Today, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) kicked off its 39th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). The event has long been a staple in the life of Washington socialites and a destination point for politically-minded people of color from across the nation. The goal has been, generally speaking, to empower attendees through a series of workshops (pdf) (not to mention, some of the hottest parties in town) to bring about change and leadership in their respective communities, though their has been some debate on whether the gathering has become lighter on its focus to influence policy and heavier on its networking laurels (which, arguably, can also advance community empowerment, you know ... in a 'round-about way).
But this year, the carries a heavy distinction for the meetup: it is the first conference during which one of the CBC's former members, Barack Obama, is now president of the United States. It will be interesting to see how such a factor influences the dialogue -- and outcome -- of this year's conference, as opposed to that of prior years. President Obama is expected to address the group this weekend.
We have our ear close to the conference (literally, the venue is just across the street from NPR headquarters) and hope to check-in with one of the caucus leaders by week's end.
And speaking of Obama and the White House, "CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric recently sat down with Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck for a little one-on-one (or toe-to-toe, depending on how you look at it). Very little seemed to be left off the table during the interview, including Beck's claim that President Obama is a "racist." Here's the full (unedited) discussion:
When I was little, my father used to tell me the story of astronomer Galileo Galilee as a bed time story. As the story goes, Galileo was convinced that the earth circled around the sun -- and not the other way, as was commonly upheld. He was forced to recant by the Inquisition, and he admitted the sun and the universe rotate around the earth.
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Galileo. His story is that of a man with strong convictions, and we are living in a time of ideological polarization. Especially throughout this health care debate. This was clear to me on Saturday as I covered the "tea party" protest in the Nation's Capital. Tens of thousands of passionate protesters showed up to decry what they see as excessive government spending. Although many of the protesters had legitimate, well thought-out points, others were spewing utter nonsense. A poster comparing Obama to both Hitler and Lenin, is factually atrocious. Saying Obama is a Nazi who wants to bring communism to America, is historically ignorant. A white man dressed as a Native American to protest a return to the American values of our forefathers, pardon me, is a circus, and some would say a slap in the face.
Tea Party Protesters on Capitol Hill (Brendan Smialowski/Stringer / Getty Images)
Likewise, those who are saying socialized medicine in other countries is a flawless gem, I think might need to go spend some time in a country with public medicine. I grew up in one. Interminable lines, hospitals without hot water or electricity, medicine shortages. When I was 9 years old, I got a cold which, thanks to incompetent public medicine, developed into a serious pneumonia. Recently, my 90-year-old grandmother broke her hip and waited for hours in excruciating pain for a public ambulance to arrive.
The thing is, Galileo Galilee was more than a strong idea: he was facts. He had done his homework, years of research. He knew what he was talking about, and that's what makes his story so great. But in this debate, it seems like people on both sides are becoming enamored of an idea, without thinking through their facts and accusations. Everyone has ideas. It's doing the research and having the facts which turns you into an intelligent individual.
At the end of my father's story, Galileo admits that the universe rotates around the earth. But as he walks past his friend, he whispers, "E per si muove," ("and yet it moves") the earth around the sun. Time has made Galileo owner of the truth, but in this health care debate, things are not so clear cut.
Is there a right or wrong answer? How do you feel about health care reform?
Unless you might have been totally closed off from the rest of the world, you know by now that longtime Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy -- the last surviving brother of the late president John F. Kennedy -- died last night after losing a battle with brain cancer.
Here are the the remarks of an obviously solemn President Obama, whom Kennedy reportedly encouraged to seek the presidency in 2006 and later formally endorsed his bid:
Of course, we know not everyone was a fan of Kennedy's politics, but there is something remarkable to be said about the bipartisan show of respect since news of his passing, even among some of his strongest, who somehow were in light of his passing.
As an example, here's a sympathy expression from former First Lady Nancy Reagan, widow of the late president Ronald Reagan, a Republican:
Given our political differences, people are sometimes surprised by how close Ronnie and I have been to the Kennedy family. ... But Ronnie and Ted could always find common ground, and they had great respect for one another.
Which leads me to wonder: In watching all of the coverage of his life and death, are there others who find themselves reconciling their strong disagreement at times with Ted Kennedy, the politician, with their appreciation for Ted Kennedy, the public servant, or, say, the Kennedy political "dynasty" as a whole.
In the days ahead, we'll have more on Ted Kennedy's eight-term legacy in the U.S. Senate, with discussion about both his supporters and detractors ...
In the meantime, tell us more ... how will you remember him (feel free to raise points of disagreement, but respectfully, please).
Here's a video from a town hall meeting on health care, hosted yesterday by Rep. Barney Frank, a Democrat from Massachusetts:
Today, we talked more about the vitriol that seems to be flowing freely from many of these meetings -- against the public option component of proposed health care legislation, against Democrats, against Republicans ... against President Obama.
Shouting matches (stoked by both attendees and Congressional hosts), caricatured illustrations of the president, hateful rhetoric ...
Whatever happened to civil -- albeit spirited -- discourse?
Rep. Frank did go toe-to-toe in loaded jabs at some who spoke out at his forum (whether his reflexive blows was warranted is up for debate), but he did reference something to someone that raises yet another interesting point in this whole health care debate-turned-debacle fiasco ...
What's The Point?
A quote from Frank (after engaging with a dissatisfied audience member):
You came here believing what you wanted to believe. Nothing I say is going to have any influence, so what's the point?
So, really, what is the point?
This morning, in our daily editorial meeting, I was disturbed when a colleague mentioned that she would never take her children along to attend a town hall meeting. Why? Probably because the room temperature at some of these gatherings is just plain cold and, arguably, is a sorry crash course in civil communication for a youngster to witness. (Although it has to be said, not at all of them -- Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards was reportedly engaged in an emotional but relatively calm discussion with attendees at her town hall forum.)
Question: So are these town halls actually accomplishing anything? Perhaps time will tell...
Speaking of which, tell us about your experience if you've attended -- or stood on-line waiting to get into -- one of these gatherings. And help us by answering the bigger questions: did you go with an open mind, and what did you walk away with?
And, remind me, what ever happened to civil discourse?
Here's a video from a town hall meeting on health care, hosted yesterday by Rep. Barney Frank, a Democrat from Massachusetts:
Today, we talked more about the vitriol that seems to be flowing freely from many of these meetings -- against the public option component of proposed health care legislation, against Democrats, against Republicans ... against President Obama.
Shouting matches (stoked by both attendees and Congressional hosts), caricatured illustrations of the president, hateful rhetoric ...
Whatever happened to civil -- albeit spirited -- discourse?
Rep. Frank did go toe-to-toe in loaded jabs at some who spoke out at his forum (whether his reflexive blows was warranted is up for debate), but he did reference something to someone that raises yet another interesting point in this whole health care debate-turned-debacle fiasco ...
What's The Point?
A quote from Frank (after engaging with a dissatisfied audience member):
You came here believing what you wanted to believe. Nothing I say is going to have any influence, so what's the point?
So, really, what is the point?
This morning, in our daily editorial meeting, I was disturbed when a colleague mentioned that she would never take her children along to attend a town hall meeting. Why? Probably because the room temperature at some of these gatherings is just plain cold and, arguably, is a sorry crash course in civil communication for a youngster to witness. (Although it has to be said, not at all of them -- Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards was reportedly engaged in an emotional but relatively calm discussion with attendees at her town hall forum.)
Question: So are these town halls actually accomplishing anything? Perhaps time will tell...
Speaking of which, tell us about your experience if you've attended -- or stood on-line waiting to get into -- one of these gatherings. And help us by answering the bigger questions: did you go with an open mind, and what did you walk away with?
And, remind me, what ever happened to civil discourse?
William J. Bratton, right, announces that he is resigning as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department during a news conference with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in Los Angeles, on Wednesday, Aug. 5 (Philip Scott Andrews / AP)
Lee Hill, here ...
While here hammering away at final details for tomorrow's program, we're seeing reports that William Bratton has decided to step down as head of the the Los Angeles Police Department.
This is interesting to us because we were already piecing together a conversation about how the department -- for years known more for its corruption than actual policing -- was recently issued a clean bill of health by the U.S. Department of Justice. The feds in Washington had been watching the LAPD closely, sort of like "big brother," for eight years after it was suspected of being so awash with dirty policing that it couldn't be trusted to function by word of its own integrity.
Bratton, two years into his second five-year term, is widely credited with transforming Los Angeles' rogue law enforcement culture -- with all the classic underpinnings of racism and thievery -- into a more noble and ethnically diverse police operation, which has seen crime fall in recent years.
And so while Los Angeles still has yet to become a Mayberry, of sorts, we think the "retooled LAPD" story -- of having gone from bad to notably better -- is one ripe to be explored by Tell Me More ... especially at a time when police interaction with citizens (as in the Henry Louis Gates case, for instance) has become a national issue of debate.
But on a different note, maybe there's also something to be said about how witnessing so many public servants resign over the years in disgrace -- sadly -- can almost make it it seem a bit strange when someone decides to actually step down on a good note, so it appears.
And, of course, maybe the 61-year-old has just had enough of it all. (The New York Daily News credits Bratton as the only top cop to lead both the LAPD and the New York Police Department at different points in his career.)
Oh, and by the way, how's civic life where you live? We're especially interested if something is working in your town that other cities just can't seem to get right (i.e. safety, education, race relations, police-citizen relations, etc.)
Seen through the wide-angle "fish-eye" view, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor (in red) appears on the second day of her Senate confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images
Happy Bastille Day. I guess.
I am trying to get excited about it, but, well I am sorry. I am not.
Years ago I was lucky enough to be in Paris on Bastille Day and, yes, I had major fun -- the food, the shopping ... FABULOUS (I am not going to pretend I drink wine but if I did, that was the place to be). But then I heard this story today on NPR's Morning Edition about the real history of the day and how this mob stormed the Bastille and cut the prison keeper's head off and paraded it around. Well, it was a buzz kill. ... So, now I am just wondering about that guy, the prison keeper. Was he really a bad guy, or just caught up in a bad system? Was he a corrupt agent of the ancient regime or just some schmo looking for a gig and that was the best gig he could get?
... And whatever he did, did he deserve to have his head cut off and paraded around town on a pike?
Do you see how it's a matter of perspective?
So this is what is going through my mind this morning as I am reviewing yesterday's first day of confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor.
Here's Sen. Lindsey Graham talking about what about Sonia Sotomayor's association with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. She was a board member for a dozen years, and Sen. Graham said the positions the group takes are extreme.
He said:
I do believe that you, as an advocate with the Puerto Rican Defense Legal Fund, that you took on some cases that I would have loved to have been on the other side; that your organization advocated taxpayer-funded abortion and said in a brief that to deny a poor black woman Medicaid funding for an abortion was equivalent to the Dred Scott case.
Your organization argued for the repeal of the death penalty because it was unfairly applied and discriminatory against minorities. Your organization argued for quotas when it came to hiring. I just want my colleagues to understand that there can be no more liberal group, in my opinion, than the Puerto Rican Defense Legal Fund (sic) when it came to advocacy.
Thousands of people continue to protest the recent Iran presidential elections in the streets of Tehran. Getty Images
Lee Hill, here ...
We're here hammering away at tomorrow's program. I won't spill all of the beans, but here's a sneak preview of what we have (so far):
After the disputed elections in Iran last week, thousands have taken to the streets to protest against the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But missing among the protesters is Iran's largest religious minority, members of the Baha'i faith. The group has been persecuted by the Iranian government and their religious beliefs prevent them from choosing political alliances in the majority-Muslim country. But tomorrow, we speak to an official within the Baha'i faith community, who offers a reaction to the recent elections. (Produced by TMM's Arwa Gunja.)
Also, speaking at the American Medical Association's annual conference in Chicago this week, President Obama outlined his plan to reform the nation's health care system. But Obama's pitch was met with mixed reaction, particularly on the option of public health insurance. Tomorrow, we'll hear from a group of physicians advocating for health care services in low-income and minority communities. These areas have a disproportionate number of uninsured people who could benefit from a public insurance plan. (Produced by TMM's Douglas Hopper.)
Last but not least, fatherhood. Father's Day is drawing near and, especially in minority communities, the commemorative day means different things to different people, particularly men of color. We talk to Leonard Pitts, a renowned journalist and father, who wrote about his layered journey into fatherhood.
We'll also hear from some of our own -- TMM producers Brakkton Booker, Luis Clemens, Argin Hutchins and me -- about being sons to dads who were both present and absent. We tell how we're negotiating the idea (or, rather, the reality for Luis and Argin) of fatherhood as adults. (Produced by TMM's Lorrie Grant, Teshima Walker, Brakkton Booker and Luis Clemens.)
So, check us out tommorrow -- something new, something more, and something else ...
I am not complaining, but I have the craziest interview schedule today, and I am like that bad student who didn't finish the book until the morning of the test ("But, Professor, I can explain! The kids wouldn't nap!") Whatever. So my deep insights will have to be cut short this morning.
We're working on stories about the economy, getting ready for Father's Day and gearing up to take a look at the various innovations going on in K through 12 education. We are located in Washington, D.C., and it turns out that D.C. is ground zero for educational experimentation (some say "fads"), but whatever you call it, we'll be taking advantage of our proximity to explore many of the ideas that are engaging parents and educators today.
We are still mulling over several of the responses we received to our segment on empowering men. A lot of interesting ideas were expressed that I had not heard before (along with the usual "I hate my ex-wife because she done me wrong" refrain), so I want to think about that. And we are also thinking about doing another cheapskate week where we talk about summer fun on the cheap. So we're busy.
There are many interesting conversations we have in store for you today...and most certainly tune in to the Barbershop guys. They have brought the heat on, so unlike the rainy day here in DC. But before that, I just wanted to pass the blog over to Niloufer Siddiqui from Pakistan. As part of our special blog series -- The View From Abroad, Niloufer, who just graduated from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, tells us what she thought Obama's speech in Cairo meant to her. Take it away, Niloufer:
Niloufer Siddiqui Courtesy of Niloufer Siddiqui
Thanks, Monika. As its very apt title suggests, President Obama's much-anticipated speech in Cairo has indeed set the stage for a new beginning in relations between the Muslim world and the United States. I was struck by the honest and straightforward tone in which President Obama outlined the multitude of challenges plaguing the region and the rest of the world. By stressing the need for a practical and evenhanded approach to resolving these issues, he shifted the focus from intransigent rhetoric and ideology to one governed by compromise and understanding. To me, it was the little things that made his speech particularly effective, and will continue to resonate with the populace of many Muslim countries -- his addressing the crowd with the greeting Assalam Alaikum, quoting the Holy Quran, acknowledging the suffering of the Palestinian people, and referring to Muslims as themselves the greatest victims of terrorism.
Of course, at the end of the day, President Obama's legacy will be determined not simply by what he says, but what he does. The speech was just the first step -- albeit an importance one -- in repairing this key relationship which has been damaged as a result of misguided and erroneous policies pursued over the last few years. President Obama didn't shy away from his responsibilities, recognizing the need for the U.S. to serve as a key figure in the pursuit of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, to help Iraq forge a better future for its citizens and to enter into a long-term partnership with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yet, as he rightly pointed out, each country, each group has responsibilities to which they must live up to as well.
President Obama came across as genuine but measured, concerned but hopeful. He neither apologized for, nor denied, the past, rather acknowledging it while asking us all to turn the page and focus on the future. It is important that each side recognize the mistakes made in the past, not to dwell on them but to learn from them. Perhaps then we can go one step further to permanently shelving all thoughts of a clash of civilizations.
Thank you, Niloufer.
OK, folks I am going back to my production chair.
Lynn Neary, here. I've been sitting in for Michel Martin while she takes some time off.
Okay, I have a confession to make. Sometimes I can be a glass-half-empty kind of gal. I find eternal optimists a little irritating. Why, I wonder, do they feel compelled to see the world through rose-colored glasses? Why can't they just face reality and see how tough it is? You'd think I've had a hard life the way I go on sometimes.
Truth is, I haven't. ... Which is why I find myself marveling at President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.
On today's show, I spoke with Lia Epperson, a professor of constitutional law at Santa Clara University; Ramona Romero, national president of the Hispanic National Bar Association; and Dahlia Lithwick, of Slate.com about what it would mean to have a Hispanic woman like Sotomayor on the Court. I will leave it to others, more qualified than I, to render a judgment on her legal expertise. But, when it comes to making the most out of life Sotomayor is a role model for us all.
I can only marvel at the discipline and drive it took to travel from the South Bronx to a possible seat on the Supreme Court. How easy it would have been for her to settle for way less. Some might think losing her father as a child, and being raised by a single mom in a public housing project would have made her feel "disadvantaged" in some way.
But, no.
Here's how she sees it: "I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences."
Not "disadvantaged" but, rather, "blessed." And clearly she seized every opportunity that came her way.
It's enough to put a glass-half-empty gal like me to shame.
I think I'd better check that chip on my shoulder at the door.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden applaud Obama's nominee for Supreme Court Justice, Federal Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, in the East Room of the White House this morning. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Lee Hill, here ...
Sonia Sotomayor, in case you haven't heard, has been tapped by President Obama to serve on the Supreme Court. Sotomayor's nomination comes after news last month by Justice David Souter that he would retire. If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor, 54, would become the first Hispanic and the only the third woman to hold a seat in the high court.
Of course the announcement is still fresh, but I'm curious to know, what are your initial impressions -- of today's announcement, of Sotomayor? And how "weighty" is this nomination, culturally and politically speaking?
Will it really make that much of a difference, if Sotomayor is confirmed, to have both another woman and another ethnic minority representative on the high court? Also, might such a strong focus on her distinctions this early-on lead to unfair expectations?
In other words, is Ms. Sotomayor, oh, so carefully, being setup to be a contestant in the infamous is he/she _______ (black, Latino, man, woman, closed- , open-minded) enough? debate?
Tomorrow, we're tackling this sphere of thought head-on. Don't miss it.
In the meantime, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts.
A voter checks her name on a registration list before casting her vote in national elections April 22, 2009 in Alexandra Township, South Africa. The ruling African National Congress was favored to win the majority of seats in the national assembly during Wednesday's vote. John Moore/Getty Images
We've been following South Africa's elections closely and so, of course, we checked in with one of our foreign correspondent divas, Charlayne Hunter Gault, to find out what the mood was and how it all went.
But we could not leave it there. We checked in with two voters -- one of them did not actually get to vote; South Africa does not make it easy to vote if you are outside the country. But we still thought she had interesting things to say.
And, South African wines. You might be thinking. What made them think of that? Well, simple, I went to a wine tasting at the South African embassy (it was a fundraiser for a charter school that a friend of mine supports, so I went even though I don't actually drink a lot of wine) and I thought, how interesting, who knew? ... And what better time to taste some wines than when celebrating an election.
We're all gearing up to watch President Barack Obama pitch his $838 billion economic stimulus package to Congress via a national audience tonight. It will be the first prime-time news conference of his presidency. Obama hopes to increase pressure on detractors of his bill in the U.S. Senate.
Just moments ago, the package made a promising stride. It passed a crucial test vote, 61-36, boosting it with the steam needed to move ahead to a full Senate vote tomorrow (at least 60 votes were needed).
We'll have reaction to the President's words tomorrow -- both from ordinary, working class Americans spread throughout the country, and from a money expert to answer personal finance questions, such as ... now what?
And, of course, we'll also see if the grand pitch worked tomorrow, when Capitol Hill will have its final say.
Also, feel free to meet us back here later with your immediate reaction to tonight's broadcast. You can post away in the space below...
In today's interview with Michel Martin, Michael Steele argued that race played "very little" role in his election as the first African-American to chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
Curious to know ... How do you see it?
Will Steele's election help diversify the GOP? Or, in the age of Barack Obama, will Democrats hold on to their advantage in attracting minorities and women to their party?
Please, tell us more.
Tomorrow ...
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums shares on what's shaking his city.
Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales listens during a farewell ceremony in his honor at the Department of Justice on September 14, 2007 in Washington.
Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images
I am still reading through your comments about my interview on Monday with former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. I appreciate that most people understand what I was trying to do, which is basically just get the man's side of things.
Mr. Gonzales has given just four interviews since leaving office in September 2007, to which the New York Timesgood! that'll do! no need to hear more! (you can read what their fairly scathing editorial here).
One of his few interviews was with TMM regular contributor and syndicated columnist, Ruben Navarette. Another was with Evan Perez, of The Wall Street Journal, and one was with NPR's Juan Williams, who was sitting in for Bill O'Reilly on the Fox News Channel.
The fourth was with me.
I have long been interested in Mr. Gonzales' take on things. The Justice Department is an object of awe, fascination and reverence for many Americans, especially to those, I might guess, who remember the department's role in advancing the civil and human rights of minorities.
I wondered how it felt to rise so high -- grandson of immigrants, who were possibly undocumented, son of a construction worker, the second of eight kids -- to go to Harvard Law School, to become a partner at a major Texas law firm, a Texas Supreme Court judge, White House Counsel, Attorney General (the first Latino American to hold such posts, no less).
And how did it feel to do all that only to be forced to resign after members of your own political party complain that they have lost confidence in you?
And because I believe it is best to talk to people, rather than about them, I wanted to ask him.
So I did.
There were no ground rules and no preconditions, except that Mr. Gonzales preferred to conduct the interview live, which was fine with me.
He came by himself, no handlers or spin miesters.
Some people question the amount of time we gave Mr. Gonzales, but I really don't know what to say about that. There was a lot to talk about. I still have more I want to ask him, if you want to know the truth.
I'm looking out the window as I jot down this post. It's hard to believe that just a week ago the parameters of our Washington, D.C.-based studios were flooded with epic crowds. Folks were hustling about town taking in the festivities pegged to President Barack Obama's inauguration.
