Some Thoughts on the Hillary-Obama Debate

CLEVELAND -- Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama clashed over trade, health care and the war in Iraq Tuesday night in a crackling debate at close quarters one week before a pivotal group of primaries. Charges of negative campaign tactics were high on the program, too.

"Senator Obama has consistently said I would force people to have health care whether they can afford it or not," said Clinton, insisting it was not true.

Responding quickly, Obama countered that former first lady had consistently claimed his plan "would leave 15 million people out ... I dispute that. I think it is inaccurate," he said.

The tone was polite yet pointed, increasingly so as the 90-minute session wore on, a reflection of the stakes in a race in which Obama has won 11 straight primaries and caucuses and Clinton is in desperate need of a comeback.

Clinton also said as far as she knew her campaign had nothing to do with circulating a photograph of Obama wearing a white turban and a wraparound white robe presented to him by elders in Wajir, in northeastern Kenya.

The gossip and news Web site The Drudge Report posted the photograph Monday and said, without substantiation, that it was being circulated by "Clinton staffers."

The Drudge Report is a "gossip and news Web site."

It's funny the way the AP feels the need to get in that swipe.

"We have no evidence where it came from," Clinton said, making clear that's not the kind of behavior she wants in her campaign.

"I take Senator Clinton at her word that she knew nothing about the photo," Obama said.

...Obama also sought to distance himself from an endorsement from Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, the controversial Chicago-based minister who has made numerous anti-Semitic comments in the past.

Obama said he hadn't sought the endorsement, and that he had denounced the remarks.

Clinton interjected at one point, saying that in her initial Senate campaign in New York in 2000, she was supported by a group with virulent anti-Semitic views.

"I rejected it, and said it would not be anything I would be comfortable with." She said rejecting support was different from denouncing it, an obvious jab at Obama.

He responded by saying he didn't see the difference, since Farrakhan hadn't done anything except declare his support. But given Clinton's comments, he said, "I happily concede the point and I would reject and denounce."

The audience applauded at that.

Yes, that's right. The audience loves Obama and so does the Associated Press. So does Tim Russert and so does Brian Williams.

Early in the debate, Hillary claimed that she wasn't being treated fairly by the moderators.

Transcript:

MR. WILLIAMS: I -- well, here's another important topic, and that's NAFTA, especially where we're sitting here tonight. And this is a tough one depending on who you ask. The Houston Chronicle has called it a big win for Texas, but Ohio Democratic Senator Brown, your colleague in the Senate, has called it a job-killing trade agreement. Senator Clinton, you've campaigned in south Texas. You've campaigned here in Ohio. Who's right?

SEN. CLINTON: Well, can I just point out that in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time. And I don't mind. I -- you know, I'll be happy to field them, but I do find it curious, and if anybody saw "Saturday Night Live," you know, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow. (Laughter, boos.) I just find it kind of curious that I keep getting the first question on all of these issues. But I'm happy to answer it.

I knew Hillary would work last weekend's opening SNL skit into the debate somehow.

Too bad she didn't mention Tina Fey's "bitch is the new black" line.

That would have caused a few sparks to fly.

Hillary was rather restrained, almost too restrained given what she has on the line. She needed to do more than not make any mistakes. She needed to wipe the floor with Obama. She didn't.

Again, Obama was spewing his talking points about his "ethics package."

Whenever Obama says anything about ethics it drives me nuts.

What about TONY REZKO?

When will the mainstream media quit giving Obama a free pass on his shady dealings?

It really bugs me. Hillary shut up about him after that picture of her, Bill, and Rezko surfaced.

Then when Tim Russert quizzed Hillary on Putin's successor, it really ticked me off.

RUSSERT: What can you tell me about the man who's going to be Mr. Putin's successor?

CLINTON: Well, I can tell you that he's a hand-picked successor, that he is someone who is obviously being installed by Putin, who Putin can control, who has very little independence, the best we know. You know, there's a lot of information still to be acquired. That the so-called opposition was basically run out of the political opportunity to wage a campaign against Putin's hand-picked successor, and the so-called leading opposition figure spends most of his time praising Putin. So this is a clever but transparent way for Putin to hold on to power, and it raises serious issues about how we're going to deal with Russia going forward.

