Haiti Needs Your Help - It’s That Simple

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For we in the Pan-African diaspora, the election of a black President of the United States has been something for us all to celebrate. But there are those who, despite our apparent victory, still don't have much to be happy about.

It's not new news to you that the tiny nation of Haiti is, and for years has been, in desparate trouble. The only reason it has survived is because of the fortitude of its people over the past two centuries. But things keep going from bad to worse for the nation, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.

Ravaged with poverty, hunger, and constantly beset by hurricanes, the latest tragedy is the collapse of a school there that killed 94 children because of the poor building construction allowed by lax enforcement of standards and a poor national infrastructure.

Now there's news of a second school collapsed in Haiti this week. ...

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It's time we black folk started adopting a global view and started looking at ourselves as citizens of an Africus Mundi and reach out to places that need help in becoming self-sufficient. Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world because for so long it has been mired in internal strife, poverty, disease and hunger, much more so than its neighbors in the Caribbean.

The solution for any country to get out of poverty is to create an infrastructure that grows and strengthens resources that in turn establishes the ability to form markets to trade with other nations at a profit. Haiti, while a strong culture, has been hindered in its growth. But there is a chance to help the nation get out of the tempest it has found itself in over the past several generations.

The charities below are involved in helping the nation by establishing micro enterprises, providing clean drinking water, medicines, and sustainable development.

+ The Lambi Fund of Haiti
+ Yele Haiti
+ The Mangrove Fund
+ Hope For Haiti
+ Haiti Action Committee

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Posted under Featured News by carhub on Thursday 13 November 2008 at 6:00 am

Obama Effect Trumps Bradley Effect

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The Bradley Effect was supposed to be the ace in the hole for Republicans during this presidential election -- a dirty little Election Day factor steeped in white mistrust of a black candidate.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the 2008 presidential election results.

The Bradley Effect had no effect. Voting in the election pretty much mirrored what pollsters had predicted. Whites who told pollsters they were going to vote for Obama, in fact, did.

So for now, the Bradley Effect, the theory that says in elections between a black and white candidate that some white voters will express a willingness to vote for a black candidate to pollsters before the election but will ultimately vote for the white nominee, is left in tatters. ...

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The theory was born when Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, an African-American, led in the polls, but lost his 1982 bid for governor.

And it has been witnessed in more than a dozen major elections in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Virginia since then where a black candidate either lost an election after polls forecast their victory or a black candidate eked out a narrow win after a landslide victory was predicted.

Some believe Obama may have suffered from the Bradley Effect in his California primary battle with Hillary Clinton. Obama lost by a landslide 10 percentage points despite one late survey showing him ahead by 13 points and two others giving him a one-point lead.

One thing is certain. If any election was going to exhibit the Bradley Effect, this sure seemed to be the one.
First of all, it marked the first time a man of African descent was so close to winning a presidential election. Other observers predicted white voters would be scared off by Barack Obama's unusual name or perhaps the unsubstantiated yet widely spread rumors about him being a Muslim.

But Obama defanged many of the worries raised by his opponents because he never allowed race to become a defining characteristic of his campaign. In fact, the only time race became an issue was when his association with his former pastor Jeremiah Wright was unearthed.

And then, Obama handled the situation with poise and honesty in a speech on race which seemed to put the issue to bed for most Americans.

So while Obama took race out as a factor in the election, the poorly-run McCain campaign and its selection of the not-ready-for primetime vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave voters of all colors sufficient reason to say they would vote Democratic - and to follow through.
_________________
Paul Shepard blogs the Democrat side of the election for BlackVoices. He has been a journalist for 16 years; on the national urban/minority affairs beat for The Cleveland Plain Dealer and for The AP in Washington, DC

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Posted under Featured News by carhub on Tuesday 11 November 2008 at 6:00 pm

A Place Where Obama Didn’t Make Front Page News

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Far be it from me to criticize the decisions made by another editor in his own paper.

