Obama's Great Luck

" "I know that some in the party have differences with Joe," Senator Obama said, all but silencing the crowd. "I'm going to go ahead and say it. It's the elephant in the room. And Joe and I don't agree on everything. But what I know is, Joe Lieberman's a man with a good heart, with a keen intellect, who cares about the working families of America."

Then, with applause beginning to build, he finished the thought: "I am absolutely certain that Connecticut's going to have the good sense to send Joe Lieberman back to the United States Senate." That time, people cheered loudly."

I have no particular view on the substance (I don't know much about Sharpton), but I have to say that post made me laugh.

Wow Joe,

this is beyond the pale even for you. Why shouldn't Obama have to justify his support for the Bush-enabling and War-enabling and Democratic basher Joe Lieberman (I, CT)?

OF course, you and Joe are peas in a pod with your sanctimonious and condescending holier than thou clap-trap, so this post is only mildly surprising.

""I'm not going to be cajoled or intimidated by any candidate," said Sharpton, a New Yorker who ran for president in 2004.

Sharpton went on to criticize Obama on other issues, including his relationship with Sen. Joe Lieberman, who's controversial within the Democratic Party.

"Senator Obama and I agree that the war is wrong, but then I want to know why he went to Connecticut and helped Lieberman, the biggest supporter of the war," Sharpton told TV.

Obama's camp wouldn't answer the charges. The TV report said that Sharpton was responding to a published story claiming he was undermining Obama."

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/294494,CST-NWS-obama13.article

What's the reportorial evidence for Sharpton's "obvious" aggrievement?

Further, the whole controversy got started when the NY Post ran an anonymous quote from a "black activist" saying that Sharpton was jealous of Obama.

Given the Post's reputation for conscientious and fair reporting, anyone want to bet that the "black democratic activist" was an Obama supporter?

I think we know who is actually playing the race card here.

Not to mention the fact that Shaprton is criticizing Obama for his position on Lieberman, which was (on paper) exactly the same as Hillary Clinton's; and Michelle Obama didn't make a trip to CT to pull Lieberman's a/ss out of the fire right before the primary.

You really really REALLY hate primary elections, don't you Joe?

Nice way to bring this blog back around to more relevant topics.
Will your next post be about disco?

What did Sharpton mean by "cajoled" and "intimidated?" Is someone putting pressure on him, or was he exaggerating?

Subtitled, "Remember me, I may not be clean and articulate but ..." Except who could really say that Al is not articulate or clean, but he seems to be in the neglected 'sandwich generation'. Caught between the stars (MLK and Rosa, etc.) and the Obamas, he's feeling 'overlooked'. Maybe we could encourage him to be the 'bridge' over troubled waters. Which brings us back to Selma and Obama saying that 'he stood on their shoulders' and had 'a responsibility'.

While Time Magazine's professional concern troll concentrates on hyping an Al Sharpton snit he couldn't be bothered to delve deeply into (because, of course, when you need to understand the dynamics of the African-American community you naturally go to expert on the dynamics of black American politics Joe Klein) here is all you have to do when your conventional wisdom shaped dismissal of an important story due to bloggers leading the charge is laid bare as wankery:

Where Credit Is Due
Posted by Jay Carney | Comments (163) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

Twelve days ago, after David Iglesias went public, I said that if there turned out to be a broad conspiracy behind the firing of the U.S. Attorneys, "I will take my hat off to Marshall and others in the blogosphere and congratulate them for having been right in their suspicions about this story from the beginning."

My hat is off. Josh Marshall at TalkingPointsMemo and everyone else out there whose instincts told them there was something deeply wrong and even sinister about the firings, and who dug around and kept writing about them while Iglesias decided whether to talk to the press or go quietly on to his next job, deserve tremendous credit.

When this story first surfaced, I thought the Bush White House and Justice Department were guilty of poorly executed acts of crass political patronage. I called some Democrats on the Hill; they were "concerned", but this was not a priority. The blogosphere was the engine on this story, pulling the Hill and the MSM along. As the document dump proves, what happened was much worse than I'd first thought. I was wrong. Very nice work, and thanks for holding my feet to the fire.

