op-ed: Fox Anchor calls Obama "fist pound" a "Terrorist Fist Jab"

From a Huffington Post report, gathered from Media Matters:

During the June 6 edition of Fox News' America's Pulse, host E.D. Hill teased an upcoming discussion by saying, "A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? The gesture everyone seems to interpret differently." In the ensuing discussion with Janine Driver — whom Hill introduced as "a body language expert" — Hill referred to the "Michelle and Barack Obama fist bump or fist pound," adding that "people call it all sorts of things." Hill went on to ask Driver: "Let's start with the Barack and Michelle Obama, because that's what most people are writing about -- the fist thump. Is that sort of a signal that young people get?" At no point during the discussion did Hill explain her earlier reference to "a terrorist fist jab."

I hate FOX News. If you can call it news. Check out the clip below.

review: Nas's "Black President"

The latest from NYC rapper Nas, in collaboration with DJ Green Lantern, is a the latest in a long line of support for Obama from the music community. The brilliant piece of pro-Obama hip-hop comes off of the new mixtape "The Nigger Tape," just after Bob Dylan's endorsement a few days ago and the viral Will.I.Am song and video "Yes We Can" from earlier this year.

Not only does he remix Obama's acceptance speech, but the hook is sampled from 2Pac's "Changes": "And though it seems heaven-sent, we ain't ready to have a black president."

The track boasts a smart set of rhymes, too; Nas brings up Calvin Coolidge's KKK connection and Andrew Jackson's mixed Native American blood. As the Obama clip in the beginning says, "They said this day would never come." And Nas respons with the rallying cry, "Yes we can, change the world."

LISTEN: NAS - "BLACK PRESIDENT"

op-ed: Thank You John Edwards, It's About Time

Today's endorsement of Barack Obama for the Democratic Presidential nomination by former rival John Edwards was a huge step toward the legitimacy of Obama's claim for the presidency, and will hopefully bring this incredibly long Democratic Primary closer to its inevitable conclusion.

Though Hillary Clinton refuses to give up, she trails in pledged delegates, superdelegates and the popular vote. Her campaign is over $20 million over budget. The time for her to drop is approaching, and though she vows to fight on until the end, the window for her nomination is nearly shut.

Even Clinton herself made a nod toward party unity and support for Obama if (or when) the time comes.

"Anybody who has ever voted for me or voted for Barack has much more in common in terms of what we want to see happen in our country and in the world with the other than they do with John McCain," Clinton said on CNN's "The Situation Room."

"I'm going to work my heart out for whoever our nominee is. Obviously, I'm still hoping to be that nominee, but I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that anyone who supported me ... understands what a grave error it would be not to vote for Sen. Obama."

However, exit polls are currently indicating that only 36 percent of Hillary supporters would vote for Obama over McCain if he were the Democratic nominee.

What does seem promising is the potential benefit of an Obama-Edwards ticket. Following the nearly 2-1 Clinton victory in West Virginia, Obama's inability to pull white, working-class supporters has once again called into doubt. However, that key Clinton demographic was actually an even stronger Edwards demographic before he dropped from the primary race.

Though the partnership is no more than rumor and theory at this point, the concept carries some weight. The reality of an Obama-Clinton ticket is seemingly long gone. Bill Richardson, though a good candidate and running-mate, has been seemingly vacant from the public eye.

As it seems now, the support garnered by an Obama-Edwards ticket has the best chance for popular support and political success.

As Edwards said to the crowd gathered in Grand Rapids, Mich., "Brothers and sisters, we must come together as Democrats. We are here tonight because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I."

op-ed: Why is Jeremiah Wright still in the news?

Bob Cesca of the Huffington Post wrote in an op-ed piece "Have You Left No Sense of Decency" about the mainstream media's near-obsessive hounding of "Reverendgate" or whatever the Wright fiasco is being called now (Note: I googled "reverendgate," and yes, people really are using that term):

"If the corporate media had been as diligent about watchdogging President Bush as they have been about watchdogging Reverend Wright, it's very likely we wouldn't have invaded Iraq.

If the corporate media had spent as much time exposing the obvious flaws and grotesque inequalities of Reaganomics throughout the last 30 years as they've spent on Wright, we wouldn't necessarily be staring into the maw of another depression.

If the corporate media were as diligent about debunking the lies surrounding Iran's so-called nuclear program as they've been about Wright, there wouldn't be such a sense of inevitability in terms of attacking -- or entirely obliterating -- Iran."

Though Cesca goes on to make many more valid points that I would talk about if it wouldn't seem like plagiarism — race-baiting, the focus on sensationalism and ratings, the scariness of a "scary shouting black man" — I'm reminded of a Bill Moyers documentary titled "Buying the War" (which you can watch here) that focuses on how the mainstream media dropped the ball leading up to the invasion of Iraq.

In this case, it seems to be the same story on a different day. Instead of performing their watchdog duty as journalists with the Bush administration, hours each day are being wasted by cable news stations discussing the pastor and his effect — largely created by the same media coverage — on a certain Sen. Barack Obama. Though the story certainly is (was?) newsworthy, there are many other things that should grab a lot more focus: the war in Iraq, climate change, the economy. Or... Sen. John McCain.

McCain has been blatantly wrong and inconsistent on multiple occasions, confusing Shiite and Sunni Muslims and asserting Al-Qaeda's presence in Iraq rather than Iran's. That's not to mention that a certain Pastor Hagee — whose endorsement McCain was "glad to have" — claimed that New Orleans was "damned" because of a "level of sin that was offensive to God" and a "homosexual parade."

In short, the mainstream press is tripping up, big time. I think Stephen Colbert nailed it during his lampoon of the situation: "Oh thank God! Oh thank you Jesus! We will have more on this Revered Wright controversy... as often as we can."