So… do we all live in the same America? I don’t think so.

 

Cassy Zobel, a 34 year-old, white democrat who lives in Mckinney Texas, had a rude awakening Friday morning. Her neighbor rang her doorbell to alert her to the vandalism and blatant racism on her property.

Zobel found that someone had covered her Obama/Biden sign, displayed in her yard, with offensive graffiti on both front and back.

I find it interesting that our little suburban city was just named the 2nd best place to live in America. I suppose there should have been a caveat. “Best Place to Live If You’re A Bigoted White, Christian, Anti-Gay Person Who Doesn’t Support Our First African-American President And Hates Everyone Who Does”. That was probably too long a title, though.

- Cassy Zobel

One day we may become a country for everyone.

Related articles

• Romney supporter in Texas defaces yard sign: ‘N*gger lover… Obama sucks d*ck’ (rawstory.com)
• President Obama Related To First African-American Slave? (mymajicdc.com)
• Race, Obama and the GOP (newsobserver.com)

 

Romney gets “browner” when he speaks to Mexicans…

 

 

Wonkette pointed out a change in Mitt yesterday in the article “Mitt Romney Dons Brownface For Forum With Mexicans:”

That is not Willard’s usual look, is it? It looks … browner.
As though Romney was doing Ace Ventura: “In order to win the Mexican … you must BE the Mexican!”.
Or as though Romney was still thinking “Sure would be easier if I were Mexican”.
Or maybe he just had a secret meeting with John Boehner and John is just rubbing off on him.
But I think this is just the pander-o-matic performing its usual function. Even Willard’s skin is inauthentic. The witty NegSpin dubs this “Tandering”, and I agree.

Of course, we all know Mitt will try anything to get past the gaffe-loaded problems with his campaign… and to get Latinos why not look like a Latino?

What happens if he speaks to the NAACP?

Related articles

• Romney Says it Would be Helpful to be Latino (politicalwire.com)
• Race Matters: Money Mitt Romney Says He Would Have An Easier Chance Becoming President If He Were Mexican (bossip.com)
• Mitt Romney ‘Dyed His Face Brown’ to Appeal to Latino Voters [Conspiracy Theory] (gawker.com)
• Romney’s Latino comment met with humor (abc15.com)
• 5 Ways Mitt Romney Has Stirred Up Race Resentment (alternet.org)

 

Quotes of the Day – Diversity of the Democratic National Convention

Remember last week when the Republicans put up black, woman, hispanic and other speakers (in front of the virtually all white audience) and said their convention represented a much more diverse America than the Democrats ever could? Well, they ought to take a look at a convention where the speakers AND the conventioneers are made up out of a great mix of Americans.

“This is truly the most diverse, the most open, the most transparent, the most exciting convention we’re about to undertake. It is big, it is bold, it is beautiful, it is America.”

- Alice Germond, Democratic National Committee Secretary

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

“We’re doing things a little different than the Republicans. A lot more delegates, Latino delegates, African Americans, women. In addition to having very prominent roles like the keynote speaker, and in my case chairing the convention, you’ll also see that our platform reflects our values.

“The face of our party will reflect the values of our party”

- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Convention Chairman

Makes me proud to be a Democrat.

Related articles

• DNC theme: Building economy from middle out (charlotteobserver.com)
• Villaraigosa Touts Diversity as Half Democratic Delegates Women – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
• Obama, Democrats to make their case as convention opens (reuters.com)
• In a Switch, GOP’s Speakers Highlight Diversity (cornhusker4palin.newsvine.com)
• DNC 2012, by the numbers (politico.com)
• NBC’s Chuck Todd: ‘Democrats Wish They Had The Diversity’ Of The GOP (mediaite.com)
• Open, accesible and diverse, versus secret, exclusive and white (proseandthorn.wordpress.com)

Racism raises its ugly head at the RNC…

 

“This is how we feed animals,” were the words shouted at an African-American CNN camera woman while throwing nuts at her at yesterday’s RNC session.

Two people were removed from the Republican National Convention by security and police. Multiple witnesses observed the exchange and the convention released a statement saying:

“Two attendees tonight exhibited deplorable behavior. Their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”

A CNN representative said:

“CNN can confirm there was an incident directed at an employee inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum earlier this afternoon. CNN worked with convention officials to address this matter and will have no further comment.”

