Mirror On America

The President's 2012 State of the Union Address

2012-01-26T05:54:00.000-08:00

2012 State Of The Union Address: Enhanced Version

From Balloon Juice:

SOTU Reaction
by John Cole

I gotta say, every time I get some one on one time with that guy, which is basically what the SOTU is- an opportunity for the President to speak to America, I just want to vote for him early and often. The contrast between Obama and the crowd of miscreants in the GOP running to replace him is just striking.

One of the things I found interesting is that if you are a political junkie, you will find the speech from Obama a little bit feistier than those who are casual observers of the political process. I caught the references to Solyndra and telling the Republicans to back off on that nonsense, I got the DADT references, and so forth.

But most of all, every time I hear him speak, I am still aware of all the things I disagree with him on, but think “That is a good man doing what he thinks is best.” That is really all you can ask for from someone, because as far as I can tell, I’m the only one who agrees with me 100% of the time. And as you all know, if you give me a week, I’ll disagree with myself.

We really don’t deserve him. We really don’t.

Romney Claims His Real Tax Rate Is ‘Closer To 45 Or 50 Percent’

2012-01-26T05:53:00.000-08:00

From ThinkProgress:

Watch Mitt Spin: Romney Claims His Real Tax Rate Is ‘Closer To 45 Or 50 Percent’

By Judd Legum on Jan 25, 2012 at 4:05 pm

During an interview with Univision, Romney was pressed on whether it was fair for him to pay about 13 percent of his income in taxes — as he did in 2010, according to his recently released tax returns — when many middle class families pay far more. Romney proceeded to claim that his actual rate is “closer to 45 or 50 percent.”

To justify his figure, Romney relied on his belief that “corporations are people.” When Univision’s Jorge Ramos asked Romney if his 13 percent tax rate is “fair,” Romney suggested adding the maximum corporate tax rate (35 percent) to his personal taxes to calculate his real rate:

RAMOS: You just released your tax returns. In 2010 you only paid 13 percent of taxes while most Americans paid much more than that. Is that fair?

ROMNEY: Well, actually, I released two years of taxes and I think the average is almost 15 percent. And then also, on top of that, I gave another more 15 percent to charity. When you add it together with all of the taxes and the charity, particularly in the last year, I think it reaches almost 40 percent that I gave back to the community. One of the reasons why we have a lower tax rate on capital gains is because capital gains are also being taxed at the corporate level. So as businesses earn profits, that’s taxed at 35 percent, then as they distribute those profits as dividends, that’s taxed at 15 percent more. So, all total, the tax rate is really closer to 45 or 50 percent.

RAMOS: But is it fair what you pay, 13 percent, while most pay much more than that?

ROMNEY: Well, again, I go back to the point that the, that the funds are being taxed twice at two different levels.

Romney glosses over the fact that he is not a corporation and doesn’t pay corporate taxes. Additionally, most corporations pay far lower than a 35 percent rate. In fact, many profitable corporations pay nothing at all.

In the alternative, Romney suggested that his tax rate should be considered “almost 40 percent” because he gave a substantial amount of money to charity, mostly to the Mormon church. Romney should be lauded for his charitable contributions — and received a tax deduction for them — but charitable contributions are not taxes.

Ed Schultz did a piece on this:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

From Krugman:

January 24, 2012, 9:30 am
Romney’s Taxes

Just about what we expected. He really needs to provide earlier years, if only to clear up suspicions that he began sanitizing his portfolio in preparation for his presidential run.

The right-wing apologetics now focus on the claim that Romney’s taxes aren’t really low, because we should impute the taxes that corporations effectively paid on his behalf. But there are at least two things wrong with this argument.

First, $13 million of the total was carried interest, which gets taxed like capital gains but is really just commissions that receive special treatment for no good reason. No profits taxes were paid on that income; right there, a minimally defensible tax code would have levied $2.6 million more in taxes on Romney.

Second, just the other day the usual suspects were calling for big cuts in corporate taxes, arguing that these taxes don’t really fall on stockholders, they fall mainly on workers and consumers. Now, suddenly, the taxes fall on stockholders after all. Interesting.

Meanwhile, the Romney campaign is signalling that it’s going to try to spin this as “he pays lots of taxes”! How stupid do they think we are? Actually, don’t answer that.

Again, the point here is not that Romney did something wrong by paying the low rates current tax law lavishes on people like him. It is, instead, that in an election campaign that will be in part about issues of inequality, the likely GOP candidate is a living, breathing, coupon-clipping example of how favorable our system is to the very rich; and he also happens to be advocating policies that would greatly benefit people like him, while hurting the poor and the middle class.

The Beyonce Syndrome: The Impact of Pop Culture on Young Women of Color

2012-01-24T23:59:00.000-08:00

I must be one of the three or four Black Americans who hasn’t been bitten by the Beyonce bug… because I just don’t understand why she is worshipped like a deity, especially by the masses within “Black America”. The same goes for the rapper Shawn Carter or "Jay Z". I just don’t understand the fascination with either of them. Those familiar with my writing are aware of how I generally feel about rappers and the whole Hip Hop culture. Let's just say if I could be a dictator for a week, one of my first acts would be to round them up and drop them all off on an island out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean so that they could fend for themselves. Only half kidding. Needless to say, I pretty much despise the rap community.

Beyonce has had an enormous impact on the popular culture - 75 million records sold is a testament to her reach. But no demographic has been more impacted than Black Americans, particularly Black women & girls. Her appeal is so strong that even the First Lady of the United States, and her daughters adore & admire her. She has established a tremendous following. Beyonce on being a role model:

“Being a Role Model Is Something That I’ve Always Been.”

Beyonce revealed recently that Michelle Obama contacted her and expressed gratitude that she was a role model for the Obama daughters.

The above statement attributed to Michelle Obama appears to be backed up by a video from 2011, courtesy of ABC and Politico.

Really Mrs. Obama? Your Harvard law degree, successful career and strong family doesn't respresent a better example? I'm not going to beat up on the First Lady... but the idea of Beyonce being a top role model is troubling.

The influence, though huge, has not been all positive. On the surface- seeing a successful African American woman should appear to be positive & empowering. But in the case of Beyonce (and those like her) the facts underneath the surface have done far more harm than good to Black women and the larger Black community. Beyonce’s tremendous influence over such a large demographic has resulted in what I call “The Beyonce Syndrome”. This term is not meant to be assigned exclusively to this performer. It represents certain lifestyles & values that could be assigned to a number of entertainers more collectively. However, Beyonce has become a symbol that encompasses all of the traits that are problematic about women of color in the 21st century. She is a symbol for what is happening as a result of pop culture’s influence over certain groups, particularly in the Black community.

The majority of Black American women & girls between the ages of 15 & 35 indeed have “The Beyonce Syndrome”. I hate to be anecdotal but I would say, just through observation, that 50% would be a huge underestimate. What does Beyonce really stand for? What kinds of values does she stand for? What does “The Beyonce Syndrome” mean?

The following Youtuber really does a great job explaining a large portion of what “The Beyonce Syndrome” is all about. He used the entertainer "Mya" as the example here, but it's all the same thing.

Part I

Part II

“The Beyonce Syndrome” is a system of beliefs, behaviors and values that:

1). Has implanted into the collective sub-conscience of young women, especially young women of color, the idea that thugs, rappers, drug dealers, gang bangers, criminals, abusers and womanizers are not only acceptable as mates, but should in fact be the ideal.

2). Has completely changed the perception for women of what the ideal man should be, with disastrous consequences.

3). Has given young women a value system void of substance, that cheapens their image/bodies, and works against establishing good strong families.

4). Teaches women to put undue value on material possessions and looks.

5). Teaches women of color to use sex/their bodies to get what they want and show as much skin as possible.

Now I won’t get into a debate about whether a large number of Black American women (not all of course…but vast majority) are infatuated by the “thug” or thug image or any of the different variations of the “bad boy”. I have already debated that issue and those who share my view have already won that argument. The evidence is pretty clear on that one. No one can honestly say anymore that this isn’t happening. But of course, there are plenty of Black women who will continue to argue that this is all made up. That the phenomenon doesn’t exist at all. Ignorance is indeed bliss.

Debating this issue with Black women is like being out in the middle of a typhoon and having someone standing next to you telling you how sunny & beautiful the day is. Their perception of reality is different from what everyone else in the world sees.

What “The Beyonce Syndrome” has helped to do (more than any other phenomenon in the past 20 years) is normalize thug culture. It has turned the thug into a protagonist of sorts (Tupac is considered a hero in modern Black culture on par with civil rights icons… complete insanity). It has made the thug the ideal. Now, Black men like “Jay Z“, “TI“, “Lil Wayne”, 50 Cent ______ (plug in just about any popular rapper of that genre) are held up as heroes in modern Black culture. Black men who pursue education stay out of trouble, go to work everyday and take care of their responsibilities, send flowers and believe in doing thoughtful things for women…are considered by women of color to be undesirable cornballs…men who are weak. In fact, the friendzone is awash with gentlemen who are considered “too nice“.

Young Black boys, knowing now that this is what the opposite sex wants, are encouraged to emulate these modern black cultural icons (tongue in cheek) even more. They are encouraged to act out, join gangs, disrespect authority, disrupt the classroom, disregard education, and disrespect women, etc. They are desperately trying to impress the young Beyonce’s. This is largely why Black male student achievement is in the toilet. This perpetuates the negative cycle that continues to strangle the so called “Black community“ -- high rates of out of wedlock births, sexual promiscuity, poor educational performance, poor parenting, poor treatment of women, values that don’t promote education, and so forth.

We now have generations of young women of color who want to emulate Beyonce, Rihanna, and all the rest of the glorified “video vixens” who have reached stardom. Young women of color today now believe that dating a drug dealer is really hot. The danger is exciting (this is what they believe). They want to be just like Beyonce (dating the former drug dealer Jay Z). The fact that this man was once a drug dealer… makes black women fawn over him even more. nevermind the fact that Jay Z has apparently even referred to his own wife as “his bitch” in one song. How is that empowering for women?

Just look at what Beyonce promotes in her songs. Listen/check the lyrics of her songs. Researching the lyrics for this commentary… I found that the songs are worse than what I even thought. Check on the songs “Thug Love”, or “Sexy Little Thug”, or her anthem “Soldier”. These are just a few. But they get to the heart of what Beyonce is all about. All of the songs are aimed at praising and promoting thugs and the so-called “thug life”. Check out one of Rihanna’s ode’s to the thug, entitled “There’s a Thug In My Life”. There is a pattern here… this isn’t by happenstance. The worst thing about all of this is that there are millions of young women of color who are emulating (or who want to emulate) these women as much as possible.

Beyonce as the example has given young women the green light. This is no longer the exception…. but the rule today. Non-black groups also have their love of the “bad boy”… but it has always been the exception. That was once the case in the Black community, but women like Beyonce have helped to turn that exception into the rule.

It’s not just Black women with low education or who are socio-economically disadvantaged who have been affected by “The Beyonce Syndrome” (although poorer women are much less able to mitigate the consequences and thus suffer the most). Black women who are college educated, professional, churchgoing, and seemingly responsible have also embraced the Beyonce value system. I would be rich if I had $10.00 for each time I have seen “good”, decent women of color walking around with thugs with tattoos all over their heads and bodies, and/or pants down around their knees - in public w/ no shame. I’m talking about women, some of whom are supposedly the cream of the crop. Take Eudoxie Agnan for example… she’s apparently the long-time girlfriend of rapper Christopher Bridges, also known as Ludacris. Agnan is a former medical student. Keep in mind, Ludacris is a clown who openly and routinely shows degrading images of women, refers to them as whores, disrespects women (and the more he does it, the more they seem to want him…and of course his money). Agnan maintained a gig as a groupie on the side, and it looks like that may have paid off for her. She dropped out of med school once she hit the Hip Hop groupie lotto (what they all do once they reach their goal of getting together with a rapper, professional athlete, actor, media mogul, wealthy business man…etc). Basically she’s another glorified video vixen by another name… But the point is… it’s not always the poor girl from public housing who finds these men irresistible. Gabrielle Union (another glorified vixen), Jennifer Lopez, Vivica Fox, Mariah Carey and a long list of pop stars, entertainers, and women who have gone to college find these men attractive…both physically and culturally. There are millions of young women of color who emulate these women and follow their lead on dating and relationships. But it’s not just young women under 35. Older women of color also play this game of minimizing thug culture and making up excuses for what they find sexy and attractive in these men. I see/hear this nonsense often.

This is why I have very little in common with the typical Black American woman. Of course there are exceptions, but there are not many Clair Huxtables, Lisa Bonet’s, Halle Berry’s, or Rachel True’s around. It is not even a 1 in 10 proposition anymore. It used to be…. But not today. This is why I can’t see myself dating a Black woman. Never have. The worldviews just don’t match up. I have seen Black women who are the exception to all of this madness…but they are so few and far between that it’s just not worth the time it would take to ever meet one, let alone connect. By the time you weed through all of the trash to get to a gem, you have wasted so much time and effort… Interracial dating is no walk in the park either. Needless to say, my dating options have always been extremely limited.

I noticed the differences between Black American women/girls and others early on. I cannot count how many times I was seen as a cornball in school because I actually wanted to do the work. I was too young to understand why that was happening at the time (middle school). My first dance (in middle school) was with a white girl. My early experiences with Black women/girls provided the imprint for how I would see them in adult. I can say with confidence, that my views have only been confirmed and solidified.

No Black woman has successfully been able to debate me on this issue. Most often they have either reverted to name calling when they realize they can’t win the argument, or they have just avoided the debate. I recently tried to have this debate on the website “ThoseGirlsAreWild.com”. This is supposed to be a comedy/pop culture site run by 2 young women from Canada. They are kids basically. They are young women of color in their early 20’s… the demographic most influenced by the Beyonce world view. I would say they are above average… but I wouldn’t consider them to be “the cream of the crop”. They have a distorted view of relationships and pop culture. Nice young women nevertheless. It’s no surprise that they happen to be absolute devotees of Beyonce. I simply wanted them to admit to the harmful impact their hero has had on women of color. Of course they did no such thing and resorted to name calling. They refused to debate because in their minds, no problem existed.

The issue that caused me to raise the subject came about when one of the bloggers from “ThoseGirlsAreWild.com” (who I won’t name) criticized a Canadian entertainer for using sex appeal/or showing skin, to get ahead in her career. Since they are devotees of Beyonce, Rihanna, and several others who rely heavily on selling sex (people who can’t make it on singing/musical talent alone - who I would go as far as saying rely primarily on sex appeal as opposed to talent) I thought the comments were hypocritical. They were unable to debate me on any of the merits of the argument that I presented. None.

What has become clear to me is that many of those with “The Beyonce Syndrome” don’t know that they have it. It is so deeply ingrained in their sub-conscience that they don’t realize it. That makes it even worse. That is like a child who doesn’t feel pain - they have to be monitored closely because they may kill themselves. They tend to dive into situations (literally and figuratively) because they can’t feel pain. When someone has behaviors, beliefs, and conditions that are causing them harm and they either can’t or refuse to acknowledge the problem…it makes it worse. It’s the same thing that makes drug addicts such a danger to themselves - denial, denial, denial. They are often unaware of how bad things really are.

What we have now are black women who are diving in head first into a relationship culture that devalues them. I have covered this before in “Black women & The Race to The Bottom”.

Writer Kerri Herndon gives some insight on the thinking of women who find these men and this lifestyle attractive.

