When reality comes to the house.

Don't you just love when house Negroes realize that there is still racism in America? Or worse, that they can become victims of it like everyone else?

Take for instance the case of former RNC Chair, Michael Steele. 

Poor Michael thought that he was different from the rest of us Negroes to his conservative pals. And then, sadly for him, reality came calling.

 "Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said on Saturday that the party has a problem with racism after a spokesman for a conservative group said Mr. Steele was chosen as chairman because he is “a black guy.”

The spokesman, Ian B. Walters, made the comment on Friday night at a dinner in Oxon Hill, Md., that was part of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

“We elected Mike Steele to be the R.N.C. chair because he’s a black guy,” said Mr. Walters, the communications director for the American Conservative Union, which organized the conference. 

“That was the wrong thing to do.”

There were audible gasps when Mr. Walters made the comment, Jonathan Levine, the media editor at The Wrap, who was at the dinner, said on Twitter." [Source] 

FYI, when certain white folks "gasp" when they hear racism expressed openly, it's not that they don't co-sign with the sentiment, it's because they don't want it expressed so publicly. 

Of course, as is to be expected, Michael was not pleased.

"I wanted to talk to [CPAC chair] Matt Schlapp first, but I think it's painfully stupid what he said," Steele told Observer. "If he feels that way I'd like him to come say that to my face. And then I'd like him to look at my record and see what I did. I can't believe an official of CPAC would go on stage, in front of an audience, and say something like that. I've been a strong supporter of CPAC for many years, and I thought they raised them better than that here." [Source]

Now now, Michael, all that saying it to my face stuff will only reinforce some of their negative stereotypes of us black folks. I know it hurts, but you are a smart man. Think for a moment. Did you really think that these right-wingnuts that you like to pal around were not racists? Somehow I find that hard to believe.

  "It also goes to insulting not just me -- I mean, I can deal with that, I'm a big boy, put my pants on and go into the fight -- but it goes after everyone in the RNC who knew me and worked with me and supported the effort that I undertook to become chairman," he added. "But even more broadly, it insults every African-American and calls into question their personal accomplishments." 

Come on out here to the fields with us Michael. We have a lot of work to do.   

*Pic from artmaggot

Rough words from Reince.

All this GOP infighting is taking a toll on the party of Lincoln and Duke. O is looking at a 53% job approval rating as I write this post, despite 8.5% unemployment and a sluggish economy in these divided states of A-merry-ca.

No wonder the RNC chairman, Reince Priebus, felt like he had to say some nasty things about the beige one on "Face The Nation" this past Sunday. My man must have thought that he was on FOX. BTW, who names their son Reince?That dude must have some serious issues if he has to live with a name like Reince. But I digress.

So anyway, Reince compared his Oness to a man who allegedly committed manslaughter and left his ship causing people-at least 16 that we know of-  to die. That's pretty harsh stuff coming from the leader of the RNC. I would suspect that they left that kind of down and dirty name calling to wingnut bloggers and talk show hosts.

I must give some credit to Michael Steele, who left the house long enough to condemn Reince.

"Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele told MSNBC the analogy was "unfortunate." [Source]

Good for you, Michael. Although I hope you are not saying this because my man took your job.You black republicans don't usually go after folks in your party for things like this. But I guess there is a first time for everything.

Finally, James O'Keefe has got to be the dumbest wingnut alive. Remember James? Yes, he was the clown who got busted breaking into a senator's office down in the Big Easy.

Anyway, check out his latest brilliant move:

"James O’Keefe’s latest video features surrogates appearing to commit voter fraud in yesterday’s New Hampshire primary election, all in an attempt to highlight voter fraud, a problem which is by-and-large nonexistent in the Granite State.

The undercover video shows unnamed individuals working at O’Keefe’s behest approaching polling stations throughout New Hampshire. After poll workers asked for the person’s name, O’Keefe’s agents gave the name of a voter who died within the past few weeks, before then receiving a ballot to vote. The individuals asked the poll workers if they needed ID to prove their identity, and when poll workers confirmed that they did not, O’Keefe’s men insisted on returning to their car to retrieve their ID and returned the ballot.

