The fact of the matter is Kings dream was realized when LBJ passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Sure King was one of many who fought in the trenches for civil rights, but it was President Lyndon Johnson who passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  If the president and his administration was against civil rights for the blacks, he would not have signed it.  Thats not pretty, but he was the President.  LOOK AT WHAT BUSH GETS AWAY WITH.

John Edwards is right to be troubled by Hillary Clinton's remarks: she is very clearly playing the race card against Obama by suggesting that, in the end, white politicians like LBJ (and her) are the real 'change agents,' while African-Americans like Martin Luther King, Jr. (and Obama) can 'raise hopes' but not really accomplish their objectives.  Her remarks are disgusting because they're so carefully calculated.  She, and the country, ought to be above this kind of politics, but she isn't.  Very sad.

When I was in the army, I attended the Mormons services, after the services they had a talk back session. I’m black, but they encouraged to speak up.  My children attended the Mormons middle school, and went to the Mormons college. Every week 22 Mormon guys stop to read scripture. I like the Mormons, unfortunately I'm voting the Dem ticket.

Go Omaba

Actually, Hillary is WRONG. She stated unequivocally that Barack Obama COMPARED HIMSELF to MLK and JFK   and LBJ. Here is the actual chronology:

Debate: Hillary slams Obama for talking about Hope, says we need a "reality check." Says that "words don't matter." Says that Barack is giving people "false hope."

Barack says "no, words do matter Hillary." Talks about us being a nation built on hope.

Next day: Barack speech, he says: "what if JFK said the moon is too far away, can't do it. What if MLK says I had a dream but it's too hard, we can't do it." Continues to make case that this nation is built on hope. AT NO TIME does he compare himself to either leader.

Later that same day or the next: Hillary makes the FALSE STATEMENT that Barack compared himself to MLK, JFK, and LBJ -- BUT ONLY AFTER a campaign worker/supporter/surrogate uses the line in her intro of Clinton with Clinton standing on stage smiling.

Then Clinton goes on FOX to expand and revise her remarks even more so to diminish King, and smear Obama.

She makes one more campaign stop and lets all sorts of false stuff fly, expanding on what she said on FOX to the ooohs and oh nooooos of the audience.

Bill is meanwhile slamming Obama at an event of his own (This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen.)

Clinton faux-cries. "Iron My Shirt!"

Coupled with the other scurrilous remarks of the week by Clinton surrogates prior to the primary, Black folks are starting to get enraged. Donna Brazile on CNN is among the first to express her concern and displeasure.

--- There you have it in a nutshell. Clinton started it. Obama will finish it.

It is apparent that the media misquoting or misleading what the candidates are saying...when will the news reporter and when will the American people stop buying into cheap stories or giving in to cheap slanderous stories just to sell papers or just to get their network rating up over another racial issue again using BLACK FOLKS ...
NOW everyone saw the clip and it real plain and SIMPLE that the Clinton’s did NOT belittle MLK at all we do need people in the inside to make things happen it call networking....MLK could not pass it into law...The Clinton’s for years help our community and now we have a BLACK or BLACK MUSLIM is going to bring division into the political race when in fact when the Clinton was the president we would say we have a black white president now the dynamics has change when there is a black male in the running….DAYUM!!!!! WHY can't Obama come on and defend his record regarding the war vote that he his being questioned on and then (Obama) voted to fund the war...we can go on and on regards the records of the candidates. We need to stop letting the media drags the "BLACK FOLKS" into something that is not true again...when we will say enough is enough or are we running off of hope and not reality....Obama never has given any real suggesting or ideal on how is going to do the things that he says “give us hope” like Janet says “what has he done for us lately” and is Obama playing the race card just because he’s BLACK or BLACK MUSLIM what has he done for black America….I did not hear anything from this brother until now and I still don’t see or understand the change he talking about….WHERE IS HIS AGENDA FOR US? I think Hillary put into action her Health Care plan, Economy plan, and her stance to get bring the troop home…All I hear from Obama is a promise once I become president what are going to do before u get there? Let focus on the main issue of why these candidates are running for PRESIDENCY….and earns our votes our fore father’s fought for and not to give it away just because you’re black….