So what has been the result of “The Beyonce Syndrome”? Besides the continued high rate of out of wedlock births, households without a good father, sky high crime rates in inner cities, and a culture of violence and criminality, we have young women of color who have not only embraced the Beyonce value system, but have become agents for those who abuse them. Listen to this recent NPR report on the domestic violence case involving the performer Rihanna (reluctant to call her a singer…because well… she can’t sing). The story is disturbing, but it didn’t surprise me at all. It supports everything that I have been saying over the past several years. After the beating… (just as I had predicted) Chris Brown is more popular than ever and the women crave him even more. I can recall one video clip where Brown was romancing a 16 year old girl on stage (not long after the beating)…. Makes you wonder what kind of mother would allow that…because you know what kind of message it sends. Horrible. I know one thing for damn sure…. that kind of mother will not birth my children. No chance!

BTW, Gina McCauley completely missed the elephant in the room in her comments in the NPR story. She spends the segment trying to come up with a way to blame Black men for the behavior of black women/girls, the mothers of black women/girls, and the entertainers who act recklessly when it comes to their responsibility as role models for young women.

What is it about the social DNA of Black women/women of color that makes them more susceptible to this madness? I understand socio-economic disadvantage… but that can’t explain it all. When will people admit that this is a problem?

Youtube Links:

Jailbirds

Black woman admits

Thug Appeal

2012 State of the Union Preview

2012-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

hat tip-The Obama Diary:

Behind The Scenes: Writing the 2012 State of the Union Address

Chipsticks
January 24, 2012 at 1:45 pm
The First Lady’s guest list tonight:

SGT Ashleigh Berg, USA
Malibu, California

SGT Ashleigh Berg is from Malibu, California, and joined the United States Army in July of 2004. SGT Berg has been stationed in South Korea and Germany, and has served two tours of duty in Iraq. Her husband, SGT Matthew Berg, USA is currently deployed to Afghanistan on his 3rd combat tour. SGT Berg is currently assigned to the 94th Army Missile Defense Command in Fort Shafter Hawaii, and is serving a three year tour as the Commanding General’s Executive Administrative assistant.

Alicia Boler-Davis
Plant Manager, General Motors Orion Assembly
Detroit, Michigan

Alicia Boler-Davis lives in Detroit with her husband, Fitzgerald, and their two young sons. She is the plant manager at General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping, and is responsible for overseeing the production of the first new small car program from General Motors to be manufactured in the United States. Last October, Ms.

Boler-Davis led President Obama and President Lee of South Korea on a tour of the General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping. President Obama and President Lee traveled to the GM plant to highlight the free trade agreements and the resurgence of the American auto industry.

Debbie Bosanek
Assistant, Berkshire Hathaway
Bellevue, Nebraska

A Nebraska native, Debbie Bosanek has worked for Berkshire Hathaway for 37 years and has been Warren Buffett’s secretary for almost two decades. Last September, the President proposed the “Buffett Rule” as part of comprehensive tax reform, and is working to build an economy that works for everyone, including Americans like Ms. Bosanek, not just a wealthy few. Ms. Bosanek lives in Bellevue, Nebraska with her husband of 23 years and their son, and spends most of her time and energy trying to keep up with her boss.

Jackie Bray
Process Operator at the Siemens Charlotte Energy Hub
King’s Mountain, North Carolina

Jackie Bray is a single mother from King’s Mountain, North Carolina.

Last January she was laid off from her job as a high speed packaging mechanic. That is when she enrolled in Central Piedmont Community College to prepare for Siemens pre-hiring test. After finishing the course and passing the test, Ms. Bray was hired by Siemens in August of 2011. This type of partnership between businesses and community colleges is exactly what President Obama hopes to strengthen to maximize workforce development strategies, job training programs, and job placements. Ms. Bray now works as a process operator, combining her machinist background with new skills she has been trained on since working at Siemens: laser training, robotics training, penetrant inspection training, and product orientation.

Mayor Julián Castro
San Antonio, Texas

Mayor Castro was first elected mayor of San Antonio in 2009 and at 37 years old is the youngest mayor of a top 50 American city. He is a former city councilman and founder of a law firm. He graduated from Stanford University and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2000. During his Administration, the Milken Institute ranked San Antonio as the best-performing city in the nation in 2011. In January 2012, Mayor Castro announced that CPS Energy, a municipally-owned utility, has entered negotiations to bring at least 800 jobs and $100 million in capital investment to San Antonio. This is expected to be one of the nation’s largest solar projects resulting in 400 megawatts of zero-emissions solar energy.

Bruce Cochrane
President and CEO of Lincolnton Furniture
Lincolnton, North Carolina

Bruce Cochrane comes from a family that has manufactured furniture in North Carolina for decades, but when Cochrane Furniture was sold in 1997, the new owners moved manufacturing to China. Two years ago, Mr. Cochrane decided the time had come to start his own furniture company back in his home state. In January 2012, production began at Lincolnton Furniture in the same plant his family once ran. Lincolnton Furniture is expected to add 130 new jobs to the area. Mr. Cochrane attended President Obama’s Insourcing American Jobs Forum earlier this month.

Sara Ferguson
Teacher, Columbus Elementary
Parkside, Pennsylvania

Sara Ferguson teaches literacy and math at Columbus Elementary, and has worked for the Chester Upland School District for 20 years. She is a third generation educator in Chester Upland, and a proud product of that district. When the Chester Upland School District faced bankruptcy earlier this year in light of severe state budget cuts, Ms.

Ferguson vowed to continue teaching even without being paid, saying “we are adults; we will make a way. The students don’t have any contingency plan. They need to be educated, so we intend to be on the job.”

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita
Founder, President and CEO Quality Electrodynamics
Cleveland, Ohio

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita is founder, president and chief executive officer of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), in Cleveland, Ohio. Coming to America from Japan in 1988 and after receiving his Ph.D. in physics from Case Western Reserve University in 1998, Dr. Fujita chose to continue his professional training in America. In 2006 he started his own company, QED, which is a developer and manufacturer of highly proprietary state-of-the-art MRI radiofrequency antennas. QED is now one of the world’s largest suppliers of these products and ships throughout the globe. In 2010, Dr. Fujita founded his second company, eQED, a solar energy-related electronics development and manufacturing company. With the founding of both QED and eQED, today Dr. Fujita is creating high tech, advanced manufacturing jobs in the healthcare and energy sectors in the United States.

Mahala Greer
Student
Denver, Colorado

Mahala Greer grew up in Paonia, a small town in rural Colorado. She is currently a student at the University of Colorado Denver majoring in Spanish, and has just been accepted into Teach for America as a Bilingual Education Corps Member. In May she will graduate with more than $35,000 in student loans. Last October, Ms. Greer introduced President Obama when he spoke to students at CU Denver about how his Administration is working to make college more affordable and reduce student loan debt.

Adrienne Howard
San Diego, California

Adrienne Howard is a military spouse from Lynchburg, Virginia, and currently lives in San Diego, California with her three children. Her husband, Commander Colby Howard, USN, is currently on a seven month deployment. Mrs. Howard has moved 14 times during her husband’s career, and their oldest child has attended 9 different schools along the way. For nearly 20 years, she has been heavily involved as a volunteer in family readiness groups and Navy spouse organizations. This past September, Mrs. Howard was inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative to reach out to her community, and the response was overwhelming. Mrs. Howard shared her story of rallying her community to ‘adopt’ a Sailor on the Joining Forces Blog.

Mike Krieger
Co-founder Instagram
San Francisco, California

Mike Krieger is the co-founder of Instagram, the fastest growing social mobile startup in the U.S. today, with over 15 million registered users. Mike was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and moved to California in 2004 to attend Stanford University, where he studied computer science and cognitive science. In 2010, he joined up with Kevin Systrom to co-found Instagram, and now employs a talented, growing team of designers and engineers. After graduation, Mr. Krieger worked for a year on his student F-1 visa, later applying for and receiving an H-1B visa as a high-skill worker. Mr. Krieger wants to permanently stay in the U.S. and has applied for a green card.

Captain Mark Kelly, USN, Ret.

Mark Kelly is an American astronaut, retired US Navy Captain, best-selling author, and an experienced naval aviator who flew combat missions during the Gulf War. The winner of many awards, including the Legion of Merit, two Defense Superior Service Medals and two Distinguished Flying Crosses, Kelly was selected as an astronaut in 1996. He flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, the same space shuttle that he commanded on its final flight in May 2011. He has also commanded Space Shuttle Discovery and is one of only two individuals who have visited the International Space Station on four different occasions. Already a celebrated American, Kelly became the center of international attention after the January 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In their best-selling memoir, Gabby, the couple shares their story of hope and resilience with the world.

Lorelei Kilker
Analytical Chemist
Brighton, Colorado

Lorelei Kilker is an analytical chemist for an environmental laboratory, and lives in Brighton, Colorado with her domestic partner and their two children. In October of 2011, Ms. Kilker was one of a class of women who benefitted from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) investigation of alleged systematic sex discrimination at her former employer that resulted in the award of back wages and significant remedial relief, arrangements that were achieved through a cooperative process between the employer and EEOC. Since the creation of the President’s Equal Pay Task Force in January 2010, EEOC obtained almost $50 million in monetary relief through administrative enforcement for victims of sex-based wage discrimination, obtained changes to workplace practices that benefit over one quarter of a million workers, and filed five cases including sex-based wage discrimination claims.

Admiral William McRaven, USN

Admiral McRaven assumed command of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) on June 13, 2008. Prior to assuming command, he served from June 2006 to March 2008 as commander, Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR). In addition to his duties as COMSOCEUR, he was designated as the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Centre (NSCC), where he was charged with enhancing the capabilities and inter-operability of all NATO Special Operations Forces. Adm. McRaven has commanded at every level within the special operations community, including assignments as deputy commanding general for operations at JSOC, commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, commander of SEAL Team 3, task group commander in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, task unit commander during Desert Storm and Desert Shield, squadron commander at Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and SEAL platoon commander at Underwater Demolition Team 21/SEAL Team 4.

Adm. McRaven’s diverse staff and interagency experience includes assignments as the director for Strategic Planning in the Office of Combating Terrorism on the National Security Council Staff, assessment director at U.S. Special Operations Command, on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and the chief of staff at Naval Special Warfare Group 1.

Adm. McRaven’s professional education includes assignment to the Naval Postgraduate School, where he helped establish and was the first graduate from the Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict curriculum.

Joan Milligan
Orlando, Florida

As deep rooted Orlando, Florida, residents, Joan Milligan and her husband Bill share a strong commitment to their community and volunteering. Faced with losing their home, President Obama’s Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) allowed Joan and her husband to refinance their existing loan when other means of refinancing were not open to them. As Mrs. Milligan has said, “I can’t believe how easy the process was. The bank bent over backwards to accommodate us”. The Milligans will celebrate 50 years of marriage in October 2012.

Amber Morris
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Amber Morris, a Virginia Beach resident, responded to the White House’s call in December asking Americans “What does 40 mean to you?” saying, “Forty dollars a pay check means that I’ll be able to pay my bills, but most months it’ll be a tight squeeze. It means that I’ll have no spending money which means I can’t do my part in encouraging my local economy. Forty dollars a paycheck may not seem a lot, but it could mean a steady job for me and my coworkers or unemployment.” Ms. Morris graduated from Northeastern Law School in 2008 and found herself unable to find a job in her field.

She was working for a non-profit in Boston, but after they lost funding she found herself unemployed in 2009 and forced to move back home with her parents. She’s since found work as a waitress in a local restaurant and although it’s less than ideal, she feels “lucky to have paycheck” to help pay student loans and help save up for the Virginia bar exam.

Laurene Powell Jobs
Founder and Chair of Emerson Collective
Palo Alto, California

Ms. Laurene Powell Jobs is founder and chair of Emerson Collective, an organization focused on harnessing the potential of individuals from underserved communities to help them build a better life.

Ms. Powell Jobs also serves as president of the board of College Track, an after-school program she founded in 1997 to prepare underserved high school students for success in college. Started in East Palo Alto, College Track has expanded to serve students in Oakland, San Francisco, New Orleans and Aurora, Colorado. The program’s intensive academic and extracurricular program is designed to ensure admittance to and graduation from college. All of the program’s graduates have completed their secondary education and gone on to college.

In addition to her work with the Emerson Collective and College Track, she serves on the boards of directors of NewSchools Venture Fund, New America Foundation and Conservation International. She also serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ms. Powell Jobs holds a BA and a BSE from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Earlier in her career, she spent several years working in investment banking and later co-founded a natural foods company in California.

Adam Rapp
Fall Creek Township, Illinois

Adam Rapp lives in Fall Creek Township, Illinois, and is the only child of Stephen and Lisa Rapp. On his 23rd birthday, he was diagnosed with cancer, and without the Affordable Care Act he would have lost health insurance coverage the same day. Adam’s mother wrote President Obama a letter last May thanking him for passing the health reform law so that her son could remain on their health insurance policy. After undergoing treatment, Mr. Rapp is now cancer-free and engaged to be married to Adrienne Mast of Quincy, Illinois.

Juan Jose Redín
Attorney
North Hollywood, California

Juan Jose Redín was born in Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico before coming with his mother and younger sister to the United States at the age of 10. After enduring many challenges throughout his journey to achieve his dream of higher education. Juan benefited from California’s Assembly Bill 540 and was able to enroll, and excel, in his studies at UCLA. He received both his undergraduate (with honors) and law degrees from UCLA. Now a US citizen and a practicing attorney, Juan is as passionate as ever about ensuring educational access to all.

Bryan Ritterby
Lab Technician
Holland, Michigan

Bryan Ritterby had been in the furniture manufacturing industry for more than 25 years working on the manufacturing floor, in the quality department and as a field service representative, but was laid off in February of 2009. Mr. Ritterby then went through the Grand Rapids Community College Composite Technician Training Program in conjunction with a new start-up company, Energetx Composites. Upon completion of the program,

Mr. Ritterby was hired by Energetx Composites as a composite technician in April of 2010. Today, Mr. Ritterby is a Lab Technician for Energetx Composites conducting material tests in the company’s laboratory verifying materials to be used in wind turbine blades, as well as working on blade validation tests for all of the community scale wind blades Energetx is manufacturing.

Colonel Ginger Wallace, USAF
McLean, Virginia

Colonel Ginger Wallace is an Air Force intelligence officer who has led airlift and intelligence operations during Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, PROVIDE RELIEF, UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. She currently lives in McLean, Virginia with her partner of over a decade, Kathy Knopf. In December, Ms.

Knopf attended Col. Wallace’s promotion ceremony and participated in the “pinning on” of Col. Wallace’s rank, marking the first such event reported following the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Col. Wallace is currently training to deploy to Afghanistan in the Spring 2012 through the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program.

Why Bain and Willard's Tax Rate Matters

2012-01-23T05:57:00.001-08:00

It seems as if the ' inevitable' campaign of Willard Romney has hit a snag. You know what happens when 'inevitable' campaigns come up against serious challenges, don't you? They don't seem to have a plan 'B'.

Willard has been running for President for a good five years, and he doesn't have a scintilla of genuine political skill. He doesn't know how to play a room. He doesn't know how to get the room behind him. Nobody's gonna cut someone for Willard. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if Willard's checks didn't clear, nobody would know his name.

Willard's entire campaign for President is based upon this:

This country needs a CEO to lead it to better economic times.

Condescendingly, Willard says that the President is a ' nice guy, but he's in over his head'. I kid you not. So, of course, it's up to Willard to show the President how it's done.

Willard knows nothing about foreign policy, and everytime he opens his mouth about it, he looks like a clown. WHO is Willard's foreign policy team? ALL the folks that lied us into Iraq. THAT is who's giving Willard foreign policy advice.

So, since he has nothing with regards to foreign policy, his entire campaign is based upon ECONOMIC POLICY.

He has nothing else, and quite frankly, I don't think that's a strong position for Willard.

Because, he's run away from his time as Governor of Massachusetts. It doesn't even come up in the conversation about why he should be President.

