Is anyone seriously surprised, offended, or concerned about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s 2008 observation that Barack Obama stood a better chance of election because he was “light skinned” and “did not speak with a Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” Hell, if we’re honest, we’d admit the truth of Reid’s words, like them or not, and move on to create a more perfect union in which a dark-skinned-Negro-dialect-talking-person can be elected president. Or work on getting health care, jobs, protection from the banks and foreclosures, and a long list of other necessities for all citizens, whatever their skin tone or dialect.

What about the loss last night of the Massachusetts Senate seat held by Ted Kennedy to the Republicans, and with it 60 votes in the Senate?! Scott Brown’s victory puts health care reform and other aspects of the President’s agenda in serious jeopardy. Not to be cold, but it’s not as if Kennedy’s death came as a surprise. Why wasn’t there a better candidate than Martha Coakley – is it asking too much in Red Sox heaven to know who Curt Schilling is? -  vetted, prepped and ready in the wings? Where were the democratic strategists? Who’s responsible for this debacle? Can we please hear the sound of heads rolling?

Where’s the outrage at reports that 2 of the 7 American CIA operatives blown-up by a Jordanian double agent suicide bomber on December 30 in Afghanistan were employees of Blackwater, now known as Xe, the world’s largest – and thanks to the US government and our tax dollars – most lucrative private army? This after assurances that Blackwater employees only perform “security” functions. Enough of this war made easy and virtually invisible, if not cheap. How long do you think the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq would go on if there were no mercenaries to be hired, we admitted the “volunteer army” is nothing but a poverty draft, and reinstated a national draft? As the US military floods into Haiti, no doubt these private security companies are lined up and licking their chops to get into Haiti. Keep your eyes open, and be ready to head them off at the pass.

Congratulations to Sarah Palin, the repressed schoolmarm with the glasses and prim bum from Beginners Porn 101 and saviorette of the Republican Party, on her new gig for Fox News. Regular exposure, even in a Faux News format can’t help but reveal what an uniformed, xenophobic, arrogant bimbo Palin is. If the Republican’s still nominate her for president in 2012 and Americans are stupid enough to vote for her, it’s time for those of us with some sense to head to the airport. Me, I’d rather take my chances with scads of would-be panty bombers.

A report released yesterday by the Pew Research Center, “The New Economics of Marriage: The Rise of Wives,”  reports that women are increasingly better educated than their husbands and earn more money. Is this a revelation? For whom? The report has already spawned several articles and much discussion. Read it, check out the articles in the New York Times and Washington Post. More Friday.

Don’t Forget Haiti!!!

Jill Nelson 1/20/10 – The blog with the musical notes!

A year has passed since Barack Obama was elected. Same time last year millions of us woke up the next morning euphoric, wondering if it had been a glorious dream. Happily, it wasn’t. We had taken a step forward into the future, were on the verge of something very different, wildly exciting, definitely better.

Ah, the hard work of getting there.

A year later we struggle to disentangle that other foot from the muck and quicksand of the past. The greed, arrogance and contempt that gutted the American economy and left taxpayers holding the bag. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that should never have begun and are unwinnable continue, with hundreds of thousands of lives gone, millions more displaced and, if not ruined, profoundly damaged. Job losses continue, unemployment rises, the hope a year ago could be clearly seen on the horizon obscured by clouds.

This morning, celebrating winning the governor’s race in New Jersey and Virginia, Republicans crow that they’re back, declare the election a referendum on the infant Obama presidency. As much as some would like to blame Democrat’s failures on a failed Barack Obama, it doesn’t work. These losses are contained, subjective, site specific, comment on a disliked governor, a weak Democratic candidate, and voters concern about the economy.

Good news is that in upstate New York, the much touted Conservative congressional candidate, Doug Hoffman, was defeated, in spite of his endorsement by the GOP and their idiotic great white hope in stiletto’s, Sarah Palin. Ditto and wonderful that in New York City comptroller Bill Thompson, outspent by billionaire Mayor Mike Bloomberg, still gave the mayor a run for the $100 million plus of his personal fortune (that we know about) he spent to buy a third term (after circumventing two referendums in which voters supported term limits).

This day after we wake up resigned, not euphoric. Win or lose is only the beginning of the journey. We know the hard work of getting to that place up ahead.

Jill Nelson 11/4/09 – The blog with the musical notes!

The Democratic Party can nominate Barack Obama, a man of African descent, to run for President. The American people – across class, age, political party, geography, and our centuries old racial divide – can elect him in a landslide victory that makes the world rejoice. But Saturday Night Live can’t find a black actor to play him? What’s wrong with this picture?

