing number of my relatives - many of whom are evangelical Christians, and all of whom used to be staunch Democrats - believe that the Democratic Party is hostile to religion and old-school black culture. Most are now independents, but a few of them are exploring the Republican Party. They are part of the potential Cosby Republicans that I've discussed in the past that the Republican Party is busing trying to bring into its fold.

McCain: Fickle Friend of Gays

Dennis Sanders says Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has stabbed him in the back. The black moderate Republican writes: "McCain has come out in favor of a change in the Arizona constitution that would ban same sex marriages. To say that I'm shocked, is an understat[e]ment. McCain has been a hero to gay Republicans like myself and he has a place on Log Cabin's Hall of Fame. It might be time to take him off that list. To me, this smacks of pure politics. He's running again in 2008 and is probably fearful that the far right might attack as they did in 2000. If he thinks sacrificing gays is going to sway them, he has another thing coming. They can't stand him, and trying to shore up his far right bona fides ain't going to change things. I have no idea why he is doing this, especially at a time when a growing number of Republicans, like Christie Todd Whitman and John Danforth, are calling for a more tolerant GOP. This is a slap in the face to all gay Republicans who have supported McCain. I was all ready to support him in 2008, but I'm now going to have to rethink that. I would counsel all fair-minded Republicans to do the same and let McCain know that."

Jed Bartlet Is My President, But Not Martin Sheen

The famous actor visited anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan's camp in Crawford, Texas. CenterFeud, a moderate blog, comments on their meeting: "But President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet is a Bible-quoting liberal Democrat from New Hampshire, not a left-wing activist from Hollywood, and would never be seen sharing a stage with a figure whose extreme rhetoric about America being a terrorist nation that is sending its sons to die for oil and Israel has drawn support from the likes of David Duke and neo-Nazis. The Jed Bartlet I know would have a thing or two to say to a fellow American who considers the people killing our soliders in Iraq 'freedom fighters'. But Martin Sheen is happy to gloss over these issues because he is against the Iraq war. And he is not Jed Bartlet....If the Democrats acted in real life the way they do in The West Wing, they'd be a force to be reckoned with instead of a party on the ropes. If Martin Sheen adopted Jed Bartlet's principles instead of those of Michael Moore, he'd visit Cindy Sheehan and tell her to speak out against the war but cool the inflammatory rhetoric and distance herself from fringe elements. Maybe both need to get West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin to write their lines."

Ayaan: "Abolish The Terms Integration And Diversity"

On Monday, Ayaan Hirsi Ali spoke before the Swedish parliament. The Dutch moderate-conservative parliamentarian and feminist argues that the term (which in the European sense is akin to what we call assimilation of immigration in America) is too ambiguous. She is now changing her platform for being a proponent of integration, to one of freedom and tolerance (speech in Dutch): "I propose that we, in regards to ethnic minorities and their future in Europe, as of now abandon using the terms 'integration' and ' diversity' and that we no longer connect them with two other terms: 'freedom' and ' tolerance'. The term ' integration' is too ambiguous to be useful. The term ' diversity' can become at its best used to indicate what is obvious (for example that not all Moslems terrorists are, because they are not all the same) and at its worst a misleading term, concepts that are not entirely [classically] liberal. The terms 'freedom' and 'tolerance' have their origin in reduction. The words 'integration' and ' diversity' forms the crux of the theory of multi-culturalism. Proponents of the multicultural approach reject reduction, and romanticize and obfuscate the practices of ethnic minorities. Those ethnic and religious minorities which support intolerant ideas, are provided with an intellectual framework with which they receive legitimization and resources from liberal states in promoting culturally differentiated rights. In reality, it comes with self-segregation and the uncontested right of certain minority groups to oppress individual women, children and homosexuals as an oppressed community. Government policy that has been based on a theory of multi-culturalism has contributed to the durable establishment of ethnic enclaves. In these enclaves thrives radical Islam."

The atheist parliamentarian continues her speech: "The debate concerning the presence and the future of immigrants in Europe concerns a lot of matters, but the core of the debate centers around three questions about which a serious disagreement exists. These questions are: (1) The separation of religion and state: is there a place for religion in the public space and, if so, how large can that space be? And on the other side: can the government interfere with closed religious communities and, if so, can that go how far? (2) The dilemma of the welfare state and borders: can a welfare state maintain quality and its degree of care for its taxpayers and at the same time large numbers of immigrants that have not made the necessary contributions, but is for a large part dependent on that care? In other words: how many immigrants can a welfare state take and remain a welfare state? (3) The question of individual rights compared with national security: in an era of terror, citizens require that their elected government guarantee security. The same governments must however also guarantee that that citizen rights related to terrorism are not violated."

MP Hirsi Ali concludes her thesis: "What is good about freedom and tolerance is that they are universal, are related to individual rights and that groups are not overlooked, subject to everyone but loose enough that one can make himself part of a group when he wants.....As a spokeswoman for 'integration and emancipation' of the Dutch liberal party [which promotes classically liberal values like small government, free enterprise, and individual rights], I change the name of my task as spokeswoman for freedom and tolerance."

What's The Matter?

Devone Tucker, a black conservative blogger, writes: "While Media Matters for America deserves criticism for taking quotes from conservative pundits out of context, they deserve credit for pointing out the near-total failure of the religious right to condemn Pat Robertson for his remarks about Hugo Chavez."

That is because the religious right favors the assassination of another country's elected leader, who opposes most of their agenda.

WALTER WILLIAMS COMMENTARY: Gasoline Prices

The libertarian economics professor argues that when asking if gasoline prices are too high, we must ask relative to what costs? "With the recent spike in gas prices, the government has chosen not to pursue stupid policies of the past. As a result, we haven't seen shortages. We haven't seen long lines. We haven't seen gasoline station fights and riots. Why? Because price has been allowed to perform its valuable function -- that of equating demand with supply. Our true supply problem is of our own doing. Large quantities of oil lie below the 20 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The amount of land proposed for oil drilling is less than 2,000 acres, less than one-half of one percent of ANWR. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are about 10 billion barrels of recoverable oil in ANWR. But environmentalists' hold on Congress has prevented us from drilling for it. They've also had success in restricting drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and off the shore of California. Another part of our energy problem has to do with refining capacity. Again, because of environmentalists' successful efforts, it's been 30 years since we've built a new oil refinery. Few people realize that the U.S. is also a major oil-producing country. After Saudi Arabia, producing 10.4 million barrels a day, then Russia with 9.4 million barrels, the U.S. with 8.7 million barrels a day is the third-largest producer of oil. But we could produce more. Why aren't we? Producers have a variety of techniques to win monopoly power and higher profits that come with that power. What's a way for OPEC to gain more power? I have a hypothesis, for which I have no evidence, but it ought to be tested. If I were an OPEC big cheese, I'd easily conclude that I could restrict output and charge higher oil prices if somehow U.S. oil drilling were restricted. I'd see U.S. environmental groups as allies, and I would make 'charitable' contributions to assist their efforts to reduce U.S. output. Again, I have no evidence, but it's a hypothesis worth examination."

LA SHAWN BARBER COMMENTARY: A Nation Of Outlaws

The conservative blogger argues that America has been invaded by an army of illegal immigrants, who have more rights than American citizens: "Illegal immigration costs American taxpayers billions of dollars each year. In California alone the cost is $10.5 billion annually. The price tag for the rest of the country, especially border states, is incomprehensible. Illegal immigration is also a public safety risk because aliens do not undergo a medical screening before entering the United States. As a result, diseases once eradicated or virtually eradicated have resurfaced in America. Where is the so-called protection we’re entitled to as American citizens?....What would the American founders say about the state of our country? One of them, President John Adams, made a prediction about the collapse of democracy. 'It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.' Illegal immigration has burdened America and changed our culture for the worse, and our own government refuses to do anything about it. We are no longer a nation ruled by the people and for the people. We are a nation of outlaws."

