I Couldn't Agree More...

"I think the Republicans should just apologize for the Bush & Cheney years and not run anybody in this election."

- Hillary Clinton

I know I've done a little Hillary bashing lately but, when a person is right, they are right. I watched the debate last night and I must say I was impressed with what both candidates had to say. I realize that, ideologically, there isn't too much difference between either candidate. I don't have a problem with either one being in the White House but, I just can't reconcile myself with a continuation of Bush & Cheney, i.e. McCain. I feel as though he's smarter and has more savy than Bush & Co. (no mean feat there) but, I'm ready for a radical change at this point.

I wish the Republicans weren't running anybody this time too. It reminds me of an old Three Stooges gag in which Moe slaps Larry, who is innocent of an offense. In what was rare for him, Moe actually apologizes to Larry... "Gee kid, I'm really sorry." Larry keeps whining and says... "Well don't let it happen again." Exasperated, Moe says to him (after he slaps him again) "Look, I said I'm sorry so, shut up!"

That's what the Republican Party is doing to the American people... they're slapping us in the face and saying... "Look, we said we are sorry for the war, the lies, the sinking economy, and everything else... now, shut up!"

Tavis Smiley

TAVISTALKS.COM

A while ago, Tavis Smiley hosted his "State of The Black Union" forum and invited all of the current Presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton came, John McCain came and missing was Barack Obama. Barack's wife, Michelle, offered to come in his place but, Tavis wasn't having it. He wanted Barack and no substitutes. He began a war or words with Barack that hasn't let up.

Recently, at the 40th commemoration of Dr. King's assassination in Memphis, again, Obama did not show... Clinton and McCain did... and Tavis threw another "hissy fit" (Have I been out of the loop... where was I during the past 39 commemorations?)

Fans of the popular Tom Joyner Morning Show, of which Tavis is a part, have been letting Tavis "have it" recently for his "undermining of black history and destiny", as I have heard it. Because of this, Tavis has decided to leave the Tom Joyner show. I happen to like and respect Tavis Smiley a lot and I really wish he would reconsider. It seems as if his ego has been bruised by the battering he has been taking.

Fellow blogger Jimi Izrael wrote:

"It's taken his treatment of Barack Obama for Smiley's listenership to finally step back and see him for who he truly is... yet another professional negro suiting up to be "King of All Blacks", determined to profit off the pathology of black people by boxing them in with groupthink and impotent black history month-style sloganeering. Smiley's rhetoric is just relevant enough to make black people angry at whites but, not relevant enough to affect change. Truly brilliant thinkers have the ability to listen and consider everyone's point of view without rancor or withering. Smiley reveals himself to be a poser. He's thinks he's smart enough to tell black America what to do but, not smart enough to listen to their criticism. "

I think that this, while it may have some basis in the truth, is a bit harsh. Tavis is a thoughtful and brilliant brother, what my grandfather would've called a "race man" like Adam Clayton Powell, Cecil B. Moore, and Malcolm X. We need more "race men" to speak for those who can't or won't speak for themselves. I don't want Tavis to leave the national radio forum. It pains me that he and Obama are having this difficulty.

One person I was talking to about this said that Tavis should realize that "Obama is campaigning to be President of the entire United States... not just Black America and that he is not going to be able to appear at every black thing." True, but if I were Obama, I would've gone to at least one of those two events. It looks bad when even your white counter parts can make it to something like that and you can't.

That said...I hope that we as black people can learn to put ego aside, look at the big picture, and keep it moving. The "crabs in the barrel" mentality could come back to bite someone in the
butt!

As I've said before, this election is ours to lose...

Proud To Be A Blogger!

FD's Flickr Toy: Badge Maker

There are days when I am glad that I'm not a politician. I don't have to mince my words. I don't have to worry that something I say will offend someone and cost me my job. I also don't have to worry or care about being misunderstood, misquoted, or having whatever I said taken out of context. I can speak my mind. I can say the things that maybe some politicians are actually thinking but, won't say. I am an "arrogant windbag known as a blogger", as one talking head who I will not give the dignity of naming here on my blog said of bloggers. The funny thing about it is, the man who said this has a blog of his own and something I don't have... a television show, and he is viewed by many as an arrogant windbag himself.