However, in highlighting the non-problem of voter fraud in New Hampshire and elsewhere, O’Keefe’s agents appear to have committed voter fraud themselves. Section 659:34 of the New Hampshire code defines voter fraud as when a person (highlights are ours):

(a) When registering to vote; when obtaining an official ballot; or when casting a vote by official ballot, makes a false material statement regarding his or her qualifications as a voter to an election officer or submits a voter registration form, and election day registration affidavit, a qualified voter affidavit, a domicile affidavit, or an absentee registration affidavit containing false material information regarding his or her qualifications as a voter;
(b) Votes more than once for any office or measure;
(c) Applies for a ballot in a name other than his or her own;
(d) Applies for a ballot in his or her own name after he or she has voted once;
(e) Votes for any office or measure at an election if such person is not qualified to vote as provided in RSA 654; or
(f) Gives a false name or answer if under examination as to his or her qualifications as a voter before the supervisors of the checklist or moderator.

In the raw footage released by O’Keefe (reproduced below), at 12:32, the poll worker asks the unnamed individual, “what’s your name again?” The man replies with the name of a dead New Hampshire voter, “Thomas McCarron.” She then asks if he lives at “179 Harrison Street?” The man affirms, “yes.”

In another instance, at 5:00, the poll worker checks off the individual’s fake name and says, “that’s you.” He does not correct her, but implicitly affirms the false identity by taking the ballot she hands him.

In addition, O’Keefe’s group may have run afoul of New Hampshire’s law against hidden recording devices. Granite State law requires both parties to consent when recording devices are used, a fact that even O’Keefe’s own website notes. However, the video gives no indication that poll workers were aware they were being filmed.

One section of footage not released by O’Keefe, however, was when a surrogate was caught at the polls trying to impersonate a dead voter. The Boston Herald notes that the man “disappeared before police could corral him.” [Source]

I hope that the authorities in New Hampshire throw the book at this clown and his minions. While somewhere in A-merry-ca a former ACORN worker is laughing his or her ass off.








  

Mike is not leaving the plantation quietly.

My man Hip Hop Mike might be out of his leadership position with the GOP, (Good Ole [boyz]Party) but apparently he still has a lot to say.

"Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, recently went on Chris Matthews' MSNBC show and chatted, among other things, about the lack of blacks in the Republican Party.

"We could have used a few more brothers in the house; there's no doubt about that," Steele said when Matthews made the ingenious and original observation that there aren't too many blacks hanging around at Republican conventions (does Steele not think some sisters would have been nice, too?). And despite his gaffe-tastic mess of a term as chairman, Steele said he's proud of helping to diversify a party that's not known for it's diversity. "What I tried to do [as chairman] was to broaden the landscape over which we could play, go into neighborhoods where we needed to be in but hadn't been in generations, and I think it made a difference," he said." [Source]

Believe it or not, Mike, I actually respect that position. We could use more brothers (and sisters) in the GOP. Spread ourselves around a little bit so that some folks won't take us for granted. I get that. By spreading out a little we could show the world that we are not a monolithic people in our thoughts and actions.

Still Mike, it's hard to hook up with a party that time and time again places folks in leadership positions that do stuff like this. Not to mention the fact that your party does not respect our icons and their legacy. You can't disrespect us and expect us to hitch our wagons to you. I don't care how much we have in common. We have to get past all the other stuff first. And that's hard; especially for black folks.

Mike, I wish you all the best. There has been a lot of speculation as to where you will go from here, and I am just hoping, that wherever it is, you will land on your feet. I hear MSNBC has an opening, but your politics might not fit in over there. Although they really do need a dark face. You could be their Juan Williams. MSNBC would be killing two birds with one token. The black guy and the conservative. Nice.

Finally, you folks out in "Oaktown" might want to consider blocking the porn channels-and websites in your homes and on your computers. I think the little rugrats have been paying a bit too much attention to what the folks on these sites and channels are doing.

"The gift that keeps on giving."

*

I am going to stop messing with Michael Steele, because I can always count on my man to give me material; even on a slow blogging night. (*That quote in the pic is real. He really said that.)

