The Problem We All Live With

It is a painting by Norman Rockwell.  Or maybe it’s more like an illustration.  He called it “The Problem We All Live With”.  It shows a six year old little girl being escorted by Marshalls to a newly integrated New Orleans school.  The wall behind her shows the results of tomatoes being thrown.  The letter “N” being partially blocked by the arm of a Marshall and the letter “R” being blocked partially by the tomato, the racist insult “nigger” is also shown on the wall.

The little girl is named Ruby Bridges.  She is a real person.  Today she is fifty six years of age not much older than me as a matter of fact.  So what is the big deal?  Well, President Obama has decided to place the picture outside of the Oval office.  Yes it is that simple.

Well you know that if the President did something, no matter how benign, it becomes a problem with certain folks.  For this simple act I’ve read how the President is “divisive”, “a racist” and other foolish things.  It is all part of the Obama Derangement Syndrome.

I don't even see what could possibly be "controver­sial" about hanging this painting. Unless, of course, you think the Civil Rights movement was a bad thing.

The reality is that some still will try to say and do anything to keep him out.  They claim he is a citizen of another country.  They claim he hates America.  They claim he is a communist or Marxist.  Or a secret Muslim (which really doesn’t disqualify him).  Some even have claim that he was the anti-christ.

I think hanging the painting there is great for it says that at one time people didn’t want Blacks to even enter into the same school as them.  Now here is a Black in the highest office in the land.

A Mistake?

Watch this video:

My question is; Did the "news" station try to mislead its viewers? 

Of course they did.  Once again the news tries to portray young black men (women and children) in the worst light possible.  The story of the shooting was bad enough, another life lost for no reason, but to try the protray the child as a future thug is shameful.  Why would they even do this?

WBBM's communications director Shawnelle Richie has stated the following on the situation:

We accept responsibility for the mistakes that were made, both in the reporting and editing of the story. The video of the child should not have aired. As soon as news management identified the problem, they took immediate steps to ensure that the video would not air in subsequent newscasts. In addition, we have followed up with our employees to make sure that we all have learned from the mistakes that were made.

We will see if they will indeed learn for their mistakes.

Tar Baby?

So it appears that another U.S. Representative using another borderline term to define the president. Or at least define what working with him is like. Congressman Doug Lamborn of Colorado apparently said the following (emphasis mine):

Even if some people say, ‘Well the Republicans should have done this or they should have done that,’ they will hold the President responsible. Now, I don’t even want to have to be associated with him. It’s like touching a tar baby and you get it, you’re stuck, and you’re a part of the problem now and you can’t get away. I don’t want that to happen to us, but if it does or not, he’ll still get, properly so, the blame because his policies for four years will have failed the American people.

I think he was trying to describe the situation as he felt it. But you never know. My history teaches me he knew exactly what he was saying. The term tar baby has been a derogatory term about blacks for decades now. You would think he would know better. Maybe he did and said it anyway. I am sure somehow that this will get him the publicity that politicians grave. And he is in a long line of this type of thing.

Still I am reminded of this particular skit from Saturday Night Live. When it was funny.

The Poor Get Poorer

Let’s see.  Both Steve Wynn of the famed Wynn resort empire and Bernie Marcus, co- founder of The Home Depot have recently complained about President Obama.  I find it kind of interesting because both companies’ profits are up.  Mr. Wynn’s companies’ worth is as up as it ever has been.  Marcus isn’t doing too shabby either.

It must be nice being filthy rich and whiny at the same time.  At least you get noticed.  Even when you are sort of lying.

In the mean time real people in the real world are suffering.  These are the people who don’t have the millions or even billions to even get noticed.  They are the people who are still unemployed and can’t find a job.  I lot of times employers don’t even want to talk to you unless you have a job now.

I recently saw one of those stupid emails or letters berating the fact that Nancy Pelosi is rich and she has gotten richer.  It bemoaned the fact that she was rich (sexism confused with elitism at its best).  The truth is if you are rich, you are just going to get richer and richer.  That includes John McCain, President Obama, Steve Wynn and Bernie Marcus. 

However, the gap between the rich and poor grows every day.  The poor are getting poorer.  And they get blamed for everything that is wrong in the country.  They are blamed for the financial crisis we are in now.  You know the deal; Fanny and Freddie Mac.  Medicaid.  Welfare.  The poor are not to blame, but they make a convenient scapegoat because their voices aren’t heard.  Or better yet, no one really cares what they say. 

Not like a Wynn or Marcus.

Isn’t That Just Un-American?

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) recently said that, “I refuse to help Barack Obama get reelected by marching Republicans into a position where we have co-ownership of a bad economy.”  "It didn't work in 1995. What will happen is the administration will send out notices to 80 million Social Security recipients and to military families and they will all start attacking members of Congress. That is not a useful place to take us. And the president will have the bully pulpit to blame Republicans for all this disruption."

Therefore he proposes that the current president be the sole power to raise the debt ceiling.

Let’s forget that this is a stupid trap (that will backfire) for the President.  Let’s also forget that this makes McConnell sound and act like a certified coward.  Let’s forget that he doesn’t really want to do his job.  Let’s forget the fact that McConnell wants this president to fail in everything.

However, let’s remember one of the most important his he has said.  And I quote (emphasis mine):

"If we go into default he will say Republicans are making the economy worse," he concluded. "And all of a sudden we have co-ownership of a bad economy. That is a very bad position going into an election. My first choice was to do something important for the country. But my second obligation is to my party and my conference to prevent them from being sucked into a horrible position politically that would allow the president, probably, to get reelected because we didn't handle this difficult situation correctly."

And there you have it.  He has chosen his party over the country.  And he has admitted too it.

Isn’t That Just Un-American?

As for President Obama, he is once again playing an amazing game of chess while others are playing pocket pool.  We will see where this goes.