WILL THE REAL HILLARY CLINTON PULEEZE SHOW UP!

The Presumptive "Fair One" Between the Once Presumptive Democratic

Candidate and The Lightweight GOP VP Candidate Must Be in Rain Delay

Let's be clear: The Democratic Primary race between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was fought over one issue -- entitlement.

Whose turn is it at bat? The Blacks? (meaning especially Black men) Or upper middle class white women (soccer moms, middle managers, etc.) Who has been buked and scorned more? The Blacks, no doubt have suffered through slavery, endured racism, segregation (legalized racism) and marginalization, for starters.

Hold on a second, say the white women -- "at least Barack's a man! That makes him more equal than we are. Besides there's still pay inequity between women and men -- and that counts!"

One could not have dreamed that the Democrats' (who have shown so little backbone and fire against the Republican right) primary would be mean as a Yankee-Red Sox playoff series.

If you don't believe that, just ask your liberal, Democratic, white female friends and colleagues who they are voting for. The number who are still "undecided" is incredible.

Or should I say appalling?

With two candidates so far apart on the issues -- Iraq, abortion rights, etc. -- what exactly are you undecided about?

Are you still mad that Hillary lost to Barack, a man, a Black man? So mad that you are willing to fore go getting out of Iraq, the hard-fought and perhaps fading right to choose, just to name a few issues? What would Hillary think? Her silence, despite claims to support the ticket, reeks with bitterness and selfishness. Go ahead, dog the last few minutes of the game because you got sat on the bench. It won't be your fault your team lost. "They should never have taken me out!" you can say.

So Hillary is in the cat-bird seat -- she believes. If the Democrats lose, she can echo what she said before: "I'm the one who can get the hard-working, white voters..."

Or she can come to the rescue in those final minutes and hit some three pointers, at which point she can proclaim: "You only won because of me -- never could've done it without me!"

Either way Hillary looks like the truly entitled one. If Obama loses, she can wait on the sidelines until next time around, and remind everyone of the great opportunity they missed in '08.

Heard an interesting commentary on a Pacifica radio station, where the commentator said something like this: Black people have voted for a long line of mediocre white men for decades now (read Mondale, Carter, Kerry). We have had our needs either ignored or met just part way. So for white women to all of a sudden forsake their political views and their consciences to jump the fence all the way to the right and vote for McCain instead of Obama -- your racism is showing...

I'm hearing many white women Democrats say: "Hillary has experience and McCain has experience and experience is important."

Yeah. Hillary who lied about dodging bullets in Bosnia, when in reality she and her then young daughter, Chelsea, were photo-opting for the press, surrounded by school children and accompanied by CBS News. Not a bullet to be seen or heard. Boy, had Obama said that, they would have been all over his lying, and denigrating the work of the real soldiers whose lives are on the line, etc.

But Hillary, who claims unfair treatment by the media, dodged the bullet.

Her husband, Bill, was stunned that this came up at all and said: "She was just tired."

Tired? Imagine how tired she'll be at 3:00 in the morning when that infamous phone rings.

Experience? Ask Hillary fans to name three accomplishments she has made during her experience in the Senate. Her tenure there might have been a good time to revisit health care. She campaigned for it as First Lady -- a ceremonial role -- why not now, Hillary when there is a fist in your glove?

Experience? Like the kind her husband had before he came to the White House? Like his politics or not, go and compare George Bush the 1st's experience to Bill's. The only thing Bill probably had more experience in than George I, was weed.

Hillary is no doubt very, very, bright. She could've been a powerhouse for the Democratic Party and the dried out, dying Left. She could have given them balls without ever running for office.

But had Hillary not married Bill, she would have been: a) a successful high-powered attorney; b) head of a national not-for-profit; or c) a congressional representative in a major city or suburb of a major city.

Not in the Senate, no way, no how.

So if Hillary really wants to help elect a fellow Democrat, her role is clear: 1) Spread the gospel among your remaining devoted that they must support Obama; and 2) Stalk Sara Palin -- make her look like the comic relief she really is.

Try to get her face-to-face. Follow her at appearances: Palin goes to Miami -- Hillary follows her -- Indianapolis, the same. And also Fort Wayne, Anaheim, Pittsburgh and the moon if necessary. Hold yourself up to her, Hillary, so that people see clearly that you are a bona-fide heavyweight contender and Palin is a lightweight pretender.

Make women understand what an insult it is that the GOP selects the least of their female ranks to get you to abandon your ideals.

They should feel the way I felt, as a Black person, when George Bush the 1st scraped the bottom of the judicial barrel and selected Clarence Thomas to replace icon Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme court. What a slap in the face!

There were plenty of Black Republicans -- even conservative Blacks -- around with true credentials in the field of law that should have been considered. Just as now when the GOP sees fit to bypass a host of female congressional representatives, governors and senators from real states to pick Palin, who is all lip gloss and cue cards.

Experience? What, governor of Alaska?

You could be governor of Alaska on-line!

And mayor of a town of less than 50,000 people? That's five housing projects in Brooklyn!

And I doubt seriously that Palin could be a community organizer there.

And by the way, what does Palin consider the works of people like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, the founders of MADD, and the pro-choice and anti-abortion movements?

Weren't they all grassroots community organizers? The Democrats should have never let her get away with that one. If there is one certain necessary building block for any attempt at democracy and freedom, it is grass roots community organizing.

Race v. Gender finally came to head this year after three decades of upper-middle class white women jumping on the civil rights bandwagon. So whose turn is it to bat?

If your white women friends and colleagues still insist their "undecided" status is not about race, but experience -- ask them this question: What if the GOP presidential candidate had been Condolezza Rice? What do you think the out come would be?

I know the answer.

(Scroll down)

President Nader...

THE AUDACITY OF BOB JOHNSON

A former student of mine asked me after Barack Obama served Hillary (I'm Bill's wife remember?) Clinton a can of whip ass in the Iowa caucus: "If you were his adviser, what's the first thing you would advise him to do?"

"Double his security," I responded.

"Really?"

