WTF: Cindy McCain Strikes a Gay Marriage Pose???

The book “Game Change” put Harry Reid’s racial slip of the tongue on perpetual media spin but trouble in John and Cindy McCain's paradise has not gained equal traction. Although a safe bet that the main money tap of wife Cindy's Anheuser-Busch distributorship fortune is flowing freely, things in their multiple master bedrooms may be as dry as an Arizona desert. Landing like a fly on one of their bedroom walls for confirmation is unlikely, however, the odd couple’s philosophical split on gay marriage didn’t exactly expel WTF until now.

So, WTF were the NOH8 Campaign organizers thinking when Cindy McCain joined a host of celebrities who’ve posed for a pro gay marriage advertisement? Daughter Meghan who also stuck a pose said via Twitter, "I think more Republicans need to start taking a stand for civil rights in this country and set the example that this is not a partisan issue" according to http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/21/cindy-mccain-poses-for-ad-supporting-gay-marriage/.

Now that John has denied his wife First Lady status, a like Mother, like daughter reversal has emerged. Rebounding from her father’s defeat as if it were a mild hangover one minute, the youthful McCain woman was handed a huge shot at media stardom the next. Very little can dispel the campaign trail’s impression that Mama Cindy craves the limelight a tad more than money so riding piggyback is only self-fulfilling.

As they say, every picture tells a story and this one smeared in a thick Republican ploy to appear open-armed isn’t pretty. To demonstrate the GOP’s tendency to exclude rather than include, the same sex marriage issue drove conservatives to distance themselves from their own Log Cabin Republicans, a political arm whose members happen to be gay. If this is demonstrative of Michael Steele-branded unity, give me the Democrats’ disunity any day. Like Reid, the Republican Party Chairman has also been accused of vacillating similarly, saying one thing publicly and something else privately.

MLK's Successors to the Dream?

In salute to Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, The Daily Beast inked a predictable list of blacks presumed to be Dr. King’s successors. Among the top 13 chosen by 100 Black Men of America and the National Council of Negro Women, it came as a surprise that only three were women: Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Susan Taylor. No doubt, the successful blend of religion and social action thrust Reverends T.D.Jakes, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson into spotlighted recognition.

In some respects, the results seem more predicated on popularity than the creation of employee over shareholder wealth or greater civic than corporate upsides. No disrespect to the game-changing contributors, however, these very parameters represent the untenable foundation on which King firmly stood, where zest for social action had no correlation to personal wealth or the wealth of others.

Conversely, many black preacher men and women who likely wouldn’t gain mention have become quite un-King like, having graduated to greedier times that affix C-Note dreams to the ministerial mainstream. I'm afraid disenfranchised community flocks forced to live in environmental squalor have not kept priority’s pace with the church’s receipts of deposit in some instances.

Sliding from relevant social commentary ranks according to those polled, Dick Gregory also missed a top slot but there he was on “Imus in the Morning,” professing love for the radio host synonymous with “nappy headed hoes.” I understand the Christian doctrine of forgiveness but what motivated the salt and pepper-bearded Gregory to spout his love your bigoted brother sentiment on M.L.K. Day? Furthermore, how responsible was it to blurt out that blacks are still holding paper bag parties in Louisiana without substantive explanation? And on the Fox Business Network, the right-winged attack machine arm, of all places?

Even at 77, Dick Gregory stands to benefit from Dr. King’s ability to craft messages that resonated with his audiences and his razor-sharp recognition that some words require time and place specifics. It may be clear why Gregory didn’t break the top 13 standings, however, I’m still not convinced that all who did deserved to.

See the full list here: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-17/reverend-kings-successors/?cid=bs:archive7#gallery=1222;page=1.

What Harry Reid and Blacks Have in Common

If blacks are raising major cane about anything, Harry Reid’s reference to pre-president Barack Obama likely soared to a WTF meter high. The “light-skinned” black with “no Negro” dialect reference Reid made privately has publicly cast him as another white politician stuck in slavery’s muck. Systematic exclusion, where whites view lighter-skinned blacks more favorably than their darker counterparts, may have emanated in slavery but 2010 charts a social cancer uncured.

