Fantasia BarrinoGregory Kane, agrees with singer Fantasia Barrino that she got negative press coverage about her affair with a married man and alleged suicide attempt because she’s “too brown”. The conservative Republican columnist in Maryland writes: "Fantasia’s claim of bias against dark-skinned sisters may be just her attempt to play the victim after some bad publicity, but I have to admit that maybe she has something this time. Those scoffing at Fantasia’s claim will note that Jennifer Hudson is darker than Fantasia, performed in the same season of 'American Idol' and got voted off while Fantasia won. Hudson’s being a good deal heavier at the time probably didn’t help either (But DARN, doesn’t she look like a smokin’ hot babe now!). And, Fantasia’s critics (and Hudson’s fans) are likely to point out, Hudson never claimed that either her weight or her complexion were factors in her being voted off 'American Idol.' The sad truth is, they probably were. But we didn’t hear a peep from Fantasia then about sisters who are too dark or too brown (or too heavy) getting the shaft. Well, maybe she’s lived, and she’s learned."

He continues his commentary: "Would Beyonce be the superstar she is if she were, say, Hudson’s complexion? Wouldn’t somebody in the press have climbed all over both Hudson and Fantasia if either one had said, 'I wish I was born Latina?' Beyonce did precisely that, a few years ago, in an interview she gave to Latina magazine. The exact quote is this: 'I’m just jealous I wasn’t born Latina. I wish I had been because the culture is so beautiful.' The implication is that her own African-American culture – you know, the one whose music is the source of her fame and also changed her country and the world – isn’t beautiful, or, at the very least, is inferior to Latin culture. And that Latino culture Beyonce is so fond of isn’t what might be called 'Negro friendly.' Here’s how Beyonce ended the interview with Latina: 'I’m very grateful Latinos are embracing me.' Trust me, sister love, if you were Fantasia’s or Hudson’s complexion, there’d be a lot fewer Latinos and Latinas embracing you. Ditto for many white fans and, much as it pains me to say it, the same holds true for many African-Americans as well."

Booker Rising response: I agree that colorism remains in American society, in Latino cultures, around the world and within Black America. No way would Beyonce be a superstar if she was Fantasia's complexion. It's not coincidental that the American superstar female singers who are embraced the world over are either white (e.g., Lady Gaga, Katy Perry) or mulattoes/de facto mulattoes (Beyonce, Rihanna, Alicia Keys). Even dark-skinned R&B diva Mary J. Blige doesn't quite touch this group. However, I'm not convinced that colorism played the primary role in Fantasia's negative publicity (vs. say, homewrecker Alicia Keys). Like Keys, Fantasia is a homewrecker (and to be fair, Keys was getting her share of condemnation - at least in the black blogosphere - for her actions).. But what differentiates Fantasia's situation from Keys' situation is the suicide attempt. That's what took her publicity to a new level.

To comment on "Fantasia's Right - We're Still Color Struck" post, click here.

Neoafricain: "8 Semaines (8 Weeks)!"

The French conservative blogger wonders about November's election (original op-ed in French): "This year the main challenge will be to discover if the Obama fraud is laid bare. 44th President of the United States was brought to the White House amid severe economic crisis and on the basis of his alleged ability to resolve major international crises (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, North Korea, pollution destroying the planet, world hunger, etc..) Needless to say, after nearly two years of two years in office, the Democratic administration fails almost everywhere. And reforms will exacerbate the problem, including the notorious health care reform. Nobody understands her foreign policy line. Iran will likely have a nuclear bomb, North Korea can sleep soundly, Russia is quietly advancing its pawns in Georgia, Ukraine and throughout Central Asia, China is installed everywhere in Africa."

He continues: "A Camp Obama defeat in eight weeks will mark a stop in the most politically leftist agenda and will mean a better consideration of the risks posed by rogue states. This would be a victory for opponents who live in those states which, given the contempt displayed by Washington against the Iranian street revolts last year, understand that this president was is more concerned with blaming his country than fighting against tyranny and terrorism."

Michael Steele: "The 'Fire Pelosi' Bus Tour Will Take It Straight To The Streets"

From The Hill, about the moderate-conservative chairman of the Republican National Committee: "On Fox News' 'Hannity' show Friday evening, Steele said the bus, to be unveiled around Sept. 14, would be 'decked out in red' with the slogan aimed at the speaker of the House: 'Need a job? Fire [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi.'

