Kenneth McClenton: "'No Trespassing': A Law That Must Be Disobeyed To Reach The Urban Conservative"

29% of black Americans self-identify as conservative...

The member of the American Conservative Party in Washington, D.C., opines: "In the world of politics, I often wonder why leaders in some political parties have not pursued the conservative Afro-American community as little boy] Martin pursued Peyton Manning. I am no great theoretician however, from my readings, I have discerned that Afro-Americans [that's Black Non-Hispanic to the hip liberal Census crowd] are truly more conservative than their Caucasian [that's White now, ya hear] ilk. Statistics show over and over again that Afro-Americans are truly a religious people whether in the city or out in the country. Pew reports that members of Baptist churches account for one-third of all Protestants and close to one-fifth of the total U.S. adult population. Baptists also account for nearly two-thirds of members of historically black Protestant churches. Nearly 90% of Afro-Americans believe in God compared to 70% of the US population and over 50% attend weekly services compared to the US population."

He continues: "It is not a shock that the more likely a person believes in God the more likely he is conservative on political, social and fiscal issues. In a 2009 Gallup Ideological Identification of Major US Racial and Ethnic Groups only Asians are distinct from the other racial and ethnic groups in their ideological orientation. Asians are the most likely to identify themselves as politically liberal. In that poll, even in urban areas, the conservatives in each race account for 42% of non-Hispanic whites, 34% of Hispanics and 29% of non-Hispanic Blacks. Among Republicans today, conservatives are more likely to be Protestant, much more likely to be religious, and are, on average, older than moderate/liberal Republicans. They also consist more heavily of men, whites, and those living in the South -- but the differences here are not as pronounced. To my Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black brethren, which group is seen most often in church: our elders [I define as over 40.] In that voter turnout is generally much greater among middle-aged and older..., it is likely that conservative (and religious) Republicans have had an even greater voice in Republican Party primaries this year than their numbers suggest. Hence, knowing all of this, why isn't the GOP or any other Conservative group knocking down the doors of Urban Black America. I believe it is because they believe the Myth of the No Trespass Sign."

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Diddy, When In Scotland, Don't Do As The Scots Do...

The Scots are calling him "P-Kiltie". From the Evening Times (Scotland): "Rap superstar P Diddy swapped his designer threads for traditional Scottish tartan during his Glasgow concert last night. Known for having a keen eye for fashion, the 40-year-old ripped off his clobber and pulled on a kilt at the city’s Old Fruitmarket. Diddy also led the 1500-strong crowd in a rendition of Flower of Scotland during his MTV Crashes Glasgow gig. The music mogul, who grew up in New York, was also joined on stage by a piper and drank from a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label. He told the crowd he was trying out the Scottish nation dress out of 'respect'. 'You’ve got to be a real man to wear this. I wanted to embrace your heritage and culture. I’m not trying to mock you, this is serious to me. Can I party in this for a second?'"

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DNC Chair To Black Democrats: "Stand With Obama Again"

DNC chair Tim Kaine

The Democratic Party is in panic mode about the upcoming midterm elections, and is urging a key part of its base - black Americans - to flock to the polls in November. From theGrio.com: "To help Democrats hold their majorities, Kaine said the DNC is focusing on the 15 million Democrats who registered to vote for the first time in 2008, two-thirds of whom are African-American. He said the party has been reaching out to them since June, via email, letters, phone calls, and visits from organizers. The message: 'You were with the president before, (and) he can only be successful if he has good partners so stand with him again to help get these folks elected.'"

The article continues: "Kaine said the party, which is spending an unprecedented $50 million on the midterms, is also reaching African-American, Latino and Pacific Island voters through ethnic media. 'We're doing significant media buys around the country,' he said. 'To talk about the achievements of the administration as well as the challenges, and what would happen if we returned to Republican leadership.' Those buys included what Kaine called an unprecedented 'investment' in African-American media, including $2 million spent so far. That's a small part of the total midterm budget, which includes $20 million sent directly to candidates and coordinated campaigns around the country, and $30 million for field and voter turnout operations and staff. But Kaine said spending on African-American, Hispanic and Asian-Pacific Islander media represents 80 percent of total media spending, which he said comes out of the field budget."

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Taming Of The Shrew

Okapi: not extinct

Charles Payne, a FOX Business analyst and conservative in New York City, writes about how conservationists are overestimating the number of species that have been driven to extinction: "This week it was reported that 1/3 of the world's extinct animals are actually not extinct. How about that! Just as a UN conference is about to get underway that will end with an announcement that 22% of the world's mammals are at risk of extinction, it has been discovered the demise of 67 animals was premature. Dr. Diana Fisher of the University of Queensland Australia came to this conclusion after an extensive study. Do you feel duped? It's like Shakespeare's 'Taming of the Shrew,' where poor tinker Christopher Sly is tricked during a drunken stupor into believing he is a Lord. After years of mounting self-loathing and endless guilt trips, we have slipped into a drunken stupor where we believe Americans are the cause of all the world's problems, from hunger to global warming."

More: "Obviously, man has killed off many animals and could throttle back on the pollution, but major policies are being decided on junk science married with massive dollops of guilt. The UN is the incubator of American guilt trips, stoked on by Americans with a variety of ulterior motives. The list of 187 extinct animals since the 1500s was too large, and that's good news. I hope we don't have to wait around that long after spending trillions of dollars and stripping away American rights in the name of being the good global citizen to find out there were some holes in the story. I think there are many rats pushing the agenda, so let's be shrewd. In the meantime, let's welcome back: > Vanikoro Flying Fox of the Solomon Islands > Cuban Solendon > Okapi".

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'Slavery' Uncovered On Trawlers Fishing For Europe

From the Guardian (UK) (hat tip: Kenneth Durden; see video here): "Shocking evidence of conditions akin to slavery on trawlers that provide fish for European dinner tables has been found in an investigation off the coast of west Africa. Forced labour and human rights abuses involving African crews have been uncovered on trawlers fishing illegally for the European market by investigators for an environmental campaign group. The Environmental Justice Foundation found conditions on board including incarceration, violence, withholding of pay, confiscation of documents, confinement on board for months or even years, and lack of clean water."

The article continues: "Its photographs and film of the areas in which the crews were working and sleeping show quarters with ceilings less than a metre high where the men cannot stand up. Temperatures in the fish holds on some vessels where men were being required to sort, process and pack fish for lucrative European and Asian markets were 40 to 45 degrees, with no ventilation. On some vessels the crews of up to 200 had little access to clean drinking water. The trawlers have mostly been identified engaging in pirate fishing off west Africa. Many of the men on board have been recruited from the area around the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Others have been recruited from rural areas of Asia, including China and Vietnam, by agents."

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Rep. Sanford Bishop Faces Tough Fight

Is Rep. Bishop's re-election in trouble?

