Category: Politics

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Politics

Republican Leaders All Declined To Speak At Dr. Martin Luther King’s Commemoration

Dr. Martin Luther King is known worldwide, and it would have been appropriate on this day, fifty years after King’s I Have A Dream Speech when thousands traveled to Washington to remember and celebrate… it would have been fitting to have the political leaders from both sides put away their partisan ideologies and come together as one.

It would have been fitting… if it had actually happened.

Reports are coming out now that leaders from the Republican party were invited to speak today, but they all declined.

Speaker John A. Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the House’s two most senior Republicans, were invited to speak at the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington — but declined.

That wasn’t a wise choice, said Julian Bond, a renowned civil rights activist, in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday afternoon.

“What’s really telling, I think, is the podium behind me, just count at the end of the day how many Republicans will be there,” Bond told news anchor Alex Wagner. “They asked senior President Bush to come, he was ill. They asked junior Bush, he said he had to stay with his father.

“They asked a long list of Republicans to come,” Bond continued, “and to a man and woman they said ‘no.’ And that they would turn their backs on this event was telling of them, and the fact that they seem to want to get black votes, they’re not gonna get ‘em this way.”

According to Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel, the Ohio Republican “was invited, but spoke at the Congressional ceremony instead, as did Sens. Reid and McConnell, and Rep. Pelosi.”

Cantor, meanwhile, was asked 12 days ago to participate in Wednesday’s event commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s delivery of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, according to an aide. The Virginia Republican, however, is currently traveling in North Dakota and Ohio, touring energy sites with Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and participating in “nonofficial events,” according to an aide.

There will only be one 50 year celebration of this most important time in America’s history. Dr. King’s speech changed the directory of this nation where civil rights were concerned. We will never celebrate another 50 year mark, but not even this very important anniversary managed to convince Republicans to put aside their partisan bickering.

If this occasion failed to make them come together, then it is safe to say that nothing, absolute nothing, will make them come together to do the right thing.

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Barack Obama Martin Luther King Jr Politics

From Martin Luther King Jr. to Barack Obama – 50 Years Later

President Obama today offered a tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., while also imploring all Americans to remember that the work of the iconic civil rights leader remains unfinished.

“The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own,” Obama said on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on a rainy afternoon in Washington. “We’ll suffer the occasional setback, but we will win these fights.”

Obama, who spoke to an estimated crowd of 20,000 — far fewer than 200,000-plus who attended the March on Washington and witnessed King’s “I Have a Dream” speech 50 years ago — recalled that day in 1963.

“On a hot summer day, they assembled here in our nation’s capitol, under the shadow of the great emancipator to offer testimony of injustice, to petition their government for redress, to awaken America’s long slumbering conscience,” he said.

“How he gave mighty voice to the quiet hopes of millions, how he offered a salvation path to oppressed and oppressors alike. We would do well to recall that that day itself also belonged to those ordinary people whose names never appeared in history books.”

This ‘March’ Interactive Captures the Moment

Acknowledging his own place in history, Obama praised King and the civil rights activists of his era: “They kept marching, America changed.”

He added, “and yes, eventually, the White House changed.”

Fifty years to the day after King Jr. delivered his speech, Obama stepped into the shadows of his personal hero, standing in the same spot to deliver remarks commemorating the 1963 March on Washington, a powerful example of the progress King envisioned.

For the nation’s first African-American president, the much-anticipated speech carried with it immense symbolism and high stakes.

“Let me just say for the record right now, it won’t be as good as the speech 50 years ago,” Obama told radio host Tom Joyner in an interview Tuesday. “I just want to get that out there early. Because when you are talking about Dr. King’s speech at the March on Washington, you’re talking about one of the maybe five greatest speeches in American history.

“And the words that he spoke at that particular moment, with so much at stake, and the way in which he captured the hopes and dreams of an entire generation, I think is unmatched.”

