girl, you ain't got to worry about that, because all those folks will be looking for new jobs soon. watch.

word.

Melissa I share your joy! As an Africana Studies professor all I can say is our ancestors are rejoicing. But, as a former DNC organizer in the "black belt" of North Carolina (my second home) I can honestly say that there is much work to be done. For me it was an eye opening experience to venture into small towns where black folks lived on one side of the tracks while white folk occupied the other. It was the election where Harvey Gantt  run against Jessie Helms (the second time) for the Senate seat and boy in the words of my former boss "the hillbillies came down from the hills to cast their votes." I know that Senator Obama is ready and  I am certainly prepared to give it my all! And Marc even if you don't agree with his politics take a minute to celebrate this historical moment.

Peace

PS I agree that HRC should NOT be on the ticket!

Melissa, I will match your $2,100 pledge (and contribute to a PAC for the cause) for anyone that challenges Stephanie Tubbs-Jones.  Of all the boot-lickers you reference, STF is by far the biggest disgrace of them all.  I must point out, however, that Artur Davis is a fine Representative of Alabama, and one of the first members of Congress to back Obama.  He does not deserve to be associated with the likes of STJ.  We must remind these other CBC members that there is a reason for Majority Minority districts, and it's not to build "personal" relationships with people who use race and gender as a political weapon.  

I am with you on Stephanie Tubbs-Jones.  She was on the Warren Ballentine show on Tuesday.  What a disgrace.  For those of us who have been voluneteering for the Obama campaign this should be a call to action for continued political activism.  I worked on a local election for selectman and my candidate won.  

We are taking our boys to Baracks's house in DC to visit this summer.  My husband said we will take them again when he is elected President.  I can't wait to put additional Barack bling (pins and stickers) on their bookbags and jackets.

I pray that Barack does not concede to the Clintons.  He has the clout and if her picks her for VP it would be distrastrous.

This moment belongs  to Barack. Why is there so much talk about Hillary?

He is the nominee. She is not. We won't miss her, and the moment is gone. Where is Barack's big headline?

He claimed the nomination YESTERDAY! This site is one day late...with history in the making.

My own representative Corrine Brown has been a dreadful disappointment. I will be following your suit if she does not immediately display a wholehearted support in unity with our nominee.  You can imagine how sick I am of our elected officials here in Florida, minus a few, select exceptions.

Wow!  Let the purges begin!  But rather than purge them for voting for a white person over a black person, purge them for being worthless featherbedding politicians and Toms for years. If Detroit can can trim Kwame's wings, we can work to expel these folks.  Time for white folks to get a real taste of for-real black rule

Hey Melissa!

The anticipation of your long-awaited victory post is the only thing that got me into work today.

Wow, I must confess, I am a little shocked that you shut-down the HRC option for VP so quickly.

I am sure that you will eventually explain the main functions of the VP, so that I can come to the same conclusion you made.  However right now, after listening to McCain rally his supporters, I'm not so convinced "we can" win this without the Clintons.  We need their dirty tricks for McCain........

Would MLK Jr. give HRC a pass so that "we can" seal the deal?.....He was alllllll about love so........maybe.

I hope he does not put her on the ticket. White folks can never lose graciously, they always want a consolation prize.

Clinton is ridiculous.  Assuming you buy into the idea that he has a problem with every demographic except blacks and well-educated whites, the idea that she is the only person in the country that can save him is too ludicrous for words.  I don't see one good reason why people that voted for her will not vote for someone with a similar track record among those groups.  

I will reserve my disdain of the CBC until I see if Bob Johnson is successful in buying them off to make Clinton the VP.  Although I'm willing to put a couple grand in the pot to get rid of the most egregious offenders (STJ - I'm looking at you!)

Melissa,

I share your excitement at this historic moment. It is a banner day for all Americans, but particularly for American of African descent. And for those of us on the left, we should all be feeling pretty good about our chances in the fall. I won't quibble with your position on HRC. Frankly, I can't imagine why she would want to be Obama's VP after this grueling primary. However, I must take issue with your position on the Congressional Black Caucus.

Throughout the primary I've been mildly amused by your unyielding devotion to Obama. Yet, implicit in your post is the idea that backing HRC is tantamount to a betrayal of black voters. This seems like misguided and dangerous reasoning for a a number of reasons. You perpetuate the notion that blind loyalty to any other black person is a test of racial credentials. Furthermore, in their capacity as Superdelegates, it is certainly up for debate as to whether elected officials were supposed to vote in line with their constituents. That's certainly not the stated point of the superdelegate set-up. But more distressingly, you don't interrogate (and haven't throughout this campaign) the assumption that there exists some abstract set of "black interests" and that assume that Obama represents them. You're too smart not to know that "black interests" is a highly contestable and variable thing. And from what I can tell, when given the public platform Obama has chided blacks for letting their kids eat poorly and watch too much television, equated black anger with white racism, and abandoned the minister who's coattails he was more than eager to ride when he needed credibility among black voters on the South Side of Chicago. Frankly, these are less than promising prospects for a "pro-black" president however you want to define black interests.