From News 4 Georgia, about the moderate-liberal Georgia Democrat: "After coasting to re-election in recent years in a swing district, Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop is facing an aggressive, well-funded GOP challenger who is trying to capitalize on several recent flaps and Bishop's support for much of President Obama's agenda. The nine-term lawmaker faces Republican Mike Keown, a conservative state legislator, Baptist minister and former mayor who has criticized Bishop for giving charity scholarships to his relatives and for a Bishop staffer's obscene phone call to a local farmer."

The article continues: "Keown is also seizing on Bishop's votes for President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and economic stimulus package - both unpopular in rural Georgia - to try to draw votes from a Democratic lawmaker who veers right on social issues such as gay marriage and gun rights. Bishop has said the votes helped his district."

More: "For his part, Bishop has maintained a winning coalition of urban blacks, moderate whites and rural voters, particularly farmers. He's won every election since 2004 with more than 60 percent of the vote and ran unopposed in 2002. Bishop co-chaired Obama's campaign in Georgia, but is known as one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress. A lawyer first elected in 1992, Bishop has courted rural farmers by being a reliable ally in Congress when federal agencies debated limiting peanuts on airplanes and reducing federal agriculture subsidies. He also has fought for farmer interests in ongoing water disputes over the Chattahoochee River."

Booker Rising response: Some background about Georgia's 2nd Congressional District. It is 59% urban and 41% rural. The district is 51% white, 45% black, and 4% Hispanic. It has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of +1 Democratic, so yeah it's a swing district. Rep. Bishop is the only black U.S. Congressman of a majority-white district in the South, and it ain't lookin' good for him right about now (that scholarship cronyism scandal sure ain't helpin' matters). What he has on his side is his staunch support of peanut farmers and the military (Ft. Benning is in the district). It would be sad to see one of the few centrist members of the Congressional Black Caucus get picked off, but that educational scandal and his health care vote were giveaways to his opponents.

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Australia: Ken Wyatt In The News

Australia is still celebrating its first Aboriginal member of its House of Representatives. Some stories about center-right politician Ken Wyatt, who represents Perth's eastern suburbs:

Ken Wyatt Speaks About The "Stolen Generation"

In his maiden speech in Parliament. From the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: (hear MP Wyatt's audio here): "Ken Wyatt's mother was one of the stolen generation, making the apology made by [former Prime Minister] Kevin Rudd to indigenous Australians especially poignant. 'When I heard Kevin Rudd talk, I was sitting in my office listening to it and one of my staff walked past and said are you OK? And I said why? And she said you've got tears flowing down you face.'"

The article continues: "Unfortunately, the story of Ken Wyatt's family is not unique. His mother Mona was separated from her parents and 11 other siblings and sent to a mission. This had a notable affect on a young Ken Wyatt. 'You really don't understand the full implications. But there were some behaviours every now and again that my mother would exhibit, like sitting at the wood stove just rocking...and for a couple of days you'd get no sense out of her.' The former teacher and public servant from Perth has heritage from Noongar, Yamatji and Wongi indigenous groups."

Wyatt Vows To Improve Aborigine Community's Health

Mr. Wyatt is a former bureaucrat focusing on Aborigine health and education. From Bloomberg: "Australia’s first indigenous lawmaker in the federal lower house said he will campaign to boost health services to an Aboriginal population whose life expectancy is 20 years shorter than other citizens. Ken Wyatt, who made his first speech to the national parliament in Canberra [on Tuesday] wearing a kangaroo skin cloak, said he would campaign for improved health services for indigenous Australians, who make up about 2 percent of the 22 million population. 'The No. 1 issue is increasing health funds by the millions,' Wyatt, a 58-year-old lawmaker with the opposition [center-right] Liberal Party, said in an interview. 'That means addressing children’s health and the early onset of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, renal failure and kidney diseases.'"

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Palin To Team Up With Steele At RNC Rallies

The moderate-conservative RNC chairman teams up with the conservative fave of the tea party movement. From CNN: "Sarah Palin will join forces with Michael Steele and the Republican National Committee next month to hold a pair of fundraising rallies, according to multiple Republican sources. The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee will team up with the RNC chairman at an event in Anaheim, California, on October 16 and in Orlando, Florida, on October 23. According to a copy of the invitation acquired by CNN, contributions for the events range from $25 per person to attend one of the rallies to $30,400 per couple for a private meeting and reception with Palin and party leaders."

The article continues: "In August, in what was considered a surprising move at the time, Palin attached her name to a letter and survey that was mailed to RNC donors soliciting contributions for the committee's Victory 2010 program, a nationwide get-out-the-vote effort. With a reputation as a political outsider, Palin's move was partially seen as an effort to mend fences with GOP insiders as she ponders a possible 2012 presidential bid."

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E*TRADE Announces $2 Million Commitment To Operation HOPE To Promote Financial Literacy In Poor, Minority Areas

Operation HOPE Center in Harlem

As regular readers know, Operation HOPE is a Los Angeles-based financial literacy organization founded by centrist John Hope Bryant: "E*TRADE Bank announced its continued commitment to improving financial literacy and education in low income and minority communities with a new $2 million, 15-month pledge to Operation HOPE (HOPE), an international non-profit dedicated to delivering financial education, access and empowerment to the underserved."

More: 'The commitment will support Operation HOPE's programs including: Banking on Our Future (BOOF) and BOOF.org -- educational programs providing banking, savings, credit and investing concepts to students age 9-18 in the classroom and online; Operation HOPE's network of HOPE Centers, offering residents in low-income communities financial education and guidance, as well as support obtaining bank, savings and credit accounts, and home and small business loans; and other programs."

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Constructive Feedback: "NAACP Partners With Gay Rights Groups, Continues The 'Struggle'"

The conservative blogger in Georgia wonders why the NAACP is focused more on uniting with white gay groups than promoting black interests? "I have stated previously that to understand the modern day NAACP (and other Black activists organizations) you must first look at them as Left-wing Progressive organizations that are seeking to advance Progressivism rather than Black organizations who are bound to advancing the interests of Black people. In turn if the Black permanent interests are achieved via a route that is not a 'Progressive vector' then you can be sure that the NAACP and other progressive groups will either remain silent or would fight against such progression. (ie: school choice in the wake of failing 'government operated schools')."

He continues his commentary: "I have stated many times that my ana[l]ysis shows that PROGRESSIVISM IS IN-ORGANIC.  It does not stand on its own, being able to develop a people when it is 'the last man standing' in a particular domain. Instead it is by its very nature an expansionary struggle-themed ideology. It keeps the 'permanent strugglers' unified by the motion of STRUGGLE against some threat. If the progressive is not 'struggling' then he dies as a progressive. This move by the NAACP is a tactic admission that all of the 'low hanging fruit' of (White right-wing) civil rights threats to Black people have been placed into a regu[l]atory framework and no longer unchecked as they were in the past."