I've been in this business for a minute and I know people make news decisions based on the needs and demands of his readers. With that said, I've never heard of a news outlet actually deciding not to publish a story of international interest like the election of the US president.

Well, as it turns out, some goober journalists, if you can call them journalists, in Oklahoma decided to do just that. ...

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It seems that the Sapulpa Herald in Oklahoma decided to leave that news tidbit out. But watch this video , and check out the excuse this mental giant (insert facetious tone here) gives for omitting one of the biggest historical events of the last ten years. As Sarah Palin would say, what a bunch of "jerks!!"

My own editors at BlackVoices.com gave me permission to call these people a$$wipes just this once. Let's leave it at that.

The sad thing is, this is NOT the only newspaper in America that either made this same call or downplayed the significance of Obama's win. Meanwhile, copies of other post-election newspapers, including the New York Times and the Amsterdam News , are being sold on eBay for a profit.

Check out newspapers, in the gallery above, that decide to bask in this historic moment with the rest of civilized society.

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Posted under Featured News by carhub on Tuesday 11 November 2008 at 11:00 am

What’s In A Name? Barack Hussein Obama

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By Angela Bronner Helm, BlackVoices.com

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There will be repercussions of this election for years to come - a more informed and active citizenship, a more "color blind society," Supreme Court placements, and, of course, the fact that the most prominent African American on earth is not a rapper, athlete or actor.

One of the more obscure but no less significant changes will also be for those whose names fall outside of the "norm" - a significant portion of the African American community, and probably the world - that they may be judged a bit more for the content of their character and not for the name they were given.

The election of Barack Obama means more to children named Hayat, Jabril, Karu or Ayaana than can be estimated. And as the mother of two children with those names, it means a lot to me.


I chose my children's names because they are bold, unique, and culturally and personally significant. I made the choice that my children's names were going to be reflective of who we are. I never once thought that these lovingly, carefully considered names could hurt my beloved. Recently, there has been a movement among some people of color to choose less unique names like Madison, Kennedy and Britney to counteract a percieved impediment to their success in America. Name discrimination is very real.

There was a report released some years ago which showed that job applicants with "white names" had a 50% chance of getting a callback over those who had African-American names -- a rate equal to an additional eight years of experience. Another study showed that in housing applications traditional white sounding names elicited 89% of positive replies. A foreign sounding name brought in 66% of replies while the African-American name took in 56%.

The name Barack means "Blessing" and was given to Mr. Obama by his Kenyan father of the same name. There are many that make the point that Barack means something whereas Anfernee, Phakisha or Beyonce may not. Don't be fooled, we confer meaning on things -- not the other way around. After all, the name Micha-El, though ancient, was made up by somebody.

Clearly, the president-elect's name erected hurdles most presidential candidates don't have to clear. For some it maginified his otherness to a troubling degree. To be honest, he is other. There are not many among us extraordinary enough to lead a nation during these troubling times. The embodiment of American exceptionalism could not be contained by a foreign sounding name.

This could not been an easy road to travel. We know for sure that Barack Senior Americanized his name to "Barry" when he immigrated to this country as a student in the late 1950s -- just as Mee Hung Lee becomes "May," Serafino becomes "Sam" and Jose becomes "Joe." But Barack Jr., conversely, began to ask to be called by his given name during his college years.

So by the time he ran for office, it was Barack Obama. Take it or leave it. We took it and him to the White House. So even though I estimate that the name Barack will not be an anomaly for much longer (how many children do you think will have this name in years to come?), it also paves the way for those who are not named Mary, Kate or Jack or John.

We are NOT our parent's generation. His election alone proves that this is not the same country it was a generation ago. The fact of the matter is that most adults today have gone to school with children with strange names - unique, unapologetic and yes -- even made up names. They played with them on the field and studied with them in the classroom. They will live, love, learn, trust and confide in them for years to come. For them a unique name is just that-- no more, no less.