Quote Of The Day

"It was evident that the success of Negro businessmen was largely dependent upon, and would tend to instill into the mass of the Negro people, habits of system and fidelity in the small details of life, and that these habits would bring with them feelings of self-reliance and self-respect, which are the basis of all real progress, moral or material." — Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), conservative Republican educator, on why business owners are among the ultimate role models

Ford Addresses Oil Costs, Concerns

Congressman Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) expects energy and oil to be hot topics for the new legislative session, and the moderate-liberal Democrat is prepared to weigh in when the time comes (hat tip: Harold Ford Jr. For U.S. Senate 2006 unofficial blog). “We will certainly revisit renewable energy sources,” Rep. Ford, Jr. told students at a University of Tennessee event. “The legacy that we will all leave in post- 9/11 America must be to secure more energy sources. With the technology we have today, we could not be dependent in 10 years.”

He also commented on the volume of conversations centering on tapping into the nation’s emergency oil reserve. “I may be in the minority in my party, but I believe that an emergency reserve is just that, for emergencies,” the five-term congressman said. “Sure, we may be paying a lot of money for gas, but that’s not an emergency. It’s poor planning on our part.” Rep. Ford, Jr. believes emphasis should be placed on finding more energy sources. He supports nuclear options if safety and community health can be ensured. He added that the first step is to ask automakers to increase the mile-per-gallon capabilities of their products and to remain competitive in the global sphere.

Swazi Virgins Dance To Win King's Favor

More than 50,000 bare-breasted virgins vied yesterday to become the King of Swaziland's 13th wife, which critics say ill befits a country with the world's highest HIV/AIDS rate. The last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa, King Mswati III arrived in a leopard-skin loincloth to watch the Reed Dance, which he has used since 1999 to pluck brides from the ranks of teen girls dressed in little more than beaded miniskirts (hat tip: Ramblings' Journal). Wielding machetes and singing tributes to him and his mom, the girls - who view selection as a ticket out of poverty - danced around the royal stadium in the hope of catching the 37-year-old monarch's eye. "I want to live a nice life, have money, be rich, have a BMW and cell phone", said Zodwa Mamba, age 16. Each of his current wives has her own palace and BMW. According to Swazi tradition, the king is always meant to have a bride in waiting and can only marry her when she is pregnant (and he has narrowed his new choice to three people).

Critics say King Mswati - who lives lavishly while two-thirds of Swazis live in abject poverty - sets a bad example by encouraging polygamy and teen sex in a country where 40% of adults live with HIV. Some argue that the Reed Dance - traditionally meant to celebrate womanhood and virginity - has become little more than a showcase for the would-be brides. "The Reed Dance has been abused for one man's personal satisfaction," said Mario Masuku, leader of the banned opposition party. "The king has a passion for young women and opulence."

Yesterday's ceremony yesterday followed the lifting of a royal ban on sexual relations with virgins under age 18, decreed in 2001 to stem the spread of the HIV virus. Media reports indicate that some Swazis believe that the king can do as he pleases, and defend the practice on Swazi tradition and national identity grounds. And oh, a palace official was so shocked by a loud drinking, dancing, and music celebration by the king's eldest daughter, Princess Sikhanyiso (age 17, who has raised eyebrows in society with her fondness for Western-style skirts and jeans) to end the event that he beat her and other girls with a stick.

Where do I begin my feminist critique of this nonsense? Black teen girls catering to one man's pleasure, which goes on too often on the African continent. A poor example for a country with a runaway HIV/AIDS rate. The king's rampant materialism and curtailment of freedoms, while most folks live in poverty.

New Orleans Mayor: 'Significant' Number Of Deaths

Mayor Ray Nagin warned of a sizeable death toll as the exact scope of Hurricane Katrina's wrath remained unknown in the Big Easy. "The city of New Orleans is in a state of devastation," the moderate Democrat said last night. "We probably have 80 percent of our city underwater, with some sections of our city, the water is as deep as 20 feet." Katrina came ashore early yesterday as a Category 4 hurricane, strafing New Orleans with 120 mph winds. A city of nearly 500,000 with a metro population of 1.3 million, New Orleans was under a mandatory evacuation order issued on Sunday. However, many people defied that order and remained in homes. Thousands were shielded from the storm in the city's Louisiana Superdome. Louisiana officials have released no death toll, but Mayor Nagin predicted eastern New Orleans and the city's 9th Ward would be the hardest hit, noting the National Guard would be setting up temporary morgues. He said that bodies have been seen floating in flood waters. Both airports are underwater and there will be no electricity in the city for four to six weeks. Natural gas leaks have been reported throughout town.

Can Hillary Win?

Asks OxBlog, a moderate website: So, can Hillary win in 2008 given that she is so far to the right of her party on national security (at least for the moment)? I actually think the answer is yes. If the situation in Iraq gets worse and worse, it may not matter that she has been relatively hawkish. It's Bush's war, not Clinton's, and its failure would be a Republican albatross.On the other hand, if US and Iraqi forces bring the insurgency under control and Iraq begins to make substantial progress in its struggle for democratization, Hillary's hawkishness may neutralize the GOP's traditional advantage on national security (although against McCain, nothing may be good enough on that front.)But what if things in Iraq stay exactly as they are now? What if we continue to lose two or three soldiers a day while a Shi'ite-Kurdish coaltion, supported by a solid electoral majority, consolidates power without bringing the Sunnis in from the cold? What if the Democratic base continues to clamor ever more loudly for a withdrawal while the GOP, sans Chuck Hagel, rallies 'round the President's soaring pro-democracy rhetoric?In that kind of polarized environment, Hillary may find it impossible to satisfy anyone."

La Shawn Barber: "News Flash For Imbeciles: Terrorists Exploit Immigration Laws"

The conservative blogger writes: "Bush and his cronies have no intention of 'tightening' anything, and if you believe they do, perhaps you’d better have your IQ checked. And I’d like to comment on this statement: 'The department has enacted a slew of programs…to harden immigration laws against terrorists.' They’ve got it all twisted up. We need to 'harden' laws against ALL immigrants, not just terrorists. The Department of Homeland Insecurity, Bush’s big, bloated baby, must put more agents on the border to keep Mexicans and Central Americans out not only for the damage they cause, but to prevent Muslims from jumping the border right along with them. So what’s the solution, you ask? Well, you know I’m considered an extremist about certain things, and this is one. For the next five years at least, close the borders to immigrants from countries harboring or suspected of harboring Islamofascists. CLOSED, with no exceptions. Second, scrutinize young men of Middle Eastern descent no matter which country they’re from. I don’t care if they’re from Iceland. Strictly scrutinize them to the point they get bored by the process and change their minds about immigrating. Third, close and seal the Southern border. Mexicans and Central Americans wanting to enter this great country must get in line and go through the proper channels just like everyone else. Isn’t it a shame that my suggestions are considered extreme? Evidence of cultural rot."