More: "From where I stand we need HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT at this time.  They are working to retain their progressive loyalties. Please - Let them go!!

1. How are our schools today?
2. Are we safe in our own communities? 
3. Have we erected a local economic system which DEPLOYS our people into productive means?
4. Are our social and cultural enforcements in line with our community goals?

Again - let them GO!! We need to build up new institutions in line with the present needs of our community. We need COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT and social order."

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THOMPSON AYODELE AND RICHARD TREN OP-ED: World Bank’s Palm Oil Cop-Out Thwarts Its Goals

Thompson Ayodele

Mr. Ayodele, the libertarian director of the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (Nigeria) and Mr. Tren, the director of Africa Fighting Malaria (USA) write: "The World Bank’s mission and that of its International Finance Corporation (IFC) is simple: alleviate poverty and help people help themselves. The IFC dispenses about $4bn- $5bn a year in loans in the developing world, including sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, the World Bank has been captured by environmental extremists who are far removed from the realities in poor countries. The World Bank is now adopting policies that conflict directly with its development goals. Last year, its president, Robert Zoellick, announced the IFC was suspending its $132m investment in the palm oil industry, a major growth area for Africa’s economy. The move threatens to undercut a high-growth industry that employs almost 2-million people in Nigeria alone."

Richard Tren

More: "The timing of the Bank’s decision could not be worse. Africa continues to deal with the after effects of the global recession. And it faces a mounting protectionist threat from the European Union in the form of its renewable energy directive, which seeks to keep out African palm oil to benefit European rape seed oil producers. Africa must be given the opportunity to trade freely with the West. To do this, it needs to develop its industries and natural resources, in the same way European nations were able to over the past 500 years. Domestic reforms, such as increasing economic freedom and getting the dead hand of government off the backs of entrepreneurs, traders, and farmers in Africa, is essential. However, by shutting out opportunities to small- scale farmers, closing trade opportunities and pushing people further into poverty, these essential reforms could easily be snuffed out."

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Sen. Evan Bayh on Being A Moderate & The Partisan Divide

From USA Today, about the impending retirement of the moderate Indiana Democrat. "'I'm a moderate at a time when that's not very popular with the base of either party, and I tend to be independent at a time when people are demanding total fealty to whatever the party agenda happens to be,' he said."

The article continues: "Republicans who support the tea party movement are not alone in their efforts to enforce ideological purity, Bayh added. He cited the unsuccessful effort this year of the AFL-CIO and groups on the political left, such as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, to defeat another one of the Senate's centrist Democrats in a primary. 'Look what Blanche Lincoln had to endure in Arkansas,' he said. 'Some elements in our party went all in to beat her. The tolerance for any deviation from party orthodoxy is at an all-time low,' Bayh said. 'There are increasing numbers of people in both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party who think that being with them 95 percent of the time isn't enough. It's 100 percent or nothing. And that makes it pretty hard to appeal to the independents who increasingly are frustrated and disillusioned with everybody.'"

More: "Bayh blames the inability or unwillingness of independent and centrist voters to participate in primaries. 'The political process is not generating the kind of outcomes in terms of either candidates or positions that a big chunk of the American people are looking for,' he said. 'We may be in for a protracted period of political turmoil in which the 'ins' are constantly turned out because the public is not getting what they're looking for.'"

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Sierra Leone: The Ancestral Home Of Dr. King & Marcus Garvey

Tests were done on their sons (which tests patrilineal genetic markers, or about 1% of a male's total genome). From Sierra Express Media (Sierra Leone): "Martin Luther King III, son of civil right leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Julius Garvey, who is the son of Marcus Garvey, are the latest African Americans to trace their DNA roots to the Mende people of [modern-day] Sierra Leone. Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington became the first [famous] African American to trace his roots to the Mende and Temne people of Sierra Leone. Washington [in 2006] became the first African American to receive a Sierra Leonean passport through DNA."

The article continues about the African ancestry of these two men: "The DNA testing of both King and Garvey, which were revealed at the African Ancestry dinner and program at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Centennial Ballroom, established that King and Garvey’s forefathers lived in Sierra Leone hundreds of years ago before they were forcefully taken to the United States as slaves. Garvey and King were among several other African Americans whose DNA results were revealed at the special dinner session on Sunday night at the just concluded Africa Policy Forum: A vision for the 21st Century in Atlanta, Georgia. Speaking with this press immediately after the declaration both King and Garvey confirmed that they will soon visit Sierra Leone to complete the other formalities to get their citizenship."

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Congress Flees Washington D.C. To Campaign For Re-Election

From the Associated Press: "Battle-weary members of Congress are coming soon to neighborhoods near you to press for re-election, more eager to campaign before angry constituents than compromise in Washington on tax cuts, child nutrition or a federal budget. Majority Democrats facing tough re-election fights rebelled in both chambers Wednesday against their leaders' decisions to call off controversial votes, pass a temporary bill to keep the government running and head home. 'The Senate should be more concerned about doing what's right for the country and less concerned about campaign season,' said Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). The measure to adjourn passed both chambers despite the protests. In the House, it passed by one vote — Speaker Nancy Pelosi's — after 39 Democrats joined Republicans in voting no."

The article continues: "For now, lawmakers sick of stalemate are headed home to an angry electorate. 'All 100 senators want to get out of here and get back to their states,' said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is locked in a tough re-election fight against Republican Sharron Angle in Nevada. That they preferred frustrated voters to each other says something about the heavy political lifting candidates of both parties face in the month remaining before Election Day. An Associated Press-GfK Poll this month showed that the public is fed up with both parties. Only 38 percent approve of how congressional Democrats are handling their jobs, and just 31 percent like the way Republicans are doing theirs."

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9/29 Quote Of The Day

"[I'm] [w]orried that undue emphasis is placed on the power of God to transform economies. Any economic progress goes beyond believing in God.It requires that the right institutions are in place i.e. Respect for property rights, free speech, independent judiciary, open and carefully regulated markets, decentralization, lower taxes. These empower citizens to apply their God-given talents to grow, not [B]ible-reading politicians." — Franklin Cudjoe, libertarian founder and executive director of the IMANI Center for Policy & Education (Ghana)

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Black Republican Group: "We're Offering A $5,000 Scholarship To Students Who Applied For A Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarship Via Rep. Bishop's Office, & Got Denied"

Rep. Sanford Bishop

From the Albany Herald (Georgia): "In the latest twist involving Rep. Sanford Bishop, Jr., D-Albany, and the questionable awarding of Congressional Black Caucus Foundation scholarships to relatives or people associated with his wife, Vivian, a Black conservative organization has jumped into the mix. Timothy F. Johnson, Chairman and Founder of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, yesterday announced that the foundation would offer a $5,000 scholarship to any student who applied for a CBCF scholarship through Bishop, and was denied. The FDF said an unnamed supporter has committed the funds to help a student in need."