"Yep, those Clintons can be dangerous! "

So the Clinton campaign unleashes its attacks with mud and tears and anything else they think can shake Obama's rope-a-dope campaigning. Mr. Bill calls Obama's campaign a "fairy tale," first denying he said it, then saying he didn't mean it that way.

Friday he was on Black radio more than Beyonce. He grinned, he joked and spoke in a humble manner, trying to slap five with Black America over the airwaves. He tried to shuck it off by reminding -- in often unsubtle ways -- how much the Clintons have done for Black folks.

Many Blacks have a love affair with the Clintons. But then, after years of Ronald Reagan and George Bush the first, a very low water mark was set. Anyone who didn't endorse a return to slavery was considered a savior, a great white hope if you will. President Clinton attended all the Black conventions, went on Arsenio Hall's show, played the sax and was seen publicly eating ribs. Not to mention his trips to Mickey-D's, arguably America's first Black national food chain in the same way that Clinton was our first Black president.

At first they tip-toed lightly over race with subtle nods and winks. They brought in the New York Lt. Governor David Patterson all the way to Iowa to stand silently behind her on the podium during rallies. Why invite a Black politician unknown outside the state to this party? Because Patterson, once one of the most powerful members of the NY State Senate, left his position for an essentially ceremonial one: Lt. to Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Why? The deal was put to him that "when Hillary wins the presidency, I'll name you as U.S. Senator," Spitzer allegedly said.

Yeah, right.

But now, after the Clintons have tasted their first defeat since impeachment, they release the attack.

First the unsubtle statement by Mrs. Bill that even though Martin Luther King did his thing, "it was a President who signed the civil rights bill into law!" thus minimizing King's achievements and sacrifice.

I'm pretty sure not even Pres. Lyndon Johnson (the president she refers to) would have agreed with that one.

And even before they started feeling Obama hot on their trail, a Hillary pit bull campaign staffer wondered aloud on nationwide TV if Obama maybe used to deal drugs.

And now the Black attack dogs show their teeth. "Go git 'em boys!"

So up steps Bob Johnson to say: "Bill and Hillary Clinton have been deeply and emotionally involved in Black issues since Obama was doing something in his neighborhood -- and I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in (his) book..." A clear reference to Obama admitting in his book previous use of marijuana and cocaine. Johnson later backed off saying he was referring to Obama's labor organizing work. Huh?

So Black billionaire Bob Johnson, who made his fortune with BET which specializes in racist, stereotypical, misogynist, violent videos, has the audacity of take the moral high ground against Obama. Bob Johnson who has never taken a public political stance in his life -- not against police brutality, not against sub-standard education and health care -- and certainly not against the Black-on-Black crime that are as much a part of BET videos as ham hocks are to greens.

Now, amazingly, he wipes his hand off in the same water that the Clinton's use and gives validity to the myth that the Clintons were civil rights trail brazers.

Columnist, writer, Mike Barnicle said today on MSNBC, that when playing the race card, "the Clintons are not just playing with fire -- they are playing with plutonium. Race is America's third rail..."

He is dead on target.

The only thing as disturbing as the "Black attacks" on Obama's character being orchestrated from the Clinton campaign, is how many Blacks are still drinking the Kool-Aid. Sometimes all white politicians have to do (and they know this well) to win Black support is manipulate a handful of Black "leaders" and to show up at Black churches and sing spirituals along with the congregation.

To those Blacks who believe, as Bob "BET" Johnson does, that the Clintons have done much to forward the progress of Black people in America, I ask: Write three things they have done in the space below:

IMUS, DUKE, AND THE "N" WORD THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES

It was perfect timing really. I was riding the subway in Manhattan about ten days before Don Imus' crude sports commentary, standing near two young Hispanic youths, one male, one female. Nothing really distinct about them, the male good-looking and sporting neatly coiffed cornrows, the female attractive, but slightly disheveled in baggy sweater that showed some midriff.

They looked younger than their 18 years -- that was the age she said she was after proudly proclaiming that she "at least waited until then" to have her baby. He was ribbing her about how many of her friends had kids at ages of 17, 16 and 14. So she had reason to be proud. She even crowed that her "baby daddy" helped her support the child with money. He countered, "Nah, if I get one of these women pregnant, I ain't giving them no money. I'll buy some Pampers, maybe some sneakers, but they ain't gettin' my money." These kids did not appear to the the "hardcore, bad ass, scary" ghetto urchins people fear on the subway. On the whole they spoke good English and in clear terms, punctuated with street slang.

This until the "word" slipped out. Yep, the "N" word, which they repeated several times, while laughing and talking. Though their skin was about as brown as mine, they clearly would be what most would classify as Hispanic. Like often with young people they used the word not in a derogatory way towards Black people, but as an adjective to describe behavior or as a synonym for person. As I've said before I am not one to franchise the word Nigger (or nigga) to other races or age groups, nor do I think we can redefine it.

But then something interesting occurred. The female said to the male, "Hey you better watch your language, you can't say that no more." "I know," he replied, "you can get arrested for saying it now. At least get a fine." This refers to the New York City Council ruling that the "N" word is bad. Bravo.

"That's the old people," she said. "They use it for something bad. It's funny, when white people used it to hurt Black people, there wasn't no law against it. "

"Yeah," he said, " You know what? Next Black History Month we should all say it, every day -- call each other niggas in protest. I can't imagine no white people getting arrested for saying it, they will just use the law against us young people."

"Yeah, I wish they would arrest some white people for saying it!"

Which brings us to Mr. Imus who called a fine group of young women, "nappy headed hos." Although he has lost his MSNBC television simulcast and garnered a two-week paid suspension I doubt we will see him in hand cuffs.

What is interesting here is not only what he said, but the reaction to it -- and the impact. The latter will be hard to estimate, only time will tell.

As to what Imus said, two things come to mind: Did he not believe that it would cause harm? Or did he not care? And most importantly -- why wasn't he afraid to say it? Afraid not only of repercussions from his networks, but from the Black community, women and others who felt offended. There was a time (circa late 1960s and most of the '70s) when this kind of banter would be heard only in lily white bars by guys swilling Budweiser and looking at the TV set between gulps. There was a time when the station would have been besieged by demonstrators -- not all of them peaceful pickets -- almost immediately. I mean some folks would've skipped work. A colleague of mine who used to work the Black radio "chitlin' circuit" in the deep south as a DJ and engineer, said that when one station declined to hire Black staff a group of Blacks interrupted the station's board meeting and made a not so veiled threat to burn the transmitter down. I'm not recommending that this happen, but hey -- they did get a meeting with the board.