I swear that my man goes to his podiatrist to get his teeth cleaned. (His foot stays in his mouth)

So anywhooo, it seems that he done went and did it again:

"WASHINGTON — Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, drew fierce criticism and a call for his resignation on Friday after declaring at a party fund-raiser that the United States was on the wrong side of history with its conflict in Afghanistan, a military fight he called “a war of Obama’s choosing.” This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in,... Mr. Steele said in a speech Thursday night in Connecticut in which he offered a strong critique of President Obama’s military strategy.

“It was the president who was trying to be cute by half by flipping a script demonizing Iraq, while saying the battle really should be Afghanistan,” Mr. Steele said, according to a video of his remarks that was circulated by Democrats on Friday. “Well, if he’s such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that’s the one thing you don’t do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan?.. Mr. Steele, seeking to clarify his remarks, issued a statement on Friday afternoon, saying, “There is no question that America must win the war on terror.”

Now what's funny about all of this is that I actually agree with Hip Hop Mike on this one; we don't need to be in Afghanistan. And what's even funnier is that Mike's republican masters want to seem tough on terror (even if it means the loss of thousands of A-merry-can lives while fighting a pointless war) so what Mike is saying goes counter to the message, and they have to bring him back on the plantation. Some of them are even saying that this is it, and they finally want Mike to step down. I guess this is the straw that broke the elephant's back.

Now here is the real fun part: Watch how Mike does his best to pull his foot out of his mouth by doing a mea culpa until his ass falls off. Don't you just love house Negroes? The problem, of course, with a house Negro, is that he is just a Negro of convenience. The white folks in the house with him have no respect for him and they do not respect his opinions. He is there simply because he makes no public objections to the status quo. He goes along to get along. He does a jig when massa needs to feel good, he tells a joke when massa needs to laugh, and he calls out other Negroes when massa needs to feel secure. The plantation is not lost, I have a Negro right here in the house with me.

"Amid a new firestorm over comments suggesting the war in Afghanistan is ill-advised, RNC chair Michael Steele is doing damage control and adding his support for Gen. David Petraeus.
In a statement released this afternoon through the RNC, Steele reiterated his own support for the war effort, and Petraeus, who was confirmed this week as the top US commander in the theater.

"There is no question that America must win the war on terror," Steele said. "During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Barack Obama made clear his belief that we should not fight in Iraq, but instead concentrate on Afghanistan. Now, as President, he has indeed shifted his focus to this region. That means this is his strategy. And, for the sake of the security of the free world, our country must give our troops the support necessary to win this war."

Steele spokesman Doug Heye responded to a video in which Steele made his controversial comments by questioning Obama's strategy in Afghanistan.

"The responsibility for building and maintaining [a] strategy falls squarely on the shoulders of the President. Like so many Americans, Chairman Steele wants to hear an explanation from President Obama on what his strategy is for winning the war in Afghanistan," Heye said."

Jig Mike, Jig! Your ass is still there.

Hip hop Mike at Howard.

This post is going to make some of you uncomfortable, but as is usually the case with moi, I really don't give a fuck. (No, it's not about Glenn Beck, although I will be probably be blogging about his moronic ass again tomorrow.)

This post is about republicans, and the man that is charged- as of me writing this post- to lead them. His name is Michael Steele, and once again he made a damn fool of himself on a stage of his fellow humans while on the latest leg of his hip hop tour.

There are a lot of reasons I could never become a republican, and most of it doesn't necessarily have to do with their politics. It's them, the people who make up their party. They are clueless, out of touch, and live in a parallel universe which I never hope to see. But back to Mr. Steele. Or, as I like to call him, hip hop Mike.

Mike had a little town hall get together at Howard University Tuesday night. As the RNC chair and the sanctioned HNIC of the red neck...I mean red party set, it is his job to attract blacks, once again, to the party of Lincoln.