Well, for a start it’s ridiculous, insulting, and stinks of white supremacy.

I’ve got nothing against Fred Armisen, the cast member of mixed white, Asian and Latino heritage who plays Obama, but WHY? In the whole USA there’s no Black actor who can play the first Black president of the United States? Barack Obama campaigned for nearly two years. In 21 months a black actor couldn’t be found? Well, no, especially if no one at Saturday Night Live bothered to look.

It’s a modern day minstrel show to tart Armisen up in black face and pretend its anything but offensive. It’s also inexcusable.

Kenan Thompson, the only black cast member at SNL was told he was too fat to play Obama. Obviously, Armisen ain’t too white – or short, or stocky, or anything else, ya dig? – to play the first black president. No biggie, I guess, since a white cast member also plays Jesse Jackson. Sorry if this means I haven’t drunk the Kool-Aid of post-racial, utopian, we voted for Barack Obama so now racism’s dead America, but can you imagine a black cast member getting a steady gig playing a white public figure?

As for the soon-to-be First Lady Michelle Obama, SNL had to bring Maya Rudolph back as a special guest to play her. But the show has NO BLACK WOMAN on staff. Now that Hillary Clinton’s on her way back to the Senate, stay tuned for Amy Poehler to become the official Michelle Obama on SNL.

SNL has a long history of hiring few black actors and mis-using them when they do. As for writers, forget about it. SNL is not alone. What’s astounding about SNL is how oblivious and smug they are in their arrogance and sense of entitlement.

This is just another reason why I cringe when I hear babble about how Obama’s election ushers in “post-racial America.” Seems what that boils down to is maintaining the status quo of white privilege and declaring it fair while simultaneously telling black people they have nothing to be aggrieved about. Including a white guy playing the first black president. It’s unacceptable in 2008 and beyond. We should not stand for it in Obamaland.

Email or write SNL producer Lorne Michaels at Saturday Night Live, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112 or call 212 664-4444 and tell NBC and Michaels you won’t watch the show or support the advertisers until they find a black actor to play Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and hire some black comedy writers, too. You won’t miss much. Post-November 4, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin – the only really funny stuff on the show – will be obsolete.

As an aside: ENOUGH about Michelle Obama’s dress the night of November 4! Attacking the dress is just a smoke screen for attacking the woman, our sister, Michelle Obama, soon to be first lady. If American’s can overwhelmingly elect Barack Obama based upon the content of his character, can we all refrain from judging Michelle Obama by the clothes on her back? It’s mean-spirited, petty, a distraction from what’s really important, irrelevant, and worst of all, UNSISTERLY. Michelle Obama needs and deserves our unconditional support. Let’s get off the judgemental, jive, fashionista bandwagon and give it to her.

Jill Nelson 11/7/08

The $150,000 spent to outfit just-a-regular-hockey-mom Sarah Palin is indicative of the greedy, hopeless, it’s all about me, life is for the perks mentality that pervades our culture. We’ve come to see freebies as our due, whether we’re millionaire musicians snatching up goody bags at the Grammy Awards; overpaid actors clutching swag bags at the Oscars; multi-national corporations pigging out at the government trough; or, last and least, average Americans fighting for free food samples at Costco. Perks-R-Us! Our national mantra could well be, “I got it for free, therefore I am somebody.”

Yeah, you’re somebody all right, somebody tacky. Yet another reason to respect the Obama’s is that not only aren’t they looking for a hand-out, they’re offering a hand. They pay for their own stuff and look great at the same time. You’d think that’d be fairly simple, but then, Sarah Palin is loathe to speak a coherent sentence, so maybe not.

Along with all else that an Obama presidency offers – including the fabulous Michelle Obama - classy in the dress she paid $148 for – is the opportunity to think of and define ourselves, as individuals and as a nation, based upon the substance of our national and personal character. To be defined not by the clothes on our backs or how much loot we’ve been able to beg, borrow or steal, but our compassion and ability to walk in each other’s shoes. To be judged, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said so eloquently in 1963, not by the color of our skin but by the content of our character.

As for General Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, it’s helpful, especially his comments about the treatment of Muslims in this election. But in this 11th hour, as Republican rats run to endorse Obama as the ship S.P. Surge Protector sinks under its own weight, no show of courage. Powell’s words don’t wash the blood of 4500 American and coalition forces and tens of thousands – although others say hundreds of thousands – of Iraqi’s off his hands. He remains the obedient soldier who went along with the invasion of Iraq even though he knew it wasn’t legit. Endorsing Obama’s a first step, Colin, but the road to redemption is long, hard, and paved with good works and acts of contrition. In your case, it may be endless. Don’t sit by the phone waiting for Obama to offer you a gig. Time to take off those military medals, put on a cotton dhoti and start making serious amends, General.

