Image courtesy of Hyscience

I’m my discussions with folks about politics, one of the questions that usually comes up is how many black republicans do you know? Some of the answers generally go  something like this:  Black people should never be republicans.  What have republicans done for black people?  You may think this naive and simplistic– but right or wrong– it is the prevailing thought throughout much of the black community.  The republican party has done much to alienate and agitate blacks, never bothering to rationalize how their indirect hostility contributes to much of the black community’s one-sided affair with the democratic party.  But how did the GOP get to this point?

First, let’s examine RNC chairman Michael Steele’s commnets last month.  He was asked why blacks should vote republican:

“You really don’t have a reason to, to be honest — we haven’t done a very good job of really giving you one. True? True,” Republican National Chairman Michael Steele told 200 DePaul University students Tuesday night. “

As a black progressive, I can’t help but marvel–not at the veracity of the statement–but at the fact that Michael Steele said it.  It would be much too easy and typical, for me to chide conservatives on their ambivalence and disdain toward the black community.  It would be much more logical and intellecually honest for me to cede this argument to Coby Dillard, and his very astute, thought provoking take on the matter.  Mr. Dillard’s theory on the GOP and blacks put quite simply:

(sic).. we don’t carry our message to the black community, and when we try, it doesn’t relate to the issues and realities they face daily..

Blacks mistrust of the republican party extends far beyond current political and socio-economic structures.  Mistrust was cultivated by years of historical psychological warfare, designed to preserve conservative electoral bases.  Republicans initiated several policies designed to galvanize white voters in the south and in working class rural areas–all the while alienating those in black and brown neighborhoods.  One such policy was the Southern Strategy.

Here’s more Dillard:

The “Southern strategy”-a concerted effort to appeal to the GOP’s newest converts in the southern states-played to these voters by making issues such as public school busing and state’s rights integral to their campaigns in the south. Opposition to these platforms cast Republicans in a negative light within black communities, and-coupled with the Democratic Party’s use of civil rights to attract more black voters-marked the final actions in the black vote’s shift from Republican to Democrat (which began with FDR’s passage and implementation of the New Deal). With this shift, Republican campaign strategy shifted to holding the (then) few black votes they could get, while targeting their campaign efforts more toward voters that were more sympathetic.

The Southern Strategy has been widely condemned by liberals and conservatives alike, yet its roots are indelibly planted into the subconscious of those black Americans affected by its tainted reach.  Scores of blacks regard the republican party as the antithesis of tolerance and civil rights, and its no wonder  what passes for community outreach by the party has yielded no results.

So what is the answer?  It is incumbent upon republicans–black republicans especially–to confront the past and honestly assess the message being sent to black Americans.  There are strong elements of conservatism bubbling under the surface in most black communities.  Michael Steele’s bluntness was a good starting point.  The work should be invested, but the reward would significantly merit the effort.

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The independent, non-partisan Congressional Budget Office is now public enemy number one in the eyes of conservatives.  Some of them have apparently loaded up on crazy pills.  Exhibit A:

The real culprit in this high-stakes drama is the GOP– their weak-kneed leadership and their lame health care proposal– put forth only because they felt compelled to do so.  They never had any intention of reforming the health care system–as evidenced by their recent years in control of both chambers when they did nothing–and their lack of movement on the subject in, oh 100 years.  Such false indignation.  Now conservatives care about reform? All of a sudden they care about the deficit and deficit reduction– when they never seemed to care in the past?  Was it a concern when we were spending trillions of dollars (actually, it was 750 billion) on the war in Iraq?   Was there one mention of deficit control then?

“I remain a Republican,” Pete Peterson said, “but the Republicans have become a far more theological, faith-directed party, not troubling with evidence.”

The above statement is the fundamental problem with conservatives, and their leadership.  It’s far more insidious to govern based upon emotion and faith, than actual evidence.  Armed with an arsenal of fear and demagoguery, they look to beat down the public with uncertainty–not alert them to real, tangible information.

When their health care reform proposal was made public and scored by the CBO in November, the GOP’s main argument was that their bill does not touch Medicare, while Nancy Pelosi’s legislation cuts 500 billion dollars from the program.  That boast in and of itself was so disingenuously ludicrous, given the fact that medicare is the biggest entitlement program in need of the most reform.  You know, since it’s slowly bankrupting the country.  Be proud in your ignorance GOP.  Continue to stay oblivious to the fact that hard choices must be made.  Be heartened by the fact that you all are too cowardly to make them.