More: "'This is a 50-state strategy that the party's never done before.' Steele said. 'We have taken the last seven or eight months, hunkered down and figured out where do we need to go to be the most effective.' He said the effort would pull together efforts to get candidates in front of voters and get people on the ground to help drive turnout in November's midterm elections."

To comment on "The U.S. Midterm Election: Bookerista Perspectives" post, click here.

Ethiopian immigrants in the neighborhood sometimes nicknamed "Little Ethiopia" are starting to flex their political muscle in Democratic Party politics in America's capitol. From Washington City Paper: "The Ethiopian community has been a rising cultural and economic force for decades now — 9th Street NW restaurateur Tutu Belay’s Ethiopian Yellow Pages for local businesses, which started out 17 years ago at 80 pages, now weighs in at over 1,000. Centered around 9th and U streets NW, the community has become the most visible ethnic presence in the surrounding area, with other clusters of businesses in Adams Morgan, Petworth and along the Maryland border near Silver Spring. But they haven’t thrown their weight around politically, many still hesitant about opposing authorities after leaving their country to avoid political persecution ( [Ethiopian Community Services and Development Council head Daniel] Belayneh himself was a member of the constitutional assembly of Ethiopia before he was jailed for protesting the government). There’s no Ethiopian PAC, no caucus, no official mayoral forum."

The article continues about how Ethiopian taxi drivers, shop owners, real estate developers, and activists are upset with what they contend is Mayor Adrian Fenty's ambivalence about their community: "This year, that started to change. Over the last few months, Ethiopians have been hosting fundraisers, canvassing door to door, and spreading the word in churches — almost all on behalf of challenger Vincent Gray. Like much of the rest of the campaign, things could have been different for Adrian Fenty, if only he had paid his respects."

To comment on "Little Ethiopia Grows Up" post, click here.

She isn't feeling the buzz around Willow Smith's new song (which was released on Tuesday) and has now led to a record deal. The conservative blogger in metro Atlanta,Ga. writes: "Everyone knows that Jay Z guided Rihanna’s career. And the fact that Jay Z is a close friend of the Smiths — and even produced the Broadway musical Fela! along with Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith — proves that this move is calculated to jump start the career of a 9-year-old who should be allowed to grow up normally. The announcement that Willow Smith is signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation Records came as no surprise. What is surprising is the level that narcissists Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith are willing go to pimp their precocious children to the world. And even worse, Jay Z comes off looking like a pedophile pimping a small child for his own selfish purposes."

Ms. Rose continues her commentary about Willow Smith: "While 'Whip My Hair' is cute, and the annoying hook is catchy, everyone is forgetting that Willow is a 9-year-old child singing a club track that is certainly not age-appropriate for kids her age. Willow’s single is drawing praise from music critics everywhere. But the praise will come to a crashing halt once Willow attempts to perform her single live onstage. That’s when everyone will see her for what she is — a semi-talented 9-year-old girl who should be playing with Barbie dolls."

Booker Rising response: Sandra is just upset that lil' Willow upstaged her beloved Rihanna on her song release day. The lyrics to Willow's song aren't adult. Willow sounds like a well-adjusted girl (listen to her here). Any lil' black girl who loves Billy Idol is alright with me. I don't favor having 9-year-olds in entertainment though. Ms. Rose forgets that Jay-Z is also a businessman, and there is a vacancy in the black tween entertainment market (now that Raven Symone and Bow Wow are grown, and where's Lil Mama?).

To comment on "What's The Deal?" post, click here.

From the Associated Press: "South Africa's murder rate, one of the highest in the world, has dropped by 8.6 percent to its lowest level in nearly two decades, according to statistics released Thursday. Authorities credited better policing for the decline. Officers had stepped up their efforts in preparation for the World Cup in June and July, when South Africa hosted hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors."

More: "Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the number of murders had dropped below 17,000 for the first time since authorities starting keeping nationwide statistics in 1994. Attempted murder was down by 6.1 percent, sexual offenses by 4.4 percent and armed robbery by 7.5 percent, he said. Assault with grievous bodily harm marginally decreased by 0.5 percent, he added."

To comment on "South Africa: Murder Rate Drops By 8.6%" post, click here.

