The AP reports, in the midst of a swing through Compton by Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, that Clinton supporter and founder of Black Entertainment Television Bob Johnson has issued an apology to Senator Barack Obama for remarks that Johnson made over the weekend.
"In my zeal to support Senator Clinton, I made some very inappropriate remarks for which I am truly sorry," Johnson said in a written statement. "I hope that you will accept this apology. Good luck on the campaign trail."
Meanwhile, Senator Clinton talked about "birthing" a new Compton:
"I know something about birthing," Clinton said. "You need a president who will be a partner. Who says, 'What is it I can do to make sure this birth is easy and successful?'"
Compton replied by requesting some ice chips and an epidural.
She went on to say of her Republican opponents that she would mix 'em and cook 'em in a pot like gumbo, but stopped short of saying that she was down with a "jack move."
It is tempting to rehash the whole episode, complete with fresh recriminations and outrage. The Clinton camp stood by Johnson's initial denial, Johnson himself didn't acknowledge his denial while apologizing, and judging by reactions I've seen from black folks, he has a lot to answer to them for.
Instead, I would like to take Bob Johnson at his word, and let this thing rest. To be fair, Hillary displayed admirable loyalty to Bob Johnson by not hanging him out to dry. Whatever the merits of these 2 people, it seems fair to assume their hearts are in the right place. In the spirit of moving past this, and put in mind by the name of Johnson's network, I'd like to share with you one of the great moments in Black Entertainment History. (From the film Wattstax)
I KINDA THINK ITS NEAT THAT WE HAVE TEDDY (I'D WALK A MILE FOR A KOPECNE) AND A DRUNKEN BUM TO BOOT ENDORSING OBAMA---HILLARY THE ELECTION IS IN THE BAG---ANYONE THAT FOLLOWS A KENNEDY SCHNOOK JUST OUGHT TO LOOK WHAT CAME OUT OF THEIR STATE UP TO AND INCLUDING A 9/11 PLANE---THEY SHOULD SECEDE FROM THE UNION--TRAITORS LIKE KERRY ETC.. WHO NEEDS THEM ANYWAY THE NAME SHOULD BE MASSADUMBNICKS NOT MASSACHUSETTS
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Kitty
3:21AM Jan 18th 2008
Voters are already getting tired of Obama's smugness, smirks (reminds me of Bush), deception about his record, and especially his camp's insinuations that the Clintons are racist.
UNLIKE OBAMA, the Clintons have a REAL record of doing for ethnic minorites in America. Obama's campaign trail accolades on nearly EVERYTHING is in direct contradiction to his REAL voting record in Congress.
People jumping blindly onto Obama's bandwagon of deception, divisiveness and condescending to women need to wake up and do their homework lest we end up with another arrogant and divisive Bush-style administration who promised to unite all while dividing.
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DavidG
7:36AM Jan 18th 2008
Bob Johnson's heart in NOT in the right place. His heart is in his bank along with the dignity of the black race. He has brought the black culture down to a level they will never rise from. BET has turned them into pimps and hos all the time, except on Sunday when it's Church. I'm not sure when it turns on Sunday from church back to pimps and hos.
Clinton knows it, but is so pc she does not dare to say it. Barak could, but doesn't, which shows you what kind of person he truly is.
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big tony
8:47AM Jan 18th 2008
re: Dila
This is why we need Obama,It is racist views such as yours that keeps this country from uniting and competing on the world stage. I can tell from your paragraph that you are educationally challenged, and often question why i sometimes get upset over comments such as yours, but the plain truth is when educated people decipher through all of the rehortic that you and your friends preach. it's becomes very evident that ther is a definitely no reason to be upset. By the way just in case your wondering, i am white and i do support The Senator. Please crawl back into the cave that gave birth to you, you were definitely shorted on a couple of months.
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Allen
9:23AM Jan 18th 2008
Because I love you First Lady Clinton is why I would never vote to put a First Lady of the United States of America in the line of fire. Yes we need all you and your husband can help us with but never is sending you out beyond our protection a good idea. Would you receive this in love, please. Stand down allow us as a country to show the world why we are America.