So, he put forth his time as a businessman as the reason he should be President.

GOOD.

That means BAIN.

Let's make this clear. The point of his work at Bain wasn't to create jobs; it was to get money back for the investors. If jobs were created, then that was a by-product, but it wasn't Willard's focus at Bain. The focus was making money; nothing wrong with making money, per se, but you can't base a Presidential campaign upon something that didn't happen. This is the era of Youtube; the internet. And, in each of the companies that went bankrupt because of Bain's Vulture Capitalism, there are plenty of workers to tell their stories; of lost pensions, and destroyed financial lives, all the while, even as the company went BANKRUPT, Willard and his minions made MILLIONS.

People aren't against capitalism in this country. All but the furthest left of the left-wingers, is against capitalism in America. But, there's a difference in an entrepreneur who invents something, brings a product to market that had never happened, creates the better mousetrap, per se, and builds a business that way. That is the traditional way I think most Americans think of capitalism. What Willard is, and the ilk like him, were people who never produced anything, other than schemes of how to invent ways to make money, even if it wound up destroying otherwise productive companies. There's a reason why someone like Warren Buffet doesn't deal with people who do what Willard and Bain did; he knows the difference between traditional capitalism, and the VULTURE capitalism that Willard and Bain practiced.

Rachel Maddow did a good segment on Willard, Bain, his inevitability, and if the economy improves, there IS NO REASON TO VOTE FOR MITT ROMNEY:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And, so, if Willard is basing his entire campaign on his time as a businessman....EVERYTHING at Bain is par for the course. We have Newt to thank for bringing Bain into focus - on DEMOCRATIC PARTY TERMS.

There are those that think that this be ' old hat' by the time of the general election. I am not among them. The Republican stance of trying to rally the troops by saying that attacking Bain is attacking capitalism itself - hogwash. Attacking Bain is attacking VULTURE capitalism, and if the GOP wants to keep themselves tethered to Willard, so be it for them.

The second part of this is has to do with Willard's tax returns.

I'll use Steve Benen at Washington Monthly to chart Willard's course on tax returns:

About a month ago, Mitt Romney was asked whether he’d release his tax returns. He said, “I doubt it,” adding, “I don’t intend to.”

Eight days later, Romney said he’d “consider” releasing his tax returns, but the disclosure would only come after he’s elected to the White House.

Earlier this week, Romney said he’s “not opposed” to disclosure, “if” there’s been a “tradition.” He added he’ll “keep that open” around “the April time period.”

Last night, Romney said he’ll “probably” release his tax returns. Asked about previous years, he said, “Maybe.”

And that led to a new position this morning on Fox News.

“I’ll release those on April 15.”

For those keeping score at home, that’s five different positions on disclosure in just four weeks.

Also note, when Romney addressed the subject this morning, he said he doesn’t want to “give the Democrats a nice little present of having multiple releases.”

I’m not sure why Republicans should find this reassuring: if Romney’s tax returns include “presents” for Democrats, why should GOP primary voters spend the next three months voting for him?

The one on spot question that John King actually got right with regards to Willard in the debate was about tax returns.

Willard's father released 12 YEARS of tax returns, because, as he put it

" One year could be manipulated."

Ain't that the truth. I said from the get go, when Willard so ' graciously' decided that he would release the 2011 Return, and that he was taxed somewhere around 15%, that it had to be a lie.

This is another question that came to me about Willard and his tax returns.

Willard has been running for President since 2007.

2007.

What was supposed to happen if he had beat John McCain for the 2008 Nomination?

Did he think he wasn't going to release any returns then?

And, since he has been running since 2007 - without a break in between...

WHY wouldn't he have 2007 - present tax returns ready for publication?

Did he really, during this time, not believe that he was going to release those returns?

Is he really arrogant enough to think that he would be able to get away with the bulls--- move of ONLY releasing the 2011 return?

REALLY?

And, what's in those tax returns?

Here are a couple of clips from Lawrence O'Donnell on this subject. This expert makes a good point; he wants to see the ones from 1984-99, when Romney ran Bain. He also brings up the subject of offshore accounts.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The offshore accounts is important, because once again I go back to Willard's attack on President Obama. Andrew Sullivan has repeatedly made the point that, at the core of Romney's attacks on the President, it is the message of the President being ' the other' - not really American. He's really the only person in the press that brings up this point about Willard.

Well, who is more American...the President out trying to create American jobs, and INSOURCE American jobs, and keeps his money IN AMERICA, or the other candidate, who got rich while he destroyed American companies, sent American Jobs overseas, didn't pay a decent share of taxes, AND doesn't believe enough in America to KEEP HIS MONEY IN AMERICA.

THAT is what I think is in those tax returns. Willard isn't paying near 15%......NOWHERE near 15%. AND, he's got a bunch of accounts OVERSEAS. So, he's running for President of a country that he doesn't want to be pay taxes to, and can't be bothered to invest his own money in.....

This is Willard to the core.

From the comments at The Obama Diary:

Kari Hope (@TyJuanOn)
January 22, 2012 at 5:13 pm

5 things to know about Mitten’s tax returns:

1. Mitt’s got millions invested in the Cayman Islands
“Although it is not apparent on his financial disclosure form, Mitt Romney has millions of dollars of his personal wealth in investment funds set up in the Cayman Islands, a notorious Caribbean tax haven.” – ABC News

2. Mitt pays a tax rate lower than most middle-class Americans
Even though Mitt’s worth as much as $250 million, “Republican candidate Mitt Romney believes his effective tax rate—the share of his income he pays in federal taxes—is around 15%, or, as he put it, “probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything…” – Christian Science Monitor

3. Under Mitt’s own tax plan, he’d pay half of what he’d pay otherwise
“Under his plan, Romney in 2013 would see his taxes cut by nearly half of what they would be if you use current law as a baseline.” – Washington Post

4. Mitt jokes he’s “unemployed,” but he’s still making millions a year off investments
“In what would be the final deal of his private equity career, he negotiated a retirement agreement with his former partners that has paid him a share of Bain’s profits ever since, bringing the Romney family millions of dollars in income each year and bolstering the fortune that has helped finance Mr. Romney’s political aspirations.” – New York Times

5. Mitt made over $300,000 in speaking fees last year—but called it “not that much”
“He also said he had earned ‘a little bit of income’ from his book, which he donated to charity, and ‘speakers’ fees from time to time, but not very much.’ Romney earned almost $375,000 in speaking fees from Feb. 26, 2010, to Feb. 20, 2011, according to his personal financial disclosure.

Etta James Has Passed Away at the age of 73

2012-01-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

From Philly.com:

Etta James, the husky-voiced R&B singer, dies at 73
By Dan DeLuca
Inquirer Music Critic

Etta James, 73, the powerful rhythm-and-blues singer whose more than five-decade career spawned such enduring hits as "At Last" and "Tell Mama," making her a profound influence on younger generations of female vocalists, died Friday.

Ms. James, who suffered complications from leukemia, according to her manager, had been beset with a variety of health problems. In 2009, she was diagnosed with dementia; the following year, she was hospitalized with a staph infection. In December, weeks after the release of The Dreamer, which was billed as her final studio album, Ms. James' doctor told the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise that the singer, who also had been diagnosed with hepatitis C, was terminally ill with chronic leukemia.

A genre-bridging singer equally commanding and comfortable singing the blues, jazz, and rock-and-roll, Ms. James was a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award-winner and a member of the Rock and Roll and Blues Halls of Fame. The legendary producer Jerry Wexler called her "the greatest of modern blues singers . . . the undisputed Earth Mother."

Born Jamesetta Hawkins in 1938 in Los Angeles, Etta James was the daughter of a 14-year-old mother and a father she never knew. She would later claim to have reason to believe her father was the legendary pool player Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone Jr.

Ms. James began singing in the gospel choir of a Los Angeles church at age 5. She knew even then that she would be a performer, she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2006, "because I was always a show-off." At an early age, she developed a taste for what she referred to as "rotgut, lowdown blues," but her mother also made her listen to the smoother sounds of Frank Sinatra and Nat "King" Cole. Her music would reflect that combination of influences throughout her career.

As a teenager, her vocal group, the Creolettes, was discovered by the bandleader Johnny Otis, who rechristened them the Peaches, after Ms. James' nickname. (Otis, as it turned out, also died this week, at age 90 on Tuesday.)

In 1955, the group scored a No. 1 R&B hit with an answer song to Hank Ballard's risqué "Work With Me Annie" called "The Wallflower." (Its original title was "Roll With Me Henry," which was considered too sexually suggestive for the era.) The Peaches scored one more hit, with "Good Rockin' Daddy," before Ms. James went solo. By 1956, she was on tour, opening for Little Richard.

Ms. James' solo career failed to catch fire in the late '50s. Then she signed with the Chicago blues label Chess and, in 1960, released At Last!, an album that surrounded her husky voice with lush strings in an effort to court a broader pop audience than usual for a label that was home to the electric bluesmen Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters.

It worked. The album scored four pop hits, including the title cut, written by Mack Gordon and Henry Warden for the 1941 musical Orchestra Wives. It became Ms. James' signature song and a perennially popular first-dance choice at wedding receptions. In 2009, Beyoncé Knowles sang "At Last" at an inaugural ball while President Obama danced with his wife. Knowles had portrayed James in Cadillac Records, a 2008 movie that depicted a fictional affair between the singer and Chess cofounder Leonard Chess.

The South Carolina Primary

2012-01-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

So, Little Newton Leroy spanked Willard in South Carolina.

Newt Gingrich is projected to be the winner of South Carolina.

It's not even close.

Newt - 41%
Willard - 26%
Santorum-18%
Newsletter Paul - 13%

Here's the thing....they might vote for the Mormon in the general when faced against the Kenyan Mooslim Soshulist in the White House, but, for now, the Holy Rollers aren't giving their votes to the Mormon.

Among those who take the religious identity of the candidates seriously, Romney was stomped by Gingrich and Santorum. Romney won only 22 percent of evangelicals.

22%!!!

According to exit polls, Mitt Romney lost voters of all income levels to Newt Gingrich except those making over $200,000 per year in CNN’s exit polling. Among these wealthiest voters, these early numbers show Romney winning 47% to Gingrich’s 31%.

hee hee hee

The GOP Clown Car continues.

found this tweet:

Seriously, cannot overstate the historic SC vote. Mitt the first establishment frontrunner to lose SC GOP primary EVER. As in "EVER.

Let's Support RED TAILS

2012-01-18T06:23:00.000-08:00

This Friday, the Movie Red Tails, will be opening. It is a movie about the Tuskegee Airmen and their fight to be able to fight in World War II.

It was produced by George Lucas.

Rob M left this in the comments last week:

VIA an email sent to me:
For all you movie buffs. Please help get the word out. As you may know, Red Tails is George Lucas' version of the story of the Tuskegee Airmen,
20 years in the making, and has a predominantly Black cast, certainly all the main actors are Black.

As it goes, when the movie was finally ready for production, no production company would take it, so George Lucas had to write a check. After production was completed, no distribution company would take it. So, George Lucas had to write another check. The advanced viewing was sponsored by Wells Fargo and the Museum for Black History Diaspora (not sure of the exact name).

The movie is intriguing and has edge-of-your-seat action. It's well done, and certainly worth the look.

I'm urging all of you to see this movie, and tell others about it as well. Anything we can do to ensure large numbers of viewers in the first few
days of release, scheduled for 20 Jan 2012, will make a statement to the production and distribution companies that were not interested in
this film for whatever reasons, that they made a mis-calculation.

If each of you tells as many people about this as you can, and attempts to take 4 or 5 people with you to see the film, that will be like a
geometric progression, and could potentially push the numbers off the chart.

Black folks like to talk about the lack of choices that we get as Black-centered entertainment. Well, when something different comes up, we need to support it.

Red Tails Trailer 2 Official 2012 [HD]

GO WISCONSIN!! Opponents file ONE MILLION SIGNATURES TO RECALL WALKER!!

2012-01-18T06:22:00.000-08:00

In the fight against radical right-wing agendas, the people of Wisconsin have spoken:

Those involved in the fight to recall right-wing Koch Brother Stooge Scott Walker have filed ONE MILLION SIGNATURES in their fight.

From Business Week:

Wisconsin Governor’s Foes Have 1 Million Names for Recall
January 17, 2012, 7:48 PM EST
By Tim Jones and Marie Rohde

Opponents of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker have about 1 million signatures on petitions to force a recall election, according to a state Democratic Party news release.

If the state’s Government Accountability Board rules that at least 540,208 signatures are valid and any legal challenges fail, Wisconsin will hold the third gubernatorial ouster vote in U.S. history. The Republican politician championed restrictions on bargaining by public-employee unions, prompting the effort. The signatures are to be filed today.

Today’s submission in Madison, the capital, will escalate a partisan war that has raged 11 months and divided a state with a history of progressive politics. Voters ousted two senators in August who voted for Walker’s collective-bargaining curbs, and now the governor, lieutenant governor and four Republican state senators face possible removal votes in the second or third quarter.

The million people favoring a recall election for Walker compares with the 1.1 million votes that elected him in 2010.

Walker, in an interview today over Milwaukee radio state WTMJ, called the effort “a baseless recall.”

“We’re going to get a chance to do what’s never been done before: be elected twice in the same term,” Walker said.

Democrats and union members also collected about 850,000 signatures to recall Republican Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and 20,600 names to recall Senator Scott Fitzgerald, about 4,200 more than necessary. Also targeted are Senators Pam Galloway, Terry Moulton and Van Wanggaard.

Out-of-State Money

The Accountability Board has said it will need at least 60 days to verify the signatures, and Kevin Kennedy, its director, said Jan. 12 he would need even more time to search for duplicate and fictitious names. The board has estimated the cost of the recall to be at least $9 million.

No Democratic candidate has emerged to challenge Walker.

Recall campaigns in nine legislative districts in 2011 were prompted by the battle over public-employee union collective bargaining rights and drew $44 million in contributions, most coming from out-of-state interests, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group based in Madison.

In August, Walker said in an interview that voters had “had it” with recalls and that ‘things will quiet down.’’

He raised $7.6 million in anticipation of a recall, according to a Jan. 10 report filed with the board. He recently attended fundraisers in Washington and Austin, Texas.

Rev. Al discusses it:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Ed Schultz did a segment on this:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Wisconsin State Senator Jon Erpenbach talks with Rachel Maddow about the massive response to the call for signatures on recall petitions to remove Governor Scott Walker.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Happy Birthday, First Lady Michelle Robinson Obama

2012-01-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama.....

First Lady Michelle Obama stands with President Barack Obama, not pictured, as they wait for the arrival of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for a reciprocal dinner at Winfield House in London, Wednesday, May 25, 2011.
-----AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., kisses his wife, Michelle Obama, after giving his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008.
----AP Photo/Alex Brandon

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and daughter Malia listen to their guide during a safari in Madikwe Game Reserve June 25, 2011.
---REUTERS/Charles Dharapak/Pool

First Lady Michelle Obama laughs while visiting with Brianna Mast, wife of Wounded Warrior Sgt. Brian Mast, and their son Magnus, in the Green Room of the White House, prior to the Joining Forces initiative event in support of military families, April 12, 2011.
-----Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dance together during the Governors Ball in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 21, 2010.
----Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama (L), holding her daughter Sasha, smiles broadly as she is greeted by volunteers singing Happy Birthday to her as she arrives with her family to volunteer in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day at Stuart-Hobson Middle School on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 17, 2011.
----REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

This photo provided by the White House, taken Dec. 11, 2011, shows President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Sasha, right, and Malia, center, sitting for a family portrait in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
----AP Photo/Pete Souza, White House

U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attend 2011 Kennedy Center Honors in Washington December 4, 2011.
----REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2012-01-16T05:26:00.000-08:00

hat tip-The Obama Diary:

Today we celebrate the national holiday honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Presidential Proclamation -- Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2012
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., FEDERAL HOLIDAY, 2012

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On a hot summer day nearly half a century ago, an African American preacher with no official title or rank gave voice to our Nation's deepest aspirations, sharing his dream of an America that ensured the true equality of all our people. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired a movement that would push our country toward a more perfect Union.