From the Associated Press (hat tip: Carol M. Swain): "Abracadabra, we'll turn all of you into toads! That's what Romanian senators may have been fearing when they rejected a proposal to tax witches and fortune tellers. Lawmakers Alin Popoviciu and Cristi Dugulescu of the ruling Democratic Liberal Party drafted a law where witches and fortune tellers would have to produce receipts, and would also be held liable for wrong predictions, a measure which was part of the government's drive to increase revenue. Romania's Senate voted down the proposal Tuesday. Popoviciu claimed lawmakers were frightened of being cursed. It's unclear if Popoviciu and Dugulescu will try to redraft the law."

More: "Maria Campina, a well-known Romanian witch, told Realitatea TV Thursday it is difficult to tax thousands of fortune tellers and witches partly because of the erratic sums of money they receive. Romania is in a severe economic downturn and is trying to raise revenue from taxes. The government hiked sales tax from 19 to 24 percent, and slashed public sector wages by one-fourth. In 2009, Romania negotiated a euro20 billion ($26 billion) loan with the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the World Bank to help pay state wages and pensions last year, when the country's economy shrank by 7.1 percent."

Discuss "Romanian Witches & Fortune Tellers: Tea Party Activists?" post here.

USA's only black elected governor is  battling to keep his job. Politics Daily discusses the liberal Democrat: "Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick still holds the lead in his bid for re-election over Republican Charlie Baker and independent Tim Cahill, but still looks vulnerable in the state's gubernatorial contest, according to a poll conducted Aug. 29-31 for State House News Service. Patrick leads Baker, a former health insurance executive, by 34 percent to 28 percent with Cahill, a Democrat-turned-independent who is the state's Treasurer, at 18 percent. Green Party candidate Jill Stein gets 4 percent. The margin of error is 4.8 points. But that margin for Patrick hardly looks impregnable given that 56 percent of those surveyed disapprove of his performance as governor."

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Armstrong Williams: "Obama's Unfinished Business In Iraq" 

The conservative Republican commentator in D.C. argues that the Obama administration would love to turn the page on its Iraq policies, and hope the American people never find out the real mess that President Obama has left in his wake as the last combat brigades withdraws: "Whether or not he says so, Mr. Obama now owns the issue of Iraq. The withdrawal of combat troops on some arbitrary timetable was his idea. Yet his failure to secure the diplomatic side of this calculus [with a lack of a clear-cut coalition government in Iraq] will cost his administration dearly if Iraq continues down this path or, worse, slips into a sectarian civil war. If we're not careful, what will result is a return of American forces to the country to clean up a radioactive mess."

Lenny McAllister: "How Iraq Ties Bush And Obama Together"

The conservative Republican commentator in North Carolina writes: "Many of Iraq's top leaders were noticeably absent from the transition-of-power ceremony in Iraq led by Vice President Biden. It was a sign that this new phase of U.S. military operation was not warmly welcomed by those positioning themselves within the new structure of power in Iraq. The months-long stalemate over rebuilding the Iraqi government, coupled with the dangers for Iraqis that still linger within the nation, have cast a pall on the American pullout."

More from Mr. McAllister: "Although the animosity may never reach the point where Iraqi reporters throw shoes at him as one did at Bush, President Obama may suffer the lingering disgust of a nation whose sovereignty is tied to his commitment to continue -- and to be successful -- with an unpopular initiative. If the formation of the Iraqi government is further delayed during Operation New Dawn -- particularly if Sunni-led insurgency efforts resume -- Presidents Bush and Obama will be tied together in the history of the Iraqi War by more than the surge. Both men will be seen as dangerously similar by Iraqis and their neighbors: as leaders who brought death and upheaval to their doorsteps without the resources, know-how or persistence to guarantee something better to replace the government they overthrew. If this occurs at the westward border of a nuclear Iran, it may sadly take another initiative -- or even another American president - to defuse the animosity before more lives are lost."

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According to Gallup's polling (hat tip: John Hope Bryant): "Minority and young voters made a significant mark on the 2008 presidential election with their high turnout; today, however, these groups appear to have reverted to previous levels of interest in voting in the context of midterm elections. Most notably, in contrast to 2008, when whites and blacks were about equally likely to say they were giving 'quite a lot of' or 'some' thought to the presidential election, whites are much more likely than blacks to be thinking about the 2010 elections: 42% vs. 25%, a gap exceeding those from recent midterm elections.