Finally, just in case you were wondering who al-Qaeda endorsed…

Only 12 more days until the election. Volunteer! www.barackobama.com

Jill Nelson 10/24/08

Tonight Americans are eagerly anticipating the vice presential debate in St. Louis with Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden. The debate will be moderated by News Hour Senior correspondent Gwen Ifill who sparked a controversy earlier this week with the disclosure that she is writing a book titled: The Breakthrough: “Politics and Race in the Age of Obama” on how politics in the Black community have changed since the civil rights era. The book will include a chapter on Senator Obama (that has yet to be written) that is scheduled to be released on inauguration day. This disclosure which is prominently acknowledged on her website caused some to question including Senator McCain, Ms. Ifill’s professional ability to remain unbiased and a potential conflict of interest. The bottom line is that neither Ms. Ifill or Senator Biden will be responsible for the success or failure to convince voters of her readiness for the nation’s highest office.  What is it going to take and how many interviews are necessary to demonstrate that Governor Palin is not ready to assume the role of the President?

Regardless of my political affiliation, as a woman I have actively supported the accomplishments of qualified women that serve as an example of the value of inclusiveness that women bring to all parts of our political and economic process.  Unfortunately after reviewing several public interviews by Governor Palin has led me to question why did McCain not select a qualified women to serve as the first Republican VP female candidate?  A recent interview with CBS anchor Katie Couric sparked an exchange regarding a quote that Governor Palin made about John McCain ability to reform Wall Street.

Couric: You’ve said, quote, “John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business.” Other than supporting stricter regulations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago, can you give us any more example of his leading the charge for more oversight?

Palin: I think that the example that you just cited, with his warnings two years ago about Fannie and Freddie – that, that’s paramount. That’s more than a heck of a lot of other senators and representatives did for us.

Couric: But he’s been in Congress for 26 years. He’s been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.

Palin: He’s also known as the maverick though, taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he’s been talking about – the need to reform government.

Couric: But can you give me any other concrete examples? Because I know you’ve said Barack Obama is a lot of talk and no action. Can you give me any other examples in his 26 years of John McCain truly taking a stand on this?

Palin: I can give you examples of things that John McCain has done, that has shown his foresight, his pragmatism, and his leadership abilities. And that is what America needs today.

Couric: I’m just going to ask you one more time – not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation.

Palin: I’ll try to find you some and I’ll bring them to you.

Huh?  In 26 years, not one example comes to your mind?  This lack of preparedness is unacceptable for someone who will be second in line to assume the Presidency if McCain were to win in November.  Governor Palin goes on to make a statement that America is waiting to see what Senator McCain is doing about the current economic crisis not Senator Obama even though Obama has surged to a 7-point lead in the recent AP poll over  McCain showing a major shift in many key battleground states such as Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa.  With the condition of the economy being a key issue on the minds of all Americans, Couric sought Governor Palin’s response on the $700 billion government bailout of bad debt and her support:

Palin: I’m ill about the position that America is in and that we have to look at a $700 billion bailout. And as Sen. McCain has said unless this nearly trillion dollar bailout is what it may end up to be, unless there are amendments in Paulson’s proposal, really I don’t believe that Americans are going to support this and we will not support this. The interesting thing in the last couple of days that I have seen is that Americans are waiting to see what John McCain will do on this proposal. They’re not waiting to see what Barack Obama is going to do. Is he going to do this and see what way the political wind’s blowing? They’re waiting to see if John McCain will be able to see these amendments implemented in Paulson’s proposal.

Couric: Why do you say that? Why are they waiting for John McCain and not Barack Obama?

Palin: He’s got the track record of the leadership qualities and the pragmatism that’s needed at a crisis time like this.

Couric: But polls have shown that Sen. Obama has actually gotten a boost as a result of this latest crisis, with more people feeling that he can handle the situation better than John McCain.

Palin: I’m not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who’s more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who’s actually done it?

Couric: If this doesn’t pass, do you think there’s a risk of another Great Depression?

Palin: Unfortunately, that is the road that America may find itself on. Not necessarily this, as it’s been proposed, has to pass or we’re going to find ourselves in another Great Depression. But, there has got to be action – bipartisan effort – Congress not pointing fingers at one another but finding the solution to this, taking action, and being serious about the reforms on Wall Street that are needed.