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Politics

Jaime Foxx Calls on Jay Z, Will Smith, Kanye West to be Civil Rights Activists

Speaking off-the-cuff, without prepared remarks at Wednesday’s March on Washington 50th anniversary event, actor Jamie Foxx called on his peers in the entertainment industry to pick up where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders left off. Foxx said it was up to him, “Will Smith, Jay Z, Kanye, Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington” and others to continue the struggle for equality.”

“I will tell you right now that everybody my age and all the entertainers, it is time for us to stand up and renew this dream,” Foxx began. He said he as “affected” and inspired to action by the Trayvon Martin case and the Newtown shooting and urged others to join him in speaking out.

Foxx told a story about a dinner he had with the legendary Harry Belafonte–complete with an expert impression of the singer’s voice–and his 19-year-old daughter. When Belafonte reflected on marching with “Al, Jesse and Martin” he and his daughter did not at first know he was referring to Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Martin Luther King.

“What we need to do now is the young folks pick it up now,” Foxx told the crowd, “so that when we’re 87 years old, talking to the young folks, we can say it was me, Will Smith, Jay Z, Kanye, Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington, the list goes on and on.”

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Politics

George Zimmerman’s Wife Pleads Guilty to Perjury

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) – The wife of George Zimmerman pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to a reduced charge of perjury for lying in a 2012 Florida court proceeding concerning her husband’s arrest in the killing of Trayvon Martin, according to court records.

Circuit Judge Marlene Alva in Sanford accepted a deal in which Shellie Zimmerman agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor perjury rather than the original charge of felony perjury in an official proceeding.

Zimmerman was ordered to serve one year of probation, perform 100 hours of community service and write a letter of apology to Judge Kenneth Lester, in whose court the perjury occurred.

George Zimmerman was acquitted in July of murder in Martin’s death, but his wife still faced the perjury charge for telling Lester that they had no money at a bond hearing. At the time, the couple had accumulated $135,000 from donors to an online legal defense fund.

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Domestic Policies Politics

The Dream Lives On!

Today, August 28th, 2013 commemorates the 50th Anniversary of one of the most famous marches and speeches ever witnessed, listened to and participated in during a Civil Rights Movement that took place in Washington, DC.

During that 1963 march, over 200,000 people from all walks of life participated in this gathering to let it be known throughout the United States and even the World at large that oppression, bigotry, hatred and murder of a people that just wanted the same rights as others was intolerable.

In fact, the Civil Rights Movement of 1963 had some of the exact parallels of the Moral Mondays Movement that has derived from some of the same oppressive, bigoted, hateful legislation being passed by the GOP and Republican lawmakers in North Carolina.

When Supreme Court Justice John Roberts so blindly changed the outcome of the Voters Rights Act in a surprising decision back in June of this year, the Republican Party throughout this country has begun changing their voting laws at state levels to ‘tip the scale’ in their favor for upcoming and ongoing elections.

In Texas, Ohio and North Carolina, the governors of these states and the Legislators in the state houses that are Republican run, have passed legislation to change the way Americans have voted for decades. In North Carolina alone, Gov. Pat McCrory and the NCGOP have formulated the New Voter I.D. Law, overturned students being able to Vote in the college city they live in, ended Early Voting and have closed several voting locations in many locations in the name of being more “efficient”.

Also in North Carolina, teachers are under assault with this current government in place. Wages have been cut and raises are obsolete. As educators of our children, they are deserving of the benefits and salary that should be awarded to them, but this governor and NCGOP legislators don’t seem to agree. Because of the extreme measures being inflicted on some of the teachers in North Carolina, many have decided to leave the profession all together unfortunately to pursue other employment in other states.

Continuing on the extreme, Gov. McCrory and the NCGOP sliced the Unemployment Benefits from a maximum of $535 a week to $350 max and the Unemployment Length of benefit life from 26-weeks to 13-weeks. With North Carolina ranked as the 5th highest state for unemployment, this Republican-led administration found it necessary to cut benefits to many middle class and low income families. Many layoffs and companies closing their doors have resulted in an influx of unemployment applications but as of July 1st of this year, this administration in North Carolina has turned its back on thousands from the coastal to the mountains.