But ever since the fires of the civil rights movement have died down, the right wing, the religious conservatives and the just plain racists have been emboldened. This started with Ronald Reagan, whose best performance was putting a smiley face on the vilest of attitudes in this country by blowing up balloons and waving flags. A real American. This man who the media made its darling, succumbing to his Hollywood charms, went so far as to kick off his election campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi. A town of a few thousand only known outside the county as the place where in 1964 the decaying bodies of three civil rights workers who were brutally murdered for the crime of registering Blacks to vote were dug out of the swamp. Two white, one Black in their early 20s. There is absolutely no other historical or cultural distinction of Philadelphia, Mississippi. Of all the landscapes of America from sea to shining sea, Reagan selected this one. A nod and a wink to the old south.

Reagan went on to create an America that never existed. He said he wanted to restore America to its previous glory, even though that glory included slavery, Jim Crow laws, land grabbing and virtual extinction of Native Americans and a pattern of institutional discrimination that still exists. Add to that the lack of guts and vision the Democrats and the left have displayed over the past 30 years and the Ol' Gipper had a clear path to the goal of making it alright to exhibit white privilege. A smart strategy it was, because no hard-working, barely making mortgage payments, white factory worker will ever believe that he/she is "privileged." But they will see affirmative action hires, snappy-dressing Black TV news anchors, Condolessa Rice, over-paid athletes that sure don't act like Willie Mays and Floyd Patterson and of course, the rappers who flaunt the law along with their bling, broads and pimped out rides. Hey, a white guy deserves to be pissed.

So Don Imus, starting in the big time during the tail end of the '70s, plays on this feeling like Reagan did: The Blacks have had enough and its time for us to take the country back. So you target Blacks and other persons of color as well as women and Democrats, etc. So it provides a place to ridicule, insult and discredit people and organizations in a safe haven. Very important, because Imus' listeners would not dream of saying this aloud around Black people. But it feeds their fantasy of standing up to the Blacks, which developed into a political strategy for people such as former NYC Mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani. Many others do it also, across the country. They espouse seemingly liberal views publicly, but in those small rooms and venues where they preach to the converted, they let their audiences know, that they will protect them from the Blacks.

Tune in every morning and release your anger and feeling of impotence in the face of athletes, rappers and menacing teenagers on the subways and buses by listening to Imus dehumanize them.

Imus has spawned quite a following, being the first real shock jock along with his then side kick Howard Stern. There is at least one in every major market. Mostly they are not at all as funny or smart as Imus, just cheap knock offs. Oh yes, Imus is smart. Which is why this seems so strange. I could see this coming from the mouths of one of imitators -- or even some Black jocks on rap stations. But after all this time and experience? Unless he wants out of his recently renewed 5-year multi-million dollar contract, something inside him must have triggered this.

The reaction was predictable: some whites in the media showed outrage and asked for his head. Even a few conservatives, after all such a clear violation is a marvelous chance to not look like a racist. Then there are the white guys who defend Imus based on freedom of speech, a great way to hide the fact that they liked what he said. Many of them cite the fact that rappers use this language frequently -- and they do. Others dug back and dusted off the files about Rev. Jesse Jackson's use of the word "Hymietown" referring to New York City's large Jewish population, and Rev. Al Sharpton's role in the Tawana Brawley unproven rape case. Maybe they'll even want to investigate whether the last Super Bowl was part of a conspiracy to insure that both coaches would be Black.

On the money side, the sponsors were either ahead of the pack -- like Staples, Bigelow Teas and Proctor & Gamble who immediately withdrew their ads from the show; or behind it -- like American Express, GM and others who came later. Many are still waiting to see how significant the reaction will be. Interestingly, the New York Times each day has had an Imus story on its front page and then jumps it to the Business Section. How fitting.

On Wednesday, the Times along with the New York Daily News, ran a compelling photo of Rutgers basketball team members on their front pages. The News referred to them as "dignified." Not to be picky, but you have to look pretty darn hard to find when the word "dignified" -- compliment that it is -- was last used about a white person. If so, they were senior citizens.

The New York Post today, (speaking of dignified!) chose to run a huge page one photo of the woman who accused the Duke University Lacrosse players of rape, apparently falsely. It referred to her as the "Duke liar."

So the fair haired boys got cleared -- actually proven innocent which is rare. Good news if there was no crime. But that shouldn't take Imus out of the spotlight, nor should it lessen the heat.

And by the way, have the parents or Duke administrators asked these future leaders why such Big Men on Campus have the need to send out for strippers like its Domino's Pizza? And why did they want Black girls? To feed some BET video fantasy of rap hos? Haven't they seen the "Girls Gone Wild" infomercials that feature an array of white (yes they are all white) co-eds willingly stripping and more for the camera? They could have stayed in their own demographic.

And why are Black girls getting themselves into these situations? Are white guys "safer?" Is it that they have more money? Would they have gone to a predominantly Black Basketball team party and strip?

Race in America is as complex as it gets. It even trumps gender issues. Now the discussion begins about language, freedom of speech, and respect. And that includes rappers and Black DJs. If you go after Imus, they must be in your parallax view as well, they have played a role in opening the barn door.

Kids shouldn't be pregnant at 18 hoping that baby daddy helps with the Pampers. They shouldn't be using the "N" word casually. But boy, didn't they raise an interesting point about trying to criminalize it. At least, they were paying attention.

THE SEARCH FOR THE ACCEPTABLE NEGRO

(Part II: Return of The Dutchman)

So it was confirmed to me last week by a white woman sitting next to me at a bar. Introduced to her just moments before by a black male friend of mine, she asked: "So what do you think of Obama? Will you vote for him? I like him, but do you think he has enough experience? I mean I don't know where he stands on anything or what he's done," said the off-duty editor at The Economist.