No information has been released as to who the two offenders were nor what has happened to them

Related articles

• Two people removed from RNC after taunting black camera operator (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
• What Right Wing Racism? “This Is How We Feed the Animals” (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• 2 RNC Racists Taunt Black CNN Camera Operator, Throw Nuts (distriction.com)
• Black Camerawoman Heckled at RNC (theroot.com)
• Two Republicans Do Something Racist Enough to Get Them Bounced from the Republican Convention (slog.thestranger.com)
• Black CNN camera operator allegedly pelted with peanuts, told ‘this is how we feed animals’ at RNC (thegrio.com)
• RNC Attendee Hurled Nuts at Black CNN Camerawoman, Called Her an ‘Animal’ (towleroad.com)
• RNC attendee tossed for harassing black CNN camerawoman (rawstory.com)
• Report: Black CNN Camerawoman Had Nuts Thrown at Her at GOP Convention, Assailant Shouted “This Is How We Feed Animals” [Rnc Tampa] (gawker.com)

 

Court says Texas redistricting law actually discriminated against Latino voters…

 

Gov. Rick Perry

It seems a redistricting plan signed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) intentionally discriminated against Hispanic voters. So said a three-judge panel today in a unanimous decision. The judges found that seats belonging to white incumbent members of Congress were protected under the plan while districts belonging to incumbent minorities were targeted for changes.

The court said it was

“…persuaded by the totality of the evidence that the plan was enacted with discriminatory intent.

There was

“…sufficient evidence to conclude that the Congressional Plan was motivated, at least in part, by discriminatory intent.”

It is clear that Texas Republicans  want to suppress minority representation in order to keep a rising Hispanic population from turning this red state into a blue one in the near future.

Texas’ voter ID law is till on the books but is  being challenged by the Department of Justice.

Related articles

• Court throws out Texas redistricting plans (legalinsurrection.com)
• Court nixes Texas redistricting maps (kxan.com)
• Judges raises doubts about Texas voter ID law (sacbee.com)
• Texas to test 1965 voting rights law in court (news.yahoo.com)
• DOJ, Texas Fight at Trial Over Voter ID Law (legaltimes.typepad.com)
• Texas Wants to Say Adios to the Voting Rights Act’s Authority (colorlines.com)

 

Boehner tells the press that he hopes blacks and latinos don’t vote…

The Speaker of the House told a luncheon hosted by the Christian Science Monitor in Tampa Monday that the Republican Party counted on apathy from the Latinos and blacks in choosing Democrats over Republicans… something that has become apparent by record margins in recent polls.

His actual words (in public, no less):

“This election is about economics… These groups have been hit the hardest. They may not show up and vote for our candidate but I’d suggest to you they won’t show up and vote for the president either.”

Combine this with the Republican campaign for voter ID laws, for limiting voting hours and for stalling registrations , and you get the clear fact that these laws were meant to keep blacks from voting.

As Doug Priesse, chair of the Franklin County, Ohio Republican Party, said about restrictive early voting hours and voter ID laws:

“I guess I really actually feel we shouldn’t contort the voting process to accommodate the urban — read African-American — voter-turnout machine… Let’s be fair and reasonable.”

In Pennsylvania House Republican leader Mike Turzai conceeded the point of voter ID is to help Republicans win

  “Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.”

So it looks like Republican leadership from the top to the bottom will do their best to realize a publicly stated hope: Keep minorities away from the voting box… it’s the only way for them to have a 100% white male government.

Related articles

• Stewart Rips Voter ID Laws As ‘The Price You Pay For Something That Doesn’t Happen’ (mediaite.com)
• Why Today’s Voter ID Faceoff in Pennsylvania Is Crucial (colorlines.com)
• EDITORIAL: Voter laws: A partisan jackpot? (nwfdailynews.com)
• Bill Maher Says What the Media Won’t: Voter ID Laws Are Racist (politicususa.com)
• Pennsylvania judge denies challenge to state’s voter ID law (reuters.com)
• Doug Priesse: Ohio Early Voting Process Should Not Accommodate Black Voters (huffingtonpost.com)
• VIDEO: How to Fight Voter Suppressio n! (point4counterpoint.wordpress.com)
• Risk of Voter Suppression Resurfaces: Wisconsin Attorney General Seeks to Reinstate Voter ID Law (commondreams.org)
• Iowa Latinos seen as key to presidential campaigns (thegazette.com)
• Obama Leads Romney By 39 Points Among Latino Voters (outsidethebeltway.com)

A Salute to Juan Cole…

In Cole’s blog, Informed Comment, he put out a revealing list this morning on our responses to “terrorists” based on race and ethnicity. I reprint it here:

Juan Cole

Top Ten differences between White Terrorists and Others

1. White terrorists are called “gunmen.” What does that even mean? A person with a gun? Wouldn’t that be, like, everyone in the US? Other terrorists are called, like, “terrorists.”

2. White terrorists are “troubled loners.” Other terrorists are always suspected of being part of a global plot, even when they are obviously troubled loners.

3. Doing a study on the danger of white terrorists at the Department of Homeland Security will get you sidelined by angry white Congressmen. Doing studies on other kinds of terrorists is a guaranteed promotion.

4. The family of a white terrorist is interviewed, weeping as they wonder where he went wrong. The families of other terrorists are almost never interviewed.