The Congressional Budget Office is not the enemy, nor are they the enemy of the republican party.  Ignorance and fear remain the enemy of progress, and that is what passes for republican leadership today.

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Senator Jim Bunning, R-(KY):

Last week, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., asked to pass a 30-day extensions bill for unemployment insurance and other federal programs. Earlier in February, those extensions were included in a broader bipartisan bill that was paid for but did not meet Sen. Reid’s approval, and he nixed the deal. When I saw the Democrats in Congress were going to vote on the extensions bill without paying for it and not following their own Pay-Go rules, I said enough is enough.

Many people asked me, “Why now?” My answer is, “Why not now?” Why can’t a non-controversial measure in the Senate that would help those in need be paid for? If the Senate cannot find $10 billion to pay for a measure we all support, we will never pay for anything.

Hmm.  Jim Bunning, after years of being fiscally irresponsible, has decided to push the restraint button.  Too bad it’s a toothless, arrogant, and disingenuous act.  Too bad his new position on fiscal responsibility wasn’t reached during our Iraq war years– where the cost is approaching 3 trillion dollars– and it still isn’t paid for.  Bunning is right.  Enough is enough.  Here is why Bunning and his ilk have no clue as to what Americans really want:

1)  Supporters of Bunning on the right actually believe he is sticking to his principles.  He has no principles.  He is a retiring senator, not beholden to anyone or anything.  The principled stand would have been him enacting this arcane senate procedural move when he had a skin in the game, so to speak.  Here’s the response from a conservative blogger on RedState:

“Last night, while most Americans were watching the Olympics, Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) was standing strong for the American people on the floor of the United States Senate. Oh, it won’t be portrayed as such — believe me.” The post further stated: “Bunning took to the floor to object to a unanimous consent request to call up and pass the House-passed extension of a number of expiring so-called ‘stimulus’ and other benefit programs, because Bunning dared to ask the simple question of how these extensions would be paid for.”

2) Do these people firmly believe that people would rather stay home and collect 297 dollars, rather than work?  Think about this:  would you be comfortable making so much money a week– knowing that you had a mortgage payment, a car payment, expensive cobra payments?  Nothing says security like expiring benefits.  I know of no one happy to accept unemployment insurance.  The fact of the matter is that have to accept it, or risk drowning in a sea of uncertain fiscal devastation.  If your idea of “motivation,” is to wean honest, hard-working Americans off of the one avenue enabling them to survive in this hellish economy– then you are intellectually lacking, and morally bankrupt.  Congratulations.

3) I think one of the roles of government that most people can can agree upon is that in times of crisis; war, natural disasters, economic downturns– the government can and should provide the blanket protection the country needs.  In these times, responsive leadership is not only necessary, but essential.  While the politics of a jobs bill, or expansion of unemployment insurance can be debated, they should not be.  The objective is to provide the people with the services necessary to survive when they need them most.

The example of unemployment is just anpther illustration of what ails the party in its attempts to connect with the American people.

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UPDATE:  I apologize to those of you who tried to play the stream and found it was unavailable.  Apparently, the White House site was down.  Is that a bad omen?  I mean think about it. How can the government run health care, if the damn white house server can’t even sustain streaming video?  I kid.  Sort of.

The day has arrived.  The White House and congressional democrats and republicans get together at Blair House, to bash each other’s heads against the wall debating health care reform.  Conservatives are looking for democrats to participate in “good faith,” by flushing the bill down the toilet, and starting from scratch with their ideas.  Democrats are unsure of the level of commitment from the white house and their own midterm prospects– even though the president introduced his own bill just days ago, validating his engagement.  The media has pronounced health care reform dead more times than Jason Voorhies.

Maybe we’ll finally have the answer to these pertinent questions:  Is health care reform really dead?  Will there be any type of bipartisanship coming out of this circus?  Will someone die in that room in Blair House?  Watch all of the sordid drama below, streaming live from Whitehouse.gov.  You can also participate in the live chat.  Exercise your right as an American to yell and squeal at other Americans.  It’s pure democracy in action.