Apparently Americans are expressing their doubts about Governor Palin’s readiness with a recent AP-Gfk poll released yesterday that has just 25% of likely voters believing that Palin has the right experience to be President. This is a dramatic decrease down from 41%after her positive appearance at the GOP convention.  Tonight, Sarah Palin alone will have the opportunity to convince the American people that she is ready to assume the role of the President if necessary and that she is best qualified candidate for VP of the United States.  Senator John McCain issued this comment today on the viability of Governor Palin:

“We let Sarah be Sarah. She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s been in debates before,” McCain told “Fox & Friends” on Fox News Channel. “The American people … the more they see of her, the more they love her, and I’m confident of that at the end.”

Tonight along with millions of Americans, we will be watching!

I can’t bring the troops home today. Or erase the deficit. Or save all the regular folks who have lost or will lose their homes because of predatory lending. Or create jobs. Or protect families. Or help people under attack from multiple quarters preserve a sense of self and dignity. All things lost during the global gang rape by the Bush/Cheney cabal over the last eight years.

I can’t bring back those lost on September 11, 2001. Or the tens of thousands of lives – American, Iraqi and others – wasted in Iraq. Or fix the educational system. Or revamp the Supreme Court. I can’t make Americans understand that Barack Obama may very well represent a last chance to both avert America’s disintegration and actually try and live up to the ideals to which, these days, we barely pay lip service.

Nope.

We live in a world where Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, an inexperienced right wing extremist whose resume is so weak that her GOP handlers won’t allow her to speak to reporters can be nominated for vice president by a party of rich, militaristic, fearmongers led by The Surge Protector, still milking the bad old days in Vietnam as if the war there was other than another imperialist folly. The facts, oh, no matter! She’s young! She’s white! She’s the repressed librarian or uptight schoolmarm of tired videos and male fantasies come to resusitate the GOP’s aging Mack Daddy! And it may be working. (Of course, I’d take this poll and all others with a cup of salt, particularly given the source. The Wall Street Journal, owned by Rupert Murdoch, who also owns FOX News? NBC. owned by General Electric? For more on media incompetence and collusion, check out – and bookmark! - FAIR.org and Media Matters.org.)

In this situation we work for the best, do what we can, and grab whatever joy between those politically motivated, just-shy-of-homicidal rages. This week was a good one. As the world continued to collapse and madness reigned, I facilitated a reunion between my 92-year-old father from Berkeley, California, and his 86-year-old brother from Kansas City, Mo. The brothers, back together again.

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain scaled down Monday’s opening of the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul in anticipation of the potentially catastrophic impact – wind, water, broken levees and a repeat of Republican incompetence in 2005 – of Hurricane Gustav and declared that Republicans would respond not as Republicans, but as Americans. Meanwhile, George W. Bush, saved by the hurricane from participating in the RNC, was high tailing it to his ranch in Crawford, Texas to “monitor” the situation. It’s not clear why he had to leave Washington and travel to Texas to do so, but I suspect brush cutting and further denuding the Texas landscape had something to do with it.

After having wreaked havoc in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, an exhausted Hurricane Gustav’s impact on New Orleans and the Gulf was muted. Not so the response to American citizens attempting to exercise their democratic right to dissent outside the Republican National Convention. In an apparent effort to replicate Bush’s preemptive war abroad by preempting legal demonstrators at home, Minneapolis police raided, attacked, and arrested citizens planning to demonstrate and those who demonstrated outside the RNC against the policies of the current administration.

Democracy Now! journalist Amy Goodman - one of the few truly independent members of the free press who refuses to be intimidated by the current political climate – and two members of her crew were arrested . Their crime? Trying to cover the demonstration.

Too much of the press, in the current equivalent of fiddling while Rome burns, were busy covering the personal and irrelevant news that GOP vice p residential nominee Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daughter is pregnant to throughly cover the real issues inside or outside the RNC. What’s relevant is the landslide of negative information about Palin that’s come out in the five days since Palin was named. Inexperienced? Incompetent? Wacky? All of the above?

Preemptive raids, pepper spray, arrests, suppression of the free press outside the RNC. Meanwhile inside an almost all white group of out of touch Republicans seek to tout the aging Surge Protector and his running mate. Does this woman bring anything but gender to the ticket? Whoever came up with the idiotic notion that Palin would lead disgruntled Hillary supporters to McCain should be immediately fired. Ditto everyone on the team that was supposed to vet the Surge Protector’s running mate.

Wait! I take that back! Promote the whole lot of them, then hire some of their cronies. With friends like those, the trip to Obamaland will be that much smoother.