"I'm not sure what he's done either," I said, "he needs to make that clearer. As for experience, he's smart. And George Bush has experience. What about Hillary?"

"Oh I like Hillary, she's great and she could win."

"So name five things she's done for New York state," I asked the Upper West Side resident.

She smiled. "You're right, I can't. But I think she'd be good on the main issues."

"She really pulled back on a women's right to choose to attract the red-staters," I said. "I used to work for Planned Parenthood, I don't see choice as a bargaining chip. And she voted for the war and Obama didn't. Are you going to vote for her?"

"Yeah."

That's why Obama won't win. The Hillary - Obama heavyweight match already being hyped in such major publications as the Washington Post, the NY Daily News and the NY Times -- and all over the network morning news shows -- will split the vote of the liberal Democratic party. White women will vote for Hillary. The 40-something soccer moms, the 30-something aspiring soccer moms, those who tolerate abortion only with tight restrictions, and the baby boomer white women who see Hillary as one of them -- a glass ceiling shatterer.

That leaves only a handful of white women who will either a) see deeply into Hillary's slithering around from popular position to popular position; b) can't forgive her for not leaving that nasty-ass Bill; c) are proud to be liberal and hip white girls.

A vanishing breed in this era where Katie Couric takes the venerable mantle of network news anchor and promptly puts on a prom dress and bleaches her hair even blonder than it was on "Today."

This morning "Good Morning America," had a group of current and former female senators, about 16 in all, who have been staying in touch over the years to share their thoughts, etc. about women in politics. Diane Sawyer (also blonde) was as thrilled to see them as they were to be seen. Bursting with pride she talked with them about all of their ground breaking accomplishments in furthering the progress of women in government.

Unless I was in the bathroom, I saw no Black woman. There was Carol Mosley Braun from Illinois, you'll recall. Nor was there any mention of the whiteness of this group. They spoke as if they were members of a downtrodden class, 'buked and scorned.

When I entered the corporate world in the mid 1970s, one would have thought (based on the rhetoric at least) that as more persons of color entered that arena, white women would at least be parallel allies with us. I thought that anyone who was not a white male would join the fray to tackle the all-boys club.

But the issues that Black people (both male and female) and white women faced were quite different. White women, after all were never socially discriminated against to the degree that Blacks were. They could date, marry and sit next to each other in the theater or the classroom. The well-to-do ones even had Blacks working for them. (Hey these things form perceptions!)

At a ceremony at a major university honoring NY state law enforcement agencies for their work in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I stood next to two white women, one the head of Government Affairs for the school, the other a uniformed Sergeant. One turned to the other and said, "It's a shame that in a room of over 100 people there are only about six other women here. Sometimes you wonder how much things have changed! " I nodded and smiled and said, "Yep, I counted only one other Black and one Latino."

But they would have never noticed -- it wasn't their concern.

It going to be tough for Obama regardless, because he is Black. But to go up against a white women diminishes his potential base considerably. Maybe he'll capture the hearts (that's literally what he'll have to do) of young white females looking for a change. New voters. As a buddy of mine put it: "The new slogan is: 'Don't tell mama -- vote for Obama!"

Maybe. Or maybe he'll just energize them, but not enough to cast a vote his way. Like the girl who drinks and flirts with you at the bar all night and leaves you and goes home at closing time.

Watch your back Obama. They have to be very delicate how they come at you because of this race thing. They won't act like real enemies. Many will act as allies. Stop and count the number of white women in the room. And then count the Black folk.

And while you're at it, go to the library and check out a copy of Amiri Baraka's, play, "The Dutchman."

Isn't that the one where the white woman pushes the brother in front of the subway train?

A JAMES BROWN CHRISTMAS

Remembrances of Who He Was and Who We Were

It is always tougher to hear the news of a death near the holidays. My mother, two years ago, ten days before Christmas, not wholly unexpected, but devastating nonetheless.

This year, while lying in bed peacefully, ears focused on the early morning drizzle from the North Carolina skies, blurry eyes adjusting to the TV's glare, I saw his picture. At least I thought it was him, in the far right hand corner over ABC newsman Ron Claiborne's talking head. By the time my eyes realized who it was, I saw the two dates: 1933 - 2006, and heard the words, "James Brown the Godfather of Soul..." and started saying, "no, no, no!"

It was totally unexpected and as devastating as any loss of any person whom I have never met.

On Christmas morning, how cruel I thought, until Rev. Al Sharpton remarked that "Mr. Brown himself "would have picked the biggest day of the year to take his final bow. But small comfort to a generation (or two or three) who felt his death as a personal loss and a loss to the culture (as we define it) never to be replaced.

How many more Black male bona-fide music icons from that R&B/Soul/Rock&Roll era are left standing?

Smokey Robinson.

Stevie Wonder.

Jerry Butler.

Isaac Hayes.

Al Green.

And of course the old heads: Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, B.B. King and Johnny Mathis.

There are also the groups: The Dells (remarkably in tact with original members after 50 years), two remaining original members of the Four Tops and one last original Temptations member.

Lost already in the past year, Lou Rawls and Wilson Pickett. Not long before them Barry White and Luther Vandross.

James Brown. Mr. Brown. The Godfather.

Everybody has a James Brown story -- whether you actually met him or even seen him perform live, somehow he played a role in our existence. We all share a memory about him like we would a family member.

When I returned to New York City a few days later, the impact was deep. The radio tributes from the Black and Black-oriented stations was a constant drumbeat of his music, his words, his philosophy and the way James Brown lived his life, warts and all.

Who else could get radio (especially in today's canned, formulaic, corporate radio) to play his music nearly non-stop? And how few, if any, artists had that much good music over more than five decades?

Felix Hernandez, who hosts the "Rhythm Revue" for non-commercial WBGO-FM specializes in classic and the more obscure, "classic soul" in his shows. Hernandez dedicated his entire show to Brown's music. He came on the air somberly and said: "I really hadn't planned to do this show today. Didn't plan to do a James Brown tribute..." He added "[Someone] asked me how I could squeeze all of his music into four hours, and I said, 'I can't.'"

During his twenty-year run of "Rhythm Revue," now available on line and on commercial WRKS-FM radio, Hernandez said he doesn't believe he has ever had a show without playing at least one James Brown record.