Today, there's snow on the ground. It's still cold out, but traffic has since returned to normal (although still painful to sit through). Washington is just as it was a little more than a week ago.
Then, of course, there's a new President. He just moved in, down the street.
Tomorrow, we'll take a closer look at President Obama's first full week in office and his express executive orders. We'll also discuss some of the Oval Office moves the president is expected to make next, many of which are already fueling some his most vocal critics. ... And in the case of tomorrow's discussion, a panel of liberal critics will explain why they strongly oppose the president's stance on several key issues.
It's a conversation you definitely won't want to miss.
Also, the latest on Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Yes, we're going there.
Needless to say, it's been a long week. "TGIF" is an understatement.
If you were with us on Inauguration Day, hopefully you followed our live blogging event from the campus of Howard University. I was stationed there during the swearing-in ceremony at a campus brunch, where the Inauguration was viewed on a jumbo screen.
As a final installment of TMM's "Post-Inauguration Roundup," below are more elements from Inauguration Day at Howard University. Also, don't forget to check out the audio slideshow by TMM producers Arwa Gunja and Douglas Hopper, featuring stories from attendees on the National Mall.
Corey Briscoe
Lee Hill/NPR
"I'm reminded of the great people who paved the way for Obama. ... It tells me that our nation is not done growing, [that we are] literally capable of anything."
Corey Briscoe, 19, student
Major: Political Science/English
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Roberta McCloud
Lee Hill/NPR
"Barack is not just our president. It would be unfair to demand that all he does has to be for us."
Roberta McCloud, 64
Director, Armour J. Blackburn University Center, Howard University
Ashawntee Dingle
Lee Hill/NPR
"I worry about him. The expectations are great. But I'm confident that he will right a lot of wrongs. [I feel] a renewed sense of patriotism."
"I knew this would happen, but thought maybe [it would happen] when I'm 30. Race is still an issue, but [an Obama presidency] just shows that any race can do anything."
Ernest Cowan, 20, student
Howard University
Major: Applied Speech
Hometown: Largo, MD
Special thanks to Kerry-Ann Hamilton for her help in coordinating logistics for TMM's visit.
President Barack Obama signs an executive order to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay Cuba in the Oval Office at the White House.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
So now the hard part (like campaigning for two years wasn't hard). There are appointments to be completed, and staff to be selected and managed, not to mention crises to be faced right now.
The inauguration is over, but the work has just started.
I am not going to lie to you. I think I'm still recovering from Inauguration Day. I think I have been that cold maybe twice before in my life. And it wasn't the cold so much as the having to be still in it (we couldn't exactly roam around while we were on the air.) Even now, I am sitting in the studio wearing a scarf around my neck as I write this. I think I'm having, like, phantom cold or cold memories or something.
But anyway ...
Crises, there are so many.
Our country's economy is still a mess. Iraq and Afghanistan are still in disarray and Gaza is a mess. The oplines would be enough.
But that is not all there is ...
There are other parts of the world and people who are hurting. So in keeping with our mission to tell stories that others might not be talking about, we decided we had to tell you about a woman who worked to bring peace to Liberia, and an American playwright who is trying to give voice to the hundreds of thousands of Congolese women and girls who have been victimized by sexual violence during that country's long civil unrest.
A harsh meal, as one of our former executives would say?
Maybe it sounds like it, but when you hear these women speak I think what you will hear is hope and courage.
I'm live blogging here at a watch event on the campus of Howard University, a leading historically black college (and in full disclosure, my alma mater) located in the heart of Washington, D.C. Michel is posted up at the Canadian Embassy, an arm's throw from Capitol Hill.
We thought of Howard as an ideal place to virtually set up shop for a number of reasons, but mainly because it is an important connector of today to yesterday. Certainly not hindered by its location in the nation's capital, the university has made major contributions to both American and African-American history. Learn more here...
Stay tuned... Throughout the day, we plan to bring sights and perspectives from a number of angles -- here at Howard, and on the National Mall -- as people everywhere (not just in Washington bear witness today to a new chapter in American politics, underscored by the swearing-in of the nation's first black president.
Standby ...
10:30 AM
Howard University's inauguration viewing brunch.
Lee Hill/NPR
So, I'm posted here at an Inauguration watch event in the Armour J. Blackburn student center here on campus. About 400 alumni, students and faculty are gathered here in the main ballroom for a viewing brunch. At the front the room, a CNN feed is being projected onto a jumbo screen. The audience is definitely in high anticipation of the start of the swearing-in ceremony, which appears to be moments from officially getting underway....
10:50 AM
Bernard Richardson, dean of the Howard University Chapel, just offered an opening prayer to bless the occasion here (the sound from CNN was muted, of course).
Also (from keeping one eye open during the prayer), it seems the Obamas are now headed to the Capitol for the swearing in. They attended a brief prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church, just across the way from the White House.
10:56 AM
TMM producers Arwa Gunja and Douglas Hopper are braving the cold out on the National Mall, taking in the scene... Earlier, they thawed their fingers long enough to write what they're seeing:
Douglas and Arwa, here ...
Lee, first of all, it is really cold.
We are in the middle of the mall with crowds of people on all sides. Most people are roaming around trying to find a great spot to stake their territory. Others are desperately searching for warmth ... A building to our right just opened its doors and throngs of people literally ran to the steps. (Again did I mention how cold it is??)
There are still hours to go before Obama takes the stage. But people are walking around with their heads held high. One African-American woman we spoke with is here from New York and remembers as a child having to ride in the back of the bus. She brought her son to witness this historic event.
Another group of ladies traveled all the way from Indiana. They call themselves "cosmopolites." They were 70+ in age, but said they wouldn't miss this for the world.
(Okay my hand is too cold to type anymore on this blackberry but we're going to check back in later ...)
Thanks, guys.
11 AM
The crowd here just burst into cheer after seeing the President-elect and his family arrive at the Capitol.
(Interesting to realization while watching all of this: Barack Obama enters the Capitol area as "President-elect" and will leave there as "Mr. President." Wonder if that's crossed his mind, heh?)
11:20 AM
Former presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, along with their wives, are stepping out onto the inaugural platform. Light applause here for the Clintons.
11:30 AM
Sasha and Malia, the two young daughters of Barack and Michelle Obama might just be the real stars here... According to the reaction here when seen stepping onto the platform, they have acheived "junior" rock star status.
... Okay, Michelle Obama is the true rock star, according to this crowd... A huge cheer for her.
As Joe Biden enters, people are already pumped here for the grand entrance of the President-elect.
Douglas Hopper's view from the National Mall:
Douglas Hopper/NPR
11:40 AM
President-elect Barack Obama steps out onto the platform. The Howard crowd gets a glimpse of him as he waits to be formally announced and the crowd roars ... and snaps photos of the big screen (hey, I guess it's the next best thing to being there) ...
11:50 AM
From boisterous cheers to complete silence here. The Rev. Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church offers the invocation.
11:53 AM
Tears in the room as songstress Aretha Franklin renders an emotional performance.
12:07 PM
Barack Obama takes the oath of office to become 44th President of the United States.
Josephine Leonard, 47, whose mother, Jannie B. Hugee Leonard, was born on the same year and day as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., is overwhelmed with emotion.
Throngs flock to the National Mall for a glimpse of the historic presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.
Monika Evstatieva/NPR
Marie Nelson, here...
Greetings from the Canadian Embassy, which sits on Pennsylvania Avenue here in D.C., and along the inaugural parade route. We are also fortunate to have great view of the Capitol from here.
I am trying to appreciate the splendor of the moment, but I must admit it's still tough to type in 30 degree weather. We got these nifty hand warmers in our survival pack, but gloves and typing don't mix. So, for the love of you, our blog family, I am trying to "blog it out."
This morning was quite a journey. I took the train into the city around 4 o'clock this morning -- the moon was still out -- and it was filled with early birds. People were delighted to get their commemorative METRO cards which bear a picture of the 44th President.
Security is tight around the National Mall, which everyone expected. The crowds are filing in patiently. You can hear helicopters hovering overhead. Right now, we are set up in a rotunda, facing the parade route and, mercifully, we are far enough away from a virtual village of port-a-potties.
Michel and company (including Kim, our engineer, and producer, Monika) are all set and ready to start the program in a few minutes. We have an exciting line up of guests, including South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Wish us luck and warmth as we continue our journey to tell you more. Fingers too numb to keep going ... more later.
Not to sound like a French existentialist from the post-WWII school but I am struck, after both yesterday's and today's programs, by how much perception is reality or shapes reality. I'll explain:
On yesterday's program, we had a very spirited discussion about gay marriage and whether the pursuit of gay marriage or marriage equality -- as opposed to civil unions or other rights like social security survivorship benefits, or more expansive hate crime language -- is the right fight for right now in the fight for civil rights for same-sex loving people. It was a discussion that, frankly, could have gone on much longer.
But I was struck in the comments (that are still coming in and you are welcome to join in) by how many people were annoyed by Jasmyne Cannick's focus on race, as well as by her tone. Now, she can speak for herself on that if she wants to. But a lot of people noted that she seemed angry. And they said her anger made it hard for them to hear what she had to say, or that they dismissed what she had to say because she seemed angry.
But she is angry. And I think her anger is part of the story. And one of the reasons we called her to take part in the discussion, is that she has written very frankly and incisively about her view that the white gay male leadership of the leading gay rights organizations marginalizes and dismisses the concerns of people other than, well, people like themselves -- upper to middle-class white gay men -- and that that reality has deep consequences. Jasmyne feels that it is an extention of white male privilege and, as a black lesbian, she is tired of having to react to agendas set by others when she feels they have little relevance to her reality.
The historic swearing in of Barack Obama on Jan. 20th is approaching fast. In just two weeks, millions are expected to flock to the nation's capital to witness the former Chicago community organizer and U.S. Senator be sworn in as the nation's 44th president ... and to, um, get their party on like it's nobody's business.
(Funny, I keep getting e-mails. Of course, every group's ball, luncheon, after party, etc. is the modestly branded the "must attend" event of the week.)
Around here, we're thinking a lot about how to distinguish our coverage of Inauguration Week -- Jan. 19th through the 23rd -- from what, quite honestly, you're likely to be exposed to via many other news outlets. We're contemplating our flavor, if you will.
With all of the Obama fanfare, we're also mindful that Monday, Jan. 19th, is the day we honor the life and sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- just over 40 years since his assassination.
Questions for you:
What types of inauguration stories would you like to hear from TMM?
If you're making the trip to Washington, great! ... But if not, tell us how we can help make you feel as close to the news as possible with our reporting -- on the radio, and here on the Web.
At a time like this, which voices are you longing to hear from? ... Are there personal experiences, thoughts or observations you think we should consider?
And, if you aren't an Obama fan (in other words, if you'll be holding your applause), how are you thinking about all of this, and what are your hopes for the next administration?
We're learning more about the next month's Inaugural Program, at which Barack Obama will be sworn in as 44th president of the United States. According to today's release (pdf) by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, here's the official rundown:
Musical Selections
The United States Marine Band
Musical Selections
The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus
Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
Invocation
Dr. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA
Musical Selection
Aretha Franklin
Oath of Office Administered to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
The Honorable John Paul Stevens
Musical Selection, John Williams, composer/arranger
Itzhak Perlman, Violin
Yo-Yo Ma, Cello
Gabriela Montero, Piano
Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Oath of Office Administered to President-elect Barack H. Obama by the Chief Justice of the United States
The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
Inaugural Address
The President of the United States, The Honorable Barack H. Obama
Poem
Elizabeth Alexander
Benediction
The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
The National Anthem
The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"
Many of you have written or called to ask how we're doing in the wake of the layoffs at NPR, announced yesterday. We appreciate all of your good wishes and concern. We're obviously very distressed about the loss of two programs produced out of the West Coast--Day to Day and News & Notes. On top of the cancellation of Bryant Park earlier this year, it's been a tough year. But we want you to know that Tell Me More is still going strong and still committed to bringing you the kind of programming you've come to expect from us--stories that take a different angle, that explore the multicultural experience in America, that bring you voices you are not hearing on other programs, and where nothing is assumed. That's our motto, that's our mission, and we're going to keep doing it to the best of our ability.
To that end, we were excited to bring you some Christmas cheer -- an interview with John Leguizamo. He's an actor whose work I've admired over the year. When I was preparing for this interview I was saying to myself, 'Hey I've seen all his films', and then I double checked -- NOT.
As I told him, I am not sure he has seen all of his films. His IMDB profile shows nearly 80 film and TV roles, in addition to his standup comedy work, the autobiographical theater pieces he's written and produced and the films he's co produced. And the man has two young children. I would like to know where he gets his energy.
Anyway, he was here to talk about his new film Nothing Like the Holidays. It's set in Chicago and it tells the classic tale of a family gathering for the holidays. But it explores the scenario from the standpoint of a Puerto Rican family in Chicago. He'll tell you about it.
And today we have a very different story from Chicago. A real life drama happening in real time.
The ongoing drama surrounding Rod Blagojevich ... The Illinois governor had the sole authority to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat. Blagojevich is accused, in essence, of trying to get people to pay him for it -- in campaign contributions, a nice job, and paying board seats for his wife. He was arrested Tuesday. Now Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., another important Chicago name and a huge supporter of Obama, has been implicated. Blagojevich is on tape saying someone acting on Jackson's behalf was willing to raise big money for Blagojevich's campaign and that is why Blagojevich was giving him more serious consideration.
Congressman Jackson vehemently denies that he sent any emissaries and says he is doing whatever he can to aid the investigation.
You can see his press conference below:
On the advice of counsel Jackson said he cannot answer questions right now. But another Congressman who wanted the seat did come by to give us his take: Rep. Danny K. Davis, as well as two reporters following the story.
Stay tuned. We expect to hear more from Obama today.
Happy Friday! I don't mind telling you that it was an emotionally draining week -- not in a bad way, but that's just the truth of it. There is still the carryover effect from last week's election. Some people are still celebrating, and others, well, are trying to sort through the toxic waste dump of recriminations that seem to follow every losing campaign, but seem particularly noxious this time.
It's not just the McCain campaign sniper fire that seems to be directed at Sarah Palin, there's also the lingering angst over Proposition 8 in California, and news that, thank goodness, Thanksgiving is coming.
And speaking of Thanksgiving ...
We want to know, what are you thankful for?
Have you had a Thanksgiving you'll never forget?
Last year, we recorded your observations and sprinkled them throughout our Thanksgiving Day program. They were just the seasoning we needed to make that program special, so we are at it again.
Call, write or blog. We want to hear from you. We especially welcome your calls, because we may want to use these observations on the air. Connect to the TMM comment lineon 202-842-3522. And, please, do remember to leave your name and how to find you if we need to call you back.
Now, get busy (please), have a great weekend and remember that we are grateful to you!
President George W. Bush, left, First Lady Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and president-elect Barack Obama stand outside the Diplomatic entrance of the White House on November 10, 2008 in Washington.
TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images
Lee Hill, here ...
As I'm posting this entry, President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, are meeting behind closed doors with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. Although Mr. and Mrs. Bush have both called to congratulate the Obamas on winning the U.S. presidency, this afternoon's face to face meeting is a first since last week's election.
The Obamas' young daughters, Sasha and Malia, are not in attendance.
The meeting is an attempt to show that the presidency should be above partisanship but it also serves as the future commander-in-chief's first major step forward since emerging as the victor in a long and, often, tense race to the White House.
President Bush extended the invitation for today's visit at a press conference on November 5, in which he also congratulated his successor with the following remarks:
It will be a stirring sight to watch President Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House. I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have awaited so long. I know Senator Obama's beloved mother and grandparents would have been thrilled to watch the child they raised ascend the steps of the Capitol -- and take his oath to uphold the Constitution of the greatest nation on the face of the earth.
So, what are they talking about in there? Earlier today, White House press secretary Dana Perino described the agenda for the visit, during which include Laura Bush will give Michelle Obama a personal tour of the Executive Mansion, as "very private."
We may never know everything that was discussed today. We can live with that.
But, seriously. We all know that this past campaign season wasn't exactly the bipartisan love fest that today's meeting -- judging by the photo above -- might attempt to convey. Remember, Obama's "more of the same" slogan describing his Republican opponent Sen. John McCain --- the "same" being President Bush? And, President Bush, although not surprisingly, supported fellow Republican McCain's presidential bid over Obama's.
The point: the two families are not the best of friends.
Of course, the visit is part of the changing of guard, and has been a tradition for years, but one can't help but wonder if there's any awkwardness in the air during the short visit.
Would you feel awkward during such a "visit" -- as either the host or the guest?
And, what do you think they're talking about, aside from essentials explicitly related to the transition?
The weather?
It's not like they can go and meet the neighbors.
But maybe they really are laughing, hugging and singing "Kumbaya."
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, pictured above with wife Michelle, became the nation's first black president-elect.
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
It was an exhausting and exciting week for many people; now the real work begins.
Next week, we are going to keep taking a look at the challenges -- both political AND cultural --facing the next President and his family. We started with Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.) today and we are going to keep it moving.
For example -- the first African-American first lady -- what special challenges does she face? We have several newsmakers lined up, names whom you know.
So, in my blog post on election night, late Tuesday evening, I mentioned that we'd experienced technical challenges with NPR.org, which led to some complications on the production front. Here's even more material from TMM's virtual bag of Election Day goodies. Enjoy!
On Tuesday morning, TMM producers Jennifer Longmire, Argin Hutchins and intern Leila Taha headed north to Baltimore, about a 45-minute drive from our shop here in Washington, D.C.
Here's Jennifer with a last look back at the Election Day scene.
Hey, Lee. What struck me was how determined people were to vote in Baltimore. I saw people in wheelchairs, walkers. I saw people helping others to the polls, doing car pools -- all in an effort to get themselves there, and help others get there, too. They all said the same thing upon exiting, it's my right, and change is upon us. They told us that they take voting seriously, and want to be heard. And just about all of the voters we talked to, seemed to have one thing in common: a strong desire to see Sen. Barack Obama claim victory.
Yesterday was a big day, here in the U.S. and around the world. Here's a snapshot of how it all began, and how TMM witnessed a celebration of history.
Heading to the Polls
It's hard to believe that less than 24 hours ago, folks across the nation were still heading casting their ballots at the polls. Earlier in the day, we did hear reports of people waiting for hours in line, but we're not hearing anything to suggest that it deterred likely voters from participating. In fact, yesterday the country saw a record voter turnout (although voter participation in the Atlanta area reportedly dipped from 2004).
TMM Producers Jennifer Longmire, Argin Hutchins and our intrepid intern Leila Taha headed to Baltimore to scope out the scene there.
Here's Jennifer with her observation:
What struck me, after my own experience, was how people were determined to vote. I saw people in wheelchairs, walkers. I saw people helping others to the polls, doing car pools...all sure that they would get there, and that they would help others do it too. They all said the same thing upon exiting -- 'it's my right, and change is upon us... we take this seriously, and we want to be heard.' Parents brought their kids... and even the kids had their own opinions, and were not shy in telling us about them! Everyone is involved, in some way, and that was wonderful to see.
Baltimore resident Donell Draper, 23, said one of his main concerns is health care. He said ready to see some things done differently.
Donnell Draper
Jennifer Longmire, NPR
A Slow but Bustling Start
Meanwhile -- even as the polls were still open here in Washington, DC -- producer Douglas Hopper and I headed to one of DC's social hot spots Busboys and Poets. We knew the place would fill up fast, and that it did! We snagged one of the last tables and settled in for a long night.
Its no secret the crowd at Busboys was all about Obama. And you could sense that camaraderie in the crowd. Douglas went off to capture some images from the night and mingle with the crowd.
What's up, Douglas?
Thanks, Lee. I've been up and around, talking with people in the crowd. You don't have to go far to understand what this night means. Marcus Hedgepeth, 27, one of the servers here at Busboys (by day, he attends the Art Institute of Washington), said he's been inspired by the campaign. Not just as a voter but as an artist. It's his second presidential election.
Marcus Hedgepeth
Douglas Hopper, NPR
But there aren't just young students in the crowd. Brenda Finkel, 55, also came out to witness the historic moment. I asked her if she'd ever been so excited about an election. She said the 1972 presidential race -- McGovern v Nixon -- was hot, but this is a different story altogether. Yesterday, she took her 19-year-old son with her to vote. Fighting back tears, she reflected on her own first time voting, and how much has changed. It's safe to say Brenda might not have thought it possible that an African American would have been on the ticket back when she was 19. ...
Brenda Finkel
Douglas Hopper, NPR
How did Obama get where to he is in this race? Brenda said its because he made himself an "everyman." Marcus told me it's because people want a sense of community. He doesn't think people saw that desire in Sen. John McCain.
A very enthusiastic crowd here at Busboys. But only one man has the stage. No cheers for McCain here.
A Cautious Crowd
Thanks, Douglas. We also heard throughout the night from fellow TMM producers Jasmine Garsd and Rob Sachs. They spent the evening with GOP supporters in northern Virginia.
As election results poured in, the crowd there wasn't so enthusiastic.
Jasmine, what was the scene?
Hi, Lee. Although billed as a "victory party," the crowd in Dulles, Va., seems more concerned than anything. The majority of the audience is looking silently at the screen as election results come in, some chit chat amongst friends and family members, but its a mostly hesitant mood at this GOP gathering. The apprehension is cut only by a round of applause and cheering when the screen shows leading numbers for McCain in West Virginia.
John Yu, of Silver Spring, Md., showed up to show his support for the Arizona senator. He said he voted for McCain because he believes he has good character.
John Yu
Jasmine Garsd, NPR
Another person I met was Alexander Nathan, originally from India. He was on the scene volunteering at a polling booth earlier in the day ... but he's not a citizen. Even though he can't vote, Alexander says he's passionate about the McCain ticket.