Martin Kimani: "Woe Unto You, Ye Shall Hunger"

The Kenyan-born libertarian blogger, who lives in Britain, comments on a Reuters story on food being made in factories just for starving Africans: "Some of our societies have failed to the point that even food can no longer be taken for granted and charity has become a way of life. Plumpy'nut - made of peanut paste, sugar and a special vitamin - is not being made to feed people in hunger camps, it is being advertised as a charity intervention before starvation really strikes. In other words, preparations must be made for Africans even before they have started starving since it is reliably known that the need will be there sooner or later.....So there you have it and good luck to them. If African entrepreneurs will not step in to create cheap food products then their countrymen shall either starve or shall provide opportunity for others. African misery is the greatest natural resource in that continent. While people argue about gold and oil, no one notices that there is far more money generated by the humanitarian industry on the basis of African misery than by mining or drilling corporates. It makes me wonder whether Niger has businesspeople at all."

Oprah Fails The “Loyalty” Test

Duane Brayboy discusses Roland S. Martin's (of "America's Black Forum" fame and now the executive editor for the Chicago Defender) comments about his chase after media mogul Oprah Winfrey to see if she would (1) attend the recent funeral of black media pioneer John Johnson and (2) make a statement for the newspaper's commemorative edition on the businessman. The conservative blogger slams Mr. Martin's comments: "How many non-black publications would take the time to cover funeral absenteeism anyway? We are the only ones that will tie a fellow black person’s success to the fate of the entire race. Although Johnson did in fact give Oprah some publicity in his magazines, Johnson was not the only contributer to Oprah’s success. Martin does acknowledge in the excerpt above that Oprah did attend Ebony’s 50th anniversary celebration 10 years ago. But for some reason, this was not good enough for him. The funeral was the benchmark. Also according to Martin, Oprah had already made plans to commemorate both Johnson and Luther Vandross on an upcoming show next month. Instead of just moving on to more important issues in the world, he still continues spinning this story for what its worth depicting Oprah as the rich booshie billionaire who has become too uppity to give Johnson his props."

I agree with Mr. Martin on this one, given Ms. Winfrey's public comments about why more black celebrities didn't show up at Ebony's 50th anniversary event last decade. It is not as though she didn't know Mr. Johnson, especially given that they lived here in Chicago. She should've at least gone to the funeral.

Good For The Star...

Asserts Robert A. George, about how the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson dropped conservative commentator Ann Coulter's syndicated column (Tony Snow's column will replace it). The black moderate-conservative Republican journalist and blogger writes: "Ann's a friendly acquaintance, but this is the line that the Arizona Daily Star rightly found just too much: '(T)he savages have declared war, and it's far preferable to fight them in the streets of Baghdad than in the streets of New York -- where the residents would immediately surrender.' I wonder if that includes this guy -- or the 11,000 New Yorkers on active duty? Yeah, Ann, the satire is nice, but after a while it just becomes complete and total bull___. Not 'funny', not 'politically incorrect', not 'droll' -- just complete and totally unnecessary bull___. Enough."

Countering Coulter

The Moderate Voice blog writes about the latest controversy involving the conservative commentator: "There is a bigger issue here than an Ann Coulter (who enrages the left and some in the center) and a Michael Moore (who enrages the right and some in the center). The issue is the deterioration of public discourse in our country — and Coulter is symbolic of it. Somewhere along the line it became fashionable and in the eyes of some intelligent to simply dump on political opponents. Blast them. Insult them. Demonize them. Suggest that they rub the palms of their hands in glee, with a mad look in their eyes, and seek to destroy the country. Perhaps it's due to the general trend in America since the turn of the 20th century where entertainment moved from appealing to broader segments (vaudeville, early movies, radio, early TV) to smaller and smaller segments (cable, the explosion in the number of cable channels, the birth of the Internet and weblogs that seemingly appeal to specific ideological communities). The tone of news and entertainment started to change by the late 80s and 90s — where the Cult of the Outrageous Statement Or Act (best typified by John Belushi's character in 'Animal House') took hold. The thoughtful, more reflective 'on the other hand' commentary or personality became ZZZZZZZZZZZZ in this new age. News was impacted by both competition from tabloids (so news became more tabloid) and the spilling over of the talk radio culture (where confrontation and controversy became the overriding goal) into the way news was presented to consumers."

COMMENTARY: Let Gitmo Be Gitmo

The National Review editor and conservative Republican argues that emptying Gitmo would be dangerous: "The U.S. government is preparing to return 68 percent of enemy fighters from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to their home countries, primarily Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Fraught with shortcomings, this risky scheme reeks of capitulation to Bushophobes. Politically, this decision bolsters the 'Gitmo=Dachau' position. Unable to face the brickbats of left-wing journalists and activists here and abroad, the administration seems to be lobbing this hot potato halfway around the planet. Politics aside, this tactic potentially threatens U.S. safety. Thankfully, Guantanamo is incredibly secure. This Navy base overflows with well-armed guards and well-trained GIs. Any al Qaeda assassin who slithered from his cell soon would be neutralized. If he happened to reach the compound's periphery, he would be greeted by barbed wire and watchtowers. If he snuck through, he could swim to freedom. Haiti is about 100 miles southeast across the shark-choked Windward Passage. Good luck. Because they are not surrounded by water, Afghan, Saudi, and Yemeni prisons cannot be as impregnable as Guantanamo. Since they are accessible by land in countries rife with Islamo-fascists, don't be surprised if al Qaeda troops attempt to liberate their jailed colleagues so that they can resume the hard work of mass murder. The victimized government would surely fret with ours about what these un-caged beasts might do next. Even a failed jailbreak likely would find allied and even U.S. soldiers in the crossfire.....Even from a human-rights standpoint, those who bellyached about Gitmo's raw, naked cruelty now balk at exporting its detainees. As nasty as 'Bush's dungeon' supposedly is, these critics now concede that any Afghan, Saudi, or Yemeni hoosegow is unlikely to be as comfortable for bin Laden's boys as our facility on a breeze-swept Caribbean island."

Richmond: New Truancy Initiative

Mayor Doug Wilder (pictured) will announce a major initiative today to reduce school truancy in Virginia's capital city. The moderate Democrat's new initiative will start this school year and will include additional personnel to address truancy and a city-wide hotline number to report truant children.

THOMAS SOWELL OP-ED: Time And Money And Housing

The conservative Republican economist says time is money, but a lot depends on whose time and whose money: "A recent study indicates that one-fifth of new home-buyers in California pay at least half of their income for housing. So do nearly one-fourth of California renters. When it costs half of what you make just to put a roof over your head, that is a big restriction on what else you can afford to do. How did this situation come about and why does it continue? Part of the reason is that it is newcomers who have to pay outrageous prices for houses, while it is existing homeowners who vote for laws and policies that drive up housing costs by obstructing the building of new homes. Those who already own their own homes are not hurt by soaring housing prices. In fact, they benefit when the value of their homes becomes several times what they originally paid for them. Given this situation and these incentives, it is easy to understand why such things as planning commissions, 'open space' laws and 'historical preservation' policies proliferate. These road-blocks to building are essentially idealistic-sounding ways of being completely selfish. Despite much liberal rhetoric about compassion for the poor, it is precisely in such overwhelmingly liberal enclaves as those in California where high housing costs resulting from restrictive laws have imposed the heaviest burden on lower income people.....All sorts of lofty talk about 'open space' or 'saving the green foothills' is used to disguise the plain fact that those who already have theirs want to keep other people out, especially other people not as upscale as themselves. Ugly as such selfishness may be, it is no worse than the zealotry of the nature cultists who join with them to make life miserable for thousands of other people in order to give themselves a cheap sense of importance that some confuse with idealism."

