Clinton Leaves Primary States For "State of the Black Union"
(CBS)
CINCINNATI -- With the Ohio and Texas primaries only 10 days away, one would think that both candidates would be spending most of their time between these two states. But Hillary Clinton is taking time away from campaigning in the Lone Star and Buckeye states to head to Louisiana for the annual “State of the Black Union” hosted by Tavis Smiley.
The problem is that Louisiana has already voted in the primary and gave Barack Obama a large victory. So why is Clinton taking time out of her limited campaign schedule to participate? Clinton Senior Spokesman Mo Elleithee said, “She’s always been committed to dealing with the issues that are important to the African-American community.” Elleithee said Clinton agreed to attending this summit weeks ago.
There’s no doubt that after a series of gaffes and ill-advised comments throughout this campaign, there has been tension between the Clintons and the African-American community.
Weeks ago, Clinton was hammered for a comment she made that some suggested discredited the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. during the civil rights movement. Prior to the New Hampshire primary Bill Clinton criticized Barack Obama, suggesting his views on the Iraq war were “the biggest fairy tale” he’s ever seen and later was accused of playing up the race issue prior to the South Carolina primary.
When pressed on why Clinton was spending campaign resources in a state that has already voted, Elleithee said “She’s got a commitment to these issues, and is looking forward to the opportunity to discuss them.”
Obama will not be attending the summit at all, causing some stir in the African-American community. In a letter sent to Smiley, Obama offered to send his wife Michelle, but Smiley declined to have her participate.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Obama says his campaigning in Ohio and Texas is keeping him from the event. Smiley called Obama's decision "a critical miscalculation and a missed opportunity."
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See all 22 CommentsAll presidential candidates would be fired given their voting records in the 110 congress because campaigning doesn''t exactly leave lots of time to vote on the senate floor.
Nevertheless, if we are going to decide who gets fired based on their senate attendance record, McCain and Obama would get the boot first. In the 110th Congress alone, the only senators with worse attendance than Sen. Obama was Sen. McCain and Sen. Johnson (who suffered a brain hemorrhage in December 2006 and has since been unable to return for work). I''m not saying Sen. Clinton''s attendance is stellar either, she''s only missed 55 votes less than Obama during the 110th session(Obama 182 v. Clinton 127). See - http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/senate/vote-missers/
However, when we compare overall Senate attendance records, then Obama blows Clinton out of the water, in a bad way. According to GovTrack, Obama has missed 193 out of a possible 1113 votes since becoming a Senator in 2005. Clinton by contrast has missed 167 out of a possible 2421 votes since becoming a Senator in 2001. Look both senators voted more than they missed votes, but if we''re talking about firing, then Obama should be let go first because in just 3+ years of serving in the Senate he has missed more votes than Clinton, who has served in the Senate for 7 years. See http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400629
"tambou at 03:58 PM : Feb 24, 2008
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Couldn''''t Tavis have arranged to have Barack appear on a remote feed?"
Folks......wake up......I appaluid Tavis for his incredible efforts and talent for putting together this event. However...Obama''s absence was not about him not being able to be there physically or remotely....which was a sensible and logical solution offered by the user "tambou".
Folks, this was about Obama not wanting to give th eimpression that his campaign was too close to the "black cause", to the "black union". He intended not to seem aligned with too much of the "black thing"...sorry to say.....out of concern of being associated with the likes of Sharpton, Jesse, Belafonti, etc. That''s the sad case of the matter. Pure politics my friends.
Is this about Tavis''s show or is it about who the people want as their next President?
I personally believe that Tavis is casting his dice on whether or not this is a seismic shift in American political history, or at least which way it is shifting - first woman president or first Black? The Black electorate are have a more weighty decision to make than decide whether Barack''s appearance on Tavis''s show is a miscalculation or not. Work it out Tavis!
Is this about Tavis''s show or is it about who the people want as their next President?
I personally believe that Tavis is casting his dice on whether or not this is a seismic shift in American political history, or at least which way it is shifting - first woman president or first Black? The Black electorate are have a more weighty decision to make than decide whether Barack''s appearance on Tavis''s show is a miscalculation or not. Work it out Tavis!
Obama has a problem dealing with the two states, Ohio and Texas, Clinton hasn''t got much problem in these states so she can afford to go to the summit not same with Obama, every sincere patriot willing to back Obama would rather join hands with him on how to win these two states that carries a lot of vote than to distract Obama''s attention with the talk of a summit that can always be able to accomodate a representative; of which he did sent Michelle but Smiley refused, I find his invitation then a distracting one and not a supportive one.