Be unique, be smart, be you. What's in a name? Anything you want. Ask Barack Hussein Obama, 44 th President of the United States.

Rate Your Name Here:
http://www.behindthename.com/rating/



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Posted under Featured News by carhub on Friday 7 November 2008 at 3:55 pm

My Wild Election Night in Times Square

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By Bonnie Biess , Special to BlackVoices.com

I arrived in Times Square around 11p.m. just, before CNN called the election, and the crowd was just going wild. People are jumping up and down screaming 'Yes we can! Yes we can!'

They had this huge screen set up next to a selected crowd of people on bleachers at the end of the Square when all the sudden, "CNN Projection: Barack Obama Elected President" appeared on the screen. Out rang this cheer that could wake the dead. I'm surrounded by this mass of tears, smiles and screams of joy. People were hugging and dancing all over the place, while others let out more tears and what appeared to be deep sighs of relief. This kid next to me dialed his cell phone: "Mama! Mama! Wake up! There's a black man in the White House!! We did it! We finally did it!" ...

Amidst the craziness we all stood patiently and waited for our new President-elect to arrive in Chicago and address the nation. Just as he finally appears and walks to the podium, he opens his mouth to speak and... The cable goes out. All around I'm hearing random sounds of confusion and 'Are you 'bleep'in kidding me!?!?!?'

The screen continued to menace us with its rainbow stripes and all the sudden we look to our left. We see our new President giving his speech on the big screen, only it's on the complete opposite side of Times Square. We looked at the screen, looked at eachother, and everyone just started bookin'. The crowd on the bleachers started haulin' out, fast as hell, but thankfully it was more in pride march form rather than violent stampede. People stopped taxi cabs that were still in motion to lean their heads in and hear the radio, still keeping their eyes on the distant screen.

We finally get to the other end and the chaos goes silent. Everyone stops in their tracks to watch and listen. The crowd slowly begins to thicken as dancing stragglers join in on the electric glow. Toothy grins from ear-to-ear continued in silence as cameras focused on our new President, often cutting to a tearful Oprah and Jesse Jackson. That beautiful speech came to an end and this overwhelming vibe of peace and confidence just poured through the Square. The celebration continued as people made their way into the city streets. People posing for pictures, break dancing, and emotional screams of 'Yes we did! Yes we did!' could be heard from miles around.

On the way home, the Subway had this sense of calm to it, but not the usual late night "man what a long day" calm. Just calm. You could see it across the faces of the crowd. We are finally heading in the right direction.

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Posted under Featured News by carhub on Thursday 6 November 2008 at 1:00 pm

World Is Watching President Obama

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The effect Barack Obama's victory Tuesday had on the world was profound and immediate. His father's country of Kenya has called a national holiday and you could probably hear the unified celebration as far as outer space. Not since the end of World War II have so many people on our planet been overjoyed in simultaneous celebration. The rousing reaction is not just a reflection of how citizens of the world view the United States, but a reflection of how we NOW look at ourselves. Obama was right all along. This election was about us, Americans, not him. ... ... We have elected a different man to the highest office in our land, someone who has inspired hope, energy, unity and optimism in these most difficult time s. "Your election raises great hopes in France, Europe and the rest of the world." -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy. "I have just sent my warmest congratulations to Sen. Obama." -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Until recently, the position of US President has been the most respected in global politics for generations. We restored that respect this week, but not entirely. Not unlike dejected McCain supporters here at home, there are Obama skeptics from Spain to Syria as well. While newspapers and TV stations around the world were mostly positive, in Syria and other newspapers in the Middle East have firmly stated that there's no difference between Obama, Bush or McCain. In the elegant fashion we expect from our 44th President, Obama had this to tell citizens of the world in his acceptance speech : To all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. Obama also put our enemies on notice. To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you.
Top Election Discussions
Magazine Covers Collection
+ Obama Is The 44th President of The US
+ An Open Apology To Obama
+ Obama BEATDOWN + Hello President Obama, Goodbye America
+ Come One, Come All
+ Obama Is Our President
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Posted under Featured News , World Affairs by carhub on Wednesday 5 November 2008 at 6:00 pm