More: "The gap between young adults (aged 18 to 29) and older adults (aged 30+) in their election attention levels was relatively narrow in 2008 -- 12 percentage points -- but the 23-point difference today (42% vs. 19%) is similar to the average 26-point gap seen in October-November of prior midterms, from 1994 through 2006. Again, this suggests that the relatively higher turnout of young voters in 2008 may not be repeated in 2010."

 The ramifications: "Earlier this year, President Obama identified women, blacks, and young voters among the groups he highlighted as critical to a voter mobilization effort designed to help the Democrats hold their congressional majority. These groups made up a good portion of the 'new voters' who propelled Obama to victory in 2008. However, Gallup data suggest they are not poised to provide the same kind of boost for Democratic candidates this fall. As a result, and because of the extraordinarily keen interest in the elections that conservative Republicans currently display, Republicans overall currently enjoy a 54% to 30% lead over Democrats in 'thought given to the election.' If these numbers hold, the preservation of the Democratic majority in Congress would depend on the Democrats' increasing their appeal to voters at large -- recent Gallup polling shows the Democrats trailing the Republicans among registered voters -- rather than counting on heightened turnout from their strongest backers."

Discuss "Blacks, Young Voters Not Poised For High Turnout" post, click here. 

The South African center-right columnist opposes the Marxist-oriented Congress of South African Trade Unions' (COSATU) advocacy of a "solidarity tax" on the countries top 10% income earners. He argues that COSATU's proposal won't take South Africa from its current 3% annual economic growth to the 7% annual growth that it needs to put a dent in poverty, but instead take South Africa back to negative growth: "To say that the idea is daft is to be charitable. Trade union leaders have over the past two months been going on and on about how there is massive income inequality in South Africa, and their answer is to punish the rich? The truth is that we are making too few entrepreneurial millionaires in South Africa (meaning no job creation and more poverty at the bottom end), too few billionaires (meaning no job creation and more poverty at the bottom end) and creating too few new enterprises (meaning no jobs and more poverty at the bottom end)."

He continues his commentary: "The poor do not need 'solidarity taxes' and government hand-outs. They need jobs. Over the past few weeks we have been given a master lesson in the fact that Cosatu has absolutely no interest in creating jobs for the poor. Instead, Cosatu has led hundreds of thousands of civil servants onto the streets to demand higher wages that are far above current inflation. The upshot is that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will have to find an extra R7-billion to pay these workers. And where is that money going to come from? It will come from money earmarked for job creation projects, infrastructure spend and educational initiatives. It will be money into pockets of union members. It will not be money for the poor."

To comment on "Taxing The Limits Of Reason" post, click here.

Mayor Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray, the frontrunnersEven though all of the leading candidates in he Democratic primary for Washington, D.C.'s mayoral race are blacks. From The Washington Times (hat tip: Carol M. Swain): "Mr. [Vincent] Gray injected the race issue into the campaign again Monday, telling reporters that Mr. [Adrian] Fenty's Cabinet does not reflect the racial makeup of the city 'by virtue of his own appointments.' Mr. Gray then noted that the top three positions in public education — the deputy mayor for education, the schools chancellor and the school superintendent — as well as the police chief, fire chief and attorney general, are not black. 'How can there not be one African-American leader in that cluster?' Mr. Gray asked. Fenty campaign spokesman Sean Madigan was unavailable for comment. A message left for him at campaign headquarters was not returned. Mr. Fenty, who has struggled to connect in the campaign with voters in heavily black wards of the city, has said repeatedly while campaigning that he makes appointments based on individual qualifications, not race."

The District of Columbia is Washington's legal nameThe article continues about the race: "The mayor cites the new and newly renovated schools, libraries and recreation centers that were built east of the Anacostia River, where the mostly black population faces jobless rates that are two to three times higher than the citywide rate of 9.8 percent. But Mr. Fenty's outreach still has left him trailing in the polls in his quest for a second four-year term, and the surveys of Democratic voters reveal a yawning racial gap."

More: "According to a Clarus telephone poll of 501 Democrats conducted Aug. 15-16, Mr. Fenty had a 42-percentage-point lead among whites, while Mr. Gray had a 38-point lead among blacks. Mr. Gray was elected to the D.C. Council in 2005 and became chairman two years later. The polls also reveal a stark racial divide in favorability ratings for the two lead candidates. Mr. Gray is viewed favorably by 70 percent of the city's blacks, but by just 39 percent of the city's white voters. In contrast, Mr. Fenty's favorability rating is much stronger among whites (63 percent) than among blacks (33 percent)."