Some people are trying to make it look like edwards is crawling down the middle of the street behind these two other candidates with a dustpan and brush trying to scrape together any little tidbit of publicity for his campaign-  give me a break-  look at the delegate numbers people 24-18 that doesn't look too bad for a guy who's being outspent 5-1  and thats probably a low figure!!!....hang in there John we need you you to do that for us, hang in there the grass roots campaign train is starting to pick up speed!!!

FULL QUOTE:

"I would point to the fact that that Dr. King's dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when he was able to get through Congress something that President Kennedy was hopeful to do, the President before had not even tried, but it took a president to get it done. That dream became a reality, the power of that dream became a real in people's lives because we had a president who said we are going to do it, and actually got it accomplished."

Thank you, Senator Edwards.  No one should let Hillary and her cronies get away with this sort of thing.  Amazing that she is caught on camera making comments about MKL and now they are trying to blame Obama and his campaign???  Amazing

The Obama campaign has absolutely contributed to the racial arguments.  The same night that Hillary won in NH, Obama's national campaign co-chair Jessie Jackson Jr. made statements questioning Hillary getting emotional about "her appearance" but not for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He further went on to say that this issue was important with the campaigns moving to SC, which has a large African-American population.  First of all, for him to try to make a racial issue out of an emotional moment Hillary had with women voters when asked how she was coping with the pressures of the campaign was so inappropriate. Second of all, Hillary got emotional when talking about her interest in public service, not her appearance.  Race had NOTHING to do with that moment, and yet he tried to make it an issue by tying it to Katrina victims coincidentally right before the campaigns headed to SC!!  Hmmm....seems to me the Obama campaign was working quite hard to set this racist storyline up.  What is bothersome is that once again, hardly anyone is covering that story, but the Clinton comments are running continuously across all the major networks and websites.

Edwards continues to be Obama's angry poodle.  I guess he will do anything to get some media attention these days....

"Those who believe that real change starts with Washington politicians have been in Washington too long and are living in a fairy tale. Real change has never started in Washington. Real change came from those who have fought in the trenches."

Good message John! "Time to knock down that wall" Washington. Good luck getting your message out and don't let the powers that be write you off. America still has opportunity to choose your logic for change over the others rhetoric.

Edwards is losing and he should start attacking Obama
as much has he does Clinton.

AT SOME POINT, THE CONTINUED RACIAL OVERTONES WILL PROBABLY TURN MANY VOTERS AWAY AND THE INTEREST IN "CHANGE" COULD DIS-APPEAR!

So Hillary says she is trying to break the greatest glass ceiling. And what does she think Obama is trying to do? She's been ballroom dancing on the top side of that ceiling. The comments about MLK and LBJ only reinforce the status quo, that is, that it's not an African Americans place to be ultimate decision maker or initiator even though African Americans have been striving for equality (not superiority). MLK essentially passed notes through a hole in that ceiling to LBJ. King's dream was great, but it damn well wasn't running for President. He was assassinated for leadership in the arena he did have. We are seeing how deeply entrenched racism is in this country, even in the Clintons, who many African Amercians respected. The reversal in allegience and sense of entitlement is an old story. She can't really effect the type of change that can hapen when we are all percieved and treated equally because she is inadvertently extinguishing it out of personal ambition. The change we need has to start in the hearts of people who are uplifted, not depressed by the continuence of rancid politics and leadership.

"Those who believe that real change starts with Washington politicians have been in Washington too long and are living in a fairy tale. Real change has never started in Washington. Real change came from those who have fought in the trenches."

Good message John! "Time to knock down that wall" Washington. Good luck getting your message out and don't let the powers that be write you off. America still has opportunity to choose your logic for change over the others rhetoric.

Of the three candidates, the one who is closest to Martin Luther King, in terms of standing up and fighting the entrenched special interests, is John Edwards.  The fight isn't about race now; it's about the increasing divide between the two Americas.  The middle class is disappearing and we will be left with the poor (a servant class) and the wealthy (the owners' class, corporate greed).