Alexander Nathan
Jasmine Garsd, NPR
State-By-State Suspense
Thanks, Jasmine.
Back at Busboys the energy was building fast throughout the night. Interestingly, Pennsylvania was one of the first states to be called for Obama. Sen. John McCain spent a lot of time and resources there. No doubt, he was counting on voters there to swing his way. So, Obama supporters gleefully accepted the Pennsylvania win, heavily influenced by a strong showing in Philadelphia.
D.C. voters react to projections that Sen. Barack Obama had won Pennsylvania.
Douglas Hopper, NPR
As the night went on and the electoral count seemed to increasingly favor an Obama presidency. Well, as that number went up, crowds began to amass outside where Douglas and I were posted.
Obama Surges to Apparent Victory
Then, a moment that will be forever be etched my mind. As I reported yesterday evening here on the blog, the crowd was filled with emotion as CNN announced it was projecting that Sen. Barack Obama would now become "President-elect Barack Obama," and emerge as winner in the presidential race. A wave of emotion captured everyone in its path.
It was just the beginning of what would become a massive celebration. The night was still young, and for hours to come, people here in D.C., and across the world, moved their celebrations to the streets.
Obama supporters spilled into the streets of Washington, D.C., when they learned that Sen. Barack Obama was approaching victory in the presidential elections.
Douglas Hopper, NPR
As the clock ticked well past midnight, the number of folks taking to the streets of D.C. to celebrate -- or merely spectate -- did anything but dwindle.
Lee Hill, NPR
... And later in Paris:
Obama supporters in the Champs-Elysees, in Paris, joined in celebrations.
BORIS HORVAT/AFP/Getty Images
In India ...
Indian Siddi Tribals hold posters, along with Indian National Flags, in support of Barack Obama's victory as they gather in front of Hazarat Mubarak Nobi (Baba Gaur) Dargah in Ahmedabad.
SAM PANTHAKY/AFP/Getty Images
Don't forget to tell us how you spent election night ... and how you feel about the outcome.
And, as the celebrations eventually fade -- although they still seem to be going strong -- we're also following the latest news on Bush-Obama transition talks. We hear the President-elect is close to announcing who will serve as his Chief of Staff, a position that's reportedly been offered to Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois.
A crowd watching Election Night results in Washington, D.C., erupts as the possibility of an Obama presidency seemed imminent.
Lee Hill, NPR
Lee Hill, here ... blogging live from a D.C.-area Election Night hot spot, where patrons packed themselves in to watch the election results unfold.
A massive eruption of emotion -- all at once -- best describes the reaction here when language flashed across television screens, reporting that Sen. Barack Obama was projected to have grasped the U.S. presidency. CNN announced their projection based on the network's own analysis of election results data.
The multi-ethnic crowd here seems to be mainly comprised of voters under the age of 40, a group which pre-Election Day polling suggested was more supportive of an Obama presidency.
The scene: there is dancing, screaming, crying -- weeping, rather -- as people here celebrate something that, if affirmed by final poll numbers, could signal a new chapter in American society and political culture.
More as we know it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: At the time of this posting, NPR News, producer of Tell Me More, has not projected Obama as winner of the presidency.
(Throughout the evening, the NPR.org Web site experienced a series of technical challenges that prevented us from bringing the more extensive coverage of tonight's election results as originally planned. The issue continues to be investigated on this end. Once resolved, we have every intention on bringing you those perspectives.)
NPR having decided in its infinite wisdom that I need my beauty rest, I am actually watching the returns at home so I can be up bright and early for the program tomorrow.
What can I say?
It's a presidential smack down almost two years in the making. How many debates, how many rallies ... how many town halls have we observed leading up to tonight?
If we counted the number of people who actually attended a political rally this year, do you think we'd reach the population of Houston? How about Los Angeles? New York, even?
It's possible. In my precinct in D.C., I am told that, by 5 p.m. today, we'd reached an 80 percent turnout. As I mentioned in my earlier post, we waited in line to cast a ballot for two and a half hours -- and it was somewhere between church and a party the whole time (fueled by coffee and sugar, it has to be said).
We know from early voting data that African Americans increased their turnout by 20 percentm; from 11 percent of the electorate in 2004 to 13 percent of the group.
But there are still so many questions:
Did young voters come out as they suggested they might? And did first time voters come out?
What did white women do? What did rural voters do? Did Latinos give McCain any love?
Did all the negative campaigning, in the end, make a difference?
So much we won't know until tomorrow, at the earliest. But by the time you hear from me again, we ought to know who our new President is. Let's hope we don't have a repeat of the 2000 drama, when it took three weeks before we figured out who would be living in the White House.
So much emotion poured into this election, and so much money. So many tears, and so much sweat, with no shortage of anger at times ... and the burden of history and hope for the future, added with fear ... is there a better way?
We can think about that tomorrow. But tonight, fasten your seatbelt.
Take it away, Lee. He and the rest of the crack TMM team are BLOGGING THE NIGHT AWAY.
We got in line at 7:15, with the vain hope that we'd be able to vote with the kids and still get the kids to school on time.
Not. We were in line for a total of two and a half hours. The line snaked halfway around the elementary school (our polling station).
Still, even with the wait, we felt the kids needed to be there, so going early was worth it.
And, it was great to see all the neighbors. It was an unusual experience for me. I normally vote absentee because I'm usually assigned to work on Election Day and I never wanted to risk missing out. So, a trip to the actual polls with everybody else was a treat for me, too.
... And, speaking of treats, some smart person from the school's PTA group set up a table selling juice and donuts and other snacks to voters.
We emerged victorious just in time to get the kids to school for their "election." They were choosing between dog, cat, and gerbil for best pet.
Popular hip-hop artist Q-Tip sits for a recent TMM interview at NPR New York. The rapper's new album The Renaissance includes doses of political commentary, fitting for its Election Day release on Nov. 4.
Lee Hill, NPR
Coming down the home stretch!
Are you over it? ... So over it? Or, are you sorry for it all to end?
Or, (and you can tell us) are you not exactly sure how to feel?
The hip-hop icon, one of the former leaders of A Tribe Called Quest, is back with a new CD. It's named, appropriately enough, The Renaissance. If you love hip hop and if you loved "Tribe," or if you're just interested in what one of the most respected figures in the genre has on his mind, you'll want to check it out.
Remember how they used to call hip hop (or rap) the CNN of the streets?
And check this out:
We'll be telling you more on Election Night, Tuesday, November 4th. Tell Me More's team of producers will blog ACTIVELY throughout tomorrow evening, on the ground at social hot spots throughout the Washington region. We'll have virtual updates on the latest returns as they come in, and a glimpse into some of the election night excitement as voters make their final show of support for their candidate of choice.
So, join us on election night. You'll find us here, at the blog ...
And, because we can't get this out of our minds, we wanted to talk about the terrible situation involving the murders of Jennifer Hudson's relatives. A private memorial service was held today in Chicago. We could not help but clue in on the piece Mary Mitchell wrote last week in the Chicago Sun-Times.
But Mary pointed out that one of the through lines along with all the grief about this were actually questions about why the actress' family still lived in the family home? And, yes, it's important to say that no one has been charged in this case, let alone convicted. But there are those who ask, did someone bring evil into the home -- from within?
So we wanted to talk about this with folk who know what they're talking about: Iyanla Vanzant, Dr. Bertice Berry and Mary Mitchell, all of whom have done the hard thing of giving family members a hand when they needed one.
Must ask about the conversation with the non-voters. We interviewed three men who told us they are not voting. Forget the hype, whatever, they are not feeling it.
Tell the truth. Were some of you tempted to reach through the radio and grab them and shake them? Or did you find yourself saying, hmm. I see where they are coming from?
I am dying to know what you thought of their reasoning and, if you have a background in GOTV or voter persuasion, it would be interesting to me to hear what you think might persuade them to vote -- alternatively, do we care that they don't?
It strikes me that this country is really of two minds when it comes to voting. On the one hand, we want people to vote. On the other hand, we really don't. Why else is voting on a Tuesday (and not on Saturday, when more people are off work -- although that would be an issue for our observant Jewish citizens)? Why else is there such a lag between registering and voting? why did it take so long to get motor voter laws and for that matter, to allow African Americans and women to vote?
So over the course of the election year we have talked about the whole racism versus sexism thing, we've talked about the Bradley effect (myth or reality), we've talked about the Colin Powell endorsement, we've talked about how Latinos, Evangelicals may vote, Reagan Democrats, Muslim Republicans, and whether, or how, you should talk about racial rhetoric in the campaign with your kids.
Now we have a shout out to those who (drum roll, please) DON'T CARE AT ALL.
I'm serious! We want to visit with people who -- as of right now anyway -- aren't planning to vote, don't care to vote, aren't interested, for whatever reason.
Obviously we're interested in those who are eligible to vote and just choose not to. If you care to tell us your story, we want to hear it. And we're particularly interested in your story if you'd be willing to come on the program to talk about it. But even if not, post your thoughts here on our blog. Let us know.
We also want to know your thoughts on our international briefing. Every Thursday we try to bring you stories from around the world you probably aren't hearing anywhere else. We think it adds value at a time when we are so narrowly focused on a few issues.
Let us know whether there are stories that particularly engage you, and if there are other stories we are missing...
Two views of the presidential election we're hearing:
1) Can't wait for it to be over.
2) Can't wait for it to be over, but I have enjoyed every minute of it (except for the parts I didn't like).
So we are coming down to the home stretch. After initially resisting the conversation about the so-called "Bradley effect" we decided to talk about it today because we thought we had something to add. Now the Bradley effect refers to the phenomenon of people allegedly overstating their willingness to vote for an African-American candidate. It refers to Democrat Tom Bradley's loss in the 1982 gubernatorial campaign.
Bradley, the former Mayor of Los Angeles, was leading in the polls in his campaign against Republican George Deukmejian but wound up losing by a narrow margin. Blair Levin, who actually worked on the Bradley campaign wrote an op ed in The New York Times saying he thinks there really was no such effect. The issue was not a distortion in the polling but rather that there was a significant Republican GOTV -- that's "get out the vote" -- effort with absentee and rural voters that the Democrats (and pollsters) had not accounted for.
Blair Levin and Ron Lester, a veteran Democratic pollster who has worked with a very diverse roster of candidates, gave us their take on whether this is real or not.
And, new information about African-American voters: What difference will they make? A Washington think tank has new data.
Plus, our Mocha Moms' conversation on talking politics with kids. A new mom to the panel, Joan Countrymen, who helped start Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, was with us.
We'd really like to know what you think.... Racial overtones in the campaign: to discuss or not to discuss with the little people? That is the question!
The buzz around town last night, here in the D.C. area, was likened to a major sporting event -- perhaps the biggest boxing match of the century -- with all the anticipation of the Biden-Palin debate, the one and only vice presidential debate of the election season. I, along with a few other producers here at TMM, decided to hit the streets, dispersing thought the region to capture sights and perspectives of those attending debate gatherings. (On Monday, we told you about the scene here around town for the first presidential face off between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain.)
I, along with a few other NPR-ers, gathered at a downtown hotel eatery. In a restuarant with walls decorated with plasma televisions, you can probably guess that my group wasn't the only group partaking in the debate watching festivities. Of course, there were others.
Meet Pamela Williams:
Lee Hill, NPR
Williams was visiting Washington, D.C., with her daughter, LaTiffaney. Like Sen. John McCain, the Williams are from Arizona. Like Palin, Williams is also a mother of five and works outside the home in a management role (as a mid-level executive at a major technological manufacturing corporation). She originally supported Sen. Hillary Clinton's Democratic bid for the White House, citing her fondness of seeing women -- who are also mothers, like herself -- in power, but she is now a supporter of Obama.
After the debate, I asked Pamela Williams to share her thoughts on the candidates' performance.
She respects Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her historic vice presidential candidacy. Williams was impressed by her performance in last night's debate but says, for her, that's still not enough to win her over as a Palin supporter.
"She's not ready, and doesn't have the understanding to be the next president ... if she needs to be," she commented after Palin's closing remarks at the end of the 90-minute exchange.
TMM producer Teshima Walker also made a few observations from where she was watching:
I arrived to the debate-watching venue late from my belly-dance class. (I warned the instructor, 'I've got to go early ... you know the debate is tonight.' We had an agreement.) So, I arrive at an office building, which was the host site, and the door is locked. After negotiating with the cleaning staff to let us in, I rush to the end of the hall. I walk through the glass double-doors, where William Murray, a cute older black man in a rust-colored pants suit with gray pin-stripes, asks me and my sister friend Trina Williams (a fellow NPR journalist) to sign in for the event. Mr. Murray asked us if we were registered to vote, and tells us he registers at least one person to vote at least everyday. If he runs into you at a grocery store, at his job, a gas station ... WHEREVER, he greets you with, "are you registered to vote?" Who is the Mr. Murry in your neighborhood? I'm curious. Thanks for reading and thanks for listening to the show.
Thanks, Teshima.
... From another TMM producer, Jasmine Garsd:
This morning I woke up at the break of dawn, like so many other Americans tired and a bit disappointed. America stayed up well past its bedtime last night, for a match that was expected to equal the encounters between Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed. But the vice presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin didn't live up to the expectations. ... As I looked into the packed audience at a local restaurant and poetry cafe, I saw a sea of young and old African Americans, Asians, Latinos, Middle Easterners, and Caucasians. Some were fabulously dressed, but there were many who were very casually dressed. ... I wondered which one of these is Joe Six Pack? As someone who is not originally from the U.S. (I'm South American), I'm intrigued to meet this mythical all-American man, commonly referenced by Sarah Palin. ... I now realize that I didn't meet Joe Six Pack because he doesn't exist in that persona --- at least not around here. Soon, the majority man, Joe Six Pack will be Jose Seis Cervezas; an African American graduate student struggling to pay off loans, the one who never took his eyes off the screen last night. The people watching the debate at the place I attended were, as American as apple pie, from all parts of town and all countries, and all sexualities.
Jasmine also took a few photos to help capture the evening:
RaShawn Mitchell and Dori Alexandre.
Jasmine Garsd, NPR
Rut Semene, left, and Atheni Asihel.
Jasmine Garsd, NPR
Onlooker Jessica Jones reacts to Gov. Palin's comment, directed at Sen. Biden: "I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right?"
Jasmine Garsd, NPR
Jasmine Garsd, NPR
Nice work, Jasmine.
Lastly, here's an observation from blogger and (frequent TMM guest), angryblack*****:
I sorta watched the vice-presidential debate last night. I must confess that I had to break away a couple of times for fear that my blood pressure was rising. On the issue of Gwen Ifill's performance as moderator, I think she did a fine job. I'm still pissed off that anyone could fix their face to assume that she would be unable to moderate because she's writing a book about black politicians that touches on Senator Obama. This election cycle overfloweth with insulting as hell assumptions about black women and how we navigate race and politics...and the faux stir-up over Ifiil's book is yet another cup full of that bull. Whatever. Go on with your bad self, Gwen Ifill! ... As for the debate, I can't help but question why Gov. Palin is getting high marks. I work closely with a lot of women involved in local and state politics and Gov. Palin's folksy avoidance of the issues insults their depth, intelligence, service and grasp of the how government works. The women who serve in the Missouri Senate could have stood up there and held their own on the topics presented better than Gov. Palin did last night. I'm disturbed by the way she presented herself but I'm even more disturbed by the post-debate pundit response to the way she presented herself. Online news sites are running headlines proclaiming that Palin got the job done with her folksy style. Are they living in an alternative universe where a different debate aired on television? For the love of Gawd, people...she came across as almost unbelievably clueless! I'm serious! She layered on so much of that 'hockey mom from Alaska' mess that she made me wonder if she's faking her cluelessness to garner sympathy votes. Either way, her performance wouldn't score points in a Junior High school debate...and doggone it; you betcha there's something off about all that praise being showered on her despite that fact. If Gwen Ifill moderated the debate with the same style, she would have been eaten alive by the critics. And try to imagine Senator Obama responding to a question with "Gosh, I just know that folks at soccer games across in the heartland want affordable healthcare and lower taxes...bless their hearts!" Palin's performance is being evaluated through the haze of low expectations and that insults women in politics everywhere, regardless of their party affiliation. And it is also being judged on a different scale where some people are given the benefit of the doubt when others are held to the standard of perfection.
That might be a head scratcher for some, but if you like politics there's so much going on, so much to talk about, we couldn't wait to get in here to hear what our guests had to say about it. I liked the mix: BET's Pam Gentry, Luis Clemons (a frequent TMM guest, former editor of Candidato USA, which was a must read about Latino politics while it was in publication), and Tyler Clemons, editor of The Daily Mississippian, the student newspaper at Ole Miss, which hosted the debate.
By the way, did you watch the debates?
I confess, I have never seen anything like it. Here in D.C. I suspect the water pressure was low because so many people were taking showers and getting dressed to go out ... to DEBATE parties. When in your lifetime has anything like that happened? Was it like that where you live?
Where did you watch the debate? There is something going on here. TMM producers Teshima Walker and Lee Hill are among those on our team who mixed and mingled about town on Friday night in the name of politics.
I'll let Teshima fill you in on the venue of her debate watch party:
I watched the first Presidential debate at the Busboys And Poets restaurant in Washington, D.C., at their newly opened Mt. Vernon Square location (not far from the NPR offices). There were flat panel television screens throughout the restaurant. The place was PACKED. Luckily, my little group arrived early and we had seats (not necessarily comfortable -- my "bun" could have used a seat cushion for the hard wood chairs). My sister friend kept complaining that she couldn't watch the monitors because the sound and the mouth movements didn't match up. For her, it was a bad Japanese sci-fi movie from the late 70s. I concentrated on reading the caption text.
Lee ...
Michel, I can't say that my experience was the same as Teshima's (sorry, 'Shima!). I attended a gathering at a local hotel, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation's young professionals group -- the chairs were nice and soft and there was one huge screen, onto which the debate was projected for all to see. There were moments that seemed reminiscent of an HBO primetime boxing match ... and a charismatic, spirit-filled church service. Certain responses to questions posed by the moderator Jim Lehrer were met with uproar, people standing to their feet and clapping. (I should also mention that Sen. Barack Obama is a member of the CBC, the legislative arm of the foundation, which is the parent of the young professionals group that hosted the event ... so, the cheering was overwhelmingly in support of Obama. Nonetheless, there were a few moments that won Sen. John McCain a show of affirmation in the crowd. Like Teshima, the event was PACKED. All in all, a Friday night well spent ... with good shrimp! I ended the evening with Michel, actually. She hosted a post-debate NPR special with a group of local graduate students.
We also checked in with Ani DiFranco, surely one of the most political singers/songwriters out there out there right now. Ani DiFranco evokes strong reactions. Love her or hate her, you have to admire that she has put everything on the line, organized her life and her business to allow her to say what she wants to say in the way she wants to say it.
We also had our weekly visit to The Washington Post Magazine, meeting with Laura Blumenfeld who wrote a remarkable and complicated piece about three people of faith whose lives intersect in ways they could not have possibly imagined. I am eager to know how others react to this piece, which in some ways makes it clear how much we all have in common and yet how little we know each other as we go about our daily business side by side.
Later this week, Lee Hill is going to check in with some important new changes -- happening this week -- to the BLOG and how you communicate with us on this end. I'm going to listen in too because I am not sure I understand it ...
Production crew members ready the stage for this evening's scheduled presidential debate at the Ford Center on the campus of the University of Mississippi.
Getty Images
UPDATE: Sen. John McCain's campaign reports that the GOP presidential candidate WILL participate in tonight's first presidential debate in Oxfprd, Miss.
As I write this, I have no idea what I'm doing tonight, which sounds like a personal problem ... but it isn't.
Tonight, I am scheduled to anchor, along with NPR's Tom Gjelten, NPR's post-debate call in special, planned to follow what was supposed to be the first Presidential Debate hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
But as of this writing, we have no idea whether the debate is going forward or not.
Now the smart money is that it WILL happen, but I have to tell you, I am not so sure. I am not so sure because it really does seem as though the negotiations over the bailout are at an impasse. Congressional Republicans, particularly on the House side, are balking at the cost, at the level of power that would be invested in the Treasury Secretary and at the fact that the U.S. will be investing taxpayer money in junk securities with an uncertainty over whether the money can actually be recouped.
Meanwhile, the Democrats, who control both houses of Congress by a narrow margin, seem to have been making more headway with the White House with their priorities ... but somewhere along the line the whole thing broke down. They are back at it as we speak, but the point is that John McCain says he is not feeling going to Mississippi unless the deal is done. So, what's a maverick to do?
And more to the point, am I getting the free pizza or not?
You'll find out as soon as I find out.
In the meantime, here's what we're working on for next week:
An interview with a woman who has one of the most interesting jobs I've ever heard of. You've heard of peace keeping, but have you heard of peace building? There is now such a commission at the United Nations, and we will learn more about it and the person who is doing it ... or trying to.
Are you an Ani DiFranco fan? She is a trailblazer in the music industry, has always recorded under her own label and supported herself and her business with a heavy tour schedule. She does her own thing her own way, and now she has a new project: a baby! How is she making it work? We'll tell you.
The vice presidential debate is (supposed to be) next week. You might remember that I complained about the fact that the only non-white man moderating any of the debates was assigned to the VP debate. Well, gee, now it turns out to be kind of the most interesting. We'll talk about it.
And we have a few other surprises for you. Lose sleep trying to guess ...
On yesterday's blog, I said that next week I was going to write a companion piece to yesterday's commentary about the Republicans and their campaign against Obama, and I mentioned that I was going to write about why the Democrats are getting on my nerves.