I have been very critical of the Bush administration for what I believe to have been an incoherent policy toward Russia. And with the reassertion of Russia's role in Europe, with some of the mischief that they seem to be causing in supporting Iran's nuclear ambitions, for example, it's imperative that we begin to have a more realistic and effective strategy toward Russia. But I have no doubt, as president, even though technically the meetings may be with the man who is labeled as president, the decisions will be made by Putin.

RUSSERT: Who will it be? Do you know his name?

CLINTON: Medvedev -- whatever.

RUSSERT: Yes.

CLINTON: Yes.

Russert didn't play his gotcha game with Obama.

"Who will it be? Do you know his name?"

Russert treats Hillary like she's a Republican.

There's obviously still bad blood between them.

Another thing I didn't like was hearing Obama talk about Terri Schiavo.

RUSSERT: Senator Obama, any statements or vote you'd like to take back?

OBAMA: Well, you know, when I first arrived in the Senate that first year, we had a situation surrounding Terri Schiavo. And I remember how we adjourned with a unanimous agreement that eventually allowed Congress to interject itself into that decisionmaking process of the families.

It wasn't something I was comfortable with, but it was not something that I stood on the floor and stopped. And I think that was a mistake, and I think the American people understood that that was a mistake. And as a constitutional law professor, I knew better.

And so that's an example I think of where inaction...

RUSSERT: This is the young woman with the feeding tube...

OBAMA: That's exactly right.

RUSSERT: ... and the family disagreed as to whether it should be removed or not.

OBAMA: And I think that's an example of inaction, and sometimes that can be as costly as action.

And Obama says he's the guy who can bring the nation together.

Apparently, his unity plan doesn't include people who believe in the sanctity of life.

Summary:

The country is screwed.

Barack Obama and Louis Farrakhan

UPDATE, October 13, 2008: Louis Farrakhan calls Barack Obama "the Messiah."

"You are the instruments that God is gonna use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth. And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn’t care anything about. That’s a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking."

_______________

Louis Farrakhan loves Barack Obama.

He considers Obama to be a savior, literally.

The 74-year-old Farrakhan, addressing an estimated crowd of 20,000 people at the annual Saviours' Day celebration, never outrightly endorsed Obama but spent most of the nearly two-hour speech praising the Illinois senator.

"This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better," he said. "This young man is capturing audiences of black and brown and red and yellow. If you look at Barack Obama's audiences and look at the effect of his words, those people are being transformed."

Farrakhan compared Obama to the religion's founder, Fard Muhammad, who also had a white mother and black father.

"A black man with a white mother became a savior to us," he told the crowd of mostly followers. "A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall."

Will Obama brag about Farrakhan's support?

Will he list Farrakhan on his website as a supporter?

No.

Said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton: "Sen. Obama has been clear in his objections to Minister Farrakhan's past pronouncements and has not solicited the minister's support."

Obama has distanced himself from Farrakhan in the past.

Posted by Shailagh Murray, on January 15, 2008:

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign moved quickly today to quell another race-related flap, this one involving Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan.

Columnist Richard Cohen stirred the pot this morning in an op-ed column in The Washington Post, writing:

Barack Obama is a member of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Its minister, and Obama's spiritual adviser, is the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In 1982, the church launched Trumpet Newsmagazine; Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor. Every year, the magazine makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said "truly epitomized greatness." That man is Louis Farrakhan.

Cohen chronicled Farrakhan's long record of inflammatory statements, from denigrating the Holocaust, to accusing Jewish people of victimizing African Americans. He did stipulate, "It's important to state right off that nothing in Obama's record suggests he harbors anti-Semitic views or agrees with Wright when it comes to Farrakhan." But, he suggested, "Farrakhan, in a strictly political sense, may be a tough issue for him."

The column spread like wildfire around the blogosphere -- especially on the right -- and, this afternoon, the Obama campaign responded with an unequivocal statement on it from the candidate himself.

"I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan," Obama said in the statement. "I assume that Trumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree."

Poor Obama.

He doesn't need Farrakhan's praise. That's no boost for him.

It's much more problematic than a photo of Obama dressed as a Somali Elder.