We need an immediate Cease fire Order from our current President Bush. We look for one who is to be President to not only uphold this Cease fire Order but a President who would never find violence as a first choice. We have courts for all those who offend our laws. We need to seriously do some immediate house cleaning across the board by voiding the consecration (vows and oaths) of anyone who has been found guilty in a court of law of violating their consecrated duties.
Removes those titles and puts them where they themselves chose to be.
Then we can vote for a President that will know we are watching and we are no going to fall into anymore foolishness. We are in a mess right here in America why would we bring more mess to this messed up situation we have all ready.
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Greg Jones
10:34AM Jan 18th 2008
Blacks Learning 'Goldwater Girl' Hillary Was AGAINST the Civil Rights Act of 1964....Feel Deceived !
A March 12, 2007 article written by acclaimed Washington columnist Robert Novak sheds a very revealing light on the true sentiment of Hillary Clinton during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. Clinton recently was found to have minimized the great and monumental strides taken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by stating that it was Lyndon B. Johnson, then president, who should receive the credit for civil rights progress including the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In an attempt to attract black support Hillary Clinton regularly shares her 'civil rights experience' during every speech given to blacks audiences. Novak writes of one such speech at Selma's First Baptist Church on the 42nd anniversary of the "bloody Sunday" freedom march there, where Sen. Clinton declared: "As a young woman, I had the great privilege of hearing Dr. King speak in Chicago. The year was 1963. My youth minister from our church took a few of us down on a cold January night to hear [King]. . . . And he called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the civil rights pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union." But Novak's article states that there's a big problem with her statement.
The fact is, in 1963, the same period of time she speeks of at all black church appearances, not only was Hillary Clinton a republican, but she was also a staunch supporter of republican Senator Barry Goldwater, well known as a segregationist and one of the most vocal senators adamently against the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is why he lost in his presidential bid to Lyndon B. Johnson. Novak writes "...how then could she be a 'Goldwater Girl' in the next year's presidential election?" He continues, "...she described herself in her memoirs as 'an active Young Republican' and 'a Goldwater girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit.' (Hillary worked on Golwater's presidential campaign) Novak adds, "As a politically attuned honor student, she must have known that Goldwater was one of only six Republican senators who joined Southern Democratic segregationists opposing the historic voting rights act of 1964 inspired by King. Hillary headed the Young Republicans at Wellesley College.
The incompatibility of those two positions of 40 years ago was noted to me (Novak) by Democratic old-timers who were shocked by Sen. Clinton's temerity in pursuing her presidential candidacy." Novak adds, "What Hillary Clinton said at Selma is significant because it betrays her campaign's panicky reaction to the unexpected rise of Sen. Obama as a serious competitor for the Democratic nomination. Clinton's plans were transformed by the advent of Obama, an African-American threatening the hard allegiance of black voters forged by Bill Clinton. On one hand, the Clinton campaign has attacked Obama and his supporters. On the other hand, she has sought to solidify her civil rights credentials.
While Clinton was re-inventing her past, her road to the White House is not going as planned. Instead of a steady procession to coronation at the Denver convention, she is involved in a real struggle against credible opponents led by Obama. No wonder she and her handlers were tempted to imply the existence long ago of a young lady in Chicago's suburbs who never really existed."
Blacks are stating their feeling of betrayment now that these truths are being exposed as they come to the conclusion that the fact is, Hillary was AGAINST the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that Dr. King died for and as a 'Goldwater Girl' she was even against Lyndon B. Johnson, the very person she now gives the credit to for Dr. King getting to the mountaintop. !
Greg 'Peace Song' Jones
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David S.
11:50AM Jan 18th 2008
DavidG (above comment) does have a point here. BET started out as a respectable network, but Bob Johnson has made millions off portraying African American men as pimps and whoremongers; and women as sex objects, to put it mildly. I think Mr. Johnson is in no position to judge Barack Obama. And Mrs. Clinton may want to think twice about her associations.