To comment on "D.C. Mayoral Race Defined  By Race" post, click here.

The pressure is on Rev. Terry Jones of the World Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla. to not go through with the scheduled burning. General Petraeus, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, the White House, and even the Pope have voiced their opposition to the provocative bonfire. However, Rev. Jones ain't backing down (hat tip: Carol M. Swain). Rev. Jones says that he has received more than 100 death threats since announcing in July that he would stage "International-Burn-A-Quran Day". The Koran, according to Rev. Jones, is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims. Bookeristas are split over the proposed bonfire:

PRO: Kenneth Durden: "Fear Of Backlash Over Koran Burning? What About Bible Burning?" 

The libertarian-conservative blogger writes: "The media is in a frenzy over one loon in Florida deciding to burn a Koran. Our military officials are even afraid that the Middle East will melt down over this. How stupid is that? It's stupid, not that officials are worried about violence, but that there is a real possiblity that thousands of people might die over the actions of one idiot. Do Christians go on murderous rampages when Muslims burn Bibles? No. You probably haven't ever heard about the following:

• Christians in Gaza Fear for Their Lives as Muslims Burn Bibles and Destroy Crosses
• Australia: Muslim boys caught urinating and spitting on, burning Bible
• US military burns [B]ibles out of fear of offending Muslims in Afghanistan 
• Muslims burn 6 Christians to death (oops, that's people)
• Bible, crucifixes not allowed in Saudi Arabia

The reality is that Muslims have been angry and attacking Christians for decades. What they haven't seen are angry Christians fighting back."


CON: Jennifer Carroll: "Quran Burning"

Florida State Rep. Jennifer Carroll, a conservative Republican who is running for lieutenant governor in the state, voices her opposition in a CNN article: "“We have to look at it as a moral issue, it’s a sensitivity issue, and we should not be supporting something like that,' state Rep. Jennifer Carroll told reporters Wednesday at a campaign event in Lakeland, the Scott campaign’s first public comments about the controversial protest. [Rick] Scott is battling Democrat Alex Sink in the governor’s race. Asked to clarify if she believes the protest should be allowed to proceed, Carroll's spokeswoman Erin Isaac responded: 'No.'"

More: "Carroll also said she 'would not agree' with Jones’ characterization of Islam as 'evil.'"


PRO: Social Media Users: "Muslims Shouldn't Get Special Treatment"

Duchess Paige, a Republican in California, writes on Facebook: "Who gives a frak. In Africa they don't burn Bibles, they burn Christians. At least they are just burning Qu'rans."

Rev. James Manning, a pastor in New York City, puts up a video on his Twitter page. He argues that zero tolerance for Islam is the right path for America: "The man [Rev. Jones] is simply trying to say that something is happening our nation that is not good. Our nation is being destroyed and he's taking a Christian stand....There is no way you can live in peace with Muslims. You just can't do it. And you can't do it for several reasons. One, and not the most significant, is Muslims don't want peace. They want world domination and you need to get that through your liberal, politically correct, Tea Party tolerance head. "

Mr. Ref, a conservative in North Carolina, writes on Twitter: "Lessons in faux outrage: the ones that are so outraged about burning Qurans? You wouldn['t] hear a peep out of them if it was a [B]ible." He continues: "Bibles get burned all of the time and people claim freedom of expression. Those same people are calling for restraining orders now."

RainMan, a secular conservative, posted a YouTube video on his Facebook page: (warning: this video link contains foul language): "WHO GIVES A F___K? I'M TIRED OF THESE ASSHOLE MUSLIMS BEING CATERED TO. THEY BURN OUR FLAG AND OUR BIBLES, YET THREATEN TO KILL AND DESTROY IF WE BURN THEIR QURAN. OUR LEADERS ARE QUEEFS. THEY WON'T STAND UP TO THESE F___DS, BUT BOW LIKE LITTLE B___S TO WHATEVER THE MUSLIMS SAY. THEIR ONLY MISSION IS TO HAVE ISLAM BE THE MAIN RELIGION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT TO STOP THESE M____S WE HAVE TO START RETALIATING - SHOW THEM WE CAN GET JUST AS CRAZY AS THEY CAN."