At a time when our Nation was sharply divided, Dr. King called on a generation of Americans to be "voices of reason, sanity, and understanding amid the voices of violence, hatred, and emotion." His example stirred men and women of all backgrounds to become foot soldiers for justice, and his leadership gave them the courage to refuse the limitations of the day and fight for the prospect of tomorrow. Because these individuals showed the resilience to stand firm in the face of the fiercest resistance, we are the benefactors of an extraordinary legacy of progress.

Today, Dr. King is memorialized on the National Mall where he once spoke, a symbol of how far our Nation has come and a testament to the quiet heroes whose names may never appear in history books, but whose selflessness brought about change few thought possible. Dr. King's memorial reminds us that while the work of realizing his remarkable dream is unending, with persistence, progress is within our reach.

On the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, we celebrate the man who fought for the America he knew was possible. Dr. King's faith in a God who loves all His children and a Nation grounded in the promise of equality would not let him rest until victory was won. As we work to meet the challenges of our time from fixing our schools so every child gets a world class education to ensuring all Americans have access to strong and secure economic opportunity let us draw strength from Dr. King's stirring affirmation that "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve." In his memory, let us continue climbing toward that Promised Land, one more fair and more just for all people.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2012, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service

projects in honor of Dr. King, and to visit www.MLKDay.gov to find Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service projects across our country.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

MLK Day Legacy: John Lewis

MLK Day Legacy: Ruby Bridges

MLK Day Legacy: Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery

The President's speech at the dedication of the MLK Memorial in Washington.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation President, Harry Johnson explains the creation and meaning behind the MLK Memorial in Washington, DC.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I Have Been to the Mountaintop Full Speech

From President Lyndon B. Johnson's speech on why the Voting Rights Act should be passed:

But even if we pass this bill, the battle will not be over. What happened in Selma is part of a far larger movement which reaches into every section and State of America. It is the effort of American Negroes to secure for themselves the full blessings of American life.

Their cause must be our cause too. Because it is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice.

And we shall overcome.

As a man whose roots go deeply into Southern soil I know how agonizing racial feelings are. I know how difficult it is to reshape the attitudes and the structure of our society.

But a century has passed, more than a hundred years, since the Negro was freed. And he is not fully free tonight.

It was more than a hundred years ago that Abraham Lincoln, a great President of another party, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, but emancipation is a proclamation and not a fact.

A century has passed, more than a hundred years, since equality was promised. And yet the Negro is not equal.

A century has passed since the day of promise. And the promise is unkept.

The time of justice has now come. I tell you that I believe sincerely that no force can hold it back. It is right in the eyes of man and God that it should come. And when it does, I think that day will brighten the lives of every American.

For Negroes are not the only victims. How many white children have gone uneducated, how many white families have lived in stark poverty, how many white lives have been scarred by fear, because we have wasted our energy and our substance to maintain the barriers of hatred and terror?

So I say to all of you here, and to all in the Nation tonight, that those who appeal to you to hold on to the past do so at the cost of denying you your future.

This great, rich, restless country can offer opportunity and education and hope to all: black and white, North and South, sharecropper and city dweller. These are the enemies: poverty, ignorance, disease. They are the enemies and not our fellow man, not our neighbor. And these enemies too, poverty, disease and ignorance, we shall overcome.

From Clevleland.com:

Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech at Glenville High School preserved on little-known recording

Art teacher Jayne Sylvester and one of her students stumbled over a slice of history a year ago as they rummaged through cast-off items at Glenville High School's library, hunting for unusual objects to turn into artsy robots.

Inside a slim box of reel-to-reel tape, in a pile of stuff to be discarded, they found a little-known recording of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking in Glenville's auditorium on April 26, 1967. A year later, he was killed by an assassin's bullet.

Now, after being rescued from the trash heap, the recording of King's stirring speech is being readied for use as a social studies lesson at Glenville and other Cleveland schools.

The audio is at the link above.

Vulture Capitalism at its finest: When Mitt Romney Came To Town

2012-01-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

When Mitt Romney Came To Town — Full, complete version

Upward Mobility Down and Inequality Up: How the American Dream Has Become A Fairy Tale

2012-01-11T05:09:00.000-08:00

The 'American Dream' has been a fairy tale for many in this country for years now. Pundits and researchers are finally catching up and are discovering what people toward the bottom of the socio-economic ladder have known for years. Barbara Ehrenreich has been sounding the alarm for at least a decade now.

NPR's 'On Point' covered the issue of falling upward mobility and rising inequality this week. Europe and Canada now have better upward mobility than the United States. Scandinavian Countries in particular were found to have much better upward mobility. How is this possible with the huge social safety net programs in Europe? American (Conservative) economic philosophy tells us that the cost of social safety nets, healthcare, and labor regulations would create such a drag on economies that no jobs would be created, slow growth would be endemic and nations would be full of poor people. But what Scandinavian economies have shown is that you can have meaningful and responsible social safety nets, strong healthcare programs, labor protections while maintaining healthy growth and a solid standard of living for citizens across the board. In fact, the labor rights and good healthcare allow for greater mobility and more balanced economies. When people are confident that they will have a job, they are more willing to go out and spend money. When people are more secure about their health (knowing that they don't have to choose between food and medicine and won't go bankrupt just because they get sick), they are more comfortable with spending money and even making big ticket investments in their future. On the contrary, when people are job and food insecure, as many are in the United States right now, they are more likely to hold on to their money, not knowing if tomorrow will be the rainy day when they will need it. Conservative economic theorists don't get it. The bubble that they live in doesn't allow them to grasp this simple concept.

This is also an issue about national priorities. European Countries have made a fundamental decision to make education, investing in infrastructure, and investing in human capital (their people) a high priority...at least higher than what we see in the U.S. In Europe, there is not the same drive to be global cop and thus defense spending is not such a huge chunk of budgets overseas. Europeans care less about maintaining some sort of global empire. They even get to slack on their own defense. Canada and Europe have little incentive to maintain robust defense budgets, since the U.S. has everything covered. It all comes down to priorities. Until the U.S. makes a fundamental change on the question of what its priorities will be in the future, then no one should expect any change in economic disparities.

How bad is the inequality in the U.S.? The following map, based on the Gini Coefficient, shows that the U.S. is out of step with most of the developed world. When it comes to economic disparities, the U.S. looks more like some of the world's poorer countries.

Whether you make it in the U.S. (reach the middle class or higher....or whether you are able to do better than your parents) increasingly depends more on who you know, or who your parents know...and what socio-economic class you were born into rather than any variable that you control.... (like working hard, obtaining education, etc.). A college education no longer guarantees a pathway to the middle class and the "American Dream".

I have written about my own realization that the American Dream was more of a myth than anything that could actually be achieved. See my latest piece on the subject, How Do You Maintain Your Manhood and Dignity While Living Underemployed? (See the full commentary here). More and More data has surfaced lately, letting me know that this issue is not just my imagination. This is nothing new for the working class, and those who have graduated from college in the past few years who are struggling to find meaningful work. I have been a canary in the coal mine. I have watched my American Dream fade over the past decade or so. As I mentioned, not only have I not done better than my father... I have actually done worse. Just as an example... this past year, I lost my health coverage. The new company that I was absorbed into after a management shakeup doesn't offer any real coverage. For the first time in my life, I don't have health coverage. For 37 years, I had health coverage. Hard to wrap my head around to this day. Even when I was in poverty in my early childhood living with my biological mother in St. Louis...in one of the worst ghettos in America, I still had health coverage (through State and via military). It's amazing that i'm doing worse now. 2011 was one of the worst years of my life. 2012 won't be much better.

There will be no relief for the U.S. anytime soon. None of the Republican Presidential candidates will seriously address the issue. In fact, they want to make it easier for the top 10% of earners to make even more money, while maintaining a system of high job insecurity. They want to go back to Bush era policies that allowed corporations to ignore regulations, ignore workers and rake in billions. Leading economists called the 2000's (the Bush era) "the lost decade". This is what the GOP wants to go back to. In this tax averse culture (an atmosphere created by Republicans), there will not be enough revenue for human needs, or to get the deficit and debt under control. How Republicans have won this national argument (at least so far) is truly amazing to me. Americans actually agree with Progressives when this issue is broken down into practical pieces that voters can understand (when they can get a sense of how policies will affect them), yet we lose the national argument. This is largely due to the lack of Progressive leadership...lack of a message, and a lack of media savvy in my opinion. There is no reason why Progressives should lose the argument on these fundamental issues. This years general election will come down to these kinds of core questions... basically it will come down to who we are as a nation. It is strange that with all of the indignation aimed at Wall Street, Americans are considering literally putting Wall Street (Mitt Romney) into the White House as a solution to the Country's problems. It makes no sense to me... but a lot of things don't make sense to me about this Country.

Not only have the Republican candidates avoided addressing this issue with any real solutions, they have engaged in not so subtle racist attacks to gin up support from their base. I am frustrated beyond words when Santorum and Gingrich... two rich, privileged white men who have no idea what real work is all about, suggest that Blacks just want to lay around and collect food stamps. The suggestion (in their mind) is that lazy filthy blacks don't want to work. The message that they want to send to their base is that lazy Blacks are stealing tax dollars...and they (along with their Black President) are responsible for decent hardworking white people not having a job. They used to call this dog whistling.... code that only white racist constituents in red and purple states could hear...like a dog whistle that is barely audible to the human ear. But it's safe to say that members of the Republican field have thrown their dog whistles away. They are trying to out scream one another with their racist comments...and this is just the beginning of the Republican Primary. I was expecting the blatant racism in the general election... not this early.

President Obama? I'm not convinced that this is a top priority for him either. However, at least he has pushed initiatives that are helpful to working people, such as college tax credits, programs for reducing the impact of student loans, and healthcare reform (although flawed). At least I get the sense that this President won't exacerbate the mobility and inequality problem by stacking the deck completely against workers. But I have to admit that my vote (if I vote) will be against the Republican Party...to try to prevent someone worse from taking the White House, as opposed to a vote FOR Obama. Although my vote in Missouri will likely not make a difference.... being that this State is fairly anti-Obama. This is what I hate about a system of 51 separate elections...as opposed to a true national election. This is one of the primary reasons why I don't see the American system of voting as a truly fair and Democratic one.

Is the American Dream still alive for you? I think the answer to that question has a lot to do with what socio-economic position you were in before the economy (an already sluggish economy) got worse in 2007-2008. The answer also has a lot to do with what kind of family you were born into, etc. When you have resources... and you can network...or you have family that can network for you... it is easier to get through an economic crisis.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees for 2012

2012-01-10T03:04:00.000-08:00

See the full list of 2012 inductees.

Freddie King - Same Old Blues

Laura Nyro - The Bells (Backed by Labelle)

The Faces - Maggie May

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012-01-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

From all the bloggers here at MOA...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope you're spending a wonderful day with family and friends.

What Do They Call a President Who Happens to be Black? If You Are Fox News You Call Him a "Ghetto Crackhead"

2011-12-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

FromWe Are Respectable Negroes:

Tuesday, December 27, 2011
What Do They Call a President Who Happens to be Black? If You Are Fox News You Call Him a "Ghetto Crackhead"

Malcolm X famously asked, "what do you call an educated negro with a B.A. or an M.A., with a B.S., or a PhD?" The answer? "You call him a nigger, because that is what the white man calls him, a nigger."

Decades later, his wisdom endures.

Malcolm's observation captures the pain experienced by many African Americans, when during their coming of age moment (either before or after the talk about how not to get shot by the police during a routine traffic stop), they realize that being "young, gifted, and black" is not, all things being equal, sufficient for success in America. Malcolm's words also capture the sentiments felt by any black person whose confidence has been described by their managers or peers as "threatening" or "arrogant."

His wisdom also explains the moment when black professors walk into a room for the first time and their students look at each other in shock, wondering if this teacher is "qualified" to teach them; Malcolm's wit also captures the frustration and insult felt by any black or brown person who has been presumptively assumed to be a janitor, maintenance worker, or mail clerk at their job, when in fact, their titles are actually "manager," "director," or "vice president."

Malcolm's comment on the arrogance of white racism also speaks to collective memory: it conjures up family stories of men and women trained as doctors, engineers, and lawyers, but who had to work as Pullman Car porters, maids, and home health attendants because Jim and Jane Crow America was by definition, a system designed to choke out the social and economic mobility of the African American community. Both then and now, white racism does the work of class inequality.

.................................................................

It is a given that Fox News has no love for President Obama. To point, on the Hannity show last week (and without retraction or apology after the fact), Eric Bolling described President Barack Obama, "as a skinny, ghetto, crackhead."

This moment was an object lesson on the white racial frame in action, and the truth of Brother Malcolm's deep understanding of the pathologies of white racism, where any black person, however accomplished, intelligent, and gifted, is de facto seen as "less than," a "nigger," as a person who is not equal to even the most mediocre and lowest of white people.

Black people and black humanity are forever suspect, under watch, and viewed as less than by many in White America. To the white gaze channeled by Eric Bolling, we are perpetual criminals, deviants, over-sexed, libidinous, dangerous, and pathological. These sentiments are a function of the "wages of whiteness," the psychological investment in white supremacy, and white superiority, spoken to perhaps most famously by W.E.B. DuBois more than a century ago.

....................................................................

My surprise at the claim that President Obama shares anything in common with a "skinny, ghetto, crackhead" is rooted in its absurdity. Obama is human. He is imperfect. I often disagree with his politics. Obama is a man. He is nothing more, nothing less. But a crackhead? Impulsive drug user? A hype? Nope. Not ever. Obama's personhood and habitus, his relaxed and effortless black cool pose (even if some do not possess the cultural framework and lens necessary to perceive it) is obvious--and unapologetic.

The inability by some on the Right to see Obama's full and dignified black humanity, as opposed to a default of black drug use, criminality, and omnipresent, irrepressible "niggerdom," is the source of my hurt. I must ask: If the white conservative imagination can frame a man of Obama's abilities, poise, intelligence, genius, life accomplishments, and talent as a skinny, ghetto, crackhead, how do they see the rest of us?

And we wonder why the colorline persists.

Read the entire article at the link above.

Why I Despise Modern Black Culture #951

2011-12-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

That's the nicest way that I could put it. Had to delete the original title.

I don't want to make this a 'why I hate being Black' rant... but i'll just remind people again that Cosby was right.

The results of Black social & moral degeneration keep piling up.
The Mall of America was trashed this week by thugs who started a brawl that took an hour and dozens of police officers to bring under control. Reportedly the urban terrorists were in a frenzy over rappers. Huh?

Zombies also started riots across the Country during a stupid shoe promotion. These people can spend in the neighborhood of $200 for a ------- pair of shoes and can camp out at 3 or 4am but many are SOME of the same jackasses who won't spend money to buy a book, refuse to show that kind of dedication when it comes to maintaining a job, and won't spend the money for the basic necessities for their children (authorities have to go looking for them for child support). But a stupid pair of shoes... made overseas by other poor people? No problem. The irony there is hard to miss.

Why is it that so many of the mores associated with strong families, & strong communities seem to be situated almost in reverse order in Black society? The lower rate of marriage, the rate of children out of wedlock, the importance of education not as valued, the more knuckle-headed, thuggish & criminalistic a man is... the more value he has as a partner and member of the community... black women (very large portion.... not all) desire them even more. The values are backwards. This race for material possessions over making sure souls, minds and children have what they really need is beyond bizarre, especially during an economic slump that is hitting minorities the hardest.