Uganda: Drop Sedition Case

A couple weeks ago, I highlighted how Uganda's decision to shut down a radio station and charge Andrew Mwenda (pictured), a leading libertarian radio and print journalist, with sedition has caused alarm in the country. His attorney yesterday asked the court to stay proceedings until the Constitutional Court rules on the law's constitutionality and interpretation. Mr. Mwenda is being charged with uttering 'seditious' statements against President Yoweri Museveni and the government during his live talk-show earlier this month. There has been intense speculation in the Ugandan media about possible incompetence in the July 30 helicopter crash that killed Sudanese First Vice President John Garang. The helicopter belonged to President Museveni, and it was flying VP Garang back to Sudan from Uganda. "I have been seeing this young boy, Mwenda, writing about Rwanda, writing about Sudan, writing about [the Ugandan army]. He must stop. Completely," President Museveni recently said. Mr. Mwenda faces five years in prison or a US$27 fine (sizeable for most Ugandans).

Transporting Pork – The Federal Transportation Bill & The Pandering Of Ben Nelson

Dell Gines, a black moderate-conservative blogger, discusses the impact of the recent federal transportation bill and Sen. Ben Nelson's actions (D-Nebraska) on his community near Omaha, Nebraska: "One of these pet projects and the one which has me incensed, is a project advanced by our Senator Ben Nelson here in Nebraska. He got a pork project pushed through for Creighton University a local PRIVATE college here in Nebraska to build a $15 Million dollar parking garage.....So on one block, you have an expensive private school, whose population base is primarily middle to upper middle class students. One block north, you step into the city within a city, ‘North O’ the poorest area of the city. When I attended school at Creighton, and even to this day, students are still told not to cross Cummings, or they would ‘be in danger’. Creighton has HUGE endowments totaling in the hundred million plus range and recently received an anonymous donation of $50 Million dollars, and have been expanding rapidly as a good university would. Which begs the question, as to why Senator Nelson would fight for $15 Million dollars for a parking garage when: A) They could afford it B) They are a private institution C) They area immediately adjacent would have benefit much more from these funds."

A parking garage shouldn't be paid with any federal funds, as it isn't an interstate facility. Hello, local (not even state) government? And a private institution - especially an affluent one - shouldn't be on the public dole. Shameful.

MYCHAL MASSIE OP-ED: Fleas Come With The Dog

The conservative Republican commentator writes that the adage is an accurate description for the membership associations of liberal groups opposing Judge John Roberts' appointment to the Supreme Court: "Groups like [People for the American Way] oppose restrictions on simulated child pornography, despite the spiraling number of children raped and murdered this year alone. Yet PFAW supports the redefining of marriage, deleting 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance, forcing Boy Scouts to permit openly homosexual scoutmasters, partial-birth abortion, judicially imposed tax hikes and racial quotas in college admissions. If John Roberts supported any of the aforementioned or espoused the hateful language of [liberal reader Lin] Browne, he would welcomed by the very people now claiming he is bad for America."

Quote Of The Day

"In my experience as a former senior counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, John Roberts's record demonstrates that he is a careful, diligent and thoughtful lawyer who provided his clients with sound legal advice on civil rights issues. In private practice, Roberts has shown that he has an ability to see all sides of various civil rights issues and has the ability to recognize the complexity of current law in this area. John Roberts is a fair and thoughtful attorney, and I hope that his upcoming hearing in September will reflect these same qualities." — conservative Cherylyn LeBon, member of Project 21, on the Supreme Court nominee

Dialogue or Diatribe?

Asks Dennis Sanders about Cindy Sheehan. The black moderate Republican blogger writes: "The more that you hear from the California woman, the more shrill she sounds. She talks about having the President 'listen' to her and then calls the man a murderer and a terrorist. She says the President killed her son forgetting that her son chose to be in the Army and put himself in harm's way.....If this was for oil, I don't think we'd all be paying close to $3 a gallon. Sheehan presented herself as a mainstream Mom, but in reality, she is part of the far left that has as disturbing a world view as the far right. We need a good discussion about how to deal with Iraq, but Ms. Sheehan's remarks do nothing to move this discussion forward. The scene in Crawford with Ms. Sheehan and her supporters on one side and Bush supporters on the other is just more of the same: the extremes yelling at each other and not coming up with any ideas to solve this problem. Ms. Sheehan could have helped us all talk about how we can help Iraq and also set a time table for a withdraw[a]l. We are not having that discussion right now. I want that discussion. Instead, she has joined the voices of the shrill. You lost me, Ms. Sheehan and maybe many others."

Tough Love

Eddie Butler comments on photos that were sent to him. The boy's sign reads: "Hi!! I'm 13 yrs old. I STEAL. I want to GO TO PRISON TO BE WITH DADDY!!" The black conservative blogger writes: "Aside from being funny, the fact that a mother would go to such an extreme to keep her son from following in the same footsteps of his father (in prison, according to the sign) is commendable. In today's world where it's considered child abuse to spank a child, it seems like so few parents are willing to take necessary measures to keep their children from going down the wrong path in life. The proverbial (and sometimes literal) 'swift kick in the pants' does wonders. Sounds so 'old-fashioned' doesn't it?"

Proposal Three: Patient Capital

The Yellow Line, a moderate blog, discusses the third plank in Mark Satin’s radical middle agenda, which supports no taxes on investment income held for five years or more: "At first glance, this proposal seems less important than some of Satin’s other ideas. But think about the implications. By taxing all income on investments that have been held for less than five years, the patient capital program would punish short-term investing—a major form of modern investing. There would be less incentive for investors (individual and corporate) to 'ride the wave' and more incentive to think long-term and add real value to investments. In many ways, I like this proposal. It in no way prevents individuals or companies from selling investments quickly—it just assesses a tax penalty if they choose to do so. But I wonder how it would affect the common investor who owns mutual funds. Even if we try, most of us do not track exactly which stocks and bonds our mutual funds hold. If our fund manager is moving around investments and that movement nets us a profit, would we be penalized? I’d hope not. I’d hope it’d be enough just to own the mutual fund itself for five years and not each individual investment within the fund. But that would create a giant loophole where mutual fund managers could continue to buy and sell investments at a quick clip without suffering the tax penalties for doing so. And when it comes to money, once a loophole is opened, creative accountants will exploit it for all it’s worth. I think, while a solid starting point, Satin’s 'patient capital' proposal needs some greater detail so as to protect the interests of the common investor."

Dell Gines: "Justice & Criminal Justice Are Two Different Things"

Asserts the moderate-conservative blogger comments on a Louisiana man who waited in jail for eight years without a trial: "In a democracy we strive for the ideal but often end up with the best of alternative solutions. This is unavoidable, and must be recognized in any critique of a system and the kinks or flaws in the system. However, as our society evolves, it is incumbent on us to be ever vigilant, and to ever press towards the ideals that we hold under the premise of the Declaration of Independence and framed in the Constitution. That is why when we see a system ‘problem’ it is not enough to say, 'we are better than country x,y or z' and it is not enough to accept 'some slipping through the cracks'. In terms of our criminal justice system there is a problem. Those with the least, get the least justice.....Justice is supposedly blind, and criminal justice should be as well. My question becomes this, when it comes to the poor amongst us, do we turn a blind eye, while allowing the criminal justice system to keep its eyes on the monetary worth of each individual before it? Or do we hold to justice and equality and pursue the ideals that set the foundation for this country?"

On Hurricane Katrina

Over at Dean's World (a popular moderate-conservative blog), I blog about folks building in hurricane areas and on price gouging charges.