"America must be burned! America is no good at all. "

--LOUIS FARRAKHAN

RAPE, MURDER, CANNIBALISM

Oct. 24: A man walks past the Sloppy Joe's Bar on a flooded Duval Street in downtown Key West, Fla.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Hurricane Wilma left a wide, messy swath of damage Monday as it sped across Florida with winds of more than 100 mph, shattering skyscraper windows, peeling off roofs and knocking out power to more than 6 million people from Key West to Daytona Beach.

State and local officials blamed at least five deaths on Wilma and insured damages were estimated in the billions.

Even storm-savvy Floridians found Wilma fearsome as it sliced through the middle of heavily populated South Florida. It was the worst hurricane to hit the Fort Lauderdale area since King in 1950, officials said.

The Category 3 hurricane littered the landscape with damaged signs, awnings, fences, billboards, roof tiles, pool screens, street lights and electrical lines. Felled trees dotted even expressways.

More than one-third of Key West flooded, cutting off the island, and there was scattered floodwater elsewhere.

In Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Miami Beach, high-rises had countless windows blown out. The Broward County Courthouse and the 14-story school board office complex looked like bombed-out buildings.

The damage from Hurricane Wilma is incredibly widespread, from Key West all the way up to Daytona. The extent of the death and devastation caused by the 2005 hurricane season is truly heartbreaking.

So many lives have been turned upside down by the storms. I sincerely pray that the victims find healing, comfort, and strength.

I am wondering when the media will report about the "toxic stew" flooding the streets, making much of Florida uninhabitable for at least six months.

When will the media report on the anarchy? Six million people without power and losses in the billions of dollars are sure to throw victims into a state of desperation.

I did see a report about a handful of looters.

I wonder when reports on all the rapes and murders will start coming in. And the cannibalism--when will the reports about cannibalism begin?

I hope Oprah shows up soon.

I noticed that the AP report says that the "Broward County Courthouse and the 14-story school board office complex looked like bombed-out buildings."

Bombed-out???

Did the U.S. government intentionally destroy those buildings? We know the government was behind the destruction of the levees in New Orleans. Well, we don't really know, but Louis Farrakhan has good reason to suspect that's what happened and he keeps promoting the theory.

Maybe the destruction all gets back to Bush being really cranky about the Rove thing and the DeLay thing and the Miers thing and the Republican "Culture of Corruption" thing. Maybe that's why Bush caused so much damage in Florida.

Maybe the President finally decided to take revenge on Florida for the 2000 election mess. Given that brother Jeb is the governor of the state, I don't know if that theory holds water.

Why would Bush put Florida in the crosshairs?

Are there a lot of blacks in the hurricane battered area? He doesn't care about black people. Kanye West said so.

Maybe the President targeted Florida as part of a vast conspiracy. Maybe George wanted to give Jeb an opportunity to look really good handling a crisis successfully, unlike the disastrous job done by Louisiana's Governor Blanco. It could all be part of a scheme to eventually get Jeb to be president. I hope the Dems hold hearings on this. Perhaps a special prosecutor should be assigned to investigate.

Whatever the REAL explanation is for the hurricane damage, Bush should be impeached.

Overall, I think the mainstream media have done a terrible job reporting on Wilma.

No rape.

No murder.

No cannibalism.

No Oprah.

The man in the photo is walking in ankle-deep water. Shouldn't Michelle Kosinski be down there paddling a canoe?

The media have really dropped the ball.

Al Jazeera Pounces on Farrakhan's Event

It comes as no surprise that Al Jazeera would highlight dissension among Americans.

That "news" outlet, much like the U.S. mainstream media, loves to point out Americans criticizing America. For instance, this past summer, Senator Dick Durbin became the darling of Al Jazeera when he likened the detention center at Guantanamo Bay to Soviet gulags.

Under the caption, "African-Americans protest inequality," Al Jazeera provides an eight image photo gallery.

















In sum, Al Jazeera underscores that America is bad.

Anti-Americanism is good.

I don't mean to suggest that the entire gathering was necessarily anti-American.

Some positive messages were relayed. Hopefully, the event may spur some people to organize to assist others in taking responsibility for themselves and energizing their communities.

