Uncle Thomas

Once again Uncle Clarence Thomas has us collectively scratching our heads. This past Tuesday the Supreme Court correctly decided that:

federal civil-rights laws protect not only employees who suffer discrimination, but also colleagues who face retaliation for standing up on their behalf.

In this case, a manager of a Cracker Barrel restaurant was fired for complaining about the unfair dismissing of another employee because she was black. The court used the anti-discrimination civil rights law of 1866 (a law used to protect newly freed slaves) as their justification.

This manager, who is black, consistently received excellent reviews, overheard and witnessed another manager use racist language and fire an employee solely because she was black. He was fired for complaining.

The court rendered a 7-2 decision in favor of the fired manager. You asked, who were the two hold-outs? Yes, the smug Antonin Scalia (Vp Cheney's hunting buddy) and Clarence Thomas. To add insult to injury, Clarence wrote:

When an individual is subjected to reprisal because he has complained about racial discrimination, the injury he suffers is not on account of his race; rather, it is the result of his conduct," ... therefore Section 1981 provided no remedy.

Whaaaaaat!? He is essentially declaring that if one gets fired for validly complaining about racism that its the victims fault for complaining thus the firing is not against his (Thomas) interpretation of the law. Wow! Even Bush II's conservative appointees Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito agreed with the majority decision.

I could see Thomas ruling in 1860 that slavery is not inhumane nor unconstitutional!

For more on this story click Wall Street Journal.

Newsweek's Advice to Obama

The following excerpt was taken from the June 2, 2008 issue of Newsweek Magazine. This particular story was titled, A Memo For Senator Obama.

Sen. Jim Webb, the ex-Marine elected from Virginia, noted recently on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that his people, the Scots-Irish who so heavily populate the hills of Appalachia, are like "tortured siblings of black Americans. They both have a long history and they both missed the boat when it came to larger benefits that a lot of people were able to receive." If poor rural whites and African-Americans could sit down together, they would find that they have much in common. When you visit West Virginia and Kentucky, you could begin that conversation with some town meetings. Webb has also observed that the Scots-Irish hill folk are by nature scrappers and fighters. That's one reason they admired Hillary and voted for her. You need to show them you are a fighter, too—and that you will fight for them.

Say no more, I agree 100% with Newsweek and Sen. Jim Webb, Obama has to tirelessly work to overcome the elite perception he has among working class voters in the Appalachian states in order to win the general election.

As they further state:

Your mission is to not wind up like Kerry, who ended up losing the rural vote by 20 points. The "reality," writes Davis, "is that when Democratic candidates run competitively in rural America, they win national elections. And when they get creamed in rural America, they lose."

Newsweek suggests that Obama use an issue like Affirmative Action to win over poor whites by taking the following position:

You need an issue that plays against prejudice or typecasting. Affirmative action is deeply unpopular with white, working-class voters who see African-Americans bestowed with privileges long denied poor whites. You've suggested—obliquely, but nonetheless provocatively—that you might prefer seeing affirmative action for disadvantaged whites rather than black elites, noting that you wouldn't expect your private-school-educated daughters to need an admissions break at college. Taking a stand for affirmative action based on socioeconomic class rather than race would send a powerful signal.

Once again I agree, Affirmative Action has long been a wedge issue that has created racial hostility among working class blacks and whites. I have long believe, we as African-Americans would make more progress in this country is we establish political, social and economic alliances with poor whites. By broadening the benefits of Affirmative Action to be based on economic status rather than just racial status would be a shrewd step in the right direction.

Blue Collar Electorate

Election pundits have repeatedly asked why Barack Obama has trouble attracting blue collar Whites as if he created the problem and could solve it. Hillary is seldom asked why Blacks don’t vote for her, a problem she could solve. But it is interesting why blue collar Whites consistently vote against themselves, supporting Republicans who care little about their problems.


This question, posited by columnist Ron Walters in a Final Call article this past May 14th, 2008, accurately underscores a political phenomenon that has placed our country in dire straits.

For the past 40 years - Nixon to Reagan to Bush I to Dole to Bush II - the white majority vote has gone to the Republican candidate even though the platform - economic and foreign - contrast with the interests of middle America. In plain words, it should be explored in depth why so-called "hardworking" blue collar whites seldom vote their interest.

The conflict of interest vote overwhelmingly supported President Bush and what did they reap from their votes: tax cuts that favor the very wealthy; financial and bankrupt laws written by Banks and Credit Card companies that hurt the middle class; an economic surplus turned into a huge deficit; an unwise, poorly managed, costly and unpopular war; and, higher gas, energy and food costs.