The “Waste-Of-Time” Textile Talks

Chippla Vandu asks: what does the European Union want from China? The Nigerian-born libertarian blogger, who lives in Holland, writes: "If trade is meant to be free, then let it be. True, every country or bloc or region should have the right to set import quotas as well as specific tariffs on imported goods. But, for how long are we going to keep deceiving ourselves? Import quotas, tariffs and subsidies on common goods only work for a while. Eventually, they fail. With trade becoming truly global, more and more goods and services will be purchased from where they are available at the cheapest rates, provided of course they meet minimum specified standards. It's time the European Union woke up to a new reality – China has become the factory of the world. Import quotas and high tariffs may help keep Chinese goods off European shores for a while (and keep European companies alive and competitive) but Europe will never be able to compete with the Chinese on the global market in the long run, except wages were lowered and working hours increased. This may sound sadistic and cruel, but it is the plain truth. Of course, there's always the alternative of doing away with global free trade, but with the world economy so intermingled among the various countries, this seems like a very remote possibility."

JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS COMMENTARY: Calling Out Cosby

The conservative Republican actor addresses comedian Bill Cosby (with whom he co-starred with on the hit sitcom "The Cosby Show") and critics of the liberal comedian's personal responsibility crusade that targets black communities: "Among the gems from Cosby's speech last year, he was quoted as saying: 'The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting.' How I wish he had not uttered those words. Whether a poor choice of words or a misguided elitism as some of his critics have charged, the effect has been to sidetrack a necessary conversation about America's moral decline and obscure it with finger pointing and charges of either blaming the victim or claiming victimhood. There is little talk of solutions and more significantly no mention of hope. Where is the recognition of the strength, resiliency and industriousness of the American people and of black folk specifically? The problems of out-of-wedlock birth, academic underachievement and imprudence are not exclusive to the lower class. Increasingly, they cross all economic lines. Further, the growing rhetoric of 'personal responsibility' tends to cloud the truth that few of us get anywhere in life without help from someone."

Mr. Phillips continues his commentary about Cos and his critics: "It is also true, as Cosby's critics point out, that there are those among the lower class who are trapped in institutions that do not teach although they are prepared and willing to learn and who are struggling in communities wracked with violence. However, as Cosby rightfully emphasizes, there are also those who find a way to succeed in spite of such obstacles. They manage the difficult work of putting oneself in the position to walk through those doors others have opened. That is work left to us individually and it is in this sense that we are all charged with taking responsibility of our own lives - making good choices, seeking virtue because it is virtue that leads to happiness. To merely point a finger as Cosby does highlights the issue but does not move us any closer to solving it. To blast Cosby and continue to portray blacks as victims of government neglect as others are wont to do not only leaves us standing still, it leaves us impotent."

The problems of out-of-wedlock birth, academic underachievement, crime, etc. aren't exclusive to the lower class. However, they do (very) disproportionately reside among that social class and drag down all black statistics, and thus Cos was on point. However, Mr. Phillips is correct that everyone should focus more on building upon black strengths in the family, church, and school.

COMMENTARY: It's Racist, And Not In Name Only

Argues the moderate-conservative columnist, about the NCAA's recent decision to ban colleges and universities from postseason sports play if their school nicknames or mascots use American Indian names: "We all know that the American government destroyed whatever got in its way and broke treaties with indigenous Indians that would have hampered expansion and economic development. Warlike Indians, such as the Apaches, were overrun, and so were those who were not warlike - the pastoral Nez Perce, for instance. Distinctions between Chief George of the Nez Perce and men like Geronimo, a butcher as cruel as Pol Pot, were not important. They were Indians and they were in the way. Nothing is going to change history, but we should contemplate whether some people are dehumanized so others can have what they claim is 'innocent fun.'...The NCAA had to reverse restrictions upon Florida State University that were imposed with sanctimoniousness dripping from every word. Florida State's mascot name, the Seminoles, had long been approved and supported by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. A complaint against the school, it turned out, was raised by a group of Seminoles in Oklahoma! Apparently, all Indians sounded the same to the NCAA. Distinctions are always the problem and always the goal."

I took some flack by readers for my position last month, but these mascots are racist minstrelsy. Spoken by an alumna of University of Illinois, home of the Fighting Illini. A tribe that is no longer in existence, by the way.

Promoting Progressive Centrism

Nathan Sosa argues that progressive centrism - as exemplified by Clinton administration policies - should be America's future path in moving away from the extremes of liberalism and conservatism in economics, foreign policy, and the use of government power: "During the 1990s, the Clinton Administration proved that progressive centrism could produce astounding results. America enjoyed enormous economic prosperity, social renewal and worldwide peace on a scale never before imagined. These breathtaking achievements were not the result of chance, good luck or divine intervention. They occurred because of the decisive leadership of progressive centrists who defied powerful interest groups on both sides of the political spectrum in order to implement pragmatic policies that worked. It was this common sense approach that so infuriated extremists because it made their anachronistic ideologies obsolete. It was this agenda that moved our country beyond the stale debate between right and left by proving that neither side had all the answers. Progressive centrism thus offers the best possible political philosophy to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century."

If you ignore Rwanda, the rise of Al Qaeda, and increasing societal moral breakdown, then I otherwise agree regarding the 1990s. Clinton also had a Republican Congress to rein him in, so divided government may not be a bad thing. I believe small-government centrism is better, but that's me.

STAR PARKER COMMENTARY: Are Racial Designations Real, Or Just Political?

The conservative Republican commentator writes about how race is classified in the United States: "It created somewhat of a stir in the black community when the Census Bureau reported several years ago that Hispanics surpassed blacks as the nation's largest 'minority' group. The only reason why anyone would care about this is that the very odious attitudes and ideas that historically provided the rationale for discrimination and persecution have been transformed into platforms for political power, preferences and entitlements. It is ironic to me that, as we encourage Iraqis to create a new, free society in the Middle East -- as Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims and Kurds work to create a constitution with just and common rules for governing all -- that we Americans retain the concepts of race and ethnicity in our political formalities. I think it is insulting to all Americans and denigrates the ideal of freedom as we understand it at home and advocate it abroad. My plea here, of course, is not to ignore ethnic differences. They are crucial. My plea is to remove them from politics where, rather than appreciating them as part of individual uniqueness, they are used to transform people into objects for political manipulation....If the idea of race is elusive and abusive, the notion of minority is, of course, absurd. Hence we get ridiculous headlines like the Census Bureau's about 'majority minority.' A truly free society understands and respects the fact that there really is just one minority - each unique individual. Certainly this was the Rev. Martin Luther King's point about 'content of character' being the standard to which we should aspire."

COMMENTARY: "Sorry" Works

The National Review editor and conservative Republican discusses what he believes is a prescription for medical-malpractice lawsuits: "Along these lines, a new organization called 'The Sorry Works! Coalition' hopes to curb lawsuits stemming from medical errors. It encourages doctors and hospitals to 'fess up when they screw up and offer fair compensation to those they have harmed. This simple idea should brighten the climate wherein doctors often fear the sick as potential litigants, while too many patients treat practitioners like unguarded pots of gold....'The majority of people who file medical lawsuits file out of anger, not greed,' says Sorry Works! founder Doug Wojcieszak. 'That anger is driven by lack of communication, being abandoned by doctors, and no one taking responsibility for his mistakes. Apologizing and offering some up-front compensation reduces this anger. Also, if doctors learn from their mistakes, they have a better chance of fixing them and not repeating them.' As Wojcieszak suggests, beyond legal and economic benefits, apology policies have clinical advantages. They preserve doctor-patient relationships, boost physician morale, and help correct errors."

Back Online

I experienced a disruption in Internet service in my area yesterday, so was unable to get online. Thus, no edition yesterday. I am sorry for any inconvenience.

The Love Affair Between The Maasai And The English

Martin Kimani comments on an article that discusses a white British antiques dealer who wants to be a Maasai, and argues that it is only the latest example of an unhealthy British obsession. The Kenyan-born libertarian blogger writes: "Colonialists like their savages savage in a romantic mould. There is a streak of masochism in having your material world dismissed by people who have little but vanity and some sick cows. Colonialists want to believe their subjugated people were worth conquering...they are also good for a shag now and then says AA Gill in the London Times to much hilarity."