That's called owning up to a mistake and giving credit where credit is due. Without qualifiers or sarcastic snarls and clothes tearing self-martyrdom. That's all it takes.

Want to shut Atrios up? Fine. Toss out a single one of those above when Atrios is right and he loses the ability to dismiss you as a wanker. Because you won't be a wanker anymore.

And the idea that the rightwing New York Post ran this to do anything but start an entertaining war of words between two black politicians it loathes is utterly laughable. Oh, wait. That angle has no use to a concern troll enjoying the hard right gaming up a piefight for the amusement of the chattering classes in DC.

And 'Sista Soulja' was in 1992. It's now 2007. I realize that you don't pay enough attention to black people (unless they do something that amuses you so you can use it to reinforce a frame you are trying to toss out) to have come up with a new and different term for demonizing black people who hold unpopular or controversial views to make suburban whites feel better about somebody being 'tough'.

Sistah Soulja had no more power over the American discourse in 1992 than Ward Churchill did in 2005. It was puffing up an obscure figure to look tough by knocking over a paper tiger.

And focusing on Al Sharpton instead of the AG of the country at a moment like this is sick.

Thats wankery too.

It looks like Obama's opposition to Iraq is about the same as Klein's.

Mike Stark,
Don't you have a cause that you can go take credit for?

Joe,
If you want to sneer publicly at Al Sharpton, don't hide behind Obama to do it.

"Before Barack Obama was a United States senator and a presidential hopeful, he was a Harvard University law student living in Somerville who parked in bus stops and accumulated hundreds of dollars in parking tickets. And for nearly two decades those parking tickets went unpaid, until a representative of Obama’s settled all his outstanding debts with Cambridge’s Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department Jan. 26.
Obama attended Harvard Law School from 1988 to 1991. During his time at Harvard, Obama lived at 365 Broadway in Somerville, according to his parking tickets. Records from the Cambridge Traffic, Parking and Transportation office show that between Oct. 5, 1988 and Jan. 12, 1990 Obama was cited for 17 traffic violations, sometimes committing two in the same day. The abuses included parking in a resident permit area, parking in a bus stop and failing to pay the meter. Twelve of Obama’s 17 tickets were given to him on Massachusetts Avenue."

Maybe Obama thinks he is entitled to the African/American vote, big Joe Lieberman supporter or not.

Obama has to explain his support of Lieberman to a wide range of voters given Joe L's support of the war in Iraq. I don't see anything that Lieberman has done post-election that rates as a plus for Democrats/Blacks/Liberals etc. What did Lieberman do that gained Obama's support? That question needs to be answered.
Now on to your descriptions of Sharpton as a race-hustling phony and Maxine Waters as an embarassment on Fox News Sunday. Is Dobson, who interviewed Gingrich on his radio program a Christianity--hustling phony? Is GW Bush an embarassment whenever he talks without cue cards? It does seem that Sharpton and Waters generate a great deal of venom from you. Sharpton states his opinions frankly. Waters gave a credible answer to the Anbar province question. I think you consider both Sharpton and Waters leftie commies not worthy of serious discussion because of their political views. As one blogger pointed out, Waters gave a better answer than Biden would have on the Anbar question. Sharpton's question regarding Lieberman does require an answer. Don't let your hatred of a political view allow you to overlook the quality of their statements.
There is a Presidential candidate's conference being set up by Tavis Smiley. If Obama hasn't clearly addressed the issue by then, hopefully Mr Smiley will repeat the question. Perhaps Mr Smiley is more acceptable as a questioner.

I'm too busy trying to get over Joke Line's "there's literally nothing we can do in Iraq" post to get all excited about the '08 primaries...

Not that one could tell from the way you pulled Sharpton's quote out of context, but that question wasn't directed at Obama. Obama has nothing to do with this. I don't understand why you're trying to play them against each other.

Good point, rmrd0000:

Why do we so seldom see this "crabs-in-a-bucket" metaphor applied to Christian extremists?

Who does Klein hate more Blacks, or the Left?

Maybe Smiley can ask all the candidates who travelled to CT (or tried to, what with Joe Biden missing his train) to endorse Lieberman whether, had they known then what they know now, they would have done so?