Other stations played interviews of Brown from the past, including one from WBLS-FM in 1996 hosted by the late Frankie Crocker, an icon in his own right in the development of FM radio music formats. WRKS played interviews from people lined up outside the Apollo Theater in Harlem, where he took the stage for the last time, lying in state like the royalty he was to many. I walked past there myself, just feeling the energy of the crowd. I ran into many folks I knew, most in their 50s, but saw all ages in the crowd. As I walked by a subway exit I saw three teenaged girls (who I will assume are not candidates for Rhodes scholarship) and overheard one say: "All this is for James Brown?" I turned to her and said, "It ain't for Gerald Ford!"

People flooded radio stations with calls about their remembrances of Brown -- celebrities, former staff people, persons who even the briefest of encounters with him. Longtime radio personality Gary Byrd, who brought Black history and Black pride along with music in the late 1960s, talked of meeting James Brown when he first worked as a DJ at WWRL. Brown, touring in NYC at the time, asked the fledging DJ if he had found a place to live yet. Byrd laughed and, said, "Yes, now I've got to furnish it!" Brown liked that Byrd was bringing a message of Black pride to his shows. After they talked, Brown squeezed, as Byrd put it, "enough money in my hand to furnish two apartments!" Brown said that, "If you don't have to worry about money, you won't ever have to compromise yourself."

James Brown was truly an original. Who else would get this kind of outpouring of love and attention by even the national mainstream media? Few among even the very best who have gone on.

James Brown was rapping before rap. He was speaking out unabashedly against drugs ("King Heroin") and for education ("Don't be a dropout"), and for racial pride and independence ("Say it Loud!") and ("I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing, Open Up the Door -- I'll Get It Myself"). He could care less what the radio stations and record companies wanted to hear -- his message was for the people.

Not always the most successful businessman, Brown made several significant inroads into Black self-determination by buying several radio stations and even one TV station. He also had several other business ventures with varying degrees of success. But one thing he never sold was James Brown. You couldn't buy him.

His well deserved tributes poured in from all over -- except of course, from our Rapper friends. All of this praise seemed to be lost on them. Yet they have sampled his music to death -- and probably beyond. Brown's music is the most sampled of any artist among rappers, and Brown has appeared on stage with many and in many videos despite the fact that he had major issues with some of the content he found offensive.

Not one peep from them. Where were they? Did even one show up at any of the tributes? Did one speak? Even Michael Jackson came out of hiding long enough to show up and speak about him at his funeral. Where were all the tough guys?

I have always said that in life it matters not who the tough guys are -- but rather -- who shows up for the fight!

It took a long time to start this piece and even longer to finish. In a way that is good. Because there have been several significant developments since I began it: Sen. Barack Obama has all but officially announced that he wants to be head of the free world. And "Dreamgirls" racked up several Golden Globe Awards, paving the road for similar success in the Oscar nominations.

If you don't understand the connection, you haven't been paying attention -- not for a few decades.

A Modest Proposal for the GOP: A Sure-Fire Strategy For Victory in 2008 -- Lose!

As the death toll in Iraq nears the 3,000 mark and the fear and apprehension of further terrorist attacks remain alive both at home and abroad, one thing is clear: No one has a blueprint for peace in the Middle East and no one has an acceptable exit strategy to end the war in Iraq.

President Bush (Dubya to his friends) whose star rose as high as an AWAC in the days immediately after September 11, 2001, has seen his poll numbers drop like mega-ton smart bombs out of a desert sky. And in the days since he "landed" on an aircraft carrier, dripping with manufactured sweat and pride under the banner, "Mission Accomplished," he has been forced to look at the scoreboard and realize that tossing the Gatorade (R) on Dick "Halliburton Cheney's back was at best, premature.

Even as far back as 2004, staunch war supporter, Republican Representative Doug Bereuter of Nebraska, broke party ranks and faced reality.

"I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action," he said in a letter to his constituents. "Left unresolved is whether intelligence was intentionally misconstrued to justify military action..."

This from the Vice Chair of the House Intelligence Committee who has served 13 years in Congress.

Since then many have joined the choir, running for their political lives during mid-term elections. Many shun President Bush's appearances into their hood except for fund-raisers held by the devout party faithful.

Sen. John Warner of the Senate Arms Committee admitted publicly that maybe the cops had the wrong guy. Big Bad John distanced himself from the team as far as he could without changing lockerrooms.

Incredibly, the first hint of an exit strategy from military engagement in Iraq has come only recently. First Bush said: "We will no longer use the phrase, 'stay the course.'" Next, after summoning his top war generals to a White House crisis meeting, they decided to pass the buck to the Iraqi "army" to be ready, willing and able to take over the war effort in 12-18 months.

Brilliant!

Who knows what the human toll of death and misery will be by Election Day 2008? But it is a safe bet that you can't find a Las Vegas bookie to lay odds that the Iraqi army can be in control in 18 months.

There are many Americans who remember Vietnam. Many even, still affected by it. According to many New York City counselors who work the streets, more than 75% of the homeless population among Baby Boomer-age males is a Vietnam veteran. Only one of many signs of the veterans' ongoing problems.

The Iraq war may be different in many ways, but the language of some government officials is chillingly similar to the early days of Vietnam: "More troops are needed," "We will prevail." No doubt you will wake up one morning to hear General, President George W. Bush saying, "My fellow Americans, there is light at the end of the tunnel." Mission Accomplished, indeed.

But this Iraq War is in many ways scarier than Vietnam. For one, the Viet Cong and their allies the North Vietnamese, weren't going to blow up anything over here. Or in Britain, or in Africa, or anywhere outside of Vietnam. They had no highly financed international network of supporters, no discreet cells in foreign countries. They had no Internet. That has all changed. Americans and all who support or even appear to support the war throughout the globe are potential targets for terrorist attacks.

The terrorists know they can strike us almost at will. They know the US has wide open borders (despite that stupid fence!) and ports and easy access to virtually anyplace where people gather: malls, stadiums, theaters, college dorms, etc. That prospect is so frightening that most Americans will turn away and put their heads in the sand. And with filtered media coverage, no photos of flag-draped caskets and no draft, it is easy to follow Homeland Security's advice to, "go on with your lives."