More minstrelsy by white folks....

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS COMMENTARY: I Am An American

The conservative Republican commentator writes about the undercurrent of jealousy - especially in Europe - about the relative strength and position of prominence that the United States of America enjoys in the world. "If this seems like odd behavior, considering we keep US troops stationed in Europe for their own protection, it is also somewhat predictable. Its basic scapegoating, a way to claim intellectual and moral superiority over the lone superpower, to identify yourself as part of a resistance, and to provide some psychological linkage to the glory days of the old European empires. In short, this is how France, which has the GNP of Georgia, is able to maintain a voice on the world stage. More shocking is that Americans are starting to believe the rhetoric. Everywhere I go, people equate American foreign policy to a well regimented form of terrorism. They call us murderers. Here at home, leftist newspapers and academics seem to deconstruct America for not being a utopia. They do not compare the United States to other countries. They simply criticize America, as if they were guilty and ashamed for this country’s success. I suppose it is a measure of how good things are in America that its critics chose to focus on the problems of modernity. It is a safe bet that the citizens of Zimbabwe are more worried about whether their children will eat, than on contemplating their own existential angst."

Mr. Williams continues his commentary about what makes America great: "For starters, this country embodies something utterly unique: History’s first democratic empire. Beginning in the post war era, we have used free trade and democracy to create a series of interlocking relationships that end war. This has been America’s great gift to the world. It was a gift that was hauled along by two factors in particular: the industrial revolution and the fact that the social hierarchies of older societies didn’t restrain America. These two factors created conditions by which every American citizen felt he could succeed. Of course, the opportunities that the industrial revolution provided were not unique to America. The fact that America nonetheless views such opportunity as its defining characteristic, speaks to a certain cultural spirit which fueled this country’s progress. It is this uniquely American spirit which has primed the pump of this country’s success and fueled the triumph of democracy and modernity over feudal disunity. We should feel pride, not guilt, for this success. Yes, our foreign policy has rightly engendered criticism. But we should never feel guilty for standing up for ourselves, or for rooting out groups of people who sit around and plot ways to murder as many Americans as possible."

Sally M. Haile Selassie: "Democracy Schlimocracy - Another Mugabe in Ethiopia"

This editorial was emailed to me by the president of Young Ethiopian Professionals in the Diaspora:

The soap opera that is the Ethiopian elections continues to unfold like a cheap, tawdry novel, and here's a brief update — all we are missing is a long-lost evil twin, but give it time. We've been waiting to see how far the Ethiopian Government would go to snuff out the democratic process in Ethiopia, but even we did not think it would go this far! Alas, we see that Marxists are unable to truly understand what it means to bow to the will of the people. We are shocked.

You may remember that on May 24, 2005, the European Union put out a statement casting doubts about the vote counting process. "The European Union Election Observation Mission regrets the way in which the counting of the votes at the constituency level is being conducted as well as the way in which the release of results is being handled by the electoral authorities, the government and the political parties, especially the EPRDF."

Ana Gomes, the Chief Observer of the European Union, then issued a damning condemnation of the process and of ex-U.S. President Jimmy Carter's premature endorsement of the elections in a report leaked to the AP. Unless there is a "drastic reverse toward good democratic practice" the observer team and EU "will have to publicly denounce the situation. "Otherwise, the EU jointly with ex-president Carter will be held largely responsible for the lack of transparency, and assumed rigging, of the elections."

Well, as situations unraveled and the world became appalled at the government's killing of 42 unarmed people, it became apparent that the ruling party, the EPRDF, (which has Revolutionary Democracy as its guide — a glorified neo-Marxist dogma) had lost the elections. So, what to do?

For months, the state-owned Ethiopian TV has been embarrassingly used as a propaganda machine for the ruling party. This went out of control when on July 29, 2005, the Ethiopian News Agency made up quotes and attributed them to Tim Clarke, Head of the EU delegation in Ethiopia. Ooops. Weichegud, a widely-read Ethiopian blog, has all the gory details.

Mr. Clarke was unhappy and wrote a letter to the Ethiopian Information Minister stating that he has been misquoted. He also made the letter public. Major ooops. A government caught lying red-handed. But it gets juicer. The European Union is due to file its report about the Ethiopian Elections by mid September, and word on the street is that it will be "pulling no punches." Panicked by this, the Ethiopian Government published an article last week ominously entitled, Gomes, Clarke: Neutral observers or hidden dealers? Among the memorable lines in the article: "But to the disappointment of many of the people in Ethiopia, she becomes very rude in her handling of the situation. Some times looking like the British General sitting on the Ashanti Stool during the colonial Africa and ordering the subjects to wash his legs. Some reliable sources leaked to this writer that she is promised to be paid up to 20% of the money collected from the diaspora provided she writes a critical observation on elections." Hmm...

And Tim Clarke? Tim Clarke has been doing his level best to help his friends in the CUD. He was working hand in glove with them. While he condemns EPRDF's party leader, Bereket Simon in an open letter unfairly, he advises each and every EUD leader you guys grow up."

This is the state of democracy in Ethiopia today.

Mr. Bush promised the world that: "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know... the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you." 71 million people are being help hostage by a government that can't come to terms with losing. Yet, the mainstream media still ignores this story. We are coming to the sad realization that despite what Senator Lugar said of democracy, that maybe all democracies are not created equal.

World News Australia has more details here. The European Union defends Gomes and Clarke here.

Quote Of The Day

"Why are journalists obsessed with personal history? From my background, being an individual is not something you take for granted. Here it is all you, me, I. There it is we, we, we. I come from a world where the word 'trauma' doesn't exist, because we are too poor. I didn't have an easy life compared to the average European. But compared to the average African, it wasn't all that bad [as she comes from a prominent Somali family, who often went into exile abroad]. I know that to some people I am traumatised, that there is something wrong with me. But that just allows them not to hear what I say." — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, controversial moderate-conservative Dutch parliamentarian and feminist

Gregory Kane: "Moviegoers Pay The Price For Those Ads At The Theater"

The conservative Republican columnist writes: "But these days we get a horror show with every feature, in the form of pre-movie commercials. Pay your $9.50 these days, and you're guaranteed to hear four dimwits singing 'Wanta Fanta. Wanta Fanta. Wanta Fanta, Wanta Fanta' before the credits of the feature start rolling. No, I don't want any danged Fanta. I want what I paid my $9.50 for: a movie without commercials. The baby boomers among you might remember how parents explained why television had commercials and movies didn't. Those commercials, we were told, paid for the television shows that were on the air. Movies were different. Moviegoers paid the freight. So now we're still paying the freight - and theater chains are giving us commercials too? Is it just me, or has some unwritten contract been broken here?"

Supporting Troops They Know

Rick Heller, a moderate blogger comments on a new AP-Ipsos poll showing that people with friends or relatives serving in Iraq are likelier than others to have a positive view of a generally unpopular war: "Opponents of the war could argue that the troops are constantly propagandized to believe in the mission, and this filters back to their friends and relatives. However, the concrete risk of losing a loved one is surely something that gives those who know troops pause. One could argue that those for whom the war is abstract may have a more objective view than those 'biased' by personal involvement. It is among those who are absolutely enraged by the war that I wonder about their personal knowledge. Aside from a few grieving families, like the Sheehans, it does seem like the strongest opposition to the war comes from those with the least personal involvement. The notion that war supporters are 'chickenhawks' not risking their own skin or their loved ones would seem to be belied by this data."