Hillary said those things about Obama and MLK because she doesn't believe she can win the black vote in S.C.. So by dissing blacks, she kisses up to Latino's in an attempt to replace the black vote, she's very divisive.  I just hope Latino's remember when they call her on whether illegal alien Latino's should have driver licenses she talked out of both sides of her mouth and wouldn't answer, in the next debate she said no to licenses.  Beware Latino's, take a lesson from Blacks, she will say and do anything to get your vote, to win this election.  So she's giving Edwards more of an opportunity at getting at the black vote too and obviously he's taking full advantage of it in this article.  Ironically, Obama is the only candidate not talking about it or making it an issue, he appears to be taking the higher road, i.e. lead us to unite not divide, tell the truth not lies, to change our ways if we really want to change our future. Obama is like a very good teacher, I hope we're learning our lessons.

Please Nevada, SC - send this corrupt lying woman far, far away with your votes.  

HRC supporters:  except for yourselves, what you are hearing is a resounding chorus of "No to Hillary" from everyone else.

HILLARY'S MLK/LBJ COMMENTS IN PERSPECTIVE FOR ALL HRC SUPPORTERS WHO DON'T/CAN'T OR WON'T SEE THE CALCULATION THAT BLACK PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE OR WHO KNOW THEIR AMERICAN HISTORY AND ARE PROUD OF IT SEE:

Please allow me this analogy casting a well-respected Democrat, Joe Biden, in Hillary's role and women and Hillary in the roles of African-Americans and Obama respectively.

Joe Biden responds to Hillary's call for women to renew the activism displayed when Suffragists won their hard fought right to vote with this statement to reporters:

Senator Biden:
"We all have a lot of respect for Susan B. Anthony and the Suffrage Movement; but let's be real and face facts: that movement didn't really take hold until President Wilson changed his position on it in 1918. I mean, the Constitutional Amendment to give women the right to vote was first introduced in 1878, but it didn't become law until 1920 over 40 years later after Wilson decided to push it through. Now, the suffragettes and their passionate speeches and rallies were important to be sure, but it took a President to actually make real change happen."

Would this raise any female eyebrows? Especially if you knew Biden to be a long-time ERA and womens' rights supporter as well as a student of the Suffrage Movement, would that not make you seriously question his motives even more if you knew for certain that he was aware of the real history?

Honestly, wouldn't most women interpret the above statement as demeaning the value of what Ms. Anthony and the Suffragettes did just to self-servingly prove some point that women voters TODAY still need someone like him, Biden, to effect any real change in their lives? And would the average, educated woman need Hillary Clinton or her campaign to tell them that, or would female leaders like Congressman Clyburn of SC did, independently rise up to caution the Biden campaign about its use of language...and probably less neutrally and politely than Mr. Clyburn actually did to the Clintons? Don't you know the answer?

Please re-read this hypothetical Biden statement beacause I was careful to add the Clinton-type qualifiers that appear like respect or deference. But isn't it clear that women would be right to see this not only as a denigration of the relative importance of women in their own empowerment movement, but also as a calculated attempt by Biden to diminish his current female opponent's ability by revising the actual history of the movement. And we are in denial because we honestly believed that only Bush, Cheney and this Administration sought to re-write history for their own narrow political gain.

In fact, if this hypothetical had actually happened, I think you'd agree that we would probably witness womens' rallies about it and public pressure applied for all women to now endorse Ms. Clinton and on any women who had formerly endorsed Biden to now renounce him. This would be "IRON MY SHIRT" on super-steroids.

But we are not seeing that today from the Obama Campaign or from other Black People, although it came close. The House Majority Whip, Mr. Clyburn of South Carolina saw those words come out of Ms. Clinton's mouth on TV and issued his warning with the caveat that it made him lean toward endorsing Obama. He had a conversation with the campaigns and decided to stay neutral, undoubtedly because he wanted to be true to his commitment to put the his district's economic interests ahead of his own political instincts of the interests of any specific campaign. But lest I remind you that Mr. Clyburn is not only the highest ranking Black Congressman in the Democratic Party, but he is also a living survivor of the American Civil Rights Movement. And as such, just like the Suffragettes would in the hypothetical here, he would not and did not need to have someone else interpret for him what that statement said, what it implied, and the purpose behind it. So do you think he will forget? He basically just called a foul against Hillary, I'm sure she promised not to do it again, but no one should hold their breath.