And the further away we get from 9/11, the easier it is for Americans to say: "Why haven't they done it already if they could?"

But the war has taken an undeniably bad turn. And it appears there is no clear way out. So the Democrats, for the first time since the Lewinsky scandal, can smell victory in the air. The double whammy of Iraq and a host of Republican involved scandals, like Rep. Foley, are going to be too much for virtually any GOP candidate to bear.

The Democrats are relying on their tried and true strategy -- lie in wait for the Republicans to fall. So much for a message that resonates with citizens, so much for a clear vision of the future of the country -- and forget about a solution.

That is why I -- a lifelong Democrat -- offer the Republicans a sure fire way to win 2008: Lose.

GOP leaders should walk away from whomever the 2008 candidate is and let them go down in flames. Select a patsy to run -- maybe Jeannie Pirro if she hasn't landed a CNN commentary job by then.

In the meantime, get to work while the Democrats' champagne is still chilling. They haven't had an idea that resonated with the majority of Americans in over 30 years.

The last time even a flicker of a clear vision or message from the Democrats was in 2004, when Howard Dean was a contender for presidential candidate. He spoke with unflinching fire , although he made some missteps along the way. The "hooping" incident for one, where he kept chanting after winning a primary. The media ran that snippet more than they ran the Zapruder film of the JFK assassination. At least Dean didn't buck and run away. He did, however, get ganged up on by his Democratic colleagues at every debate, perhaps fearing he would outshine them all. In reality he had. His reward: Chairman of the DNC -- and a muzzle to go with it. Just ain't the same ol' Howard Dean.

But since then, instead of playing with the guts and fire of an NCAA Cinderella team in the Final Four, they started playing scared again.

The Democratic message, like the weapons of mass destruction, is no where to be found. What the Republicans should do in 2008 is hand them the hot potato of Iraq. In the four years of the Democratic administration, they should outflank them with the meanest most blowhard antagonists on one side to chastise and ridicule them. On the other side showcase their brightest, most articulate stars from Washington and state capitols across the country to weave the GOP message of "getting American back on track."

That's right, sit back and watch the Democrats fumble the ball: "Where is their Iraq exit strategy?" "Where are their answers to gas prices, health care, crime, taxes on the middle class?"

The only thing that could ruin this GOP rope-a-dope is John Kerry. His now-famous "study hard or get stuck in Iraq," statement makes him a contender to be the only candidate in history to lose two presidential elections while only running in one.

Democrats, beware: You just might win in 2008. Then where would you be?

THE SEARCH FOR THE ACCEPTABLE NEGRO

How Democrats and Republicans Alike Struggle With the Inevitability of a Black Presidential Candidate

Barack Obama.

Condelessa Rice.

Deval Patrick.

Maybe 2008?

Did Colin Powell run the ball up the field far enough for the field goal of a Black vice presidential candidate? Presidential candidate, perhaps? He played (knowingly or not) his role well. He was the GOP big wigs' quarterback sneak: Fake to Colin, nominate Cheney. Run a button hook to the U.N. and swear that there are weapons of mass destruction hidden in Saddam's desert. At least, some believed, that Gen. Powell would get his wish to become head of the World Bank for his efforts. Check the World Bank's web site or letterhead and look for the General's name. As of 12:09 p.m. today, it wasn't there.

A tough dilemma for both liberals and conservatives alike -- not to mention those middle-of-the-roaders. This is where you cannot hide from the realities of race in America.

David Dinkins just days before his election as the first Black mayor of liberal bastion New York City, was according to the final polls, supposed to coast to victory over a then unknown prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani, by 10-12 points. When the ballots were counted Dinkins had won by barely two percentage points. Why? Well according to unscientific (but to me credible) exit poll interviews, white voters were saying that at that last critical moment, "I just couldn't pull the lever for him." "Him," meaning a Black man. The uncertainty of voting for an unknown D.A. to run the largest city in the country was far less frightening than the prospect of voting for, "one of them." What would happen if "they ever took over?" "Discriminate against us to get even? "Would they ban white people?

This even though central casting couldn't find a more mind-mannered brother than Dinkins, who regularly attends Passover seders with friends where they end by singing, "We Shall Overcome." No doubt through teary eyes. The Dinkins who squeaked to victory by getting a big boost from rabble-rousing, fire-breathing Rev. Al Sharpton. Clad in running suits, big hats and chest jewelry (long before the tailored suits he now sports) Sharpton walked the streets of the mammoth housing complexes in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Harlem, to turn out the vote for Dinkins. Why no other Black politician in the city has ever figured out that the way to win city-wide elections and assure some measure of community control is to get housing project dwellers to understand the importance of their vote to their survival, remains a mystery. This Dinkins had an opportunity for inclusion of lower income and working class Blacks and Hispanics into the best fabric of the city. Instead he turned his back on Sharpton after white supporters didn't like his rhetoric. Round two of Dinkins v. Rudy without Sharpton in his corner -- a blowout victory for the prosecutor. And he may, by the way, run for president. He is considered a viable candidate.

You cannot get much nicer than Barack Obama (white American mother, African father) Condelessa Rice (concert pianist, Ph.D) and Deval Patrick, from South Chicago's mean streets to Harvard Law School and on his way to becoming Massachusetts' first Black governor.

You couldn't get much nicer than Powell either -- certainly not more loyal.

And mind you these are but a sample of qualified Black politicians across the country, who span an increasingly wide political spectrum of ideas. So what's the problem with all this talent and "niceness" on the political landscape?

Ah, race -- you just can't ever count it out.

End of Part I: "The Search for the Acceptable Negro"

MAKE SEPTEMBER 11 A NATIONAL HOLIDAY?

Do We Really Need More Crowded Malls?

It is easy at a tender time like the 5th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks to want to reach for an emotional analgesic. Unfortunately there is none. Nothing but time will even begin to numb the shock and pain of that awful day and the days that followed. As my then boss said at the time (our offices were three blocks away from the World Trade Center) "There is no such thing as a return to normal after this. The best we can do is try and return to routine."