The article continues about the moderate-liberal Georgia Democrat: "Bishop's office has acknowledged awarding scholarship money to relatives and those with connections to staffers in his office. He has since repaid the CBCF $6,350 and the foundation has amended its rules to prohibit the practice."

Booker Rising response: Good political move. I wonder if the Frederick Douglass Foundation plans to do this in Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson's district as well?

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Bishop Eddie Long: Bookerista Opinions

Bookeristas ain't done discussing the metro Atlanta pastor, who is accused of sexually coercing at least four young males while publicly preaching against homosexuality:

Bishop Eddie Long

John McWhorter: "Bishop Long's Opportunity For Redemption"

The moderate-conservative commentator argues that the pastor should use his scandal to confront homophobia in Black America: "Eddie Long would do himself and his own race a massive favor if he, shall we say, had a conversion here. 'Got the call,' to put it in language familiar in his realm. He should openly admit what he did, disavow his antigay positions, and serve as a beacon to a black community that needs to get beyond an unthinking prejudice especially unseemly in a group positioning itself as a standard-bearer of America’s moral advancement."

More: "Long likely fears how many parishioners would desert him. Plenty would. However, let’s face it – these people would be the equivalents to the hold-outs against Civil Rights, the people on the sidelines in the photos of Little Rock, the people on Mad Men making casually dismissive comments about the Freedom struggle. Perhaps Long could think about what he would leave behind — or about his afterlife. People change. Leaders help them do it. Eddie Long could, right now, become a great man. It would be a small thing indeed for him to cave in and 'fight' rather than seek the higher wisdom of acceptance — of himself and so very many other souls."

Jamal Parris

Sandra Rose: "Bishop Eddie Long Accuser Speaks Out"

The conservative blogger in metro Atlanta ain't impressed: "Jamal Parris — who is 23 — was 20-years-old when he alleges that the bishop lavished him with gifts, cash, trips and cars in return for sex. He goes on to say the bishop used him and then dumped him. Really? That’s called LIFE. People get dumped every day. You’re a grown man. Deal with it! I hope [attorney] B.J. Bernstein can come up with a better 'victim' than these four. I am getting tired of these weak men who made conscious decisions to sleep with a middle aged man. [I]t’s become painfully clear that Benstein has no evidence other than the stories of those men — none of whom are credible. I can’t believe Fox 5 wasted plane fare on this story."

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CHRINO (Christian In Name Only)

James T. Harris ain't feelin' U.S. President Barack Obama's "Christian by choice" response to a question about his religious faith. The conservative Republican in Wisconsin writes:

"'I'm a Christian by choice,' he told a woman who asked why he's a Christian. 'My mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church....So I came to my Christian faith later in life and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead — being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me.'

Mr Harris responds to President Obama's remarks: "Wow....that response really sucked. Seriously, you weren't rasied [sic] in a church, Mr. President, because your mother was atheist and both your father and your stepfather were Muslim. In fact, Mr. President, you grew up in a mosque, well at least Muslim schools. Things must be bad, folks! Obama is clinging to his religion!?! He's actually talking about his faith! Well, sort of....When asked about abortion in light of his Christian faith, Obama replied that it should be 'safe, legal and rare'... How Christian. I think I may have preferred the response, 'that question is above my paygrade [sic].'"

He continues his commentary: "The 'kind of life that I would want to lead' is a little self-centered, Mr. President. Plus, the central question is not of obeying precepts (obliging rules and regulations); rather it's about repenting of sin and believing in and submitting to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, just saying..."

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali Speaks Out

The Daily Caller, a conservative website, interviews the Somali-born libertarian feminist. Excerpts:

On opponents who charge that she is merely a woman spewing ideas that are a result of the traumas she suffered as a child and young adult: "'So when these Muslim Brotherhood types say, ‘it’s only because she is traumatized,’ what they’re trying to do is distract our attention from their agenda and the negative consequences of Islam. Because if we start talking about what it really means to live under Shariah, then you see the contents of the political agenda they’re pushing,' she said. 'So it’s better [for them] to change the subject and keep changing it and keep talking about associations with sinister right-wing organizations and youth trauma. They’re playing the white man’s game, presenting themselves as a minority,' a contention she says is outrageous given that there are over 1.5 billion Muslims in the world and nowhere near that number of Westerners. 'If you count all Westerners together, they don’t make up 800 million – who is the minority here?,' she said."

On Molly Norris, the “Everybody Draw Mohammad Day” cartoonist who was recently forced to go underground after a fatwa was issued calling for her death: 'It is the duty of the government of the United States to protect her from physical harm, which is a direct threat given by those people who are violating her civil rights to express herself and her thoughts,' Ali said. 'If the government  cannot protect the civil rights of the citizens, then it is not a democratic government and it’s unconstitutional. So, the government must do something about that.'"
 
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Adrienne Ross: "Governor Palin Champions Team America"

The conservative Republican blogger in New York (pictured in purple, with former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin) writes about Ms. Palin as a competitor: "Every time it appears [the Left has] got her backed in a corner, she takes the non-traversy, redefines it, and refuses to be sidetracked by it: They point out that she wrote on her hand -- and she draws attention to the President's teleprompter and continues to use her own 'poor man's teleprompter.' They misquote her as saying she can see Russia from her house -- and she reminds them that she can also see November from there. They use her title as a means to shackle her -- and she steps away, proving she doesn't need a title to make a difference."

More: "They even move in next door -- and she does something the feds should be doing in our border states: she builds a fence. She even follows up enjoying watching her daughter perform on Dancing with the Stars with a scathing tweet about [Obama senior adviser] Pete Rouse a couple hours later. Nothing, absolutely nothing, extinguishes her determination to keep the main thing the main thing. And that's why they'll never defeat her, and that's why they hate her."

She continues her commentary: "Governor Palin is working hard to take us where we need to go -- back to common sense principles and practical solutions. Her refusal to be sidetracked will keep the target on her back. The Left's inability to knock her out of the race will only infuriate them more and make them more desperately seek new ways to cause her harm. If what we've seen so far is any indication, however, we can be sure that she will continue to take what they throw at her, handle it with grace, and fight like a Grizzly for the future of Team America. And like every real competitor -- every champion -- she'll win. And we'll win with her."

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FRANKLIN CUDJOE COMMENTARY: Why Good Governance Matters More In Africa Than Aid

The libertarian head of the IMANI Center for Policy & Education writes about the U.N. Millennium Development Goals: "There is nothing egregious about the eight MDG targets. Halving poverty, increasing education, and reducing maternal and child mortality are desirable outcomes. The only problem is that in the poorest countries the goals will not be met because they are based on a failed development model of relying on external aid rather than internal policy change to facilitate economic development and growth."