CON: Social Media Users: "Ignorance, Insult, & Bigotry"

Akindele Akinyemi, a conservative Republican in Detroit, Mich., writes on Facebook that Christians have bigger fish to fry: "While we have bigots who want to burn Qur'an's on 9/11 in churches Florida we still have people going to church who cannot read their own Bible. If your congregation is illiterate then why are we wasting time dealing with other faiths? There are 6 billion people on this planet...learn to get along with those who want peace and prosperity."

Walaa Idris, a Conservative Party activist in London whose family are Sudanese Muslims, discusses on Twitter a planned Muslim protest in Western cities where American-flag-burning will occur: "Burning the Koran is an insult to Islam & Muslims all over, however burning any flag is disrespectful to a nation and not at all the same."

Princella Smith, a conservative Republican in Arkansas, writes on Twitter: "Somebody tell this man that burning the Koran is answering ignorance with ignorance."

D. Williams, a conservative Republican in North Carolina, writes on Twitter: "I'm not a fan of destroying anyone's religious item be it jewelry, books or other items, however, I do detest certain people who oppose the burning of the Quran but sat quietly while Bible were being burned in public." He continues: "To the Pastor who is leading the charge to burn Muslim religious books, are you acting on GOD's behalf or on your own accord?"

Charles Payne: "While We Wallow And Finger-Point"

The FOX News business analyst and conservative in New York City isn't feeling U.S. President Barack Obama's proposed $300 billion in tax breaks for business: "The overture to business is too little, too late, and does nothing for sustained job creation. It also isn't going to help small business much either. When President Bush put up similar breaks for office equipment I didn't take the bait because I didn't need new copiers or printers, I needed more clients. I needed the stock market to move higher to assuage fears not just from investors, but from everyone still feeling the sting of the internet bubble bursting. The President seems to have made the decision to make minor, and somewhat irrelevant, compromises and rely on his ability to get friendly crowds going. Of course, it's easy when your crowd feels inherently like they are victims. At this point, watching union workers that make twice the money as their non-union counterparts make crow about injustice is sickening, but points to the culture of victimization."

Herman Cain: "Businesses Are Hoarding Cash!"

Asserts the conservative Republican businessman in Georgia, who is the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza: "According to the Federal Reserve, businesses are hoarding about $1.8 trillion in cash. There are three reasons for that phenomenon. It’s their money. It’s their money. And it’s their money. It’s their money to pay down debt. It’s their money to pay dividends to their stockholders. It’s their money to make an acquisition, or save some reserves in case the economy gets worse. In all likelihood the economy is going to get worse. It['s] theirs. It’s also their money to burn at the company picnic if they choose. But the White House and liberals want businesses to just spend it to create jobs to help mask the failed economic policies of this administration and Democrat-controlled Congress."

He argues that business are being savvy by not starting to spend their hard-earned cash on business expansion based on President Obama's speeches and promises: "To repeat myself and the sentiment of many others, the president, his administration and most members of Congress still don’t get it, and they are certainly not listening to any ideas other than their own. You stimulate the creation of jobs by reducing an employer’s cost to keep people employed (less taxes), and by reducing the cost of a business to grow their business (fewer regulations), and then leave taxes low and cease the regulatory onslaught on American businesses (more certainty). If these things happen, then the economy will grow and jobs will be created."

Samuel Gonzalez: "Businesses Shift Donations To The Republicans"

The conservative Republican in New York City wirtes: "The say that money is the mother’s milk of politics. If that is the case, then American business interests such as prominent Wall Street firms, energy companies, manufacturers, lobbying operations and other groups are realizing just how hostile Barack Obama’s big government, big spending ways hurt the bottom line. Obmam [sic] hates capitalism and despite what comes out his mouth, he is waging a war against capital investment that helped rocket the strongest economy in the world. But, Obama believes there is a point where enough is enough for big business and it['s] time to share the wealth. Even a firm controlled by the brother of Clinton's former chief of staff is shifting their donations in a conservative direction. That says something doesn’t it?"

To comment on "Obama & Business: Bookerista Perspectives" post, click here.

Rama Yade is upset about the situationRama Yade, the moderate-conservative French Secretary of State for Sport and the country's former human rights minister, pens an open letter to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani (letter originally in French): "In the cell where the Iranian judiciary has kept you, you may not hear all the global tumult that the injustice of your conviction has had. Your face and your name is now tattooed into our consciousness: they are in the heart of all those people campaigning for human rights and their universality apply to all men and women. Today, I think your first son Sajjad, whose determination helped draw world attention to the barbarity of the ruling that strikes you, shows his courage that Iranian youth will continue to fight for asserting its commitment to the rule of law and its values of justice and humanity."