The Dream Lives On though. Because of the extremism of the North Carolina, Texas and Ohio legislative moves; Abortion issues, Women’s Rights, Marriage Equality, Voter’s Rights, Students Rights, Teachers Rights, protests have been a recurring event. Chicago recently joined the fray with a protest against ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council). This group, which claims to be non-partisan, has been the spearhead and backbone to many of the statewide legislative twist and turns that have been executed at the state level.

Take note: Texas, Ohio and North Carolina Governors and State Legislators have passed the Same laws over the past three months. ALEC has designed a form of legislative format outlined to generate an extreme level of government beginning at the state level. It is passed through the Republican-led administration and will pass. Remember though, this is Supposed to be a non-partisan group yet every bill that has passed has had opposition from across the aisle.

We won’t give up the fight though. Just as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at the March on Washington in 1963, “I Have A Dream”, I too have a Dream along with Millions of other Americans throughout this Great Nation. The Dream is a United Country throwing out the Extreme Legislators in our respective states. The Dream is tossing the Hate Mongers in power out of office. The Dream is letting the Governors, the Mayors, the City Council that has been endorsed by ALEC and Tea Party affiliates, your days are Numbered and your Time is Up!

Come 2014, local elections take place. I urge everyone to register to vote if you haven’t. I urge everyone to become Active in the political movement and Stay Engaged and Stay Aware of what is going on in Your Local Government and Community. Finally, Come 2016, the National Election! Vote America! Remember, there were many that died during the 1960’s just so We could have this Very Right. And now, many on the Republican side are attempting to take that right from Us again. Don’t Let It Happen! Keep the Dream Alive. Make Sure the Dream Lives On!

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Politics

Cory Booker on Possibly Being Gay – “So what if I am?”

The Washington Post once again raised the much asked question about Cory Booker’s sexual preference and this time, Booker responded.

“And people who think I’m gay, some part of me thinks it’s wonderful. Because I want to challenge people on their homophobia. I love seeing on Twitter when someone says I’m gay, and I say, ‘So what does it matter if I am? So be it. I hope you are not voting for me because you are making the presumption that I’m straight.’”

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Politics

NY Daily News to Chris Christie – “Who You Calling an Idiot, Fatso!”

Chris Christie is friends with New York Jets Coach, Rex Ryan. So when a Daily News reporter Manish Mehta seemed a little eager to get an answer from Rex at a press conference. Christie had to chime in.

Rex’s decision to play quarterback and former USC star,  Mark Sanchez in a meaningless pre-season game that resulted to the quarterback getting hurt, prompted the persistent reporter to ask his series of questions second guessing Rex’s decision. Rex took offence to the reporter’s questions and Christie tried to defend his friend, referring to the reporter as an “idiot.”

Said Christie;

“Idiot. The guy’s a complete idiot. Self-consumed, underpaid, reporter. The only reason he’s empowered is we’re spending all this time this morning talking about Manish Mehta who, by the way, I couldn’t pick out of a police lineup.”

Christie apparently forgot he was talking about a reporter from a New York newspaper and not one from New Jersey and The Daily News made sure he remembered. On the Tuesday morning paper, this was The News’ headline:

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Politics

George Zimmerman Wants Florida To Pay His Legal Bill

George Zimmerman is standing his ground — and he wants Florida taxpayers to reimburse him for a large chunk of his legal expenses.

The neighborhood watch volunteer who was acquitted of second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin is asking the Sunshine State to cover $200,000 to $300,000 for the cost of expert witnesses, travel, depositions and photocopies, the Orlando Sentinel reported Monday.

That tab also includes the cost of a video the defense used during closing arguments that shows the unarmed black teenager punching Zimmerman.

Defense attorney Mark O’Mara told the paper that a motion is “in the works” to ask a judge to approve the payments.

Because the 29-year-old watchman was found not guilty during a five-week trial last month, state law requires Florida to pay all of his legal fees — except for the price tag of his lawyer.