I don't mind being called arrogant... I've been called worse. I was in the U.S. Military for twenty-some years and I was a sergeant so, go figure. I've been called "opinionated". I was on the debate team when I was in college and was known for using, let's say, "creative" tactics to bolster my point of view. One time I actually won a debate over an opponent who I agreed with in principle. I'm happy that I can use this blog to expose nonsense when I see and read it.

This "Obama is an elitist" crap is the latest. I know that I discussed this on two posts yesterday but, I basically was reporting it and not pontificating on it the way I should have. I wasn't going to write about it today but, I read somebody else's blog... somebody who is insulted by Obama's comments and I decided to speak on this again. Hillary Clinton and John McCain have seized on this "issue" and probably will seize on everything he says from now until election day. This is politics... this is the nature of the game. They want to win... he wants to win. If there is no issue, they will create one...That's the game but, lets be fair.

I'm from the big city... Philadelphia, PA. The joke about Pennsylvania is that, "in between Philly and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania might as well be Mississippi." Do you know who said that? Not Barack Obama but rather, my grandfather, Prince Albert Martin (1890-1972). He always said that and it wasn't until I was about 18 years old that I knew what he meant.

I was riding the bus from Philly to the college I attended in Shippensburg, which is about 30 miles outside of the state capital. For the first time in my life, I saw the beautiful farmland, trees, and quaint small town life that resembled nothing I was used to in the inner city streets of Philadelphia. For the first time, I met white people who had never seen a black person, except on television. (I kid you not). In these towns, there were more churches than anything else. In these towns, everybody had a gun or rifle because the men and boys did a lot of hunting and fishing. Also, in some of these places, a lot of racism and isolationism ferments because racists like the KKK and The Aryan Nations play on people's economic fears by telling them that the "Jews and the Niggers in Philly, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh are taking all of the good jobs from us." Now, I know that to be true.

In Obama's "bitter" speech, he wasn't looking down on anybody... he was stating a fact and trying to explain why it is so. Hillary Clinton and John McCain KNOW this but, it's a nice stick to crack him across the head with and in the era of the sound bite, it's very easy to use it to your advantage. This is what I should've said yesterday.

Now, with that said, I'm proud to be a blogger. Anybody offended? Anybody didn't understand what I said? I'll quote Clark Gable here..."Frankly Scarlett, I don't give a damn!"

Between Barack And A Hard Place

Check out the article below from MSNBC.COM...

Obama Questions Clinton On Trade
Tells manufacturers this time of year politicians will promise you anything

PITTSBURGH - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama on Monday questioned rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's opposition to free trade agreements that some voters contend have eliminated thousands of U.S. jobs and mocked her weekend visit to an Indiana bar as pandering to the working class.

"Around election time, the candidates can't do enough for you. They'll promise you anything, give you a long list of proposals and even come around, with TV crews in tow, to throw back a shot and a beer," Obama told a meeting of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. Clinton did just that at a stop Saturday at Bronko's restaurant in Crown Point, IN.

The two presidential candidates continued to hammer each other Monday after a weekend of criticism stemming from Obama's comment that some small-town voters are bitter over their economic circumstances and "cling to guns and religion" as a result. Obama uttered the words at a private fundraiser in San Francisco last week and Clinton has seized on them in seeking the edge in Pennsylvania, which holds its primary April 22.

Obama also chided Clinton over NAFTA and the Colombian trade deal. Clinton has criticized NAFTA, which was passed under her husband's watch. She opposes the Colombian trade deal even though former President Clinton supports it and her top campaign strategist, Mark Penn, met with Colombian officials to help push for its passage. Penn has since been demoted.