He continues his commentary: "African leaders in particular have been doing the math on how much they need to perpetuate their loot...um, I mean finance the MDGs. As the argument goes, 'They ask why can’t the rich Western countries provide $70 billion annually to meet the MDGs? It’s only a fraction of their annual GDP. They can easily spare it, but it would mean so much in the developing world.' Western aid advocates do their part by painting gory pictures of famine and disease in Africa to justify the demand. Yet, some way, somehow, African leaders have been able to squeeze close to $150 billion per year from their poor, developing countries to enrich themselves. This figure didn’t diminish even with the global financial crisis or following former Nigerian President Obasanjo’s admission of this habitual theft by African leaders and mock lamentation of corruption at the G-8 summit in Gleneagles five years ago. In other words, African leaders have made a habit of stealing 25 percent of the continent’s GDP and squirreling it away for their benefit rather than the citizens of their countries."

More: "A government’s development agenda informs its macroeconomic policies, its private sector development strategy, its posture to taxation and tariffs, and its orientation to financial regulation and oversight, and public debt management among other issues. These matters are crucial to serious investors considering Ghana – or, for that matter, Africa – as a destination for significant investment. These critical policies, however, become secondary considerations to governments focused on keeping aid money pouring in."

Discuss "Why Good Governance Matters More in Africa Than Aid" post here.

CLARENCE PAGE OP-ED: Religious Ignorance Hurts

The moderate-liberal columnist doesn't like the results of a new Pew Research Center poll, which found that atheists and agnostics know more about religion than believers do: "Americans are deeply religious, the study confirms, but we’re also deeply ignorant about religion. The survey found, for example, that at least two-thirds knew that public school teachers are not allowed to lead the class in prayer, but fewer than a third knew that teachers can read from the Bible as an example of literature. No wonder there’s so much ignorance about religion. It’s constitutionally permissible to teach about religion, as long as you don’t try to promote a particular religion. Unfortunately, a lot of teachers and principals have decided in today’s litigious society that it is not worth the hassle to do either one."

He continues his commentary: "That’s a loss for the kids. America’s diversity has a lot to teach us. My earliest knowledge of other people’s religions came from field trips to churches and synagogues under the auspices of our public schools. Today’s attitudes have swung too often, in my view, from neutrality toward religion to being anti-religious. Lost in that swing is a lot of valuable knowledge about this nation’s diverse people, cultures, histories and beliefs."

More: "Ironically, the least ignorant respondents by a narrow margin in the Pew poll were atheists and agnostics. Grouped together, they answered an average of 20.9 of the 32 questions correctly, narrowly beating Jews (20.5) and Mormons (20.3), the two highest-scoring groups of believers....Clustered in the middle were white Evangelical Protestants (17.6 correct answers out of 32), white Catholics (16), white mainline Protestants (15.8) and 'Nothing in particular' (15.2)."

He continues his commentary: "But what really dropped my jaw with surprise were the two lowest-performing groups: Black Protestants (13.4 correct answers out of 32) and Hispanic Catholic (11.6). What? Having grown up in the black church since before I could walk, I think maybe the pollsters were asking the wrong questions. I would not be surprised, for example, if quite a few black folks thought 'Martin Luther' was a reference to a great American civil rights leader, not the German priest and professor who initiated the Protestant Reformation. And I didn’t learn until I went to college that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist, that Jonathan Edwards participated in the Great Awakening, and that Maimonides was a great Jewish philosopher. Fewer than a third of the people polled by Pew got those last two right. Maybe black church products like me would have scored better with questions like this: 1. How is Thomas A. Dorsey most often remembered by cultural historians? 2. What do the initials in the A.M.E. Church stand for? 3. What is America’s largest black religious denomination? 4. What do these songs 'Negro spirituals' have in common: 'Steal Away,' 'Wade in the Water' and 'Follow the Drinking Gourd.'"

Booker Rising response: The poll results make sense, as there is a correlation between education level and religiosity. By the way, you can take a shorter version of the Pew quiz here. I got 13 out of 15 right (I messed up on the Catholic Communion and The Great Awakening questions). Still, I did better than 93% of Americans on these questions...

To comment on "Religious Ignorance Hurts" post, click here.

Andrew Mwenda: "MDGs: Let Africa Shape Her Own Destiny"

Asserts the Ugandan libertarian journalist: "On the face of it, MDGs [U.N. Millennium Development Goals] are an important effort by the international community to mobilize global solidarity to improve the lives of the poor. Indeed, the main pillars of MDGs are to halve the number of people living in extreme poverty, reduce child and infant mortality, eliminate extreme hunger, promote gender equality, achieve universal primary education, improve maternal health etc. All these are important goals that poor countries should strive to achieve. However, I believe that the destiny of a people cannot be the responsibility of the an abstract entity called the international community. The elements of that destiny (like MDGs) must evolve out of our own political struggles with our governments, not be an imposition by international institutions. Our governments would then account to us for realizing these goals, not to the United Nations. I do not believe that some international bureaucrats, detached from the day to day life experiences of our people, are the right persons to dictate the sequencing and prioritization of our needs."

More commentary from Mr. Mwenda: "I am not suggesting that the MDGs are bad or that we should discard international solidarity. But I feel that if Africa is to succeed, the drivers of change must be Africans themselves who should hold our leaders to account. For this to happen, we need to be active participants in processes shaping our destiny. This means we should be allowed sufficient autonomy in our affairs. We should be left free to make our own mistakes and learn from them. Babysitting us is not a formula for self reliance."

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Ted Sadler To Fellow Obama Supporters: "Vote, Or We Are Toast"

The moderate Democratic blogger in Georgia argues that the 2010 midterm elections is even more important than the 2008 presidential election: "A very vocal and energetic segment of [the] population has ginned up voters with a desire to take over the [C]ongress from the Democrats and even the Republicans. Yes, the far Right section of [the] conservative side is looking at the regular Republicans as if to say 'this is how you do it' and you know what they do if you are over 40 years old."

He continues: "Grown folks, we need to talk. After we talk, we need to call, email, text, tweet or whatever whose under 30 and tell them (not ask them) to vote. The Republicans have a few quality guys who might be president in the future — Rep. Paul Ryan and Governor Mitch Daniels come to mind. But, this midterm election is the next step in the Palin for [P]resident plan and her Tea Party congressional candidates will be spending the next two years graying the rest of Obama’s hair with subpoenas and impeachment efforts."

More: "We shouldn’t hate on those who use 'any means necessary' to stop an agenda they dislike because they couldn’t do it if regular folks would take 10 minutes to early vote. By any means necessary (cookout, Sunday dinner, half-time talk at the high school football games), we should remind our community to vote. Early vote or the Obama presidency effectively ends early – not four years but two years when he should have eight."