"Steele spoke at Howard in front of roughly 150 students as part of his outreach program to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. His effort to connect with young black students got off to a rather cringe-worthy start when right before the billed "student dialogue" two dozen white members of area young Republican groups arrived to sit in the reserved first two rows of the packed room. One wondered, as students grumbled, if Steele hired John Ashcroft to be his event manager. "

Of course, we can't have those "young republicans" mixing with those black students. Hell they might be packing. But let's move on with more of Dave Zirin's account:

"..But when challenged, Steele exposed himself, and it was awful to see the Tin Man's tin ear. When the RNC chair took a written question on health care, he blasted the public option, saying that "every time the government gets involved in something it doesn't work."
Then came Amanda Duzak, and Steele's evening just got a whole lot worse.
Duzak, a 23 year old Towson University grad, stood up, against the rules and out of turn.
"My mother died of cancer 6 months ago because she could only afford three of her six prescription chemotherapy medications," she projected. "There are 50 million people in this country who could end up like my mom, suffering or dying because they do not have adequate health care. Everyone in this room and everyone in this country should have access to good health care."'

Good job Amanda. Nice to see a republican confronted about health care for once. So it wasn't a town hall meeting, but it was close. Let's see what our boy hip hop Mike did:

"The room woke up and other than those glaring from the front, the applause was wall to wall. But it's Steele's response that makes this moment both newsworthy and a terrible comment on his character. After saying that he believed in a mature, honest discussion and not in shouting, Steele said, "People are coming to these town meetings and they're like [he then shakes]." He then looked and gestured right at Ms. Duzak and said, "It makes for great TV. You'll probably make it tonight, enjoy it." He then turned his back to her, as the crowd clapped."

Wait, Dave, did you write "as the crowd clapped"? What the fuck were they clapping for? The young woman was right! I know a lot of college kids read this blog, -including some of you from Howard- and if any of you were in that auditorium with hip hop Mike as he tried to clown that young lady, you should be dusting off your tapping shoes and your head wraps right about now. But let me not jump to conclusions, let me look at the video again......yep, there was definitely some shuffling going on at old HU. I saw you Negroes grinning and "cooning" with Steele as he tried to play "I am down with you" while parroting republican talking points. The only thing worse than a house Negro is a college educated house Negro. That young white woman had more field Negro in her than all of you grinning Negroes put together. Oh field, stop it, the young lady was being disrespectful, she was interrupting Steele. Just like you claim the republicans do when the democrats hold town halls. What's the difference? You just say this now because you happen to share her point of view. That would be correct! And I will continue to share her point of view until every A-merry-can has access to affordable or free health care in this country, and until the crooked insurance companies and profit over lives HMO companies are a thing of the past.

"Think about what Steele did. He didn't only turn his back and rudely dismiss a young woman whose mother just died of cancer. He used the shameful recent behavior of the right wing town hall screamers -- his own party's base -- to try and turn the crowd against Ms. Duzak. "

Relax Dave, that's just hip hop Mike being hard core. Keeping it real to the end.

Story here.

What? No watermelon?

"Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele told a group of young Republicans that he would reach out to black voters by offering them fried chicken and potato salad. Asked by a blogger how he would reach out to "diverse populations," Steele said: "My plan is to say 'Y'all come,' because a lot of you are already here." After someone in the audience said, 'I'll bring the collard greens,' Steele added, 'I got the fried chicken and potato salad."'

Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Boy Mike you are one funny guy; a really funny guy. Ha ha ha ha ha.

Just when I was going to leave republicans (particularly the young and black ones) alone, along comes Hip hop Mike to remind me why I can't.

Mike Mike Mike, when will you learn? First of all, I do happen to love me some fried chicken and potato salad, and I like collard greens, too. In fact, I am guessing that 90% of the black folks in A-merry-ca will step over their dead mama to get to a well fried and seasoned piece of chicken. But Mike, that is not the kind of shit you go sharing with a bunch of young republicans for a few laughs. It's just not. Mike, they were laughing at you, not with you. To republicans, you are nothing but their walking talking minstrel show, someone to remind them of why they try to exclude blacks in the first place. You are, in essence, a joke. Quit now to preserve what little dignity you have left and stop embarrassing your family and your race. His O ness dissing you at that correspondents dinner should have given you a hint. It was written to be a joke, but I am quite sure that his O ness was dead serious, and he was speaking for the rest of us black folks to your dumb ass.

