Soapbox Sunday: Obama Mis-Steps or Congress Out-Of-Step

Our good friend Barely Partisan decided to help us start the new year with a bang. As usual, his insight from atop the Hill provides us with a lil bit of perspective on what's being talked about in the cloakrooms at the Capitol. We now yield the floor to the distinguished gentleman from the Beltway.

The United States is engaged in two wars, the Middle East is embroiled in a conflict that is as traditional as it is alarming, and our economy is not getting any better soon. However, our news media this week dedicated a disproportionate amount of time to concocting a story: President-elect Obama's 2009 mis-steps. The real spotlight should have been on Congress.

While it is true that the working conditions of the Obama team have changed, they have adapted rather well to Washington so far. With a hefty dose of hubris, which is forgivable given the margin of victory, they have crafted a star studded cabinet. In the last few days, we have seen the media turn too much attention towards embellishing the few perceived mis-steps the Obamians have made. Let's take a look, because it is not the Obamians who are at fault.

First, Barack Obama won with a larger margin than President Clinton... ever did. It was an Electoral College landslide that showed his coattails in every state besides Tennessee, yet he still wants Republican support for his economic stimulus. Trust me, he does not need it, and Republicans are frankly flattered he is still offering tax cuts. He spent the last two months calling them individually and wooing them; now he is going to ask for their votes and ideas. While that sounds like a campaign promise fulfilled, we see now that Democrats miss his attention. They want the Obama stimulus to be theirs, and now they want to amend it, tinker with the tax cut, and frankly slow down the process. Bottom-line: he ran, he won, and now they need to get in line. Sure Congress is a co-equal branch of government, but that is only really true when the President and the Congress are from different parties. It is likely that congressional Democrats will cause the President-elect more heartburn than will the loyal opposition as we get started. That's not his mis-step, that's House Speaker Nancy Pelosi losing a grip on her gavel and Sen. Reid just being himself.

Next, if there was a story, it was the withdrawal of Governor Richardson from Secretary of Commerce contention because of a grand jury investigation. Sure, he should have known we would all find out about this earlier, but neither was he was not forthcoming nor did the Obamians do their homework. So, he pulled his nomination, turning a molehill into a mountain. However, I am almost glad he did. He was overqualified to head the Commerce Department anyway. If he was the "one" all Latinos wanted to have a hefty role in the new Administration, they should all be clamoring. (How can you tell if a government post is important? Name people that had the job before. How many secretaries of commerce can you name? Slim pickings after Ron Brown, right? Maybe that post isn't so important, right? OK.) However, instead of more attention given to the governor, he became a cog in the perceived Obama unwinding wheel this week. This time, the media just chasing the wrong story.

Last but not least, Obamians want Leon Penetta to head the CIA. Good for them; when you win an election, you get to decide who works for you. The Senate gets to advise and consent. However, incoming Select Intelligence Committee chairwoman Diane Feinstein made a media event of the fact that she was not consulted. Fine. Even if no one called her, does she want to tell the media that? Why didn't she just call the Obamians to express her outrage? Attention. It wasn't that the former congressman and Clinton White House chief of staff isn't qualified. So, instead of waiting on her turn to give consent at the confirmation hearings, she takes her case to the media. Embarassing the man whom will become her president and painting a bleaker picture of herself, Sen. Feinstein added to the media frenzy that the President-elect is stumbling at the start.

There are lots of legitimate stories that the media could focus on in this process, but it just seems like they are hell-bent on reaching for stories that are shallow. The Obamians are going to get their economic plan because he has the mandate, and congressional Dems would be stupid to allow the Republicans to deliver the President-elect the votes while they struggle to handle the change they asked for. Richardson will probably be indicted sometime in the distant future, but that is not the story. The story was that Labor and Commerce was all a loyal constituency received for delivering the election. If Latino voters ever wake up to realize that, then the Obama electoral victory map will become a dinosaur. The problems with the Penetta appointment are contrived, and in the future Sen. Feinstein should use the phone not a press release. The real attention should be paid to the unfair grilling that Attorney General designate Eric Holder will receive next week. So, while there are stories out there, to say that the President-elect is fumbling early is not one. To say that congressional Democrats are victims of their own success (that they received only as Obama carried them) is really the way of looking at it. In the long run, they will only hurt themselves: no one can hurt a Democrat like a Democrat.