25-30 years ago I can recall how youth culture was dominated by who had the top name brands. I bought into that nonsense for a couple of years (didn't know any better), especially when I was in middle school. But luckily I got rid of that curse by the time I was 14 years old. As I got older, my original feelings/instincts began to take hold again - the feeling that this brand worship and idiocy from Hip Hop culture didn't make any sense to me. I allowed peer pressure and the need to fit in to stop me from being who I really was. I got rid of that poison along with Rap culture.

These folks are lost sheep. And they make every aspect of life harder for those who look like them.

This stuff drives me crazy.

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

Our President and First Lady of the United States give a holiday greeting and show appreciation for the troops and their families

From all the bloggers here at MOA...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!!

I hope you're spending a wonderful day with family and friends.

A few of my favorite Christmas videos.

Linus explains the true meaning of Christmas

How Do You Maintain Your Manhood and Dignity While Living Underemployed?

2011-12-21T06:14:00.000-08:00

Another rejection letter came in the mail today. This one from a local government agency, for a job only requiring a High School diploma. I am already doing more challenging and stressful work in my current position. Yet, someone couldn't see my potential worth. While in the lobby area waiting to be interviewed for the position, I can recall sitting across from a scruffy white male wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans (at an interview). He was competing for the same position. I cannot help but think that the job went to a less qualified candidate. The rejection letter before that came from a major University in St. Louis. I won’t name the University…but I will say that it is the oldest Catholic University west of the Mississippi river. Again, I applied and was interviewed for a position that only required a High School diploma. The pay was very modest…but was a little more than I what currently earn, and it would have allowed me to tackle student loan debt and stay above water. Just as important, the job would have provided excellent benefits. Earning less than what I consider to be a livable wage and having no real health benefits (my plan basically only covers checkups) I thought this position would be a step up.

Despite nailing the interview and being well qualified for the position, management went with a less qualified candidate. When I called to follow up with the HR representative, I wasn’t told that I was not among the most qualified - she admitted that there was no way that she could tell me that. I have an advanced degree and almost twenty years of experience in the field applied for, with roles ranging from line employee, trainer, and supervisor. Instead I was told that I “was not the best fit”. Not the best fit? I am not used to the code language that has emerged since the economy tanked. I thought to myself, what in the world does that mean? Unbeknownst to the HR representative and the interview panel I had a source inside the department who was able to confirm that the people they hire pretty much had qualifications well below my own. I took this as a sign that it was not meant to be. I resolved that if they aren’t able to see the worth in a good applicant, then it was probably not the best place for me.

This is a situation that has replayed itself at least half a dozen times since the Spring of 2011. I have gotten these for years, but lately, as my job search has intensified, so have the rejections. The rejection letters seem to come by the bucket load, sometimes several a day. So I am used to it at this point. But the stress of it all has reached levels that I could not have imagined 10 years ago. I am not sure what role, if any, race may be playing in my struggle to find meaningful employment, but I suspect being a Black American male plays some role. It definitely isn’t an asset, just as in other parts of my life. Never has been an asset. I see it as a hindrance in many situations - social and professional. But I am also one who believes that hard work, education and a good work history should overcome all those barriers. I hate to use race as an excuse, although the numbers on minority unemployment and under-employment are real and consistent. Instead I have been looking at other things that may be the cause of so much difficulty.

Despite being a strong-willed, hard working, go-getter since the age of sixteen, I have recently hit a brick wall. I realize that even a hard working, go-getter spirit has its limits and can only take you so far in an economy like this one. I have been chronically under-employed for several years, but I have never dealt with the kind of adversity that has come my way recently. My student loan debt has skyrocketed to at least $75,000 (more by now with interest) and the creditors want their money. I have no way to pay them, although I have a desire to pay…and I am someone who has always paid his debts. Add to that, there have been major staff shake-ups at work. I have survived the ax so far, but my position is not as secure as it was before. Far from lazy… I landed my first job days after my 16th birthday in a Federal government Summer work program when I lived in Europe. I have worked continuously for the past 20 years. I toiled for years working full-time while going to college, taking classes both full-time and part time. I am used to taking care of my financial obligations. So this experience is wrecking my psyche. Not having a good family bond or support network has made things even worse.

Over the past few months I have hit bottom. I’m not talking about a normal case of reckoning. I’m talking about hitting bottom like the Will Smith character in the film ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’, based on the life of Chris Gardner. I have had my subway station bathroom moment, although I am not homeless. The fear and hopelessness…the idea that I have run out of options, having no idea what to do next and what will come next… I have punched walls, fallen to my knees and had that same kind of moment. For a strong man who is used to finding solutions to problems, it has been strange being on the side where solutions aren’t always available. I have stared death in the face a couple of times in my life. Survived abuse in my youth. I can recall going to bed cold and hungry in my early childhood, and not having a competent sober mother to take care of me. Survived an experience with a kidnapper - successfully talking him out of getting rid or me - and had at least one other close brush with death in my lifetime. But I can honestly say, the past several years, particularly the last three, have been the worst years of my life.

Being under-employed for so long has had a negative impact on every aspect of my life. I have become even more withdrawn from family and from life for that matter. I was always the withdrawn family member… but I have added more layers to my shell. I haven’t spoken to my brother since September 12th, 2001, and have not seen him in 19 years. I have two sisters who I have not seen or spoken to in at least four years. There is a step mother (only surviving person besides my grandmother, who has taken any part in raising me) who I have not seen or heard from in years. And my grandmother… the woman who basically raised me until age 11, I haven’t seen since approximately 2004. I rarely see my own relatives right here in my home town of St. Louis. Part of this has to do with the fact that my relationship with family is dysfunctional, and I have a job that does not afford me the opportunity to get time off for myself. But a large part of it has to do with shame. I am ashamed that I have not succeeded in accomplishing most of my life goals and I don’t have a successful career. I am ashamed and embarrassed to the point where I have begun to hate myself and hate to see my reflection in the mirror everyday. My step-mother and other relatives came to visit other family members in St. Louis over the past July 4th Holiday…and I did not go to see them (relatives who I have not seen in years) because I was too ashamed. I did not want them to see me this way. I did not want them to see the under-employed failure. I did not want them to know that I had not moved on from the same crappy job that I had the last time they saw me. I am the only one out of four children who went to college after high school and the only one so far with degrees. I expected to be a success story at this point in my life… a positive example to others in the family. But I have even failed at that. It turns out, I am doing no better financially than they are. In fact, a few are doing better than me. I used to preach the importance of education to my two younger siblings, and now I feel like a fool.

Being under-employed has challenged my life in other ways. It has made me feel less than a man. During the recent Arab Spring protests… the common theme among young men being interviewed seemed to be a sense of profound hopelessness, a struggle with poverty, the lack of employment opportunities for college graduates and the inability to find a partner and start a family as a result. Basically their lives were on hold….frozen as they sought work, leaving them unable to enjoy the rites of passage of manhood. I found myself empathizing with that sentiment. For much of the past decade, my life has been on hold for many of the same reasons. I have been unable to step into my manhood. Being under-employed has meant that dating, finding a suitable mate and starting a family have not been options for me. I have not had a date in over eight years, nor have I sought one. I had never dated before that. I just don’t see any point in even trying to enjoy that part of life because my financial situation creates so many limitations. The kind of partner that I want would require a man who is more financially secure.

The inability to claim my manhood, enjoy dating and build a family in my prime years is probably the hardest thing that I am dealing with at the moment. I get a sick feeling in my stomach whenever I see men in their mid to late 30’s out with their beautiful families. It makes me sick because a part of me wants what they have, but it is out of reach for me. I cannot have what they have. I know that I am not likely to ever find a partner and start a family because soon I will be too old for even child bearing partners once I enter my 40’s, (something that will happen in just a few short years).

For men, under-employment also has a negative impact on intimacy. At least this has been the case for me. Intimacy is something that I have never been able to experience. This is another part of manhood that I have not been able to claim. At age 38, I have never asked a woman out… because I never saw any point in doing so. Rejection fears aside, I have always understood that even if she says yes… my financial position would only allow me to carry things so far. I am old fashioned in the sense that I believe lives of men should be built in a certain order - high school, college, job/career, financial security and stability, date, get married/engaged/or at least maintain a long term responsible relationship, then build a family. Things just have to go in that order. As I mentioned, under-employment and unemployment strikes a blow to every aspect of life, especially for men. It prevents you from developing the kinds of social circles that you want (which often lead to finding partners). It limits the kind of networking that you can do. It ultimately limits your dating options…. All of the things important to manhood are negatively affected.

This is why economic downturns hit men much harder than women. As a man, your whole identity and sense of manhood are tied so closely to your ability to provide financially. Men are so often judged and measured by what they do for a living. A man’s worth is tied directly to what he earns and how he earns it. When women are searching for a mate, the ability to provide is among the top two or three issues on her list…. That is the case for the vast majority of women. Those who tell you otherwise are probably lying to you. So men face unbelievable pressure to earn money at a certain basic level. The provider role is part of the male dna…and if you can’t do it, then you are considered less than a man. It is part of manhood in the same way that the ability to bear and raise children is part of womanhood. When women are unable to have children, there is a tremendous feeling of emptiness, hopelessness and worthlessness that some feel, because they cannot carry out this basic human role. The hopelessness and worthlessness is similar for men who are unable to step into their manhood and take on their role as provider. I would even say that in some cases, the struggles are even harder for men. In many cases, our self-worth is literally tied to what we do for a living and what we earn. Few women will want to deal with a man who lacks a certain level of income and who cannot provide enough to build and sustain a family. Certainly few quality women will want to deal with a man like that. It doesn’t matter how good the guy may be in terms of character… most women put job/career/earnings…looks and superficial trappings above the character of a man… unfortunately.

Women judge a man’s worth by what he earns. I’ll just be blunt here - women generally date for money and they like to date up. This is not true for every woman…but this is the case for a large portion of women. This is an unfortunate truth about American society…and to a large degree…Western society. If you don’t earn a certain income you are often considered a loser. The income to be considered a “good man” is probably in the vicinity of 45-50k. Who knows the what cutoff is.... The point is, if you don’t meet that cutoff, you are not considered a viable, marriageable mate. This is the world I am forced to navigate through….a society full of superficial relationships, Hollywood weddings, and women who are a reflection of the shallow, meaningless culture in which we live. And I hate every minute of it. My hopes for the future have been scaled back quite a bit. I now realize that a wife and family, or even a normal relationship, will probably not be a part of the picture, at least not anytime soon. Unless I can build a middle class life for myself, my dreams will have to wait, and they will probably die when I die. I may not necessarily want to get married anytime soon. What eats at me is the fact that I don’t have the option to explore marriage and family because of financial limitations & the lack of adequate employment.

Kate Bolick, the author of the Atlantic magazine article “All The Single Ladies“, basically describes men who are in their 30’s and still single, and those who have fallen on hard times, as unmarriageable leftovers. They are the men that she encourages women not to “settle” for. Her idea of a “good man” or a “marriageable” man is one who’s worth is quantified almost exclusively in financial terms. For many women, character doesn’t seem to be on the same terms as money or class status when they are sizing up potential mates (this may partially explain why most women are notoriously bad when it comes to judging character...and often end up w/ bad men). Men impacted by the economy are seen in her eyes as losers…despite the fact that a good match may be found among men who are underemployed or temporarily unemployed, many through no fault of their own. This is something I see with most women… the tendency to measure a man’s worth in terms of economic status. Bolick goes on to actually make some good points on how cultural changes have altered gender roles and marriage in American society. Since there is more economic parity between the genders, women don’t have to marry men for economic security, and women don’t have the same need to marry up. This is probably true in some cases, but even women who are financially independent tend to want men who earn more money. The ‘marrying up’ idea didn’t die over the past few decades as women have seen their fortunes rise. Women who have their own careers at least want a financial equal. One would think that more economic parity would make it easier for men to date and marry, but that hasn’t been what I have seen.

Dating for men is more complicated than ever. With incomes rising for women and stagnating for men, it is harder to meet financial expectations. The pressures on men have gone up, not down. Men now have to earn more money to match what women earn. A decent job 20 years ago, earning 30-35k with decent health benefits would probably be enough to meet the “good man“ standard. That is not necessarily the case today. Women (generally) look down on the idea of marrying or dating someone who earns less than they do. In fact, they often look down on the men themselves….not just the idea of dating a man earning less. They don’t see it as a situation where they are dating a “good man”, they see it as compromising and in their minds “settling”. They also call it “dating down” or “marrying down”. Again the context in which many women make dating decisions so often seems to be a financial context. Men tend to be completely different in that realm… Personally, I would be looking for someone beautiful inside and out, someone comforting & pleasant to be around, someone considerate, someone who isn’t completely vain, someone with brains, and someone who would make a good life partner and a good mother to my offspring. It’s just that simple for me. No financial deal breakers… no financial minimums.

I wish I lived in times that were less complicated, and where relationships with the opposite sex were built on love, trust, companionship, and character. Dating today is mainly class based, with larger barriers between levels as you move up. With a working class income, I am locked out of middle class & upper middle class social circles, and that includes dating. American life is starting to resemble the social systems in parts of the developing world such as the caste system in India, where social mobility is very difficult and people are relegated to certain socio-economic groups. Don’t get me wrong, there is certainly nothing wrong with the working class, but such circumstances mean that dating options are extremely limited.

Needless to say my quality of life has been dismal. There have been many instances where I just wanted to give up. Sleep is a luxury - I usually get two, maybe three hours of sleep at a time. I wake up several times during the night and struggle to get back to sleep. I’m constantly worried about what the next day will bring… what will happen at the crappy job…what bill will arrive that I can’t pay… or what kind of catastrophe will come out of Washington DC…which politician will screw up today. My view of life, my country and the world has changed profoundly over the past few years. I no longer believe in “The American Dream” as it was packaged and sold to me earlier in life. It’s a fairy tale at best. I once believed that through hard work you could achieve anything and you could be successful. But no one told me about all the other variables involved for which you have no control. No one told me about the big role that luck plays in turning “The Dream” into reality. No one told me about the role of family legacy in reaching success… how some people are able to benefit from their family’s economic and social position and how the playing field of life is not the same for everyone. Somehow all of that was left out of the “American Dream” ~~story~~fairy tale. And like most Americans, I became conditioned and fell for the notion that “The American Dream” was something obtainable, as long as I kept up my end of the deal. I was basically sold a lie. I also no longer believe in the value of a college education. Unless you can afford to attend an Ivy League University, or unless you are studying medicine or law, then it may not be worth it.

In terms of career and financial security, we are supposed to do better than our parents. At least this is what we are told. But I am doing far worse than my father when he was my age, and he never graduated from high school. How can that be? I am worse off even with a Masters degree. I’m sure that part of the reason has to do with my father’s tenacity. I got my go-getter spirit from him. He left school at eighteen to join the U.S. Army in the mid 1960’s, during the Vietnam War. He would later earn his G.E.D. He became an Army Ranger, was a door gunner, and jumped out of helicopters in Vietnam, surviving two tours. By the time he reached my age, he was a drill sergeant and was just about to meet his second wife. He built a life for himself and his family through the military - a route that he said he took, so that his children wouldn’t have to. At least two of his children didn't listen...since I have a brother and baby sister who entered the military. But how could it be that I am having a more difficult time? Certainly I should have more options. Carrying tens of thousands in student loan debt and having nothing to show for it has caused me to doubt and second guess all of the decisions I made regarding my education. I think I am beyond doubting. I think I am flirting with regret at this point. With a Master’s degree, I should be earning at least 45k, but instead I earn what a high school graduate earns. I don’t even earn 30k. I feel like a piece of s--- every single day. I am not the only one in my age group who feels that they won’t have a better life than their parents. Fifty five percent of respondents in an April 2011 Gallup poll believed that it was unlikely that their standard of living would be better than that of their parents.