What about all the irresponsible comments made by leaders addressing the crowd?

I couldn't find anything on Al Jazeera's site referring to the wackiness and the goofy conspiracy theories spewed by some of the speakers at Saturday's Millions More Movement.

I suppose Al Jazeera, the media outlet recommended by 4 out of 5 terrorists, can't be expected to provide a balanced account of what went on at the event.

Disturbingly, all-American network ABC ignored some of the more off the wall rhetoric coming from African-American leaders, too.

This Week with George Stephanopolous reported on the Millions More Movement, but not a word about the claims reiterated from the podium that levees in New Orleans were sabotaged by the U.S. government was mentioned.

As part of the "Voices" segment, Russell Simmons was given the spotlight.

Ten years after the Million Man March, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons helped organize the sequel. The Millions More Movement filled the National Mall Saturday. The message: Change is coming.

Russell Simmons: America has to be equipped for the fact that it will one day be a minority country, very soon. It's moving toward where the people have to learn to love and appreciate each other. But the good news is that young people are not accepting their parents' ideas.

The Millions More Movement is going to be an amazing, amazing movement.

Certainly, I can say that that first Million Man March changed my life. We learned about how we can help others uplift those who are in struggle. And that brings you up, right?

To have people go back and join their church or synagogue or mosque and commit, you know, again — or recommit to their purpose, which is moving toward God. These kinds of things [have] tremendous benefits.

We have to wage a real war on poverty and ignorance. When the people speak up, the politicians work for the people. And so I think the message is that poor people are coming together and that they may become a power that you have to deal with. They may vote in a bloc. They may recognize their similarity instead of, you know … . Race used to be a way, a good way, to divide the poor or divide people.

If it's God's work and it's the right thing to do, and the number of people, if it's a couple hundred thousand or a million, it's still an inspiring day, it's still a call to action, it's still a success story — at least in my eyes."

As I've said before, a lot of good could come from the Millions More Movement.

However, since Louis Farrakhan, Malik Zulu Shabazz, Al Sharpton and others chose to speak in misleading terms with the potential to divide and cause unrest, the opportunity for Saturday's gathering to be part of a positive movement to address the real problems in the country was lost.

What a waste!

Millions (Thousands) More Movement

What is the Millions More Movement?

Summary

According to the Million Man March 10th Anniversary Statement, delivered by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the movement intends "to mobilize and organize our people nationally, and, put systems in place that will permit a successful programmatic thrust to bring to fruition what we envision for ourselves and our people."




Thousands gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., October 15, 2005, to take part in the Millions More Movement, marking the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March.



National President of the New Black Panther Party Malik Shabazz raises his fist as he walks with his members at the Millions More Movement.



People cheer during activities on the National Mall for the Millions More Movement in Washington.


The crowd on Saturday was significantly smaller than the hundreds of thousands that attended the Million Man March in 1995. Authorities estimated that 100,000 people gathered for the anniversary event.

From the Washington Post:

As opposed to the 1995 event, the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women and the Urban League supported this gathering. Speaker Kweisi Mfume, former chairman of the NAACP and a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Maryland, said yesterday that "we understand that any bigotry is bad. We also understand that the time for action is now."

The day was not without dissension. A rift widened between march organizers and members of the gay community. One gay group said it had been promised a coveted speaking slot but was not allowed to speak, and a ruckus resulted in the VIP section where speakers assembled.

A constant of the day was criticism of the Bush administration -- from leaders and from crowd members who held signs that said, "Bush Lied, People Died" and charged that the government is insensitive to the needs of black people. Hurricane Katrina, in particular, drew concern from several black leaders, who contended that the federal response to the disaster would have been quicker if most of the residents waiting to be rescued in New Orleans had been white instead of black.

Farrakhan reiterated questions about whether the government was culpable in the breaching of the levees that flooded 80 percent of New Orleans.

"We charge America with criminal neglect," said Farrakhan, adding that lawyers need to look into filing a "class action suit on behalf of those who have suffered." He also said that as the Iraqi people went to the polls to vote on a new constitution, there should be "regime change" in the United States for lying about the reason for going to war.