Swagger Like O

Nobody on the corner got swagger like Obama (PERIOD). It was even evident in a series of college photos recently published by TIME magazine. Young men, step your game up - we are in the sunrise of a new era. If you thought your throwback and fitted cap was gonna take you into the realm of Manhood, you may want to rethink that. Even Jay Z and Kanye West are attempting to redefine the mold of 'Swaggerdom' in recent months, complete with the nappy fro, but what Obama has in common with our pop icons is something internal so it doesn't matter how you dress it up or down, true character shines through.

Some people confuse talent, whether it be of the artistic, political, business, or intellectual acumen as character. Character is something much stronger than talent and swagger combined. Many American Presidents have spoken of the value of character. Woodrow Wilson once said:

"If you will think about what you ought to do for other people, your character will take care of itself. Character is a by-product, and any man who devotes himself to its cultivation in his own case will become a selfish prig."

Ralph Waldo Emerson offered this insightful gem (maybe at Walden Pond while he was mentoring Henry David Thoreau):

"The true test of civilization is not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the crops - no, but the kind of man the country turns out."

So even in this period of economic peril, America has the ability to churn out something that will last longer than any industry bail-out or political term. We are presented with another unique opportunity in history, much like the 60s with icons like Kennedy and King, where we can create a generation of men and women whose character will be strong enough to stand the test of time and that will become our nation's greatest resource.

When Change Goes Wrong

Here's what happens when absolute power corrupts...absolutely. Seriously, you would think Governor Blagojevich would've known better since his predecessor is currently serving time. According to Politico.com, when the federal prosecutor called the Governor to alert him to the alphabet boys outside his home his response was, "Is this a joke?" We're wondering the same thing.

Sadly sir, this is no joke. And U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald will not treat this like a game; he's the real deal. He's sort of like Eliot Spitzer without the penchant for ladies of the night. But don't take our word for it, ask Governor Ryan or Scooter Libby. Better still, Know for Yourself!

The Next Frontier of Change: Hollywood

“We’re far more likely to have a black president [than a Black leading man on a prime time Drama] in my lifetime ... oh, yeah ... I can stop saying that now.”
- Tim Reid

Change has arrived in America, but that doesn't mean it made it to Hollywood. I remember a conversation I had with a friend a few years ago, she pointed out that we chose the two most racist (and expensive) industries to work in: film & fashion. I joked in response that we must like a good fight. In the world of Entertainment, civility and political correctness take a backseat to the bottom line and the highest bidder (street walking may be a more open minded workplace). It is an industry where an executive can call an athlete or entertainer the equivalent of "a stupid nigger" and then ink a million dollar advertising deal with that individual or even pitch them to be an ambassador for the UN - because race matters but satisfying the audience matters more.

So, we have a Black President. How will that translate to the big and small screens? We've heard the mumblings of a Black Bond ... I guess that's cool, but can't we just have a whole new franchise with a Black Bond-like character? Putting Jamie Foxx or Sean Combs in the shoes of James Bond is kind of like coloring the face on a Hallmark card Black, it's easier to just buy from the Mahogany section or convince Hallmark to make characters on their generic cards multi-ethnic. Same thing goes for the rumors about a Black version of Friends, did Black people even watch Friends?? The studios and networks need to be more creative - they pay people [well] for that.

Clarence Page, in his widely printed Op-Ed piece: Movie Producers Stuggle to Capture Obama Impact , suggested that "Hollywood would do well to savor this moment. For now, Obama has tapped a spirit of national pride, unity and respect for racial and cultural diversity that a lot of us Americans wish could last forever." Three of the Four readers on the Houston Chronicle website that commented expressed a level of annoyance with the "Obama-Media love fest". That doesn't look so good for the market research on a Black Bond, moviegoers may not want politics in their popcorn - I can hear future moviegoers in their $14 assigned seats at Hollywood's Archlight Theater, "...first they get The Whitehouse, then Bond, what's next? Superman?"

