Dean and Mehlman receive "vastly different receptions" at NAACP.

[madfloridian]

There is so much in this speech. It is very powerful. He starts out by saying the government should not use its legal powers against organizations that speak out. The video is here:

http://www.naacpwebcast.com/naacp2005/2005player/player_naacp2005_live_thursmorn.asp

"We need more people to stand up for what is right and not be intimidated by our own government," Dean said, an oblique reference to the IRS investigation."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jul05/341143.asp

"The titular heads of the two major political parties addressed the NAACP convention Thursday, with Howard Dean vowing that blacks would no longer be taken for granted institutionally within the Democratic Party and Republican Ken Mehlman asking that his respective party be given "the benefit of the doubt."

"The men received vastly different receptions from the crowds on the last day of the NAACP convention, with Dean's address interrupted by cheering and Mehlman's marked by stony silence during applause lines and even some heckling."

Dean spoke first, and he mentioned the Southern Strategy:

"We're not going to divide Americans to win elections. The Republican Party's "Southern Strategy" used in the 1960s and 1970s lives today. In 2000, they used the racially charged word "quota" to divide African Americans. In 2004, they used gay marriage. And just you wait; in 2006 its going to be immigrants. We need to stand together. We are all children of God, equal in the eyes of God. We need to stand up for social justice. The one thing the Democratic Party will never do - we will never divide Americans to win elections. We'll never do that..." (This paragraph I started from the speech, then I found it in the transcript at the DNC)
Om Edit: had to correct the spelling of transcript.

Mehlman sort of apologized, but then later he said it wasn't really an apology, just an acknowledgement:
"I am here today as the Republican chairman to tell you that we were wrong," he said"

[Maat]

1. Thanks for the report!

[bjluchion]

10. What is Dr. Bill Cosby

What is Dr. Bill Cosby

Dr Bill Cosby’s voice in the arena of human concerns is that of a commentator.
All commentators are just that commenting, Dr Crosby is trying to express real concerns
for resolution of social problems, but why is he really bowling the passion of words at us?
Clearly it’s his ‘hollywoodism’ acting-out to inflect our democratic-values with trivia hollywood drama.
Let us not be mesmerized by overpaid opulent media personalities that invoke our affections. Media is professed in such persuasion. Let us not forget that Mr. Cosby is a player in the fantasy medium; the profane realm --and should not be entrusted with sacred life and death issues. Actors like Mr. Cosby, Mr. Reagan, and Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger, are functioning on personal ambitions, they are not conscientious political voices; nor acting in the interest of the security and well-being of poor people.

The fact that Dr Cosby is not an organizer leaves his concerns without productive actions.
Like so many commentators he fails to recognize, that voice alone is empty and void.
We need Organizers learned and effective in the principles of political organizing not “talking heads.”
Listening to Dr. Cosby its clear that he hasn’t a political concept in his well-meaning head.

Consider great organizers such as Bernice Robinson, Septima P. Clark, Queen Mother Audley E. Moore, Emma Goldman, Johnnie Tillmon, Annell Ponder, and Diane Nash Bevel. I list some of the effective women organizers first because their productive-actions were exceptional. Of the men there is Dr Martin L King Jr. Dr King was a high echelon organizer/mobilizer—he mobilized the wealthy into donating funds to support the movement. Dr. King activated Cosby to donate. The list of highly effective democratic-organizers like A Phillip Randolph, Rev. James Bevel, Robert Moses, Bayard Rustin, Charles Houston, Walter White, and Miles Horton, to name a few, as well as the average movement field-organizer, community-organizer, and labor-union-organizers during the 20s-60s did very effective jobs.

It is Organizers that advances the enlighten strategy of mass-movement-building. Organizers never mount a podium until they have a clear strategy that the people can support, Dr. King never took the podium without exposing the strategy & implementation plan that the people had democratically agreed to advance, not commentators they are prong to mouth off at whim.

At present there is a tribe of “inspirational speakers” (sic) bouncing from stage to stage bent on inspiring & impressing the masses with their great wisdom. …Here we are without a national strategy to secure the well being of the people, no recognized solutions in view, and no active organizers moving the people to implementation…with popup voices believing that their (sic) words will make a difference. Please.

Mr. Cosby’s behavior is indicative of one campaigning for political office giving stump speeches in urban areas. It seems that Mr. Cosby--another celebrity is about to run for president or something, backed by his own money earned from speaking lines in the entertainment industry. One should not be concerned about the content of what Dr. Cosby is saying, its calculated to paint himself the good-guy; achieve public relations points and go on commenting about the Ball games; the prime discussion of the male population.
When men take responsibility for Human Security more than they are for Ball games than we shall see the resolution of social inequities.

