Accountability

By DeAngelo Starnes

In my recent article for ebonyjet.com, I provided a brief outline of John McCain’s problems with the FEC. Essentially, since the end of February 2008, McCain has been in violation of federal election laws as his campaign has exceeded the spending limit participants in the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Program are bound by.

McCain has bucked this limit in a manner that would make George Bush proud. First, he’s attempted to unilaterally withdraw from the program. However, he can’t do so unless and until the FEC votes on it. There aren’t enough commissioners to comprise a quorum that would make the vote legally binding.

So does he freeze his campaign spending? No. Indeed, he now claims that no FEC action is necessary for him to withdraw from the program. If the only requirement for withdrawal was non-use of the public funds, his position would be correct, as he has only spent money raised from the private sector.

However, there’s another requirement in that he couldn’t have used his certification for the funds as collateral for loans to his campaign. And he has done this not once but twice.

If no FEC action was necessary for McCain’s withdrawal from the program, why did he ask for permission to do so? Why did he lie and say he hadn’t used his certification as collateral if that wasn’t a requirement for his withdrawal?

So he’s stuck. He knows it, but doesn’t like it. And so like Bush, he thumbs his nose at the law he would have to swear to uphold if he becomes President because he still continues to spend money. He was just here in Denver last week raising money for his campaign. And you know it costs money to raise money. In fact, there isn’t a single campaign-related activity he can do without spending money.

What we have here is a candidate committing an ongoing violation of federal campaign election laws with no strong federal interference or media stories about it.

How many stories have you heard read in major newspapers, watched on news channels, or listened to on the radio about it? How many questions has he been asked regarding his problems with compliance? Shouldn’t this be a story that dogs him at every public appearance he makes? “Excuse me, Senator, but what have you done to make yourself compliant? Does this mean you will shut down your campaign until the Convention?” Because that’s his only option if he is to cease being a criminal about it

His failure to comply with legal requirements he agreed to be bound by go to the heart of his qualification to be our next president. How can we take him at his word at the Inauguration when he places his hand on the Bible and swears to uphold the Constitution? And do we wish to be subjected to another governmental leader who does what he wants when he wants? And what’s more serious, attending a church where your pastor strongly condemns America’s historical racism or breaking campaign finance laws?

And just because shot anyone or gotten caught driving under the influence doesn’t mean his violation isn’t a criminal act. And by his monthly filings, he has admitted he has violated the campaign spending limit.

The purpose of the spending limit is that a candidate is using taxpayer money to campaign. You can’t use the fact that you’re entitled to taxpayer funds as collateral to get private money and then pull out of the program. That’s gaming.

This kind of conduct is identical to the current Administration’s thumbing of on-the-book federal laws such as FISA.

The media wore Obama out over comments that weren’t even uttered by him. Here, we have a candidate who is currently in violation of federal campaign election laws. He needs to be skewered on every talk show, news report, and press conference if we are going to keep it honest in ’08. McCain has been given a pass while the media takes turns on candidates Clinton and Obama. Neither has committed a crime for their sins.

Is it because McCain is a white male as opposed to a woman or African American? What would the stories look like if either Obama or Clinton were in the same posture?

You make the call.

Even Fox Is Calling Ms Clinton Out

Author: Michael Fisher

It Just Does Not Stop

Author: Michael Fisher

The Fox News smear machine

From Undercover Black Man:

When this blog was created, we thought the most troubling aspect of the current political season was Hillary Clinton’s “kitchen-sink” strategy against Barack Obama.

What a difference a week makes.

Ever since the Jeremiah Wright controversy flared up, Team Hillary has been on its best behavior... while right-wing talk radio, conservative bloggers and Fox News have gone at Sen. Obama like sharks breaking a fast.

Sean Hannity in particular seems determined to destroy Obama through the time-tested tactic of guilt-by-association. Tonight Hannity showed a video clip of Chicago preacher and Illinois State Senator James T. Meeks angrily uttering the phrase “house niggers” from the pulpit... in 2006.

Because Meeks has endorsed Obama for president, Hannity is trying to spin this into a new phase of the Jeremiah Wright story. (“Barack Obama Linked to New Controversial Preacher.”)

It would behoove us all to keep an eye on the Fox News smear machine. The following video by Robert Greenwald is a useful guide:

The American Presidential Campaign Much Ado About Nothing

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, or in this case that woman behind the curtain, or the man behind the woman behind the curtain, or the shadow government behind the government, it’s a slight of hand.

It’s my humble opinion that politicians are liken unto a horny man who will say anything or do anything to get laid once he’s satisfied, well.

The American people have not elected a president in eight years.
“We the people” wanted Al Gore, but he lacked the courage to fight for what was rightfully his, not wanting to go the way of Benazir Bhutto and many others who would rather die as warriors than to live as cowards.

If Obama becomes the president he will not be the first Black president as the ignorant believe or regardless of that title given to him by Toni Morrison. John Hanson was the first Black president of the United States he was one of seven moors who were president their symbol was the cherry tree and George cut it down, but that’s another article.

The question is, Are Americans in for another sucker punch despite “vote or die”? With voting fraud proven, “diebold hack-ability”, black box voting machines (Read Allen Raymond’s How To Rig an Election) and Bush’s right to remain in office as long as we are at war, somewhat liken unto Roman rulers declaring himself emperor, but don’t expect the senate or the congress to put a stop to him.