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James Shikwati: "It's Time To Invest In Rule Of Law In Africa"

Asserts the libertarian head of the Inter-Region Economic Network (Kenya): "For Africa to move to the next level of economic development, the citizenry ought to invest in building structures that promote rule of law. The global market system is designed in such a manner that rule of law attracts both local and international investors. The absence of rule of law motivates powerful corporations and wealthy nations to use violence to access resources cheaply on the continent. The rule of law ensures that both the government and the citizenry are 'slaves' to the law; which ought to be king."

He continues his commentary: "Competing interests from different individuals, clans and tribes ought to be managed by a clear 'rules of the game.' Such rules ought to be agreed upon and enshrined in a country’s constitution to help nurture a culture of rule of law and give legitimacy to central governments. Kenyans may not necessarily need an economist to run the country. Rule of law and enforcement of the same is the key. The convergence of local and global interests offers opportunity to create sound governance structures."

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KENNETH MCCLENTON OP-ED: The American Conservative Party: When One Disagrees With The Democrats And RINOS

The conservative in Washington, D.C. writes: "So where does an urban conservative go to hear the words of liberty, freedom and accountable governance. To my brethren in large urban cities like Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Dallas and Washington, it is time to explore a third party option that seeks out the most active conservative, that challenges Republicans to speak out of one side of their neck and defines the Democrats by their natural preferences. I believe that the best option is the American Conservative Party. It is a home where many citizen activists whom became dissatisfied with the choice between the socialist Democrats and the Democratic-lite Republican Party have come to take the reigns of the sovereign political message of Don't Tread on Me."

He continues his commentary: "Many Afro-Americans from urban metropolitan cities are certainly not socialists and are very conservative on fiscal governance yet have no party representing their interests. If they do not choose either entrenched party, they suffer the unique opportunity of voting Independent. Such a labor often leaves many voters locked into one general election and little influence on legislative and executive choices of their peer representatives."

More: "Worst yet, many Afro-Americans have falsely placed their faith in charismatic leaders that pledge Hope and Change and yet leave them often hopeless and with little change in their purses. Even worse, the dedication to reasoning an illogical argument that is the anti-thesis to wealth creation, economic freedom and personal choice has become exhaustive (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHv1ENYAulY&feature=related). It is difficult to argue a political belief of redistributing wealth when their [sic] is a spiritual principle that God gives each of His children the power to make wealth. Somehow the dissonance between what we learn on Sunday is convoluting our certainty of what we legislate and excute throughout the week."

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European Cities Hit By Anti-Austerity Protests

Protest in Brussels, Belgium

The welfare mentality strikes back, as European governments increasingly realize that their Big Government policies are unsustainable and they're running out of other people's money. From the BBC (hat tip: Dambisa Moyo): "Thousands of protesters from across Europe are taking part in a mass demonstration in Brussels against spending cuts by some EU governments. Other protests against austerity measures are being held in Greece, Italy, Ireland and Latvia. A general strike is also taking place in Spain, hitting transport and other public services. Trade unions say EU workers may become the biggest victims of a financial crisis set off by bankers and traders."

In related news, here is a BBC article outlining what various European governments are doing to get out-of-control spending back under control.

A bookerista responds: Constructive Feedback, a conservative blogger in metro Atlanta, Ga., writes about the European welfare mentality: "When it comes to providing nationalized entitlements to the masses [Howard Dean] critiqued Clinton's attempts at doing so with one big step by saying - 'You must give people entitlements on an incremental basis. Allow them to incorporate each individual step into their way of life. Then if you try to take any of it away they will fight those who try to do so vigorously'. Howard Dean has perfectly described what is going on all over Europe today. After accepting the notion of a large social safety net - these nations are seeing that their level of economic productivity is not able to afford their lifestyle goals. Now that the same government system that gave them these entitlements are seeking to 'right size' their government - the progressive-anarchists are taking to the street in protest. VIOLENCE is the next phase if these governments actually execute their cost cutting plans."

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Dez, Ya Shoulda Just Carried Ol' Boy's Shoulder Pads....

From ESPN: "[Dez] Bryant made national news in training camp when he refused to carry [Roy]  Williams' pads after practice -- bucking the trend of veteran NFL players hazing rookies."

More: "Williams excused it, saying then that Bryant, who received $8.3 million in guaranteed money from his rookie contract, would just have to take the team out to dinner and get him some new shoes. Well, that dinner happened Monday night. The final tab: $54,896. Bryant took the offensive players out to Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. Williams, however, made sure Bryant got the message, inviting defensive players as well. And guess who was left holding the bill afterward."



Booker Rising response: Any of us who have pledge a fraternity or sorority knows about "paying your dues". Mr. Bryant should've just grumbled to himself & carried Mr. Williams' pads. While I'm sure the Dallas economy thanks you, that $55,000 could've been invested...

Other bookeristas respond: Mr. Ref, a North Carolina conservative: "I wish I would pay $54K to feed a football team. Dez is a straight sucker for this; he should have stuck to his guns."

Stephen A. Smith, a sports commentator and moderate,  says it ain't a good look for the Cowboys: "With the NFL in CBA [collective bargaining agreement] [t]alks with NFLPA [NFL Players Association], this is the worse possible time to do something like that. There's an economic recession. The public is always manipulated [d]uring these times, similar to the NBA pouncing on Kenny Anderson's ire over having to surrender 1 of his 8 cars back in 1998."

Mr. Smith continues his commentary: "I am NOT saying Dez Bryant is a Black-White issue. What I'm saying is: if a league is negotiating a CBA, you can't have a black player out [t]here FLOSSING in anyway. It doesn't look good. Doesn't work for the players. Period."

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Dambisa Moyo Up For African Business Leader Award

From Africa Investor Newswire (hat tip: Dambisa Moyo): "The 2010 Investment and Business Leader Awards ceremony will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C. Hotel on the evening of the 8th of October 2010, following the Africa investor Investment Climate Summit, which will take place during the World Bank Annual Meetings."

More: "The Africa investor Awards are unique international pan-African investment awards that recognize and reward the achievements of the private and public sector across wide-ranging sectors and disciplines. Each year, the Ai Awards bring together business and government leaders from across the continent and salute their achievements."

The Zambian-born conservative economist is nominated in the "Up And Coming Future Leader Of The Year" category, against six other competitors. Good luck, Dr. Moyo!

Discuss "Dambisa Moyo Up For African Business Leader Award" post here.