'Shame on her'
Here's what you can't do. You can't spend the better part of two decades campaigning for NAFTA and PNTR for China, and then come here to Pennsylvania, and tell the steelworkers you've been with them all along," Obama said. "You can't say you are opposed to the Colombia Trade deal, while your key strategist is working for the Colombian government to get the deal passed."

In response, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said, "Senator Obama's speeches won't hide his condescending views of Americans living in small towns." Addressing the gathering later Monday, Clinton said her husband made mistakes related to NAFTA but that she planned to fix them. Clinton said she would either address the NAFTA problems leading to job losses, or would tell Canada and Mexico that the United States is pulling out of the agreement.

Both candidates are hoping to secure the endorsement of the influential United Steelworkers union, which backed Democrat John Edwards before he dropped out of the race. Steelworkers president Leo Gerard introduced Obama to the crowd, saying, "We're tired, we're frustrated, we're angry and we need somebody who's going to stand up for fair trade."

Laughing, the Illinois senator noted Clinton seemed much more interested in guns since he made his comments than she had been in the past. On Saturday, the former first lady reminisced about learning to shoot on summer vacations in Scranton, where her father grew up.

"She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment. She's talking like she's Annie Oakley," Obama said.

Clinton has told campaign audiences that she supports the rights of hunters. She's also said she once shot a duck in Arkansas, where she served as first lady.

'Bitter Battle'
Clinton, who is trailing Obama in the popular vote and pledged delegates, has pounded Obama since audio from his San Francisco appearance was posted on The Huffington Post Web site. She hoped the comments might give her a new opening to court working-class Democrats less than 10 days before the Pennsylvania primary, which she needs win to keep her campaign going.

At the San Francisco fundraiser, Obama tried to explain his troubles in winning over some blue-collar voters, saying they have become frustrated with economic conditions: "It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." In Scranton on Sunday, Clinton said Obama's words would probably alienate voters in Pennsylvania and other states holding primaries in the coming weeks. Indiana and North Carolina vote on May 6.

"How does he see people here in this neighborhood, throughout Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, other places in our country?" she asked during an informal news conference. "I think that's what people are looking for, some explanation, and he has simply not provided one."

This has come to be known as the so called "bitter" speech. My question is, "Did Obama say anything that anyone finds untrue? People are losing their jobs, people are watching their jobs get shipped to other countries, and people are watching their future slip down the toilet. Times like this make people nervous and uneasy. People who are nervous and uneasy do cling to religion and in some areas, guns. People (and not just white rurals) often blame others who are not like them for their jobs being lost. We know this... anybody with any common sense knows that what he said is after all the truth so, what is the problem?

What country, what world does John McCain live in? "People are not bitter", he says. Oh yeah? Who has he been talking to? Where has he been?

And Hillary? You're saying that Obama's statements peg him as an elitist? Condescending? Give me a break! You've been in this sate all month... you claim to have talked to the working class folks in the inner cities and in the suburbs as well as the rural areas. You didn't hear this? You didn't sense some bitterness?

That bitterness is partially why, both you and Barack Obama are leading McCain in the popular polls right now. People are bitter at the present government and desperately want a change.

Bitter? Damn right!

Condescending? I don't think so!

Action Hero

Barack Obama Comments on Recent
Pro Gun Statements by Hillary Clinton...

"She is running around talking about how this is an insult to
sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment.
She's talking like she's Annie Oakley."

Now, my comments...

"Let's see... Hillary Clinton dodged sniper fire in Bosnia in 1999... and in 1988, she shot a duck in Arkansas. Is this the same person that was talking about gun control last year this very month after the mass murders at Virginia Tech? Now, she's saying that she "supports the rights of hunters and that she has hunted herself as a young girl." I guess I don't have a problem with that at face value but, it sure sounds to me like she's trying to be more Republican than John McCain just to beat Barack Obama in states like Pennsylvainia, Ohio, Indiana, etc. She sounds like an action hero to me. Who Knew?"

TO: My Mom

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday.

Photo (l-r): My grandson, me, Ms. Brenda, and my Mom.

Click here to see the full post at The Booga Wooga blog.

The Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.

Barack Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, has been in the news a lot lately and, as usual, Americans only know him through soundbites and talking heads like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. If anyone would have bothered to listen to his entire speech (as I did), you would've found that a lot of what he said was said by The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 41 years earlier... although, probably in a different way... yet, still the same thing. Once again, I'd like to share an article with you concerning the man so, you decide for yourself if he deserves all of the criticism that he has been getting...

What Obama Could Have Said About His Pastor
Rev. Jeremiah Wright, A True Patriot
By Lawrence Korb and Ian Moss

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia, and voluntarily joined the Marines. In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)

The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy's premiere medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of the Commander in Chief's medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery. For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation. What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.

While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections. Who is the real patriot?

The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?

After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America's biggest cities. This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades. Since these comments became public we have heard criticisms, condemnations, denouncements, and rejections of his comments and him. We've seen on television, in a seemingly endless loop, sound bites of a select few of Rev. Wright's many sermons. Some of the Wright's comments are inexcusable and inappropriate and should be condemned, but in calling this man "unpatriotic," let us not forget that this is a man who gave up six of the most productive years of his life to serve his country.

How many of Wright's detractors, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly to name but a few, volunteered for service, and did so under the often tumultuous circumstances of a newly integrated armed forces and a society in the midst of a civil rights struggle? Not many.

While words do count, so do actions. Let us not forget that, for whatever Rev. Wright may have said over the last 30 years, he has demonstrated his patriotism.

Lawrence Korb and Ian Moss are, respectively, Navy and Marine Corps veterans. They work at The Center For American Progress. Korb served as assistant secretary of Defense in the Reagan administration. This piece ran in the Chicago Tribune on April 3, 2008.

I came across this and I realized that the average person in this country doesn't like to read and doesn't prefer to go any deeper than a CNN soundbite. If you cut 'n' paste sound and video bites, you can smear and misrepresent anybody. I feel that this man has been unfairly maligned by the media. It's not the first time and it won't be the last. To quote Parliament-Funkadelic leader, George Clinton: "Think, it aint illegal yet!"

Better Living Through Better Eating

Like a lot of people in my new age bracket, I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. In addition to some of the medication I have to take to regulate it, I have been told that I have to exercise and eat better. If you knew me in my 20's & 30's, I was quite the athlete... often coming home from work and running two to three pick-up basketball games a night. This also means that I either have to give up or eat moderately, all of the things I like...cheese steaks, soul food, hoagies, chinese food with MSG, etc.

I know it's not going to be easy but, I would like to be around to write my 100,000,000th blog post (this one is my 73rd) so, I have decided to change my eating habits. I came across this article on healthy eating and I decided to post it for myself and all of you. Life is precious people, we've all got to eat better and lead more active lives. Someone reminded me recently that you aren't just living for yourself... you're also living for all of the people who love you and think you're something special!

MSN Health & Fitness

12 Quick Tips for Eating the Mediterranean Way
Help your heart and overall health with these simple steps.
By Peter Jaret, EatingWell.com

Food is far more than sustenance. The dishes we eat are often imbued with family traditions, cultural history, and even personal memories—and that’s as it should be. But, as studies around the world have shown, eating patterns as different from ours as those in Sweden and India can be tweaked to take advantage of the health benefits associated with traditional Mediterranean diets. Here’s how:

1. Replace butter with olive or canola oil whenever possible.

2. Snack on nuts, seeds or fruit instead of processed foods.

3. Include a generous leafy green salad with most dinners.

4. Help yourself to whole-grain bread, pasta, rice and other grains.

5. Fix at least a couple of vegetarian meals every week.

6. Add a dish or two that contains legumes (beans and lentils) to your weekly menu.

7. Have fish (not fried) at least twice a week.

8. If you eat meat, favor chicken and other poultry.

9. Eat red meat only occasionally, and in small servings.

10. If you drink, have no more than a glass or two with a meal.

11. Enjoy fruit for dessert.

12. Set aside enough time to savor every bite.

Who Really Killed Dr. King?

Excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final speech on April 3, 1968...

"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

You know, "conventional wisdom" (and, I'm really being sarcastic when I say that) tells us that one James Earl Ray, escaped from a Missouri Prison, robbed a couple of banks to fund his activities, followed Dr. King to Los Angeles, then to Atlanta, finally to Memphis, and then killed him. At the time, Ray was a 40 year old drifter and escaped convict who, up to that point, wasn't even a successful criminal because he was serving his third felony sentence when he escaped from prison. "Conventional wisdom " also wants us to believe that he also had enough money to go to London after doing the deed.

So, Ray was smart enough to shadow his man, kill him, and make the smooth getaway... yet, so stupid that he dropped the rifle (the alleged murder weapon that never cleared an extensive FBI test) with his fingerprints on it. He was also smart enough to use an alias, "Eric Starvo Gualt", when he bought the rifle. Doesn't that sound like something you would've see on TV? And, who would give their child the middle name of Starvo? Yet, as I said, he was stupid enough to drop the weapon after killing a national figure and leaving it where it could be found with his fingerprints on it that formerly identified him as James Earl Ray! Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Well, it should.

Excerpt from Wikipedia...

Two months after King's death, escaped convict James Earl Ray was captured at London Heathrow Airport while trying to leave the United Kingdom on a false Canadian passport in the name of "Ramon George Sneyd". (Again, with these crazy names!) He was quickly extradited to Tennessee and charged with King's murder. He confessed to the assassination on March 10, 1969, though he recanted this confession three days later. On the advice of his attorney Percy Foreman, Ray took a guilty plea to avoid a trial conviction and thus the possibility of receiving the death penalty. He was sentenced to a 99-year prison term. Ray falso fired Foreman as his attorney and from then on, derisively called him "Percy Fourflusher."

Ray claimed that a man he met in Montreal, Canada with the alias "Raoul" was involved, as was his brother Johnny, but not he himself. Further, he asserted that although he did not "personally shoot King", he may have been "partially responsible without knowing it", hinting at a conspiracy. He spent the remainder of his life unsuccessfully attempting to withdraw his guilty plea and secure the trial he never had.

On June 10, 1977, shortly after Ray had testified to the House Select Committee on assassinations that he did not shoot King, he and six other convicts escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee. They were recaptured on June 13 and returned to prison.

Does all of this sound just a little damn suspect? Let's look at another story that has long been told but, kept very quiet up until now. There was a Memphis businessman named Lloyd Jowers, who it is said put up $100,000.00 for anyone who would kill King. He was a known racist who did not want King "stirring up trouble in Memphis." King had been there in 67 and was coming back to support striking garbage workers, most of whom were Black. Could Jowers have hired the mysterious "Raoul" to find a patsy, someone to buy a rifle in Canada, and mail it to Memphis? Let's say that they found a knucklehead (Ray), made him think that he was involved in something big... gun running... had him buy the gun, mail it to Memphis, and wait there until contacted.

Lloyd Jowers admitted as much (all except the "Raoul" link) in 1993 on ABC-TV. He said that James Earl Ray was the scapegoat... the guy it was going to be blamed on and that the real shooter was a rogue Memphis policeman named Earl Clark, who ironically used the alias "Ed King". Jowers was sued for wrongful death by the King Family. The courts ruled in their favor and said that in fact, King's death was "probably a conspiracy and that Jowers and others were part of it."

Lloyd Jowers died in 2000. Earl Clark, aka "Ed King", is also deceased. And, what of Raoul? No record or trace of the man exists. James Earl Ray is also dead. We may never know the truth, but the truth of "conventional wisdom" isn't what we were told.

Taking It Personal

I was having a spirited discussion with some friends of mine recently about the election and how like Nancy Pelosi, the current Speaker of the House, I was hoping that by July 1st, the Democrats would have this thing locked up and decide who is going to be their nominee... either Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or (snicker, snicker) Mike Gravel.