Mike, here is the thing: do you think Howard Dean would go to a black church and make a joke about something unique to white culture? Like, for instance, serial killers? (Oh I kid I kid, lighten up.) No Mike, he would not! If you want to attract blacks to the republiklan party, you do not make fun of our eating habits in front of a bunch of white folks. Especially when the shit is true. If you can cook a mean fried chicken; then go to your kitchen, fry up a batch of that shit, and sit down and type out some invitations to the field and friends. If your fried chicken and potato salad can come even close to Mother Fields; then, and only then, will we even consider sitting down to listen to your pitch to join your damn party. If your shit is nasty,--- as I suspect it will be--- we will tell you to take that crap to a republican potluck and lose the field's number.

H/T To field hand, Red Devil, for leaving a comment under the previous post to remind me of this story.

"Message to Michael"

Michael, this has gone on long enough. It's time to come home my brother. You gave it the good old college try, but you and I both know that some of these GOP folks to black folks is like oil to water. Putting you up as their leader was a gimmick, something they tried in order to stay hip and relevant in the age of Obama. Unfortunately for you , you just happened to be the only black guy (Kenneth Blackwell doesn't count. I said "black guy")around.

Of course it didn't help that all this HNIC stuff got to your head. You just couldn't shut up and stay on message, and the RNC folks weren't down with that. Bad enough they had to put a Negro in charge, but one who couldn't keep his mouth shut was too much for them.

"Let’s put it into context here. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh, his whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it’s incendiary. Yes, it’s ugly."

That was your first mistake: saying unkind things about the new republican leader in public. And then you had the nerve to tell A-merry-ca the truth about your party.

"You have absolutely no reason -- none -- to trust our word or our actions at this point. "

You got that right Michael. But the straw the broke the elephant's back was when you made statements to GQ Magazine which hinted that you believe that a woman can do what she wants to do with her own body.

"Are you saying you think women have the right to choose abortion?Yeah. I mean, again, I think that's an individual choice.You do?Yeah. Absolutely. "

Now dem there is fighten words Michael, and the folks in GOP land are all over you for uttering them. As you know, there is a growing movement within your own party to send your black behind packing. Republicans don't waiver on certain things: The right to life, gay marriage, and no equality for blacks. Okay, the last one isn't an official party platform, not yet anyway, but you get the picture.

Honestly Mike, I wanted you to succeed. I hoped what I thought about the republican party wasn't true, but the reality is that just seeing you in public as the representative of their party drove quite a few of those good ole boyz crazy. And all it took was one slip up for them to jump ship. As far as they are concerned you have been one constant slip up, and that ain't gonna cut it in the land of NASCAR and Rush.

So come on Mike, how about it? Hold a press conference tomorrow and tell the country that the GOP is not ready to go main stream. Tell us that it is not the party you thought it was, and that the people who make up the base of the party are just too extreme and unyielding for your taste. Tell A-merry-ca you tried, but as a person of color you just can't in good conscience support the GOP anymore.

Mike, if you do that, I will call off the drop squad, and I will pretend all the house worthy behavior you participated in didn't happen. The groveling to Rush, the back pedaling on your stance on abortion, and your silly pseudo cool buffoonery to try and attract young blacks to your party. I will forget all of that, and to top it off; I will even put in a good word with the Negro Acceptance Coalition *(NAC) for you. I promise.

* FYI, there is no organization called the Negro Acceptance Coalition. Not yet.

You Negroes can be so ungrateful.

I guess sometimes even "strange bedfellows" can break up. Poor Michael (M-Diddy) Steele, the new "hip" RNC leader. M-Diddy is trying to reach out to a hipper audience and attract more black folks to his cause, so he found himself on the D.L. Hughley Show Saturday night. (What better way is there to spend a Saturday night than with a "hip" black man?)

But what poor M-Diddy didn't realize was that his republican peeps were watching, and the big Kahuna himself was not too pleased that M-Diddy tried t throw the new leader of the party under the bus. (Wait, there is no way Rush would fit under a bus. Ahem, throw him under the train...no, that wouldn't work either. Throw him under large earth moving vehicle maybe?) Michael, you just can't play both ends anymore, not in this media age. Big brother is always watching you jig.

"My parents taught me when I was growing up that you always stood behind people who defended you, you never abandoned people who stood up for you and who defended you against assault. Michael Steele was a candidate for the Senate in Maryland. Michael Steele was on this program, he got airtime on this program to attempt to refute the lies being told about him by Michael J. Fox in those famous ads way back when that were also run against Jim Talent in Missouri. I personally took time to defend Michael Steele and to rip the substance of those ads, had him on the show..."