But last night I thought to myself, why wait?
So it's on TODAY. Check it out and tell me what you think.
Today, we tried to make sense of the Wall Street meltdown with a variety of voices -- our regular analyst Alvin Hall and NPR's Adam Davidson was with us. We also spoke to David Sirota, author of The Uprising, who did a side-by-side comparison of the Presidential candidates and his view of their respective strengths in addressing the Wall Street meltdown.
And be clear, Sirota is a progressive-left Democrat. So you know where he is coming from.
We expect to hear from Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Mike Duncan tomorrow. We visited with him briefly at the RNC in St. Paul and said, when we get back to D.C., that we wanted to have him for a TMM sit down.
If you have questions, let us know what they are and we'll try to ask them.
What I want to know is, is being RNC chairman a fun job? Just as with its DNC counterpart, it seems thankless to me. Nobody's ever happy. The White House thinks you should be an extension of their agenda. The Members of Congress think you should be helping them out. But maybe I have that wrong.
We made it! Finally, at 2:30, we were back in our studio, 4B, for the last interview of the day! At last, at last!
Does this rank up there with achieving world peace and an end to global warming? Uh, no.
But we were sad. We've been nomads all week, just in time for me to get back from the conventions and to welcome a new engineer (Hi, Kimberly, say hello to the people!), wandering from studio to studio, looking for a home. Stop the Madness!
But, finally, the studio's missing parts arrived from ... Australia? New Zealand? What did they say?
Anyway, we're back in cozy 4B. Hooray!
And, just in time to find out about the power sharing agreement in Zimbabwe and faith travel to Turkey.
Have we forgotten the poor inundated people in Texas? Certainly, not. But the communications links are so poor, so intermittent, and the reporters down there so thinly-stretched we decided to wait a day to see if we could find some distinct angles to the story that you were not getting on the rest of the network.
We're going to do our best for tomorrow, as well as try to shed some light on this financial mess that's taken over Wall Street. At the very least, we have our money coach Alvin Hall. He can make the most complicated story simple, but we'll see who and what else we can add to round out the story.
And, send us your questions. We're looking for blogger/listener input to add to tomorrow's discussions.
Finally, excuse me while I rant.
I don't know about you, but I have been seething since last week about a couple of the speeches I heard at the GOP convention ... but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Yes, some of the speeches were sarcastic and kind of nasty but it's not as though they talked about anybody's momma. I think they stayed within the boundaries of acceptable public discourse.
I'm a big girl, I've heard it before. So what was it exactly that was getting under my skin? Couldn't put my finger on it. And then I got back here to D.C. and talked to D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee about the kids she's trying to teach, who are two and three grade levels BEHIND where they are supposed to be; kids who are so turned off to school the city is considering paying them to get them turned back on. And it occurred to me that what infuriates me are not these messages aimed at Obama's politics -- that's fair game, it's entirely legitimate to question whether somebody's economic plans or national security framework is legitimate and rational and able to work.
No, what's bugging me is this effort to portray Obama as an "elitist."
Huh? A kid born to a teenaged single mother who put himself through school on scholarship and then took a low-paying job instead of going to a white-shoe law firm is now an "elitist"?
And then I thought of all these kids in all these classrooms for whom he might be the ONE reason they decide to open a book, and then I realized that's what I was annoyed about. It is what I wrote my commentary about today. take a listen, and tell me what you think.
Next week, I'll tell you about how the Democrats are annoying me ...
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick appears in Wayne County Circuit Court for a bond hearing on unrelated assault charges September 2, 2008.
Getty Images
Lee Hill, here ...
UPDATE: Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has accepted a plea deal requiring him to resign from office immediately, pay $1 million in restitution, surrender his law license and serve four months in jail.
News reports coming out of Detroit indicate that embattled Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is expected to accept a plea deal this morning requiring the mayor to resign from office immediately and serve jail time.
Tell Me More has been following the situation in Detroit since earlier this year when Kilpatrick and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, were charged with perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and misconduct related to a police whistleblower case that cost the city $8.4 million. Perjury charges stem from testimonies by Kilpatrick and Beatty during court proceedings in the whistleblower case in response to allegations that the two had had an extramarital affair. (Details of the alleged affair were later uncovered through text message records obtained and published by the Detroit Free Press.)
Presumptive Republican vice-presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin waits to be introduced at a rally at T.R. Hughes Ballpark August 31, 2008 in O'Fallon, Missouri.
Getty Images
Lee Hill, here ...
So with the latest news of the family drama surrounding John McCain's vice presidential pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, we also wanted to get buy-in from our Mocha Moms. Jolene Ivey, co-founder of the Mocha Moms, was unable to participate in today's conversation, but she did want to share her thoughts.
I was in the airport in Denver, on the way home from the Democratic Convention, still on an emotional high, when I first heard that John McCain had chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. I'm a committed Barack Obama supporter, and am actually afraid about our country continuing our current course, so there's no one McCain could have chosen who would have persuaded me to vote for him. I was curious, though.
Turns out, Gov. Palin and I have a lot in common. We're both mothers of five children. We're both in elective office. I'm 3 years older than she is, but we're both in our 40's. And from what I've heard, she's very independent and determined to do what she thinks is right. Having been accused of having those qualities myself, I appreciate them in others.
But there the similarities end. Sarah Palin and I could probably have a lovely chat over tea about motherhood, but on policy, it would be a strained conversation. As a state delegate, I'm extremely aware of how our everyday lives are affected by government policies, and the ones that Gov. Palin supports don't make common sense.
She's anti-choice, which I understand, but disagree with. And abstinence-only education obviously doesn't work. Sarah Palin doesn't need to look any further than her pregnant 17 year old daughter to see that.
And want to waste some money? How about that "Bridge to Nowhere," Ketchikan's Gravina Island bridge in Alaska? Palin supported it while she was running for governor. She's singing a new tune today.
Sullying the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with drilling for oil is okay with Palin, which isn't surprising since she also doesn't believe human behavior contributes to global warming -- not exactly the kind of ideas that lead the government to be good stewards of the environment.
She also believes in creationism, which baffles me totally. Would she work to get evolution struck from our science curriculum?
I'm afraid John McCain may be a male chauvinist. Going with a woman made sense. But of all the extremely qualified women in the political world he could have tapped, why pick one who admitted herself --quite recently-- that she doesn't even know what the vice president does?! Seems he doesn't want a true equal. Just someone who can get him in office, then go away.
That's unless, of course, that most important function of the vice president should unfortunately come to pass, and Sarah Palin becomes our president. In that case, I hope she can figure out what the president does. But let's not put her -- or us -- in that position. Please.
Bristol Palin, 17, (L) and her sister Willow Palin, 14, carrying their baby brother Trig, get off the Straight Talk Express campaign bus at the airport in St Louis, Missouri on August 31, 2008.
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
What a strange day this was.
It started off on this very low key, sort of elegiac note. Everyone here was being very correct and mature about the fact that the Republican party's convention business was so sharply curtailed due to fears about Hurricane Gustav.
Later, walking around the hall, there was not a T-shirt, not a button, not a bumper sticker to be found. I got exactly two buttons today, both of which I had to beg off of a delegate's lapel (you gotta do what you gotta do).
And then ... after we got off the air, of course, the BOMBSHELL hit about Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol. She is 17 and she is pregnant. And she is, as of this moment, unmarried. The campaign put out a statement, according to news reports, in order to forestall a more damaging story circulating on the Internet that Gov. Palin's youngest baby is, in fact, not her daughter but her granddaughter, and that Palin took responsibility for the child in order to protect her daughter's privacy.
Here's the statement from Sarah and Todd Palin:
"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.
"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi's privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates."
Hi, Everyone. It's Cheryl Corley, here in Washington, D.C. Tell Me More's host Michel Martin and producer Teshima Walker are on the ground in Denver covering the Democratic National Convention (DNC). They're blogging each day giving you a backstage pass to what's happening at the DNC.
Hi Folks,
The Republicans wasted no time stepping into the limelight a day after the Democrats wrapped up their convention. Republican John McCain selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick.
The focus of much of our show today, however, was on the Democrat's history-making night last night -- when Barack Obamaaccepted the nomination and became the first black presidential nominee of a major party. House Majority Whip James Clyburn says it was a very emotional time for him. The South Carolina Congressman was a leader in the battle for African-Americans to have the right to vote.
So now both parties begin to vie for the support of voters who haven't decided who they'll back. We found out the concerns of three such voters today on the show. Plus, a very animated conversation from the Barbershop guys about the Democratic convention.
Meantime, the Republican Convention gets underway next week. Michel Martin and Tell Me More be there. Be sure to check us out -- on the radio and here on the blog.
I'm heading back to Chicago, so long until the next time.
Hi, Everyone. It's Cheryl Corley, here in Washington, D.C. Tell Me More's host Michel Martin and producer Teshima Walker are on the ground in Denver covering the Democratic National Convention (DNC). They're blogging each day giving you a backstage pass to what's happening at the DNC.
Today is the historic day when Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for president, becoming the first African American to do so. We talked to two journalists -- one from Mexico and another from Kenya -- about their take on the convention and Obama's bid for the presidency.
Of course, the nomination comes on the anniversary of what civil rights advocate Marian Wright Edelman says was an exhilarating day. It was 45 years ago that Edelman and thousands of others took part in the 1963 March on Washington and heard Martin Luther King, Jr., talk about his dreams for this country. Edelman says this year's campaign has been a giant step forward in terms of how the country handles both race and gender.
Whether Barack Obama is elected the country's first black president has been the subject of our What If? series. Michel Martin spoke today with poet and author Maya Angelou, who said she never thought she'd be alive to see the possibility of an African-American winning the presidency. Angelou says Obama's broad support means people are leaving behind the ignorance of racism.
More on Obama's speech later from Michel. I'll talk to you more tomorrow.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) greets members of the New York delegation on the first day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver.
Getty Images
Hi, Everyone. It's Cheryl Corley, here in Washington, D.C. Tell Me More's host Michel Martin and producer Teshima Walker are on the ground in Denver covering the Democratic National Convention (DNC). They'll be blogging each day giving you a backstage pass to what's happening at the DNC.
This is Day Two of the Democratic National Convention, and everyone is waiting to hear from former presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton. She's the keynote speaker tonight and her words could make the difference for supporters still smarting over her loss to Sen. Barack Obama.
You can hear more about Clinton, and about what Obama still needs to do to win her supporters over in the TMM Beauty Shop, where three Democratic female leaders had their say on party unity.
Today, the convention theme's focus is women. It's an appropriate nod to today's 88th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, a co-chair of the convention, joined us to talk about the role of women in the party now and whether she expects there will ever be a woman heading the party's presidential ticket.
By the way, Franklin is a long-time Obama supporter.
Also on the program, the Mocha Moms weighed in on "family friendly" policies. An investigation by Working Woman Magazine took a look at which lawmakers not only talk the talk, but practice what they preach.
Hi, Everyone. It's Cheryl Corley, here in Washington, D.C. Tell Me More's host Michel Martin and producer Teshima Walker are on the ground in Denver covering the Democratic National Convention (DNC). They're blogging each day giving you a backstage pass to what's happening at the DNC.
It seems the unity Democrats hope to portray still is in the making. On the show today, Michel told us the tension is still thick between supporters of Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Elbra Wedgeworth, the woman who led the charge to bring the convention to Denver expects all to be resolved this week.
Also, Denver's Deputy Mayor, Guillermo Vincente Vidal, talked to us about what the convention will mean for the city. He is also the author of a memoir called Boxing for Cuba. Vidal hopes the convention will also help shape how the United States approaches immigration issues in the future.
Of course, every night the DNC will feature a keynote speaker. Tonight it's Michelle Obama, potentially the country's next first lady. We profiled Obama's professional life on the show today and, tonight, she's expected to talk about why she believes her husband is the best person to lead the country.
Speaking of which, all this week, Tell Me More will hear from different voices about what the possibility of having an African-American in the White House means to them. We're calling the series WHAT IF?. Today, our first guest was Eric Holder, Jr., who helped lead the search committee for the Obama's running mate.
It's Lynn Neary filling in for Michel Martin while she takes some much-needed time off. I'll be blogging here throughout the week, so feel free to chime in with your thoughts.
It's always shocking when someone dies unexpectedly. So news that Ohio Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones died of a brain aneurism at the age of 58 was hard to absorb.
By all accounts, this was a woman full of life and brimming with plans for the future. The next big item on her agenda was the Democratic convention. She was supposed to be one of the super delegates in attendance. And though she was a big Hillary Clinton fan, she had already announced her support for Barack Obama. ... But she also made it clear that she didn't think Obama could win unless Clinton's supporters got out and voted for him. No doubt she would have worked hard for the Democratic nominee.
Certainly, Barack Obama will miss having her help to achieve that goal.
The convention is next week in Denver and TMM Host Michel Martin will be there to bring you great conversations and interesting insights throughout. This week, in the lead up to the convention, the news media, ourselves included, are spending a lot of time speculating on who Obama might choose. Conventional wisdom gives the nod to Joe Biden, but Presidential candidates have been known to fool the pundits so really, it's anybody guess. Some now say talks between Obama and Clinton have resurfaced.
And the candidate has kept us guessing in more ways than one. It's been a week of contingency planning as the staff of TMM has tried to be ready everyday, just in case, the candidate decided to announce while we were on the air!
... And now we're hearing it could be leaked later today, so I'd better go. We might need to rearrange the show.
Our day here was barely underway when we received disturbing news that U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a trailblazing Democrat from Ohio (the first African-American woman to represent her state in Congress), had become seriously ill. We later learned that Tubbs Jones suffered a brain hemorrhage caused by an anuerysm.
At this hour, we've just received word that the five-term Congresswoman, who also served as a national co-chair for Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, has died at the age of 58.
Certainly, our thoughts and prayers are with the Congresswoman's friends and family.
On Friday, we like to do politics and, boy, did we do politics today. Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean was with us to give us a run up to the convention in Denver, happening the week after next.
If you didn't know what I was talking about today when I mentioned the demographic changes coming to the U.S., you can read a recent New York Times article for the details. ... And if you weren't familiar with my reference to memos published in the Atlantic Monthly that describe the infighting in the Clinton campaign (where pollster Mark Penn says, they can wait until 2050), follow this link to read for yourself.
In today's Faith Matters conversation, we talked about this Saturday's political forum at Saddleback Church, at which both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain will participate. We asked for input from NPR's Ken Rudin, BET's Pamela Gentry and blogger Michael Sean Winters. Winters has a new book about Catholic voters and the Democratic party.
(You can know more about this Saturday's forum by checking out an interview with Pastor Rick Warren last week on NPR's All Things Considered.)
As a person who has been to every nominating convention since 1988 (except for 2004 when my children were infants and I couldn't get the childcare in place to be frank -- that's a longer story for another time), I have to admit I have mixed feelings about the upcoming party conventions. If you are a political junkie, like most of us here, then this is catnip. You can't get enough. You want to go all night, hear every speech, go to every party and people-watch 'till your eyes are about to fall out of your head.
But what about you?
Do you think these conventions still serve any useful purpose? Do you watch?
If so, why?
And do you watch both or just the party you like and support? Are they worth the time and the expense to attend, if you could?
Let us know.
And, speaking of watch, OMG, the damned Olympics! Why do I think I can stay up that late, even to watch the women's gymnastics finals? Where is my mother when I need her to tell me to GO TO BED!
Oh, that's right, I'm somebody's mother now. I gotta go lie down.
(I'll "see" you at the conventions. Until then, I'm taking a few days off to get myself together and spend time with the fam. Lynn Neary will be holding it down in my absence. And, I left a few radio pieces for you that have yet to air, so you won't forget me.)
I am dashing off to get some training on how to cut audio files (don't ask).
But, before I go ...
What do you think about the aspiring congressman Robert Straniere'sidea to get members of Congress to hire one-third of their congressional staffs from the ranks of wounded military veterans or their immediate families? There are more than 30,000 wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan (some think the Pentagon is actually undercounting). Straniere says it's a great way for the country to show its appreciation for their service, but what do you think?
If you heard the conversation then you heard that I made the comparison to other forms of affirmative action. If you are reaching out to this group, is that fair to another ... and does that stigmatize the recipient of that consideration?
What do you think?
Also, I thought our conversation about how not to say the wrong thing to colleagues with disabilities dovetailed nicely don't you?
And what about home schooling? It's always been fascinating to me. A relative of mine home schooled one of her twins, but not the other. Even though she's a relative, I could never figure out how she did it. I mean, I knew how she did it, but I couldn't figure out HOW she did it -- emotionally, the time management and mastering subjects she did not know so well herself.
Here's how it started: Obama said "they" are trying to scare the public. The McCain folks are crying foul, saying Obama crossed the line.
A lot to chew on here.
What exactly pushed the McCain campaign's buttons? The fact that Obama seemed to tie the sleazier campaign tactics we've seen -- people making fun of his name, people spreading the lie that he's a Muslim -- to McCain and his campaign when they've taken pains to distance themselves from such? The fact that Obama himself pointed out that he is, ahem, a black guy?
What EXACTLY crosses the line? Who gets to define when a line is crossed?
I am reminded of a story I once reported for "Nightline" about the difference in sentencing between two defendants, one white, one black, one day apart in the same courtroom in Cambridge, Mass. The black defendant had NO prior record, the white guy had SIX prior drug-related convictions; they were both accused of selling a small amount of drugs.
... So why did the black guy get a much stiffer sentence? The judge wanted to know, so he demanded an explanation from the prosecutor. We wanted to know, too.
The prosecutor, after much prodding, did agree to do an interview, but she accused the judge (and us) of "calling her a racist." How so?
Is it racist to notice race? To mention race? ... And who gets to decide?
Let us know, but we bet this won't be the last time we talk about this.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson makes a statement of apology in Chicago on July 9, 2008, following crude remarks made about Sen. Barack Obama.
AP
So, of course, Jimi Izrael, Ruben Navarrette, Arsalan Iftikhar and I got into it in today's Barbershop (Nick Charles, for some reason, didn't jump in on this one ... you're with me, right Nick?).
Relevance.
We were talking about the whole question of whether the Rev. Jesse Jackson is still relevant. The spark, of course, was the latest revelations that Rev. Jackson used the "N-word" as part of his off-mic, sotto voce rant against Sen. Barack Obama for "talking down to (black) people." Now, of course he was wrong, the whole thing was wrong, not least because it's yet another distraction. For instance, here's this press release I just got:
MASADA AND THE LAUGH FACTORY DEMAND JESSE JACKSON APOLOGIZE AND PAY "FINE" FOR "N-WORD"
Jamie Masada, owner of the World Famous Laugh Factory clubs demanded that Jesse Jackson apologize to the public at-large and pay The Laugh Factory's intolerant language fine to the Museum of Tolerance in Washington D.C. for his use of the "n-word" captured by Fox News this week. Ever since the unfortunate incident involving Michael Richards when Richards used the "n-word" in a hurtful display at the Laugh Factory in November 2006
Masada has been imposing fines on talent who use the "n-word." Masada stated Thursday that Jesse Jackson made a "deal" with him personally that he would use his leadership to admonish anybody in the public arena who uses the "n-word." At that time, Jackson fully endorsed The Laugh Factory's fining of talent who violate the "n-word" prohibition policy.
###
But here's my question: in what way does his being WRONG about his language, define his RELEVANCE as a public figure? Hasn't President Bush been WRONG about a number of things? But he is still relevant.
Wrong analogy you say, because the President is still an elected official -- since he still holds institutional power? And, nobody elected Rev. Jackson.
True. But just because he does not represent ALL 36 million African Americans (and/or progressives of whatever race) why does that mean he does not represent some of them?
This is not to agree or disagree with Rev. Jackson's positions on major issues, but I do question the standard by which some write off some of these aging public figures. Some people said the same thing about Rev. James Dobson when he criticized Sen. Barack Obama's biblical interpretation and politics. Sure, it was politics, and, no, you don't have to agree with him, but, if we're talking about them both, how can you say they are not relevant?
As Jimi (who is often wrong, but always relevant ... hi, Jimi!) would say, get some of this (and tell us what you think).
I hear this from one or the other of my twins at least once or 27 times a day. The usual issue is who gets to sit on my lap first, pick a story first, turn out the light first or even talk first. Despite an actual written schedule delineating some of these things (Aminah gets to pick story first, sit on the lap first and turn out the light on Tues., Thurs. and Sat.; William gets Mon., Wed., Fri. -- Sunday is "sit together day." And mom or dad turns out the light ... don't try to play me), we still hear it, along with the plaintive wail, you're taking too loooong.
As annoying as it is (and, yes, I can admit it, my children are sometimes annoying ... as much as I love and cherish them and pray for them), it occurred to me the other day that they are not the only ones who want to know when it's their turn.
How often did we hear this during the primary election season: whose turn is it? Black men, or black folks in general? Or white women?
Who gets to decide that?
But really, isn't it a question we grapple with anytime there's a limited resource, or the perception of a limited resource, and everybody cannot be served at once? Who gets the organ transplant, the slot at the elite college? Who gets the last seat in first class? ... On the replacement to the cancelled flight? Who gets the last seat out on the last helicopter out of the war zone?
Who deserves the chance? Who decides that?
We are grappling with this all the time, in ways that are dramatic and mundane, in things that seem utterly crucial and important only to a few.
I think about this as we head off to Chicago next week to participate in and broadcast from the UNITY convention, which is the quadrennial gathering of the four organizations of journalists of color: NABJ, NAHJ, AAJA, and NAJA. For me, as a journalist the event has always been important. It's a very rich environment for dialogue about issues in the media, a skills-building experience and a place to really enhance the quality of the rolodex. The breadth of workshops and speakers brought in by the organizations from all over the country (and this year the world) means exposure to people I might otherwise have to spend days if not weeks tracking down, if I knew about them at all.
