This is heresy I know, since most of the White majority likes to pretend that it's colorblind, but race needs to be part of the calculus in the November election for all voters. Of course, it was never not going to be part of the equation. And race is certainly part of the explicit discourse for Black voters, as it always is. My point is that it's high time white folks join in the discussion and acknowledge that it matters. Because it does.

Here's what's at stake in November: For the first time in history, there is a real possibility that "The Man" won't be White. The implications will take years to sort out, but here are some very early thoughts about why the candidate's race is important enough to influence our vote. Because the implications of a Black President are somewhat different for different identity groups, I break it down accordingly. But, and make no mistake about this, all other things being equal, having a Black President would benefit all Americans -- well almost all.

Although Irish Setters have been sleeping around the family manse for years, it is apparent that Mitt Romney has failed to absorb and grasp the subtle messages and extensions of the adage "let sleeping dogs lie."  

That may be changing.

All of the talk lately about the religious preferences of the presidential candidates or their lack of them has me concerned for the direction of the current campaign and the fact that religion has any place in this discussion at all.

Yesterday, while drinking my second cup of coffee and mentally preparing for the second week of moving to a new residence, a letter to the editor of USA Today caught my attention.

One Harold Burnett of Palmdale, California seems to have gotten his evangelical shorts in a wad over an op-ed piece titled "What is a 'real' Christian?" written by Dan Gilgoff in USA Today on May 21. Mr Burnett writes:

I agree with Focus on the Family's founder James Dobson, who seems to believe that a Christian should be the GOP presidential nominee ("What is a 'real' Christian?" On Religion, The Forum, May 21).

If for no other reason, a Christian would balance the power of the left, the atheists and those waging open war against many conservatives.

But where is this real Christian who is willing to run for president? The fact that Mr. Dobson is not considering it illustrates the problem Christians in this country face. It seems there is a perception that real Christians don't get involved in politics. Though we are willing to support someone who meets our conservative criteria, we are not willing to be him.

Could it be that many professing Christians are not real Christians and are afraid of being exposed as hypocrites? It seems to me that a religious conservative is the best we can hope for this time around.

Perhaps, due to my past exposure to various "Christian" denominations, and various experiences with other religious groups, sects, cults, klaverns, whatever, I no longer claim a religious affiliation of any kind and hope to quietly live out my days as far from religious authority, zealotry, bigotry and lunacy as possible.

I think that it was Einstein who said, "If God did not exist, man would have to invent him" or something along those lines.

For a guy who's getting paid to run a country but who has a war in Iraq, a war in Afghanistan, a war in the making in Iran, and a war in the making in North Korea - you'd think he'd have something better to do than flying across the country trying to save a sure loss in the polls.

Here is my second diary from researching the Congressional Records, I have pointed out statements that are so powerful they still reverberate today. As with my first diary, I did not take their statements out of context, or play with quotes to change their meaning.

 I was very impressed at how outraged they were, how concerned they were about ensuring honor and integrity in the White House.  They believe that if the President continues such behavior it would ultimately destroy the fabric of our society and the foundations of our government for future generations.

They were quite firm in saying that such issues were above partisan politics.

If you don't have time to read it all, in summary they said that: A lying President is the antithesis of Truth, Justice and the American Way.

I am relieved, because now I know that they will have to impeach George W. Bush.

This will be the first of a series of diaries where I will share what I learned with you.

Knowing that most Democrats and many Republicans would lambaste the cuts to domestic spending, especially in an election year, President Bush certainly wouldn't have wanted them to know how much more draconian his plans were for 2008 and beyond. That's why the president didn't release the details of his plans for the next five years, perhaps hoping to keep that information under wraps until after the mid-term elections.

Where has the IRS been spending some of its limited enforcement-resources?  Targeting tens-of-thousands of poor taxpayers most of whom apparently did nothing wrong.  

That's one way to look busy.

9th Circuit Dismisses Gennifer Flowers' Defamation Suit
Louise Chu/The Associated Press/01-11-2006

A federal appeals court Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit that Gennifer Flowers filed against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and two former advisers to former President Clinton.

[edit]

The dispute dates to the 1992 presidential campaign, when Flowers said she had a 12-year affair with the Arkansas governor.

Clinton initially denied the allegation, but later, during his deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case, acknowledged a single sexual encounter with Flowers.

"It takes a certain kind of fool who likes to hear the sound of (her) own name" [Eagles, Old Song]

When I read the recent Gallup Poll regarding "Honesty/Ethics in Professions" it hardly surprised me to see telemarketers at the bottom of the list. The poll asked the question: "Please tell me how you would rate the honest and ethical standards of people in these different fields."
Nurses topped the list as most trustworthy and principled, telemarketers hugged the bottom as the least.