5. White terrorists are part of a “fringe.” Other terrorists are apparently mainstream.

6. White terrorists are random events, like tornadoes. Other terrorists are long-running conspiracies.

7. White terrorists are never called “white.” But other terrorists are given ethnic affiliations.

8. Nobody thinks white terrorists are typical of white people. But other terrorists are considered paragons of their societies.

9. White terrorists are alcoholics, addicts or mentally ill. Other terrorists are apparently clean-living and perfectly sane.

10. There is nothing you can do about white terrorists. Gun control won’t stop them. No policy you could make, no government program, could possibly have an impact on them. But hundreds of billions of dollars must be spent on police and on the Department of Defense, and on TSA, which must virtually strip search 60 million people a year, to deal with other terrorists.

There. Doesn’t that make everything clearer?

Related articles

• Watch “MSM Conditioning Public for “White” Domestic Terrorist with Shootings” on YouTube (hwnsurf.me)
• Two White Terroristic Cops Tasered A Deaf Innocent Black Female Who Called For Help And Is Jailed For Nearly 3 Days Without An Interpreter (innerstandingisness.wordpress.com)
• A Double Standard of Terrorism (jodylancastle.wordpress.com)
• FBI: Right-wing terror is real (salon.com)
• The top 10 illiberal, uninformed and racist comments of the Guardian’s latest star, Juan Cole (cifwatch.com)
• Brutish White Terrorist Jailed For The Murder Of A Non-White Student (innerstandingisness.wordpress.com)
• Republicans Blasted Obama Administration For Warning About Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism (thinkprogress.org)

The Latino vote is heavily weighted in Obama’s favor as of now…

In a poll by Latino Decisions released today, President Obama’s numbers are rising to 70% of registered Latino voters, compared Romney’s 22%. If that margin held until the election, it would certainly influence Latino voters in battleground states such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado.

Romney’s not giving up, however. He uses Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as a surrogate, and even though the word has leaked from his campaign that Rubio would not be a vice presidential pick, Romney is still hinting that he might.

His latest Spanish-language ad features his Spanish speaking son, Craig, talking about something Romney rarely mentions: the fact that his father, George Romney, was born in Mexico.

In the ad, Craig Romney says:

“I would like to tell you how my father, Mitt Romney, thinks. He values very much that we are a nation of immigrants. My grandfather George was born in Mexico. For our family the greatness of the United States is how we respect and help each other, regardless of where we come from. As president, my father will work on a permanent solution to the immigration system, working with leaders of both parties.”

… and if you believe that, I have a great bridge to sell you.

Related articles

• Poll: Obama winning most of Latinos (politico.com)
• Poll: Obama widens lead among Hispanic voters (thehill.com)
• Obama Up Big with Hispanic Voters (politicalwire.com)
• Obama opens up big lead in poll of Latino voters (blogs.mcclatchydc.com)
• Obama Leads Romney 70% To 22% Among Latino Voters (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Obama opens up big lead in poll of Latino voters (kansascity.com)
• Obama Has Big Lead Among Latinos in Swing States (politicalwire.com)
• Obama increases lead among Latinos (dailykos.com)

A Florida Question: Can Republicans Capture Latinos

In the National polls concerning Latinos, it doesn’t look good for Mitt or Newt or the rest:

Washington Post national poll, December 28, 2011:

Obama 68
Romney 23

ImpreMedia/Latino Decisions, 9/30-10/9:

Obama 61
Generic Republican 17

PPP, 9/30:

Obama 67
Romney 29

Latinos are, in general,  disappointed in the lack of progress on immigration reform. But they saw who voted against the DREAM Act in Congress (Republicans), and they see who is still campaigning against the DREAM Act (Republicans). They see who is demagoguing Mexico and kowtowing to the notorious Latino-hating Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (Republicans), and they see who is passing anti-immigrant laws in places like Arizona and Alabama (oh yes, Republicans).

Romney wants to make things so miserable for undocumented immigrants that they “self-deport,” according to speeches he has made in the primaries. Not a popular position among Latinos.

Then there was the straight attack on Cuba in the last debate. Cuban Republicans are a strong Latino group in Florida, but, like many Americans, they wonder if, after 50 years of maintaining the Cuba boycott, we might like to try something else.

Guess we wait and see. Tuesday is the Florida Primary.

Related articles

• Senior Republicans: don’t alienate Latino voters with immigration attacks (guardian.co.uk)
• GOP, don’t blow it with Florida’s Latinos (cnn.com)
• ‘Soccer mamis’ could sway Florida race, affect general election (cnn.com)
• Poll: Romney Dominating Gingrich Among Florida Latino Voters (miami.cbslocal.com)
• Latino group to challenge Rubio as GOP courts him (sfgate.com)
• Obama courts Latino vote on economic tour (ajc.com)
• Obama’s Latino Arizona Strategy (thedailybeast.com)