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Georgia Congressman John Lewis has sent out a statement to clarify an earlier statement that seemed to draw comparisons between GOP presidential candidate John McCain along with vice presidential running mate Sarah Palin and notoriously racist /segregationist Alabama Gov. George Wallace. In his statement today, Lewis says he did not compare the two to Wallace. So, here are both statements for you, the readers, to review in order to draw your own conclusions: Statement #1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 11, 2008 Rep. John Lewis On Hostility of McCain-Palin Campaign “As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse. “During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate. George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama. “As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better.”
Statement #2
Rep. John Lewis Clarifies Misinterpretations of his Earlier Comments FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 11, 2008 "A careful review of my earlier statement would reveal that I did not compare Sen. John McCain or Gov. Sarah Palin to George Wallace. It was not my intention or desire to do so. My statement was a reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behavior. I am glad that Sen. McCain has taken some steps to correct divisive speech at his rallies. I believe we need to return to civil discourse in this election about the pressing economic issues that are affecting our nation." ( Full article and comments) High five! Borat, Ali G and Sacha Baron Cohen are all 37 on Oct. 13. What to give a man who has already bought a wife? Singer, husband and father Usher Raymond IV, is 30 on Oct. 14. We have to admit, we liked him better as R&B’s reigning Romeo. Bam! Gourmet chef Emeril Lagasse is 49 on Oct. 15. Think he’ll kick things up a notch on his big day? A heartfelt “happy birthday” goes out to former Atlantan John Mayer (pictured)—except, of course, from all the ladies he’s dated and discarded. The light-rock lothario is 31 on Oct. 16. Newnan, Ga.’s own country music superstar Alan Jackson hits the big 5-0 on Oct. 17, and will doubtless celebrate by writing yet another hit song. Rapper Eminem is 36 on Oct. 17. Any bets on whether the real Slim Shady will continue to age with graceful maturity? “High School Musical” star Zac Efron should officially be growing facial hair, since he turns 21 on Oct. 18. (No, waxing his eyebrows doesn’t count.)
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images ( Full article and comments)
If you're heading to Atlantic Station this week for Taste of Atlanta (and why wouldn't you be?), don't forget to stop by The Sunday Paper booth to say hello and perhaps walk away with gift certificates courtesy of Half-Off Depot. See you there! ( Full article and comments) The National Review, which CNN now considers “influential”—now that it’s knocking McCain—has published an editorial that critiques McCain's plan as “creating a level of moral hazard that is unacceptable.” As if Fannie and Freddie's takeover by the government on Sept. 7 hadn't already essentially done this. When the government got Fannie and Freddie, it picked up those bad mortages. This is absolutely hilarious. It’s like watching the local whorehouse (CNN) decorate for Christmas (use conservative sources, for a change) because whatever Christian values might dictate about prostitution (CNN's biased reporting), it’s a time when men get drunk and generous (when the right wing peanut gallery can be of use to CNN in trashing McCain). ( Full article and comments) Obama supporters must have cringed painfully last night when their candidate pointed out that Republican candidate John McCain signed onto a bill to stop the deregulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac a year after the bill was introduced. Obama, after all, didn’t support the bill at all, with good reason—Obama financially benefitted hugely from Fannie and Freddie’s deregulation, the root of our financial agony today. The Democrats keep screaming that it was deregulation that wrecked out economy, but they don’t dare talk about specifics because the thing that specifically wrecked our economy was the massive disaster of failed mortgages under Fannie and Freddie and that was a Democratic hit job that started in the late 1990s and started leaving its bloody traces on the housing market in 2006. Yes, it was deregulation, alright, at the hands of the Democrats. In fact, fact—not some campaign spiel, but in actual fact—it was the Republicans who fought tooth and nail to stop Fannie and Freddie’s deregulation, but they were up against outrageous accusations of racism by ( Full article and comments) Here's a link to the bill that John McCain co-sponsored in 2005-2006 to try to prevent the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage debacles that have contributed greatly to our current financial mess. Whatever happened to the bill? It died in committee. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=109-s20060525-16&bill=s109-190
And here's an interesting YouTube video. Obviously its maker has an agenda, but as far as the legislation and hearings cited in this particular video, his claims are solid.
As with anything you see on YouTube, always fact check. I did, and this one stands up. If you find otherwise, let me know (as if I even have to say that). What the hell were we all thinking about when Franklin Raines was using our tax dollars as a slush fund? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5z9lD4C2Io
Incidentally, no, I don't share the vidoemaker's views on everything else Obama-related (I certainly don't think Obama is, or ever was, a communist or was interested in being one, etc.--that's crazy talk). Of course, that's not in the video, that's just a little background for you. ( Full article and comments) The beautiful Kate Winslet (pictured) is 33 on Oct. 5. Can anyone even remember the last good movie she was in? Radiohead’s Thom Yorke is 40 on Oct. 7. Least sexy frontman ever? Not while Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo still lives. Simon Cowell is 49 on Oct. 7. In our opinion, he’s the only reason to watch “American Idol.” Ever. The Rev. Jesse Jackson is 67 on Oct. 8. Think he still wants to cut Barack Obama’s you-know-whats off? “America’s Got Talent” judge Sharon Osbourne is 56 on Oct. 9. Married to Ozzy, mother to Jack and Kelly—when has she ever been exposed to talent? “Dancing With the Stars” vet Mario Lopez is 35 on Oct. 10. But he’ll always be A.C. Slater to us. Actor Luke Perry is 43 on Oct. 11. Luke, let us offer you some career advice—whatever you do, don’t go back to “90210.” You’ll hate yourself in the morning.
Photo: Rob Loud/Getty Images ( Full article and comments)
The U.S. House has passed the $700 billion "Wall Street bailout," bill formally known as the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, by a vote of 263 to 171 today. When the bill was first introduced in the House on Sept. 29, only two of Georgia's 13 members of Congress supported it, Rep. Sanford Bishop of Columbus and Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon, both Democrats. It was defeated. Today when it returned to the House laden with incentives for passage after its approval by the Senate on Oct. 1, two more Georgians, also Democrats, voted yes, Congressman John Lewis and Congressman David Scott, both of Atlanta. Lewis sent out a press statment quoting the speech he made explaining his vote switch: ( Full article and comments) If your jaw didn’t hit the floor when Palin said that she would seek to expand the powers of the vice presidency using Dick Cheney’s model, then you must have been wearing your Hannibal Lecter muzzle for the evening. That, gentle reader, was a deal-breaker. That was a “get you coat and let’s go” moment. She plans to expand the powers of the vice presidency on a ticket where John McCain has more than graciously allowed an admitted neophyte to perch? For many, many voters it has been hard enough to deal with the possibility of Palin stepping into the Oval Office in the event that something untoward happens to McCain. To suggest that she’s going to appropriate some of his power while he’s still alive and kicking is insulting ( Full article and comments) Katie Couric is to journalism what the Muppet Show’s Swedish Chef is to Swedish—she does a meaningless mimicry of it to great effect. ( Full article and comments) |