I do not intend to demean Ms. Clinton's 35 years of experience; however, I point to it to illustrate that no one hearing the above Biden version would accept that Biden, who has been in the Senate almost 30 years, had somehow accidentally fumbled his way into these words as Ms. Clinton initially claimed. Oh yes, later that day, before her campaign got ahold of her and she started accusing the "Obama Campaign" of misinterpreting her statement, she actually acknowleded that she mis-spoke and that her statement may have left an impression that she did not intend. In other words, she was taking personal responsibility at that point; because it was clear that Black people instantly responded before any campaign had a chance to as would women in the above scenario.

But alas, just like I believe she sincerely choked up not for America's loss but for her own projected loss in NH, what she also was sincerely and accurately noting in that acknowledgement was that her narcissism blinded her from seeing how the intended slight against Obama, by definition was a denigration of King. Can you see that now?

Talking heads in support of her like Bob Johnson say she would have never intended to diminish MLK and I am prone to agree. Some HRC defenders alternately point out that Hillary spoke about MLK and not Obama to argue that the statement was note intended to diminish anyone. But in my hypothetical, Biden never mentions Hillary, only Susan B. Anthony. Yet women know the statement in response to the mobilization of women on behalf a female candidate is designed to question Hillary's ability or the ability of any women to achieve real change without a man or without a President like Biden. So we agree that Biden knows Hillary is his target and women hearing it know Hillary is his target even though she is not mentioned. However, women also see instantly that he has just marginalized Susan B. Anthony into being a bystander in a Rose Garden ceremony for Woodrow Wilson, and all to make the back-handed slap at his female opponent. If Biden is surprised and genuinely in shock that women publicly claim he has denigrated the legacy of Susan B. Anthony with that seemingly harmless statement of fact that the Amendment was introduced into Congress in 1878 but did not become law until 1920 after Wilson changed his mind in 1918 and started pushing it (which is absolutely the history BTW); then Biden would only have his own narcissism and myopic-attack-mode vision to blame for not seeing the obvious.

I hope this helps people see the hypocrisy and race-baiting of the Clintons. They know the power and impact of race including the fact that most people don't want to see Blacks make an issue of it; so that is what they are accusing Obama of when in fact, they have done it and done it fairly successfully, I must admit. It appears their new strategy is to escalate until race-fatigued voters dispatch the Black guy or the half-Black guy as the fastest way to eliminate this racial tension.

Final note to Obama supporters: take it down a few notches to match your candidate's disposition, pray for him to stay on the high road and not take the bait to get in the mud with them so he can present voters in each state a real choice, let it play out and trust the American people. They usually get it right in the long run. Personally, I will just kiss-it-up-to-God, so to speak and believe that His Will will prevail whether that be President Clinton, Obama, or McCain for America. I'll do what I can, but I'm at peace and believing on HIM for the victory. Just like we did for Bill Clinton back in '98 when we put the breastplate of righteousness on him to help the First Family survive Impeachmment or Resignation and certain financial ruin, let's all vouch for Obama with everyone we know, remind fellow Democrats of how we successfully defended the Clintons from far worse though equally politically-driven attacks by power-hungry Republican politicians who thought it was their time and their turn, ask them to vote like it's the people's turn now, and just pray that GOD continues to use Obama AND Hillary in HIS perfect way that allows them to be revealed so HIS WILL can be done.

If Hillary wins...we all lose! The election so far should underscore the fact that IND.'s and even some GOP members will vote for Obama. She wins this thing, DEM's lose that base. I am guessing they represent 1/3 of the country.

I think he is a phony.

I am so sick and tired of the HRC supporters claiming that Edwards is making these comments because he is desperate to get media attention and shilling for Obama.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Edwards is standing up for what he believes and holding politicians accountable for their words (i.e. HRC). The MSM has made this a two-horse race...not the voters. I guess, for the first time in American political history, it is a bad time to be the white male candidate...The MSM, so desperate for ratings, loves the idea of the first black or woman president.  Obviously, many posters on this board are caught up in this same hoopla.  

Whatever happened to voting for the best candidate regardless of their gender or ethnicity? Don't get me wrong, I love that I live in a country where a black man and a woman are undeniable leaders and credible candidates for President. That said, gender and ethnicity shouldn't be criteria by which we base our support...Unfortunately, it appears that many people are voting for Obama and Hillary for exactly those reasons. We've all seen on thse boards:  Hillary supporters are relentless with their attacks on people being anti-woman if they don't support her. I could go on and on with the examples.