Someone needs to count the number of times so-called "Left wing Extremists" have been attacked on this Blog versus "Right-wing Extremists?

We need a matrix.

We have have to start a separate count for Black Left wing extremists.

Total scum interview is now being done by Wolf (did he just come from AIPAC) live with Edwards. First, it was the Pace 'immoral statement' taken to the CPAC rerun of the Coulter moment. Wolf continued the red meat attack and Edwards was outstanding. He just wouldn't take the bait.

Edwards: Don't ask, don't tell doesn't work and needs to be gone as it is excluding real talent from the military. (avoided all the Wolf landmines and cluster bombs)

On Gonzo, not necessarily illegal but morally wrong and he needs to be gone.

Edwards without qualifiers to be admired. The Press Pusses will never like him.

Boy, does Joe hate "Left Wing Extremists". Right wing extremists, i.e. the people running our government, not so much.

Hating Left wingers gets you a column at Time and on the talk shows. Isn't it funny that you almost never see Paul Krugman invited to go on TV shows even though he was right about everything. Conservative and wrong is better than liberal and right.

I blame the vodka for this post.

Sharpton has issues, but he does press a great point. Obama runs as the anti war from the beginning guy, but he supported Lieberman even after he lost the primary.

It's a fair point that Joe Absolut(ly) ignored.

"but he supported Lieberman even after he lost the primary."

Nope. Didn't do much for Lamont, but he issued a press release in support and wrote him a check for $5,000. Exactly the same as Hillary Clinton.

The sitting Dem Senators who endorsed and campaigned for Lieberman post-primary were: Salazar, Landrieu, Inouye, Pryor, and both Nelsons.

Chris Dodd, John Kerry and Ted Kennedy campaigned with and for the Democratic nominee. Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid and the DSCC pretty much sat on their hands.

Bill Press was just on CNN and refered to Sharpton's Sister Souljah moment.

That sounds familiar.

I thought Sharpton had a good point -- that African-American voters would want to know about Obama's answers to their questions before supporting him. That they wouldn't just mindlessly support him because he's black.

Joe, what in the world is wrong with that?

People like Joe Klein have been trying to get Sharpton to shut up for years, and are thrilled by the idea that Obama may be the vehicle to shut him up. But as long as Sharpton is out in the street standing up for black people (Sean Bell being the latest in a much-too-long line), while the Obama-types try not to offend anyone, he'll have the support of the masses of black people.

Bart suggested counting the number of times so-called "Left Wing Extremists" have been attacked. I lost count of the attacks on The Left, but here's some of the people Joe has personally attacked with his Mighty Blade of Righteous Moderation:

Al Sharpton: "a race-hustling phony"
Reason: Asks too many questions.

Duncan Black: Leftist Extremist (demoted to user of "extremely smug rhetoric")
Reason: Has been mostly correct. Called Joe a wanker.

Noam Chomsky: "America Hater"
No explanation whatsoever.

Markos Moulitsas: "dangerous extremist" "Robespierre"
Reason: Believes in primary elections. No further explanation.

Joe--I could listen to Sharpton talk all day. Why don't you shut up instead? Sharpton speaks for the powerless, not for the overexposed cocktail party chatterers of Washington.

Oh yeah --

John Kerry: effete, awkward, aristocratic Frenchy, Jerk
Reason: false claim that he focus-grouped his Abu Ghraib response

Honey,
I'm gonna give you the same advice I previously gave Carney, but then retracted because he had enough sense to apologize for his earlier mindlessness.

Please quickly pack all your office thingies in a pasteboard box and EXIT the back door quietly.

You have become as OSSIFIED and as IMPOTENT as Broder.

Enjoy your retirement!

Sincerely,

ama

"Bart suggested counting the number of times so-called "Left Wing Extremists" have been attacked. I lost count of the attacks on The Left, but here's some of the people Joe has personally attacked with his Mighty Blade of Righteous"

How many right-wing extremists has Klein attacked?

"How many right-wing extremists has Klein attacked?"

Hah!

Good one.

""How many right-wing extremists has Klein attacked?""