I have said that it is no surprise that the strongest anti-war protesters are white liberals - a group that ain't carried their weight in the military in a long time.

Civil Rights Walk Of Fame Inducts 11

Henry Aaron, Ted Turner, and the late former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson Jr. were among 11 people inducted to the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta. Members of the diverse group stood at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site with a plaque containing their footprints and had their shoes preserved in display cases. Xernona Clayton, who created the Walk of Fame, announced that the gallery will have a more international flavor in the future with the addition of former South African President Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu. This year's other inductees were comedian Dick Gregory, late newspaper editor and columnist Ralph McGill, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), singers Nancy Wilson and Harry Belafonte, activist Addie L. Wyatt of Chicago, late appellate judge Elbert Tuttle Sr., and Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. With the help of Mr. Turner, the Walk of Fame was founded two years ago to establish a permanent tribute to civil rights activists. The walkway leads visitors on a path to the museum honoring Rev. King, Jr. at the historic site near his boyhood home and across the street from Ebeneezer Baptist Church.

King To Remain In Hospital For At Least Another Month

Coretta Scott King will remain at a hospital in Atlanta to undergo rehabilitation for a stroke and mild heart attack that from almost two weeks ago. The 78-year-old widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is being fed by mouth now and can say short sentences at a time, mostly ‘‘I love you’’ when she sees a family member. But her doctor said that Mrs. King isn't able to speak for any duration, although she did say that she didn’t want a feeding tube. Mrs. King is making some recovery to the right side of her body but is still unable to walk. She is said to be in high spirits and eager to participate in physical therapy.

The Coretta Scott King Health & Wellness Fund has been established by her family to assist in paying medical and rehabilitation bills. This fund — along with another fund for a scholarship at Mrs. King's alma mater of Antioch College in Ohio — was created after people started sending in unsolicited money.

Africa: What A Great Place To Live!

La Shawn Barber comments on a BBC report noticing a strange phenomenon in Niger, where famine is commonplace: villages in which women and children are going hungry, while there is still food in their households. Men often leave their families to look for work or money, and lock the grain store while they were away (it is often taboo for women to go into the family grain store). The conservative blogger writes: "Niger men love their multiple wives and children enough to teach them the value of scrounging for food. Africa is filled with such wonderful traditions. Men are allowed to drop their seed all over the place, and they don’t have to fend for anyone but themselves. Women and children are on their own except when it’s time to cater to their men. A rogue’s paradise. Here’s another gem: 'And men may be calculating — correctly — that if they don’t provide for their families, aid agencies will step in to fill the gap.' Hmm…making babies with multiple women, knowing the state will feed them. Why does that sound familiar? Wait just a minute…now that I think about it, it’s probably the white man’s fault! Those blue-eyed devils are forcing these oppressed men to starve their babies. Racists!"

Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing...

Says Devone Tucker, a black conservative blogger: "Look, I know that Deval Patrick and Tom Reilly aren't the most formidable challengers, but isn't Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney engaging in a little irrational exuberance by declaring that he could get re-elected in a landslide? Then again, this is the same guy who seems to believe that the GOP will actually give their Presidential nomination in '08 to someone associated with Massachusetts..."

Quote Of The Day

"Africa and the Caribbean is still politically an old boys network where women are feared if they come anywhere near the citadels of power. You can’t have a successful economy and exclude half of your population. You could argue that Europe and America have been successful through their own boys network. This is not entirely true. If you look at the amount of female millionaires in America, the latest figures show they are increasing faster than men. In Britain we have had a welfare state that has cushioned the impact of poverty. Anyway, black women in both America and Britain now do better in education and jobs compared to their male counterparts. Africa and the Caribbean economies cannot afford to lock up the talent of their population through sexist traditions of simply male power. The other set of people who need to be liberated are children. Africa does need to seriously think about why so many children are on the streets of capitals and the soldiers fighting civil conflicts. It needs to educate them so they can become productive citizens, therefore boys should not be exposed to violence and little girls need to be in school, not serving the needs of village elders.” — Tony Sewell, conservative British educator, on building economic progress in Africa

Snoop And Iacocca

Eddie Butler, a black conservative Republican, writes: "Am I the only one that's sick and tired of seeing the Chrysler car commercial with these two in it? I don't watch much TV, and when I do, it's usually the news. This commercial plays at least two or three times during the evening news. I'm sick of it."

I've only seen the commercial once, so no. Ah, the wonders of Tivo....

LA SHAWN BARBER OP-ED: Collapse Of The Black Family

The conservative blogger writes: "Oh yes, the Moynihan Report. The late Moynihan, a Democrat, presented a thesis for which he was maligned and branded a racist. His crime? He warned that the collapse of the black family, already at a critical point 40 years ago, would have devastating consequences. Anyone with half a brain can see that family structure plays a role in the well-being of children in particular and society in general, but we’re not suppose to discuss the fact that 70 percent of black babies are born out of wedlock. I don’t agree with everything Moynihan wrote, but he was an intellectual giant compared to vacuous liberal politicians running things today, with their hare-brained, more-money-will-solve-the-problem schemes."

Expertise on Lance Vs. France

The black conservative blogger on a French paper's claim that Lance Armstrong tested positive for EPO in urine samples in his first Tour de France victory, in 1999: "There's a lot of reasons to question this sudden 'proof' that Lance is guilty. First off, why would the labs keep Armstrong's sample for over six years? If that's the case, then have they tested other riders from 1999, and have any of them come up positive? Also, these were supposedly the backup ('B') samples. Without the actual samples that were tested in 1999 ('A'), there's really nothing that Armstrong can do to challenge the validity of the samples. Of course, the firestorm is about Lance because he's the most recognizable name in the Tour de France. But it's a little too ironic how they kept Lance's samples, which are supposed to be ano[n]myous. I'm sure a simple DNA check could be done to see whether it's his urine, correct? I'm not sure. Besides, the jealousy of Armstrong's success by the French is well known. Simply put, they don't like him. He's an American and he's stomping them in their own sport. Period. And despite the fact that Armstrong is one of the most drug tested athletes in the world, the French media have been busy spreading rumors that Armstrong has doped before. L'Equipe, the newspaper that 'busted' him, is linked to the Tour and has led the way in criticism of Armstrong in the past."

While I do believe that Lance Armstrong (and most other elite pro athletes) ain't clean, the evidence is quite flimsy here without the A samples.

Consider Programs For First-Time Home Buyers

Black Enterprise says that people with low-to-moderate incomes should tap resources offered by many state, county and municipal governments. "Generally, the programs define a first-time home buyer as an individual or family who has not had an ownership interest in a residential property within the last three years. Income restrictions usually apply as well. For example, many programs are only eligible to families with household incomes that are less than 80% of the median household income for a designated region. Regardless of income, applicants must meet bank qualification standards for a mortgage in order to qualify for most first-time homebuyer programs.If you can't qualify for a home loan, you won't be eligible for these programs, so you must still protect and improve your credit, pay down your debt, and take other steps in preparation for the responsibilities of homeownership. Trust me, it's worth the effort-these programs can provide thousands of dollars in loans and grants toward your home purchase."

Cut And Run For Senate

Running for an open U.S. Senate seat in Maryland, Kweisi Mfume (the liberal former Congressman and head of the NAACP is focusing his campaign on a rapid withdrawal from Iraq. Rick Heller, a moderate blogger, comments: "This seems like a smart strategy for Mfume, to attract white suburban support in the primary. It might also work in the general election in a state as Democratic as Maryland. However, I think it would backfire on the Democratic Party as a whole if the party were to become identified with quitting Iraq prematurely. Right now, there is increasing support in the polls for withdrawing from Iraq. I believe some of this support represents 'magical thinking' under the supposition that a withdrawal would stem our losses and have no negative consequences. But if it did take place, and the highly negative outcome that most experts anticipate would result from an immediate withdrawal occurred, those who championed the policy would suffer scorn in the long term."