He should be careful not to be found a subjection of distraction to Obama
SO -- doesnt that make him just as politically calculating as everyone else? He is the honest, hopeful one who is going to change Washington, but sounds like he is "doing whatever it takes to get elected" -- even avoiding his "own people." YOu guys are so hypocritical.
Dear Violet, "Clinton Leads Obama in Missed Senate Votes" 2/13/08.
Look it up. Who would get fired again, now?
Secondly,
He''s wise to stay away lest the petty voices of the opposition move to peg him as the "black candidate". Clinton only has to gain, he only has to lose. I''m sure no one is thoughtless enough to think that missing or attending one summit, convention, meeting, what have you is some mark of committment on any matter. Even Bush met the CBC on rare occasion.
Dear violet, "Clinton Leads Obama in Missed Senate Votes" 2/13/08. Look it up. Who would get fired again, now?
Secondly,
He''s wise to stay away lest the petty voices of the opposition move to peg him as the "black candidate". Clinton only has to gain, he only has to lose. I''m sure no one is thoughtless to think that missing or attending one summit, convention, meeting, whathaveyou is some mark of committment on any matter(s). Even Bush met the CBC on rare occasion.
Dear violet, "Clinton Leads Obama in Missed Senate Votes" 2/13/08. Look it up. Who would get fired again, now?
Secondly,
He''s wise to stay away lest the petty voices of the opposition move to peg him as the "black candidate". Clinton only has to gain, he only has to lose. I''m sure no one is thoughtless to think that missing or attending one summit, convention, meeting, whathaveyou is some mark of committment on any matter(s). Even Bush met the CBC on rare occasion.
http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/02/13/clinton-leads-obama-in-missed-senate-votes/
Secondly, Obama is smart enough to know that the most damaging thing that can be done to him right now is to give the opposition the opportunity to peg him as the "black" candidate. In this case, he has only to lose and Clinton has only to gain. If anyone here is so dense that one conference makes or breaks someones cred with the black community, than hey, even Bush met with the CBC once or twice. On behalf of black folk, I pardon him.
http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/02/13/clinton-leads-obama-in-missed-senate-votes/
Secondly, Obama is smart enough to know that the most damaging thing that can be done to him right now is to give the opposition the opportunity to peg him as the "black" candidate. In this case, he has only to lose and Clinton has only to gain. If anyone here is so dense that one conference makes or breaks someones cred with the black community, than hey, even Bush met with the CBC once or twice. On behalf of black folk, I pardon him.
I was heartened by Maxnine Waters endorsement adn well as Maya Angelou... -- these are true stalwarts of the black community ... the true wise souls ... for whom humanity triumphs race and they know bill and hillary''s heart ...
Shame on Rep.Clyburn, Dana Brazille etc... -- They are the modern day ''brutus''
POLICRYPT: I think he meant "not" showing up was a calculation. Obama only needs black people when they are angered because he makes up claims of racism to lodge against Clinton. Now that he has our support - he can skip events like this. Clinton knows that she will not shift black support.
PS: I AM SO TIRED OF BLACK PEOPLE MAKING EXCUSES FOR OBAMA. THE NOTION THAT HE WAS TOO BUSY TRAVELING IS JUST STUPID. ALSO, THE NOTION THAT HE WILL DO MUCH FOR BLACK PEOPLE WHEN HE''S IN OFFICE, BUT REMAIN SILENT ON THESE ISSUES NOW IS POLITICALLY IMMATURE.
I read that you %u201Copenly%u201D criticized Barack Obama for declining an invitation to the State of the Black Union Forum in New Orleans. I am disappointed that at such a crucial time in Barack%u2019s campaign you would choose to make public statements against him.
As a black woman, I am very excited about this moment in history and I believe that your statements regarding his decision are very short-sighted. Is it not more important that Barack do as much as he can to ensure that he wins this nomination by spending every minute possible in the remaining states? Not that the Forum is not important, but the timing is bad. If Barack wins, he will most likely be our next president and there is no doubt that future generations of black people will be positively influenced- much more so than any single Black Forum can do.
Yes, Hillary Clinton accepted the invitation, but she recognizes that she still needs to prove to America that she cares about the issues of the common %u201Cfolk%u201D- Barack has already made his case. She can%u2019t win the white males, but she knows that she can win the black vote if there is an appearance that Barack doesn%u2019t care. The Clintons are ruthless politicians and they know this. Anyone with a brain larger than a pea knows the reason she%u2019s attending.
See beyond the immediate. I%u2019m sure that Barack will attend future Forums and draw even more attention to your cause as the President of the United States.
Regards,
Autumn
Come Back Kid....HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON. Politics is never predictable, he was ahead, but that was before the full lunar eclipse, now new forces are at work.
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