Even "routine" has been altered dramatically, perhaps for our life times.

I fully understand those directly affected by September 11 -- families, friends, colleagues, etc. -- of those killed or seriously injured. And those who gave their all as volunteers or paid responders. And those who for whatever reason feel a pain that will not go away, or even an anger that won't, I can understand why they feel that September 11 should forever be kept as a day of reverence and reflection.

That is exactly why I don't believe September 11 should be a national holiday. Before you know it, it will become just another day off. Another "sale day." How long before the radio blares out, "September 11 shopping day values?" How long before lines at the suburban mall and city department stores stretch out the door? Will it be a "no tax day" as well?

And what about the other events? Ultimately they will take the 11th away and place it on say, the second Monday in September. That means one more summer three-day weekend getaway. A last shot at the Hamptons, the Vineyard, the Bahamas.

I remember when Martin Luther King's birthday became a national holiday. I am Black. I was against it. I wanted it to become "our day of absence." In King's honor, I wanted all Black people who believed in King's works and accomplishments, to take the day off from school, work, whatever. If you can't, to at least take a portion of your day and meet, think, develop plans for those things that will enhance the quality of life in your community, town/city, etc. If you don't want to be part of a group, improve the quality of your family life, home life -- or just your own life.

But did they listen to me? No!

This point was driven home during the first year King's birthday became a holiday. My then Assistant Vice President, Irish eyes smiling, came into my office and slammed down a newspaper ad on my desk. It was for -- you guessed it -- a Martin Luther King Day sale at a local store. As if that wasn't enough (it was plenty, believe me!) he plopped down a memo sent to Black employees in our company from the company's "Black Employees Organization," advertising a "Martin Luther King Ski Weekend!"

For those who wish to maintain the integrity of September 11, keep it in your hands. It is already pushing the line between tasteful event and media spectacle with news reporters in their dark suits and dresses milking every last lump in the throat out of the survivors and witnesses.

That horse is out of the barn. Keep the door closed before there are more people lining up to get to the stores before the crowds get there, than there are reflecting on the events of that day.

If September 11 becomes a national holiday, it will become just that -- another day off.

Is it A Crime?

The "N" word takes the stand in Howard Beach assault trial

Howard Beach has entered New York City's racial dynamic once again. In the mid-1980s the Queens community became a huge flashpoint of often supressed, or overlooked, racial tensions in the city, when a group of white youths , screaming "get out of our neighborhood niggers," chased a group of Black youths until one of the Blacks ran into oncoming traffic was struck and killed by a car. Several others were injured in a vicious baseball bat attack.

Fast forward to June 29, 2005, when a carload of white youths has a confrontation with a group of Blacks, ending with yet another Black, Glenn Moore, being struck by -- you guessed it -- a baseball bat, the weapon of choice in Howard Beach. This time, however, there were some major distinctions. One, the victim lived to testify; two, the primary white suspect, Nicholas Minucci, dressed from head-to-toe in the latest hip hop fashions and bling, says that he was only acting in self defense as he feared being robbed. And third, he added, that he said, "nigga," (not with an "r" at the end) he meant it as a friendly greeting -- not the way it was used by the previous Howard Beach mob.

At first (full disclosure I am Black) I thought maybe there's a point to this: Has the "N-word" come out of the closet and gone mainstream? Has the proverbial barn door been torn off its hinges thanks to its use and overuse by rappers' lyrics and speech? Wasn't it inevitable that the young, white, suburban masses (who are the largest purchasers of rap music after all) would eventually claim the word much as they have claimed "ill," "chillin'," and "mad"? After all, its got an "a" at the end now.

On second thought, hell no! The "a" at the end of the "N-word" does not serve as a prophylactic from the past and present pain and torment. We should be dropping the word, not inviting it into the parlor for tea. Richard Pryor, whose Grammy-winning comedy album was titled, "That Nigger's Crazy," came back from a cathartic visit to Africa proclaiming, "I didn't see any niggers in Africa." He wised up and announced he would no longer use the word.

There is also the issue of "licensing" white people and other non-Blacks to use it. Comedian Chris Rock, a frequent user of the N-word in his material, was once being interviewed by then NBC talk show host, Tom Synder. The Caucasian Synder asked, "Why can't I use the word?"

Rock replied "Why do you want to use it?"

An interesting question for white people: What exactly do you feel when you say it? Hip? Empowered? An equal partner to Blacks on the coolness playing field? Superior to Blacks? Less afraid? Is it an excuse to degrade and get away with it?

The stakes are high here for Minucci. If the jury believes that he did in fact use the "N-word" in an offensive way, then this becomes a hate crime, not just your usual beef. The years added to his jail sentence would be considerable. According to a recent New York Daily News article, during trial one day Minucci, "busied himself reading a Harvard Law School professor's treatise on use of the 'N-word.' Minucci, contends that he used a variation of the vile slur as a hip hop friendly greeting to Moore." The article continues that Minucci even testified that, "Me and my Black friends, we called each other niggas all the time. I'm no racist, this was no hate crime."

But on third thought, after closer analysis, I realized that there was another "N-word" alleged perpetrator Minucci used. He said that when he struck Moore with his bat he did it not only to protect himself, but he proclaimed proudly, "I did it to protect the neighborhood."

What a noble gesture, one that will no doubt resonate with lots of whites, even some on the jury. It only takes one juror to ignore the "N-word" in favor of self-preservation to flip the case to not guilty, whether or not there was an "a" or an "r" at the end of the word. Many whites, even some very decent ones, in their heart of hearts, see it as a righteous act to "protect our neighborhood from the Blacks." It can be done in subtle ways like the supposedly outlawed red-lining that many banks and other lenders practice to keep Blacks out of certain areas. Or "steering," where realtors steer Blacks only to areas where clusters of Blacks already live. Many decent folks feel they reap the benefits of such practices.

The not so decent folks will turn their eyes away when the bat is used to keep the Blacks out. A few will actually pick one up.

This neighborhood loyalty is not exclusive to whites. Many hard working Blacks fear the image of the young, hip-hop dressed, Black male in their midst as they struggle to preserve some peace in their own communities. Strangely, they are not nearly so fearful of the young, white male in similiar attire. They too may vote in favor of the alleged neighborhood hero.