Don't Start None, Won't Be None: Chicago Grandma Shoots 12-Year-Old Punk After Continuous Harassment & Vandalism

Shooting him is a tad excessive. Then again, "Miss Margaret" lives alone, and you never know what young punks will try these days. From theGrio.com: "When neighborhood children began throwing bricks at her home, an elderly Chicago woman, believed to be in her late 60s took matters into her own hands by firing shots. She chased the boys and fired shots after they would not put the bricks down, a police source said. A 12-year-old boy who neighbors describe as a 'little monster' and the head of a small neighborhood gang is recovering after she shot him in the arm. Throwing bricks at the elderly woman's house wasn't the only damage the 12-year-old boy had done. 'This little boy started a fire in her grill, burned out her garbage can...he was a little terror,' said neighbor Hilda Brunt. 'This has been going on for weeks.'"



"Miss Margaret" won't face charges because cops say it was self.defense. However, the boys have been charged as juveniles with aggravated assault of a person over the age of 60.

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Nigeria Celebrates Jubilee: Time To Work

The African Executive, a libertarian website based in Kenya, discusses Nigeria's 50th anniversary of independence on October 1: "The African Executive sends well wishes to the government and people of Nigeria on the occasion of the country's 50th Independence Anniversary. As one of Africa's big brothers, the rest of the continent is looking at Nigeria as a role model. The country scored a big plus when it turned from military rule to civilian rule. The people of Nigeria also demonstrated patience, sobriety and peace during the ailing and demise of former president, Umar Yar Adua. The country's scientists and engineers have built, launched and test-fired at least nine experimental rockets."

It continues its op-ed: "As the country soars to the skies, it must however address persistent issues on the ground. For example, there is massive need for proper housing. Demolishing settlements (to impress visitors that the country is neat) without empowering the citizenry to afford decent housing is prescribing a palliative. The country ought to rethink its fulfilling of foreign dictates at the expense of its suffering citizenry in the Niger Delta. Among other issues Nigeria should address is the frequent fatal animosity between Muslims and Christians; child sacrifice; chronic power blackouts; shortage of fuel and unemployable youth."

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9/28 VIDEO: Newark Mayor Cory Booker Discusses Mark Zuckerberg's $100 Million Grant To Newark Public Schools

CBS, about the moderate-liberal Democrat: "Nearly half the students in Newark, N.J. public schools don't graduate high school, and the troubled district has been under state control for 15 years. Now that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is donating $100 million to those schools, Mayor Cory Booker and other city officials are faced with making the best use of the money.":



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Will The American Spirit Survive Obama?

Rocky, an American icon

Asks Lloyd Marcus. Drawing from the "Rocky" movies, the conservative Republican in Florida argues that U.S. President Obama promotes entitlement and American unexceptionalism: "No longer do we celebrate the 'Rockys' of America -- folks who sacrifice, take risks, and struggle to achieve a better life for their families and themselves. Obama and company demonize achievers, calling them selfish and greedy exploiters of the poor. In the name of 'social justice,' King Obama has begun confiscating and redistributing the wealth of Americans who were knocked down by life several times but courageously kept struggling to pick themselves back up and became winners. Reading the biographies of the wealthy will confirm that most of them took risks and experienced failures; many faced bankruptcies, lost marriages, and tremendous sacrifices and struggles. But they kept getting back up."

He continues his commentary about President Obama's policies: "Not only has Obama vowed to confiscate the wealth of these 'American Rockys' -- and in his own words, 'spread it around' America -- but he intends to redistribute their hard-earned money around the world. Some say the American Dream is dead. Nobody wants to work hard to achieve a goal. They believe liberals have successfully divided Americans into various victimized groups, all believing they are entitled. These fatalists say far too many Americans would rather sit on their butts and wait for whatever entitlement crumbs the government throws their way."

More commentary from Mr. Marcus: "I do not believe we have reached such an ugly un-Rocky/un-American critical mass. Traveling on the Tea Party Express, I have attended hundreds of Tea Parties across America. Rocky is alive and well in the hearts and minds of millions of Tea Party patriots who still celebrate ambition, courage, and personal achievement. These folks are downright repulsed by the idea of government controlling outcomes, dictating who wins and who loses. Daily assaults by Obama have severely beaten down the spirit of America. He proclaims that the U.S. is no longer -- nor should it be -- the world economic leader. So how many more Obama brutal punches can the spirit of American exceptionalism endure? Will it survive the Obama regime? Yes, it will. No matter how many times the American spirit is knocked down, it always gets back up. Tea Party patriots have declared, 'King Obama, you're dethroned! We're taking back America!' Adriannnnnn, I LOVE YOU!!!"

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Parents Welcome Choice To Choose Their Child's Gender

Booker Rising response: The video embed acts up at times, so you can also click here to watch the video. I don't have a problem with this reproductive choice technique. Any bona fide pro-choice advocate would not have a problem with it...

Discuss "Parents Welcome Choice To Choose Their Child's Gender" post here.

President Obama Lectures Democratic Voters About The Midterm Elections: "Y'all Are Childish & Irresponsible For Your Lack Of Enthusiasm In Supporting My Agenda"

He did it in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. From the Associated Press: "Admonishing his own party, President Barack Obama says it would be 'inexcusable' and 'irresponsible' for unenthusiastic Democratic voters to sit out the midterm elections, warning that the consequences could be a squandered agenda for years. 'People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up,' Obama told Rolling Stone in an interview to be published Friday. The president told Democrats that making change happen is hard and 'if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place.'"

More about the liberal Democratic president: "What emerges in the magazine story is a stern, lecturing tone from Obama. It comes mainly at the end of the interview. Obama had wrapped the lengthy Q-and-A session, according to the magazine, but then returned unprompted to make one more impassioned point and unleash on the enthusiasm gap [between Republican and Democratic voters]. He portrayed a clear choice between an administration that despite some warts has helped advance its agenda, and a Republican Party that would offer disastrous policies for the economy and civil liberties. 'The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible,' he said in the interview. He said Democrats should be thinking about what's at stake this election 'if they want to move forward over the next two years or six years or 10 years.'"

Booker Rising response: On a related note, Public Policy Polling (liberal polling firm) shows that Democrats are underperforming with black voters. PPP predicts that that 15-25% of black voters won’t go with Democratic candidates, higher than the usual 10% who don’t do so.

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Jamaica: Garvey In Sight, Sound At Multimedia Museum

The Marcus Garvey-themed multimedia museum in Kingston turns seven years old next month. From the Jamaica Gleaner: "Donna McFarlane, curator of Liberty Hall, is extremely proud of the museum there. She explains that it is 'the only fully multimedia museum in the Caribbean and is the only library dedicated to Garvey in the world'. While there were 1,056 divisions of the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) between 1921 and the early 1930s, McFarlane pointed out that the only other Liberty Hall in Jamaica now is in Retreat, Westmoreland. 'He wanted every division to have a Liberty Hall for black people to come and read about their history; they would read newspapers from around the world,' McFarlane said. The Liberty Hall at 76 King Street was Garvey's personal headquarters, where he had offices, making it the ideal place to house a museum dedicated to him."