Klein is running at about the same level as the MSM in general, 90% right-wing propaganda, and the rest centrist.

Klein has no principles. I mean that literally.

For example, one might hold the principle that "All politicians or political figures who cynically use racial issues to promote their political fortunes are sleazy and discredited."

If that were one's principle then I would argue that Sharpton's role in the Tawana Brawley incident alone discredits him.

But if that is your principle, then you should apply it to Ronald "Welfare Queen" Reagan and Bill "Sistah Souljah" Clinton, both of whom had no shame about cynically waving racial flags to help their careers.

(Incidentally, one can simultaneously be in favor of welfare reform, as I was, while also finding Reagan's fabricated Welfare Queen anecdotes to be descrediting racial hustling, as I also did.)

Another principle might be to declare that "political figures who interject themselves into local legal controversies, particularly when they don't have a clue about the facts, are sleazy and discredited."

That too would discredit Sharpton for his role in Tawana Brawley. However, it would also discredit 3/4 of the GOP, who lost their minds over Terri Schiavo. It would also discredit George Bush for flying back in the middle of the night to sign legislation, deliberately crafted to interfere with the Florida courts.

Finally, I would bet you dollars to donuts that if there was a black candidate in the race that Klein didn't approve of....say Al Sharpton...that Klein would be the first of many smug, white, "centrist" commentators to defiantly ask "Why shouldn't the black community ask questions? Why should Sharpton assume that Blacks can't think for themselves and that he is entitled to their vote?"

The point isn't that Sharpton isn't a discredited race hustler, because he is. The point is that nearly all politicians are cynically hustling on some issue or another and one can't help but ask why all of Klein's rich, white buddies only find that black politicians and David Duke have acted so beyond the pale as to remove them from participating in the political process.

I guess Klein's support for Obama is because he is half white.

Re: the initial discussion.

Obama praised his mentor. Big sin, apparently. Now compare that with Edwards and Clinton voting to get us into an unnecessary war.

While we aren't going to have a candidate that is as pure as the ideologically driven snow, it is still possible to measure the relative importance of their actions.

I don't think that Al's gotcha matters to anyone except those who were already looking something--anything--to justify their preconceptions.

"it is still possible to measure the relative importance of their actions."

But measuring the importance of their actions requres asking questions....
So maybe you should shut up?

What question? Why did he support Lieberman? Because Lieberman was his mentor. What other question? Did he oppose the war with the total purity of heart and complete congruity of thought and action to suit the most pure and high minded of critics? Don't know, but such a person won't be happy with Edwards of Clinton either, since, after all Obama not only opposed the war at the time when they were supporting it, but his opposition was based on a clear-sighted evaluation of the problems the war was likely to bring.

And, for thhe record, he supported Lamont in the race in exactly the same way as Clinton and in a way comparable to Edwards.

So what other question is there?

How about this one: why is this a big deal?

Does he think all Liberals are traitors like Lieberman too?

Like Anonymous, I was amused by Bill Press' "sister Souljah moment" refernce. Press also mentioned the fact that Sharpton was jealous of Obama. According to Press, Sharpton was thinking of running for President again and feels slighted by Obama's popularity. Supporting data anyone?
Hollywood scriptwriters have nothing on MSM.
BTW the funniest thing about Sista Souljah was that most Black voters not in NYC (or at least on the East Coast) had no clue who she was or the content of her lyrics. It made as much sense as Dan Qualye lashing out at "Murphy Brown" for encouraging unwed Black women to have babies out of wedlock. Most unwed Black women (as well as most of the Black community) wasn't watching "Murphy Brown". Another funny political episode.

The man said, "I'm going to go ahead and say it. It's the elephant in the room. And Joe and I don't agree on everything. But what I know is, Joe Lieberman's a man with a good heart, with a keen intellect, who cares about the working families of America."

Particular phrase worth noting: "And Joe and I don't agree on everything."

Rabidly decrying someone's support of someone they admire and respect is a far cry from making the conclusion that Obama supports Lieberman's Iraq policy.

He likes the man. I shook hands with Joe Lieberman during the '04 primary campaign. I didn't/don't agree with his Iraq policy either, but he's a lot more than that as a Senator. And a helluva guy. It's hard not to like him.