When testifying on the witness stand, victim Moore said of the aluminum bat he was struck with, "I could see it shinning, you know glistening."

Ah yes, like the sword of a knight in shinning armor riding to the neighborhood's rescue.

But suppose Moore had been walking through the Howard Beach streets, minding his own business and the alleged perpetrator, Minucci, had called him a nigger and chased him. Suppose Moore hits Minucci with a bat, would Moore be convicted? Would the power of the word nigger and its historical significance be enough to claim self-defense? Would Moore defending his own body be of equal value to Minucci defending his own neighborhood in the jury's eyes? And what about in the court of public opinion?

Maybe this case should be called N versus N.

WENDY WILLIAMS AND ORPAH'S "LOVER"

I'm certain that the only thing louder than the sound of Miss Williams' chin dropping to the floor on that recent afternoon was that of Oprah's foot landing squarely on Wendy's ass.

For those who don't know, Wendy Williams is a highly popular, nationally syndicated DJ, based in New York City at flagship station WBLS-FM. She specializes in gossip, most of it concerning rappers and other entertainers familiar to young (18-34) largely African-American listeners. She tends to dig deep for the dirt, much of it however, appears to be second hand information or innuendo. The radio ratings war in New York has become an especially intense, often mean-spirited battle for listeners in the Big Apple with stations swapping leads as often as the Yankees and Red Sox do in September. So it a huge deal when one of the top DJs lands a big fish for an exclusive interview.

Here it was on that Wednesday afternoon -- more than an exclusive -- a miracle by radio standards. The self appointed, "Queen of Media," was not only scooped by her direct competition -- Ed Lover from Power 105 FM -- but more so pimp slapped by Oprah (with an assist from her assistant Gayle King) when she "spontaneously" appeared on his show opposite Wendy's.

Imagine, here in this often grimy world of "rap radio," was the truely stately Oprah holding court with the Power 105 audience live and unscripted while Ed Lover (no choirboy himself) asks questions worthy of a true journalist (at least by today's standards.) He was respectful, informed and asked relevant questions.

Oprah told the story of going to meet with none other than Nelson Mandela. Upon arrival, one of his secruity guards greeted her group with the expression, "What's up N___s?" believing this was an appropriate greeting to American Blacks arriving for a meeting. She made the point that the "N" word is not harmless slang. But rather it has lead to, among other things, people around the planet (including many of those who should know better) thinking of it a benign term of endearment. Lover was obviously affected by this story and even said he would reconsider his own use of not only the "N" word, but the "B" word as well.

I wondered how she would be received. This is after all not the audience of the third party in this time slot, Michael Baisden of nationally syndicated "Love, Lust and Lies" fame on WBLS-FM, which skews to a bit more, how should I put it -- enlightened audience -- than Wendy's or Lover's. But they loved her. And more than that, they were honored by her presence. Oprah never talked down to the callers or to Lover. Equally important, she didn't try to be hip (jiggy with it!). She was just pure Oprah, talking about her favs among rap music and putting to rest the myth that she hates it or that she has "beef" with rapper/actor Ludicious. She also confessed that "Mary J. Blige is a friend." Imagine that.

This could not have happened at a better time for Power 105. Just one day before it had to fire its top DJ, known as Star, for vile comments and threats against a competitor's 5-year-old child, even offering listeners a $500 bounty for her whereabouts so he could do an "R Kelly on her," a reference to the rapper accused of several underage sexual activities. Not only that, the station has been under fire for being well -- under fire. It seems that when many rappers and their posses show up for radio interviews, they get into shoot outs instead of shout outs. One of which occured a few days before, causing the NYPD to investigate and and the landlord to seek Power 105's eviction from the tony Soho nabe where it resides.

Back to Wendy Williams. For some time now, over a year, the "Queen" has referred to Oprah as a "friend in my head," and made it clear she wanted to interview her on the show. Then Gayle King, Oprah's assistant and real-life friend, did a Wendy interview. It was all very cordial, with Wendy asking polite questions about Orpah, her mate Stedman, etc., never really going over the top.

Wendy is no fool; you don't piss off Tom Hagen if you want an audience with Don Coleone. Gayle too, put to rest rumors that Oprah hated rap, Ludicious, etc. But it had not yet come from Oprah's lips. I'm certain that Wendy felt assured that, having treated the boss' assistant well, she would in turn be granted the interview she had been breathing heavy for. But it was not to be.

If I had to guess (in my own sick mind) I would say that Gayle was sent to set up Wendy. To ask her to get the proverbial cannolis over in Jersey. "I'll drive, hon." And Wendy took the bait, never pausing to think that there are perfectly good cannolis in Manhattan.

Why would Oprah/Gayle do such a thing? My intuition is that they were good and sick of Wendy's innuendos about them being a couple and wondering aloud (on nationally syndicated radio) if Stedman is gay, etc.

Should Oprah, media icon, global philantropist and legitimate power broker, appear on that nasty little show? A show where she might be asked about all of the above items and also such ditties as, "Are you a third input girl?" one of Wendy's favorite questions.

So instead, Oprah baits Wendy and Wendy swallows it whole. And Oprah shows class by being who she is and, for at least a segment, turns Ed Lover into Edward R. Murrow.

Well, almost.

The next day,while making no direct mention of the Lover interview while I was listening, Wendy did make some snipping remarks about Oprah and Gayle. She included a particularly tastelss remark (even by Wendy standards) about meeting Oprah years ago at a book signing. When the then pregnant Wendy asked Oprah to autograph her copy, she said that Oprah rubbed Wendy's pregnant stomach which in turn caused her to miscarry. "Oprah killed my baby!" Wendy laughed. Sad, because Wendy did in fact miscarry.

Wendy appeared to laugh it all off with her upbeat, self-assured style. But it sounded lke a boxer getting off the canvas after being knocked on his butt, rising and smiling as if to say, "Nah, you didn't hurt me," only to be put premanently on his ass seconds later.

But all isn't lost, Wendy. At least no one is shooting outside of your office -- yet.