More about the staunchly capitalist Mr. Garvey: "A large section of an entire wall is dedicated to a timeline of Garvey, including relevant events before and after his life and work. So there are the influences on Garvey, including Edward Blyden, Joseph Love and Booker T. Washington. (Garvey was hoping to set up an institution like the Tuskegee Institute.) There is Garvey's United States Years, from 1916-1927, the Jamaicaa Years of 1927-1935, The National Hero of 1964, and Those Who Garvey Influenced, among them Martin Luther King Jr, Walter Rodney, Jomo Kenyatta, Burning Spear, and Bob Marley."

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Steele Defends Bus Tour Travel To 'Marginal Districts'

From CNN, about the moderate-conservative chairman of the Republican National Committee: "Days after Republicans blasted Michael Steele's 'Fire Pelosi!' bus tour as 'a colossal waste of time' and 'the Michael Steele re-election tour,' the Republican National Committee chairman argued that the road trip is playing a crucial role in energizing grassroots activists - even if the bus is spending plenty of time in congressional districts not in play this fall. 'The RNC is all about rebuilding our grassroots, which had been allowed to wither, by tapping into, and helping fuel, the energy generated at the grassroots level,' Steele wrote Monday in a list of 'talking points' about the bus tour e-mailed to the 168-member committee. The message was forwarded to CNN by a committee member. Steele said that while the 'immediate goal' of the tour is to elect Republicans in November, 'it also is to strengthen the party throughout the entire country.'"

The article continues about the "Fire Pelosi!" bus tour: "According to an internal copy of the bus tour itinerary provided to CNN last week, nearly half of the stops Steele is making on the cross-country trip are in House districts not listed as 'competitive' by top political handicappers. That schedule drew criticism from Steele's Republican critics, who complained that the committee is wasting precious money on a showy photo-op when it should be sending funds to state parties for voter contact efforts in targeted districts."

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LL Cool J, Donna Summer Up For Rock Hall Of Fame

From the Associated Press: " It could be a blaze of glory for Bon Jovi at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Jersey boys are up for possible induction in the hallowed hall, along with first-timers Donovan, Dr. John, Alice Cooper and Neil Diamond. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame released its list of nominees Tuesday. There were some familiar names: Darlene Love, LL Cool J, Donna Summer and the Beastie Boys have been up for the prestigious honor before. Other previous nominees include the J. Geils Band; Tom Waits; Chuck Willis; Chic and Joe Tex. To be eligible for the hall, an act must have released its first batch of music at least 25 years ago. Inductees will be revealed in December, and the ceremony will be in March in New York City."

Booker Rising response: With the exception of folks like blues legend B.B. King who've had sizeable influence on rock music, I've long had a problem with acts that aren't rock & roll acts getting inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame. What rock acts have LL Cool J, Donna Summer, and Chic influenced that warrants their induction? A rap hall of fame or a pop hall of fame, certainly, but not a rock one. And side-eye to the Beastie Boys - and even  Bon Jovi - being  Hall of Fame nominees, but not Rush, Kiss, or Pat Benatar. What's up with the Hall of Fame continuing to diss these acts? Well, at least Living Colour will qualify for the Hall of Fame in 2013...

Discuss "LL Cool J, Donna Summer Up For Rock Hall Of Fame" post here.

Obama & The Education System: Bookerista Perspectives

In an appearance on "Good Morning America", U.S. President Barack Obama discussed why his daughters are in private school, instead of in a Washington, D.C. public school. Bookeristas weren't impressed by the liberal Democratic president's answer:

Kevin Jackson: "Fat, Dumb & Happy" 

The conservative Republican blogger in St. Louis, Mo. opines: "Obama says that DC schools are struggling. Seriously?! Yet he takes no responsibility for the struggle. I won’t rehash Obama’s cancelling of the Bush voucher program — a program that had a proven track record of success in DC. You can draw your own conclusions on whether Obama felt the children of DC were more important than his promises to the teachers’ unions."

He continues his commentary: "America’s 'gubment' schools fail as many as 50% of children, yet Obama and other [l]iberals do nothing except provide platitudes. His daughters get superior educations, avoiding the gang-infested, crime-infested, drug-infested gauntlet of the  inferior education of 'gubment' schools — the schools where our kids are relegated. To put education in America in real life terms, consider that a school is in the business of producing scholars, manufacturing a good student, as it were. A manufacturing plant producing 50% good product would SHUT DOWN! In other words, 50% of your product is defective."

DarkStar: "President Obama & Sidwell Friends"

The moderate-conservative Republican blogger in Maryland writes: "President Obama says the D.C. public schools don't measure up to Sidwell Friends, the private school his daughters attend.Well, duuuuuuh......Well, Mr. Obama, you and the Democrats killed one option that may have been available to District parents and their children when you both KILLED the voucher program in D.C. The fact is, Obama talks a good game but when the rubber hits the road, his actions show he's vapid. The man doesn't care about the education of your kids, just his."

Discuss "Obama & The Education System: Bookerista Perspectives" post here.

Viola Davis In Running For Shirley Chisholm Role

Viola Davis

From Clutch Magazine: "Word on the street is Tony award winner and Oscar nominated actress, Viola Davis, is the top pick for the Shirley Chisholm role. According to New York Daily News, Creative-Monster producers Grant Anderson and Bryan Gambogi are bringing the life and work of Shirley Chisholm, Brooklyn Congresswoman, and first major party black candidate for President of the United States, to the big screen."

More: "The untitled motion picture was written by Camille Thomasson, who appears to specialize in bio-pics (_When Loves is not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story_, Picture of Hollis Woods). The story will chart Chisholm's rise to her position as the first Black woman to serve in Congress, in addition to her historic run for president in 1972. Chisholm was an icon to both the black and women's movements in the 1970′s. Chisholm passed at 80 in 2005."

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Rahm Emanuel Expected To Resign By Friday

Rahm Emanuel: "I'm fleeing this sinking ship!"

From The Guardian (UK), about the moderate-liberal Democrat: "Rahm Emanuel, the US president's chief of staff and the 'piledriver' tasked with delivering the Obama administration's agenda, is expected to resign this week to seek to become Chicago's mayor. The American press quoted White House sources as saying that Emanuel would quit on Friday under pressure from the president to make a decision about his future."

Who will take Rahm Emanuel's place in the White House?: "Obama is aware that speculation is creating instability at a time when the administration is focusing on November's midterm elections, which are expected to result in heavy losses to the Republicans. One of Obama's senior advisers, Pete Rouse, is expected to fill the post temporarily until a fulltime replacement is found after the elections. Politico reports that possible replacements include the CIA director, Leon Panetta – a former Congressman who served as Bill Clinton's chief of staff and is popular among Democrats – and the former Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle."

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