Can we as a nation ever regain that seemingly lost trait of cutting people a little slack now and then? And not looking for a-bombs in every firecracker box?

As far as Al Sharpton: Joe Klein's right. Put a plug in it Al, you look sour grapish.

I like Al Sharpton, I really do. He's smart, an entertaining guy, very funny, but his ego is leaking all over the place on this calling out of the freshman Senator from Illinois.

Obama's the real deal, not for his experience but his "image cred". He's the most exciting political presence, black, white, yellow or green, to come along in a long time. That's what the heat is about in my opinion.

Fighters and strivers like Sharpton know all about heat. They don't like shivering when it's going somewhere else.

"Can we as a nation ever regain that seemingly lost trait of cutting people a little slack now and then? "

The Iraq War and constantly undermining every effort to stop it requires more than 'a little slack', don't you think?

I have no problem not liking Joe Lieberman. In fact, I hate his guts. And Joe Lieberman does not have a 'good heart'. He may well have at one time, but it's been twisted and perverted beyond recognition.

I hate him too. In fact I hate all war mongers and those who call their fellow citizens traitors for not supporting their war-mongering.

Obama's the real deal, not for his experience but his "image cred"

What the hell does that even mean?

Sorry Klein , as a African- American male. I find Sharpton is right on withholding support for Barack Obama until we know where he stands on issues important to African- Americans. we should not support Obama because he is of mixed ancestory. African- Americans are no monolith politically and have opinions that he may be too centrist for the black community, Jews like you think you have the right to criticize Sharpton because you assisted African- Americans in civil rights 50 years ago. Anicent history and it does not mean a damn thing in 2007.In my opinion Jewish- Americans are white nothing more nothing less.

If Obama wants the black vote he should earn it, as far I am concerned his support of Israel on the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians makes him suspect. I think black leaders like Jackson and Sharpton should have have heeded Harold Cruse and developed independent networks and stood up to Jewish writers like you. And Sister Souljah did not play the 'race card'she just stated a point that white lives have more value in this country,and she was right that if a black person spent the day killing whites 38 million African-Americans would be judged for one black man's crime. (like O.J)

It is high time that African- Americans stood up to whites and Jews like you Klein.

James Lawrence, you wrote:

"He [Obama] likes the man. I shook hands with Joe Lieberman during the '04 primary campaign. I didn't/don't agree with his Iraq policy either, but he's a lot more than that as a Senator. And a helluva guy. It's hard not to like him."

--Am I the only one here that is reminded of the whole media meme regarding the characteristics we are supposed to consider when selecting our Presidents? I think it's phrased in terms of "Who would you rather have a beer with?" In fact, it was precisely that kind of BS that was used by the media to sell us George Bush as a "regular, likeable guy" as opposed to that "stiff," "elitist," "wonkish" Al Gore back in 2000. James, thanks for serving as proof that this kind of meme resounds with Americans, you being a prime exemplar of such shallowness and stupidity.

"Can we as a nation ever regain that seemingly lost trait of cutting people a little slack now and then?"

--To which I reply, "No James, we can't. Not when Obama is elected to SERVE the best interests of the United States and lends his support to Joe Lieberman, a man who has immorally and deceitfully supported an unjust and deceitful war that has resulted in the unnecessary SLAUGHTER of tens of thousands of American and Iraqi human beings, and who, by his decietful and self-serving actions, continues to act as an enabler to the war criminals in the White House, and an obstructor of any meaningful change in direction. And the fact that you would treat Lieberman as just a regular, likeable Joe (pardon the pun), who's personal charms forgive the greivous way he has carried out hsi duties as a public servant, tells me all I need to know about your own stupidty and moral bankruptcy.

--You sir, are an idiot. Look up the word "idiot," by the way. It has its roots in the political culture of ancient Athens. If you educate yourself on the word's etymology, you'll find that the word suits you perfectly.

Shorter James Lawrence: "Oodles of personal charm makes all manner of moral evil forgivable."

You sir, are the type of person that con-men and sociopaths, who are often some of the most charming and likable people around, feed upon.