On the other hand, as a person trying to program several shows -- a real dilemma. With thousands of journalists, hundreds of topics and issues to choose from, whose turn is it? How do you balance diversity with topic expertise with practicality (as in who is willing to get up at the crack of dawn to come to my studio, to be on the show? ... Who is a great talker, knows what he or she is talking about? And what's the mix?)
So, if you haven't seen the cover of the latest New Yorker magazine by now, here it is:
AP
Folks are upset. Blogger/journalist Richard Prince talks about just how upset folks are in his daily online blog column Journal-isms.
We thought: Hey! Why not have him on the show to talk to us about this?
Great idea.
And, do you remember Emerge magazine? Now out of publication, it used to regularly push people's buttons. To the left is one of its most famous, or infamous, "hits."
A 1993 cover of Emerge depicted U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as a lawn jockey, echoing sentiments of Thomas' perceived disloyalty to the African-American community.
George Curry was the Editor of Emerge and now writes a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the NNPA.
So, George, what about the New Yorker cover? What's fair game?
Also, tell us what you think. How far is too far for satire?
And, the Mocha Moms. It's TMM Cheapskate week, so today we discuss talking to the kids about cutting back. We have some regulars back with us -- Donna Maria Coles Johnson last talked to us about coupon-ing. Now, she's back with more tips on how to cut back, and get the kids on board without traumatizing them. And, of course, Jolene Ivey and Dani Tucker always have good sense.
... As do our O, The Oprah Magazine ethics panelists. They discuss what to do, and say, in those awkward moments.
And, our money guy Alvin Hall weighs in on debt collectors. Hey, we hope you never need to know this stuff, but if you ever do, at least now you're ready!
Signs welcome attendees to the 79th Annual LULAC National Convention & Exposition in Washington, D.C.
Arwa Gunja, NPR
Supporters of both candidates were among the large crowd in attendance.
Arwa Gunja, NPR
Lee, here...
The weight of the Latino vote may have gained even more mass this week in the race for the White House. Yesterday, both presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama addressed the annual meeting of LULAC, the nation's largest membership organization of Hispanic Americans, to make their case for the U.S. presidency. The duly noted participation of McCain and Obama set a new high in the candidates' vigorous competition for the Latino vote in November.
To capture all the hype and talk to some of the attendees, we sent a few of our colleagues to the meeting site (the venue was, literally, across the street from NPR ... how could we resist?). TMM producer Jasmine Garsd set up shop where Republican candidate Sen. John McCain made his pitch. She brought back this observation:
When addressing yesterday's LULAC audience, presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said little on the topic of immigration. Indeed, the focus of his speech was on Latino small business owners and measures that would help them survive the recession. When we approached exiting audience members, we learned that many of them were business owners who were very interested in McCain's promise not to raise taxes and to protect small business. ... Politicians will, of course, focus their campaigns on those who can give them the vote: legal citizens. But many civil rights groups are asking, who represents the undocumented Latino population, which does not vote ... and whose members often provide cheap labor for both Latino and non-Latino business owners?
Thanks, Jasmine.
Another TMM producer, Arwa Gunja, camped out among those attending a speech by Democratic Sen. Barack Obama:
I arrived at the conventional hall around 2:30, more than two hours before Sen. Barack Obama was slated to speak. The lobby was buzzing. There were signs in support of either candidate decorating the walls and floors. The high-security -- at times was annoying. Though it was a LULAC conference, attendees spanned all demographics --- mostly Latino, but, certainly, a good number of African-American, white and Asian attendees were there as well. One of the first things I noticed was how young so much of the room was -- it seemed more than half the room was under 35. ... One of the first women I found was this lady, Zayda. When I first approached her, she said to me I will speak with you, but I am from Puerto Rico, I can't vote so I don't know if you want to talk to me. But I did want talk to her. And once we started talking, she shared with me her frustrations feeling like a "second-class citizen" to the U.S. -- being a part of the country, but without voting rights. The people in that room were young and old, white and brown. And they have been waiting to matter in the political process.
Thanks, Arwa.
If you're Latino, or of another ethnic minority in the U.S., how do you rate the candidates' progress in aggressively reaching out to groups to which you belong? ... Are you feeling the love?
And, when you look around your community, what specific issues (and/or cultural disparities) will be on your mind in November?
Let me get on up out of here. I'm headed to MY HOMETOWN, Nueva York -- the Apple, the Empire State.
We'll be there for three days of broadcasts next week. We are delighted that we will now be part of the WNYC radio family as of Monday.
Boo-ya.
Check us out from New York in the first part of the week, then back in D.C. for the rest of the week.
Now, the week in politics ...
Today, we decided to talk about the SPOUSES of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. This year they both happen to be wives (who are we kidding? ... they always have been). It's become an axiom that we want to know who these guys are married to.
How much do we need to know?
Let's debate this. On the one hand, we know the spouses are key players. Most married people influence each other, how could they not? So, we should know something about them, shouldn't we? On the other hand, the wife is not on the ballot, so shouldn't there be some zone of privacy?
And, on the one hand, they are significant cultural figures. Why shouldn't we take them as seriously as we do singers and actors, rappers and athletes? But, on the other hand, can't we leave them alone? ... Since life is hard enough?
What do you say? How much so you want to know and has what you knew about the spouse of a previous candidate ever affected your vote?
Second, Faith Matters. We wanted to focus on Dr. James Dobson. What do you think his bone to pick with Obama is about? Is it doctrine or politics? And, who do You think is right?
Read a copy of Obama's speech. Then, hear what Dr. Dobson has to say about it.
And, of course, the Barbershop guys. What do you think about Don Imus's recent comments about suspended NFL cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones? Was he taken out of context? Do you care?
And, Shaq versus Kobe? Is it part of the game or enough already?
(I think you know where I come out on this, but I am still interested.)
Have a great weekend. When we talk next I'll be in the Apple. My hometown.
Just one of the ways Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is changing the conversation: if you don't know what DAP is, just listen or check out the video below. (See, we are here for you.)
More reflections on the presumed Obama nomination, from a variety of voices. First, though, a conversation with Bob Johnson, the co-founder of BET and the current owner of the NBA Charlotte Bobcats. He is strongly advocating that Hillary Clinton join the Democratic ticket.
Also, we talk to L. Douglas Wilder, who made history as the first African American elected governor post-reconstruction. Wilder took the helm in Virginia in 1990 and served one term (under the state's constitution permits).
Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama claims victory with wife, Michelle Obama, in St. Paul Minnesota.
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
Two faces of politics this morning: hope and fear. The fear: an update on elections in Zimbabwe. At least 30-60 people have been killed in what opposition supporters and international observers call retaliatory violence aimed at supporters of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai recently returned from abroad to stand in a runoff in an election he believes he already won but in which Mugabe will not concede. On two separate occasions we have been set to interview Tsvangirai when he had to cancel to address needs of supporters, as his people told us. Yesterday, he and a convoy of his supporters were detained. They were released about nine hours later. Today, we were able to get to his chief spokesman, Nelson Chamisa. Freelance reporter Brian Hungwe gave us additional perspective.
And, just as we got off the air came a wire story indicating that U.S. and British embassy (diplomatic) staff had been harassed by police in Zimbabwe -- their car stopped, the tires slashed, their telephones seized. They were threatened with being burned alive. This is highly unusual and provocative. We'll let you know more as we learn more.
And, then, the hope.
We have reflections on Barack Obama's historic role as a major party nominee for President. This is not a brief for Obama, but it would be journalistically negligent not to take note of the reactions to this milestone. Remember, equal voting rights for people of African descent was not achieved until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was passed. Until then, despite the Constitution, blacks were routinely and often violently denied the right to participate in the civic life of this country.
This is not ancient history. This is within the lifetime of most adults of voting age in this country. So perhaps you can understand why Congressman James Clyburn (the House Majority Whip and a member of the leadership and the highest ranking African American in the House) literally felt he had to be alone as he watched the speech, worrying that he would not be able to control his emotions, a remarkable admission for someone who has been in this so long.
But this is not, as Obama undoubtedly would himself have mentioned, about HIM. So we talked to a diverse panel of folks, most of whom you met before on this program, to tell us what they think the moment means. And, we want to know what it means to you.
Don't worry, we kept it real. It was not all, as they say Kumbaya.
And, finally, BEER. Our summer tasting series begins.
One of our producers Jack Zahora, had to help me out because I am not a beer drinker. Sorry, I took one (ok, three or four) for the team.
The New York Times is reporting that Sen. Hillary Clinton will likely officially concede the Democratic nomination and endorse Sen. Barack Obama, the likely nominee, on Friday. As its source, the newspaper credits a senior aide to the campaign.
If true, the suspension of the Clinton campaign comes two days after Obama weighed in with 2154 national delegates -- well above the minimum 2118 needed to secure the nomination.
Big news today: House Majority Whip James Clyburn, the number three Democrat in the House, makes his long-awaited endorsement. Not surprising to many who've been reading the tea leaves. His choice is Barack Obama, but he had insisted he would stay out of the process until the process was decided. He says the time is now.
Here's Clyburn's statement:
Today the primary process draws to a close. From the beginning, I have made it clear that I would put the Democratic Party's best interest first and remain publicly neutral as this process ran its course, but it is now time to make my preference known. Today I am pledging my delegate vote to Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States. I believe the nomination of Senator Obama is our Party's best chance for victory in November, and our nation's best hope for much needed change. Senator Obama brings a new vision for our future and new voters to our cause. He has created levels of energy and excitement that I have not witnessed since the 1960's. Recent surveys indicate that Senator Obama is by far the most preferred presidential candidate among Democrats and independents, and I believe he is the most electable candidate that Democrats can offer. He will be able to dramatically change the electoral map for Democrats which will in turn expand our majorities here in Congress, and help elect more Democrats at the state and local levels. Furthermore, I believe that Senator Obama is the Democrat who can unite our people, help heal our nation's wounds, improve our standing on the world stage, and steer our country in a new direction. What is especially exciting about Senator Obama's candidacy is its attraction to young and independent voters. Our Party cannot hope to continue our recent successes if we don't continue to attract new voters. Senator Obama has demonstrated the ability to draw a new map for Democrats by putting traditionally red states like Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, and swing states like New Mexico, Missouri and Iowa in play. A recent Zogby poll has Senator Obama leading Senator McCain in every age demographic except for those over 65. That speaks volumes about which candidate represents our nation's future, and which represents our past. I admit I am over 65, but my support of Senator Obama is a vote for our children's and grandchildren's futures. This is a pivotal time for our Party, our nation and the world. This past weekend the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee made a decision to act in the interest of party unity, and now we must come together. Our Party's success going forward will depend in large measure upon how we treat each other between now and our national convention, how we appear to the nation during our national convention, and how we conduct the campaign after our national convention. Our Vice Presidential nominee will be introduced to the nation on the eve of the 45 Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, the historic petition to the nation for gender, ethnic and workplace equality. Our Presidential nominee will accept our Party's nomination on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic call for a nation where we are all judged by 'the content of our character rather than the color of our skin.' Over the next several weeks, our Party will have an historic opportunity to transcend these issues that have plagued our nation since its founding and our Party for generations. All of us have roles to play in helping to unify this party and unite in support of our nominee. But united does not mean unanimous, united means recognizing and respecting some realities. And it is a reality that delegates determine the winner. No matter the outcome tonight, Senator Obama will lead in the delegate count and should be named the nominee. Any other outcome would require un-pledged delegates, who have the power and authority to do so, to reverse the results of those who played by the established rules and worked hard in the primaries and caucuses. This would be unwarranted and could make the nomination worthless. I believe the time has come for all un-pledged delegates to make their choices known, and I believe our best choice against a George Bush third term is Senator Barack Obama.
Now, there are still a lot of questions: do other superdelegates follow and if so how soon? Do they follow in time for tonight's post election announcement? The math is not that simple: Obama needs 41.5 more delegates to get to the magic 2118; Sen. Clinton is 1917.5 (I'm not getting the half-delegate thing -- is that Michigan/Florida compromise at work? Anyway ...)
The decision to support Sen. Obama was obviously not just about the math, but also Mr. Clyburn's own history and belief and desires.
Some truly momentous and important things to talk about -- and some LESS than momentous and important things to talk about ... but something we want to talk about (Hint: four women, fab clothes).
The issue of the Michigan and Florida delegates to the Democratic convention is more or less resolved. Today, we tell you how. And, we discuss Sen. Barack Obama. He resigned his membership at the church he attended for more than 20 years.
And a story of rape and recovery: Joanna Connors tells an amazing story about her journey of recovery from rape. When something awful happens to us, it's so normal and so human to say, WHY? Why did this happen to me? Many of us turn to therapy or to faith -- to whatever helps us live through the day. Joanna used the tools of the reporting trade to track down the person who raped her and to figure out, if she could, what brought him to the place of trying to cut her throat in a darkened theater where she had gone to interview a playwright.
I confess that, as a journalist, this is not at all strange to me. It makes perfect sense. Writers write. Reporters want to know. But, I can see where others might find it beyond strange. So we'd like to know what you think. After listening to today's conversation with Joanna, is this something you would do, or wish you could do if something awful happened? Do you want to know? WHY? Are you interested in hearing from the standpoint of the other players in the story?
And, next week, we hope to bring you another powerful story about a woman who took an extraordinary stand to break the silence of abuse -- the daughter of a civil rights icon and her courageous decision to reveal his awful secret side.
If you want to read the piece that got our attention it was in last weekend's Washington Post Magazine.
And, because I cannot leave you devastated, Lalah Hathaway was on the program today and has a delicious new album. That voice makes me think of a warm sweater on a chilly day.
I'm sorry. It has to happen. MUST DISCUSS. What is the point of having a blog if you can't ask people what they thought about it? Cultural moment? What says box office gold like a $56 million opening, the best ever for a film with female leads.
So, what did you think?
And Jennifer Hudson, good role or tacked on?
Big, ridiculous New York fantasy -- has nothing to do with you?
Or, awesome eye candy? Great time out with the girls? ... Are there some deep truths about the lives of women today embedded in there?
I confess, I was not a huge fan of the original television series. I watched it sometimes, mainly (to be honest) because I am in the media and I felt I had to know what people were talking about. But I did not love the gender, class or racial politics. I mean that I can understand why some people loved it, but to me, I never saw what was so wonderful about women objectifying men as either sex objects or meal tickets. And, I never liked the fact that in a city as diverse as New York, the African-American characters (few) struck me as CARTOONS (like, what was up with that Blair Underwood character? He's Sidney Poitier-PERFECT one minute, and then Snoop Dog the next because he can't get with Miranda? Spare me. SPARE ME.
... And I never figured out how a freelance writer could afford all those $500 pairs of shoes. Ok?
But, having said all that about the movie, I thought there was something there. I really did. What did you think?
The MOCHAS are going to talk about it on tomorrow's show. Weigh in.
The Associated Press is reporting that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and his family have formally "resigned" membership from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Of course, this appears to be`a casualty resulting from the massive spotlight that's recently been placed on the congregation (see yesterday's blog).
Read the AP story for more details on the Obamas' decision to part ways with the church.
So, you should know that today's program was almost entirely LIVE (with the exception of BackTalk). So, you can imagine that adrenaline levels around here were pretty high. Love it.
Also, in case you haven't heard, it seems Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama is back in the hot seat with "breaking news" of a fiery sermon -- given by Catholic priest Michael Pfleger -- that contained a pretty strong analysis of Obama's rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton.
See for yourself:
So, here's the question: should Obama necessarily be implicated by Pfleger's words (both have since issues statements shunning the remarks)? Although the comments were made from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ, where Obama once attended and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright serves as Senior Pastor, Father Pfleger is not Obama's spiritual leader, never has been.
And, what more, if anything, do these types of sermons -- and, recently, the subsequent media attention -- say about traditions within the Black church (Pfleger, himself, leads a predominantly-black parish)?
It occurred to me this morning that when I was growing up that I did not know you could buy melons in stores.
I thought you could only buy them off a truck or be given them from people's gardens. Why did I think that? Because that's the only kind I ever had. My mother's neighbors in Philadelphia where she grew up had a huge garden and since we spent many weeks in the summer there when we were little, that's where, I thought, melons came from. And growing up where I did in the inner city in Brooklyn, where there were really no supermarkets to speak of, fruit, vegetables - those came from stands, or bodegas, or even better, trucks - trucks where you pulled up and a guy whacked one with a machete and gave you a slice which you ate while your mom or dad argued over which was the best one.
So I had to laugh when at some point I must have seen melons stacked up in a supermarket and thought - wha? What's this? When did they start selling melons in stores? How long has this been going on?
Which brings me to the whole running for office thing.
If you never see anybody who looks like you doing a certain job, does it occur to you that YOU could do it? Even if you'd be good at it?
How long does it take or how many people have to do it before you realize you can? Or at least that you should try?
Here's a piece that Marie Cocco wrote for the Washington Post writer's group, arguing that the Clinton campaign has pointed out how far the US lags behind in advancing women in political leadership.
Others, like feminist writer Robin Morgan, have been arguing for months vociferously that but for sexism Clinton's accomplishments would be more visible and more appreciated.
Certainly others like Peggy Noonan argue that Clinton needs to get over herself - that her deficiencies are hers and that complaining about sexism is well ... whinny ... and in fact disqualifying. Let her tell you.
But our conversation today was not so much about sexism as posing the question of WHY the US is where it is in the percentage of women in elected office.
If you want the facts you can find LOTS here at the Center for the American Woman in Politics site. Debbie Walsh, its director, was part of the conversation.
Also Ellen Moran, executive director of EMILY"S LIST, a pioneer in helping women get the money to run for office. Emily's List supports pro-choice women.
And Ambassdor Swanee Hunt, who has her fingers in all kinds of pies related to advancing women in leadership around the world. She argued that in many cases women need to change their attitude about what they can do. Here's a piece by Ruth Marcus on this point.
I know some people will argue with all this, especially Ambassador Hunt's idea that men's and women's brains work differently. That thought makes some people - a lot of people - cringe. Hey, I have no dog in that fight. Could be true, could be false. I am not afraid of the question. In fact, makes me think there might be another show in there.
Finally, a CORRECTION ...
I need to correct something I said on the first "live" feed of the program today. I mistakenly awarded Ambassador Swanee Hunt a doctorate in PSYCHOLOGY. Her doctorate is in THEOLOGY. Big difference. Here's her bio. She holds two master's degrees, a doctorate in theology, and six honorary degrees.
I am sorry about that. I misremembered it from her biography, which I read a while ago.
Sen. Barack Obama (left) and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright
AP
Lee, here ...
First, if you haven't already, have a listen to Michel Martin'scommentary today. She weighs in on the furor surrounding Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor in Chicago. Many say they would've "walked out" on the pastor and his more confrontational sermons (Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama's rival, added to the tensions yesterday).
Whether you agree or disagree, we'd like to know your thoughts.
And speaking of the race for the White House, some are disputing the role of race (regarding ethnicity, that is) in this election. We talked about this today.
Now, we put the question to you: has the focus on race (and gender) in this election overstayed its welcome?
In the absence of historic times (when both a woman and a black man have an actual shot at the presidency, for example), when are these matters looked at and studied so closely? ... When else would they have such room to breath?
But, again, I ask ... do you feel smothered by these talks, or freed by them?
Finally, switching gears completely to offer you news you can use (which agitated me), it looks like a growing number of commercial airlines will now charge customers for checking more than one bag. A steady increase in fuel prices is being blamed for the new fees.
I must tell you, I defy the (unfair) stereotypes of most men in that I am not known to pack lightly, so I'm less than thrilled at this decision.
A booking photo released by the Wayne County Sheriff's Department (taken March 24, 2008) shows Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick after being recently charged with multiple felony counts, including perjury.
AP
Singer Ricardo Lemvo (second from right) pauses for a photo with TMM Intern Tyrone Martin (left), Producer Teshima Walker and NPR Newscasts Producer Trina Williams.
Jon Palmer Claridge
We were preparing for our editorial meeting yesterday when the televisions in our work area (usually muted) began flashing with news that felony charges were being filed against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in connection with his testimony in a lawsuit filed by two former city employees.
For whatever reason, this does not surprise me; it just seemed the writing was on the wall. Nevertheless, I have to admit it was shocking. I can't say exactly why, but it was shocking to hear Wayne County ProsecutorKym Worthy reciting a list of eight charges against Kilpatrick, and seven against his former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty.
Later, just as we were preparing to hear from Mayor Kilpatrick and Dan Webb, his attorney, the cable goes out! (YIKES, YIKES, YIKES!) So, I shoot off an "news all-staff" e-mail asking, what do I do? ... Whose TV is working?
(Of course, some smarty pants had to ask me why I'm not satisfied with audio. Excuse me; I came from television, okay?)
Thankfully, one of our engineers directed me to streaming video online offered by one of Detroit's local news stations, which turned out to be the best possible doption (thanks, Dennis!). Not only did they carry the press conference live, but they stayed with the story long enough to hear reaction from Detroit voters, something the national outlets were not going to do.
Sadly, it was deja vu.
I remember being in Washington when former Mayor Marion Barry was captured on videotape in a sting operation with a onetime girlfriend. I don't remember the exact details, but I do remember crack was involved. I also remember the complicated feelings ...
As a citizen: shock, anger, embarrassment, outrage (not always sure at whom; the partisans emerge to defend the prosecution, and the defendant). As a journalist: you're thinking, what an incredible story? ... What happens now?
Anyway, been there, done that ... which is maybe why there was no question about whether we would pursue this story for today's program. We were happy to get Kilpatrick's attorney to talk to us about defending the mayor (he made it clear he will not be doing many interviews). And, for a fuller picture, we heard from Washington, D.C., attorneyStanley Brand.