Glorious Day - What Does It Mean to You? Open Thread

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"And since my Father, Mother & Grandmother couldn't be here in the physical, I took their pictures (and spirits) with me." -- SloeWyne


It feels good to be in love with my country right now. Oh, I always love her. But sometimes we fight and we don't get along as well as I'd like.

Even though divorce is never an option for us, right now we're like newlyweds. I envisioned an Obama win, but I could not have fathomed the breadth of the wind behind him. I did not imagine so many, many, many people would take taxis, wait for hours and practically crawl to get to the voting booth to cast their voice for change. I saw it up close.

One woman even came into vote in labor. Many severely disabled came in to vote too. And the very elderly, who could barely see or hold the voting pen, were determined to cast their votes as well. I am not exaggerating and I will write more about all of this later. ...

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What I saw at the poll I supervised yesterday moved me beyond what I will ever be able to express to you in words. I got home at 12:15am after dropping off the ballots and equipment. I am still groggy and only starting to experience feelings coming up to the surface.

My first call this morning was from my beloved Mom who never thought she would see a black man elected president in her lifetime. We talked of how when she went to bury her grandmother, she could not go to the dining car on the train or drink from public water fountains because of the color of her skin. I can't imagine what it is like to see this through that frame. But it makes me cry nonetheless. How are YOU feeling? What was your voting experience like? Please share stories here.

Black Voices Community Reaction

Did Anyone Expect A Landslide?
" YEP...two weeks ago I said that Obama was going to get at least 335 electoral votes." - Deep-Cover


Jesse Jackson Tears
"Now I don't want to offend anyone but I cant help feeling Jessie Jackson's tears were fake! I feel he was crying more cause he wished it would of been him and not President Obama! I don't no but that's the impression I got when the cameras kept zooming in on him! Just my evaluation!!!" - natalie29115


Juan Williams Tears Up on Fox News
"I was crying along with him. I don't know if you watch ABC or not but Steve Osunsumi (sp?) also lost it last night when he talked about how people of his father's generation said it would never happen." - mephistolesnc


Don't Entertain Idiots Today
" Very well said! I keep wondering why otherwise intelligent and astute posters would engage the negativity as if those people even matter...I just don't get it...NOTHING is going to dampen my pride and happiness today (save for a loss...LOL!)." - mslj920


HE WON HE WON HE WON!!!
"I was just speechless. I called my mom and she was near tears! She told me to pray for him like she did." - wfnchss

" I am still trying to digest the Historic Magnitude of this event. It just seems so unreal and amazing at the same time. Just AWESOME!!!!!!!" - ladynokes


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Posted under Featured News by carhub on Wednesday 5 November 2008 at 2:00 pm

The End of the GOP As We Know It

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http://www.deadelephant.org/images/dead_elephant_logo_tiny_100.gif Many conservatives felt that if Senator Barack Obama defeated Senator John McCain on November 4, there will be a lot of changes within the country.

A lot of deep, painful changes.

Now that we have formally ushered in the phrase "President-elect Barack Obama," many conservatives will now also usher in a new phrase into their political lexicon.

The End. ...

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Namely, the Obama win has led to the end of the world as we know it.

Well, not necessarily the world that you're thinking of, but a particular world certainly is coming to an end. It's the one that the Republican Party has been living in for some time now.

President-elect Barack Obama's rise to power has been a testimony not to his decades-long tenure in public office to the country; (only four years ago, he was celebrating his victory as a new United States senator.) It has been an example of how to create a winning campaign that will resonate with the American voting base of the 21st century.