You are a fool.

Jay Carney is it Time policy to support racist attacks such as this?

Ms. Justice, Klein has played the 'race card' in his entire career towards African- Americans. If "Jewboy Klein" can dish racial punishment towards African- Americans he can sure as hell take some from the same people he bashes all the time.

Oh for crying out loud.

I guess some of the people on this thread aren't planning to vote for anybody since no one is perfect enough to meet their standards.

I just caught the tail end of an "interview" of Al Sharpton on Fox Noise with Sean Hannity. During a barrage of questions, Sharpton was asked if he was going to endorse Obama. Since he apparently led off the interview by stating that he wasn't endorsing anyone, Sharpton said, "No".
Hannity then went on a rapid litany, "You're divisive", "You bring a lot of baggage", etc. Sharpton couldn't give answers, because he was simultaneously being asked questions.
Hannity smirkingly interjected "You're getting angry" when Sharpton tried to respond. Sharpton's demeanor hadn't changed at all. Hannity then switched to a statement supporting Senator Robert Byrd from Barack Obama. Hannity described Byrd as "KKK" Byrd. "Do you think Obama should support Byrd?". "Do you support Byrd?" Sharpton just said everyone should stand on their own record. What's his face, Colmes, the token liberal, sat in his chair like a lump then made some inane comment after the interview was over.

My take, it was futile for Sharpton to attempt to get any point across in this exchange. Colmes is worthless. Democratic Party members should appear on Fox Noise sparingly, if this is the common format. I don't watch Fox enought to judge.
Finally, a pet peeve. Given that there are certain subjects that are repeated in parrot-like fashion by wingnuts, why can't Liberals/Progressives be a little better prepared?
Byrd was a Klan Kleagle, a recruiter, in his youth. He had a major change of heart following the death of a grandson in the late 60's following recovery from a period of depression. He wrote a book on his transformation. He voted against giving GW the go ahead to attack Iraq. Byrd has a civil rights rating of 82%(B) on the NAACP's Legislative Report Card for the 109th Congress. State neighbor "Macaca" Allen's rating 14%(F).
http://www.naacp.org/programs/bureau-dc/109th_final_report_card3.pdf
Byrd argued for an extra $10M to go toward funding the MLK Memorial. The point is, if the attack on Byrd is common and repeated, why aren't Liberals/Progressives who appear on TV better prepared with a response? I realize that the circumstances were trying for Sharpton, but I have never heard any reporters or pundit give a forceful reply to the KKK label. Sad. If the information is freely available, why aren't verbal pushbacks used more often? Be prepared.

Hey "wonkie," got any more straw men you can use against people, the weight and import of whose substantive points you don't want to deal with?

According to you, faulting someone for support of a decietful politician, who's deceit and depravity has helped lead to and continues to help lead to tens of thousands of deaths and maimings, and thus enabling him to continue to his destructive and obstructive actions in the Senate, is equated with not finding someone "perfect enough" to vote for.

Maybe in your twisted mental universe, you morally depraved and souless bastard.

But wait. Forgive me. "For crying out loud," maybe you have a point . . . .

After it's all over, there's no reason why we can't all meet down at the country club. Once there, we can laugh and joke about it all as we share a round of our favorite intoxicating beverage as a prelude to shooting the back nine. After all, why take any of this stuff TOO seriously?

"I guess some of the people on this thread aren't planning to vote for anybody since no one is perfect enough to meet their standards."

Or some people on this thread are planning to take the next goddamned year to inquire further into the positions and actions of each of the major candidates and make an informed, reasoned decison rather than judging them on style, image, race, gender or fucking beer drinkability.

Why is that wrong?

It's too bad Klein wasn't on the Fox show. He and Hannity could have tried hanging Sharpton.

Why shouldn't Obama be questioned? It is becoming very very suspicious, this manufactured aura the MSM is putting around Obama. This is an Ivy-leaguer with little experience in crucial situations who has never been challenged in his life. Sound familiar? He has profile of a lighter skin man who now occupies the White House. I'm not saying Obama is Bush. There is, however, something very concerning about a man who is so brittle and gets so angry at little things when he has received 99.99% positive coverage for three years straight. I have never seen someone so fawned and petted over for saying so little in substance and accomplishing so little in action since...well look no further than the Oval Office.