And, the Mochas on kids and lying. It just so happened that we planned the conversation for today. Total coincidence, really.
Finally, we were glad to bring you the story -- and music -- of singer Ricardo Lemvo. Check out the photo (above) of Lemvo, pictured with TMM Senior Supervising Producer Teshima Walker and Intern Tyrone Martin.
I guess I'm lucky Teshima and Tyrone came back to work, huh? As much fun as they were having ...
I'm sorry, I find I need to say that again: STOO-OO-PID.
Actually, it's more of a question: just how stupid could he be?
I am sure we'll cover some aspect of this scandal in the coming days, but if you've been on a spiritual retreat, or disengaged from the news for some reason and have no idea what I am talking about, NY Governor Eliot Spitzer, former Attorney General with a crime fighting Elliot Ness-like reputation -- elected in a landslide just over a year ago -- has been connected to a prostitution ring just busted up by the feds. It does appear that, as "Client 9," Spitzer had at least one paid encounter with at least one woman. The story broke yesterday afternoon, but I don't think this compromises anything (to be real about it), does it? Might as well put it out there.
I don't know what our angle on this story might be ...
New York might get its first African American Governor, David Paterson, who is currently the Lieutenant Governor of New York. Paterson, former Minority Leader of the State Senate, also has an amazing back story -- he is legally blind from infancy and a grad of top college and law schools. Also, he's made some really interesting career moves. Paterson gave up his seat in the state senate to become lieutenant governor.
There also might be more to say about risk-taking behavior. Remember, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is in hot water because of his sexual affair with his chief of staff, which they both appear to have lied about under oath. The affair was revealed in thousands of text messages exchanged between the two on city pagers.
Or, maybe we'll decide we have nothing to add to what you might already be hearing on NPR's All Things Considered or Morning Edition, in which case, we'll pass.
We'll see.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I am going to immerse myself in loftier matters and finish Madeleine Albright's book Memo to the President Elect. We plan to bring you a conversation with the former Secretary of State tomorrow.
Hey! Maybe Albright should add an epilogue. Memo to the Current Governors/Future Presidents: Stay Away from Prostitutes, No Matter how Expensive They Are ... You Can't Afford it No Way.
This is going to be quick. A few of us are running off to a fancy dinner this evening, honoring the contributions of famous African Americans to the media arts landscape.
But, we wanted to get your feedback on last night's primary presidential elections contests in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont. NPR offered extensive coverage of what was being unoficially branded as the Junior Super Tuesday, so if you haven't yet been caught up to speed on the results, you can find them here.
After last night's sweeping wins, it's now safe to presume that Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain is in position to receive his party's nomination. Not much of a surprise there.
But, on the Democratic side, Sen. Hillary Clinton, once again, became the mighty comeback kid (her first comeback moment during primary season was her New Hampshire win, after losing sorely to Sen. Barack Obama at the Iowa caucuses), winning Ohio, Rhode Isand and Texas. However, according to most recent reports, Obama seemed to be winning the Texas Democratic caucuses. (The state has this system, perplexing to many outside the state, called the "Texas Two-Step." I won't even try to explain it, but you can read more about how it works -- and the frustration it seems to be causing since last night -- here.)
Are you in Texas, or Ohio? The campaigns there were pretty rigourous. What's your take on the Democratic results? Any surprises?
And, as always, if your state has yet to participate in a primary elections process, we also want to hear how/if the proceeding contests are shaping your vote ...
Why did I go (since I am always complaining about not getting enough sleep, or having enough time)?
Well, let's go back to August 2005 and one of the five deadliest storms in U.S. history. I went to Houston, where the city was housing evacuees at the Houston Astrodome/Reliant Park complex. One of the greatest stories we covered was not about what government agencies did (or did not do), but what individuals did -- people who got into their cars, drove over to the Houston Astrodome, rolled up their sleeves and pitched in. These are people who sat up throughout the night -- sorting clothes, preparing food -- and called relatives in distant states to help those whose contact information had been washed away in dirty water ...
And, most remarkable, many of these are people who gathered up whole families and brought them into their own homes to get them out of crowded (clean, safe and well run, but still crowded and not very private) conditions at the Astrodome.
Certainly, thousands of people did this. Someday, someone will tell that story the way it deserves to be told. But, working at Nightline at the time, I could only tell one. ... I got to tell about Miss Grace and her family, who gathered no less than five people (whom she had never met) and brought them to her home. She was a member of Windsor Village's congregation.
We were able to stop by the church for services, where I met I don't know how many other people who were doing the same thing, not to mention family members who were sheltering 25-30 relatives in their homes.
So, when Roland Martin called to say Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell's folks were having this forum and asked could I come help out, what do you think I would say?
I do have more to share about what we talked about at the forum, and I will admit I was brain frozen on a question about the economic stimulus plans offered by the candidates.
(Why should I lie? I generally master subjects by doing stories about them (this is one we plan to get to this week. Now you know why I am never running for anything political, and why I don't play poker. ... I am great at Trivial Pursuit, though. And Scrabble. Don't try to play me. Not bragging, just a fact.)
Another issue I want to talk about from the event was a question that pained me all weekend. It's from someone who worried that if Sen. Barack Obama becomes President and does not succeed in the role, it will make life worse for African Americans by stimulating racism.
I still stand by my answer because this is something we have to stop. We have to stop permitting ourselves to be trapped by this notion that as minorities, we all have to be accountable for everything that one of us does -- good or bad.
But, what I wish I had said -- and what I did not have time to say -- is that there is a reason people feel that way:
Years ago, when I was a young journalist starting out at The Washington Post,
Sen. Barack Obama greets supporters in Springfield, Illinois following his February 2007 announcement that he would seek the Democratic nomination for President.
Getty Images
Lee, here ...
Our top conversation today was a difficult one to have.
Since Senator Barack Obama even looked like he might run for president, there's been this chatter about whether he'd be harmed. For instance, I have an aunt (we'll just call her Aunt G.), who thinks well of Obama -- she finds him competent to lead, she appreciates his politics, what appears to be a solid family life (she adoresMichelle Obama) and the historical significance of his campaign. ... But, she also lived through the 1960s and through, in just a ten year period, the assassination of four massively influential leaders -- John F. Kennedy ('63), Malcolm X ('65), the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. ('68) and Robert Kennedy ('68). All of the men mobilized people to thought and action, and offered messages of inspiration in different sociological contexts. The weight of Obama, at some point or another, has been mentioned in relation to all four of those men.
Aunt G. refused to vote for Barack Obama, the candidate she clearly favors. She seems to believe she's doing him, his wife Michelle and young daughters a favor.
I shared that story with a few others, and found that Aunt G.'s reasoning is not at all unique. The truth is, there are many strong feelings out there about a black man's prospects of 1) winning the Democratic nomination, 2) winning the presidency and 3) doing all of the above and walking away with his life.
Today, we talked to U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi and the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. We also checked in with Mark Potok whose job it is to monitor the activity of hate groups and extremists (just when I thought my days were stressful) as Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. Thompson and Potok offered insight that you might find enlightening. ... But, like I said, it was also a difficult conversation to have, so I can't guarantee that the listening experience will leave you smiling. I can, however, hope that you will walk away knowing a little bit more about the gritty realities of the world we live in. Racism is far from expunged from American culture.
Are these sentiments of "concern" only held within African American communities? ... Do other groups think this way about Obama?
And what about Senator Hillary Clinton, who'd also be a "first" if her campaign is successful through November? ... Or others who dare to break through traditionally marble ceilings?
Please, tell us more on where you come out on this.
Sen. Barack Obama, left, and Sen. Hillary Clinton sit for a recent Democratic presidential debate on CNN.
Getty Images
Lee, here ...
Wondering if you caught any of last night's Democratic presidential debate on CNN last night. Many expected it to be quite the smack-down between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. But the discourse was civil, for the most part.
Of course, then there was that "... change you can Xerox" line that didn't go over so well with the audience.
But, I have to ask, is it no longer reasonable to expect some civility from an audience at a presidential debate? Since when is it OK to express disapproval, or disagreement, with a unified resounding booooo from the audience? There's something just a little fabulous ... and maybe medieval ... about that.
In today's Barbershop, we discussed a scuffle between Tavis Smiley (former NPR host) and Barack Obama. It's all over a perceived Obama snub at participating in Smiley's State of the Black Union symposium, happening this weekend. Our popular shop guy, Jimi Izrael, blogged on the ordeal the other day. Check out the post. It offers Jimi's thoughts, and more on how this became a "situation" that so many folks now feel compelled to chime in on.
Wins in Hawaii and Wisconsin strengthened Sen. Barack Obama's winning streak since Super Tuesday, while Sen. John McCain trailblazes ahead in lead position to win the GOP nomination for president. Sen. Hillary Clinton, with 10 straight defeats, isn't holding back any punches at Obama, brewing recent allegations of plagiarism -- a missive aimed directly at Obama's noted oratory.
And now, there's this rumbling bewteen the spouses. Here's a recent comment by Michelle Obama about being proud to be an American:
... Which appeared to trigger this response by Cindy McCain:
Michelle Obama has since attempted to clarify her comments, and there was clearly some immediate damage control by McCain's troop in the video above.
But it looks like John McCain and Barack Obama are now exchanging direct jabs. Does this at all reflect a presumption that Obama will become the Democratic nominee? ... Is this safe to presume?
Clearly, there are two significant primaries just ahead in Ohio and Texas, although a recent Texas poll shows Clinton ahead of Obama by just two points there, a statistical tie. A recent Ohio poll shows Clinton with a nine point lead in the state.
Bill Clinton is saying that a loss in Texas could mean the end for his wife.
There are a few events and developments, however, that could change (or strengthen) some things for the Democratic candidates. Performance in an upcoming CNN debate (pundits say Clinton typically outperforms Obama in debate formats) could influence undecided voters, as well as new endorsements (Obama just received support from the Teamsters union; Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is expected to endorse Obama soon).
If you're in Texas or Ohio, and are an undecided voter, what does all of this mean to you? And, if you're in another state that has yet to participate in the primary elections process (PA, NC, MS, KY, etc.), we're wondering how your support is being influenced, if at all...
Coming up, TMM's international news day. Hear unique perspectives on Kosovo's newfound independence from Serbia ... from a younger generation.
So, we made it through the so-called Potomac Primary, our region's own Super Tuesday, when voters in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia participate in the nation's primary elections process.
Of course, Tuesday brought the perfect weather for voting (insert sarcasm here) -- icy, rainy and cold. In fact, I know of at least two of our producers who didn't even make to the polls (yeah, they were pretty upset, too). Why? They were trapped for hours in what became an extended evening rush hour, due to the weather.
Nevertheless, much of the region did have their say at the polls and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain emerged as winners here.
What did the wins suggest for the candidates? And what does it mean for upcoming contests in Hawaii, Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas? We had a conversation with Shailagh Murray, a political reporter for the Washington Post. If you haven't already, take a listen to her observations.
Looking ahead, Thursday is our international news day. You can plan to hear a conversation on love that transcends geographical borders, just in time for Valentine's Day ...
Today is another election day, so we are limited in what we can talk about during the program. The rule of thumb here is that we try not to produce anything that can be construed as advocacy while the polls are open and folks are still voting. So, your NPR station will, no doubt, be keeping you up to date tonight, especially here in the D.C. area.
But, were you as puzzled as I was/am by the whole superdelegates thing? It's an issue on the Democratic side (the Republicans don't have that system). Our two guests, high-powered D.C. lawyer Stanley Brand and author and strategist David Sirota, tell us what superdelegates are all about, and why this is turning into such a mud wrestle.
Also, a new feature, we hope you'll like it as much as we do. It's the ethics column from O, the Oprah Magazine. As you know, we do a monthly feature with who we call the Magazine Mavens, editors of some of the top women's magazines, but we don't get to dig into any one feature as much as we might like. When we started reading the ethics column in O, we just couldn???t get enough. You can read the column for yourself. I hope you get as much out of visiting with the guests as much as I did.
Finally, the Mocha Moms are mad at me! They had lots more to say about the lessons they've learned as the chief administrators of big families. So, we invited them to blog it out.
Here's Mocha Moms co-founder and TMM regular Jolene Ivey:
... I think it's important for children to contribute to the household. Parents can't do it all, and kids need to learn these life skills! ... For several months I had my older boys each cook dinner one night per week. They each cooked the same meal each week until they mastered it. (We did get tired of quiche, while one of them struggled with the crust, so we switched him to chicken pot pie.) Now, I can call home and give basic instructions, and I know dinner will be cooking before I get home! ... Laundry is my least favorite, and never-ending, household chore. I hate folding, I despise putting away, and I never feel like I'm completely on top of it. I've done a few things to take some of the pain away, though. For instance, one great way I've found to avoid Stray Socks Syndrome is to buy a bunch of those mesh laundry bags meant for delicate clothing. I have my boys put several pair in each bag, as they take them off, and when they're washed and dried, they're already mostly matched. I also have two dirty clothes hampers in each bedroom -- one white, for things that will be washed in hot water, and one is another color, for things that will be washed in cold water. No sorting! Whenever possible, I call the boys up to help fold. The youngest is 8, so they can actually get most of it done with minimal yelling on my part. ... It's also important to lower your standards, in the interest of sanity. I look back on the days when I had one baby, and I used cloth diapers and actually hung them on the line to dry, then FOLDED THEM! How stupid was that? The hanging to dry was actually therapeutic, and they smelled so good coming off the line. But folding diapers? What was I thinking?! Rookie mistake. I even went through a phase, when we had two boys, that I made the cats' food. I was obsessed with it being organic. I mean, most of us have made baby food, but cat food? I clearly needed more children. ...
There's a lot going on today, so this is going to be quick. We have a very special guest coming, so I have to clear out of the studio so they can set up.
All of our guests are special, of course, but most don't travel with TRUNKS of equipment. Check this out: there are six music stands in here, five mic stands -- each outfitted with headphones and a console -- a drum kit, a bunch of locked trunks containing I know not what, and reams of chords and plugs.
There will be MUSIC in the house later on. You'll get to hear it on our program next week.
Want to know who it is?
Not. Telling.
But, we are sure you'll like it.
Want a hint?
The title of the artist's first album is something most of us use everyday. That's all I'm going to say right now.
Moving on ...
Today, we wanted to dig into one of the nagging questions in this election: how will Latinos vote, and how will that vote be influenced? There has been a lot of debate about this percolating in various forums ...
There's a column by one of our regulars Ruben Navarrette.
There's another piece by Gregory Rodriguez, whom we've also had on the program.
And there's The New Yorker piece that's gotten a lot of attention.
As you might know by now, there are new developments in the race for '08. Mitt Romney has announced that he is bowing out, or "suspending" his GOP presidential campaign. In pretty strong words (and maybe the most energetic that we've heard from him, until now), says that remaining in the race would hinder the Republican party's bid for the White House and, in turn, increase the chances of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama winning the presidency ... which would translate into "aiding a surrender to terror."
Talk about famous last words.
And, check in with us as we wrap up the week in our Political Chat, we'll talk about the Latino vote. According to CNN exit polls on Super Tuesday, Clinton overwhelmingly won the Hispanic vote in California (69 percent, compared to Obama's 29 percent) and New York (73 percent, compared to Obama's 26 percent). But some dispute any assumptions that Latinos feel closer to Clinton as a candidate. We plan to bring you two Latino voices who'll offer a unique perspective on this...
Folks everywhere are still mulling over Super Tuesdayresults and looking ahead to what's next in the increasingly nail-biting race for the White House. Two political experts came on to help us sort through Tuesday's results. Stephanie Cutter directed communication efforts for Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign and Sarah Taylor was a White House political director under President George W. Bush.
Arizona Sen. John McCain seems to have reinforced his standing as GOP frontrunner, but not with as much comfort as he might have expected. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee proved to the naysayers (especially Huckabee, whom many pundits all but discounted completely) that they are still to be taken seriously about their presidential pursuits, although both trail McCain by about 400 delegates.
I heard Huckabee compare his ambitions to the those of the New York Giants going into Super Bowl XLII to face the undefeated (until they lost, of course) New England Patriots.
There's nothing wrong with hope, right?
Things aren't as clear for the Democrats. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama both had significant victories -- and losses -- on Tuesday. Clinton's wins in California, New York and Massachusetts (despite the Kennedy and Kerry endorsements of Obama) were helped with her favoring among women and Latino voters. Obama's win in 13 states, compared to Clinton's win in eight, flexed his pull among both voters under 40 and black voters.
From where we stand, Clinton and Obama are working hard to make certain that any advances between the two of them are razor-thin (the contest in New Mexico remains too close to call), likening the Democratic race to an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller ... Who will "survive" to represent the party in November?
Grab the popcorn. Looks like it's going to be a long one.
Have you already participated in the presidential primaries? If not, aren't you just itching to vote? I am. And, it looks like for the first time in a while, our region ... the Potomac region (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia) might actually have a significant say in who becomes the next president.
We're usually up after Super Tuesday, so we vote willingly, but knowing that the picture is sometimes pretty much painted by the time we pull out our brushes. Not so, this time. Neither the GOP race, nor the Democratic race (especially) is a done deal ... candidates are counting delegates like beans.
And, aside from the political fare, we also thought it would good to bring you stories in commemoration of Black History Month. Harvard professor and renowned author Henry Louis is at the center of a film airing tonight on PBS, African-American Lives 2. Gates journeys with an impressive list of celebrities -- Tina Turner, Tom Joyner, Chris Rock and Don Cheadle, to name a few -- as they uncover mysteries of their African lineage. Gates tells us Chris Rock's discovery even takes an emotional turn...
Chris Rock? Emotional? No...
We'll check in with you again later. Until then, drop us a line and tell us your thoughts on thee '08 elections, and how you're commemorating Black History Month.
Still waiting to hear more. The Associated Press is reporting that former senator John Edwards is set to drop out of the Democratic presidential race this afternoon. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is also expected to exit the Republican race today.
Sorry I couldn't catch up with you yesterday. We were running around. I'm not going to lie to you -- certain frontrunning presidential candidates were in town with certain people, who decided to endorse them and we were trying to, you know, work some magic. The sparkle dust hasn't worked yet. (I am sure I am one of a select group of 20,000 people who would like those interviews.)
Then, we ran up to Capitol Hill to catch up with a Democratic leader to discuss the State of the Union speech. You'll remember we had White House Counselor Ed Gillespie on yesterday to preview the speech; we had on House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) today.
We talked to Gillespie yesterday because it's custom for the White House to start offering briefings throughout the day to key groups -- congressional leaders get a briefing, the big cheese news anchors get a briefing at the White House (never been invited to that, harrumph! ... I wonder if they get lunch). When I was a White House correspondent (for the Wall Street Journal), it was actually pretty stressful. We would have to go and physically pick-up an embargoed (translation: I'll tell you, but don't tell anybody else until I say so) copy of the speech at about 4 p.m., RUN back to the office and make copies for everybody on "beats" (subject areas assigned to reporters) so they could check it out. Some of our more anxious colleagues would literally wait by the copier. ... Do they still do that? Why not just hit a button and e-mail it? Come to think of it, we had e-mail then, too, so I wonder why they did it that way.
Anyway, this is a big-time ritual here in the Washington press corp. And I know that by the time you read this, you will have heard hours of coverage by everybody.
We hit the ground running today, beginning the last week of January at turbo speeds. Michel Martin headed to Capitol Hill shortly after today's program to record a conversation with a leading congressman that we hope to bring you tomorrow.
Mondays are funny. Technically, we have the weekends "off." But, in this business, we're never really not working. We were BlackBerry'd to several developments this weekend -- the Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina, Caroline Kennedy's endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama (her uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy, followed her lead this morning), the death of former Indonesian dictator Suharto and the latest developments in Kenya's post-election violence.
And, President Bush will address the nation tonight in his final State of the Union briefing. There's much anticipation, as usual, on what matters will make the final cut in the hour-long (give or take, considering applause breaks) speech. It's probably safe to expect that a few issues -- economic stimulus, the Iraq war, and the usual recognition of select "ordinary" citizens with notable stories to tell -- will set the frame work for the speech. We plan to offer a recap of the President's address tomorrow.
We're also keeping an eye on a situation happening about 500 miles to the west of us in Detroit. The city has been rocked by a scandal involving its mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, who is serving his second-term. There are allegations that Kilpatrick and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, perjured themselves on the stand last year during proceedings of a civil suit when asked about the dismissal of a high profile police official and ... allegations of a sexual relationship between Kilpatrick and Beatty. Just today, Beatty officially resigned from her post, so there's already one professional casualty. Opinions seem mixed on whether the mayor will survive the scandal. Folks are still waiting to hear from Kilpatrick, who's kept a low profile since the Detroit Free Press broke the story last week.
In addition to our Barbershop talk, we've been thinking about how to further cover this story, if at all, in a valuable way that brings it out of Detroit -- it's a HUGE local story there. Certainly, there's been a long list of city hall scandals in this country. A quick web search on Antonio Villaraigosa (L.A.), Rudy Giuliani (New York), Marion Barry (D.C.), Bill Campbell (Atlanta) or John Norquist (Milwaukee) will take you behind closed doors of many of this nation's well known (and still, in some cases, well regarded) city leaders.
But with a city in distress, a popular leader left fighting for his political career, and, perhaps most importantly, two families (Kilpatrick and Beatty both have young children) involuntarily thrust into tabloid headlines, it can be difficult for any of the parties involved to emerge as a winner if the allegations are true.