Earlier in the day, Malik Zulu Shabazz, chairman of the New Black Panther Party, accused President Bush of "drowning the people of New Orleans and sabotaging the levees" and said that "the real gangsters operate out of CIA headquarters." His comments drew rousing applause.

Speeches and music started about 5:30 a.m. and continued throughout the day. The crowd, initially sparse, grew as the event went on.

From the Associated Press:

Americans frustrated by the slow response to victims of Hurricane Katrina should channel their energy to changing their communities, Jesse Jackson told thousands gathered Saturday for the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March.

"We need millions more to act and react to what we saw in the gulf," the civil rights leader said. "Images were burned into our consciousness."

...Dozens of speakers _ academics, activists and media pundits _ took the microphone at the National Mall for a few minutes each. A speaker from a black gay group, added to the roster at the last minute, also spoke.

...The Rev. Al Sharpton, a former presidential candidate, criticized President Bush for the war in Iraq and the response to the devastation of Katrina.

"Broken levees are weapons of mass destruction," Sharpton said.

..Jackson, the president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, told the crowd Saturday that "a barge in the canal hit the levee and the waters came rushing in," but he did not elaborate on whether he believed this may have been deliberate.

The idea of taking responsibility and working together to better conditions for the poor and suffering is a noble one. I support that whole-heartedly.

With hard work and determination, opportunities for achievement are limitless. The mindset that it's possible to accomplish great things and realize one's goals if one strives to attain them is the foundation of America--the Land of Opportunity.

To the extent that the Millions More Movement promotes the idea of personal responsibility and self-determination, I think it has the potential to do positive things and to be empowering.

Unfortunately, the agenda pushed by many of the major speakers and members of the crowd was far from positive.

The rhetoric of some of the African American leaders was irresponsible and reckless. Their race-baiting was shameless.

Is that what the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women and the Urban League are about?

These groups had no problem being associated with Malik Zulu Shabazz, a man who accused Bush of "drowning the people of New Orleans and sabotaging the levees."

These groups stood shoulder to shoulder with Louis Farrakhan. He said at the event that America needed to be charged with "criminal neglect," and he suggested filing a class action suit.

Farrakhan and Shabazz continue to suggest that the levees in New Orleans were intentionally damaged by the U.S. government. They depict the Bush administration as a murderous regime, the enemy of African Americans.

Al Sharpton's imagery of the levees being "weapons of mass destruction" alludes to the same sinister claims.

That is absolutely disgusting.

Judging from what the speakers at the event had to say, the Millions More Movement is founded on lies. Its message is negative, divisive and dangerous.

Sharpton had the audacity to draw parallels between the 1963 March on Washington and the Millions More Movement. When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, over forty years ago, his message reverberated throughout the nation because he tapped into the better nature of people.

Obviously, at least some of the speakers at Saturday's event didn't hesitate to disgrace the memory of Dr. King by rejecting his example and choosing to propagate hate.

Something tells me Louis Farrakhan's birthday will never be observed as a national holiday.

Farrakhan and Shabazz: Propagators of Hate

Louis Farrakhan

Louis Farrakhan has received a lot of attention in recent days for his Hurricane Katrina conspiracy theory.

Farrakhan said:

"I heard from a very reliable source who saw a 25 foot deep crater under the levee breach. It may have been blown up to destroy the black part of town and keep the white part dry."

Yesterday, one of Farrakhan's followers was keeping the insanity alive. Malik Zulu Shabazz, national chairman of the New Black Panther Party (NBPP), was defending Farrakhan's remarks.


Malik Zulu Shabazz

In an interview with Sean Hannity, Shabazz said he believes that the U.S. government was behind the plot to blow a hole in the levee to flood black neighborhoods in New Orleans. Although he would not directly link President Bush to the plan by accusing the President of giving the order for the explosion, Shabazz insisted that it was an action by the U.S. government that caused the flooding devastation.

Conspiracy theories are nothing new to Farrakhan and Shabazz.

The Anti-Defamation League noted in 2001:

Several American Muslim clerics and the extreme anti-Semitic and racist New Black Panther Party (NBPP) blamed Jews and Israel for the September 11 terrorist attacks during a news conference at the National Press Club. The three-hour event on October 31, 2001 was televised live on C-SPAN2 to a national audience.