Civil Rights Groups Support Roberts

With the approach of confirmation hearings for Judge John Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court, representatives from a handful of advocacy organizations yesterday announced support for him and criticized groups on the left who claim to speak for minority groups. At a news conference at the National Press Club, speakers from the Congress of Racial Equality, the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, Project 21, the Center for New Black Leadership, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said liberal advocacy groups who came out against Judge Roberts' nomination this week did not speak for all blacks and Hispanics. "We are not a monolith. We come from many different religious backgrounds and different socioeconomic backgrounds," said Jennifer Braceras, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Niger Innis, a spokesman for the Congress of Racial Equality who led the coalition of organizations and individuals, said he was speaking on behalf of black voices not often heard on issues such as school vouchers, education, making government money available to faith-based organizations and making sure there is no discrimination against faith-based organizations. Ms. Braceras dismissed recent comments by Ralph Neas of People for the American Way that Judge Roberts would try to turn back the clock on civil rights as a boilerplate radical agenda attack that special interest groups would make on any of President Bush's nominees.

Is This An Equal Access Issue?

Nelson Taylor asks whether the media ignores black and other non-white folks that go missing in America. The black libertarian Republican blogger writes: "We already know the media is mostly insulated white folk, leftist, democrat and biased against [R]epublicans, conservatives and others who reject collectivism. If we know this to be the case then way is it so far fetched to assert that the media is ignoring missing persons who are not white? I'd also like to add that the media pretty much ignores missing white boys as well; so, you know that if a little black boy goes missing he's a non-issue in the media.....I wholeheartedly reject the idea that everyone should be treated equally! I do however, firmly believe that everyone deserves equal access and thats something non-white folks and little boys just don't have in the media right now."

Britain: Lightening Strike

The battle against criminals importing illegal skin-lightening products is being lost despite a huge seizure of the products at Gatwick Airport last week. Officers from the Trading Standards Service seized highly dangerous batches of creams - designed to lighten black and Asian skin - that were destined for markets in London. Thousands are sold each year ‘under the counter’ in hair and make-up salons across the capital. The latest seizure was hidden in freight marked ‘food stuff’ on flights from West Africa. Tests on the products have revealed high levels of hydroquinone – a highly toxic chemical that cause damage to the skin and eyes. They also often contain ingredients such as mercury soap and steroid-based creams. Retailers who sell the toxic creams can be punished with fines of up to £5,000 (US$9,000), but they often get away with just the cost of losing the products. Despite the health dangers, skin-lightening products are as popular as ever in the black community. Sherry Dixon, editor of black women’s monthly Pride agrees that black and ethnic minority communities have to challenge the belief that lighter skin is necessarily better. “I’m surprised that these products are coming into the UK. I thought we had moved on and started celebrating being black. It’s sad that there are still people that are using these products.”

Amen, sista. These products are still around? No surprise though.

Quote Of The Day

“Despite all the programs and policies we've had, only blacks can prevent our self destruction. Where we are is about our choices and our ability to take responsibility for our problems, regardless of who originally caused them.” — Angela Winters, moderate blogger

N.Y. Times Draws Blacks' Scorn Over New Florida Paper

There has been a public outcry, and the managing editor was fired only 24 hours before the presses began an inaugural run. Nevertheless, the New York Times has a new presence in Florida with the Gainesville Guardian, a weekly paper targeted to 15,000 local black residents (hat tip: BlackElectorate.com). The paper irks critics who are convinced the Times is simply looking for revenue from blacks. Clint C. Wilson, a journalism professor at Hward University, called it a "white newspaper in blackface," noting in an op-ed for the black-owned Chicago Defender that the Times had "turned to people of color for their economic salvation." The Bay State Banner, a black paper in Boston, called the Times management "journalistic carpetbaggers," adding, "only the black press can be entrusted" to address subjects of importance to black readers.

My people, my people. So what stopped any of the critics from pooling their money and starting up a local paper in this underserved community? Or expanding their existing newspaper empire to this locale? That is where the energy should be placed here. Capitalism, not socialistesque rants.

COMMENTARY: Faith Lost In W's Designs On Science

The moderate-conservative columnist discusses the President George W. Bush's belief that intelligent design theory should be given equal time as evolutionary theory in public schools: "Overweening religious confidence has allowed people to brutalize others throughout human history. On the other hand, the confidence that there is nothing beyond what we currently live has shown in the totalitarian barbarism of Marxist-derived regimes. The problems of both extremes makes it important to stick with our fundamental separation of church and state. The world of religion is safe as long as religious freedom is considered a fundamental right, but the world of politics is always endangered when there are those who are sure that a democracy is not enough; what we need is a theocracy that bends its knee before a particular god and a specific area of belief. We know what that can lead to; we have seen the footage and heard the explosions all over the world because religious hysteria can easily give way to immense brutality. Those given to an 'intelligent design' need to assume that their churches can handle the job. Preachers and holy men are better at their trades than politicians who rarely ever express the poetic power at the center of great religions. Those politicians willing to sell out to the religious right need to take cold showers and calm down."

The U.S. Constitution actually says that Congress shall make no law abridging religion and its free expression. It says nothing about state or local governments. The 10th Amendment (federalism) states that any powers or responsibilities not specifically outlined to the federal government flows to the states and to the people. If we had school vouchers - where parents and not the government controlled school choice - then this controversy would virtually be a moot point, as parents could choose schools for their children that reflected their values. Polls show most black parents - who would not be considered as part of the religious right - agree with President Bush and not with Mr. Crouch here. I personally don't see evolutionary and intelligence design theories as contradictory and I am not religious, but I do support the right of parents to choose schools without white liberals (since that is who is overwhelmingly trying to push religion out of the public arena) undermining black cultural values either.

The Pain Of Unborn Babies

La Shawn Barber, a conservative blogger, slams the new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that concluded that fetuses are highly unlikely to feel pain during the first six months: "You know you’re living in a horribly degraded culture when people spend years doing research to find out whether unborn babies feel pain so they can feel justified in their pro-child killing stance. The lead author of a report which concluded that fetuses don’t feel pain until the seventh month used to work for a pro-child killing group. Another author works for a child killing clinic.....If the mere possibility that innocent babies are tortured in the womb doesn’t make these women want to hang their heads in shame for advocating murder…but they’ll realize one day soon how depraved they are. It’s too tragic for words."

PETER KIRSANOW OP-ED: Treating Preferential Treatment

Critics of Judge John Roberts’s nomination to the Supreme Court repeatedly contend that he is hostile to civil rights. Numerous media reports warn that Roberts’s opponents are prepared to attack him on this issue, citing his alleged position as one of the principal architects of the Reagan administration’s civil-rights policies. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights member and conservative Republican disagrees, and argues that Judge Roberts merely opposes identity politics and racial and gender bean counting: "It’s odd that Roberts’s opponents would attack his confirmation on an issue where public sentiment clearly supports the positions in Roberts’s memo. Polls regularly show that a significant majority of Americans, including a plurality of minorities, oppose the use of preferences (the numbers tighten when the more benign term 'affirmative action' is polled). The good news for his opponents is that whatever effect polls may have on Roberts’s chances for confirmation, his judicial approach to preferences won’t be governed by poll. The bad news for Roberts’s opponents is that his approach will be governed by law."