I have no idea what this man stands for accept selling self-help stylized books. I saw him in 2004 and was very impressed with his DNC speech. Three years later, I'm still waiting to be filled in on the rest of him, besides having a great smile and barotone voice.

Conversely, Clinton has received severely negative press for 12 years and is sticking around and Edwards...well Edwards can't even get arrested in most of these primary states. He'd be happy for any coverage, good or bad besides Ann Coulter calling him a pansy.

America, let's not pick another president based on a 'nice feeling.' We need leadership, not more of MSM's chosen people.

Posted by Anonymous
March 13, 2007

It's too bad Klein wasn't on the Fox show. He and Hannity could have tried hanging Sharpton.

Mr. Klein, you keep missing the story. It's really sad. But that's okay. Liberal bloggers are doing the job you should be doing. You just keep collecting your big paycheck. Most of us have to actually work for that, but I'm happy if you're happy.

Given that Clinton used his Sister Souljah moment to turn the Democratic Party into the second right-wing party in America I guess what Klein is saying is we can expect Obama to do the same thing, despite all the rhetoric. Obama's love of Lieberman ought to give all moderates and leftists pause as to what his real motives and values are. As someone said above we really don't know. Maybe he will have a mentally retarded person put to death too.

I can't tell the difference between Hannity and Joe Klein on this one. Really can't.

On the one hand you've got Hannity confronting Sharpton with Byrd and the KKK, and on the other you've got Klein making references to, what? Sister Souljah? How many years ago was that?

Obama runs for preznit, et voila:

Byrd
KKK
Sister Souljah
blah blah blah

Naturally.

BIG surprise there. What are you, Joe.... like, two-hundred years-old? Why do you even play into this garbage?

Better yet, as someone who is in a position to actually shape the debate, why are you trying to compel us into taking part in it?

It's probably no use.

What is amazing to me is seeing these so-called elite pundits enter the blog world. What a fiasco this has been.

I am telling you Joe... You can see better arguments put forth by the denizens of gawd-damned VIDEO GAME BULLETIN BOARDS than the kind of tripe you are trying to pawn off on us. This aint your daddy's internets. And it's like someone else here said earlier: Your days are numbered. LIE TO US AND WE WILL TAKE YOU OUT.

Feh.

Race relations would be a helluhvalot better off if these olden folk would just quietly (and finally!) retreat into well earned obscurity.

Al Sharpton is right...we as a race of people(African-Americans) will no longer blindly vote for a person simply becuase they are black...the issues are what's at stake. If Mr. Obama deals with issues that are important to americans and the poor(black or white) and those that need a voice then he may get my vote.

Who else has had enough?
First it was CPAC and Coulter, then the tale of Mice and Men at Walter Reed with Cheney insulting everyone he could find while his cronies take off for Dubai. Followed by the 'Bush BS Tour to the South' and AIPAC with Olmert.
Mark Thompson for Time writes that the 'don't ask-don't tell' won't change until the 30% pro-59% con poll numbers reverse themselves. What a Jerk. Given that logic women couldn't vote let alone be in the ranks, blacks would be counted as 5/8 of a person and would have been beaten or lynched for their march in Selma, again. Heck, we'd probably still have detention camps for our Asian citizens. Jackie Robinson would have stayed in the Negro League while the military stayed be segregated. Forget Brown v. School Board and the National Guard-Faubus stand-off in Little Rock.
Klein is embarrassed by Maxine. Is it because she's black and doesn't speak English in the same way that he does or is it because he disagrees with what she says. He, among others have the Erics burning deep inside by his comments today. I can't comment on Hannity because I refuse to dwell in that world of extreme hatred and I'd already had a 1/2 hour of Patty Whack Buchanan sprinkled with Gonzo and Bartlett. Joe, you are both smarter and a better person than that.
Jay finally crawled out of the world of the privileged in Nantucket with his curiosity aroused. Thank you. Ana and Karen seem to be getting it.
I'm a straight WASP and I've had enough. I can't imagine how I would feel if I were a gay, black Muslim. Could someone please work on some baggage dumping and sensitivity training?
But heck, by tomorrow it'll be the auction of OJ's book and the search to ID the phone numbers-records of the 'fantasy madame'. Oh and there is always the ANS baby BS.
Seriously, enough, already. If the Honorable Sen. Byrd can have an epithany, so can a few others. Perhaps, Pace could look to this man who was raised with one set of beliefs and found another path.