That comes on top of the roughly $900,000 that public agencies already spent on Zimmerman’s behalf during the much-hyped court case, which prompted demonstrations all over the country.

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north carolina Politics

Police to North Carolina Charities – Feed the Hungry, “you will go to jail!”

Charity groups in Raleigh, North Carolina are criticizing local police over what they call a sudden enforcement of a local ordinance prohibiting them from feeding the homeless.

“The police are caught up in a system,” Rev. Hugh Hollowell told WRAL-TV on Sunday. “The police work for the mayor and the City Council, who is ultimately responsible to the developers who spend lots and lots of money to revitalize downtown.”

Hollowell attracted attention to the police’s activities on Saturday after his group, Love Wins Ministries, was barred from its weekly food distribution at a local park, Moore Square, for the first time in six years.

“No representative from the Raleigh Police Department was willing to tell us which ordinance we were breaking, or why, after six years and countless friendly and cooperative encounters with the Department, they are now preventing us from feeding hungry people,” Hollowell wrote on the group’s website. “When I asked the officer why, he said that he was not going to debate me. ‘I am just telling you what is. Now you pass out that food, you will go to jail.’”

Another charitable group, Human Beans Together, told WRAL it was also forced out of the park. When it relocated to a nearby parking lot to continue, police also stepped in before the owner arrived and allowed them to remain on the premises while they negotiate a long-term solution.

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Politics

Missouri Democrat Arrested for Marijuana Possession

Missouri state Rep. Jeremy LaFaver (D) was arrested Sunday on suspicion of possessing up to 35 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol’s arrest report cited by PoliticsMo, LaFaver was pulled over for failing to respond to an earlier charge that he had operated his vehicle with expired license tags. On top of the drug charges, the arresting officer also charged him with failure to appear in court for traffic offenses.

In a statement, LaFaver, a first-term lawmaker and chairman of the Missouri House Democratic Victory Committee, apologized for the incident.

“I made a serious mistake, I apologize for it, and I am prepared to face the consequences of my behavior. I want to stress that I was not operating under the influence,” he said. “I deeply regret the embarrassment I have caused my family and the people of the 25th District by this incident. I want to assure my constituents that I have received no special considerations, nor do I expect to be treated any differently than any other citizen in my situation

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Politics

Powell Warns Republicans – Your Voter Suppression Laws Will Backfire

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday predicted that Republican attempts to pass voter ID laws would “backfire” by energizing minorities to vote them out of office.

Powell took aim at efforts on the state legislature level to require that people show photo identification to vote.

“These kinds of procedures that are being put in place to slow the process down and make it likely that fewer Hispanics and African Americans might vote I think are going to backfire, because these people are going to come out and do what they have to to vote, and I encourage that,” Powell said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Following the Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, Republicans in states like Texas and North Carolina are advancing legislation that would require voters to show photo ID at the polls.

“They claim that there’s widespread abuse and voter fraud, but nothing substantiates that,” Powell said. “There isn’t widespread abuse.”

A Republican who has been increasingly critical of his party in recent years, Powell endorsed President Obama in both 2008 and 2012.

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Politics trayvon martin

Unlike The Average Republican, Colin Powell Calls Zimmerman’s Verdict “Questionable”

Why Colin Powell still label himself a Republican is beyond my understanding. In yet another vast contrast between him and his party, Powell is siding with the majority of sensible Americans, calling out the injustice of the George Zimmerman verdict.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says the jury verdict that freed the killer of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was “questionable.” But he isn’t sure it will have staying power in the public consciousness.

Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Powell said cases like Martin’s “blaze across the midnight sky” and are forgotten.

The first black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and first black secretary of state, Powell says America has come a long way toward racial equality 50 years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Powell recalled being refused service when trying to buy a hamburger before the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Minorities have many more opportunities today, but Powell says King would still demand work on education, housing and economic opportunities.

And amazingly, it is his party, the Republicans, who are working their hardest to deny minorities education, housing and economic opportunities.

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