Perhaps in response to the Page piece, New York Times TV journalist, Bill Carter explored the impact of a Black President on the small screen this weekend in his article, "TV Casting May Feel Obama Effect." Carter reports that most networks are busy developing programming to match the reprogrammed consciousness of our country. In the same school of thought as Clarence Page, Gary Newman, co-chairman of the Twentieth Century Fox offered a more realistic impact Obamamania could have on pop culture,“We may see more chances taken on comedies that feel more hopeful rather than the sarcastic, cynical style we’ve seen a lot of recently,” Mr. Newman said. “The Obama success seems to have put people more in touch with their more hopeful side.” This may be true, but the hope Newman is talking about may not translate to more faces of color in positions of power in the Hollywood system ... and hey, I enjoy American sarcastic cynicism - it's the closest thing to wit that the general public can enjoy.

Actor/Producer/Entertainer Tim Reid (yeah, we know him as the Dad from 'Sister, Sister' but check his imdb page - the man's an expert in the field) provided Carter with the best commentary on the subject (via email as the article states), "If the president-elect should have any positive influence over the so-called liberal base of Hollywood, it will be by focusing their attention on the reality of the kind of multicultural world we actually live in ... This doesn't just mean putting another person of color in front of the camera, but giving them an equal opportunity in having a say-so in what is created for the camera." Sounds a lot like what our favorite Director of Photography D.P. said last year in his rant about why Tyler Perry Hates Black People: "If Tyler Perry has this perception of power, I'm sorry this power, as a Black director who has his Black studio in the Black Mecca with all these same Black actors making these horrible Black pseudo-Christian films with Cicely Tyson as the Grandmother... is sooooooo down for Black people, he should be able to find some Black technical talent."

The only way to measure whether or not the impact of Barack Obama will change Hollywood is not by counting the number of Black faces in lead roles on prime time tv shows or blockbuster films, but true change would have made it to Hollywood when the people with the power to greenlight films and tv series reflect the diversity of our nation and provide qualified representations of all persons (the last bit is from my mission statement, studios should feel free to hire me!).

44 on 60

Usually we have a time limit on videos but today is a special "O"-K-ssion (that's corny but I couldn't resist...its kinda late at night). ALBC presents...drumroll and more corniness... The President-Elect and the next First Lady of the good ol U.S. of A. on 60 Minutes.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Tube-side Chats

As part of the transition process, PeOTUS BO is doing weekly video blogs to address the progress of the transition, speak to the issues of the nation, and further gain the trust and confidence of the American people. This week's address focuses on the economy.

Election Day in Chicago with ALBC

We were there. We were there for you, for us. We are the Change generation. We are the 66%. Watch as ALBC walks you through 11.4.08.

Soapbox Sunday-The Post Political Landscape

Let me start by saying that my mind and my spirit haven’t had the chance to process what the world experienced Tuesday night, nor have I had a chance to process what ALBC witnessed in the Windy City on November 4th. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to search my mental hard drive and hope that the emotional high of the moment will spark questions and deductions that we’ll explore and discover the answers to over time. Here goes nothing.

Lets start by stating the obvious. First, the ruling issued by the People, as evidenced by the Electoral College and popular vote, tells that ideologically, America has shifted from the far right to just left of center. Next, while the Senate majority was increased, it likely won’t reach the filibuster proof 60, which is actually a good thing. Hence, the minority check on the majority is preserved, as is the majority’s mandate to draft and ratify the Change legislation. Further, with over 250 seats, House Democrats have the greatest majority held by a party in 15 years; but House Speaker Pelosi has declared that the administration should govern from the middle...

Now we won’t pretend like partisanship won’t rear its ugly head. It’s inevitable. However, the people have declared that our commonalities are more important than our differences; the issues most critical to the future of the country can only be addressed by resolving the mutual detriments they pose. The success of the first 100 days of the Obama administration will be determined, not by partisan preferences, but rather by how effectively the 535 members of Congress can translate the desires of the people into well funded, practical and executable policy.