Secretary Yade continues her letter to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani: "Throughout the world, intellectuals, politicians, public figures, and thousands of anonymous activists have demanded your release. France has mobilized as a single citizen to assert your right to prevent the ignominy of your scheduled sentence. The President of the Republic has made a lot of your personal matter: France, by its voice, is responsible for you, and strongly denounces the use of the death penalty whose persistence, at the dawn of the third millennium, is a dismal anachronism. Like the plight of women, your judicial system is medieval."

Sakineh Mohammadi AshtianiMore: "In France, summer has ended, and hundreds of thousands of children make their way back to classes. I think of them in addressing you. In classrooms, teachers educate them that their rights do not decline by background, and that gender equality is at the heart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, where they learn that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person and that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. They are very young, Sakineh, to tell them of the ignoble fate that the Iranian justice system has assigned you. The struggle that unites us to you is for the future of all children in Iran, France and elsewhere. Also, I would tell you how you became so dear to all who defend you, how we became essential that you find your son, how I long that you are returned to the serenity that was removed from you."

UPDATE: Due to international outcry, the Iranian government halted Ashtiani's sentence of death by stoning for adultery (which she was convicted of in 2006). However, she still faces allegations of collaborating in her husband's murder (charges which emerged just weeks ago).

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From the Associated Press (hat tip: African American Conservatives): "Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine, asked if Cuba's economic system was still worth exporting to other countries, and [Fidel] Castro replied: 'The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore.' Goldberg wrote Wednesday in a post on his Atlantic blog. He said Castro made the comment casually over lunch following a long talk about the Middle East, and did not elaborate. The Cuban government had no immediate comment on Goldberg's account."

The article continues about the Cuban system: "Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba has clung to its communist system. The state controls well over 90 percent of the economy, paying workers salaries of about $20 a month in return for free health care and education, and nearly free transportation and housing. At least a portion of every citizen's food needs are sold to them through ration books at heavily subsidized prices. President Raul Castro and others have instituted a series of limited economic reforms, and have warned Cubans that they need to start working harder and expecting less from the government. But the president has also made it clear he has no desire to depart from Cuba's socialist system or embrace capitalism. Fidel Castro stepped down temporarily in July 2006 due to a serious illness that nearly killed him. He resigned permanently two years later, but remains head of the Communist Party."

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“Freedom of speech, as I know it, is freedom of speech in the West. I do not know of any other civilization, of any other culture where freedom of speech and the institutions that protect it, were born and have matured and become such a fabric of democracy anywhere else in the world. Not in China, not in the Middle East, not in Africa.” — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Somali-born libertarian feminist and former Dutch parliamentarian

To comment on "9/8 Quote Of The Day" post, click here.

Yeah, I side-eyed that statement too. Especially since Guam has far fewer people than Chicago's South Side alone (178,000 vs. 752,000). However, the island territory bloc helped put the moderate-conservative politico over the top in last year's Republican National Committee race and he's preparing for his re-election campaign. From Pacific Daily News (Guam): "'The Republican [P]arty winning here in Guam sends a message across the country about our readiness, our competitiveness and our willingness to work for victory,' Steele told the crowd of approximately 100 people. But, while winning the upcoming November elections for Republicans took up much of Steele's speech, the visit was also tinged with the aspirations of local politicians to forge better ties with the Republican party on the eve of the upcoming military buildup."



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Stephen BrodenThe conservative Republican, who is running against incumbent Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) in Texas' 30th Congressional District, writes on his website: "Our campaign has received copies of letters sent by Eddie Bernice Johnson in 2006 in which she directed the CBC Scholarship Foundation to have scholarship monies for her own grandchildren and other relatives [who did not live or study in the congressional district, as required by Congressional Black Caucus Foundation rules] paid out by CBC via personal checks made payable directly to her grandchildren and great-nephews. In one letter she requests that for a non-family member the scholarship check be payable to and sent to the college [per the CBCF rules], but for her relatives that the checks be directly paid to her family members."