Some of my co-workers believe that having college degrees and a good work history means that job hunting should be easy. But there are tons of people in my hometown of St. Louis who have BA’s and Master's degrees who are waiting tables. St. Louis is a great town, but there is very little industry here. St. Louis met the same fate that Detroit and other industrial cities have met. In fact, St. Louis was once the second Motor City in the nation, behind only Detroit, and was a defense industry behemoth. This is the city that produced the F-4, F-18, the legendary F-15, the nations first "Air Force One" planes, and played a key role in the Manhattan Project. But over the past 20 years or so, St. Louis has seen the loss of over a half dozen Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies and the loss of corporate headquarters including TWA, McDonnell-Douglass and Anheuser-Busch to name a few. There are just not as many options for College graduates today as there were in the past. This is a situation playing out all over the Country.

So how does a man maintain his manhood and dignity while living under-employed, especially when manhood and dignity are tied to “work“ and being the provider? How do you do it when unemployed for that matter? I don’t know. I have not found the answer. I have not been able to claim my dignity in the way that I should and I certainly have not been able to claim my manhood. But I believe in picking myself up and dusting myself off no matter how many times I get knocked down. Keeping myself busy seems to be an effective way to cope. You have to find what works for you.

************

Changing strategy.

I have focused my job search primarily on government positions. I would like to work in the Federal government, or for a State government in the area of administrative (internal) security, investigations, probation/parole, inspections/compliance, entry level management, FBI analyst, background investigator, security specialist, public policy analyst, DHS analyst… etc. However, I would be willing to work in some parts of the private sector as well, for colleges & Universities, for defense contractors, or for law firms as a legal/investigative assistant.

If you aren’t familiar with the federal hiring system, it is a dismal failure and can be a huge waste of time. Has anyone tried using USAjobs lately? Good luck with that. The federal employment system is not a system that recruits and develops new talent very effectively. In fact, little time and effort is directed towards hiring, training, and developing college graduates who have no prior federal work experience. Instead, the federal government tends to recycle current and former federal workers. If you don’t have federal work experience, and you don’t know someone within the federal government who can make something happen for you, it is extremely difficult to even get an interview for a federal position. Veterans are placed in line ahead of other applicants, regardless of qualifications. I believe Veterans should be rewarded for their service, but I also believe I should be able to compete as well. There should be a fairer way to recruit.

The other problem that I am encountering is increased competition because of the economic situation. Federal and State agencies are dealing with a glut of applications from people who have seen their private sector jobs disappear during the recession. Many of those resume’s are more impressive, because of the experience factor. A federal hiring manager will always choose someone who was a CEO or middle manager over someone with less experience. Education is also an issue. There is a sort of classism in higher education that has developed in this Country. Not surprising in this status driven society, but troubling nonetheless if you are a recent college grad trying to figure out why you are not even being called for an interview. If federal hiring managers have a choice between someone from Harvard, Yale or Princeton, and someone like me from a non Ivy League institution… well, I will always lose that battle. The federal government also lacks entry-level developmental programs, where you could receive training for your first six months or first year. Out of 800-1000 applications that I have submitted in the last few years, my positive response rate has been less than 1%. In other words, it has been a frustrating waste of time.

I am now directing my efforts towards networking. A large portion of people who have been able to find quality work during this economic crisis have done so through networking, not through traditional job searches. I will try to make good use of connections that I have allowed to go dormant. I will also try to post my resume and sign up for a LinkedIn account. Another strategy that I began to use over the past year or so has been to apply for jobs far below my abilities, but so far that has not worked as I had hoped. In this case, I have been told that removing educational achievements might help. I am also about a year and a half away from earning another Master’s degree. Six months from earning a graduate certificate. I am hoping that a combination of these new approaches will yield better results in the coming new year.Failure is not an option.

This is the original, full version of my commentary for The Good Men Project. See the edited version at GMP. Also see the twitter trackbacks. Noticed a few errors in the GMP article. Most are a result of the editing process.

Related Links

John Stossel’s 20/20 report on the worth of a college education.
MSNBC Dylan Ratigan report on job prospects for college graduates
BBC report on The American Dream
Guardian report on the death of the American Dream
Atlantic Magazine article “All The Single Ladies” by Kate Bolick

The Payroll Tax and the GOP

2011-12-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

I found this over at WhiteHouse.gov.

What Does $40 Mean To You:

Tell us what $40 per paycheck would mean for you and your family. What would you have to give up? We'll highlight your stories publicly so that they're part of the debate here in Washington.

If Congress fails to extend the payroll tax cut, the typical family making $50,000 a year will have about $40 less to spend or save with each paycheck. Over the year, that adds up to about $1,000.

Opponents of the payroll tax cut dismiss its impact by insisting $40 isn’t a lot of money, but that’s not the case for many families who are already working hard to make ends meet. Forty dollars buys a tank of gas or a fridge and pantry full of groceries. It covers a water bill or the cost of a prescription.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More ways you can tell Washington what $40 a week means to you

Twitter
Use the hashtag #40dollars on Twitter. Tweet Your Message

Facebook
There are several ways you can send a message on Facebook:

•Update your status with a message that explains what $40 a week means to you.
•Share your message to the White House Facebook page.
YouTube
Post a video response explaining what $40 a week means to you and your family with the title "This is what $40 means to me"

And, thank you, Goldie Taylor.

From Mediaite.com:

Goldie Taylor ‘Sick And Damn Tired’ Of Republicans Failing To Extend Payroll Tax Cut
videoby James Crugnale |
5:33 pm, December 20th, 2011

TheGrio writer and cable news contributor Goldie Taylor got into a heated exchange with conservative columnist S.E. Cupp, mixing it up over the payroll tax cut extension on Martin Bashir‘s show Tuesday. “Is poppycock one word or two?” Taylor snarked.

At the end of the day, it was Democrats who wanted a year long extension in the tax cut holiday, but they had to break this deal. The deal was for two months and then Republicans came back and said ‘oh no, we wanted it for a year.’ What they are trying to do is kill the extension for a year on working class Americans and blame it on the president. That’s what this game is about and they ought to cut it out right now!” Taylor fumed. “What $1,000 dollars would do for working class Americans is pay for rent, pay for groceries, keep the damn lights on! And I’m sick and damn tired of the talking points that get pushed out on this thing.”

“Sorry for the talking points but it’s not that complicated,” Cupp countered.

“Lies generally aren’t,” Taylor hit back.

“To compromise does not mean to just accept what’s on the table,” Cupp responded. “To compromise means both sides get something they want out of this. Republicans aren’t stupid!”

“They wanted it paid for with 3.2% surtax on billionaires and millionaires, and they refused on that basis,” Taylor exclaimed. “They refused to tax the 1% in favor of raising taxes on working class Americans.”

Senator Schumer talks about the GOP.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rachel Maddow did a good piece on all the 'poison pills' that the GOP wanted to attach to this extension, and how the point of it was to change unemployment insurance from an entitlement to something that they could deride as for ' poor people', so that they can kill it later on, as they want to do with all entitlements.

Rachel Maddow lists the imaginary problems Congressional Republicans have made a fuss over and points out how the solutions to these manufactured emergencies serve Republican goals of undermining social programs or improving their electoral chances.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The New Portrait of the First Family

2011-12-17T17:05:00.001-08:00

The New Official Portrait of the First Family, taken by Pete Souza

President Obama and Mrs. Obama Welcome Home The Troops

2011-12-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

hat tips-The Obama Diary, 3CHICSPOLITICO:

The President and First Lady welcome home the troops at Ft. Bragg.

President Obama and the First Lady Speak to Troops at Fort Bragg

Rachel Maddow did a segment last night. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell, talks with Rachel Maddow about the number of prominent Republicans who want to keep U.S. troops in Iraq.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Christmas in Washington 2011

2011-12-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama (L) and their daughters, Sasha (2nd L) and Malia (2nd R), after Obama spoke during the taping of "Christmas in Washington," at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, December 11, 2011. The show, hosted by Conan O'Brien, features performances and appearances by Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice and The Band Perry and airs on television December 16.
-----SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Sasha (L) and Malia greet children, dressed as elves, at the "Christmas in Washington" celebration at the National Building Museum in Washington December 11, 2011.
---REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Les McCann, Michael Kiwanuka, & J. Blackfoot (RIP)

2011-12-14T05:49:00.000-08:00

RIP John Colbert (J. Blackfoot) 1946-2011

Sounds from Mixcloud

2011-12-14T05:28:00.000-08:00

Part of my rotation lately...

HeavySoulBrutha's Brain Placement by Heavysoulbrutha on Mixcloud

Flyjack! by Heavysoulbrutha on Mixcloud

Still Around

2011-12-14T05:16:00.000-08:00

Going through trials and tribulations at the moment.... (have been for the past year) and not doing well... so I have not had the time to do much writing at all. I have also had a lot of trouble concentrating & focusing - vital if you want to write something coherent.

In the new year I hope to do more personal and creative writing. I also want to have more of my writing published...so I will be submitting more work to other websites and publications.

I also want to completely revamp the blog. Have wanted to do this for a couple of years... but I can't afford it. I want to put this on the level of our friends over at JJP or the Blacksnob. I want a more pro look/feel. The kind of upgrades I want (including possibly leaving blogspot...although id like to find a way to work within it) would probably set me back at least $300-$500 (minimum).

I hate not being able to do something because of money.

But i'm always looking to do something better with this experiment. Can't believe I have been doing this for 6 yrs. Luckily other bloggers/writers have been able to help... otherwise there would be nothing but cobwebs here. I appreciate every post.

Sums It Up

2011-12-14T04:34:00.000-08:00

Keeping you up to speed on Voter Suppression 2012

2011-12-13T05:40:00.000-08:00

These videos are all about GOP Voter Suppression.

From PoliticusUSA:

Keith Olbermann Tears ‘Fascist Bastard’ Scott Walker A New One

On his Worst Persons segment, Keith Olbermann called Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker a “fascist bastard” for suppressing the vote of citizens of his state under the guise of fighting voter fraud

Olbermann told the story of 84 year old Ruthelle Frank who won’t be able to vote for the first time since 1948 due to Scott Walker’s voter ID law. Olbermann said, “So even though Miss Frank has a certificate of baptism and her Social Security card, she cannot get one of those new state issued IDs that was foisted on Wisconsin by that fascist bastard Scott Walker, and the criminal gang put in control of the state by the blood money of the Kochs. The register of deeds in Wisconsin does have a record of her birth, but her maiden name was misspelled by the doctor in 1927. So to get an actual birth certificate so she can her Walker approved identity papers, she has to petition the court to get the mistake made in 1927 corrected in 2011. Total cost could easily exceed two hundred dollars. To prevent the almost non-existent crime of voting when you’re not supposed to, two hundred dollars to get an ID for a woman who has voted in every election since 1948. And before you say well, that’s asinine, but that’s just one woman, one study estimates that there are 177,399 residents 65 and older who don’t not have state ID in Wisconsin alone.”

Rev. Al has spent the week on voter suppression.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rev. Al speaks with the head of the League of Women Voters in Florida, which has suspended voter registration in that state because of the new Voter Suppression laws enacted there.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Lawrence O'Donnell has a piece on Voter Suppression also.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Martin Bashir also did a segment on it.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Oldest Woman in Osawatomie: Obama Visit Fulfilled Dream

2011-12-13T05:39:00.000-08:00

hat tip-3CHICSPOLITICO.:

From ABC.com

Oldest Woman in Osawatomie: Obama Visit Fulfilled Dream

Ruth Wench was 2 when Teddy Roosevelt rolled into this rural prairie town in 1910, and she hadn’t seen a president in the flesh in the 100 years since. But today, with President Obama’s visit here, the oldest woman in Osawatomie had her dream fulfilled.

“It was very important and exciting to me of course to see one alive,” said Wench, a retired African-American school teacher who has spent the past two decades volunteering as a foster grandparent for elementary school children in Osawatomie. (Her great-granddaughter says she’s the oldest foster grandparent in the United States)

“I’ve seen pictures and TV of course, but to see one who has much interest in middle-class people in little Osawatomie. That God impressed on him to come to Osawatomie and encourage us –” She was speechless.

Donning a white head-wrap and pink nursing home vest, Wench clutched a soft-cover copy of “Dreams of My Father” – Obama’s memoir – that had been wrapped in a ragged plastic bag as she craned her neck to see the president through the crowd.

As Obama spoke about fairness and equal opportunity, she nodded in agreement, gingerly applauding with the crowd. And after the speech, she still nodded, slowly and steadily in continued approval.

“He was very encouraging to me and Osawatomie,” Wench said. “I learned a lot about him and the importance of smaller communities to him and that education and the need for cooperation by all of us to work together.”

Wench said even though she hasn’t always been a Democrat – “That’s a long time to be of either kind of party” – she does hope to cast a ballot for Obama next fall.

“If I’m still alive, I will,” she said.

103-yr-old Ruth Wrench Hears President Obama's Speech

2012 Hanukkah at the White House

2011-12-13T05:38:00.000-08:00

hat tip-The Obama Diary:

US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive for a Hanukkah reception on December 8, 2011 in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington.
--- MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

2012 Hanukkah at the White House

U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama smile during a Hanukkah reception at the White House in Washington December 8, 2011.
---REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Barack Obama speaks as First Lady Michelle Obama (L), Vice President Joe Biden (2nd R), and Jill Biden look on during a Hanukkah reception on December 8, 2011 in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington.
----MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The crookedness in the Michigan Emergency Managers Law

2011-12-13T05:37:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, the Governor of Michigan and the crazy GOP there has instituted the ' Emergency Managers' Law. Basically, it strips the citizens of Michigan of the right to have their own locally elected governments.

Keith Owens has been reporting on the happenings in Michigan. Here is his latest on what the Governor is trying to do:‘Helpful’ Republican Gov. Rick Snyder eyeing Detroit for holiday meal.

The blogger Eclectablog has been doing a yoeman's job covering this story also.

December 3, 2011
Emergency Manager near for Inkster. With Detroit and Inkster, OVER HALF of Michigan blacks disenfranchised.
Lost in the media hubub regarding the possibility that Detroit may be put under the control of an Emergency Manager (EM) was related news about Inkster, Michigan. I reported in October and then again in November that Inkster is on a glide path toward a take over by an EM. The penultimate step toward that final outcome was taken this week as Governor Snyder established a team to review Inkster's finances.

The state took a big step today towards making Inkster the next Michigan city to fall under the oversight of an emergency manager.

Governor Snyder has appointed a seven-member review team to delve deep into Inkster’s city finances. A preliminary review has already found the city is in ‘probable financial stress’.

The city has struggled to deal with a multi-million dollar deficit. This week, the city laid off 20 percent of its police officers and the police chief announced he’s leaving too.

If the review team finds Inkster is facing a ‘financial emergency’, the governor may appoint an emergency manager to solve the problem.

Emergency managers are already in place in Flint, Benton Harbor, Pontiac, Ecorse and the Detroit Public Schools.

If Inkster and Detroit are added to the list, the chart from my previous post will look like this:

City Population % African American # of African Americans
Benton Harbor 10,038 89.2% 8,954
Detroit 713,777 82.7% 590,294
Ecorse 9,512 46.4% 4,414
Flint 102,434 56.6% 57,978
Inkster 25,369 73.2% 18,570
Pontiac 59,515 52.1% 31,007
Total 711,217
[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]

Again, Michigan had 9,883,640 residents in 2010, 14.2% of whom were African Americans for a total of 1,403,477. With the addition of Detroit and Inkster, the percentage of African Americans in Michigan without representative local government will be 50.7%.