Name one specific piece of legislation or issue that Al Sharpton has worked to make law or bring to the forefront. Rev. Sharpton promotes civil rights and equal treatment for African Americans in an amorphous way. Mostly, he runs for office and then implies that if other candidates want to show their upport for civil rights they need to take him seriously.

The idea that there is a spokesperson for all African Americans is insulting. Maybe white reporters should actually go out and find people who have spent their lives working for social justice instead of quoting the first person who claims the mantle of 'leader of the black people'.

Kudos, wonkie. I've been saying that I wonder when I will cease to be astonished by the lunacy served forth by these blogospheric purity trolls. It has yet to happen.

I mean, what is the deal? I understand there being a few nutbags like this mixed in here and there, but what is it about the blogosphere that makes it so overwhelming? Is it a snowball/tipping point effect, where rational progressives get turned off and so do not return? I'd love to see a sociologist or psychologist do some research about this.

-Alan

Joe,

You sound like Marty Peretz. Your (and his) deep, underlying racism is realllly ugly. Really ugly. I don't have any respect for you.

It's refreshing to draw so much fire for advocating moderation and a little balance and giving someone the benefit of the doubt as I did above.

So easy to call someone an idiot who doesn't agree with you. Demonizing, isolating, insulting: that's the Republican way...I thought. Maybe we've slipped further back down the slope to Cro Magnon than I thought we had.

The vitriol expressed by several above is the root of what is wrong with at least some of the people in this country, and the world at large: it's called hatred, and the inability to see the other side of any coin for fear of being taken advantage of.

The inability to see yourself in the opposing view.

Get over yourselves. Quit hating everyone, it's a losing game.

As soon as you stop creating straw men we will stop hating.

Now go F**k yourself.

I will stop playing the 'race card' when Joe 'Jewboy' Klein stops playing it on African- Americans. In the past 25 years he has smeared African- Americans by playing on the real involvement Jewish- American ANGELS who 60 years who really felt that racism and segregation was wrong and did something about it. The Jewish- Black alliance in a myth like the trials of Hercules, Obama will play up those ends in his speeches and I will call him phony because it's not real.

People like Obama because he makes them feel like race can be overcome by a simple speech or "Wow them Negroes actaully are smart".Race relations will not be solved by electing a "President Obama" just because he's bi-racial or whatever. I have issues with the Jewish elites in this country who feel because Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were killled they still can critcize Black thinkers with impunity.

Sharpton represents a portion of the black electorate who are not thrilled with Barack Obama's relationship with Joe Liberman who supports the war in Iraq and 80% percent of African- Americans last time I read oppose the war on terrorism as war on Oil, Arabs, and to give the Israel it's security in their continued 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestine.Klein thinks African- Americans don't know a thing about policy and mocks the way they speak, so I have the right to call him "Jewboy" in a debate on who is a proper 'black'.

"Get over yourselves. Quit hating everyone, it's a losing game."

Um, no. Iraq is a losing game, and Joe Lieberman is a delusional clown who would sacrifice the lives of a million American soldiers to his ego.

Go to Salon.com, find Lindsay Beyerstein's article (and accomanying photos) about a twenty-two year old whose face and scalp were literally burned off his skull by an IED blast.

Then tell me again how you shook Joe Lieberman's hand.

I'm a white guy from Wisconsin, Joke, but if I had to trust one of you to tell me the truth, I'd certainly trust Al Sharpton over you. He's a "phony"? Why, did he publish a book anonymously and then lie about it repeatedly? 'Cause, you know, that's pretty much a working definition of a "phony" to most people.

The long anticipated implosion of the Blame America 1st McGovernite hippie-craps IS simply a joy to behold!

Sweet Allah I love this country!