All this leads to the question, “What happens next in the Post-Political world?” By Post-Political we mean the civic environment once we’ve transitioned from electing to administering. As the Obama Administration begins the transition process, the Citizens must transition into advocates for common man issues capable of neutralizing special interest and corporate lobbyist. We’d like to place emphasis on the fact that, “We the People” should be as enthusiastically, if not more fervidly, involved in how our government is administered as we were in electing those who will represent us. In doing so, we fulfill the President-elect’s proclamation that this is our “chance to make that change”; we mustn’t do the unoriginal and do nothing. We must be informed. We must be active. We must do our part to bring about a lil bit of change.

Meet the Brain Trust

...or at least 4 members of the group.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Notable Quotable

Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama's running so we all can fly.
-Jay Z

And here is the rest of it.

OBAMA WINS!!!

The rest is up to us.

The Ritual

It's well know that Senator Obama has an election day ritual of ballin'; today was no different. And just to make sure everyone knows which team they play for, the squads were outfitted in "This One" and "That One" jerseys...nice.
Shout out to The aGeNT Smith Files for finding this video.

And here is the rest of it.

MTV News Presents: Ask Obama

MTV Shows

See clips 2-4

MTV Shows

MTV Shows

MTV Shows

The Pilot Episode of the Bill and Barack Show

Waaaasup B?

And here is the rest of it.

Sunday Funnies

Obama: International Swagga

Veteran Malaysian journalist, Wong Chin Wai, Group Chief Editor of The Star; Malaysia's leading English daily recently shared his opinion of Barack Obama in his Sunday column: "African-Americans would no longer be seen as just foul-mouthed hip-hop singers, gangsters, boxers and athletes in the eyes of the world."

As a young African-American reading this article half a continent away, the reality of Wai's statement strikes a special chord in my mind. The international image of the African-American is something that our generation inherited from the stereotypical images designed in the mid-20th century and exported around the World to justify and explain the position of the African-American in America. Four scores later, amidst the Hollywood and Madison Avenue produced muck, Obama stands as what Wai described as an "icon of hope for people all over the world, especially in countries with a plural society."

"Even in Malaysia, politicians talk about history which the young can no longer relate to, or simply refuses to accept. Certainly, these history lessons won’t help these politicians get the votes. When they lose these votes, they sometimes wonder why." Next week, American citizens, will play one of the most important roles of our country's history of progressiveness and leadership. By our actions, the young and old, must relate to the present and export a new American image, the image we all hold in hearts of a reinvigorated, respected, tolerant, trailblazing America.

Read Wai's columns online.

NYTimes.com Op-Ed:Rebranding the U.S. With Obama

Nicholas D. Kristof

"...cooperation is essential to address 21st-century challenges; you can't fire cruise missiles at the global financial crisis."

The other day I had a conversation with a Beijing friend and I mentioned that Barack Obama was leading in the presidential race:

She: Obama? But he's the black man, isn't he?
Me: Yes, exactly.

She: But surely a black man couldn't become president of the United States?
Me: It looks as if he'll be elected.

She: But president? That's such an important job! In America, I thought blacks were janitors and laborers.
Me: No, blacks have all kinds of jobs.

She: What do white people think about that, about getting a black president? Are they upset? Are they angry?
Me: No, of course not! If Obama is elected, it'll be because white people voted for him.
[Long pause.]

She: Really? Unbelievable! What an amazing country

A Good John

With all this mud being slung in the final days of the campaign, we want to try and keep the name "John" clean. After a visit to LACMA (Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art), I became enamored with the art of John Baldessari. A true game changer, Baldessari was instrumental in the American Modern Art movement and he continues to redefine the medium with his work. John Baldessari was among the 13 highly covetable artists including Frank Gehry and Jasper Johns who have donated print editions of their work to raise funds for Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Los Angeles-based print publisher Gemini G.E.L. commissioned the group of artists to create what they're calling the "Artists for Obama" portfolio, a set of prints in a limited edition of 150 (not including Jasper Johns's iconic Flag, at right). Art lovers looking to acquire the rare set of prints must donate a minimum of $20,000 to the campaign [source: LA Times]

Senators Obama and McCain at the Alfred E. Smith Charity Dinner

Senator McCain is actually pretty funny.