One of my friends mentioned that here in Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, who is the former mayor of Philadelphia, and Michael Nutter, the current mayor of Philadelphia, are Hillary Clinton supporters. I said that when Bill Clinton was in the White House and Ed Rendell was our mayor, the city of Philadelphia got a lot of federal aid. Those were gravy days, the early 90's... employment was high, people were buying homes at very low interest rates, and the city in general, enjoyed prosperity.

Ed Rendell is now the governor of Pennsylvania and he is returning the favor to the Clintons. I said that even if Obama wins, I don't think it would hurt Philadelphia because "These are politicians, they understand endorsements and they don't take this personal." My friend said, "So, you expect Obama to send federal aid to a state where it's governor and the mayor of its largest city didn't support him?" I said, "Sure, it's still a Democratic state and they don't take endorsements personal." Perhaps, I have been a bit naive. Check out this article... it may prove me wrong.

Richardson Endorsement Still Irks Bill Clinton

Meantime, Hillary Reportedly Told Richardson That Obama Can't Win!

SACRAMENTO, California - Former President Clinton is still smarting over New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama.

During a private meeting with California Democrats this past weekend, Clinton grew red-faced as he talked about how he expected Richardson, who was a member of Clinton's Cabinet, to back Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination or at least stay neutral, according to several people who attended.

Instead, Richardson endorsed Obama late last month, calling him a "once-in-a-lifetime leader." Meantime, ABC News reported that Hillary Clinton lobbied Richardson hard, claiming Obama would lose in the general election. "He cannot win, Bill. He cannot win," she reportedly said. Lobbying super delegates,

"He sort of gets a little redder and redder and redder, but he wasn't off the deep end as I had seen him in the past," said Inola Henry, an uncommitted superdelegate. "It was sort of like, 'Gee, I'm a martyr.' He seemed more hurt than anything."

Clinton used his appearance at the state Democratic Party Convention in San Jose to lobby California's 21 uncommitted superdelegates to support his wife.

After posing for a group photograph with the former president, super delegate Rachel Binah told Clinton she was disappointed that one of his allies, strategist James Carville, had compared Richardson to Judas after he endorsed Obama.

Clinton, according to several people present, distanced himself from Carville's remarks. But, he went on to say that he had not expected Richardson to endorse the Illinois senator, especially since the New Mexico governor had invited Clinton to Santa Fe to watch the Super Bowl on Feb. 3rd.

"He did say he certainly had been led to believe that he was going to get the endorsement," Henry said Wednesday. She was one of about 15 superdelegates — some uncommitted, others backing Clinton — who attended Sunday's meeting with Clinton before he addressed the convention.

Aleita Huguenin, another superdelegate, remembered Clinton saying, "We thought he'd let us know if he did an endorsement." But Huguenin said the comments about Richardson were "a minor blip in the whole meeting."

According superdelegate Chris Stampolis, Clinton said only that Richardson had promised not to endorse Obama, saying, "'He told me to my face five times he would not do that."

Richardson disagrees Binah did not respond to repeated requests for comment, but she previously told The Associated Press she supports Clinton. Other superdelegates interviewed by the AP said it was Binah's statement that prompted Clinton's comments about Richardson's decision.

Pahl Shipley, a spokesman for Richardson, said his boss never promised to endorse Hillary Clinton.

"He never told the president or anybody else, for that matter," Shipley said. "The governor respectfully disagrees with the president."

Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, endorsed Obama on March 21, shortly after the Illinois senator gave a speech about race. It was a blow to the Clintons because of their long association with Richardson, who served as Clinton's energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations.

Clinton's campaign declined to comment, except to say the former president was in California to promote his wife's candidacy.

"President Clinton discussed the importance of this election with Democratic Party members and how after 46 primaries and caucuses, by virtually every measure, this election remains a very close race," campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino said in a statement. "President Clinton is incredibly popular in the Golden State, and the convention was a great opportunity for him to speak directly with members of the California Democratic Party."