I'm not suggesting that the Congressional Black Caucus not be held accountable to black voters. They certainly should be. I just wonder if that accountability should be measured in more than symbolic gestures, and I definitely think that come this fall (and hopefully throughout an Obama presidency) blacks will certainly have to make sure they are not taken for granted as a political constituency.

PingBack from http://aintiawoman.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/the-bird-has-flown-a-reflection/

Melissa,

While we continue to beam about Barack's, and all of our success, your points about the Congressional Black Caucus members who have abandoned their constituencies in favor of HRC are dead on and long awaited.  We have to hold "our elected officials" responsible to upholding our interests.  Yeah, i saw them rush the stage and have also read about their request to HRC to ask Barack to help them smooth things over with their constituencies, because they are starting to take heat.  I say, turn it up and hold them accountable.  It was a tragic demonstration of indulgence in self interest, and just disappointing.  Oh, and no HRC on my ticket either, no way!  But let's continue to celebrate this tremendous victory!!

i am sooooooooo with you melissa!!!! i cannot begin to emphasize just how much disdain i have for hrc!! i am so upset by the absolute disrespect she showed senator obama, the party, and the american people last night by not accepting defeat and letting the process go forward.  moreover, the notion, that obama has to somehow be forced to offer her the VP spot or some other spot in his administration while she chooses to keep her "questionable" 18 million voters hostage is absolutley RIDICULOUS!!!  i swear if that brother caves in, i'm not voting!!!! i just can't and i won't!!!! he urged us with his candidacy to believe in our power to change the status quo and even got us saying "YES WE CAN!" despite our own widespread cyncism.   well brotha obama, its time for you to follow your own rhetoric as well, and tell that "THING" NO to the VP spot and any other spot in your cabinet and if she pushes back  and tells you will not get away with this..u simply tell her "YES WE CAN!" and quoting her "YES WE WILL!"

Melissa,  

I could not agree more.  HRC and Billary abandoned whatever moral principles they had left during this campaign and their stubborn refusal to now throw full support to Barack shows them to be the petulant children we all suspected them to be.  Their blatant use of the race card will haunt them for the rest of their lives.  Pursuit of power at any cost is not the hallmark of a great leader.

For the record, I chose to support Obama early on in the campaign because of what he stands for and not because of his race.  The fact that he is now a ground-breaking African-American candidate from a major party is a wonderful bonus.  He has provided the energy and hope for Americans of all ages but especially has energized a generation of young voters who had grown sour with politics and politicians.  It's time to make America what it once was and what it always promised to be, the beacon of hope, freedom and opportunity for the entire world.

Now let's get this job done.

This is a very interesting conversation and a surprising one to hear from you Melissa as a Professor of politics.  The last I recall Hillary (hate her though you may) pulled in a very impressive voter support and ended this "race" with a little less than 2000 delegates to Barack.  So I fail to understand why the members of the black caucus who "chose" to support Hillary now deserve the proverbial toss under the bus?!!!??? Geez people are we truly saying as these posts suggest to me that any black person who would DARE excercise their right to choose and that choice be Hillary is no longer worthy of our support regardless of their past record? You all cant be serious.

Being in Cali and having representative Waters as a representative from my state who actually supported Hill, I could not even imagine that I would not contribute to or mount a campaign for an upstart with the sole purpose of throwing her out of office because she did not back Barack.  That is just INSANE.  

I don't believe every black person who voted for HRC is unworthy of our support.  However, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones and CBC members who supported HRC because of "personal relationships" are certainly unworthy.  

CBC members are much different than other members of Congress.  They are mostly elected from majority-minority districts, so their purpose is to represent the interests of their individual constituencies (whatever that maybe) not their personal relationships.  So long as we have such districts, those who are fortunate enough to represent them are understandably expected to respect and reflect the will of their voters.  In short, CBC members are not afforded the personal choice of other superdelgates.  We must let STJ know that the most important relationship is with us.  STJ’s conduct is unacceptable.

Al Independent- I see your point and I am not familiar enough with STJ to make a comment as to her "worthiness". Yet I will say that the very "nature" of politics in its truest sense is based on a quid pro quo mentality and relationships.  I also understand that Rangel's district actually voted for Hill (I could be wrong). Regardless what I hear in this thread overwhelmingly is NOT an argument based on such deductive reasoning and it is very distrubing the amount of "group think" that is rampant in this thread.  I certainly don't intend to randomly throw all of the "old guard" under the bus just because Obama is the anointed new "chosen one".

Very well noted, sixgems.

I am so in agreement with you on the removal of Tubbs-Jones, Jackson-Lee and lets add Rangel

to that list, although, he may be retiring soon from politics.  I speak as a baby boomer who was quite active in the 60's and remember how the elders were so resistant to us.  We've got to let the young'uns do it their way.  Either we join and support or shut up and sit down somewhere!

To sixgems;

Excuse me, did you accuse Obamba of being the "anointed" nominee.  Nothing about Obamba run for presidency has been "anointed". He has ran with dignity and grace, which is more than I can said about the ( Blonde Klan of the party ).  I watch in horror as Fox News tried to dismantle Obamba run, for no other reason then extreme HATRED.

Are we black people not allowed to agree on a given issue?  Why slam us for  "Group Think".

White people group think all the time, isn't that how we got into the IRAQ WAR !!!  

EJ

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