By uplifting an unknown candidate in 2004 to the presidency within 4 years, the Democrats have shown that there is a desire within America for voters to discover, engage, and work with their candidates of choice in a new fashion. Some of this is through new technology such as blogging, text messaging, online commercials, and online fundraising.

Other methods include doing things outside of the typical images and molds that we have cast for our politicians. After all, the last Democratic wunderkind to claim the White House (President Bill Clinton) was seen by America playing a saxophone on the then-popular "Arsenio Hall Show" in 1992. It shouldn't be a surprise that the president-elect was shooting ball with the UNC Tar Heels while on the campaign trail.

(He probably could have done better by hooping it up with Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats, but I digress...)

The most that Republicans could do to "break the mold" was to appear several times on "Saturday Night Live," although much of that was a damage control effort to buffer the Tina Fey effect in this election.

So, did the 2008 election teach Republicans that America no longer buys the Republican message?

I would say no. Looking at the final numbers, the president-elect won crucial states through slim margins despite some forecast of big wins in those areas. States such as Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia turned from red to blue, albeit somewhat begrudgingly, as some larger leads dwindled away as Election Day moved on.

The Republicans lost this election because their message (a message, even with a marginal candidate such as 2-term President George W. Bush, plays well to an America best described as being center-right politically) was packaged by a wrapping that illustrated its worse tactical qualities and under-emphasized its benefits.

The Republicans did not just lose the presidential election. If local, state, and congressional races were any indication throughout the country (as it was here in North Carolina), the Republican Party may have lost its connection to the American people.

With a historic candidate now taking over the White House and congressional control for his party, it could be a long time coming before the GOP has a chance to reclaim a significant portion of new voters, minority voters, and disenchanted independent voters.

Of course, a good butt-kicking may be the best lesson for our party if we are serious about being relevant during the Obama Presidency.

In order for the Republican Party to recoup from November 4, we will have to begin reevaluating the way we articulate the Republican mantra to the American voting public. Gone are the days of scaring voters towards the GOP through ads about godlessness (ask Senator Elizabeth Dole if that had any effect in her race in North Carolina), speeches about "pro-American parts of the country" (ask Governor Palin if that gained enough votes in North Carolina), and forfeiting segments of the electorate because "they don't traditionally vote" (those lines did look awful long on Tuesday.)

Conservative messages resonate with American voters. Current conservative campaigning does not.

Conservative principles and practices transcend racial and gender demographics.
Current conservative exhibitions of racial insensitivity and lack of diversity translate into alienation from the media, new voters, and independent voters, at least in this election cycle.

Conservative imagery of fiscal responsibility, strong military strength, and sound pride in our domestic abilities and production make the Republican Party the one that held the White House for two-thirds of my young life. The conservative image presented by the GOP allowed Barack Obama to look more presidential in 2008, thus allowing the Democrats to garner the White House for the first time this century.

It may not take a Barack Obama-type figure in the GOP to reclaim past glory, but it will certainly take more message-, image-, and era-conscious conservatives to do so. Either we will do that or Republicans will continue to experience the end of the world as they knew it.

Talk about feeling blue.
____________________
Lenny McAllister is the Political Guru for Fox News - Charlotte and blogs the Republican side of the election for BlackVoices. He is a frequent contributor to The Charlotte Post and The North Carolina Conservative.


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Posted under Featured News by carhub on Wednesday 5 November 2008 at 11:38 am

Jack & Jill Go To the Polls

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Our friend Jack Turner (AKA Baratunde Thurston) over at Jack & Jill politics hit the polls this morning and took his camera with him. Check out his journey.

You can post your own pictures and videos here in BV Community .

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Posted under Featured News by carhub on Tuesday 4 November 2008 at 1:00 pm

Top 25 Wacky and Crazy Campaign Moments

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It's been a wild ride in longest election in US history.

It's hard to believe that it took 21 months to get to the finish line. There were more than 20 Democratic primary debates, three presidential debates, conventions, rumors, scandals and gaffes galore.