Bob Mulholland, a spokesman for the state party who attended the private meeting, said Clinton expressed himself passionately but insisted the meeting was productive.

"I left the meeting feeling this was great," Mulholland said. "The guy had time to talk to us about the campaign."

After reading that, I realized that politicians, just like myself, are human. When I am perfectly honest, I realize that I probably would've taken that personal so, why would I expect someone else not to take it personal? I'm open to your thoughts and comments.

"King Kong" Revisited

There is a photo on the cover of this month's Vogue magazine of current basketball sensation, Lebron James, and the beautiful model Giselle. Being a basketball fan, I know that the snarl on Lebron's face is his "game face". The photo is innocent enough and it was taken by one of my favorite photographer's Annie Liebowitz.

Apparently, a section of Black America has been angered by this photo. I have heard that "once again a black man is shown as dangerous to White America." The most ludicrous thing I have heard to date is that this photo represents "King Kong" and Giselle is, I suppose, Fay Wray. If a white person had said these things I would be incensed but, these comments have come from my fellow African-Americans... SOME of my fellow African-Americans who are a bit too sensitive with too much time on their hands. To them I say, "Take a chill pill, it's not that deep... really it isn't". I am wondering if all this consternation is directed toward Lebron because he's posing with a white woman. If the woman was say, Tyra Banks, Beyonce, or Selita Ebanks, would anybody be saying anything?

I don't read Vogue magazine and I'm not a betting man... but, I'll bet that Lebron doesn't read the magazine either. He just took a picture with a model and got paid. I don't think he gave it another thought past that and I don't think Annie Liebowitz did either. There was NO SECRET AGENDA here... only the agenda that certain people made up. Come on, there are people who have real problems and you folks are wasting time and air on THIS? Give me a break. This was not worth the discussion.

Anyone Having A Hard Time Sleeping?

If you're a Type A personality (i.e. borderline neurotic) like yours truly, you might have trouble sleeping at night. I think I watch too much television. Ironically enough, the lack of anything meaningful on television actually puts me to sleep. The problem is, it puts me to sleep hours before I should go to sleep... then, at midnight when everyone else is asleep, I'm staring at the ceiling and going over one hundred or more things in my mind that I have to do during the day.
I came across this article that I would like to share with you that certainly speaks to me. I hope it speaks to your needs too.

ESQUIRE.COM FEATURE DIRECTORY

World-renowned doctor Mehmet Oz offers six steps on how to get a good night’s sleep every night. Because your co-workers don’t think the naps at your desk are funny anymore.

If you get less than six hours of sleep a night, as we just learned, you're in trouble. You need sleep more than you need food. When you're always tired, you actually age faster than you should. Here is your new nightly routine.

1. Sleep tight: Dim the lights an hour before bedtime. This mimics sunset. Smack in the middle of your brain is something called the pineal gland. It releases melatonin, the hormone that readies the mind and body for sleep in response to lowered light levels.

2. If you've got things on your mind: Tomorrow's meetings, errands, that kind of thing -- write them down fifteen minutes before bed. This sweeps them out of your mind.

3. If you're still awake after fifteen minutes: Get up and do something quiet, like reading a book. No Internet, no TV, no exercise. You have to let your body and mind slow down to be able to slip into sleep. If you just lie there thinking about how you're not sleeping, you'll never sleep.

4. Wake up at the same time every day: An hour extra on weekends is fine, but if you wake up at seven every morning during the week, then sleep until ten on weekends, you're effectively giving yourself jet lag. Monday morning, you'll feel like you just got off the red-eye from three time zones away.

5. A little chemical help once in a while is fine: Not alcohol, it actually interferes with the normal sleep cycle. But, Benadryl or one of the combination OTC painkillers or sleep drugs can give you that little nudge into natural sleep. Just describe your symptoms in detail: From a pharmaceutical perspective, "can't fall asleep" isn't the same as "wake up in the middle of the night."

6. Sex

Mehmet C. Oz is a heart surgeon and the co-author of
"You: Staying Young" (Free Press, $26).