What a way to end the week! We visited with Sen. Hillary ClintonandMichelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
If I told you how and when those interviews came together, you would laugh so hard. Suffice it to say, there's a reason your humble host stays up LATE to read the papers, websites and RSS feeds, NO MATTER WHAT. It's because you do not know -- between the time you go to bed and the time you wake up -- what might be happening. Ya know what I'm saying?
So, like that.
It is obvious to me that South Carolina is still in play. An Ebony/JET magazine poll, done by one of our frequent TMM guests, veteran pollster Ron Lester, shows Obama with a 10-point lead. But the media push by both campaigns suggests to me that neither is taking anything for granted.
And, the other question is: does native son John Edwards still have a chance to break through? We heard so many supportive remarks about him when we were in South Carolina earlier this week, but does that translate into votes. And, does the increasingly bitter tone between Obama and Clinton chance the dynamic?
We'll know on Monday. Until then, have a great weekend.
Let us know where you think this conversation should go from here. I have some ideas, but I want to hear yours.
Those were all the issues being debated here as the presidential campaign swept through S.C. We arrived just in time for the voting on the GOP side. We got a chance to talk with a few voters and operatives about how their campaigns progressed. And we read the coverage, which was fascinating, especially the question of how past campaign tactics may have played into this year's campaign (for those who don't remember, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain was the target of what many now consider a dirty tricks campaign in 2000. Similar tactics surfaced this time, but it didn't work). But the turnout was down among Republican voters here -- off by some 200,000. What did that mean? Was it the nasty weather -- because it was wet and COLD -- or the nasty tone?
That was a question that will probably be asked this weekend as the Democrats head to the polls Saturday.
Last night's CNN debate (co-sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus) was really notable for the sharpness of the attacks between Obama and Clinton. Now, as everybody knows, politics ain't bean bag. And at every point, in just about every hard-fought, close campaign there is a time when people start to get down with it. But you could hear the gasps in the audience when those two went at it. How does that play? Is it the veteran going after the young'un to see what he's made of? ... The "white woman" going after the "black guy?" ... All the while with John Edwards not seeming very happy at being "the white guy" but clearly reaching for role of statesman above the fray?
My Blackberry started burning up -- What are they doing? This is terrible! Nobody wants to hear this!
Well now, that depends. Clearly, negative campaigning continues because it "works." The point is to get the most votes, not to win Miss or Mr. Congeniality. But the tactic carries risks. Do you turn off more people than you attract? Do you turn on the right people, turn off the right ones?
I cannot wait to hear what the voters are saying about all this. I think we all have to be honest -- how we react to all this depends so much on who we are, what we care about, how our loyalties and sensitivities shake out. And politics at this level is a matter of strategic guessing about all that...
A case in point, we had a fascinating conversation this morning with two women whose names you will have heard but often in connection with their more famous husbands: Jacqueline Jackson and Rev. Marcia Dyson. Mrs. Jackson is married to ... you got it ... Rev. Jesse Jackson. She is also the mother of Congressman Jackson, both of whom are supporting Barack Obama. Now, Marcia Dyson is married to the Rev. Michael Eric Dyson. He is also supporting Barack Obama.
But, the wives made a different decision. I gotta tell you, we are hearing interesting reaction to all this. One woman we spoke to said she thought it disloyal and demonstrated an unwholesome lack of unity within a black family. But others say, why shouldn't women -- black or otherwise -- support whomever they feel is in the best interest of themselves, their families and their communities?
I think this is a conversation to which we should return. I am interested, for example, in how the ethnic caucuses are shaping up. We know that the Congressional Black Caucus is divided. Is it gender? We know that Latino voters in one state where they have big numbers so far (Nevada) have leaned heavily towards Clinton. But, the leadership of that union has gone to Obama? Is the leadership going in a different direction than the grass roots?
As you can see, I leave here filled with questions.
As we head back to D.C., we'll try to find some answers.
Michel Martin (back row, center) is pictured with members of a special Tell Me More Beauty Shop at John T. Elliott's Professional Hair Design in Columbia, S.C. Pictured: (front) John T. Elliott; (back row, l-r) Tressa R. Glover, Katrina Shealy, Ginetta Hamilton and Mary Lynne Diggs. Credit: Monika Evstatieva, NPR
In Columbia, S.C. ...
Well, we made it. Our second remote broadcast! We were in Las Vegas last August, remember? And today and tomorrow, from South Carolina ETV in Columbia -- a really great facility. What a hookup!
We think we had a fine show for you this morning. We know you've heard a lot from Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), as well you should have, given his role -- he is number three in House leadership, and a key reason the primary in South Carolina moved to an earlier date. But I think he passed along some nuggets. Clyburn mentioned what he wants to see in an economic stimulus package: Summer jobs (you heard it here, first). And, you heard his culinary advice: get the shrimp and grits, and barbecue ... don't get it twisted.
Speaking of twisted or, rather, twists, what did you think about our beauty shop conversation? We didn't have time to get into this in the intro (sometimes intros take too long, as it is), but the beauty shops have been a key focus for the fierce Obama-Clinton battle down here. Sen. Barack Obama forces have blanketed black-owned shops, visiting them every two to three weeks.
But the Clintonistas are not giving any quarter. We heard the famous Maya Angelou ad for the first time as we were heading into the studio at the crack of dawn. I must say, it was interesting hearing that famous voice in a campaign ad, asking folks to vote for "my girl, Hillary," just as I am sure it was strange for some to hear Oprah stumping for her Senator, Barack Obama.
... But as I said before, give people respect for being willing to participate when so many are not.
Tomorrow, we have a special Mocha Moms for you with the Mocha Moms of Columbia, S.C. And, a reporter's roundtable. All reporters are here on the scene.
FYI: It is COLD down here. I mean COLD. What is UP with that? Some are saying the weather contributed to poor turnout in the GOP primary last Saturday. But I wonder if it was that, or if the negative campaigning turned people off.
But you do wonder what will happen this coming Saturday when the Democrats in South Carolina vote...
As we're sitting here, the South Carolina Republican primary has been called for Arizona Sen. John McCain. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is second.
We're not shocked. On the way in, we met folks who were flying in -- South Carolina residents who had business out of state, or homes elsewhere -- just to vote for McCain. One man was a veteran who said he felt McCain was a straight shooter He said, "I'm old, too! I think he still has a lot to offer."
No fancy political analysis, just one guy's opinion. But it rang true among a lot of veterans in this state.
One other observation: there are more Ron Paul signs here than for fomer New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. South Carolina has been so important to Republicans since Ronald Reagan. Did it really make sense for Giuliani to skip it?
Another question: before the today's election, polls showed most Republicans thought the number one issue was the economy. Wouldn't that, then, be an argument for Romney, the turnaround guy? ... So, why didn't he do better?
The other day, we mentioned the "truce," so to speak, between the Clinton-Obama camps. It was becoming an increasingly hideous battle, following a slew of hard blows from both candidates. Race, gender ... everything was on the table.
But is showdown really over? Is realistic to say that it will ever be over (until a party nominee emerges)?
A few recent post-truce developments...
BET founder Bob Johnsonformally apologized to Sen. Barack Obama for "inappropriate" comments made while campaigning for Sen. Hillary Clinton. In case you didn't actually see Johnson's remarks that prompted the apology, you can do that here.
And, the Clinton-Obama camps are throwing more she said, he said jabs on the campaign trail, as pointed out in the New York Daily News.
When you get a moment, read Howard Fineman's recent piece for Newsweek. Interesting. He seems to echo what some are saying about the tone of the election season -- on the Democratic side, that is. Fineman compares the Dems' race for the White House to, rather, a race for class president. It's a funny piece.
But, really, do you see any similarities?
Another story making news in the blogosphere: a new study on voters is upsetting members of the Latino community. According to Duke University political scientist Paula McClain'sresearch, Latino's identify more with whites than with blacks ... and, therefore, are likely to vote for Clinton, rather than Obama.
I could have told McClain that her findings would ruffle a few feathers, but they could be true. Interested to know your thoughts. This might be worth a conversation on our program.
I think I've given you enough to think about for now ... We'll be back later.
Could anybody have predicted that a race, in which Sen. Hillary Clinton was the dominant frontrunner only a month ago, would be essentially neck-and-neck now?
And, could anybody have predicted that Gloria Steinem -- whose life's work has been about connecting the dots on race, class, gender and power -- would find herself fending off complaints, mainly from black women, that her take on the Obama-Clinton clash is reminiscent of "The Man"?
(Pamela Merritt, a blogger and TMM contributor, offered this commentary in response to Steinem, who was on the program last week.)
Or, could it have been predicted that President Bill Clinton would say, on Tom Joyner's syndicated radio program this morning, that "the only racist comment made in this campaign is when the Obama campaign called Hillary the 'senator from Punjab"?
HEL-LO! As Nelly would say, "It's getting hot in here ..."
We were so glad to hear from Ron Lester, a prominent Democratic pollster (and I have to say, probably one of the most prominent African American pollsters in the country).
Clearly, we'd like to hear from Bob Johnson. He was last on the program in May to talk about his work for Liberia. But this is a different subject.
Who else shall we pursue?
Addendum: I want to apologize to all those who were looking forward to the conversation about David Grubin'sThe Jewish Americans, a documentary airing on PBS stations over the next two weeks (it began last week, January 9, but we weren't able to catch up with the producer until that day). We had to postpone our conversation about the film to make room for breaking news -- about whether racial tension was surfacing in the Obama-Clinton contest. We hope to bring you the conversation about The Jewish Americans on WEDNESDAY.
Republican candidate Ron Paul, pictured recently in South Carolina, has come under fire for a series of old newsletters that appear to be racially and culturally insensitive.
Getty Images
As I was saying ...
Race and gender. Race and class.
Those are grad school words, or newspaper words. Who goes around saying things like "the intersection of race and gender," except college professors and reporters, like us? But those terms are lived.
As I was mentioning yesterday, the whole thing with the guy asking me to wash his dishes -- some guy I never met -- do you really think he would have asked NPR's Robert Siegel or Neal Conan, or Steve Inskeep?
A man whom I interviewed a year or so ago, back when I was filling-in frequently for Talk of the Nation, talked about "micro insults" -- the little jibs and jabs that remind us of how we are viewed by others, especially as members of groups. I have a friend who is quite tall and robust, a big guy. He's a minister and a seminary president so he wears a suit and tie quite often. No matter what he's wearing, though, he is frequently approached for directions, asked for help, and for his opinions. He calls it the "Moses" effect. He says he's a big white guy with a beard, so he's presumed to know what to do. I've seen it first hand, trust me. We've had coffee or lunch together three times and EVERYTIME someone has asked him for directions.
Is there a "Mommy" effect in the Presidential race? Does Hillary Clinton have to prove she's a "nice mommy" or a "mean mommy," or not a mommy at all? Is there a, who knows, "Jackie Robinson" effect with Barack Obama? Is there a "Jack Kennedy" thing with Mit Romney, or Mike Huckabee, for that matter? Do they have to prove that their religious commitments -- Romney is, of course, Mormon and Huckabee is a Baptist minister -- won't take over their lives and shut out other people's truths?
These are some of the hard questions I think we should grapple with. You'll note I mentioned the whole question of whether the Tom Bradley effect had been in effect in the New Hampshire primary numbers. Not to pick a fight but, when I raised it, certain people got a little huffy.
But I'm not the only one. Look at Andy Kohut's Op-ed in The New York Times. And, and our occasional contributor Eugene Robinson's piece in The Washington Post.
Speaking of race, our college newspaper editors pointed out that Ron Paul has been a popular candidate among college students. Few seem to think he can win, but some reporters are now starting to dig into his record a bit. It isn't a pretty sight. Check this out and tell us what you think.
"What plays a bigger role in your life, being black or being female?"
"Why did you wait so long to have kids? You must have been pretty busy with your career, huh?"
"Wow! You can cook? You seem like such a career gal."
"You're taking time off for Thanksgiving? Isn't that what bakeries are for?"
Now, how are you reacting to these questions? They are actual remarks that have been made to me, some of them very recently. It's a little sampler of insensitivity for you.
Are these worst things I've ever heard? Of course, not.
Any permanent scarring? By all means no, and frankly I'm at the age where it really rolls off my back, and I have so many standard comebacks, I don't even think about it. (What exactly SHOULD I have been doing before I met my husband? Bakeries, yes. But they're for people who can't bake).
But my real issue is that only some of us have to answer these questions and, if you are a white man, I can almost guarantee they have never been said to you.
... Which leads me to the whole Obama-Clinton thing. Elections are ABOUT choice, and I appreciate having a choice. I know some people are annoyed by the size of the field on both the Democratic and Republican sides. They long for the days until the race gets narrower. But I don't. I like hearing what many of our best and brightest have to say about the state of our nation and world -- at least those with the means and ambition to see a job that way. And, I like the fact that we get to enjoy elections without, for the most part, fear of violence and retaliation. This is a luxury much of the world would dearly love to have.
But what about the whole race and gender thing? How does that play out?
One of our most prominent social critics engaged this question recently, and we thought you might like to hear more of what she had to say. Also, read her recent Op-ed in the New York Times, and one of her earlier ones.
We also thought you'd enjoy hearing from a panel of distinguished commentators who have also faced some of the questions I described earlier -- Gwen Ifill, host of PBS' "Washington Week," New York Times Managing Editor Jill Abramson, and Linda Chavez, a commentator for FOX News. Come to think of it, we might need to have this conversation again.
Who else would you like to hear from on this?
Addendum: Today, I was washing my dishes in the kitchen (it's my afternoon ritual ... we get in so early in the morning I usually have my cereal at my desk, and we are so busy that I usually heat-up some soup or leftovers from home for lunch) when a man I've never seen before actually stopped to ask me (jokingly, I assume, he thought) if he could bring his dishes so I could wash them. I asked him if his arm was broken.
Now, I ask YOU. Would he have said that to Robert Siegel?
Michel Martin, in NPR's studio 2A, monitors incoming results from the New Hampshire primary as part of NPR's special election coverage.
Lee Hill, NPR
Michel AND Lee, here...
We're slowly recovering from last night's adventure. If you stayed up for NPR's special election coverage of the New Hampshire presidential primaries -- and we don't blame you if you didn't (actually, we do because it was exciting) -- then you know we went an extra HOUR last night. We stayed on the air until midnight, which was good because I don't think we got to hear Sen. Hillary Clinton's speech until about 11:15 p.m. And, I think Robert Siegel's interview with John Edwards didn't come until after 11, so that was fun.
It was a physical challenge, if you get my meaning, for those of us who had to stay in one place for four hours, with only 60-second breaks between segments, if that -- a big difference from commercial television. All I'll say is ... if I'd KNOWN we were going until midnight, I think I'd have cut down on the Deer Park.
How was your evening Lee?
Things from where I sat were very active. If you've ever wondered what presidential election nights mean in this business, I can tell you: lots of running, lots of shouting and lots of fast digging for information (confirming sources, etc.). But the thing is, at the beginning of the night, we all know what we're getting into. Some might say we're crazy. (OK, maybe more than just "some".) But when the clock struck 8 p.m. ET, we were ready to roll with national LIVE radio coverage and LIVE blogging -- a first for us. It's an amazing experience. ... I'll give the keyboard back to Michel. She can explain more about making election calls and how she managed, amazingly, to juggle information in the studio, along with her co-host Robert Siegel.
Oooohh. Shouting? There was shouting, really? Who was shouting? (Never mind, we'll talk about that later.) No shouting in the studio. In fact, I think people might have taken off their shoes to come in and bring us stuff. It was a very serene scene in there. Everybody was VERY focused. We had two hosts -- Robert Siegel and me -- and then they'd rotate so-called "anchor buddies" in and out, like Andy Kohut, president of Pew Research, Michael Continentti, a writer for National Review (his Democratic counterpart, E.J. Dionne, was in New Hampshire), Ron Elving, our Supervising Senior Washington Editor (in other words, the big cheese honcho). They'd take the chairs opposite us when they had something new to bring in.
Frustrating for me, I'm used to being the one who gets to read the exit polls and decipher them and figure out what's interesting to talk about. No time for that. I asked for them and I looked, but I couldn't focus on them long enough to come up with a real analysis. Oh, right, I guess that's why I have my own show.
It's just past midnight and things are wrapping up in New Hampshire and here at NPR headquarters in Washington.
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, and Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican, emerged as winners at this particular landmark in the race for the White House -- Clinton leading with 39 percent of the vote among Democrats, McCain with 37 percent among Republicans.
As with Iowa, tonight's results leave little room for any of the candidates to truly feel comfortable in his or her pursuit for the Presidency. Despite polls showing Sen. Barack Obama leading his party, Clinton was able to come from behind after being mightily defeated in Iowa. And, although McCain did ease a win in New Hampshire, the majority of his support, according to exit polls, did not come from his party's core, conservative Republicans -- former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, technically, won the conservative vote in New Hampshire with 38 percent, compared to McCain's 31 percent. A similar, but slightly different, outcome is true for Clinton and Obama -- Obama was the clear winner among the state's voters identifying as Independent with 43 percent, compared to Clinton's 31 percent.
So, what shall we say to these things? Or, more appropriately, is it safe to say anything?...
With 63 percent of precincts reporting in New Hampshire, NPR News is projecting New York Sen. Hillary Clinton as the winning Democrat in New Hampshire. We're told Illinois Sen. Barack Obama might step to the podium soon...
Standby.
ELECTION UPDATE: Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama concedes New Hampshire to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. Clinton shows a 3 percent lead.
The polls have now been closed for about two hours in New Hampshire, with more than half of the precincts reporting. As we reported earlier, Republican Sen. John McCain is the projected winner in the state's Republican primary. Things, however, don't seem quite as certain on the Democratic side -- poll numbers for Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois are too close to call. John Edwards appears to be holding steady in third place.
Already, we do know this election represents a record turnout for voters in New Hampshire. The projection is that 48 percent of the state's voting-age residents participated in today's primary elections, compared to 42 percent in 2004.
I'm here with another one of our producers, Beneva Schulte. We like to think of Beneva as the resident go-to person for all things political at Tell Me More. Before coming to NPR, she spent about 15 years in politics, 10 of those years on Capitol Hill. You might remember Beneva from the editorial position she took (which put her in "friendly" opposition with Michel) with our December interview with Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE).
Here's Beneva with her anaylsis on tonight's results, so far:
It's an early, but not too surprising, win for Sen. John McCain in New Hampshire. But there's a much closer race between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama that no one was really expecting, considering the recent polls showing Obama with an almost double-digit lead. ... For Republicans, the McCain win could mean a more protracted battle for the nomination. From New Hampshire, they go to Michigan, where Mitt Romney is hoping to win his first "gold" (his Dad was the governor there), and then to South Carolina, where Huckabee is hoping to shine once again (being from the South and all). And then, to Florida, where Giuliani is hoping to begin his ascendancy. All that to say, this is a historic election folks. We could go into Super Tuesday with three or four potential front runners on the Republican side. As for the Democrats, the only thing we know for sure right now is Sen. John Edwards looks like he will be third. Clinton and Obama are neck and neck and it could go either way. If Obama wins, but its close (just a few points), expect the Clinton campaign to share the Comeback Kid mantle with the McCains.
Thanks, Beneva.
ELECTION UPDATE: John Edwards concedes in New Hampshire.
A young supporter shows her support for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, in Bedford, NH. Arizona Sen. John McCain, also a Republican, is the projected winner in the state.
Getty Images
Lee, here...
I'm blogging LIVE from NPR's special election coverage of the New Hampshire primaries. I'm here in the newsroom. Tell Me More host Michel Martin and All Things Considered host Robert Siegel are steps away co-hosting tonight's coverage in Studio 2A.
Tonight, we're offering you LIVE coverage -- on the radio and on the Web -- with updates on the latest information, as we know it.
First, let's go to where the real action is -- New Hampshire. Earlier today, we spoke with Felice Belman, Executive Editor of the Concord Monitor. Belman checked in with us moments ago from Concord, NH. Here's her take on how things are playing out there and what voters are saying:
In Concord, by all accounts, turnout has been huge. At St. Peter's Church, where I vote, it was crowded first thing in the morning. At the Concord City Auditorium, where they held "early bird" voting at 6:30 a.m., the line was so long that many commuters gave up and went to work. And at several city polling places midday, ballots were in short supply.
Voters were excited to participate, but many didn't make up their minds until the last minute ... One man from Franklin [New Hampshire] told us midday that he liked Ron Paul, but voted for Mitt Romney ... A woman from Canterbury said she'd taken a Democratic ballot for the first time in her life; her vote went to Obama. ... Independents will be the big story of the night. Another demographic to watch out for: kids. They came out in a big way for Obama. And if the excitement in downtown Concord among 20-somethings is an indication, they may well do the same thing here.
Thanks, Felice.
ELECTION ALERT: At this moment, NPR News is calling the Republican race in New Hampshire for Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Stay logged in, and feel free to tell us what you're thinking and hearing, especially if you're logged-on in New Hampshire.
Countdown to 8 p.m., when the polls close in New Hampshire. Early voting in the state has already taken place -- towns with fewer than 100 voters can open the polls beginning at midnight. The early (early, early!) voting has John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama in the lead.
It's amazing, really. A campaign that was all but written-off a few months ago (John McCain), and another viewed as entertainment and merely a campaign for vice president (Barack Obama) are now the main events.
As my father would say, some country, this America!
So who better to break it all down for us than two veterans of the New Hampshire political scene -- Dee Dee Myers, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and Felice Belman, Executive Editor of the Concord Monitor?
And, for added flair, my Spanish teacher! It's a long story but here it is: Charlene Clinton was my Spanish teacher at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. She is not only a MA in Spanish, but an attorney who has worked in college administration and private school administration. But, in all the years I've known her, she's never been interested in politics, until now. She went to her FIRST EVER political rally on Sunday in Derry, NH. We'll let her tell you why.