Malik Zulu Shabazz, national chairman of the NBPP, which co-sponsored the meeting with an apparent ad hoc coalition of some American Muslim organizations, described as "Muslims for Truth and Justice," called the United States and Israel, "The number one and two terrorists right now on the planet."

Shabazz, who has a long record of anti-Semitism, also said "Zionism is racism, Zionism is terrorism, Zionism is colonialism, Zionism is Imperialism, and support for Zionism is the root of why so many were killed on September 11.

"We have to make it plain that Zionists control America, lock, stock and barrel," Shabazz said. "The European Jews have America under control, lock stock and barrel, the media, foreign policy."

Amir Muhammad, national assistant to the NBPP, made reference to one myth about the attacks on the World Trade Center that claims that a number of Jews were forewarned of the disaster. "There are reports that as many as 3,000 to 5,000 so-called Jews did not go to that day, and we need to take a serious look at that," Muhammad said.

Other speakers echoed Shabazz's statements on the U.S. and Israel.

Given that these racists blamed the 9/11 attacks on Jews, given the fact that they continue to circulate anti-Semitic, conspiracy theories about 9/11, it's to be expected that Farrakhan and Shabazz would use the catastrophic natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina as a recruiting tool for their movement.

Caleb Corbin has an enlightening opinion piece online. It details the history of anti-Semitism in the U.S. and goes into the roles that Farrakhan and Shabazz have played in pursuing their insidious agenda of hate.

Corbin writes:

The shores of the United States have been a historical anomaly for the Jewish people. America is one of only a handful of nations on earth in which Jews have been accepted as equals, and accorded all of the rights, privileges and freedoms of her citizens.

...But despite America's pure foundations, the disease of anti-Semitism has surfaced from time to time throughout our history.

He cites a number of examples when anti-Semitism reared its ugly head in the past.

Corbin then discusses modern day problems. He sees militant Islam as a major culprit in spreading the anti-Semitic message.

Militant Islam is rapidly spreading its tentacles across America. One of the few Islamic moderates in this country, Muhammad Hisham Kabbani of the Islamic Supreme Council of America, estimated that "extremists" have taken over 80% of the mosques in the US. These extremists are working single-mindedly to turn America into an Islamic state, with the Koran as its foundation.

The campaign is being coordinated by both foreign and domestic elements. It is no coincidence that Libyan strongman Moammar Gaddafi pledged to Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam, an American militant Black Islamic group, one billion dollars in aid and support. Also, the Saudis are bankrolling the construction and staffing of dozens of mosques throughout the US. These mosques are exclusively propagating the militant Wahabbi form of Islam, the very religion which inspired the 9/11 attacks.

The campaign is not limited to mosques. It also includes Islamic community centers, newspapers, schools, youth groups, political organizations, professional associations and business activities - all involved in recruiting, training, supporting and coordinating its members.

Substantial segments within the Black American community are converting to militant Islam or have fallen under its influence. This is creating a real and present danger to American Jews. In late August, Los Angeles police discovered a major terror plot by three Black Islamic Americans affiliated with the Jamat-E-Masjidul Islam mosque. A list was found in their possession containing the addresses of several Los Angeles synagogues and the Israeli consulate. Police speculate the men were part of a network planning to attack these targets during the upcoming Jewish High Holy Days.

One week later, possibly in response to the arrests, the Nation of Islam called for a "jihad" against the Los Angeles Police Department.

Gravely, militant Islam has entered into and is directing much of mainstream Black America. The Millions More March (MMM) on Washington DC, scheduled for October 14-16 of this year, was created by Farrakhan to further the Black militant's agenda. Farrakhan appointed Malik Zulu Shabazz, the virulent anti-Semitic leader of the New Black Panther Party, as co-organizer of the event. Among many other anti-Semitic diatribes, Shabazz claims it was the Jews who enslaved Blacks and brought them to America. He also asserts the "Zionists control America, lock, stock and barrel."