He continues about the liberal Democrat: "Contrary to Johnson's statement in the Dallas Morning News on September 3rd that she has not 'dwelled on figuring out how to give my grandchildren $1,000 a year' she apparently has done exactly that. Congresswoman Johnson not only abused the CBC scholarship fund program by awarding scholarships to ineligible family members instead of deserving District 30 students -- she made sure that the money went right to their wallets. District 30 residents deserve better leadership in Washington. Eddie Bernice Johnson has violated the voters’ trust and cheated the dreams of our outstanding young students."

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson The Dallas Morning News separately received said documents. The newspaper writes: "Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson apparently asked the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to send scholarship checks directly to her two grandsons and two great-nephews, rather than to their colleges.Johnson has insisted repeatedly that she left scholarship decisions to aides. But two letters she sent the foundation from 2006 undermine claims that she wasn't involved in obtaining $31,000 for her relatives and two other ineligible recipients. Neither her aides nor the foundation responded to repeated requests to discuss the letters, which were obtained separately by The Dallas Morning News and by Johnson's GOP challenger, Stephen Broden, who released them Tuesday. But the letters suggest a far more direct role for the Dallas Democrat than she acknowledged in the last week after revelations by The News that she awarded at least 23 scholarships to her relatives and the children of a top staffer – in violation of the foundation's nepotism and residency rules."

The newspaper adds: "Officials at the House ethics committee and the Office of Congressional Ethics, which also looks into allegations of wrongdoing by U.S. House members, have declined to say whether Johnson's actions will be investigated."

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The protests are disrupting services throughout the country. The state pension fund will lose 10.7 billion euros ($13.6 billion) this year, with the shortfall reaching 50 billion euros in 2020 if there are no policy changes. Unions and the opposition Socialist Party (of course) want to keep the retirement age at 60, and raise taxes on capital and high earners. However, center-right President Nicolas Sarkozy ain't budging from reforms. Bookeristas weigh in:

Neoafricain: "La France Qui Veut Perdre (The France That Wants To Lose)"
 
The French conservative blogger argues that the protesters are trying to ruin France with their selfishness (original op-ed in French): "It is clear everywhere that longer life expectancy inevitably leads to adjustments to the legal retirement age Everywhere it is clear that maintaining a PAYG [pay-as-you-go] system with fewer and fewer assets (and also more and more people who deliberately choose unemployment status in order to take advantage of the system), in time requires reform to ensure its funding [for the future]. But in France, hundreds of thousands of people have decided to strike to defend their gains against all odds. And against French interests. Supported by the extreme left and the more radical unions, the strikes are a sad reflection on the state of France's political opposition."

Kenneth Durden: "Protests In France Over Government Cuts" 

The American libertarian-conservative blogger opines about the French protests: "Europeans are protesting in the streets as governments across the continent try to avoid bankruptcy by reducing the size of the welfare state. Euros have gotten so used to being on the government teet that they can't imagine taking care of themselves. The French get to retire at 60 and they're freaking out over retirement being raised to 62. Pathetic."

He continues his commentary: "These protests prove two things.

1. Once people become dependent on government, it's hard to get them to be self-reliant again.
2. In whatever system, even socialism, nothing is free and you eventually run out of other people['s] money.

Somehow our brilliant leaders in the US can't see what's happening in Europe. Either they can't see or they intend to collapse our system."

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Booker Rising mentioned this project back in April. Well, it's now finalized. American actor Kelsey Grammer backs RightNetwork, a new U.S. network that provides entertainment for conservatives. From ABC News (hat tip: Carol M. Swain): "Investors hope that the support of a conservative audience that has made Fox News Channel and radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh successful could also work for entertainment programming, said Kevin McFeeley, RightNetwork's president. 'We feel the precedent has been set,' he said. Grammer, the Emmy-winning star of 'Frasier,' said the network represented a desire by him and some political friends 'to stop allowing people who hate us to define us.' 'If you have NBC, ABC, you have entire networks flooded with a very particular point of view,' he said. 'They won't admit it, but it's clearly the way it is. There's plenty of room for us.'"

Booker Rising response: The concept is good, but I'm not feeling the results so far. It ain't a good look to go to the RightNetwork website to see the full lineup, see a "All That's Right With The World" tagline, and no black, Hispanic, or Asian conservatives in the mix. The only color on that website is President Obama, and that's in a mocking manner ("ObamaHood", as in Robin Hood). Right now, it's looking like "WhiteNetwork". Do better!

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