Also, we continue our conversation about slavery with both sides of the New Jersey debate on whether states should apologize for slavery (pdf). It was a feisty conversation. That's all I'm going to say...
And, the Mochas; I found this week's chat to be a helpful, helpful conversation. I hope you do, too. We plan to have a "Part II" conversation next month because we just feet there is more to talk about on this subject. So, if you have questions or comments about how to talk to your teen (or a teen you are close to) about sensitive subjects such as sex and responsibility, please, send them to us. We'll compile them and have them ready for the Mochas and our guest Mocha, Jennifer Lippincott (co- author of 7 Things Your Teen Won't Tell You).
PROGAMMING NOTE: Check me out later during NPR's special election coverage of the New Hampshire primaries, tonight 8-11 p.m. ET. Also, we'll have live updates to the TMM blog. So, meet us back here.
I'm excited to tell you I'll be co-hosting NPR's New Hampshire Election special Tuesday night with the incomparable Robert Siegel. We'll be on from 8-11 p.m. ET, so if you're by a radio, check us out if you can.
That's another way of saying this is going to be brief, because in addition to preparing for tomorrow's show, I have to start an intensive program of worrying that I might mess up.
OK, not really. This is not my first time in the chair. I worked a number of election specials anchored by Peter Jennings when I was a correspondent at ABC News and side-kicked the HD coverage with Chris Cuomo (now Good Morning America news anchor) on election night 2004. That was crazy. I think we were on the air for what, five hours straight? ... Six? And, remember, you're on camera -- on a tiny set -- for the whole time. I later told Cuomo I admired his ability to maintain a sense of humor as well as, well, you can figure it out, what else needs to be under control. Of course, Peter, my late colleague, was the original iron man. Wasn't he on the air for 24 hours, straight, during New Year's Day in 2000? I was on the air for three, and I had had enough. Of course, that day we were talking about a story that wasn't -- all the Y2K glitches that were predicted that never happened. Which is not the case here.
We wanted to end the week on an energetic note, which wasn't too difficult considering yesterday's results from the country's first Presidential contest in Iowa. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican, both came out on top.
On the Democratic side, there was a gap of eight percentage points between Obama (28 percent) and his closest opponent John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina. To the surprise of many, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton finished with 28 percent of the state's Democratic vote -- almost 10 points behind Obama, the front runner.
Similarly, Huckabee won with a significant lead (34 percent) among Republican candidates in the state. His closest opponent, former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney, trailed him by nine percentage points. Fred Thompson, a past senator from Tennessee, finished third. And so forth, and so on...
Clearly, the heat is on in the race for the White House. The results in Iowa have shaken what some Washington insiders predicted. And, regardless of what happens on the journey ahead of him, Barack Obama has made history in a number of areas -- as the first black candidate to win Iowa (with whites making up 93 percent of the voter turnout there, that's pretty significant) and, arguably, the first black man with a serious chance at winning the Presidency.
But what does this all mean ... to you?
It's only Iowa, right? Demographics in the state don't necessarily reflect the composite of the U.S.
But you tell us. Were you surprised, or swayed, by yesterday's results? ... Will the rest of the country follow suit?
Think about it over the weekend (or right now) and let us know what you think.
Actually, we never left. We were here all along, but some of you did not get to hear our magnificent offerings because -- for reasons that escape me -- a number of the NPR member stations preempt our programming, even when it's original, to put on other stuff during holidays.
Who knew? I sure didn't. A sign I'm still new, I guess.
But please, if you didn't get to hear some of the holiday programs, do check them out online, or on your MP3 player, if you have one. (I don't. I am not a technophile; the last new gadget I mastered was my breast pump. ... Sorry, that's another story.)
Other TMM ducklings are all heading back to the nest from their adventures. One of our producers is in Peru (and I do hope he brought me a present), somebody else went skiing. A lot of folks nipped out to spend time with family. I was here.
...And what would the holidays be without a trip to the emergency room with a sick kid, I ask you? Now that is quality time! (Everybody's fine now, thanks.)
But we're ready for action. We're talking politics. We're excited about Iowa, but we're very disturbed about what we see coming out of Kenya in the aftermath of presidential and parliamentary elections there. We gave you a preview when the voting began last week, but I don't think anybody anticipated this. We hope to have more for you tomorrow.
And, a bicentennial you may not have heard much about: On January 1, 1808, Congress outlawed the importation of slaves to the U.S.
Did this end slavery? Not by any means.
Even though we are a news program, we feel that history offers us important lessons for the present and the future. And I am fascinated by what I call the hidden history that scholars take for granted, but that the rest of us don't know. We have a bit of that history today. We have all heard about the Underground Railroad. But did you know about the "watermen"? They were whites and blacks who ferried messages and helped enslaved Americans escape to freedom. Well, now you will.
I got excited about telling these stories when I attended a conference last fall at Pace University. (A former colleague of mine asked me to sit on a panel. I wasn't that busy, so I said yes.) My head was spinning from the stories that so many of the scholars there all knew, about people and events I'd never heard of. I decided then and there that if the opportunity arose, I'd do my best to bring this new scholarship to life. And when I say new, it has to be said; it's been there all along. The stories are like stones from the river, waiting to be picked up...
Happy New Year. I hope your new year will be everything you desire.
Arwa here, still filling in for Lee Hill while he's out on vacation. Also, we had Jacki Lyden guest host the program today as Michel Martin took the day off for the holidays. Both Michel and Lee return tomorrow.
Housing Crisis in N.O.L.A.
Last week, violent protests erupted on the streets of New Orleans over a City Council decision to allow the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish 4,500 public housing units. The city was in a housing crisis before Hurricane Katrina, and it only got worse after the storms. The City Council says it recognizes the urgent need for affordable housing, but prefers mix-income housing units to run-down, partially-destroyed low-income units that currently exist. Malcolm Suber is a local New Orleans activist, and he argues that the affordable housing buildings should stay.
The Housing Debate Continues
The debate over low-income vs. mixed-income housing is not just isolated to New Orleans. It's a discussion that has been ongoing for years throughout the country, especially as the number of people at risk of homelessness continues to be strikingly high. We invited two professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to explain the pros and cons of decisions, like those made by the New Orleans City Council. Xavier de Souza Briggs is a professor of sociology and urban planning, and Larry Vale is the head of the department of urban studies and planning. Professor Vale explains that mixed-income housing isn't a bad idea in and of itself, but usually poor people get mixed out of the equation. Professor Briggs explains that New Orleans is an extreme case of the affordable housing crisis and that mixed-income housing can be successful if safeguards are installed.
Affordable Can Also Mean Green
And we continue our conversation on housing. Back in August we focused on green building efforts in New Orleans. Now we turn to another green movement. Jakada Imani heads a movement, Green for All, to better communities through the use of eco-power. He says urban communities can be revived from the inside out, starting first with climate change. Making homes more efficient does two things, he argues: it ultimately reduces the cost of energy bills and second, it opens up a new job market.
Wrapping Up with Football, Music Hits and the Death of a Jazz Legend
And as we wrap up today's show, we highlighted our first pick off our Most Fascinating of 2007 list. The Hawaii football team's miraculous undefeated season is landing them in the Sugar Bowl for the first time. We spoke with Bobby Curren about the team's season, and we'll continue to highlight more fascinating people of the year before 2007 comes to a close.
Then, NPR Arts Producer Felix Contreas highlighted some his favorite musical hits of 2007. Nat King Cole, Herbie Hancoc, and Cuban drummer Jose Luis "Changuito" Quintano make his list.
And finally, we pay a special tribute to Oscar Peterson. The great jazz musician died this weekend of kidney failure. His career lasted seven decades.
That's the show for today. Send us your feedback. Let us know which conversations you like the most and how you're spending your holidays.
Arwa Gunja, here. I'm filling-in for web producer Lee Hill.
Following up on an interview we did on Tuesday on New Jersey's abolishment of the death penalty, we kept in touch with Sen. Ray Lesniak, one of the guests we had on to discuss the decision by the state. We wanted to give him an opportunity to continue the conversation, and so we invited him to post on our blog. Here is what he had to say:
Why did it feel so good to see the New Jersey legislature pass and Governor Corzine sign the bill I sponsored replacing the death penalty with life without parole? After all, in 1982 I voted to restore the death penalty. In 2000, I advised Jon Corzine -- then candidate for the U.S. Senate -- that he should change his opposition on the death penalty because it was an unpopular position. Shortly thereafter, I had a spiritual conversion to a belief that centers on the release of anger, resentment and the need for revenge. Relieved of those emotions, I was able to conclude that governments should not be deciding who should live and who should die, and that justice is served by replacing the death penalty with life without parole. At the bill signing, the governor's office was overflowing with family members of murder victims, clergy of many faiths and opponents of the death penalty. We were all filled with love and compassion, not for the murderers whose lives would be spared, but for a society that didn't need to take a life to do justice.
And to be fair, we gave the State Republicans a chance to respond. Here is a press release from the office of New Jersey Republican Sen. Gerald Cardinale:
Executions save lives. Recent studies by social scientists opposed to capital punishment show a direct correlation between criminal executions and lower murder rates. In fact, researchers at Pepperdine University in California show that for each execution carried out there are 74 fewer murders the following year. have proposed legislation giving the public the vote on a constitutional amendment that would have fixed the process involving New Jersey's murder deterrent. The approved amendment would have placed a limit on the very financially and emotionally expensive appeals process. I put my faith in the people of the State more than I do a lame-duck session of the current Legislature, which just narrowly passed the repeal of the State's death penalty. Other legislation of mine would have created a 'lingering doubt' clause in the death penalty statute, allowing closer scrutiny in cases for those suspected of crimes punishable by the highest form of murder deterrent -- a law which would have been more humane than the new law. Why didn't we let the will of the people decide this? Why didn't we make the process leading to a potential death penalty more humane? Why were the facts ignored? Eliminating the best deterrent to murder is nonsense.
Today, as we like to do, we turned our attention to international news.
I don't know about you, but I loved the discussion about the upcoming ANC elections in South Africa. I loved that both of our guests were very well informed, had strong views, respected each other (and disagreed) on some key points. I felt we got not just a texture of the race, not just the usual geopolitical blah, blah, blah -- which is important, sure -- but also a feel for how the race is playing out with people. How it feels.
I got a sense of the candidates as real flesh and blood people, thanks to our guests. I hope they'll come back.
And, I also appreciated Sen. Chuck Hagel's coming on. I saw him at CBS' Face the Nation a while back (Mother's Day to be exact). We were both on the show, but not at the same time. We were all hanging out in the green room and I thought at the time, I'd love to have him on. Thanks to our planning editor Beneva Schulte's persistence, we made it happen.
Although I do wish we could get these Members of Congress to come down to the studio. The phone is okay, but it's distant somehow. Their schedules are horrible, so I don't blame them. And there's a reason the political chat shows are all on the weekend -- it's the only time the members are not running around like hot peas on a griddle. It's crazy. Have you ever been to an event up there on Capitol Hill? You're going along and all of a sudden somebody whispers something to somebody, and they all jump up and run out of the room to go vote. Or the President calls or something ... Or they have to go to a committee meeting ... Or they have to meet constituents who just stop in unannounced ... It's crazy.
Still. I'd like to hear how you think leaders should grapple with the question of accountability with the intelligence agencies. I heard the Senator kind of grappling with it out loud. But I'd like to hear from you, especially those of you with experience in this area. A former CIA officer has just gone public with his knowledge of an interrogation session that used techniques many consider torture. The agent says that the session yielded important information, but he thought the cost was too high -- both to the people doing the work and to the country. He said, we're better than that. How do we draw the line?
... And speaking of drawing the line, there were some in my office who thought my question to Sen. Hagel about the Republicans skipping the debates on minority issues was random and not really his issue because, after all, he's not running for President. I'll let Beneva explain her opposing views:
So, after making sure I got my paycheck this week -- I decided to take on the boss. I'm outing myself ... I'm the "some in my office" Michel mentioned who didn't think we should ask Hagel about Republicans skipping debates on minority issues. My argument is the elevator question: if you're on an elevator with someone and you have a chance to ask them one question, what should it be? We were on that elevator in the last few minutes of the Hagel interview, and I think we should have asked him if he thinks there is a place in the 2008 Presidential race for an independent candidate. Hagel is one of the names most often mentioned (along with Bloomberg) as a possible candidate for that third party bid. Voters are asking for change in this election (it's why Sen. Obama is rising in the polls in the early states) ... We had a shot at asking Hagel about this and we didn't. I think it was a missed opportunity.
Uh, yeah, Beneva, which Bob Schieffer asked him about back in May on his show Face the Nation. So there...
Ah, ok Michel, is it my fault this has been going on for a whole year!?!?!
[OK, Michel, Beneva ... it's Lee here. I'm editing this, so the back and forth has to STOP. Driving me nuts].
I obviously disagree because, as a member of the party, I thought he might have an opinion about how his colleagues are conducting their campaigns, just like I have an opinion about how some of my peers commit (-er, I mean conduct, journalism). And, as this is a show that tries to focus on issues of particular interest to minorities. But what do you think? Should I have asked him about whether he and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are still talking that independent talk instead?
This will be quick because we have a lot in the works -- Oprah, Univision ... Univision, Oprah.
Trying to channel that bad David Letterman joke from the Oscars a few years back ("Oprah, Uma"), but I can already tell it's falling flat.
We faced a dilemma this morning. There was important new data about an increase in the teen pregnancy rate and we wanted to give some attention to that report. It's the kind of story I just don't think you can toss off in a sentence or two. We decided we HAD to hear from a numbers person, a person who works in the community and a teen. But, there were ALSO two significant (we thought) political stories over the weekend -- the GOP debate on Spanish-language network Univision Sunday night, and Oprah Winfrey's appearance on behalf of White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama. We also had the interview with Zelma Redding planned because today is the 40th anniversary of the tragic death of her husband -- the great Otis Redding. (He was only 26 when his plane crashed killing everybody on board with the exception of two band members.)
So what do we do?
We decided to lead the program with a recap of the Univision debate, our logic was this: everything we could tell you about Oprah today was exactly what we could tell you on Friday, which was that huge crowds are expected (29,000!), but nobody knows what it really means for the Obama campaign. Whereas, with the Univision debate, the Republican presidential contenders who have taken such a hard line on illegal immigration had to face an audience fare more sympathetic than most in a state critical to their hopes for general election victory. Plus, it was an opportunity to introduce a new voice to you -- Luis Clemons, Editor of CandidatoUSA, an online publication to track the Latino political scene. I think you'll agree he's somebody we want to hear from again.
I'm still missing Oprah, but I am left feeling like we'll know more about what her appearance really means once we have some numbers or see some results. Maybe I'm rationalizing, but at least you know what our thinking was/is.
I am sure there will be lots of opinions about our interview with "Makaiya" (that is obviously a pseudonym). We decided, with consultation, that it was best not to use her real name because she is underage (17) and not under the care of an adult guardian at the moment. All I can say is that there is more to say ... and we wish her the best.
I also want to point out the interview with Zelma. We didn't have time to get into all of her business but one thing you should know is that, in contrast to the sad story we so often hear -- musical genius left a pauper by bad planning, bad advice, and so on -- not true here. Otis left his family significant property. A good thing, too, because Zelma was only 24 when he died ... with three small children. How she coped? We'll never really know. But she gave us a few hints, and one of them was that she seems to dearly cherish the memory of her husband and his music, which we all cherish today. That was a treat...
Now, we have some figuring out to do for tomorrow -- a major Supreme Court case ruling on crack cocaine sentencing, and the sentencing of suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. (If we decide to pursue that story I'll need to get sub host in here because, as you know, my husband is representing him.)
Friday is one of my favorite days of the week -- not just because I'm hours away from the weekend (because, let's face it, I have little kids ... there's no sleeping 'til noon happening) -- but because some of my favorite segments air Friday: Political Chat, Faith Matters, Barbershop, BackTalk.
Our politics chat was extra special this week because I got to have two old friends on the panel -- Eugene Robinson, with whom I worked at the Washington Post, AND Jeff Greenfield, now at CBS News (we worked together when we were both at ABC) ... and, of course, the fab Rev. Marcia Dyson. She's also a political commentator, in addition to her work in ministry.
We had a lot to talk about, including Oprah and Imus (Oprah goes on the political stump with Sen. Barack Obama next week and Don Imus returns to the radio airwaves on Monday). The big question about both is, what difference will it make? Oprah, as the world knows is one of the foremost media figures of our time, but she's never stumped for a candidate before. And Imus, of course, we all remember the circumstances of his being bounced from the airwaves. We've talked with his new boss about what to expect when he goes back on (here's the link if you didn't catch it).
Jeff Greenfield has been on BOTH Oprah and Don Imus' program. He told us what he thinks will happen, which is ... he isn't sure! (I like that in a man.)
Plus, the latest debate on tithing. If you are a religiously committed person you know about this. It's a tradition in many religious denominations; some consider it a commandment ... but is it? Is it another practice out of time, like the building of places of worship according to certain parameters, that has no practical meaning today?
We talked about it...
And, the B-shop guys (of course): Sean Taylor, so sad. The Washington Redskins' player killed last week under bizarre circumstances, an apparent burglary in his home. What does it mean? It's hard to overstate the grief in this city -- members of my staff who come in a little later than I do (I'm one of the early, early birds) told me that folks were crying on the metro when the news of his death was announced.
So tonight, Republican White House hopefuls will take center stage for another round of the CNN/YouTube presidential debates (the first round, in July, featured Democratic hopefuls). I've got to give it to CNN, I think the "for the people, by the people" concept of using Internet video content, presented by the public to the candidates, is a brilliant idea.
Here, we want to know what's on your mind for this evening's political showdown, a.k.a. "debate," (many expect a boxing match between Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney on any number of issues)?
What issues are you interested in hearing the candidates address?
If you happen to watch the debates tonight, meet us back here and share with us your personal highlights. Will there be a "winner"? ... A "loser"?
Award for "best overall stage drama"?
CNN superstar Anderson Cooper will stand between the cyber participants and the GOP candidates tonight. He told the Houston Chronicle that his troop may have already received more than the 3,000 or so questions submitted for the Democratic candidates earlier this year. We know all 3,000-plus questions won't make the final cut, so here are a few that stand out to some of us here ... We'll see if they make the cut:
On Darfur:
On immigration:
On rebuilding the Gulf Coast and education disparities:
And, if you won't be watching, for any reason other than a (real) scheduling-conflict, we're also curious to know more about your decision to abstain from all the hype tonight. What's your beef?
And I'm not a job hater, but ... loooong week. We're trying to get a little bit ahead so we can get a little breathing room next week -- working a little extra each day this week, so we can skip out for the holidays and still bring you the radio excellence to which you???ve (hopefully) become accustomed.
There are almost too many headlines today with big news in Pakistan -- Musharraf appointed a new cabinet; we didn't address it because we could not find a great guest in time for our broadcast -- and we had, I thought, a rich conversation with a Muslim Cleric about a new book we wanted to tell you about. So, maybe we'll get back to Pakistan next week. There was also a march on Washington to the Justice Department today -- we talked about it in the Barbershop -- and then there was last night's Democratic debate in Las Vegas. We handled other political stories worth noting on the political roundtable.
We didn't get to the issue of GOP contender Sen. John McCain's response to a woman who recently called Sen. Hillary Clinton the B-word at a campaign event, though. I'm disappointed about that because I was really interested in what the guests had to say. Are you familiar with this story? You can see the exchange, courtesy of YouTube, below:
And now McCain is using the situation to fundraise, saying the liberal media is out to get him. So my question is, on the arithmetic of this, who comes out on top? By fundraising from the incident, do you give what happened more currency? And do you get as much, or more, if you'd just put it to bed?
I'm tempted to say we'll get to it next week, but we won't because this kind of political news has such a short shelf life ... and, next week is Thanksgiving.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, we still want to hear from you. What are you grateful for? Tell us a story (a true one). You tell me one, and I'll tell you one. Deal?
I need to report that the candidate we told you about on Monday's program, Aracely Panameno, running as a write-in candidate for a seat on the Prince William County, Va., Board of Supervisors -- in part, as a protest of that county's immigration efforts to ban services to illegal immigrants -- did not do well. She garnered only 241 votes, out of more than 4,800 cast. Her opponent, John Jenkins, a 26-year veteran, was a shoo-in with more than 4,500 votes.
Was it impressive, given that she only started a couple of weeks ago and was campaigning as a write-in candidate? Was it foolhardy? ... A symbolic gesture more than a real campaign? I'm curious to know what happens next. Both candidates were Democrats. All the incumbents won, all voted for the new measures intended to deny public services to illegal immigrants and to give local police more authority to check immigration status. A number of local jurisdictions are pursuing those kinds of measures. Aracely Panameno's argument was that the measures are a smokescreen for bigger problems facing the county. Her opponent declined to talk to us -- the measures targeting illegals are now the subject of a lawsuit. But we talked to other supporters of the restrictions, who are adamant that their quality of life is being threatened by illegal immigration.
It's an emotional debate, and you can see it playing out across the country ... It just happened to be in our backyard.
Another interesting notion raised by Panameno's candidacy is that the Latino vote is a sleeping giant. She noted that there are 14,000 registered Latino voters in her district. She said if even a fraction came out, she'd win. Well, they didn't. And why not? Questions for future programs...
Now, if you're wondering why we didn't do more on the election results in today's program, I'll tell you:
"Nothing is assumed." That's the unofficial motto of Tell Me More, the new Monday-Friday talk show with host Michel Martin. Grounded in lively interviewing and compelling storytelling, the program seeks to present diverse new voices, cross borders, challenge conventional wisdom and discover how other people think.
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