A spirited discussion about Tavis Smiley's haterism prompted this question.. Can any Black people dislike Obama's policies, Obama himself, or his actions and NOT be a "hater"? Sure. I've just never seen a thoughful critique that holds up against the alternate choice of the erratic, deeply partisan and ridiculously managed McCain campaign. Let's be clear. McCain's abandonment of his principles has left him a torture survivor who voted AGAINST the anti-torture bill . McCain is a veteran who couldn't bring himself to vote on the GI Bill DESPITE his persistent use of his service and the current Iraq soldiers as campaign props. McCain claims Obama lacks "executive experience" (pot, meet kettle) and shores up that argument by adding a mayor of a town that's smaller than some of Obama's phone banks. Palin's next gig was Governor, but she's spent so much of her time commuting between home and office (while accepting per diems) a...

Excellent production values. Very savvy to pick stories from his battlegrounds. White, Black, Latino, veterans, elderly, factory workers... national security, health care problems, education (with a nod to at risk and special needs kids). He hit the right notes for all his constituencies. For people who hadn't really been paying attention and claimed "they don't know him," it was a very clear statement of his positions (albeit a rehash of stump stuff). The only quibble I had was the odd choice of pushing the $200,000 individual income limit for the tax break as opposed to the $250,000 family limit. It's families that are hurting, not single folks making $175,000. Overall, an extremely well done piece. P.S. McCain's sour grapes are EPIC FAIL. Griping about Obama's half-hearted expression of support for public financing is not a winner in the last week of a campaign. P.P.S. Bonus points for Palin out-gaffing Biden with her quote about leading the G...

Y'all know the story by now. White, female McCain phonebanker, Ashley Todd, leaves Texas to venture North to support her candidate. After a stint in New York, she ends up in Pittsburgh until Thursday, when she lost her effing mind and became Susan Smith Part Deux . The McCain campaign can hardly be blamed for this girl's actions. However, they need to be questioned on their response. Within hours of the incendiary allegations, two things happened. McCain and Palin called Ashley Todd. A press flack from McCain's Pennsylvania operation started pushing the story and adding salacious details. Consider what was at stake here. In a campaign environment already marked with strained racial tensions, Todd's story was potenitally explosive. It would have made a lot more sense to issue a generic statement (like Obama's campaign did). Instead, McCain and Palin lent legitimacy to the allegations (at least for a few hours) by calling her. They vetted Todd's story abou...

Our law starts with the U. S. Constitution . Then state constitutions . Then regular old laws (traffic laws, statutes, etc.). By constitutional definition, a law cannot be passed (by legislature or electoral consent) that stands in conflict with a state Constitution (and by extension, the Federal Constitution). Even McCain stands against a Federal Constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage Prop 22 was found to be in violation of the Equal Protections clause of the California Constitution . That decision is PRECISELY in the definition of the role of the judiciary. That's kinda the point of CO-EQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT . Prop 8 is an attempt at adjusting the state Constitution to make an end run around the "unconstitutionality" of the language of Prop 22. But, here's the deal... The will of the people DOES NOT TRUMP THE RIGHTS OF THE FEW. That's at the core of our Constitution . People keep talking about the judges overthrowing the will of the p...

Clinton was on the trail a HECKUVA lot longer than Palin and always looked professional (albeit without Palin's MILFy assets). Notwithstanding the media's disaffection with pantsuits, I can't recall that much time was spent discussing her attire. The meme that females in the political spotlight are held to a higher fashion standard rings hollow in an election cycle where Clinton dominated headlines for the better part of a year. In fact, the biggest fashion splash before Palin's $150,000 debacle was Michelle Obama's $130 frock from her appearance on "The View." When Barack Obama is pictured with holes in his shoes, the idea that Palin is "down to Earth" in $150,000 of Neiman's and Saks is simply ridiculous. Anybody with a brain would have taken her to an Ann Taylor outlet and gotten the job done for a tenth of the price.

Beyond the newsworthiness of the cross party endorsement, Gen. Powell offers a particularly compelling and lucid argument for Senator Barack Obama. Far more than any other endorsement this cycle, his passion, intelligence and reason shine through as genuine and rational. He cuts through political posturing and spin and deals explicitly with indisputable FACTS. He was able to succinctly obliterate the standard GOP positions and talking points in clear language. He offered sincere critiques about his disappointment in McCain's campaign tactics. His example of the fallen Muslim soldier's patriotism was amazing and heartfelt. If McCain had been brave enough to nominate him, things might be VERY different in this race. Powell's political reputation may have been dimmed by his Bush administration experiences, but his intellectual and analytical gifts are clearly extraordinary. These last few days scarcely seem real. I am stunningly proud to be an American. Thank you, Gener...