See what you did M-Diddy? You done pissed off your benefactor. He helped you raise money, had you on his show, and defended you when you needed defending. You are such an ungrateful Negro. Instead of thanking massa Rush you are out disparaging him on one of dem colored shows.

HUGHLEY: Rush Limbaugh, who is the de facto leader of the Republican Party --STEELE: No, he's not.HUGHLEY: Well, I'll tell you what, I've never --STEELE: I'm the de facto leader of the Republican Party.HUGHLEY: Then you know what? Then I can appreciate that, but no -- no one will -- will actually pry down some of the things he says, like when he comes out and says that he wants the president to fail, I understand he wants liberalism to fail.STEELE: How is that any different than what was said about George Bush during his presidency? Let's put it into context here. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh, the whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it's incendiary, yes, it's ugly --

Tell em M-Diddy, you are the HNIC, not Rush. Why is it so hard for A-merry-ca to understand that? Well, I will give you a hint M-Diddy; it's because house Negroes don't all of a sudden wake up one day and own the house. And when massa plucks them from the fields cleans them up, and gives them all the comforts of living in the house they are not supposed to forget that, or give him their butts to kiss. That's a job for us field Negroes. See we can tell Rush to kiss our black asses, because he never did shit for us. You, on the other hand, owe him so much. And guess what M-Diddy, he will never let you forget it.

If you can't beat em....

"We've been misdefined as a party that doesn't care, a party that's insensitive, a party that is unconcerned about minorities, a party that's unconcerned about the lives and expectations and dreams of average Americans, and nothing could be further from the truth.."

So says Michael Steele, the guy who loves puppies and the new Chairman of the RNC. Oh, and Michael, as you can tell by his pic, just happens to be an African American. Oh those repubs, they are so original. Seriously, if you are a *dye in the wool repub this has got to hurt. Steele, after all, pissed off conservatives when he found a moderate organization, and from time to time has seemed almost embarrassed by his party affiliation. But look at the choices they had: The frat boy's hand picked man, Mike Duncan, Chip (the rapper)Salstman, Katon (I am a son of the confederacy) Dawson, and Kenneth (I am a proud house Negro)Blackwell. Wow, talk about scraping from the bottom of the barrel. These repubs are in some serious trouble.

Oh come on field, you are always crying about how insensitive the republicans are, and how they need to reach out to people of color, and now they pick one of your people and you still aren't satisfied. Nope, because I know a hustle when I see one. Here is the thing: if you put an African American in a position of power just because the other guy did it and you think it was successful for him, you aren't really doing shit. You are just playing politics as usual.

Steel might be "charismatic", but he strikes me as one of those Negroes who will say whatever is necessary to fit in. I see the guy on FOX NEWS and he is killing Obama and calling him every kind of name in the book. Then I see him on one of those late night talk shows and he is saying what a great guy Obama is and how the repubs have a lot of work to do blah blah blah. Yeah, Michael is somewhat of a fraud, he should fit in well with the folks over at the RNC.

But he will be right at home with the repubs, and this is just what the Doctor ordered for them in the age of Obama. They were losing their minds while trying to come up with an answer for his O ness, and now they think they have it. Damn that Obama sure is popular. He is smart, articulate, and very telegenic. Where can we get a Negro like that? Hey, how about that Steele guy, he speaks really well....

"I would say to the new president, congratulations,... It's going to be an honor to spar with him, and I would follow that up with 'how do you like me now?' "

Michael, I didn't like you before, and I sure as hell don't like you now. I am just not feeling the our Negro is better than your Negro game your party is playing. And I am really not feeling you because you are letting yourself become a pawn in the game. Still, I wish you luck. Your party has a lot of work to do. Divide and conquer politics doesn't seem to work in A-merry-ca anymore. And all of those old Southern voters who long for the days when we were paler and more Christian are all [thankfully] dying off. What that means is less votes for you and a better A-merry-ca for all of us.

So congrats Michael, you can go out and celebrate now. But don't party too hard, you have a lot of work to do.

*Thanks Murf..