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Let me be perfectly clear here.  REPUBLICANS DO NOT WANT TO SUPPORT ANY POLICIES THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION COMES UP WITH, even when those policies are ones that they actually supported before.  They only believe in obstruction, and obstinance. There is no bi-partisanship.  There is only hypocrisy.

Watch Rachel Maddow eviscerate GOP members of congress for taking credit for stimulus funds– that they not only voted against– but blasted as “terrible for the country.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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I can’t say that this was unexpected:

“He’s become our Howard Dean,” says a top Republican leadership aide. Steele’s latest remarks that the party won’t take control of the House in the November midterm elections — a prediction he later backed away from — have revived talk of replacing him. But senior party officials say they plan something worse: just ignoring Steele. “It’s going to be out of sight, out of mind,” says one aide. And firing him won’t work. “That would just expedite the talk show where he bashes us all the time,” he says.

I’ve said before that chairman Steele is an extremely bright and energetic man, two obvious traits the GOP need in their committee chair.  He’s also a self-absorbed attention whore, who seems at his worst when the cameras are rolling.  And he always finds a camera to roll in front of him…

My question is this:  Will GOPers be afraid to pull the trigger on dumping Steele because he’s black?

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Courtesy of the kooks at WorldNetDaily.  It is the holiday season right?  Surely they could find something good to say right?  Merry Christmas anyway kooks…er, I mean WND.

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No matter how often I hear him speak, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele never ceases to amaze and befuddle me.  For such an intelligent man, he sure knows how to put some puzzling words and phrases together.  Case in point:  On a conference call yesterday, Steele spoke of Democrats efforts in moving health care reform legislation forward with a cloture vote.  How must the American People feel about this chairman Steele:

I mean, it just annoys and irritates me on something so fundamentally important. That this Congress, this leadership, is so tone deaf and so hell bent on propping up a policy that the American people doesn’t want, that they’re willing to basically flip the bird to the American people on this issue and slip it in in the dead of night.

Watch the clip:

Steele has a penchant for over the top dialogue and antics; traits I’m sure will give the RNC pause when his chairmanship comes up for vote in 2012.  Steele and the GOP need to make significant gains in the mid-term elections in order to quiet the skeptics, and burnish his image.  Even with the gains though, Steele should probably take a lower profile.  He doesn’t have to jump in front of every camera he sees does he?

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Slightly amusing

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Let me piggy-back off of a twitter connection of mine by the name of Stephen Kruiser. I enjoy Mr. Kruiser’s work very much, even as I vehemently disagree with his politics. He’s a very smart guy, and his work is engaging and amusing. Take his lastest post for example. The title says it all: Where Da White Girls At? The gist of the post is to illustrate the lunacy of political correctness run amok, perpetuated by people who don’t hold themselves to the same standards.  Fair enough.  Here at wrightandleftreport, any opportunity to expose hypocrisy is a red banner day.  So I applaud Mr. Kruiser’s effort.

Let’s examine another instance of pot calling kettle black, featuring RNC chairman Michael Steele.  Steele, much like most conservatives, believes that political correctness has gone too far in our society.  He feels that victimization on matters of race is counterproductive– and minorities who engage in it are setting themselves up to fail in society.  Yet here is chairman Steele, claiming the mantle of racially impugned black man on MSNBC’s Morning Joe:

Later, Steele got into it with MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle who, in discussing health care, asked, “What are you people for?

“You people?” Steele asked. “Who are you people?”

“The Republicans, what are you for?” Barnicle responded.

Laughing, Steele – the first African American chairman of the RNC – said, “Mike, I just wanted to you define the pronoun baby, that’s all.”

“Oh, come on,” Barnicle responded.

It was an absolute ridiculous display of false outrage, and phony pandering.  The rest of the interview was just as bad.  Mr Steele, being a black man, should know when to exhibit righteous indignation toward perceived racial insensitivities– when to answer fair pointed questions– and when to know the difference.  If he can’t navigate these delicate waters,  perhaps he’s not the spokesman his party needs at this time.  Perhaps he should join the DNC instead.  Then no one would bat an eye at this type of self-martyrdom.  I guess liberals aren’t the only ones who are politically correct.

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