Over half.

Both Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz have done pieces recently on the happenings in Michigan.

Rachel Maddow's segment, which she calls the most underreported story of the year.

I still believe the story of Michigan's Emergency Manager law -- of what's being done to democracy in the name of fixing Detroit and Flint and Pontiac and Inkster and Benton Harbor -- I still believe that this could be the most important and under-covered story of the year. I know my colleague Ed Schultz feels the same way.

It's because along with the national story of Republican legislators making it harder to vote in this country, Republican lawmakers in Michigan have declared that your local vote could be rendered moot if your town falls on hard enough times.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

.....................................................................

Here is Ed Schultz's segment on it:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The President's Interview on 60 Minutes

2011-12-13T05:36:00.001-08:00

hat tip-The Obama Diary:

60 Minutes Part 1

60 Minutes Part 2

'The Obama Doctrine'? - The President's Speech in Kansas Today

2011-12-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

The President gave a speech today in Osawatomie, Kansas about Economic Philosophy....

"Look at the Statistics" : Obama Lays Down Marker On Income Inequality

TEXT OF SPEECH:

Good afternoon. I want to start by thanking a few of the folks who’ve joined us today. We’ve got the mayor of Osawatomie, Phil Dudley; your superintendent, Gary French; the principal of Osawatomie High, Doug Chisam. And I’ve brought your former governor, who’s now doing an outstanding job as our Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius.

It is great to be back in the state of Kansas. As many of you know, I’ve got roots here. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Obamas of Osawatomie. Actually, I like to say that I got my name from my father, but I got my accent – and my values – from my mother. She was born in Wichita. Her mother grew up in Augusta. And her father was from El Dorado. So my Kansas roots run deep.

My grandparents served during World War II -- he as a soldier in Patton’s Army, she as a worker on a bomber assembly line. Together, they shared the optimism of a nation that triumphed over a Depression and fascism. They believed in an America where hard work paid off, responsibility was rewarded, and anyone could make it if they tried -- no matter who you were, where you came from, or how you started out.

These values gave rise to the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known. It was here, in America, that the most productive workers and innovative companies turned out the best products on Earth, and every American shared in that pride and success -- from those in executive suites to middle management to those on the factory floor. If you gave it your all, you’d take enough home to raise your family, send your kids to school, have your health care covered, and put a little away for retirement.

Today, we are still home to the world’s most productive workers and innovative companies. But for most Americans, the basic bargain that made this country great has eroded. Long before the recession hit, hard work stopped paying off for too many people. Fewer and fewer of the folks who contributed to the success of our economy actually benefitted from that success. Those at the very top grew wealthier from their incomes and investments than ever before. But everyone else struggled with costs that were growing and paychecks that weren’t – and too many families found themselves racking up more and more debt just to keep up.

For many years, credit cards and home equity loans papered over the harsh realities of this new economy. But in 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We all know the story by now: Mortgages sold to people who couldn’t afford them, or sometimes even understand them. Banks and investors allowed to keep packaging the risk and selling it off. Huge bets – and huge bonuses – made with other people’s money on the line. Regulators who were supposed to warn us about the dangers of all this, but looked the other way or didn’t have the authority to look at all.

It was wrong. It combined the breathtaking greed of a few with irresponsibility across the system. And it plunged our economy and the world into a crisis from which we are still fighting to recover. It claimed the jobs, homes, and the basic security of millions – innocent, hard-working Americans who had met their responsibilities, but were still left holding the bag.

Ever since, there has been a raging debate over the best way to restore growth and prosperity; balance and fairness. Throughout the country, it has sparked protests and political movements – from the Tea Party to the people who have been occupying the streets of New York and other cities. It’s left Washington in a near-constant state of gridlock. And it’s been the topic of heated and sometimes colorful discussion among the men and women who are running for president.

But this isn’t just another political debate. This is the defining issue of our time. This is a make or break moment for the middle class, and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class. At stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, and secure their retirement.

Now, in the midst of this debate, there are some who seem to be suffering from a kind of collective amnesia. After all that’s happened, after the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, they want to return to the same practices that got us into this mess. In fact, they want to go back to the same policies that have stacked the deck against middle-class Americans for too many years. Their philosophy is simple: we are better off when everyone is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules.

Well, I’m here to say they are wrong. I’m here to reaffirm my deep conviction that we are greater together than we are on our own. I believe that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share, and when everyone plays by the same rules. Those aren’t Democratic or Republican values; 1% values or 99% values. They’re American values, and we have to reclaim them.

You see, this isn’t the first time America has faced this choice. At the turn of the last century, when a nation of farmers was transitioning to become the world’s industrial giant, we had to decide: would we settle for a country where most of the new railroads and factories were controlled by a few giant monopolies that kept prices high and wages low? Would we allow our citizens and even our children to work ungodly hours in conditions that were unsafe and unsanitary? Would we restrict education to the privileged few? Because some people thought massive inequality and exploitation was just the price of progress.

Theodore Roosevelt disagreed. He was the Republican son of a wealthy family. He praised what the titans of industry had done to create jobs and grow the economy. He believed then what we know is true today: that the free market is the greatest force for economic progress in human history. It’s led to a prosperity and standard of living unmatched by the rest of the world.

But Roosevelt also knew that the free market has never been a free license to take whatever you want from whoever you can. It only works when there are rules of the road to ensure that competition is fair, open, and honest. And so he busted up monopolies, forcing those companies to compete for customers with better services and better prices. And today, they still must. He fought to make sure businesses couldn’t profit by exploiting children, or selling food or medicine that wasn’t safe. And today, they still can’t.

In 1910, Teddy Roosevelt came here, to Osawatomie, and laid out his vision for what he called a New Nationalism. “Our country,” he said, “…means nothing unless it means the triumph of a real democracy…of an economic system under which each man shall be guaranteed the opportunity to show the best that there is in him.”

For this, Roosevelt was called a radical, a socialist, even a communist. But today, we are a richer nation and a stronger democracy because of what he fought for in his last campaign: an eight hour work day and a minimum wage for women; insurance for the unemployed, the elderly, and those with disabilities; political reform and a progressive income tax.

Today, over one hundred years later, our economy has gone through another transformation. Over the last few decades, huge advances in technology have allowed businesses to do more with less, and made it easier for them to set up shop and hire workers anywhere in the world. And many of you know firsthand the painful disruptions this has caused for a lot of Americans.

Factories where people thought they would retire suddenly picked up and went overseas, where the workers were cheaper. Steel mills that needed 1,000 employees are now able to do the same work with 100, so that layoffs were too often permanent, not just a temporary part of the business cycle. These changes didn’t just affect blue-collar workers. If you were a bank teller or a phone operator or a travel agent, you saw many in your profession replaced by ATMs or the internet. Today, even higher-skilled jobs like accountants and middle management can be outsourced to countries like China and India. And if you’re someone whose job can be done cheaper by a computer or someone in another country, you don’t have a lot of leverage with your employer when it comes to asking for better wages and benefits – especially since fewer Americans today are part of a union.

Now, just as there was in Teddy Roosevelt’s time, there’s been a certain crowd in Washington for the last few decades who respond to this economic challenge with the same old tune. “The market will take care of everything,” they tell us. If only we cut more regulations and cut more taxes – especially for the wealthy – our economy will grow stronger. Sure, there will be winners and losers. But if the winners do really well, jobs and prosperity will eventually trickle down to everyone else. And even if prosperity doesn’t trickle down, they argue, that’s the price of liberty.

It’s a simple theory – one that speaks to our rugged individualism and healthy skepticism of too much government. It fits well on a bumper sticker. Here’s the problem: It doesn’t work. It’s never worked. It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression. It’s not what led to the incredible post-war boom of the 50s and 60s. And it didn’t work when we tried it during the last decade.

Remember that in those years, in 2001 and 2003, Congress passed two of the most expensive tax cuts for the wealthy in history, and what did they get us? The slowest job growth in half a century. Massive deficits that have made it much harder to pay for the investments that built this country and provided the basic security that helped millions of Americans reach and stay in the middle class – things like education and infrastructure; science and technology; Medicare and Social Security.

Remember that in those years, thanks to some of the same folks who are running Congress now, we had weak regulation and little oversight, and what did that get us? Insurance companies that jacked up people’s premiums with impunity, and denied care to the patients who were sick. Mortgage lenders that tricked families into buying homes they couldn’t afford. A financial sector where irresponsibility and lack of basic oversight nearly destroyed our entire economy.

We simply cannot return to this brand of your-on-your-own economics if we’re serious about rebuilding the middle class in this country. We know that it doesn’t result in a strong economy. It results in an economy that invests too little in its people and its future. It doesn’t result in a prosperity that trickles down. It results in a prosperity that’s enjoyed by fewer and fewer of our citizens.

Look at the statistics. In the last few decades, the average income of the top one percent has gone up by more than 250%, to $1.2 million per year. For the top one hundredth of one percent, the average income is now $27 million per year. The typical CEO who used to earn about 30 times more than his or her workers now earns 110 times more. And yet, over the last decade, the incomes of most Americans have actually fallen by about six percent.

This kind of inequality – a level we haven’t seen since the Great Depression – hurts us all. When middle-class families can no longer afford to buy the goods and services that businesses are selling, it drags down the entire economy, from top to bottom. America was built on the idea of broad-based prosperity – that’s why a CEO like Henry Ford made it his mission to pay his workers enough so that they could buy the cars they made. It’s also why a recent study showed that countries with less inequality tend to have stronger and steadier economic growth over the long run.

Inequality also distorts our democracy. It gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder. And it leaves everyone else rightly suspicious that the system in Washington is rigged against them – that our elected representatives aren’t looking out for the interests of most Americans.

More fundamentally, this kind of gaping inequality gives lie to the promise at the very heart of America: that this is the place where you can make it if you try. We tell people that in this country, even if you’re born with nothing, hard work can get you into the middle class; and that your children will have the chance to do even better than you. That’s why immigrants from around the world flocked to our shores.

And yet, over the last few decades, the rungs on the ladder of opportunity have grown farther and farther apart, and the middle class has shrunk. A few years after World War II, a child who was born into poverty had a slightly better than 50-50 chance of becoming middle class as an adult. By 1980, that chance fell to around 40%. And if the trend of rising inequality over the last few decades continues, it’s estimated that a child born today will only have a 1 in 3 chance of making it to the middle class.

It’s heartbreaking enough that there are millions of working families in this country who are now forced to take their children to food banks for a decent meal. But the idea that those children might not have a chance to climb out of that situation and back into the middle class, no matter how hard they work? That’s inexcusable. It’s wrong. It flies in the face of everything we stand for.

Fortunately, that’s not a future we have to accept. Because there’s another view about how we build a strong middle class in this country – a view that’s truer to our history; a vision that’s been embraced by people of both parties for more than two hundred years.

It’s not a view that we should somehow turn back technology or put up walls around America. It’s not a view that says we should punish profit or success or pretend that government knows how to fix all society’s problems. It’s a view that says in America, we are greater together – when everyone engages in fair play, everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share.

So what does that mean for restoring middle-class security in today’s economy?

It starts by making sure that everyone in America gets a fair shot at success. The truth is, we’ll never be able to compete with other countries when it comes to who’s best at letting their businesses pay the lowest wages or pollute as much as they want. That’s a race to the bottom that we can’t win – and shouldn’t want to win. Those countries don’t have a strong middle-class. They don’t have our standard of living.

The race we want to win – the race we can win – is a race to the top; the race for good jobs that pay well and offer middle-class security. Businesses will create those jobs in countries with the highest-skilled, highest-educated workers; the most advanced transportation and communication; the strongest commitment to research and technology.

The world is shifting to an innovation economy. And no one does innovation better than America. No one has better colleges and universities. No one has a greater diversity of talent and ingenuity. No one’s workers or entrepreneurs are more driven or daring. The things that have always been our strengths match up perfectly with the demands of this moment.

But we need to meet the moment. We need to up our game. And we need to remember that we can only do that together.

It starts by making education a national mission – government and businesses; parents and citizens. In this economy, a higher education is the surest route to the middle class. The unemployment rate for Americans with a college degree or more is about half the national average. Their income is twice as high as those who don’t have a high school diploma. We shouldn’t be laying off good teachers right now – we should be hiring them. We shouldn’t be expecting less of our schools – we should be demanding more. We shouldn’t be making it harder to afford college – we should be a country where everyone has the chance to go.

In today’s innovation economy, we also need a world-class commitment to science, research, and the next generation of high-tech manufacturing. Our factories and their workers shouldn’t be idle. We should be giving people the chance to get new skills and training at community colleges, so they can learn to make wind turbines and semiconductors and high-powered batteries. And by the way – if we don’t have an economy built on bubbles and financial speculation, our best and brightest won’t all gravitate towards careers in banking and finance. Because if we want an economy that’s built to last, we need more of those young people in science and engineering. This country shouldn’t be known for bad debt and phony profits. We should be known for creating and selling products all over the world that are stamped with three proud words: Made in America.

Today, manufacturers and other companies are setting up shop in places with the best infrastructure to ship their products, move their workers, and communicate with the rest of the world. That’s why the over one million construction workers who lost their jobs when the housing market collapsed shouldn’t be sitting at home with nothing to do. They should be rebuilding our roads and bridges; laying down faster railroads and broadband; modernizing our schools – all the things other countries are already doing to attract good jobs and businesses to their shores.

Yes, businesses, not government, will always be the primary generator of good jobs with incomes that lift people into the middle class and keep them there. But as a nation, we have always come together, through our government, to help create the conditions where both workers and businesses can succeed. Historically, that hasn’t been a partisan idea. Franklin Roosevelt worked with Democrats and Republicans to give veterans of World War II, including my grandfather, the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. It was Republican President Dwight Eisenhower, a proud son of Kansas, who started the interstate highway system and doubled-down on science and research to stay ahead of the Soviets.

Of course, those productive investments cost money. And so we’ve also paid for these investments by asking everyone to do their fair share. If we had unlimited resources, no one would ever have to pay any taxes and we’d never have to cut any spending. But we don’t have unlimited resources. And so we have to set priorities. If we want a strong middle class, then our tax code must reflect our values. We have to make choices.

Today that choice is very clear. To reduce our deficit, I’ve already signed nearly $1 trillion of spending cuts into law, and proposed trillions more – including reforms that would lower the cost of Medicare and Medicaid.

But in order to actually close the deficit and get our fiscal house in order, we have to decide what our priorities are. Most immediately, we need to extend a payroll tax cut that’s set to expire at the end of this month. If we don’t do that, 160 million Americans will see their taxes go up by an average of $1,000, and it would badly weaken our recovery.

But in the long term, we have to rethink our tax system more fundamentally. We have to ask ourselves: Do we want to make the investments we need in things like education, and research, and high-tech manufacturing? Or do we want to keep in place the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans in our country? Because we can’t afford to do both. That’s not politics. That’s just math.

So far, most of the Republicans in Washington have refused, under any circumstances, to ask the wealthiest Americans to go the same tax rates they were paying when Bill Clinton was president.

Now, keep in mind, when President Clinton first proposed these tax increases, folks in Congress predicted they would kill jobs and lead to another recession. Instead, our economy created nearly 23 million jobs and we eliminated the deficit. Today, the wealthiest Americans are paying the lowest taxes in over half a century. This isn’t like in the early 50s, when the top tax rate was over 90%. This isn't even like the early 80s, when it was about 70%. Under President Clinton, the top rate was only about 39%. Today, thanks to loopholes and shelters, a quarter of all millionaires now pay lower tax rates than you, millions of middle-class households. Some billionaires have a tax rate as low as 1%. One percent.