If Mr. Cosby is serious about being effective regarding social concerns he should enroll in the program at The Center for Third World Organizing, and lean the humble art of organizing, or he should join the United Nations Campaign for Human Security. I believe that he may find these proactive strategies humane and productive.

It is all too easy to raise ones head in this era of verbiage, and joining the cacophony of “commentators.”
The arrogance of voice insults reason. In the profound action of being, how pathetic the poor soul to try giving a running commentary!

Sincerely
B-one Organizer

[madfloridian]

12. Your remarks confuse.

:shrug:

[otohara]

2. Dean Rocks

I love this man -

[Jade Fox]

3. Ha and HA!

Mehlman: Self-hating gay apologist for Republican racists and criminals.

What a jerk.

[pacalo]

4. I love it!

Now, when are the Bible thumpers going to realize that the 'thuglican party isn't really interested in Christian values?

They're only interested in the have's & have-more's - & their own pockets.

[leesa]

6. Not until they get over their fantasy of the Rapture. Billy Graham told

them Iraq will be destroyed before the Rapture comes....they WANT the wars. They don't care what kind of evil brings them, they want the wars because their fantasy demands it.

[pacalo]

13. You are right on. I have a born-again fundie cousin who has

given me that impression. I've been close to her since we were babies, although living in different states, & I can't believe how much her thinking has changed. Very disappointing.

[AnnInLa]

19. What do you think made her change her way of thinking?

I have some acquaintances who have also "changed" and would like your opinion about your cousin.

[pacalo]

24. In this case, it's easy to answer...

Her son-in-law, who has been married to her daughter for 12 years, decided he wanted to be a Southern Baptist preacher five years ago, which brought him & his family to New Orleans, where he attended a seminary. He graduated a year ago, but he's currently going for his masters degree at the same seminary.

My cousin is very close to her daughter, her only child; in fact, they're more like sisters than mother/daughter, so she has been very proud & influenced by her daughter's new direction & her role as preacher's wife.

My cousin has a wonderful, very witty personality; she's the life of the party wherever she goes. To see her personality transformed into a fundie robot where every conversation is riddled with "God told me" or "it's a sign from God" is disturbing, particularly because some of her current personal matters are hypocritical to the holier-than-thou impression she's trying so hard to create about herself to those around her. Wearing her Christianity on her sleeve doesn't jibe with her actions.

She has told me about the Rapture, how the end was near, & that she couldn't wait - the world is too evil. At least at that time, she believed Bush was "chosen by God" & that the wars are prophetically necessary, but I have to believe that this person I grew up closely with has the common sense to eventually come to her senses.

Her daughter used to send me e-mails like you wouldn't believe in support of "our president" & bombing the hell out of Iraq. She also belongs to some "family organization" that encourages hatred & bigotry, & one of her forwards from this outfit caused me to finally tell her what my beliefs were. Needless to say, it caused some tension between her & me, but I wanted to put an end to only hearing her twisted beliefs continuously while I kept my opinions to myself for the sake of peace between us.

As for my cousin, she & I have an understanding that we not talk politics, but I have to say, the hypocrisy between her constant "preaching" & her contrasting life habits are wearing thin with me.

[AnnInLa]

26. Thank you for the explanation

Living here in the deep South, I have seen acquaintances suddenly "find god" after a lifetime of doing exactly what they want to do. In my experience, the "conversion" doesn't last very long, but while it is "upon them," they are unbearable and hypocritical. I know a few of them who "find god" quite a few times, after falling-off-the-wagon, so to speak. Some of these people are bright, well-educated, and otherwise normal, except for the tendency to want the faux-security that this kind of religion seems to offer them. Imagine what it would be like to not worry about anythng...to turn everything over to a god. Stepford like, indeed.

[pacalo]

29. Stepford is the word, Ann. Scary.

[sundancekid]

28. been there myself with a born-again colleague ... finally, I simply HAD

to tell him that if he looked in the mirror and could choose to see himself as the rest of us saw him and his actions, he would have to fall to his knees in begging forgiveness and attaining redemption ... several of us just walked away from him that day, and now, after nearly 4 years he's come around to actually asking us what we saw in him that was so hypocritical ... blew us away ... we have re-engaged a professional relationship at least, and his changes are coming slowly -- since he had bought into the bush-was-sent-by-god meme, he now sees the war lies, and is one of many (as the WSJ poll shows) who doesn't trust his president any more ...

do we dare hope????? I do.

[pacalo]

30. As long as they have common sense, there's hope.

Either they're not informed as they should be or they've sadly been influenced by a selfish agenda under the guise of Christianity.

Thank goodness your colleague is coming around, though. I do have a friend in Texas whose husband has a high position in an oil company in Texas who has come around. She used to send me a barrage of those "kick ass, take their gas" forwards when the war first started. For a year now, all the forwards I get pertaining to Bush are very demeaning toward him & his policies. She's very intelligent, though, & that helps.