Like Reid, blacks who administer paper bag tests instead of open hearts and minds to establish the suitability of other blacks are equally culpable. Ain’t nothing like an educated fool and the sophisticated racism in which both blacks and whites sit comfortably perched is powerless to annul bigotry’s guilt. Until the caste system of skin color is abandoned, there can be no post-racial society.

See: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-10/harry-reid-was-right/

Note: The Reid quote appears in the new book "Game Change."

Guns and Gangsters in the NBA

Empty parking spaces at a typically bustling Galleria Mall offer incontestable evidence that the holidays are over. For several weeks, goodwill and peace on earth have been exalted to the highest, however, wouldn't a continued refrain from dishing the dirt be akin to balking social tradition?

Hardly a week into January, here we go again with scandal dripping from the neck of another rich and reckless black athlete like a thick gold chain. This time it’s the NBA’s Gilbert Arenas who could forfeit his hefty $111 million contract over allegedly pulling an unloaded pistol on a Washington Wizards teammate last December. His actions, presumably designed to intimidate, didn't include making good on the $60,000 gambling debt in dispute, unfortunately. Before the first month's first week ended, the league's big cheese deep fried an embroiled in hot grease Arenas, suspending him indefinitely without pay. D.C. authorities have yet to file formal charges.

Likely under duress from rumors hitching his baby mama to Shaq Daddy's monsterous wagon and a series of sub-par performances, it’s a wonder Gilbert didn’t get all ghetto gangster sooner. Ignorance and arrogance make an odd but common couple and talent is a terrible thing to waste especially when it affords a black man inflated earning power too miniscule to buy a moral compass. Trust, had this been an ordinary Negro in the workplace, the boys in blue would've been swiftly dispatched to bounce brothaman out.
For the latest, read the NY Post: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/grand_jury_to_look_into_arenas_crittenton_k5cOCO0Au3mnKoJmnLtLnK

2009 Holiday Review: Recession? Really?

I couldn’t help but howl that’s so yesterday when a friend waxed poetic about his latest electronics haul. Jeez, had his inbox rejected the recap circulated en masse detailing how “I need” TKO’d “I want” in our bout against a broken economy?

Many of us were well on our way to cashing the instant gratification check before reality cancelled self-indulgence’s platinum card. Against the fashionista grain, even well-heeled handbag fiends for the real thing began flinging replicas or declaring their own initials enough. In a blink, the good times’ roll screeched to a halt, mandating drastic lifestyle shifts.

However, if we ignore 2009’s dried-up credit lines, “all about me” and the microwave mentality - wanting what we wanted when we wanted it and not a minute too late - dominated the decade’s attitudes. Given the challenging muck through which we’ve collectively trudged, whether foreclosure, Hurricane Ike or lost revenue, wouldn’t it be prudent to retire the selfish streak’s long run?

Although filled with the usual fare of food fixings and white-bearded décor, this holiday season was dramatically different with shop ‘til you drop adherence registering a notable absence. Slashed or abbreviated gift lists shone a brighter light on Christmas’ true significance: It’s never been about the gifts we shop exhaustively for but God’s gift of eternal life through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ. Ultimately, ‘tis the reason for the season, not the continuously ringing retail bells beckoning debt.

I appreciated the material gifts some generously gave but gifts of love and friendship were equally special. Intangibles like these are particularly priceless because they cost nothing and never necessitate a box or a bow. In fact, one holiday highlight entailed reconnecting via numerous texts and email exchanges with high school and college chums I’ve not laid eyes on in years. Reaching out and touching successfully delivered a warm and fuzzy feeling that will likely stay with me throughout the year.

Given the me decade’s expiration 40 years ago, (yes, it’s been that long), it’s my wish that a bold spirit emblazoned with ‘more we and less me’ emerges in 2010. Happy New Year, New You!

New Me