JRE's voice is very relevant and his presence in this election is needed - if for nothing else than to keep these two in check and in the process, demonstrate to the MSM that it does not have the power to coorinate the candidate of its choice.

Want to see the truth about this whole thing? Please listen to Maher's articulation to Tony Snow about how the GOP fears Obama and needs Clinton to motivate thei base;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G7X7ugKsVM

Just listened to Dr. King's VietNam speech yesterday.
What an exhilarating speech.

The more i see of the Clinton's , the clearer it become's , just how dishonest and underhanded they really are.

Obama has won my vote , and the Clinton's are the ones that made that decision easy for me.

Go Edwards!!! I can't wait to cast my vote for you!

Please Nevada, SC - send this corrupt lying woman far, far away with your votes.  


We don't want her either. We got enough fruit cakes in Far, Far Away Land.

Again ..... "aABH"..... anyone, ANYONE but Hillary will help this country move forward with some level of potential bi=partisan working relationships, less devisiveness, and less phoniness in the White House. She and Bill lie, mislead, exaggerate....like 35 years of experience, when others honestly speak of elected years of public service, etc, etc. America would be much better if they justr went away.

Edward not man enough to stand up to Obama, Go Hillary

Too bad we can’t even get through a Democratic primary without a fight over race.  How do you think this is going to pan out in the general election?  This clearly demonstrates that far from being a uniter, Obama will divide us even more.

The Obama camp and his supporters are the ones injecting race into the election and have been doing so from the beginning.  They are trying to reap the positives, (white guilt, the racial loyalty of minorities, hostility to white males and their history of social dominance), while avoiding the negatives (stereotypes of African-Americans, stubborn white opposition to gains in minority power).  And, if they can brand their opponents with the scarlet “R”, so much the better.

Leveraging race may be a successful tactic for them in the primaries, but it will be a liability in the general, especially if it causes significant resentment with white Democratic voters.

Democrats beware--it's Edwards or bust in November.  Texas is BIG REPUBLICAN country--they would miss their own funeral to get to the voting booth to vote against Hillary.  Edwards does not have THAT kind of affect on Republicans.  

Hillary's remarks concerning MLK may not have been deliberately racist, but they were, at best, an extremely poor choice of words.  Or perhaps those words were deliberately selected. Either way, the end result was a diminishing of the role of MLK, the man tributed in this song:

It Only Hurts When I Cry
(A Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.)
Dr BLT  
words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008
http://www.drblt.net/music/ItOnlyDemo2.mp3

Edwards was campaigning for change long before Mr. Obama and Ms. Clinton came along.  I think all three candidates have strong and varied credentials, however, Ms. Clinton voted for the war in Iraq and never has really apologized for that, Obama did have the good sense and 'wisdom' not to support the war from the get-go and finally,  Edwards voted for it but did apologize for that oversight.  I don't think any of them got it right as far as who was instrumental for the  successful passage of the  Civil Rights Act of 1964... While Martin Luther King Jr. and all of his followers were pouring out blood, sweat,tears and loss of life (literally) on the streets of America..President LBJ was pitching the same message to Congress and to the American people.  That sychronization of power from both camps brought about the much needed and long over-due Civil Rights Act.  But....but....it takes a strong movement with a strong message and conviction that gets the attention of those up on the hill...I think MLK brought the stewing kettle together and brought the temperature in the kitchen down so that we could all really 'see'the path to true justice and equality for all...but you actually  had to live in those times to really get the understanding of what being black in America was about..for them to stand up in the wake of such aggression,oppression, stupidty, murder, segregation..the list is endless..took guts..the total movement took a lot of major guts.  I think that's what Edwards was refering to and that being..it's the people on the ground...in the front lines that are the proponents of change; those are the people who truely sacrificed...they are the ones who created  real change...by getting the attention of those in power...those folks on the hill(all white people at that time, btw)...to LISTEN to the people who want 'change' and actually 'ACT' on that premise,should also be given and deserve our recognition as well.  This at a time in history where we have a  Commander and Chief who could care less about how the American people feel.   We should all think about that at election time.    

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