Farrakhan and Shabazz have successfully courted and enlisted several mainstream Black organizations and political groups in the MMM campaign, including the 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP, National Council of Negro Women, National Progressive Baptist Convention, National Urban Coalition, Black Entertainment Television, the African American Leadership Institute, Rainbow PUSH Coalition and dozens of others.

Why are these mainstream black groups on board with these propagators of hate?

Where are responsible black leaders?

If they are condemning the disgusting, reckless remarks of Farrakhan and Shabazz regarding the flooding of New Orleans, then I've missed it.

Are we to assume that the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus, Elijah Cummings, and Barack Obama are on the same page as Farrakhan and Shabazz?

Do they believe that the U.S. government blew a hole in the 17th Street levee to destroy black neighborhoods?

I'm not aware of any press conferences or TV appearances or press releases scheduled by black leaders to counter the race-baiting, damaging comments of Farrakhan and Shabazz.

Where's Oprah? Does the billionairess want to weigh in on the conspiracy theory? Does she buy into it?

Their silence on this is troubling to say the least.

They need to condemn Farrakhan and Shabazz, loudly and clearly and immediately.

There is no question that Farrakhan and Shabazz are working to divide America. Their activities have the potential to incite violence; yet I'm not aware of any prominent black leaders calling them out for their shameful tactics.

Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that, in terms of anti-Semitism, the "Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan" and the New Black Panther Party's leader Malik Zulu Shabazz are echoing the philosophy of the Ku Klux Klan?

Louis Farrakhan and Pat Robertson

At a Charlotte, North Carolina, event to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, Louis Farrakhan revealed the truth about the flooding in New Orleans.

It wasn't the result of a lack of federal funding to shore up the levees. It wasn't the evil Bush administration's failure to sign the Kyoto Protocol or to insist on mandatory CO2 caps.

FARRAKHAN SUGGESTS THAT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION PLANTED BOMBS TO BLOW HOLES IN THE LEVEES IN ORDER TO TARGET POOR BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS FOR DESTRUCTION.

Captainsquartersblog.com quotes Farrakhan:

"I heard from a very reliable source who saw a 25 foot deep crater under the levee breach. It may have been blown up to destroy the black part of town and keep the white part dry."

Remember when the press and the Dems demanded that the White House distance itself from Pat Robertson's remarks about assassinating Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez?

Where is the press clamoring for the Democrats to apologize for Farrakhan's comments?

Jesse Jackson ran down to Venezuela to address its National Assembly and condemned the U.S. government for Robertson's idiotic statement.

He called for President Bush to give "a swift rejection" of Robertson's idea.

"It must be unequivocally clear that such a heinous act is not desirable nor designed nor planned. We must use power to reduce tensions, reduce the rhetoric of our threats," Jackson said.

Jackson went on, "It was such a repugnant, immoral, illegal statement."

Although I had a problem with Jesse Jackson issuing orders to the President, and particularly because he was on foreign soil at the time, I agreed with Jackson's condemnation of Robertson's comments.

I found Robertson's statement calling for the assassination of Hugo Chavez to be repugnant and immoral. However, I did not find it necessary for Bush to answer for the ramblings of Robertson.

But, since Jackson believes that the administration is responsible for the remarks of a private citizen, I would assume that Jackson also believes the Democrats should be held accountable for Farrakhan's offensive statements.

Surely, Jackson must see the need for the Democratic Party to be unequivocally clear in its rejection of Farrakhan's comments.

Democrats must be held responsible for what Farrakhan said. The press should demand that they explain where they stand on his suggestion that the U.S. government could be behind such a heinous act as intentionally blowing up the levees to damage black areas of New Orleans.

Do the Dems buy into Farrakhan's theory?

In Venezuela, Jackson said, "We must use power to reduce tensions."

OK, let's hear it.

Let's hear black leaders, in the public and private sectors, condemn Farrahkan for his theory that the Bush administration wanted to cause flooding to make blacks in New Orleans suffer.

Since Bush and Rumsfeld and the Republican Party had to apologize and distance themselves from Robertson, I think it's consistent to expect apologies from the Democrats for Farrakhan's hateful, race-baiting theory.

Jackson should follow his own advice when it comes to reducing tensions and get in front of a camera and condemn Farrahkan, unequivocally.

He should, but he won't.