This election brought us Obama Girl and Geraldine Ferraro . We'll never forget Rev. Wright and Rev. Jesse Jackson going "nuts." There was "Joe the Plumber" and Joe Biden, who started off his presidential bid calling by Obama "clean and articulate."

We've come up with a list of the Top 25 Wacky and Crazy Campaign Moments . Obviously, this list could be much longer. So tell us the moments we forgot in your comments below.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Posted under Featured News by carhub on Tuesday 4 November 2008 at 12:00 pm

Textual Healing, The Epilogue - Detroit Mayor Off To Jail

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Short version: Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick , after pleading guilty to lying under oath from the whole sexual text message thing that I'm not going to repeat here for the eight millionth time, gets yoked for 120 days in the Wayne County clink.

Discussion Boards
Now, the last high-profile folks I heard of to be found guilty of lying under oath got way more than 120 days in jail (for example Lewis "Scooter" Libby , Lil Kim ), so Kilpatrick should thank his lucky stars (and prison stripes) that he didn't get worse. ...

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But man, the judge laid into him, chastising him like a high school freshman who dropped water balloons from the balcony above the gym.

"Ultimately what shocked this Court and much of the community was your press conference after your plea hearing. That night the community expected to hear a message of humility, remorse, and apology. Instead, we heard an arrogant and defiant man who accused the governor, among others, for his downfall. Your statements were incredible given the fact that you had just pled guilty to two felony counts for perjury and obstruction of justice and no contest to one count of assaulting a police officer in exchange for dismissal of 7 counts before this Court. Although the Probation Department's pre-sentence report indicates that you have accepted responsibility for your actions, this Court questions your sincerity..."


Actually, it was harsher, like if he dropped water-filled condoms; which makes a better metaphor since what he did was both more costly and would have been funny to him if he had gotten way with it.

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Posted under Featured News by carhub on Wednesday 29 October 2008 at 7:00 am

Desperate McCain Supporter Faked Black Attack

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The woman who says a Barack Obama supporter attacked her and carved the letter "B" on her face has confessed to making it all up!!

Even the Pittsburgh police department had doubts about Ashley Todd's outrageous story of being attacked and mutilated by a mugger who resented her McCain/Palin bumper sticker. It turns out Todd was NOT even at the ATM at the time she claims the attack occurred. Via TMZ:
The PD has released a statement saying "We have received photos from the ATM machine at the Citizens Bank and the photographs was (sic) verified as NOT being the victim making the transaction." ...

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Thursday I read this story on Drudge and immediately thought "Tawana Brawley." It did not make sense that this "victim" would not be bruised in the face (only sporting smeared eye make-up), that the assault took place away from the ATM cameras, and that her "attacker" would stand over her face and "carve," without actually tearing the skin, a backwards "B." And further, why would you refuse any medical treatment?

I was feeling a little guilty about my skepticism until I looked at the "victim's" Twitter page courtesy of Malkin. MM says exactly what I was thinking:

"If I'm wrong, I'll apologize. If I'm right, will this woman? It needs to be said - and since it is not said often enough by those on the other side of the political aisle, I'll say it again: We have enough low-lifes and thugs in the world running loose and causing campaign chaos and fomenting hatred without having to make them up. I've been blowing the whistle on the real, left-wing rage not on the front page and in-your-face tactics throughout the election season. Hate crimes hoaxes - by anyone, of any political persuasion, and of any color - diminish us all." -- Michelle Malkin . Nice post .

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Posted under Featured News by carhub on Friday 24 October 2008 at 1:00 pm

Candidates Kissing Babies

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Presidential candidate kissing babies is as old as the office itself.

It's just one of the many tools politicians use to create a positive image. Nothing says "family values" more than a good-old photo opp with a young tot.

We took the liberty of peeking into these young minds to see what they were thinking when these adorable pictures were taken. Enjoy.

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