This is the height of unfairness. It is wrong that in the United States of America, a teacher or a nurse or a construction worker who earns $50,000 should pay a higher tax rate than somebody pulling in $50 million. It is wrong for Warren Buffett’s secretary to pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett. And he agrees with me. So do most Americans – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. And I know that many of our wealthiest citizens would agree to contribute a little more if it meant reducing the deficit and strengthening the economy that made their success possible.

This isn’t about class warfare. This is about the nation’s welfare. It’s about making choices that benefit not just the people who’ve done fantastically well over the last few decades, but that benefits the middle class, and those fighting to get to the middle class, and the economy as a whole.

Finally, a strong middle class can only exist in an economy where everyone plays by the same rules, from Wall Street to Main Street. As infuriating as it was for all of us, we rescued our major banks from collapse, not only because a full blown financial meltdown would have sent us into a second Depression, but because we need a strong, healthy financial sector in this country.

But part of the deal was that we would not go back to business as usual. That’s why last year we put in place new rules of the road that refocus the financial sector on this core purpose: getting capital to the entrepreneurs with the best ideas, and financing to millions of families who want to buy a home or send their kids to college. We’re not all the way there yet, and the banks are fighting us every inch of the way. But already, some of these reforms are being implemented. If you’re a big bank or risky financial institution, you’ll have to write out a “living will” that details exactly how you’ll pay the bills if you fail, so that taxpayers are never again on the hook for Wall Street’s mistakes. There are also limits on the size of banks and new abilities for regulators to dismantle a firm that goes under. The new law bans banks from making risky bets with their customers’ deposits, and takes away big bonuses and paydays from failed CEOs, while giving shareholders a say on executive salaries.

All that is being put in place as we speak. Now, unless you’re a financial institution whose business model is built on breaking the law, cheating consumers, or making risky bets that could damage the entire economy, you have nothing to fear from these new rules. My grandmother worked as a banker for most of her life, and I know that the vast majority of bankers and financial service professionals want to do right by their customers. They want to have rules in place that don’t put them at a disadvantage for doing the right thing. And yet, Republicans in Congress are already fighting as hard as they can to make sure these rules aren’t enforced.

I’ll give you one example. For the first time in history, the reform we passed puts in place a consumer watchdog who is charged with protecting everyday Americans from being taken advantage of by mortgage lenders, payday lenders or debt collectors. The man we nominated for the post, Richard Cordray, is a former Attorney General of Ohio who has the support of most Attorneys General, both Democrat and Republican, throughout the country.

But the Republicans in the Senate refuse to let him do his job. Why? Does anyone here think the problem that led to our financial crisis was too much oversight of mortgage lenders or debt collectors? Of course not. Every day we go without a consumer watchdog in place is another day when a student, or a senior citizen, or member of our Armed Forces could be tricked into a loan they can’t afford – something that happens all the time. Financial institutions have plenty of lobbyists looking out for their interests. Consumers deserve to have someone whose job it is to look out for them. I intend to make sure they do, and I will veto any effort to delay, defund, or dismantle the new rules we put in place.

We shouldn’t be weakening oversight and accountability. We should be strengthening them. Here’s another example. Too often, we’ve seen Wall Street firms violating major anti-fraud laws because the penalties are too weak and there’s no price for being a repeat offender. No more. I’ll be calling for legislation that makes these penalties count – so that firms don’t see punishment for breaking the law as just the price of doing business.

The fact is, this crisis has left a deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street. And major banks that were rescued by the taxpayers have an obligation to go the extra mile in helping to close that deficit. At minimum, they should be remedying past mortgage abuses that led to the financial crisis, and working to keep responsible homeowners in their home. We’re going to keep pushing them to provide more time for unemployed homeowners to look for work without having to worry about immediately losing their house. The big banks should increase access to refinancing opportunities to borrowers who have yet to benefit from historically low interest rates. And they should recognize that precisely because these steps are in the interest of middle-class families and the broader economy, they will also be in the banks’ own long-term financial interest.

Investing in things like education that give everybody a chance to succeed. A tax code that makes sure everybody pays their fair share. And laws that make sure everybody follows the rules. That’s what will transform our economy. That’s what will grow our middle class again. In the end, rebuilding this economy based on fair play, a fair shot, and a fair share will require all of us to see the stake we have in each other’s success. And it will require all of us to take some responsibility to that success.

It will require parents to get more involved in their children’s education, students to study harder, and some workers to start studying all over again. It will require greater responsibility from homeowners to not take out mortgages they can’t afford, and remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

It will require those of us in public service to make government more efficient, effective, and responsive to people’s needs. That’s why we’re cutting programs we don’t need, to pay for those we do. That’s why we’ve made hundreds of regulatory reforms that will save businesses billions of dollars. That’s why we’re not just throwing money at education, but challenging schools to come up with the most innovative reforms and the best results.

And it will require American business leaders to understand that their obligations don’t just end with their shareholders. Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel put it best: “There’s another obligation I feel personally,” he said, “given that everything I’ve achieved in my career and a lot of what Intel has achieved…were made possible by a climate of democracy, an economic climate and investment climate provided by…the United States.”

This broader obligation can take different forms. At a time when the cost of hiring workers in China is rising rapidly, it should mean more CEOs deciding that it’s time to bring jobs back to the United States – not just because it’s good for business, but because it’s good for the country that made their business and their personal success possible.

I think about the Big Three Auto companies who, during recent negotiations, agreed to create more jobs and cars in America; who decided to give bonuses, not just to their executives, but to all their employees – so that everyone was invested in the company’s success.

I think about a company based in Warroad, Minnesota called Marvin Windows and Doors. During the recession, Marvin’s competitors closed dozens of plants and let go hundreds of workers. But Marvin didn’t lay off a single one of their four thousand or so employees. In fact, they’ve only laid off workers once in over a hundred years. Mr. Marvin’s grandfather even kept his eight employees during the Depression.

When times get tough, the workers agree to give up some perks and pay, and so do the owners. As one owner said, “You can’t grow if you’re cutting your lifeblood – and that’s the skills and experience your workforce delivers.” For the CEO, it’s about the community: “These are people we went to school with,” he said. “We go to church with them. We see them in the same restaurant. Indeed, a lot of us have married local girls and boys. We could be anywhere. But we are in Warroad.”

That’s how America was built. That’s why we’re the greatest nation on Earth. That’s what our greatest companies understand. Our success has never just been about survival of the fittest. It’s been about building a nation where we’re all better off. We pull together, we pitch in, and we do our part, believing that hard work will pay off; that responsibility will be rewarded; and that our children will inherit a nation where those values live on.

And it is that belief that rallied thousands of Americans to Osawatomie – maybe even some of your ancestors – on a rain-soaked day more than a century ago. By train, by wagon, on buggy, bicycle, onfoot, they came to hear the vision of a man who loved this country, and was determined to perfect it.

“We are all Americans,” Teddy Roosevelt told them that day. “Our common interests are as broad as the continent.” In the final years of his life, Roosevelt took that same message all across this country, from tiny Osawatomie to the heart of New York City, believing that no matter where he went, or who he was talking to, all would benefit from a country in which everyone gets a fair chance.

Well into our third century as a nation, we have grown and changed in many ways since Roosevelt’s time. The world is faster. The playing field is larger. The challenges are more complex.

But what hasn’t changed – what can never change – are the values that got us this far. We still have a stake in each other’s success. We still believe that this should be a place where you can make it if you try. And we still believe, in the words of the man who called for a New Nationalism all those years ago, “The fundamental rule in our national life – the rule which underlies all others – is that, on the whole, and in the long run, we shall go up or down together.”

I believe America is on its way up. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

2011 Kennedy Center Honors

2011-12-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Kennedy Center Honors took place this past weekend. The Honorees for 2011 are: Broadway actress Barbara Cook, singer and songwriter Neil Diamond, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, jazz musician Sonny Rollins and actress Meryl Streep. CBS will broadcast the program on Dec. 27th, 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT.

US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive in the East Room of the White House to attend a reception for Kennedy Center Honorees in Washington, DC, on December 4, 2011.
----- JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

The First Lady is wearing Vera Wang.

...............................................................

US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive in the East Room of the White House to attend a reception for Kennedy Center Honorees in Washington, DC, on December 4, 2011.
---JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive at the Kennedy Center Honors reception at the White House in Washington December 4, 2011.
---REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Good Men Project Commentary

2011-12-04T00:28:00.000-08:00

See my recent commentary via The Good Men Project. Yes... life sucks.

This is a heavily edited version w/ errors (a result of the editing process).

Debating whether to post the complete version (full version is much better).

Would love to have my own bi-weekly column on a website or platform outside of blogger. Something I am still working on.

The First Lady Reveals Christmas at the White House & The First Family Lights the National Christmas Tree

2011-12-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

The First Lady gave a preview of the Christmas Season at the WhiteHouse and the lighting of the Christmas Tree.
You know I love both of these- they never get old for me, no matter who is President. I've always enjoyed it.

First lady Michelle Obama addresses military families in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, as the Christmas

The National Christmas Tree is pictured after it was lit by President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha Obama and and mother-in-law Marian Robinson, at the Ellipse across from the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec., 1, 2011.
----AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: Large Christmas trees line the Cross Hall during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The theme, "Shine, Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.
----Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: Large Christmas trees stand on either side of the North Portico entrance in the Entrance Hall during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The theme, "Shine, Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.
---- Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: Holiday garland is hung around doorways inside the East Visitor Entrance during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The decorations' theme, "Shine Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.
---- Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: A wire stand displays Christmas cards sent to the White House over the years in the Library during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The theme, "Shine, Give, Share" runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.
----Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: The official White House Christmas tree, the centerpiece of the Blue Room, is on display during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. Honoring Blue Star families, the 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree is decorated with framed military medals and handmade holiday cards created by military children living on installations around the world. The theme, "Shine, Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees.
----Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: Guests were treated to holiday cookies during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The theme, "Shine, Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees.
---- Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: A topiary of the first family's dog, Bo, made from plastic sits in front of the fire place in the Library during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The theme, "Shine Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.
-----Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: A Christmas tree stand in the window of the Library during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The theme, "Shine, Give, Share" runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.
----Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

First Lady Michelle Obama (C) reacts as she speaks with volunteers during the press preview of the White House Christmas decorations in Washington, DC, November 30, 2011. The White House chose a theme of "Shine, Give, Share" celebrating the countless ways we can lift up those around us.
----JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

First Lady Michelle Obama (R) shows her decorated cookie after making it with children of active duty military personnel during the press preview of the White House Christmas decorations in Washington, DC, November 29, 2011. The White House chose a theme of "Shine, Give, Share" celebrating the countless ways we can lift up those around us.
---- JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

First lady Michelle Obama walks with Bo, the family dog, as children from military families work on crafts in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, as the Christmas holiday decorations, whose theme is "Shine, Give, Share" were previewed.
---AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: Children of active duty military service members make handmade cookie Christmas ornaments in the State Dining Room during the first viewing of the White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The decorations' theme, "Shine Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room.
----Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: Paper Christmas trees and a felt topiary of the first family's dog, Bo, sit in front of portraits of former presidents Calvin Coolidge and Grover Cleavland in the East Garden Room during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The theme, "Shine Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.
----Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: A replica of the White House made from 400-pounds of gingerbread, white chocolate and marzipan is on display in the State Dining Room during the first viewing of the 2011 White House Christmas decorations November 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. The theme, "Shine, Give, Share," runs throught the White House with a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House and 37 Christmas trees, including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.
---- Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd R) sings a Christmas carol with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama (3rd L) and their daughters Malia (L) and Sasha during the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington December 1, 2011. Also pictured are Kermit the Frog, host Carson Daly (C), Santa Claus and singer Marsha Ambrosius (R).
----REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha arrive for the annual lighting of the National Christmas tree on December 1, 2011 at The Ellipse in Washington, DC.
----MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama, with daughter Sasha and First Lady Michelle Obama, with Malia, arrive for lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the Ellipse across from the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec., 1, 2011.
----AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

US First Lady Michelle Obama and Kermit the frog read to children during the annual lighting of the National Christmas tree onDecember 1, 2011 at The Ellipse in Washington, DC.
---- MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

(L-R) Marian Robinbson, her dughtert US First Lady Michelle Obama and granddaughter Sasha and US President Barrack Obama arrive for the 2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2011.
---- JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

US First Lady Michelle Obama is joined by Kermit the Frog, from the Muppets movie, as she reads a story during the 2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on The Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2011.
---- JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 01: First lady Michelle Obama and Kermit the frog read a book to children during the National Christmas Tree lighting cermony, on December 1, 2011 at the Ellipse, south of the White House, in Washington, DC. The first family participated in the 89th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
-----Mark Wilson/Getty Images

holiday decorations, whose theme is "Shine, Give, Share" were previewed.
---AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 01: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Barack Obama (C) and daughters Sasha (2nd L), Malia (2nd R) and First Lady Michelle Obama (R) participate in the 2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting on December 1, 2011 at the Ellipse, south of the White House, in Washington, DC. The first family participated in the 89th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
---- Roger L. Wollenberg-Pool/Getty Images

First Lady Michelle Obama and First Daughters Receive the WH Christmas Tree

2011-11-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

The First Lady and First Daughters received what will be the WH Christmas Tree this year. The First Daughters are growing into beautiful young ladies.

The First Lady Receives the 2011 White House Christmas Tree

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama waves as she walks out with daughters Sasha and Malia (R) to receive the 2011 White House Christmas Tree at the White House in Washington, November 25, 2011.
---- REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

US First Lady Michelle Obama (L), daughters Sasha (C) and Malia arrive to receive the White House Christmas tree at the White House in Washington on November 25, 2011.
---NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

US First Lady Michelle Obama (R) and daughters Sasha (L) and Malia, accompanied by dog Bo, receive the White House Christmas tree at the White House in Washington on November 25, 2011.
---- NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 25: 2011 National Christmas Tree Association Grand Champion winners Tom Schroeder (L) and Sue Schroeder (2L) pet Bo, the Obama family's dog, as First Lady Michelle Obama (2R) , and daughters Sasha Obama (C) and Malia Obama are presented with the official White House Christmas Tree on November 25, 2011 in Washington, DC. The tree, a 19-foot-tall balsam fir, was grown on Schroeder's Forevergreens farm near Neshkoro, Wisconsin.
-----Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha watch as the White House Christmas tree arrives at the North Portico, Friday, in Washington, Nov. 25, 2011. The 19-foot-tall balsam fir, being inspected by the family dog Bo, is from Tom and Sue Schroeder's farm near Neshkoro, Wisc. From left to right are: Tom Schroeder, Sue Schroeder, Sasha Obama, Michelle Obama, and Malia Obama.
---AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

US First Lady Michelle Obama (L), daughters Sasha (2nd L) and Malia, accompanied by dog Bo, arrive to receive the White House Christmas tree at the White House in Washington on November 25, 2011.
---NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama walks out with daughters Sasha, Malia (R) and family dog Bo to receive the 2011 White House Christmas Tree at the White House in Washington, November 25, 2011.
----REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

U.S. President Barack Obama's daughter Malia walks with family dog Bo to receive the 2011 White House Christmas Tree at the White House in Washington, November 25, 2011.
----REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

The President Continues His Trip Abroad

2011-11-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

hat tip-The Obama Diary:

The President continues his overseas trip.

US President Barack Obama (L) and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (C) wearing Indonesian traditional clothes attend the gala dinner during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and East Asia Summit in Nusa Dua in Indonesia's resort island of Bali on November 18, 2011.
---- JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the Australian Parliament 17-11-2011

Barack Obama Visits

Boeing, Lion Air Strike Deal

President Obama and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono talk as Balinese dancers perform on stage at the East Asia Summit dinner

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Boeing Senior Vice President Ray Conner as they announce a commercial deal at a signing ceremony in Nusa Dua, on the island of Bali, Indonesia