What are the roots of this phenomenon? The Republican image makers and king makers (and Clintons) intuitively understand the psyche of middle America; and, how to manipulate it. Each election cycle since 1968 (Nixon) the Republican strategist have used wedge issues such as abortion, crime, race, welfare, immigration, gay rights, women's rights, school prayer etc to either scare or stroke xenophobia in order to become recipients of white blue collar votes.


The sad reality is this strategy is very effective and it is also being used by John McCain and his surrogates in an effort to derail Barack Obama's campaign. In fact, just earlier today, I watched the sleaziest of sleazy Sean Hannity of the equally bias Fox Network actively engaging in scare the white folks politics. In mid-season form, he rarely mentions the relevant issues affecting millions of millions of Americans; instead, he opts to attack Obama's church and statements by Obama's wife. The goal is to inflame blue collar whites against Obama. He did not mention the war, gas prices, housing crisis, rising food costs nor the weak dollar. He did not challenge nor critique Obama's vision for our country. No, he attacked out of context statements written or spoken by Michelle Obama.

The ultimate challenge is for blue collar whites to stop being pimped and pandered to by those that do not share their best interest. Until that day occurs, we will continue to be divided and conquered by the corrupt.

Racial Undertones - Clintons

To win the presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 candidate Bill Clinton relied heavily on emotional and electoral support from the black community - in fact, even though he won both elections, he lost the white vote in both elections.

During President Clinton's impeachment days, when his white blue-collar support waivered, African-American's offered steadfast and loyal support.

So now it seems puzzling, disloyal and, frankly, hurtful to see the Clintons use subtle and not so subtle race-bating tactics in Hillary's race for the democratic presidential nomination.

Yes, make no mistake, Hillary and Bill, are win at all cost campaign veterans and they truly understand the rhectoric of racial politics. As a former governor of the southern Arkansas, Bill knows the racial politics of the southern strategy. Wikipedia defines the southern strategy as:


In American politics, the Southern strategy refers to methods of winning elections in the South in the latter decades of the 20th century by exploiting racial anxiety among white voters.

Hillary's latest quote that - “Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again.” There’s a pattern emerging here.” - was labeled race-bating by the paper that endorsed her, The New York Times.

Shame on you Bill and Hillary. I do not believe you two are racist, but you have demonstated that you will deploy any strategy or tactic to win an election; even if it pulls apart the democratic party and our country's tenuous racial relations. You two have super-elevated your personal ambitions above the needs of our country at a time, black, white, Asian, Latino, poor, working class, middle-class need unification the most in order to win back our country from the elk of Bush/Cheney.

Random Notes

Clinton - 2012

Many political writers and pundits are openly musing that Hillary Clinton Inc., realizing mathematically they have lost the 2008 democratic nomination for president, have shifted their focus to 2012. In their shrewd calculation, Obama will probably win the nomination and face McCain in November, therefore, their best strategy is to continue inter-party warfare in order to weaken Obama's chances in the fall election. This will ensure a McCain victory and because of his advance age - 77 in 2012 - he will most likely be a one term president. The net result: 2012 will be ripe for a Clinton victory; especially with Obama's status as damaged goods.

Rev. Wright -

Could Wright be more wrong - I doubt it. In his egotistical and paranoidal address at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, Wright seemed to beam about his controversial 15 minutes of fame. Instead on stepping out of the spotlight, in order to limit his damage to Obama's presidential bid, Wright relished the opportunity to pour more fuel on the embers to reignite the political firestorm. Wright clumsily tried to cloak his raison d'etre as being a defender of the black church by egotistically stating any criticism of Wright (yes he used the third person) is a criticism of the black church; and of course, he was not going to sit idly by and let that happen. In other words, criticism of Wright or the black church according to his flawed logic was bigger than Obama's campaign; therefore, he, Wright had to boldly speak out or our black church would be defamed (yeah right).

Is he being paid by the republicans or Clintons - makes you wonder.

Diabetes - top 10 excellent snack foods

If you are anything like me, as a person living with diabetes, you get a little bit tired of reading or hearing about foods that you once loved that you now must drastically reduce or completely eliminate from your diet.

If this is you, this list was constructed with you in mind:

1. Fruit - in particular berries, melons and kiwi; and excellent source of fiber.

2. Yogurt - there are delicious selections of sugar free yogurt on the market.

3. Frozen Fruit Cups

4. Hot Chocolate - sugar free of course.

5. Angel Food Cake

6. Hard Candies

7. Ice Cream - sugar free.

8. Frozen Fruit Slushes - my favortie.

9. Chocolate - dark chocolate and sugar free.

10. Jello - sugar free.