[Maat]

33. Wow, that sounds like what happened to relatives with whom ..

I was once close.

It's been a very sad experience for me.

So, I feel your pain.

We just have to let it go, I guess.

[pacalo]

34. It's a big letdown, but I'm past the pain.

We still keep in touch, but I've come to the realization that we've grown apart.

[Maat]

35. Well, that sounds like what I went through.

It's my in-laws who were like my own parents to me at one time.

They followed my husband's sister, and her husband and kids, to the Bible belt.

For a year, I remember angry feelings from time to time; I did some mourning (of relationship basically 'deceased' in a way). I've accepted it like you have. My hubby handles the interface, and is polite.

[tsuki]

32. This Rapture thing, where does it come from?

[blm]

5. Excellent speech, Chairman Dean. One of his best yet, imo.

Really smart of him to bring up the going after organizations MO of this administration.

NAACP was definitely targeted by these bastards before the election with the specific goal to keep them occupied and "on notice" to be careful what they say.

[NNadir]

7. Howard Dean keeps the pressure up.

[TheFarseer]

8. I'm worried by one thing

"in 2006 its going to be immigrants" What did he mean by this? We're going to adopt an open borders policy and they are going to stand for racism against latinos? Or does he mean it will be framed that we are for open borders? An open borders stance is absolutely wrong politically and in pretty much every other way. Besides, if you look at recent history, they are the party of open borders and we have been riding the fence. Anyway, I was just a bit troubled by this. I wonder what he meant.

[w13rd0]

9. He means that it is...

...one of the series of ways/topics they will use to try and divide and distract US voters.

[napi21]

25. There have also been many reports that say the US population

will increase greatly in the next 5 to 10 years, and at least 25% will be hispanics. Actually, if you pay attention, both sides are vieing for their support!

[rogue emissary]

15. '06 Repub strategy on the state level . . .

will blame immigrants for recourses and city problems. They'll also use anti-terrorist laws to justify cracking down on immigrants.

[Allenberg]

11. Thanks for the tip.

:)

[Cha]

14. A couple of things..

(like the pundits used to say when I was still watching punditville)really slay me..

"One NAACP delegate, Republican Emerson Slain, said he didn't blame Bush for snubbing the convention.

"You don't go to your enemy's house and dance with him," said Slain, of Ferriday, La."

Way to make friends and influence people. What he really means is.."bush doesn't have the cajones to be heckled and doesn't have anything but lies to perpetuate anyway."

" He said that African-Americans did not benefit by voting by such large majorities for Democrats, since their voices were then not heard within the Republican Party.:

Is this a Fucking Threat or What??

I'd say it was an Extortion Statement! What if the Blacks think the republican party STINKS..why would they vote for it?

Am I missing something here? It's like "we own the voting machines and will win anyway so you better not let us catch you voting Dem!"

No wonder there were two different responses for Dean and melhman.

Thanks Chairman Dean for takin' it to the Troops! :patriot:

[madfloridian]

16. I had to read that part twice.

I find myself wondering how he keeps up this pace. He is in Montana tonight. I get tired just reading about it. :hi:

[Cha]

17. But, I'm really glad you're

back "reading" and reporting to us! :hi: Thank you, madfloridian!

[Capn Sunshine]

22. Yeah, thanks a LOT

:nuke:

[shance]

18. LOL!!** I bet they did!!

Perhaps one day Republicans will realize that when individuals are met with authentic appreciation concern, and respect, they will actually receive a better reception.

[Mass]

20. I'm sure they did

Independently of the fact that I would prefer 100 times listening to Dean than to Mehlman, I cannot see how the GOP can stand in front of the NAACP and expect being taken seriously when they have spent the last 30 years (at least) going against anything that could help minorities.

[madfloridian]

21. More from his reference to Julian Bond. I transcribed a little of it.

"I want to thank Julian Bond, who is a man of extraordinary courage...he spoke up and said what needed to be said. We ought to stop the idea of using the legal power of the US of America against those who speak out."

"We need more people to stand up for what is right and not be intimidated by our own government."

This was right at the beginning of the speech, and a very important statement.

[mandyky]

27. Cspan covered Bond's remarks today

and i thought he sounded a lot like Dean and how itis too bad Dems don't speak out the way dean and bond do

[SF Bay Area Dem]

23. SO Mehlman admits his party is one of racism and division?

This guy just admitted it! And just because he makes one speech (that really pissed off the dittoheads and freepers BTW) that all should be forgiven? They are hollow words that he does not mean and his party will never follow... especially with a election at risk...

[Hippo_Tron]

31. I liked Dean's line about taking the black vote for granted

Without African Americans, there would be no democratic party.