So we fiddle as American burns, justifying murdering over a million in Iraq, her present extreme foreclosure rates, her boarding recession, her declining dollar, her high unemployment and crime, her abusive klu klux klan police force, her John Q. Esquire racism, her nearly 47 million without health insurance, her homeless and despicable cases of hungry children, her racist injustice system and environmental racism pollution system and non-educational public system, her Russians are coming Russians are coming to, the terrorist are coming, (Iraq) the terrorist are coming (Iran) to the aliens are coming, her Skull-n-Bones dictatorship which continues no matter what puppet is in office controlled by the puppet masters.


“Man doesn’t want to be free because he’s weak and corrupt.” (A quote from The Smoking Man of The X-Files.) Politicians can always pull a house Negro out they back pocket T. D. Jakes in Katrina, see we like Black people, despite what Kanye said, now house Negro Bob Johnson, Charlie Rangle, John Lewis and all the rest who the scripture says “fornicating with the beast”.

It’s sad that Black people especially, continue to embrace what the Caucasians have given them from politics to religion they are tricky dicks who plan to stick it to you in the end with The King Alfred Plan Rex-84 The Extermination of Black Americans.

Bobby Hewitt , check him out on You-Tube says that white people are more spiritual than Black people. They showed that race is a non-issue, when they voted their conviction in Iowa. They proved that they want “change”.

The David Ike, Dick Gregory, Louis Farrakhan and Fox Mulders of our time believe differently from the masses. They wouldn’t march off blindly into invasion from the word of politicians. Dr. Bill Deagle check him out on google video says they are in Iraq and will go into Iran seeking a portal (remember these are ancient Biblical lands) that will give them advanced technological means and alien communications.

The Mother Ship has been sighted more often lately around our dying planet, most recently in Texas. If you are not among the 14% of Americans who have seen a UFO or believe in them, check out The Disclosure Project on line. If I see her I’ll be about opening hailing frequencies in order to flag her down to bring my prophetic dream vision into reality, boarding her and hoping that her birth is a place the Staple Singers sing about where there’s no economical exploitation and no political domination.
Contact Lee at Leesullivan2004@yahoo.com
(c) els

Should Barack Obama Be Responsible For His Former Pastors' Words?

source:


Well, guess what, now Barack Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., is being dogged by ABC News.


As reported by Investigative reporters, The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for the last 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."

In a campaign appearance earlier this month, Sen. Obama said, "I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial." He said Rev. Wright "is like an old uncle who says things I don't always agree with," telling a Jewish group that everyone has someone like that in their family.

Rev. Wright married Obama and his wife Michelle, baptized their two daughters and is credited by Obama for the title of his book, "The Audacity of Hope."

If you care, you can read the rest of the article here.

AAPP: Candidly, I could care less what Obama's former pastor says about America, in the context of Barack Obama's presidency. As I have said before, Barack Obama's former pastor is not running for the presidency.

Meanwhile, Lisa Lerer & Mike Allen

at Politico.com are reporting on how Obama's church is accusing the media of character assassination.


CHICAGO – The church attended by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) fought back Sunday against mounting criticism of its pastor, accusing the media of character assassination and “crucifixion.”

Otis Moss II, the current pastor of Trinity United Church, used his pulpit to defend his congregation and its past minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., from a wave of controversy stemming from inflammatory statements made by Wright.

"We have listened and watched as the wonderful work of our church has been vilified this week," he told about 3,000 congregants on Palm Sunday morning. "This week should be special for us because I guess we know a little something about crucifixion."

The church also released a statement that began: “Nearly three weeks before the 40th commemorative anniversary of the murder of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.’s character is being assassinated in the public sphere because he has preached a social gospel on behalf of oppressed women, children and men in America and around the globe.”

Trinity United, an 8,000-member church on the South side of Chicago, came under intense scrutiny over the past week for statements made by Wright that harshly criticized American society as racist and blamed U.S. leaders for the Sept. 11 attacks. Read More HERE

AAPP: So what do you think about this situation? Do you think Obama will weather this media storm? Don't you think it is time to keep it honest in 08' ?

Cross posted on African American political Pundit

Sometimes a Game Says it All.......The First Entry!

Hat tip to Sergio of the Bloodsport blog for hipping me to the above Hillary vs Obama game. Just remember that it really isn't a game at this juncture, but I would be remiss if I didn't get into the reasoning behind this new blogging endeavor. Not to mince words, the American voting public stands at the precipice of something unique in politics-the serious likelihood of either a woman or an African-American becoming the Democratic nominee for the President of the United States. We are also witnessing record turnouts of young adults who are just being introduced to the external and internal machinations of the political process. As a conservative, I must admit that whether or not I'm wholly inline with Senator Obama's political views, one can not deny that his campaign is signaling the turning of the page in favor of a new political paradigm. Here at Keep it Honest, we seek to galvanize the blogging community to contact and hold accountable media outlets, legislators, government organizations as well as the respective campaigns (conservatives and liberals) to remain on topic-no more innuendo or dissemination of inaccurate information. So folks, this blog is for you. Let's get to work!

Dburt aka Afronerd